As I’ve started to re-engage the Christian Music Scene, I find a lot of my conversations somewhere include me saying. “I used to be in the band Silage”. I’m not sure why I feel obligated to disclose this information. I guess it’s my human nature to try and establish some level of acceptance by my former peers, to be remembered or be known.

Yesterday, I was invited by Passion4People.org to lead some worship at the end of Brad Butcher’s talk at the Rock of Ages Festival in Napa, CA right before the Newsboys closed out the show. Long sound-checks & rain delays put the show about 2hrs behind schedule, so Andrea (my wife) & Dawson (my 6 mo. Son) just hung out in the large green room and waited it out. It was great talking with Peter Furler of the Newsboys about family, travel, & music, with Trevor from Thousand Foot Krutch about band managers, & Jaci Velasquez about our chubby babies & her taking my former bass player to the dove awards as her date in 1998.

Finally, it was time to take the stage, Brad was preaching the gospel, as a flurry of stage hands were taking Seventh Day Slumbers gear off, and bringing on the Newsboys risers and mics. I went up to the front of the stage to plug my guitar in and adjust my mic, only to find there was nothing there. Seems the stage manager completely forgot about me, and the crew has already pulled all of the old lines and are hooking up the Newsboys system. The sound guy is totally stressed, and doesn’t know anything about me playing. Tells me to go talk to the promoter. I’ve got about 2 minutes before Brad is supposed to transition to me leading worship, and I’ve got nothing except an empty mic stand and a guitar cable hanging out of my acoustic.

Someone tells me they’re working on it so I’m just standing there behind Brad looking at a few thousand people; wondering what’s going to happen. Completely helpless, I look out at the sky and pray, “okay God, I know you brought me here today for a purpose, and maybe it’s not going to be play music, but I’m okay with that, because we’re here to worship You, it’s not about – me being remembered or known.” Literally, seconds before Brad says, “and as the music plays behind me….” A stage girl plugs in a xlr into my direct box and turns on my wireless mic. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…”