Just when I thought things would actually cool to a legit fall weather, I find out it's going to heat up to the 90s again. Global warming is funny.
Speaking of high temperatures, I suppose this would be a good time to update about my busy summer. In between our church's annual youth retreat and a friends' wedding, so many things happened and . I was gonna try to be make it into a somewhat coherent show-and-tell, but I'm a little all over the place now and so I'll go with it. Besides, doesn't things like "organization" and "planning" sometimes ruin the fun? =)
Here it goes:
On NYC: I haven't visited in 13 years so it was nice to see what's new around there. Times Square, Wall Street, 9/11, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Queens Bridge, Greenwich Village, New York Harbor, Serrendipity III....just to name a few places we checked out. And I can't forget the several pizza parlors and the world class cheesecake we devoured along the way. I'm STILL editing / uploading all the pics from the trip, so you can check on my progress here. Mental note to self: go in the late autumn or spring season for milder weather. I'm serious.
Sick. Amazing. Blessed. For the first time, our drama ministry did a tour around churches and other different venues
in the South Bay to minister through performances and community outreach.
God was everywhere and led us together along the whole way. You can read my debrief letter
here for more of the big and little things He did for us.
On worship leading: I recently had a conversation with a friend about the delicate balance between spiritual leading and good musicianship in musical worship - specifically the latter.
I feel like a good amount of the time, we focus on trying to glorify God so much with the "right" passage, prayers, and songs, that we forget how important it is to skillfully set that mood w/ instruments. Keeping on top of the tempo. Staying in key. I know I'm not the greatest in doing all these things, but I am being faithful with these musical gifts I've received.
During our conversation, my friend's words also showed me how ridiculously EASY it is to approach worship with a critical heart. People turning their attention to the worship leaders and focusing on their shortcomings.
Are people so stuck in their own bubble of opinions on what they think worship should be like, that they miss the whole point of simply worshiping God? It's discouraging to see that happen - for people to put all that responsibility solely on the worship leaders and sometimes taking NONE of it themselves, especially being spiritually prepared when they walk through the doors.
But here's the cool part of the whole thing:
it's not really his/her job. God is still in control; He lets all the good and bad and even the ugly be in some way a praise to Him through the music, even when it's not "perfect" and it doesn't "please" us.
On that note, I'm truly grateful for the encouragements and growth I have received from serving alongside worship leaders this past year. They are rock stars in my book.
And there you have it.
Everything behind my eyes when I look back at these past three months. Thanks for reading.
This was fun.
