Marjoe.

I'm trying to get a paper written, but it's been a rough go. I've tried to keep myself at the computer by having this documentary playing in the background. I'd just read about the documentary in a little article called "Kids of the Cloth: Child Preachers From Jesus to Marjoe" in the most recent edition of Skeptic magazine. I couldn't get it out of my head. It's a good show. It does a great job of showing how people's emotions are worked into a frenzy, or a meditation, in religious services.

Things haven't changed much. I mean, the music styles have changed, but the overall goal and effect has not.

The story of Marjoe Gortner: The Business of Evangelism from Saadaal Wacan on Vimeo.

In a little tiny way, I can empathize with him a little. I worked in worship services and churches for a long time. Even as my faith waned, I still worked in churches now and then because I enjoyed it, because I was good at it, because there was, well, no distinct end. 

As much as I was never a Pentacostal*, I did enjoy leading worship songs. I had a unique way of doing it that I really enjoyed. I'd pound through the worship songs and wouldn't give people a rest. Then, once the group was getting a little bit overwhelmed, I'd move into some quiet, slow, meditative number that would get them to focus on God a bunch. It worked well; I used that general system at different churches and congregations. It was a good time. 

I've barely played live since I stopped attending churches. I can count on two hands the number of songs I've performed live since then. My voice is out of shape. I look forward to getting back in the game.