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!
Go to VIDEO
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Title Image: Pixabay.com Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from
The
New Living Translation©
