Working as an elementary and middles school band instructor has got to be a trying job. Never mind the sick sounds of kids learning a new instrument, and the cacophony of putting an group of rank amateurs to work on a new piece of music. There's also the frustration of kids not practicing or playing only because their parents made them. You'd think it would be extremely frazzling!
Erik's band teacher in Maine wasn't frazzled though. He was energized and energizing! He took up the baton like a scepter and he conducted the kids with a flair that one would expect of the Boston Pops! And his attitude was infectious--the band played its heart out for him!
This man had a passion--a passion for music and for teaching and playing music. And it showed in the results!
I know some people in church who have a passion for this ministry or that. It overrides any difficulties they encounter. It enlivens the people they serve. It transforms all they come in contact with. All because they start from a place of passionate love for Christ and the work they are doing!
Wouldn't it be great if we all could be passionate Christians? Think today about your passion in life--what you love so much to do. And think about how that passion might be put to work in the mission of the church.
And then come and worship tomorrow. The sermon asks some of the same questions, so you'll have a leg up on the crowd.
Also LSS will be at worship to tell us about their passion--social services!
Peace!
4 comments:
It's okay to post a comment. Of course it's okay just to read. Let me know if you visit the blog. And keep visiting as I add more content to it over the next weeks
I am not so sure. Are we allowed to be passionate. Aren't the passionate ones the annoying people at the door passing out literature when I am trying to do the laundry and have kids screaming in me ear? Or worse the passionate people, aren't they the ones who got burnt up at Waco.
Passion is a sure fire road to trouble. What happened to prayer closets? Be quite, don't stir up trouble, keep God in our Hearts, but out of the crowd. Passion begets mobs. Holy wars, and worse. How much has been done by the Church in the name of “The Passion of Christ”? War so Holy? People with different or opposing Passions being spit on a stick and burnt in the name of passion, theirs and ours?!?
We like seeing passion on stage, or one the screen, but in real life we don't like it. Passion put airplanes through buildings. Passion sends our children to die in a foreign land that may or may not have had anything to do with the airplanes but we will show them anyhow.
Passion? I don't know. Stay low, Duck and Cover, be still, be quite. Didn't passion lead to the Cross in the first place?
Lost my whole comment somehow right at the end, and too pressed for time to recreate it fully so here's a condensed version...
Passion in the sense I use it is something that you love to do, and are willing to suffer some for. Yes, passion can go too far. From a mild annoyance (door knocking) to fanaticism when it becomes something very different indeed (inquisition, Holy Wars, terrorism)
I think most would agree those are anomalies and not the norm.
When I talk about passion, I envision people doing things for others with great joy--because they love the work and they love others.
Ok' I can like that.
Post a Comment