Rich Mullins

I attended my second Chinese wedding last Friday night. The experience was only slightly different than the first wedding. For one, Aimee and the kids got to stay home which was probably the best for all involved. At the first wedding, the kids were a bit overwhelmed and compounded with the late hour, it was stressful to say the least.And similar to the first wedding, part of the ceremony is spent pulling attendees to the front to play some sort of game....only this time things were a little more severe. They were making people sing solos for the entire crowd.

First, it was some friends of mine that got called to the front. They sang a duet. Then a young single guy was summoned and sang well enough that Simon Cowell may have approved if only the lyrics were english.Then, the people at my table interrupted my conversation with "Ryan, Ryan, you must go!" And sure enough, as I turned toward the front, the eyes of the minister/wedding facilitator/game show host were on me.

Now, the "entertainment" provided by members of the crowd is only moderately watched by everyone. Most simply check out the shenanigans when there is a lull or awkward silence in the their conversation with those at their table.That wasn't the case when the only non-Chinese person in the group of 300 rose to take his place at the microphone. The whole place went silent and a few jaws dropped. The exchange with the Chinese Bob Barker began simple enough. Through a translating friend, I spoke about where I'm from ("USA"), my family ("wife and 3 children, yes, THREE!"), why I don't speak any Chinese ("3 children") and a few words about the bride and groom. And for a brief moment, I thought I was off the hook but not so fast. Then the endearing host explained through my translating friend that it was time for me to sing something in english. There was absolutely no escape.

Several things ran through my mind.....First, I could go with "Let it Be" by the Beatles of which I've already performed once in China at Kareoke. Then, it was something silly, perhaps "My Grandma got ran over by a reindeer". However, it was the third option that seemed best. Why not sing a little Rich Mullins? "Step by Step" should be easy enough and so I began, acapella, of course:

"Oh God, you are my God
and I will ever praise you
Oh God, you are my God
and I will ever praise you.

I will seek you in the morning
and I will learn to walk in your ways,
and Step by Step, you lead me,
And I will follow you all of my days.

And I will follow you all of my days,
and I will follow you all of my days,
and Step by Step you lead me,
and I will follow you all of my days.

Of course, during the latter half of the song, Chinese Pat Sajack was twisting a balloon hat and placing it on my head but that did not phase me. I was singing to my King!They snapped a few pictures but no video. Perhaps it's better that way!