THIS PAST SUNDAY 2/8/09 I WAS INVITED TO LEAD WORSHIP AT ST. BARTHOLEMEW'S LUTHERAN CHURCH IN BRILLION WISCONSIN. I SHARED MY MUSIC AT BOTH THE 8:00 SERVICE AND THE 10:30 SERVICE. IT WENT WELL ENDING IN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AT THE END OF THE 10:30 SERVICE. I LOVE CHURCH WORK BUT IT IS SCARY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY LISTENING AND IT IS QUIET. IN OTHER VENUES THAT I PLAY, I SERVE MORE AS BACKGROUND MUSIC TO EVERYONE'S SOCIAL SELF-INDULGENCE. MY MELODIES AND LYRIC WEAVE THROUGH THE CHATTERING AND LAUGHTER AND GRUNTS AND PURRS OF MEN AND WOMEN TRYING TO MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH EACH OTHER AND ANY RESPONSE I RECIEVE SEEMS TO BE MOTIVATED BY POLITENESS OR THE FEAR THAT THEY MAY VIOLATE SOME SOCIAL EDICT IF THEY IGNORE ME.

THE CHURCH SETTING IS MORE ABOUT RECIEVING THE GIFT OF MUSIC IN CONTEMPLATION OF IT'S PERSONAL MEANING AND WHILE THAT MAY ALSO STEM FROM THE SELF-INDULGENT NATURE, IT IS HOW ALL GIFTS GIVEN BY THE GIVER OF GIFTS WERE INTENDED TO BE RECIEVED. WE ARE HOPELESSLY SELF-ABSORBED YET GOD LOVES AND FORGIVES, FOR CHRIST:S SAKE, AND BLESSES US WITH THE MEANS TO UNDERSTAND THAT VIA THE MANY CREATIVE GIFTS HE HAS GIVEN US. I AM HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THAT DIVINE PROCESS.

Tags: ST BARTHOLEMEW;S IN BRILLION WISC JOHN LAMBERT MUSIC LEADER

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