Funny thing about working for a church - Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter become the busiest, most stressful times of the year. The hustle and bustle of shopping for the perfect gift is trumped by extra tech rehearsals and sanctuary decor. The Easter egg hunt and family dinner is replaced by last minute orchestrations, scripts and services galore. Family plans are put on hold and sacrificed for the greater good of the church. I really am not bitter about this at all - promise! With parents being in full-time ministry my entire life, I settled into this paradigm long ago and learned to actually enjoy the pace of chaos around Christmas and lived for the Sunday afternoon nap after the Easter extravaganza. So much energy around the "Superbowl" experiences for Christians these days (thanks Tim for the analogy:)!
This is the week AFTER Holy week. After the 7 services and 4 different creative designs, after the multiple rehearsals and musician scheduling, after the implementation of all our ideas culminating into a wonderfully celebrated, packed service, I suddenly notice the beauty in a Monday. The birds sing. The sky is bluer. I actually have time to walk to Peets for coffee and read random emails and write a reflective blog. Ahhhhh - life is good!
So here's my blunt honesty around this topic. I really have a tough time orchestrating, producing, leading, overseeing all the details of a worship service while simultaneously truly worshiping God. Could it be that being in ministry actually gets in the way of worship? I have to say yes... it definitely can and often does at least for me. I'm more concerned about how the congregation is responding and our pastor is nodding in approval than bowing my own heart in that moment, recognizing the presence of God in that space and place. I miss it! I miss the point of all the creative energy and effort that others are enjoying and responding to.
And then there's Monday, my sabbath. As crazy as it may sound, my favorite day is Monday. My holy sanctuary space is my living room, sitting at my grand piano, singing a new song to the Lord with an audience of One. No TV lights or congregational critics. Just a loving, good God listening to an imperfect person pouring out a heart of gratitude for the Creator of the universe being present... even on a Monday!
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