As I mentioned in my last post, the choir at church reconvened Wednesday night following our July hiatus. We had a good turnout, and I was thankful to see my choir together again.
I told them about my experiences at the National Worship Leader Conference a few weeks ago. I learned much from the conference, but the main thing I learned from the week directly pertained to the choir and its focus in the days ahead.
I believe that God calls those of us in vocational ministry to specific places at specific times for specific purposes. While I am where I need to be, when I need to be there… I haven’t completely done my duty.
We ought not do things just because “that is the way it’s always been done.”
And I have been.
I’ve been in choirs all my life. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. And I have a sense of the way that our choir ought to run and by organized. But I have put off making some tough decisions because there were processes already in place. And that’s not a good enough reason.
The changes we are making are more a matter of focus than practice…
- We are focusing on equipping our choir members as leaders of worship.
- We are focusing on celebrating corporate worship over performance pieces.
- We are focusing on making our choir an inclusive ensemble.
- We are focusing on worshiping together and pursuing fellowship on a greater scale.
I am excited for the weeks and months ahead. As our church begins a second service this Fall and as Christmas approaches, there is much to do. But I trust those with whom I get to serve, and am looking forward to what God will do in our midst.
Not a Camouflaged Soul 