I don't know if this was posted before or after our conversation on an interlude for "Just as I am" but I agree that a contrast between ideas is important.

I would like to propose a thought…

EXAMPLE 1
In Christ Alone on the CD –
Left Behind Worship –
God Is With Us –

The artist uses an interlude between versus 2 and 3, but add to the concept by creating that phrasing as an intro, and brings it back again between verse 3 and verse 4, and then ends with it. So, essentially, the interlude becomes very repetitious.

Introduction
Verse 1
Verse 2
Interlude
Verse 3
Interlude
Verse 4
Interlude

I think you would agree that it does NOT seem to be repetitious despite how it looks, in fact, the interlude is my favorite piece to the structure of this song (if done right as this version does). In the case of this specific version, there is fantastic instrumentation and percussion which brings an interesting texture and musicality.

EXAMPLE 2
Before The Throne of God –
Sonicpraise (Live) –

This hymn arrangement starts with an introduction that is repetitive and placed between every verse, but adds a guitar solo between verses 2 and 3.

It repeats verse 1 so essentially we can assume that it is a 5 verse sequence set up as follows

Introduction
Verse 1
Interlude
Verse 1
Interlude
Verse 2
interlude
Verse Guitar Solo
Interlude
Verse 3
Interlude

It seems extremely repetitious, even though it is placed between versus 4 and 5 in the sequence…

So the real discussion should be…
(which I think you hit on quite well)
…that the musical differences and new ideas make the song work, not necessarily where you place it…

In Christ Alone makes the middle section break work with bringing verse 3 to a quite point and verse 4 big and expressive
(Shane and Shane take In Christ Alone and do some incredible differences in Dynamics and phrasing that work contrasting vocal dynamics against instrumentation)

Where as Sonic Flood (in my humble opinion) does not make the musical structure work for me, even though it was placed between later verses.

So, my point is INTERESTING MUSIC OVER ORDER
JEff <><

And in regards to “Just As I Am,” when we performed it in Redlands last weekend, we actually did put an interlude in there (an electric guitar solo, actually) between verses three and four (of five)–also asymmetrical. And it worked very well.

AJ Harbison

With regards to the placement of the interlude, I think that it should definitely go between versus three and four. A song like this with reptition of the versus needs something to break up the repetition and surprise the listener. Putting the interlude smack dab in the center of the song only adds to the symetry and does not break up the repetition enough. My personal taste would have the interlude be put between versus three and four while the song grows dynamically in versus one, two and three. After the song climaxes at verse three the interlude allows for variety without the need for more growth.

Also, this interlude idea could work well in your song “Just As I Am” because of the same song structure. Just a thought.