IT'S THE LORD PODCAST

TRANSCRIPT

All right, we're going to get started and we're going to talk about the “It's the Lord” track and the memories that we have that are associated with that moment that we had together. I think when I come in to talk about this moment, there's like a sobriety and like a weightiness that this moment carried. I think for us as a worship community, but for our whole body. 

Just a little bit of backstory to remind us of what was happening at the time. Three days before, so this moment is in the prayer room. So this is a corporate set in the prayer room on a Wednesday night. And three days before that, in our Sunday service, we had what we call our 419 419 service where, uh, typically we have a 3 o'clock and a 5:30 service. Typically, every other time, I think, you know. 

But that Sunday we started our 3 PM service and that 3 o'clock service ended at 8, I think. And the Lord came in such a beautiful and unique way in a way that we haven't didn't seen Him come before that and haven't seen Him come that way since and, um, such a significant moment for us. But I think throughout that service to try to articulate even just like briefly, we went through different moments of silence and solitude we went into moments of repentance. The Lord prompting us to to make room in our hearts and just it's hard to articulate. But the night culminated with this moment where the Holy Spirit prompted us to lead the room in a moment of clearing people's financial debts. 

And even as we were in that moment, I think it was a culmination of the night, but it was also a culmination of what the Lord had been highlighting to us as a community for a year and a half before that around where your treasure is there, your heart will be also. And I remember even in that moment as I was hearing the Holy Spirit, you know, kind of like whisper these ideas of like, we're gonna clear the debt of the whole room. I remember there being like tension in my heart as like-- - You literally said, I don't wanna do this. (laughing) Like you literally said that. - Yes, and I think we were in this. 

Yeah, so when I remember that moment, it was, you know, how do we even do this? How do we facilitate this moment? But practically, and I remember us setting up a white board at the front of the room. You guys remember this. - That was so chaotic. - It's like whoever has credit card debt, like come and write it on the board, and then we spun it over. and then everyone that wanted to clear the debt of their brothers and sisters come and write what you want to give to clear the debt. 

And I think that when I look back on it, it was a moment leading up to it where we were marked as a whole community. But I think it was this response of we were, it was all eyes on Him and then He turned our eyes and put them on like the second commandment as well. And man I look at that Sunday, and I go wow what a moment that we can actually anchor back and go, we're treasuring what He treasures and yeah, it was special. 

I think it's helpful 'cause then, I mean, technically, this moment of “It's the Lord”, you could go, well, what does that have to do with that moment on Sunday? But I think something we try to do is we're always going, okay, but what's the history here and where has this been birthed from? And it's all so interconnected, even if you wouldn't realize that from the surface. But I'm curious, so coming in, it's three days later, the community is just, we're all wrecked, and now we're coming into the prayer room. And I remember in the briefing room, in our engine room, we're going, I don't know what He's gonna do. 

Well, and this is on the heels of $419,000. - Yeah. - $419,419 that night were raised in 10 minutes. - Raised in like 10, 20 minutes to clear the debt. And then we're going as-- it's 419, 419, it's the year of the Lord's favor, it's Luke 419 and Philippians 419, it's the year of double portion, like He's going to provide above and beyond. It's just a holy moment that we experience. So coming in, it's Wednesday, going into our prayer room, you can't do business as usual because we just got wrecked. Sama, you were worship leader that night. Do you want to just talk about how you came in and I'd love to hear from everyone on that was on the team what that was like. 

Yeah, can I speak to 419 for just a second? I remember on 419 Sunday doing dishes, listening to Upper Room and in my spirit like something's gonna happen today, and I didn't necessarily have language for it, but I told the team like make sure you eat and drink water because I don't know what God's gonna do this Sunday. You were contending for a corporate encounter. I was yes, and I don't think I knew what I was asking for because that was not, what do you think you’re asking when you’re contending, like we all fall on the floor and we're in the glory. And that happened in part, and it was was so like it's happening. 

And so then coming into Wednesday, I'm in the posture of there is no option to go through the motions anymore. We're still reeling from what just happened. There's people, I believe even on our team who got debts cleared by the community. So everyone's living in this kind of like holy days of like, what? What is happening and then one thing I knew I wanted to do was give the Lord space and make sure that we had time and so this moment comes out of giving the team space to minister to Him without their being words for a long while. And the challenge, did I ask you not to play with click? 

Yeah so you actually, you're like, we wanna start with no click, and then in our briefing before we started, you had told me you wanted me to start the melody stuff when we do get there. It's like when I look at you, I want you to start this. Which was a challenge, 'cause I'm somebody that loves the background. (laughing) And you don't normally have your bass player start (laughing) from a melodic standpoint. 

So there was no click throughout the whole track. We never we never turned it on the whole time. You guys deserve a round of applause. Wow. Woah. So coming in going, okay, how did you guys feel like you were postured, like in a different way than normal because of what had happened on Sunday? Any differences coming in than a normal Wednesday? 

I just felt like there was expectation, but not specifically. Like it's not like this is what He's going to do or this, like there wasn't a lot of talking about it. Not even talking about what had happened, and okay we want to build on this, we want to, it was it was just we were coming with great expectations, but it was it's like for whatever for whatever yeah He has, for whatever He wants to catch us up in. I'm even thinking about a couple of the messages that Sama sent out to the team that were vague but bold. Seems right. 

Yeah. I remember she said bye-bye status quo. Yeah. We're in a new season. Wow. It really felt that way where it's like, I don't know what is new about it. I don't know. We've turned the page on something here. Yeah. But, and I don't know what it is, but I do know it's new and I know that we are done with status quo. We are done with it, because so much had come into focus. It was this existential moment for us where so much of what we were going after and we had like some direction on had all become clear in that moment on that preceding Sunday, that Wednesday felt like we just respond. Like we just respond to who He is and there's there's like only one way to do that. right? Wow. 

Yeah, and I feel like the whole team came in like so just yielded to whatever He wanted to do. It's like the three days before, I feel like there was like our fires were all stoked. Yes. And we just came in and worked on fire and just burning and wanting more of whatever happened. It's like we just want more, and it's like, and we just wanted to give Him space to do that. Come on. Yes. Yes. 

I thought it was interesting that, you know, on that Sunday, it wasn't that it was something where the worship community facilitated this instrumental musical moment on Sunday that really it was like as a whole community we're in silence for hours in His presence, and that's what was marking, was Him. He was doing the ministry, and yeah. 

Yeah, it was, it was so similar to Sunday in that sense that it was almost too simple for words or too simple to like describe. It was just, there was a unity in the room, both on Sunday and on Wednesday. That was uncommon, where we don't even need to give word to it or like fully explain what it is, 'cause we know, we know. And there's moments as a worship community where we come in with like a microscope on a detail or a facet of who He is, an attribute, where we just drill deep on this thing. But this was this zooming out. And like larger scale, who is this King of Glory? - Yeah. - It's the Lord. 

Like the most fundamental thing of our faith. Not this little obscure attribute of who He is. It's just this big question and this big simple answer, right? right? And it was beautiful because it's like, there's moments that help you zoom out above where it's lift your eyes. It's above the chaos, above the noise, above even the details and just the simplicity. And there's moments like that in the Word where He's the Ancient of Days where it's like this. - Yes, big. big, big, you're connected with this eternal story, ancient of days, what? And then this that we, we dwelled on with, who's this King of Glory? It's the Lord, strong and mighty. 

So good. One of the marking moments when we did get to speaking and prayer time on 419 was Nicole's prayer. And I'm looking at the corner 'cause I know she's in the hallway. But it was one of those moments where you watch the Holy Spirit actually put someone on, like a glove, and her reading the Psalm, and then her inviting people into consecration, which is a theme that hasn't stopped. And I was like, well, if we're doing scripture, we're gonna do that one. - Wow. - And just to see how the storyline even continued from the moment in 419 Sunday to Wednesday. It was holy. 

I remember at the beginning of that set praying through that and just going, okay, who can ascend the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. And that is really what began the meditation on the Man Jesus, 'cause who has clean hands of your heart? Him. And the only way to ascend the hill of the Lord is through His blood and through His body. And so it was like this long culmination of the meditation on who is this? And it's like, there's one simple answer. And it's big and it's vast. It's the Lord. 

Yes. - Yes. - So beautiful. - Yes, broad but narrow at the same time. - Because I remember us singing about, He's the way, He's the truth, He's the life, He's the door, and it's like, it's like it's this big-- - The only way. - Yep. - Theme and this big fundamental, but it's very narrow, very simple. - Yes. - It's just Him. - Yes. - It's a man. - Come on. - Let's go. - Mark, I would be curious to hear, you were MD. - Yes. - That night, and just what was that like as an MD and give us a little bit of behind the scenes on what you were doing, because really the role of an MD for how we flow is when we're in spontaneous moments you are as an MD bringing leadership to the band and going, here's where we're headed, now this now that. And it's such a significant role in this, so I'd be curious to even hear for you what that was like, but even for your reflections too of what He was doing. 

Yeah, I think there was like, we were walking in with so much that really like I didn't have to communicate from a heart perspective. It's like we were all just like there. There's like so much unity from the beginning of the night. I didn't, yeah, it's like I didn't have to like rally the troops or any of that, that sometimes we do. But it's like when we actually got to playing, which was a few minutes, in I just remember just asking Holy Spirit it's like what do You want to hear, what is gonna communicate what what You want to hear right now?

And then I got the melody that starts the track and then I wasn't communicating anything as an MD really. The whole band just kind of flowed and we kind of just read each other and watched each other and listened to each other and and felt Holy Spirit and I think there there's just so much, each person our team is so attentive to Him, that sometimes those moments don't you don't actually have to communicate anything. So I don't think I said anything until until there were lyrics being sung where it's like okay now we're gonna do this thing where it supports the lyrics that that our worship leaders have gotten for the instrumental that we've been playing for 10 minutes or however long it was. It's like they're putting words and lyrics to what we've been already playing, which I mean it's like a dream when that stuff happens It is. It’s the best. It is. 

I think you guys were talking about the significance of that week on that Sunday and how, you know, things are different and with what He did. But I think what you were just talking about, Mark, is really important to note that it wasn't uncharted territory for the team to be in moments like that, right? So it's not like It's the Lord, that moment that we experienced, was the first time where there's spontaneous musicianship happening. 

No, it's like we actually have kind of an unheard of trust amongst our teams, and there's like, I think we're so bought in on each other that it allows us to go so much further than you could if you weren't in relationship with the people that you're playing with. And it's like not everybody gets that luxury, but it's one that we don't take for granted and it's so valuable. 

Yeah I think, just to like honor Sama and Mark, that trust that you guys have where you're coming in going you're gonna create something and I don't know what it is but I know what's gonna happen. And then you actually give Him a completely blank canvas where, because we had come in with some musical support at the beginning of the night kind of like we normally do and then Sama actually, she said into the mic, let's bring it down just the pad. So all we had was a blank canvas of a pad. So we had a key. We didn't have a time signature, a tempo, a progression, anything, a melody, nothing. And, and then Mark’s creating off that, that's trust, right? 

And then you're creating something, bringing a melody, putting like this brick by brick foundation together. But then you're like one of my favorite drummers. You could have given very specific instruction for how you want us to support what you're building. And that would have been totally right, fine and good. And it would have been beautiful. But I remember we, I listened back to the track with the MD channel and it's crickets. There's nothing you didn't say anything. Yeah. And I know if you're not saying anything, there's nothing because I cannot read lips at all. 

Same. Like, yeah, you gotta say it out loud. Like, some of you guys are really good at reading lips. - Yeah, I don't have that gift. - Yeah. So, there's nothing through that entire section. And really not even like, normally we have a little bit more body language and like, we're connecting visually. And I think that's important, so this would be uncommon, maybe the exception yeah, but it felt like when you started laying brick by brick there was for me personally, there was only one response. Like usually I think I would go through a bunch of options in my mind of like - and you were drums - yeah I was playing drums, so I would be thinking about where we want to take this and kind of looking for green lights, and I was just looking for red lights. 

Like, that's all I was looking for is if I'm off here, if I'm jumping off a cliff and this is not where we're going as a as a team, like let me know, but this is what I felt was like the only response. There wasn't any alternative options for what we were gonna play to support that. 

I'd love for you guys to talk about any like notable moments musically where it's like breaking down, this is what I mean, I'm thinking for sure about drums JP, but anything for you guys to break down from the track of in this moment, here's what I was thinking about when I was playing this, anything like that. 

Yeah, I think for drums for that initial section from when Mark launches the melody, to me, because we didn't have a click, it gives this like very natural feeling where it's not as mathematical or precise. It just felt like natural, kind of like, um, like these ocean waves, the way you would come in and you'd see the waves start building and then it would come down and it was kind of an ambiguous amount of time between each of those. And I, which was, which was amazing. And I think I felt like what I was bringing into it was as that comes up, then when I added the drums, it was like the waves crashing over. And so you'd build this thing, then the wave it would crash over. 

And it was much more cyclical tension and release than normal. I think usually you think of it more in like tides. Like, yeah, that's the low tide in the set. And then the tide comes up and it's this gradual thing, right? But this was like these, these rolling waves that just kept coming over and over. And then I felt like at some point I needed to give more of like a heartbeat to it where we were then starting to lock in as a team. And it was like this constant rise and fall with the melody and then the rhythm, the melody and then the rhythm. Yeah. 

John, can you talk about, man, maybe you guys could help give commentary since I'm not a musician. I can't, I don't know if it's the, it'd be, it'd be bad for me to try to figure out which thing you were trying, which thing that you were hitting, you know, if there's a crash or whatever it is. But there's these moments as the drummer that it was like you did jump off the cliff. And what was in your heart? I know that you said, it was the thing that, it was the only right response. But it did feel very like, wow, he just jumped off the cliff as a drummer. And what was in your, was there anything in your mind that was leading you to jump off the cliff? And I think you would be able to give commentary on what that was and getting more into technical terms. Yes. Technical breakdown. I think that's, I mean, that's a great conversation. I'd love for all of you to break down more technically, different moments. What were you doing? What settings were you're using? Yeah. 

Yes. Yeah. Um, so on drums, um, I didn't play any cymbals until like almost an hour into the night which is very unique for me. --I've never heard of it. -- And I had the snare off so, strainer was off and and and then I was playing with the back of my sticks so I flipped my sticks around so that it gives it like a more fat yeah fatter tone yeah. And so it was starting with on the floor ton, just do, do, and then just to like kind of accent the start of our pattern. And then, yeah, it wasn't until Sama was singing it with the chorus of "It's the Lord." Mark changes the chord progression, which was epic. - Holy. - Holy. - To the four, five, six, five over seven was, yeah, nuts. Wow. 

And then I oddly, I brought in the cymbals at a very weird point. And it almost felt like involuntary. Like, I can't not do this right. Yeah, weird spot came in with quarter note crashes, because it just felt like the only appropriate response to what you were singing. Which was, anytime you're not playing cymbals for a long time, it's like, how do I trickle this in? And I didn't trickle anything in. We went there. Wow. But yeah, that was kind of, yeah, just gave it, with no snare, with no cymbals, it just gave it a very, like, dry and punchy sound through all of that, yeah 

Yeah and I had kind of started the night I like had felt like I was supposed to like go more minor with how we started the melody and just keep it a little bit kind of more ominous. So I was using a sound, there are quite a few pedals actually turned on for this moment, but I was using something called a retro reel which is basically like a retro or a vintage vibrato that gives my tone like a little bit of like wobble to give it some texture. And then I had a reverb delay and then a drive for when I like dig in it gets a little bit more gritty. So that's kind of like what built that tone because I was like trying to be more spatial, but yet have the opportunity with the drive to dig in and get a little bit more melodic if I wanted to in different moments to just give it a little bit more dynamic without actually having to turn on different pedals or do anything else really. That's kind of how I was approaching that. 

That delay was like a gift to me because it gave us a sense of tempo totally and so once you had the delay on it was like all right sweet that's that's the tempo we're gonna lock it in on. 

For me I think I guess as soon as you started playing, I think JP, you mentioned this earlier of just I felt like I had a general idea of, oh, this is where this is going to go. Like from like a, not any of the details of what am I going to play, but just leaning into the Lord and asking Him, that same question. It's like, what do You want to hear? How can I support what Mark's doing? And then heard that like like swell-y harmony thing I started playing, like kind of behind your part, and on that I think I had like an octave up effect on and I have one of my expression pedals is set to a low-pass filter and that was pulled like I think all the way down. And then just riding with my volume pedal to like just kind of swell in that harmony kind of behind what you were doing. 

And then, when we get into it, we keep that going and then those parts were like John you're doing all of that like I don't know what to call it the big hits and stuff just, like started to like toying around with like different like harmonics. That's like those like high, like really chimey tones you hear is like, it's all like a plucked harmonic thing. I think there's a more technical term for it that I don't, that I don't know. - I thought it was harmonics is what I was thinking. - I have that written down. (laughing) - Tell me about the harmonics. - Tell me more about these alleged harmonics. 

And then on that like harmonic thing too, it's like the same effect. So I think like the octave up was still on, filter was still in the same spot. And then just the usual big delay, big reverb. Just following your lead. - The usual. - The usual. (laughing) - The usual. - I had the pedals. - Like over here, I was playing with wooden drumsticks. (laughing) - And I was using the back of them. - The back. - The back, specifically the back of the wood. - Really mixed it up, flipped them around. American Hickory. Five A was the size. - Oh yeah. of course, it's like is there any other size? - It sounded like five A to me, yeah. - Harmonics and five A just kind of go together. - Yeah, just that, yeah. Pretty sure. - 

Any other notable things when you think about this moment, this track, that you're like, ah, we haven't talked about this and I want to make sure we share this? 

I mean we already kind of highlighted it but when you switched to the four on the first “it’s the Lord” it's like something happens in your spirit like oh my gosh, that was it! I mean such a good call to make that and again that's trust like showing in real time, where I'm about to hit a note, you don't truly know what note it is, but but there's a level of trust and you're with the Lord and it's like that mutual submission. 

Yes, I think there's also something to be said for like knowing your worship leaders. Yeah, being in good relationship with them. Like knowing, reading their, like spending time getting to know who they are, how they lead, how they operate, like what's their body language when they're gonna do this, what is it doing this? So it's like, the reason I knew to do that is 'cause I could see it on, like how just, just how Sama was operating. She had been singing this like oracle, it's like nothing was really landing like melodically, it wasn't like we were repeating something, it was more just talking to the Lord and praying to the Lord and I like could sense that we were gonna hit something that was gonna be repetitive and more like a chorus which is how I knew to then change. 

Yes yeah and even the little little bits of eye contact and 'cause we were in a circle that night, which was unique. Circle night. Yes. Yeah, you two were on the floor and, Sama, you had your back on me, I think. Yeah. And there were a couple moments where you would turn during that instrumental section where you'd turn and give some kind of, just like that. Yep, just little nod. Yep. That I just cherish those that like, okay, yes. Um, even Steven, you were there that night, not on the team, but you were in the front row, I remember. And, um, just, yeah, even having a couple of moments of, whether it's just the rocking back and forth or the, where it's like, yes, we are hitting on something, this is, yeah, we're together. Um, and there's this corporate Eureka. We found it. 

I love that conversation that you guys are having around trust, mutual submission, learning your worship leader. I'm like, listen, Mark, just honoring your humility as an MD as a leader, you are such a strong leader. And for you to go, no, I'm a student of my worship leader to go, how do you flow? How can I anticipate where you're going? The humility on that is so remarkable. And so, and I know all of you guys carry that. I mean, that mutual submission, being students of one another is just something that each of you carry. 

In line with that, I'd love to pass Ana the mic. Ana was also singing that night. And I think in that same vein, the working together as a team, 'cause Sama, you're launching all this like prophetic oracle stuff, coming out of Egypt. And then Ana is coming in with the answer to the entire night. Ana broke through with the answer of “It's the Lord”. Can you guys talk at all about how you flow together, anything in that vein? 

Yeah, something that I feel like is so special that our team as a whole steps into is something we call mutual submission. And what's beautiful about mutual submission, even the unity that we walk in as a team, is as Mark is launching his crazy melody line or JP is playing all the wild things that he's doing on drums, we're all listening to each other with the intent of what they're carrying and what they're playing is something that the Lord wants to release in the room and I'm adding my yes to what the Lord wants to hear right now that you're contributing to what we're playing. And so Sama is launching this beautiful oracle about who the Lord is and we're all building this incredible sound unto ministering to His heart and agreeing with where we had even been in the Sunday service before. 

And my answer to that was it's the Lord. And so I think that what I loved about that Wednesday and what I love whenever we're together ministering to the Lord is going as a team and going in unity and being able to look at everybody and know what you carry is so unique to you. And yet we get to come together and minister to the Lord in such a unique way, building such a beautiful soundscape and gift unto Him as we add our yes, like yes, I want to agree with what you're giving Him. And I'm not trying to necessarily find a new unique path, but I'm giving my yes unto what you're giving Him. And so that's what I would add, yeah.

I can just say from personal experience, 'cause Ana's one of my closest friends, moments like that and the trust that's created, I can think of several times we were in my kitchen, just being silly and singing silly stuff like, ♪ I have all that I need ♪ and we're just making choruses off the Word, being silly making cookies. And there's a level of trust established that now when it's like it's go time and we're in like glory zone, and I know Ana's got my back and I've got Ana's back. And then I'm taking, it's the Lord, that's actually it. That's the Word of the Lord. And launching it. 

And then in that moment going, I'm remembering an old Bethel chorus that fits right in the pocket of all the spontaneous. And it's like even like submitting to the choruses that already have been and like the body the whole body and the whole sounds it was just it's fun. But it starts in the kitchen in the fun moments and trust when it's like yeah you're not on platform, you're at Chipotle. Or where do we go Culver's, shout out. Listen. 

All the places are next door. Shout out. - We've got a quick ad for Culver's. - Yeah, shout out to our first sponsor. - Culver's. Concrete mixer after a long worship set. Starts in the kitchen. - Glory. - That's it. - It starts with baking cookies. 

Wow, well, I think, you know, when we envision these tracks and really, they're not tracks, they're moments that have just been ripped out of the archives of the prayer room and Sunday services. What we envision is it being a background music gift. It's a soundtrack for the Secret Place. It's a soundtrack for facilitating and hosting God's heart of intercession. So it's like when, you know, what we're envisioning as a team, now we're going, hey, we wanna offer this to the Lord first, but it's also to the body of Christ to go, hey, this is gonna facilitate thousands upon thousands of moments of ministering to His heart, experiencing Him and going, man, it's the Lord. I want it to actually facilitate encounter with Him, but then also partnering with His heart. 

And that's what we do at prayer room all the time. It's the minister to Him, encounter Him, and then partner with Him. And I think that's what we're dreaming of and praying about going, Lord, we want this to be the fruit. The ministry to Him, encounter Him, partner with His heart and intercession as we think about these tracks. So, It's the Lord. Come on.