I haven't written in a few days, so I thought as an obligation I should. I only have 50 minutes before I need to leave to pick up my wife from subbing, so this may be long, depending on how fast I type, or short, depending on how slow I think.
We have a cat that lives in the apartment with us. Her name is Luna. We got that name because my wife wanted to name the cat something like Starshine or Sunkist. I don't know why, but I decided in my husbandly benevolance that Starshine sounded like the fish of a 13 year old girl named Brittany and I just couldn't have that. Then my wife threw out Moonshine. I think we can all see the problem with this. I'm not against embibing, I just don't think our pets name needs to reflect that. So, we took the "moon" that my wife wanted to name the cat and made it a little classier and now call her Luna.
Well, that's not completely true. Usually we just call her kitty. Or, in a moment of disgust or anger, "CAT!" with an extra sharp "t" at the end. We got this cat from a friend while we lived in our other apartment. We had the cat illegally since we didn't pay the deposit to keep her in the living quarters. We had to smuggle her out under the cover of late evening to make sure our landlady didn't see the cat.
She's a pretty smart cat. Luna knows when we are mad at her for, say...pulling the table cloth off of the table, or getting up on the counter at 2:00 in the morning and knocking cups off of the counter. She knows when we want her and click our tongues like some secret African language that we all speak. This clicking signifies that we want her to come to us, which she usually does.
Luna has a habit of sleeping on my wife's head at night. She curls up right on top of my wife's hair and goes right to sleep. This morning, my wife had left for work and the cat stayed on the pillow, in a shape that would be perfect for a head to be cradled.
The cat's nice to have around. She keeps me company on my day off, when I'm all alone in the apartment. Of course, I have to try extra hard not to get in her way, since that is HER domain during the day. I open the vertical blinds as soon as I get up so she can sun herself and bathe.
Recently, Luna has developed another habit: licking the sliding glass door. She didn't used to do this and it's only been happening since winter when the doors would freeze over so there would be a layer of ice. We figured that she was thirsty. After all, my wife sometimes forgets to give the cat some water. But now that the weather is warmer, she still goes to the same spot and lickes the glass. We've cleaned the glass with Windex. There shouldn't be anything tasty on it. I'm not sure why she does this.
Of course, the cat may think that we are weird and there are things she's not sure why we do them. We have to shower in the morning. The cat doesn't have to get a bath except once every 6 months. Of course, the cat also licks our legs when we get out of the shower. Maybe she's dehydrated and that's why she acts the way she does.
Luna stretches a lot. I've been told that this may be early signs of arthritis, but I'm just hoping that it is a sign that she's comfortable with us. That she just wants to relax and be in our apartment.
I think the cat can give us a lot of insight to how we deal with others. She goes and sleeps in the guest bedroom when she's mad at us and she hides under the bed when she's scared. I think we all do that: push those that care about us the most away when we are hurt. Why shouldn't it be the other way around? We should be closest to those who care about us when we are down and out. Why do we shut down? Maybe it's genetic.
We didn't know the cat's mother. Like I said, Luna was given to us, spayed and ready to go. Unfortunately, she wasn't declawed. She still isn't declawed and the free couch and chair that we got when my wife and I moved in together are looking a little sad.
We've looked at getting new furniture before, but then I think, "Well, the cat will just tear it up." Then I think, "Crap, now I sound like my dad." Not that that's a bad thing. But it's the prinicple of the matter.
I come from a long line of cat raisers. My parents have always had cats. My sister and her husband have cats. In fact, my parents just got a new cat to replace one that died. The cat they replaced was on her deathbed for years, I think. Her name was Minny...like Mickey and Minnie. She was all black and squeaked instead of meowing. Her brains were sucked out when she was a kitten by a dog. Of course, you may be thinking...that's impossible. Of course it is! But that's what happened.
In all reality, I have no idea what happened to this cat, but she licked her tummy bare (and as a black cat, this was rather noticeable) and apparently had allergies. She was skitish and didn't like to be picked up. She wasn't the most cuddly cat. Her legs went stiff when you did pick her up, like she was a dog. But, to make a long story short, she was wierd and died.
I haven't met the new cat that my parents have, but apparently it's a black cat just like Minnie. Minnie was a black cat that replaced another black cat. Can we say that we don't like change? Yes, I believe we can.
Which is odd to say. I like change. But from the time I was in 6th grade on, my parents have had a black cat. I know we could say that they are the ones who don't like change, and believe me they don't, but I think that is ingrained in me too. Which, again, is odd to say.
If I had the money I wish I had then I would move all the time. I like the feeling of being anxious and nervous and then settling in to a new space. On a smaller scale, I like moving the furniture in our apartment. In the old apartment I moved it at least every other month. Unfortunately, in this apartment, the way the walls are shaped pretty much determines where everything goes. In one formation.
I like to cook, but I don't like to cook the same thing over and over again. But then again, I don't really like to try new things, yet another testament to not liking change. I remember a broccoli fiasco that still has me hesitant to eat little green trees. I've actually gotten out of the habit of cooking because I just don't want to cook the same stuff we've been eating. But when it comes to going to the store we buy the same foods and same packages.
I've changed a lot in my job. Physically I've changed my room. I had the walls painted and a new desk bought. I moved the layout around and cleaned the carpets, which are now a different color because of that cleaning (ew!) I've changed rehearsal techniques and times. I've tried to start new programs, which usually fail and that makes me think that the church doesn't like change either.
They were skeptical but okay with me painting the walls. I had the choir help do it, so that made it seem fun. But when it comes to doing something new, there is fear and trepidation. Why? Why do I fear change? I DON'T KNOW! That's the scary part. Maybe it's the opposite reason the cat gets excited every time she hears our door open. Somehow she always knows it's us walking in and runs into the entry way. She's excited to see something new. Like I said earlier, maybe we should emulate the cat more.
Well, I have 20 minutes to go, so obviously my typing has been quick. And, after sitting and pondering for a few minutes, I have nothing left to say for now!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Reading
It seems that I've been reading a lot. Of course, this can only be a good thing. I think it's been said somewhere that reading feeds the mind and as we all know, if you don't feed the mind it dies. So...I've been reading. No, I'm not saying that I feel like my brain is dying, I'm just trying to up my learning curve.
I never planned to go into church music, although there are those who will say that I have no say in "the plan," but I really don't believe that. I believe that life happens. This position became available and I took it. But I digress...this isn't theological today.
Since I wasn't planning on working in a church, I didn't study churches, church culture, or church music in college. It's not like I didn't have the opportunity. I went to a private Methodist college. And I was there a looooooong time. Opportunity and time were on my side. It wasn't something that particularly interested me.
Now, because of my position, I have to have an interest. Well, I don't have to, but I want to do well and have an excellent program, so I do have an interest. In this vein I've been reading a lot...as I mentioned, to up my learning curve.
Just last night I read "The No Complaining Rule" by Jon Gordon. GREAT book! I'm not a fast reader, unlike my sister and dad. They both seem to read millions of pages a week while I've had this book on my coffee table for nearly six months. I finally decided to pick up this book last night since there wasn't anything on the TV. Well, mainly "Brothers and Sisters" wasn't on...and if you haven't watched this show....WATCH IT! It's good!!
Anyway...I digress again. "The No Complaining Rule" is about exactly what it says: no complaining. Not cutting out complaining completely, but cutting out mindless, negative complaining and keeping useful, positive complaining that can help yield results and action.
I really liked this book. It wasn't very long and I finished it in 2 hours. A pretty big feat for me, since I prefer to read for comprehension instead of for speed or leisure. A big part of the book was laying out a plan to implement the No Complaining Rule and how to deal with complaints.
Even before reading this book I've tried to curtail complaining in my programs. For instance, in my biggest choir, we sometimes listen to our performance from the Sunday before. I ask people to think of how this could have been a better performance, but to also think of solutions and something positive. This usually weeds out the people in the group who are just looking for an outlet to complain about how flat we are, or how bad we sound (even when we don't sound bad at all!)
Unfortunately, I find personally I complain a lot. I complain to coworkers. I complain to family. I complain to my wife. If I were the other person, I would have already told myself to shut up. Or I would have just cut ties with myself. Either way, a negative outcome.
I try not to complain, but sometimes you just can't help it. At least that is what this book is saying. You CAN help it. You can still complain...rather I can still complain, but only if I accompany those complaints with positive action to get positive results. Complaints are a barometer (it's said thermometer - for you Seinfeld fans) and show that if something isn't working, then there is obviously something wrong. The pressure valve is complaints. That's when they can be used in a positive way.
This book recommends you try doing a "complaining fast" for one day, then a week, then a month, then forever. I think I'm going to try it. In fact, I would challenge anyone who reads this that you try it too. Write down all the complaints you have for a day and see how many you actually have. Then see which of those complaints you control and which you don't. The ones you don't control can just be "let go." The ones you do control...try to think of positive solutions to those complaints.
I know this seems silly, but perhaps no complaining is part of the answer to having success and happiness. I know I don't like to be around people who complain too much, so this is my positive solution...to spread the No Complaining Rule to all of you.
On a side note, another great Jon Gordon book to read is "Death By Meeting." This book goes through a plan to make meetings more successful and bearable. It has a lot more steps to it and is a lot more complicated, meaning you almost have to be in a leadership position to implement it, but it's still a great theory and well written book.
I never planned to go into church music, although there are those who will say that I have no say in "the plan," but I really don't believe that. I believe that life happens. This position became available and I took it. But I digress...this isn't theological today.
Since I wasn't planning on working in a church, I didn't study churches, church culture, or church music in college. It's not like I didn't have the opportunity. I went to a private Methodist college. And I was there a looooooong time. Opportunity and time were on my side. It wasn't something that particularly interested me.
Now, because of my position, I have to have an interest. Well, I don't have to, but I want to do well and have an excellent program, so I do have an interest. In this vein I've been reading a lot...as I mentioned, to up my learning curve.
Just last night I read "The No Complaining Rule" by Jon Gordon. GREAT book! I'm not a fast reader, unlike my sister and dad. They both seem to read millions of pages a week while I've had this book on my coffee table for nearly six months. I finally decided to pick up this book last night since there wasn't anything on the TV. Well, mainly "Brothers and Sisters" wasn't on...and if you haven't watched this show....WATCH IT! It's good!!
Anyway...I digress again. "The No Complaining Rule" is about exactly what it says: no complaining. Not cutting out complaining completely, but cutting out mindless, negative complaining and keeping useful, positive complaining that can help yield results and action.
I really liked this book. It wasn't very long and I finished it in 2 hours. A pretty big feat for me, since I prefer to read for comprehension instead of for speed or leisure. A big part of the book was laying out a plan to implement the No Complaining Rule and how to deal with complaints.
Even before reading this book I've tried to curtail complaining in my programs. For instance, in my biggest choir, we sometimes listen to our performance from the Sunday before. I ask people to think of how this could have been a better performance, but to also think of solutions and something positive. This usually weeds out the people in the group who are just looking for an outlet to complain about how flat we are, or how bad we sound (even when we don't sound bad at all!)
Unfortunately, I find personally I complain a lot. I complain to coworkers. I complain to family. I complain to my wife. If I were the other person, I would have already told myself to shut up. Or I would have just cut ties with myself. Either way, a negative outcome.
I try not to complain, but sometimes you just can't help it. At least that is what this book is saying. You CAN help it. You can still complain...rather I can still complain, but only if I accompany those complaints with positive action to get positive results. Complaints are a barometer (it's said thermometer - for you Seinfeld fans) and show that if something isn't working, then there is obviously something wrong. The pressure valve is complaints. That's when they can be used in a positive way.
This book recommends you try doing a "complaining fast" for one day, then a week, then a month, then forever. I think I'm going to try it. In fact, I would challenge anyone who reads this that you try it too. Write down all the complaints you have for a day and see how many you actually have. Then see which of those complaints you control and which you don't. The ones you don't control can just be "let go." The ones you do control...try to think of positive solutions to those complaints.
I know this seems silly, but perhaps no complaining is part of the answer to having success and happiness. I know I don't like to be around people who complain too much, so this is my positive solution...to spread the No Complaining Rule to all of you.
On a side note, another great Jon Gordon book to read is "Death By Meeting." This book goes through a plan to make meetings more successful and bearable. It has a lot more steps to it and is a lot more complicated, meaning you almost have to be in a leadership position to implement it, but it's still a great theory and well written book.
Friday, March 27, 2009
2 Trips
I have two trips coming up this summer. I'm greatly looking forward to one and the other...eh. I could take it or leave it.
The first trip, but not necessarily the better of the two, is with my family to Georgia.
In July.
When it's hot.
We are going to the "family homestead" to see my mom's last living relatives. I don't mind seeing these relatives. I think they are fascinating people: both retired teachers, kind, God-centered and normal. Yes, normal. Well, other than the fact that they had a dog house with an air conditioner in it. Did I mention it gets hot there?
This trip will probably be the last time that any of us see these relatives alive. I guess my problem with the trip is two-fold. First, I don't like to travel with the pretense that it is going to be sad or depressing. I like travel to be a positive experience. Second, just that...traveling with my family, especially my parents, is not usually too positive.
I don't know what it is. Is it the long van rides in the middle of the summer with your legs sticking to the faux leather to the farthest southern point in Georgia? Is it the long van rides to Colorado with long, window-fogging detours in the middle of Kansas?
Maybe it's the budget travel to San Francisco. Can we say public transportation?! Maybe it's coming back from two weeks in Europe just to go straight to the hospital to see my grandma die.
Maybe it's rushing through airports while they are shutting the door to the plane. Or it's having to wait in a terminal in Arizona for an indefinite number of hours waiting for a plane to be fixed.
Perhaps I should stay away from vans and rental cars and airplanes, but then that leaves the train or the bus and I don't like those options either. This raises a big question: could I go through life without having the opportunity to travel? Of course, the answer is an emphatic NO!!
With that in mind, I signed up to go on the second trip, which will be a fun, long van ride to Atlanta the next week in July.
When it's even hotter...
and even sweatier.
How is this possible? Do I set myself up for travel failure?
I'm excited for the youth work trip to Atlanta. I'm looking forward to spending time with the youth and getting to know them better. I already have planned in my head which suitcase I'm going to take and what clothes I will presumably need to pack. And trust me, planning ahead is not my forte!
We are venturing to D.O.O.R. I have no idea what those letters stand for, but I always think of the "Rats from N.Y.M.H." when I see the letters. I don't know what N.Y.M.H. stands for either, but, then again, I didn't really like the movie in fourth grade. It may have been a little to scary for Little James.
Maybe that's why I've been thinking about these trips a lot recently: fear. Fear of going to a nursing home with relatives dying. Fear of being stuck in a hotel room with my parents. Fear of doing something new with people I don't really know. Fear of being stuck in a van with teenagers in an urban area!
I'm not afraid of flying. Nor am I afraid of traveling or experiencing new things. I think I have different travel fears, and just like a fear of flying, they can be debilitating. I'm sure by the summer, when I'm wishing for a break from work and some much needed renewal time, my fears will subside.
That doesn't mean I like having my legs stick to hot, faux leather, though.
The first trip, but not necessarily the better of the two, is with my family to Georgia.
In July.
When it's hot.
We are going to the "family homestead" to see my mom's last living relatives. I don't mind seeing these relatives. I think they are fascinating people: both retired teachers, kind, God-centered and normal. Yes, normal. Well, other than the fact that they had a dog house with an air conditioner in it. Did I mention it gets hot there?
This trip will probably be the last time that any of us see these relatives alive. I guess my problem with the trip is two-fold. First, I don't like to travel with the pretense that it is going to be sad or depressing. I like travel to be a positive experience. Second, just that...traveling with my family, especially my parents, is not usually too positive.
I don't know what it is. Is it the long van rides in the middle of the summer with your legs sticking to the faux leather to the farthest southern point in Georgia? Is it the long van rides to Colorado with long, window-fogging detours in the middle of Kansas?
Maybe it's the budget travel to San Francisco. Can we say public transportation?! Maybe it's coming back from two weeks in Europe just to go straight to the hospital to see my grandma die.
Maybe it's rushing through airports while they are shutting the door to the plane. Or it's having to wait in a terminal in Arizona for an indefinite number of hours waiting for a plane to be fixed.
Perhaps I should stay away from vans and rental cars and airplanes, but then that leaves the train or the bus and I don't like those options either. This raises a big question: could I go through life without having the opportunity to travel? Of course, the answer is an emphatic NO!!
With that in mind, I signed up to go on the second trip, which will be a fun, long van ride to Atlanta the next week in July.
When it's even hotter...
and even sweatier.
How is this possible? Do I set myself up for travel failure?
I'm excited for the youth work trip to Atlanta. I'm looking forward to spending time with the youth and getting to know them better. I already have planned in my head which suitcase I'm going to take and what clothes I will presumably need to pack. And trust me, planning ahead is not my forte!
We are venturing to D.O.O.R. I have no idea what those letters stand for, but I always think of the "Rats from N.Y.M.H." when I see the letters. I don't know what N.Y.M.H. stands for either, but, then again, I didn't really like the movie in fourth grade. It may have been a little to scary for Little James.
Maybe that's why I've been thinking about these trips a lot recently: fear. Fear of going to a nursing home with relatives dying. Fear of being stuck in a hotel room with my parents. Fear of doing something new with people I don't really know. Fear of being stuck in a van with teenagers in an urban area!
I'm not afraid of flying. Nor am I afraid of traveling or experiencing new things. I think I have different travel fears, and just like a fear of flying, they can be debilitating. I'm sure by the summer, when I'm wishing for a break from work and some much needed renewal time, my fears will subside.
That doesn't mean I like having my legs stick to hot, faux leather, though.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Day Off
I had my usual day off yesterday. I feel more tired today than I did yesterday. I didn't really sleep in. Then again, I didn't really do anything yesterday. I watched a great documentary about Catherine the Great based on her memoirs and correspondence. I knew my wife would NEVER want to watch something history based, so I thought it best if I watched it on my own. I took a 1-hour nap. I had every intention of reading, but that didn't happen. I got through the table of contents of the book.
This book is the first book by Dan Kimball: The Emerging Church. I think I had mentioned that I have read Emerging Worship by D. Kimball. I'll be interested to see if this is just as good. This book was written earlier. I should have checked the date, but I'm not sure. It may be 10 years old by now. I'm not sure how that will change how I read the book, but I'm sure it will.
Actually, I do know how it will change my reading. I was on Dan Kimball's website on Monday, reading a blog post. He mentioned that he doesn't think that emerging worship is in the same place it was. He doesn't think that emerging worship is performed in the same way. That almost makes me think this book might not be credible. It may be old fashioned. We've already moved past what this book was written for and moved on to something even more different.
I'm still going to read the book. Hopefully, it will give me insight on how to "jump off the cliff." I've said since I started at WH that they think they are very progressive and forward thinking, but in reality, we are stuck in 1991. We are looking at the edge of the cliff, but haven't quite gotten to the edge. I think with our 10:45 service we got to the edge, but people have complained so much about it we are back just staring at the edge. I think emerging worship is just running as fast as you can and jumping off the edge without a parachute. Of course, the sincere hope is that you land on your feet. And maybe we will, maybe we won't.
We had worship planning team on Monday. For June 7 the scripture is Isaiah 6:1-8. Hot coals are placed on the lips to purify. I don't really "get" that, but hey, I don't live in Bible times so I don't necessarily need to. I mentioned, half jokingly, that we should have hot sauce packets from Taco Bell for everyone to take and at the prescribed time in the sermon, everyone put that on their lips. This would inevitably lead to some burning lips, therefore knowing a little of the pain that one might have felt with hot coals.
This idea was shot down.
We got to June 21 - Father's Day - and we are going to be talking about Jesus calming the storm. Another person brought up that we should show the beginning song of "Gilligan's Island." Now, to me, this sounds like a stupid idea...but was it shot down? No!! Needless to say I was frustrated. After a little discussion though, everyone else saw the stupidity, but I brought up the storm scene in "The Truman Show." I think we are going to use that one.
So, did I get what I wanted in the end...sort of. I'm still sticking to the hot sauce packets though. It involves "doing, tasting, and touching" which if we are going to engage people are three necessary items.
Also at worhsip planning we talked about emerging worship. This was also frustrating. We had a "professional" come in to talk to us, but I didn't hear anything that I didn't already know. I had taken some copious notes while reading "Emerging Worship" and studied those notes before the meeting. I felt like I could have given the same information, but since I'm not a "professional" I was not asked.
I think perhaps this week started off badly. Sunday wasn't great, then Monday was also a disappointment. I feel a little underappreciated as well as underused. I plan to start the "research" part of starting an emerging worship service. I need to call all the high schools and colleges in my area and then all the churches within 10-miles to get numbers. Then I need to compare those numbers to see how many high school and college students are actually going to church. Then all that gets compared to how many 18-35 year olds there are in the county. Maybe with raw data I will be listened to.
This book is the first book by Dan Kimball: The Emerging Church. I think I had mentioned that I have read Emerging Worship by D. Kimball. I'll be interested to see if this is just as good. This book was written earlier. I should have checked the date, but I'm not sure. It may be 10 years old by now. I'm not sure how that will change how I read the book, but I'm sure it will.
Actually, I do know how it will change my reading. I was on Dan Kimball's website on Monday, reading a blog post. He mentioned that he doesn't think that emerging worship is in the same place it was. He doesn't think that emerging worship is performed in the same way. That almost makes me think this book might not be credible. It may be old fashioned. We've already moved past what this book was written for and moved on to something even more different.
I'm still going to read the book. Hopefully, it will give me insight on how to "jump off the cliff." I've said since I started at WH that they think they are very progressive and forward thinking, but in reality, we are stuck in 1991. We are looking at the edge of the cliff, but haven't quite gotten to the edge. I think with our 10:45 service we got to the edge, but people have complained so much about it we are back just staring at the edge. I think emerging worship is just running as fast as you can and jumping off the edge without a parachute. Of course, the sincere hope is that you land on your feet. And maybe we will, maybe we won't.
We had worship planning team on Monday. For June 7 the scripture is Isaiah 6:1-8. Hot coals are placed on the lips to purify. I don't really "get" that, but hey, I don't live in Bible times so I don't necessarily need to. I mentioned, half jokingly, that we should have hot sauce packets from Taco Bell for everyone to take and at the prescribed time in the sermon, everyone put that on their lips. This would inevitably lead to some burning lips, therefore knowing a little of the pain that one might have felt with hot coals.
This idea was shot down.
We got to June 21 - Father's Day - and we are going to be talking about Jesus calming the storm. Another person brought up that we should show the beginning song of "Gilligan's Island." Now, to me, this sounds like a stupid idea...but was it shot down? No!! Needless to say I was frustrated. After a little discussion though, everyone else saw the stupidity, but I brought up the storm scene in "The Truman Show." I think we are going to use that one.
So, did I get what I wanted in the end...sort of. I'm still sticking to the hot sauce packets though. It involves "doing, tasting, and touching" which if we are going to engage people are three necessary items.
Also at worhsip planning we talked about emerging worship. This was also frustrating. We had a "professional" come in to talk to us, but I didn't hear anything that I didn't already know. I had taken some copious notes while reading "Emerging Worship" and studied those notes before the meeting. I felt like I could have given the same information, but since I'm not a "professional" I was not asked.
I think perhaps this week started off badly. Sunday wasn't great, then Monday was also a disappointment. I feel a little underappreciated as well as underused. I plan to start the "research" part of starting an emerging worship service. I need to call all the high schools and colleges in my area and then all the churches within 10-miles to get numbers. Then I need to compare those numbers to see how many high school and college students are actually going to church. Then all that gets compared to how many 18-35 year olds there are in the county. Maybe with raw data I will be listened to.
Monday, March 23, 2009
response
Thanks. This IS actually helpful. Not that I want to pull out the guilt. I just get so frustrated that I have to raise my blood pressure every week to "direct" or "produce" worship. And, shockingly enough, this isn't what I went to school for.
Hairspray and perfection
Last night my wife and I went to see Hairspray at the Civic Center. Honestly, this was maybe only the third or fourth "Broadway" show I've ever seen. I'm more of an opera person, but that probably isn't a surprise.
I've done musicals. I've played for musicals. I've been in musicals, but going to them is expensive and sometimes not that great. But, last night was very good. Our seats were in a great position. We were actually close enough to the stage that we could see faces!
On the way home, in the car, I couldn't help but say that I really appreciated the production value of this show. Reading through the bios of the performers - some of them old, some new - some of them had been doing this show for a while. They had probably performed the whole production over 100 times or more! Probably WAAAAY more!!!
Light cues and orchestra cues were right on time. Sound effects were quite impressively timed. There was a moment in a song when glasses "clinked" and, yes, there was a perfectly in place sound effect for that.
As I said, many of these people have done this show many many many times. You can't help but be pretty much perfect after doing something so many times. It's engrained in your muscles by that time. I also know that the people working on these touring productions are paid professionals. This is what they do. They work on tech or sound or lights. They may or may not enjoy doing it, but that's their job.
Yesterday was also a church day. I came away with a huge headache, after being reduced to near tears, and frustrated like none other. Needless to say, yesterday was difficult. I got to church in a good mood, but it spiraled down quickly.
The bell ringers were playing for the services. That's fine. I like to include the bells whenever I can - or more accurately, whenever they feel like playing. The congregation seems to like the bells. They should...they just spent $15,000 on refurbishing the bells two years ago. That money didn't come out of thin air! I had already asked the bells if they would be finished so that our flute player could practice her piece. I was told that the bells had been there for a half hour and hadn't played through their whole piece.
Now I feel that I have to back up and tell you that traditionally, the bells arrive at 7:00 a.m. before the 8:30 service and run their piece so many times that it makes your ears bleed. So the fact that they hadn't run it yet and it was 8:05 stunned me. I also knew this was bad news for the flute player.
Our flute player is also our service pianist. She is good at flute, but still needs the practice time for checking volume and getting her mic right, etc. 8:15 rolled around and the bells were playing through their piece "one more time" since they hadn't done it too many times.
I feel I should also interject that I start my rehearsals at 7:00 p.m. sharp on Thursday evenings, and although I know that choir is a time for fellowship and comradery (sp?) it's also our only time to work together that week. Needless to say, I run a tight ship. That's probably on the same side of the brain that likes opera.
Back to the bells: it's 8:15, they are still running their piece, the flute hasn't practiced, people are starting to come in, AND the "pre service" CD is supposed to be running at 8:15 to "greet" people as they enter. None of this was happening and I felt like I had no control over the situation.
Again returning to the side of the brain that likes opera and running on schedule...I also like to be in control or in charge of things. ESPECIALLY if I'm supposed to be in charge of these things. This is my job on Sunday. I am the man in the big top hat in the center ring of the circus.
Finally, at 8:22, the bells were done and we could run the flute piece. Mind you, the flute piece was also the prelude, so the people in the sanctuary were hearing this piece at 8:25, even though they were going to hear it again at 8:30.
On top of all this - and this is where it ties into the Hairspray and perfection stuff...look out! - I had a sound person that was also not doing as I asked. I know that I'm not the pro at sound engineering. I know that I'm not even someone who has opened up the owner's manual to read all about it. That bores me, so I stay away. BUT, I DO know what sounds good. And more importantly, I know what looks good. I don't need a mic on the 6-foot baby grand piano with it's lid all the way open that I'm playing (and let me tell you....I don't need a mic!!) I don't need the mics that the worship team are singing into to be squealing all during a song in the middle of worship. I don't need to be told that things don't sound together because they aren't "equalizing in the middle of the space, therefore getting to your ears in a more succint fashion." I really really don't.
All I know is that I'm sitting at the front of the sanctuary on a piano bench and I don't have control over what is happening in the sound booth. I think of the Hairspray technical people. They are paid professionals. The person that was running sound yesterday is one of my most educated people...a doctor! Doing sound is his hobby. He's passionate about it. He's done sound at other churches. Does this make him a professional even though he might not be paid? Can I not expect the same level of perfection from him that I do from the sound people on a traveling Broadway show? Probably not, but that doesn't mean that I can't expect excellence.
I was glad yesterday was over. My wife was even more glad yesterday was over. Church wasn't wonderful. Not even approaching excellent or perfect. Hairspray was good. We are planning on seeing Wicked when it rolls through town in September.
I've done musicals. I've played for musicals. I've been in musicals, but going to them is expensive and sometimes not that great. But, last night was very good. Our seats were in a great position. We were actually close enough to the stage that we could see faces!
On the way home, in the car, I couldn't help but say that I really appreciated the production value of this show. Reading through the bios of the performers - some of them old, some new - some of them had been doing this show for a while. They had probably performed the whole production over 100 times or more! Probably WAAAAY more!!!
Light cues and orchestra cues were right on time. Sound effects were quite impressively timed. There was a moment in a song when glasses "clinked" and, yes, there was a perfectly in place sound effect for that.
As I said, many of these people have done this show many many many times. You can't help but be pretty much perfect after doing something so many times. It's engrained in your muscles by that time. I also know that the people working on these touring productions are paid professionals. This is what they do. They work on tech or sound or lights. They may or may not enjoy doing it, but that's their job.
Yesterday was also a church day. I came away with a huge headache, after being reduced to near tears, and frustrated like none other. Needless to say, yesterday was difficult. I got to church in a good mood, but it spiraled down quickly.
The bell ringers were playing for the services. That's fine. I like to include the bells whenever I can - or more accurately, whenever they feel like playing. The congregation seems to like the bells. They should...they just spent $15,000 on refurbishing the bells two years ago. That money didn't come out of thin air! I had already asked the bells if they would be finished so that our flute player could practice her piece. I was told that the bells had been there for a half hour and hadn't played through their whole piece.
Now I feel that I have to back up and tell you that traditionally, the bells arrive at 7:00 a.m. before the 8:30 service and run their piece so many times that it makes your ears bleed. So the fact that they hadn't run it yet and it was 8:05 stunned me. I also knew this was bad news for the flute player.
Our flute player is also our service pianist. She is good at flute, but still needs the practice time for checking volume and getting her mic right, etc. 8:15 rolled around and the bells were playing through their piece "one more time" since they hadn't done it too many times.
I feel I should also interject that I start my rehearsals at 7:00 p.m. sharp on Thursday evenings, and although I know that choir is a time for fellowship and comradery (sp?) it's also our only time to work together that week. Needless to say, I run a tight ship. That's probably on the same side of the brain that likes opera.
Back to the bells: it's 8:15, they are still running their piece, the flute hasn't practiced, people are starting to come in, AND the "pre service" CD is supposed to be running at 8:15 to "greet" people as they enter. None of this was happening and I felt like I had no control over the situation.
Again returning to the side of the brain that likes opera and running on schedule...I also like to be in control or in charge of things. ESPECIALLY if I'm supposed to be in charge of these things. This is my job on Sunday. I am the man in the big top hat in the center ring of the circus.
Finally, at 8:22, the bells were done and we could run the flute piece. Mind you, the flute piece was also the prelude, so the people in the sanctuary were hearing this piece at 8:25, even though they were going to hear it again at 8:30.
On top of all this - and this is where it ties into the Hairspray and perfection stuff...look out! - I had a sound person that was also not doing as I asked. I know that I'm not the pro at sound engineering. I know that I'm not even someone who has opened up the owner's manual to read all about it. That bores me, so I stay away. BUT, I DO know what sounds good. And more importantly, I know what looks good. I don't need a mic on the 6-foot baby grand piano with it's lid all the way open that I'm playing (and let me tell you....I don't need a mic!!) I don't need the mics that the worship team are singing into to be squealing all during a song in the middle of worship. I don't need to be told that things don't sound together because they aren't "equalizing in the middle of the space, therefore getting to your ears in a more succint fashion." I really really don't.
All I know is that I'm sitting at the front of the sanctuary on a piano bench and I don't have control over what is happening in the sound booth. I think of the Hairspray technical people. They are paid professionals. The person that was running sound yesterday is one of my most educated people...a doctor! Doing sound is his hobby. He's passionate about it. He's done sound at other churches. Does this make him a professional even though he might not be paid? Can I not expect the same level of perfection from him that I do from the sound people on a traveling Broadway show? Probably not, but that doesn't mean that I can't expect excellence.
I was glad yesterday was over. My wife was even more glad yesterday was over. Church wasn't wonderful. Not even approaching excellent or perfect. Hairspray was good. We are planning on seeing Wicked when it rolls through town in September.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
2 things
I want to talk about two things today: untapped potential and American Idol.
Let's start with the latter...American Idol. I love this season of Idol. I'm not surprised that Alexis got kicked off last night. Her "saving" performance was terrible. The judges, you could tell, we definitely ready to save her, but she was so bad that they couldn't help but kick her off. It was almost a painful plea that she was making to the judges: I wouldn't be surprised if her voice is blown after that performance.
The second thing I want to talk about is something I heard at, of all places, a show choir competition. After every day time performance, each show choir goes to a room to listen to a critique judge. The critique judge isn't someone who scores the choir, but listens to the scoring judges and relays that info to the choir so they can "polish up" their show for the evening (if necessary. Sometimes, like Indianola, it isn't necessary). A critique judge at the Sioux City East competition told the choir a quote that he had heard from a teacher: "Untapped potential is OFFENSIVE!"
Most of the high school kids in the room didn't get it. Some did...maybe a few. They were too worried about their costumes looking bad or their hair falling from the 10 inches of curls that sat on top of their heads. Untapped potential is offensive.
I thought about these words, and then thought, "I won't remember that quote. I usually don't. I have a bad memory." You can see that my train of thought had already left the station. BUT, today I thought of untapped potential and how offensive it is.
I work at a church. Churches are the people not the building. I'm saying this to remind myself that church is the people...not the building! Worship is the act of doing, not the act of being served. Again, I say this to remind myself. This church I work at doesn't remember either of these things. It frustrates me. I find the untapped potential at this church offensive.
Here we are in the middle of Waukee, Valley, Johnston, Urbandale and Des Moines. Here we are up on a hill with very familiar crooked crosses. Here we are by a HUGE car dealership right off the highway, right across the road from (probably) the busiest darn truckstop in a 50 mile radius. Here we are..untapped and offensive.
One might be asking: "But how to tap the potential? How do you do it?" Again, I refer to the church being people and not a building. Worship being work and not lazy. Community should be built by being part of a church....a large group of people. Community leads to caring and caring leads to commitment. We don't have that here. That offends me.
Worshiping becomes an act of doing not an act of being served. If someone is worshiping, they are active. They are part of the church group. They are part of the community. They are caring. They make commitments to be here.
When did church get replaced by soccer games and show choir and taking the dog to the fenced in dog park and basketball practice and saxophone lessons? When did church get to the place it is...being a building that we come to to sit in our seats and have worship "done" to us. We are here in this church to be filled up. We are here at this gas station to be serviced.
Untapped potential is offensive and I am quite offended.
Let's start with the latter...American Idol. I love this season of Idol. I'm not surprised that Alexis got kicked off last night. Her "saving" performance was terrible. The judges, you could tell, we definitely ready to save her, but she was so bad that they couldn't help but kick her off. It was almost a painful plea that she was making to the judges: I wouldn't be surprised if her voice is blown after that performance.
The second thing I want to talk about is something I heard at, of all places, a show choir competition. After every day time performance, each show choir goes to a room to listen to a critique judge. The critique judge isn't someone who scores the choir, but listens to the scoring judges and relays that info to the choir so they can "polish up" their show for the evening (if necessary. Sometimes, like Indianola, it isn't necessary). A critique judge at the Sioux City East competition told the choir a quote that he had heard from a teacher: "Untapped potential is OFFENSIVE!"
Most of the high school kids in the room didn't get it. Some did...maybe a few. They were too worried about their costumes looking bad or their hair falling from the 10 inches of curls that sat on top of their heads. Untapped potential is offensive.
I thought about these words, and then thought, "I won't remember that quote. I usually don't. I have a bad memory." You can see that my train of thought had already left the station. BUT, today I thought of untapped potential and how offensive it is.
I work at a church. Churches are the people not the building. I'm saying this to remind myself that church is the people...not the building! Worship is the act of doing, not the act of being served. Again, I say this to remind myself. This church I work at doesn't remember either of these things. It frustrates me. I find the untapped potential at this church offensive.
Here we are in the middle of Waukee, Valley, Johnston, Urbandale and Des Moines. Here we are up on a hill with very familiar crooked crosses. Here we are by a HUGE car dealership right off the highway, right across the road from (probably) the busiest darn truckstop in a 50 mile radius. Here we are..untapped and offensive.
One might be asking: "But how to tap the potential? How do you do it?" Again, I refer to the church being people and not a building. Worship being work and not lazy. Community should be built by being part of a church....a large group of people. Community leads to caring and caring leads to commitment. We don't have that here. That offends me.
Worshiping becomes an act of doing not an act of being served. If someone is worshiping, they are active. They are part of the church group. They are part of the community. They are caring. They make commitments to be here.
When did church get replaced by soccer games and show choir and taking the dog to the fenced in dog park and basketball practice and saxophone lessons? When did church get to the place it is...being a building that we come to to sit in our seats and have worship "done" to us. We are here in this church to be filled up. We are here at this gas station to be serviced.
Untapped potential is offensive and I am quite offended.
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