Follow us!As I write this, I'm taking a break from furiously photocopying (ok, that was an awesome alliteration that happened without any planning!) material for the first meeting of the Search Committee for an Organist/Choir Director at St. Luke's. The meeting takes place tonite at 7:30pm, and I admit I am both excited and a little hesitant.
This is a big step for St. Luke's. This is the first time I have ever been involved with a Search Committee from the side of being ON the committee (not interviewed by it as it sought a new minister). There are a tonne of unanswered questions at this point.
And so, I would appeal to you: would you help us out by praying over the committee? Would you appeal to God that He would show us His wisdom and give us His guidance? Would you pray that God would choose someone to lead us musically, and that the committee would see that person clearly?
In the Gospel According to John, Jesus says that if we ask God anything in Jesus' name, he will grant it. I always want to limit that directive, because I worry that it might be misread as we can ask for even selfish things and as long as we slap the name of Jesus on it, God will have to do it. That kind of thinking takes us back to the TRUE[ish] thoughts which lead us to God serving us, instead of us serving God, which we looked at this past weekend. (Check out the sermon: As Long As You're Happy.)
Jesus is not saying we can ask for any old thing (i.e. God, I want you to kill my neighbour so I won't have to deal with his/her loud music anymore!). Jesus says ask for anything that reflects his character and his will, and he will do it. In this case the neighbour's-loud-music prayer becomes "God, help me to have a more loving heart, to see my neighbour as infinitely precious in your sight, so that small things like loud music wouldn't bother me."
As you pray for the committe, I hope that your prayers would be for that which will honour God. And I hope we will see the results of those prayers as the committee does its work.
Let's lift our voices together and see what God does next!
Blessings,
R.
23/09/2009, 22:11
Rob asked me to post a comment so he could test to make sure that it is working properly so that is what I am doing. So here is my test comment. Have a good day.
23/09/2009, 21:16
It has taken me a long time to realize that following Jesus really means to try to emulate him. The hardest part of doing that is trying to figure out how best to do that. That is where personal reflection comes in - and that is why we should ask for help from God.
Like you said - I don't think we should ask for Him to change things or others - but to change us. That said - I know we will find another Organist/Choir Director eventually - so I will pray for our acceptance and patience during this time.
Oh - and my thanks to all on the committee.