In this blog post I’ll explain why I’m wearing makeup most friday evenings.
Since I got to Zürich in September last year I’ve found sort of a second home in ICF. Monday evenings with the smallgroup, Tuesdays rehearsing music with the band, Wednesdays with the TWC photography workshop, Thursdays with the student group, and Zwänzger on Fridays. Phew! No, I don’t do all things every week, so don’t worry too much about me 
Zwänzger is Swiss German for “20-ish person” and is the name for the friday evening services, aimed at people of this age (like me!). As the music team was looking for a pianist when I arrived it didn’t take much time until I was playing in the band.
This last friday was one of my last times in the worship band before I go back to Linköping in August. Danny is briefing the stage team on this evening’s service.
Almost everybody here is volunteering, and during a normal friday evening around fourty people are involved. Musicians, sound technicians, lights, video cameras, producer, ushers, stage manager… the list goes on. Everything is run very professionally, in usual Swiss manner. The goal isn’t to make a concert, though, as this is a service before God. The ultimate purpose of this evening is to lead people closer to Him, and worship music has always been a central part of the faith. I personally believe that this is the ultimate purpose of music, a tool given to us to glorify God.
The soundcheck is done, the music rehearsed and the video production stands ready. We now prepare ourselves in prayer followed by a backstage meal.
And here is where the makeup comes in. Being on stage with video cameras it’s quite important to look well. No, no, I’m joking, there’s no way I’d wear makeup for that purpose. The stage gets rather warm in a city that currently has 30+ degrees of heat, and even dry skin looks rather strange and shiny on the monitors. The “makeup” is in fact just a matte cover to prevent this.
The service starts at eight in the evening. Worship music, followed by Danny’s message (the current series is about grace). Zwänzger is, as you might have guessed, completely a Swiss German-speaking event.
As the pianist I back up the preacher or MC during the prayer. Gotta love that piano+strings patch on the Motif keyboard!
So that was a little about the friday evenings at ICF. Hope you enjoyed it; and remember to pop in to Zwänzger if you are in town on a friday!
