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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"Just Sing From The Heart"
September 30, 2009
He called me in a panic. He told me the video that I put on my blog had to
be removed. I asked him why and he said, "Did you listen to it? It made the
praise team sound bad."
I laughed at that and he said, "It isn't funny." I laughed even harder. I
couldn't help it. Our praise team is great. I just couldn't imagine anything
they did sounding that bad. When he told me he hadn't heard it himself, I
knew somebody had to be playing a joke on him.
The last thing I would want to do is embarrass anyone so I pulled it off
the blog. A few minutes later a second praise team member called and he
was laughing. "What happened with the video? he said. "I couldn't believe
how bad it sounded. Was that you singing?" he asked me.
This was the fourth video I had posted. I went back to listen to this one
again. It began beautifully. Then as people joined in to sing the chorus, the
sweet sound went slightly off key in a few places. I immediately realized the
problem. The three previous videos were offered as special music. The
team did all the singing. In this video we heard the voices of God's children
joining them to sing God's praise.
It struck me that whenever we let go of something and invite others to join
in, things tend to get messy. The perfection we strive for is pushed to the
sides with the unrehearsed masses. It never sounds the same as it does in
practice.
Sometimes we have to forget about the sound. I think our calling as
Christians is to use our gifts to inspire others to join us as we sing God's
praises. I listened to that video a second time and what I heard was not a
few people singing off key. I heard people singing God's praise
enthusiastically in their own voices. The beauty of that moment wasn't in
the chords. It was in harmony of having all God's people sing together.
I think this is important to remember as we share our gifts. We want to
offer God the very best, but God doesn't see and hear things the same way
we do. He sees them as they flow from the heart. When God heard that
song on Sunday, he didn't hear any sour notes. He heard our team singing
from the heart and saw an inspired congregation lifting their arms in praise.
He was pleased with what He heard.
So offer your best to God. If you sing, sing to his glory. If you dance,
dance in the spirit. If you bake, then cook for the Lord. If you teach, then
teach with love in your heart. That's the key. Take your gift and use it to
inspire others to praise our God and the blessings will flow.
God bless. See you in Church. Cal
September 30, 2009
He called me in a panic. He told me the video that I put on my blog had to
be removed. I asked him why and he said, "Did you listen to it? It made the
praise team sound bad."
I laughed at that and he said, "It isn't funny." I laughed even harder. I
couldn't help it. Our praise team is great. I just couldn't imagine anything
they did sounding that bad. When he told me he hadn't heard it himself, I
knew somebody had to be playing a joke on him.
The last thing I would want to do is embarrass anyone so I pulled it off
the blog. A few minutes later a second praise team member called and he
was laughing. "What happened with the video? he said. "I couldn't believe
how bad it sounded. Was that you singing?" he asked me.
This was the fourth video I had posted. I went back to listen to this one
again. It began beautifully. Then as people joined in to sing the chorus, the
sweet sound went slightly off key in a few places. I immediately realized the
problem. The three previous videos were offered as special music. The
team did all the singing. In this video we heard the voices of God's children
joining them to sing God's praise.
It struck me that whenever we let go of something and invite others to join
in, things tend to get messy. The perfection we strive for is pushed to the
sides with the unrehearsed masses. It never sounds the same as it does in
practice.
Sometimes we have to forget about the sound. I think our calling as
Christians is to use our gifts to inspire others to join us as we sing God's
praises. I listened to that video a second time and what I heard was not a
few people singing off key. I heard people singing God's praise
enthusiastically in their own voices. The beauty of that moment wasn't in
the chords. It was in harmony of having all God's people sing together.
I think this is important to remember as we share our gifts. We want to
offer God the very best, but God doesn't see and hear things the same way
we do. He sees them as they flow from the heart. When God heard that
song on Sunday, he didn't hear any sour notes. He heard our team singing
from the heart and saw an inspired congregation lifting their arms in praise.
He was pleased with what He heard.
So offer your best to God. If you sing, sing to his glory. If you dance,
dance in the spirit. If you bake, then cook for the Lord. If you teach, then
teach with love in your heart. That's the key. Take your gift and use it to
inspire others to praise our God and the blessings will flow.
God bless. See you in Church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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