Thursday, August 1, 2019

An Uncertain Note

Friday, August 2, 2019

Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody.  And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?  1 Corinthians 14:7-8

Unexpected things are so named because they’re not expected.  Sometimes those unanticipated events are tragedy – sometimes comedy; occasionally they are both!
Homecoming/memorial service at our church is the most well-attended Sunday of the year, and the choir is reserved a spot to sit together in a side area of the worship center.  This is for two reasons – there might not be a seat in the main area, and most of the choir helps serve the dinner following worship, so they have a convenient side door where they sit to hurry out when the service ends. 
For last year’s service the final hymn I chose was familiar to our bunch.  However, as we sang the first verse, I suddenly realized most of the returning members and visitors had never heard it before.  In a moment of what turned out to be less-than-inspired, I stepped to the side room where the choir was sitting and tried to speak to our Lay Leader to bring the choir out to stand in front of congregation to help lead the singing.  Our Lay Leader is a most helpful and agreeable man, but he is almost as deaf as I am.  He misunderstood my request; he thought I was encouraging them to leave.  I began to lead them, but as I walked to the front I was alone; they went out the side door. 
In the split second in which I realized I was alone, I wondered if that was how it was for Jesus when the Roman soldiers came to arrest him, and his followers beat a frenzied retreat.  I am not equipped to lead singing…I mean, I can get enough volume, but when the notes come out of my mouth, there are few people who would pay money to hear those notes when they get there.  (I daresay there might be a few willing to purchase ear plugs for such times, or a lynching rope).
I learned two lessons (or rather re-learned things I’d messed up before):
1.     Don’t take things for granted.  If I’d followed that, I would have asked someone about singing that song.
2.     When you’re leading, sound a clear note so others can follow.
Those wisdom tidbits oftentimes come at a great price.  Once learned, they should be kept close in hand.  Being the leader doesn’t mean you get to decide everything gets done the way you want it; spiritual leadership means it’s your responsibility to sound a clear note, so others will know we’re not going out the side door.
For You Today
The clear note from our God about his children’s path is found in Jesus’ last words of his earthly ministry:

And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

Now, that’s NOT an unclear note; we get to decide what instrument we’ll play, but all God’s children are part of the band!
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com        Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©

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