Worship Interludes - Piano Instrumentals for Prayer, Meditation, Soaking Worship, Relaxation, Study, and Rest

One of the most sacred sacraments in Christian faith is the Lord’s Supper, also known as Communion or The Eucharist.  Today’s interlude is called “Come To the Table” and echoes Jesus’ words for us to receive His sacrifice for our sins.   This interlude is accompanied by a special music video with beautiful imagery of the bread, the wine, and the Table. Luke 22: 17-20, KJV 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Listen: Watch:

Today’s interlude is called “Peace Beyond Understanding”.   I’ll be honest, at this point in my life, I seem to have a lot of questions.   I’m 47 years old, I’m watching my children grow up so quickly I can hardly stand it, and I’m feeling and seeing change in everything around me.   That could rock the boat and bring about a lot of stress but I’ve remembered that God’s Word challenges us to “not be anxious for anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present yourselves to God” and that as a result, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus”.  (Philippians 4:6-7). I can truly attest to this peace.  It’s available and it’s attainable.   My hope is that as you listen to this interlude you can slow down for just a few minutes and experience some peace yourself. Hope you enjoy! Fred

Worship Interludes Podcast – Piano Instrumentals for Prayer, Meditation, Soaking Worship, Relaxation, Study, and Rest Episode:  #75 Title:  “Leaning In” Format:  Piano/Synths There’s a phrase that people use when they are really taking something seriously and putting genuine effort into it.   We call it “leaning in”.   From time to time I’ve heard this expression or even used it myself in reference to prayer.   There are times when you are “leaning in” to prayer  – as if putting forth extra energy, or leaning forward to push for progress or perhaps, get closer to hear your answer.   This interlude is called “Leaning In” because the A-minor key and the chord progression, combined with a repetitive, pulsing bass line, helps me shut out distractions and focus in my time of prayer and meditation … or you could say, it helps me “lean in”. Today’s interlude is another departure from pure solo piano and brings back some layers of synthesizers and pads.  Back in Episode #67, “Mysteries”, I released the first interlude like this and the response was very positive.  Personally, I love the purity and sonic space of the solo piano interludes but from time to time, it’s good to change things up.  If these synth episodes aren’t your cup of tea, just pass on to the next track. With this episode I think I will begin to change the format of the podcast titles.  Up until now, all episodes start with “Worship Interludes” but this is redundant since every episode of this podcast is a worship interlude and that is the name of the podcast.  I waned more space in the title to begin to differentiate between Solo Piano, Piano/Synth, Soundtrack, Soundscape, Orchestral, etc.   As these musical interludes evolve over time, this will help the listener (and myself!) identify them more easily. As always, I’d be honored hear from you.  Leave a comment below.

Time.  It seems to be flying away from us all.   As a young parent, I used to get annoyed when people would tell me “these days will be gone so fast” or something similar.  Now that I’m older and I’m watching my four children growing up so quickly before my eyes, I have to agree.  Time is flying. Sometimes we can get the feeling that time is not on our side.  Maybe you think it’s too late.  Or maybe you think you have plenty of time. The truth is, none of us know how much time we have left.  So live every day as if it could be your last. One of the most important things we can do in our “time” is to slow down – even for 10 minutes.   Take a few minutes to be still.   Pray, meditate, breathe, relax.   Even though the second hand on the clock is moving at the same speed, it does seem to slow down time just a bit. I named this interlude “Time” because the opening motif (theme) is similar to the chimes on a grandfather clock.   I hope you’ll take a few minutes to be still and enjoy a soothing moment where time slows down for you.

It’s not often that a “Worship Interludes” episode is a cover song.   I typically like to sit down and just compose on the fly, playing what’s in my heart.  This piece, “Here I Am To Worship” is a classic chorus that is enjoyed by millions of worshipers across the globe.   And today, this was the song in my heart. I hope you enjoy it!   I’d be honored if you took a moment to leave a comment and let me know. Grace and peace, Fred Video:

Today’s interlude was inspired by a Scripture that I read during my personal devotion this morning: “May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to shine upon us”.  (Psalm 67:1) God’s grace and blessings come to us in so many ways.   Throughout this piece, I found myself jumping from key to key, theme to theme, as you will hear, there is a good bit of diversity in what’s happening musically. I hope you enjoy it. Peace to you, Fred

Today’s interlude is called “step by step”.   It reminds us that we take each day, step by step, moment by moment.  I love how Scripture tells us to “not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). Personally, I felt really satisfied after creating this interlude.   Some days it just “feels right” when I’m done.   This one felt right. My hope is that you will sense a peace and comfort as you listen and take time to remember that we should take things day by day.   Don’t worry about what tomorrow may bring – focus only on today.  It’s my prayer that this music will help you in your personal time of worship, devotion, meditation and will help relieve stress, anxiety, and worry. I hope you’re enjoying the music.  If you are listening please consider leaving a comment and letting me know.

A beautiful sunrise is hard to beat.  It signals the dawning of a new day, a new start. I love how the Bible declares that God’s mercy is brand new for us each morning.  It’s like we start over with a fresh dose of it. [Lamentations 3:23] As the sun rises on your new day, take a moment to slow down and consider all the blessings you have.  Take time to be grateful.   Forgive those who have offended you and extend mercy to them as mercy is freely given to you.

Well my friends, I have to confess, I was shocked when I realized that I had not posted a new interlude the entire month of March. To say that I missed the weekly rhythm of posting interludes is an understatement. I go through seasons where it feels like a chore.  But then, as soon as I sit down and began to play, the pleasure returns and I feel at home, in my element, doing what I love. Today’s interlude is called “Contemplation” and that’s exactly what I was doing prior to, and during this recording. March 2018 was a tough month as I encountered some significant changes in my business that I have managed for more than a decade. It was a drastic change of life, pace, and honestly – it shook me. Contemplation is good. It helps you search your soul, pray, ask questions, and seek answers. As I play I hope you’ll be able to listen and reflect, pray, meditate, and contemplate. Video:

Today’s interlude is going to be different, in case you haven’t noticed. I’ve added another layer of sound with the acoustic piano. I wanted to experiment with some ambient synth pads and create some tension for this interlude. I call this interlude “Mysteries”.  It’s an extended interlude over ten minutes long and gives you an opportunity to really sit back and sink into the theme. Personally, I enjoy this type of interlude for prayers of intercession, battles in prayer, or deep meditation into the mysteries of God. I’d love to know what you think – I realize this is quite a bit different from the typical interludes I post.  Please share your thoughts.

Yesterday I was talking to some friends about the word “Restore” and “Restoration”. This is a word that I’m focusing on in 2018. There have been some things I’ve lost – that I’ve let slip in my life – and I am hoping to see them restored. In the end, restoration is beautiful. Most things that are restored are more strong and beautiful than before – many times, even better than the original condition. When we see something restored we are in awe. But we lose sight of the reality that the process of restoration can be brutal. Things have to be stripped down, torn apart, dismantled, and removed. There are things that cannot be re-used and must be discarded.  In the process of restoration you will find junk that is worthless but you may find something of immense value that can be salvaged. This musical interlude reflects this process. It starts with a darker, minor theme and eventually moves to a major theme, and then to a light, joyful sense of awe as you begin to see the finished product. If you’re in a restoration process, I hope you will stay strong until the end. It’s worth it. I hope as you listen today you can be still and just meditate on what is being restored in your life. Think about the pain, the struggle, the process, and surrender to it. At the same time, don’t lose sight of the vision of what the fully restored part of your life will be like!

Today’s interlude is called “Determination”. There are days when we remind ourselves about what is at stake. We think to ourselves, “I can just give in and give up, or I can press on”. Determination escapes us from time to time but it’s necessary when things start to stack up around us. I hope today’s interlude will inspire you to take a moment, catch your breath, close your eyes, relax, and remind yourself … YOU CAN DO THIS!

Today I was able to walk outside on a beautiful day with clear blue skies and watch in bewilderment as the SpaceX corporation launched their “Falcon Heavy” spaceship from Cape Canaveral, FL. The launch site is several hours south yet on a beautiful day you can see launches clearly. I’ve always been inspired and amazed by space launches and aeronautics in general. And while in one sense it makes me proud of mankind and what they can accomplish, it reminds me of how brilliant our Creator is to have given us the ability to do such things. Beyond that, I’m in awe and inspired by the majestic power of a Creator who created the heavens and earth. I walked back into the studio and recorded this interlude.  I hope that as you listen, it will inspire you to think of the awe and majesty of the Creator.

I’ll be honest.  I almost didn’t record today. You see, it’s Monday. But not just a Monday,  it’s one of “those Mondays”. The kind of Monday where you oversleep because your alarm was set to “PM” instead of “AM”. The kind of Monday where you hear something that puts a knot in your stomach. The kind of Monday where you come in and the coffee isn’t made.  (man, is this ever sounding selfish!). The kind of Monday where before 10:00 AM you’ve blown your diet/food goal. I think you get the picture. As I was wrapping up in the studio I decided to just swing my chair around and strike the keys a bit and this little theme came out. It grabbed me and my fatigue quickly melted away into anticipation as I recorded this interlude. Sometimes I have a theme in mind or I’m playing “prayers” but this time I was just making music. It wasn’t until after I finished and was looking through some stock photos on Pexels when I saw this beautiful picture and the words came to me “keep walking … one step at a time”. There are days when it seems we are coasting downhill. Then there are days when it seems like we’re just dragging ourselves uphill. Sometimes we have days where we don’t even know if we’re moving. On those days we just have to remember … it’s OK to now know what tomorrow holds.  It’s OK to not have it all figured out. Take a deep breath, be thankful for what you have, and put one foot in front of the other. Keep walking. I hope this interlude will bring peace and help you to relax, pray, meditate, and find your stride. Slow down.  Breathe.  Listen.  It’s OK.

I’ve been thinking about humility lately. Such a powerful thing; yet, often difficult to obtain. The Bible says that God opposed the proud, but gives grace to the humble. I want to be more humble. That is my meditation today as I play this interlude.