Revelation in church
Here is the next post in this "vacation" series. This came to me while in Church on Christmas day. During the quiet parts of the Mass, I like to meditate and pray. Some days, I just like the quiet. Other days, things just strike me for some reason.
Christmas day, some things just popped into my head and struck me. It actually had nothing to do with Christmas or what the homily was about (I can't really recall what he talked about now). Anyway, one of the things I've been stressing over a little is my commitment to the band. I really enjoy playing and doing the retreats and occasional worship services. But I was glad when we cut back to one Sunday mass a month. If I have to play at a 5 pm Mass, it basically takes up my entire Sunday. We go to church in the morning as a family, come home and have lunch. Then I need to be back at church around 3 to set up and warm up. I don't get back home until sometime after 6, then it's quick dinner and get the kids ready for school on Monday. No real time to relax, spend time with the family, or just plain hang out and watch a game.
Well, the band has been asked to play an additional Sunday evening mass each month starting in February going out to other churches on a rotating basis. It's a real testament to our music ministry that other churches want us to play Masses for them. However, my first thought was "ANOTHER Sunday evening Mass? Do I have to?" The band pretty much signed up for it so I couldn't find a graceful way to say no.
So, here I am in church on Christmas morning, and two thoughts came into my head. The first was the story of Jonah. If you have not read that book of the Bible, I recommend it. It's short and powerful. Long and short of it is that God asks Jonah to go to Nineveh and prophesy. Jonah didn't want to go because he really hated the Ninevites. So he tried to run from it. God showed him the error of his ways. Then, once Jonah finally decided to go, he was expecting God to destroy Nineveh. When the repented and God spared them, Jonah was pissed. In the end he had to learn that God asks us to do things at times that we may not want to do and even hate to do, but we need to do them anyway.
The second thing was the end of one of the Gospels (I forget which off the top of my head and don't feel like looking it up). Jesus tells Peter that when you're a young man you'll go where you will but when you're an old man you will be lead where you don't want to go.
So this is how I was feeling. God was obviously telling me I needed to do something, but I really don't want to. Really, really don't want to (sounds strange I don't want to play music, don't it?). I really would like God to make my music ministry what I want it to be. But, like Jonah, I think he's got His own plan here. So, I'll be participating in this Mass. Because I'm afraid what might happen if I don't.
As a little clincher on this whole deal, once I'd basically resigned myself to this, I found out that we'll actually be getting paid to play for these churches. Just like the Big Guy. If you just follow His lead, he gives you unexpected blessings. Don't know what we're going to do with whatever we earn, but I intend to make sure it goes to further the ministry. Sometimes it's really hard being on a mission from God.
Christmas day, some things just popped into my head and struck me. It actually had nothing to do with Christmas or what the homily was about (I can't really recall what he talked about now). Anyway, one of the things I've been stressing over a little is my commitment to the band. I really enjoy playing and doing the retreats and occasional worship services. But I was glad when we cut back to one Sunday mass a month. If I have to play at a 5 pm Mass, it basically takes up my entire Sunday. We go to church in the morning as a family, come home and have lunch. Then I need to be back at church around 3 to set up and warm up. I don't get back home until sometime after 6, then it's quick dinner and get the kids ready for school on Monday. No real time to relax, spend time with the family, or just plain hang out and watch a game.
Well, the band has been asked to play an additional Sunday evening mass each month starting in February going out to other churches on a rotating basis. It's a real testament to our music ministry that other churches want us to play Masses for them. However, my first thought was "ANOTHER Sunday evening Mass? Do I have to?" The band pretty much signed up for it so I couldn't find a graceful way to say no.
So, here I am in church on Christmas morning, and two thoughts came into my head. The first was the story of Jonah. If you have not read that book of the Bible, I recommend it. It's short and powerful. Long and short of it is that God asks Jonah to go to Nineveh and prophesy. Jonah didn't want to go because he really hated the Ninevites. So he tried to run from it. God showed him the error of his ways. Then, once Jonah finally decided to go, he was expecting God to destroy Nineveh. When the repented and God spared them, Jonah was pissed. In the end he had to learn that God asks us to do things at times that we may not want to do and even hate to do, but we need to do them anyway.
The second thing was the end of one of the Gospels (I forget which off the top of my head and don't feel like looking it up). Jesus tells Peter that when you're a young man you'll go where you will but when you're an old man you will be lead where you don't want to go.
So this is how I was feeling. God was obviously telling me I needed to do something, but I really don't want to. Really, really don't want to (sounds strange I don't want to play music, don't it?). I really would like God to make my music ministry what I want it to be. But, like Jonah, I think he's got His own plan here. So, I'll be participating in this Mass. Because I'm afraid what might happen if I don't.
As a little clincher on this whole deal, once I'd basically resigned myself to this, I found out that we'll actually be getting paid to play for these churches. Just like the Big Guy. If you just follow His lead, he gives you unexpected blessings. Don't know what we're going to do with whatever we earn, but I intend to make sure it goes to further the ministry. Sometimes it's really hard being on a mission from God.
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