We took Brad Paisley’s advice and started a band. ok, so it really had nothing to do with Brad Paisley, it was because we felt like God was telling us to play songs to Him and about Him in a bar on Walking street. so last wednesday night we decided to epitomize our team motto of “go big or go home” and proceeded to go into every bar on walking street with a stage to tell them that we had a band and asked if we could play on their stage. It was definitely one of those reminder reality check moments as I walked through the “rolling stones” bar to ask for the manager and tell them we wanted to play on their stage.
We ended the night with two numbers for owners who weren’t there and one audition for Friday night at 10pm. I couldn’t help but think that it was nothing other than God giving us an “audition” for one of the busiest times on this street. needless to say, we were pumped about this opportunity. so we named our band, borrowed a guitar, djembe drums, and a shaker, put on some makeup and the nicest clothes we could find in our backpacks, and prayed a lot. We lived up to our name, The Trudgers, and proceeded down Walking street on Friday night with instruments in hand.
We knew which bar it was we were going to, but we couldn’t remember the name of it. well, it turns out it was the Utopia Rock House. and yes, in case you couldn’t really tell by the name, it was a hard core rock n’ roll bar whose house band’s name was Thaitans of Rock. We couldn’t help but laugh at the irony as we walked in of how God had set up our “audition” in this house of rock and knew we were going to be the complete opposite with our hippie style and worship music. We began to be a little doubtful as to whether or not they were actually going to let us play when 10:30 rolled around and the band was still going hardcore, but I should know by now to never doubt my God who constantly amazes me. They finally looked at us and were just like, “so do you want to play?” So we got up on their rock stage with our acoustic guitar, djembes, and shaker, and Tricia set down at their leopard print drum set (which she totally rocked) and brought peaceful worship music to this rock bar. It was so surreal, and still is in my mind when I think back on it. The bar began to fill up as we played and we could see people in the street and across the street at another bar listening to these white, American girls play on the stage at Utopia Rock House. Even if they had no idea what they were listening to, God’s name was proclaimed in that bar and in that street and it is in their minds even if they do not know it.
My teammate Amy is an extremely talented worship leader and song writer. God gave her a song about a week ago for this city, and the girls in bondage to prostitution, and the men in bondage to the sin that brings them here. This song is one of the main reasons we felt so strongly about playing in the bar. It was amazing to be apart of her singing this song God gave her for this city and its people in a bar where people had come to attempt to fill the void in their lives, and we were singing about the very thing that could. We didn’t stop there though. We followed her song with the song “Our God” that proclaims that our God is greater and stronger than any other god. There was no beating around the bush, this song straight up says what we were there to proclaim. After that we sang “God of this City” which is the song that God gave the band Bluetree while they were here singing in a bar on the very same street we were on. It was amazing to be able to sing this song that was also written specifically for this city in a bar just like the night it was written.
Not everyone was receptive to what we were singing, but considering the spiritual climate of the street we were on, we didn’t expect them all to be. But so many were listening, and if just one seed was planted that night it was all worth it. The house band was so good to us, the bass player ended up playing with us, and their lead girl rocker loved us being there. she even brought her mic out to the audience while they were playing and sang with us. but by the way I could see people listening and looks on some of their faces while we were playing, I know God was working in ways we had no idea about.
We were so full of doubts when God originally put it on our hearts to pursue the possibility of playing in a bar on Walking street. I don’t know why I continue to doubt when He constantly is proving Himself to be so much bigger then I give Him credit for so many times. I grew up putting God in this box and living my comfortable, Christian life. So much of this trip is about breaking out of my box and living in the fact that God is far to big to ever be put in any kind of box. if you had told me two years ago that I would be living out of a backpack, praying healing over people, learning how to foster the Spirit (and saying that like its completely normal), playing in a band on one of the most concentrated prostitution streets in the world, and coming to grips that my life will never be the same again, I would have laughed very hard at you. But like I said, God is a very big God and has a very big sense of humor. I constantly have reality checks about the fact that this is really is my life right now. God is constantly proving Himself faithful when he calls us to do something. He showed up and showed off in so many ways this past week. but even if the way God is proving himself faithful to you is not through money for a Thanksgiving burrito, or a time-slot to play worship songs in a bar, He is faithful in every little thing He calls His children to do. So follow His leading no matter how big or small it may be, and know that He is just waiting for you to trust that He is so much bigger than you could ever imagine.
we even took a sweet band pic. so, ladies and gentlemen, here are The Trudgers.
oh, and dont worry, there is a video soon to come.
