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Today’s Blog Post
Merry Christmas everyone. May God’s great blessing rest upon you and your family on this special day.
It is just after 5:00 AM as I begin to write this piece. I checked in the Living Room of our home and sure enough Santa has been there already… the tree is surrounded by dozens of Gifts. Actually you and I know there is no Santa… but in our house it is my Wife Alida. Late last night and early this morning she competed her gift wrapping and placing them below the tree… ready now for our Grandkids to arrive in a few hours time.
There is nothing more exciting than this time in the whole year. Christmas in our house is something else!
As a Pastor I have led this kind of service many times in the past. But last evening it was good to sit and take it all in. So much to reflect on…
The service involved different readers from our congregation sharing the stories from the Bible. Between the reading, music was played, people sang Christmas Carols… then our Pastor spoke. The service was over in about 45 minutes.
The things that blessed me last evening were the number of NEW People that our church has been blessed with. They have joined us for worship and are now becoming a blessing to our church. The other thing that kind of blew me away was the new talent that has been coming into our church. WOW! A New Duet was presented by two young men… and I didn’t even know they could sing… let alone do it together. New musicians and new talent filled the platform.
My thoughts last night drifted back to earlier times in our ministry at this church. The talent was old and tired. At times it kept going because there was no one else to do the job… so they did it. Sometimes that attitude showed up and was difficult to deal with.
Last night was so different for me. Maybe that was because I didn’t have to lead anymore... But more likely it was because of the freshness of the younger generation that was now leading and presenting their best.
One of the young men that had been playing the piano and organ during the service came up to me and said, “I have something to show you.” He had a big grin on his face. I followed him to the front of the church.
There sitting where the old organ used to sit… was a ‘new’ organ that was entirely different. Hokey Mokey! Where did that come from?
His excitement was infectious… as he explained that this ‘new’ instrument was 72 years old. It had toured with Anne Murray, the now famous Canadian singer… when she was much younger.
It is a Hammond B3 – which likely means nothing to you as a non musician. And it cooks! The sound is amazing!!!
The Christmas Eve Service congregants had left the sanctuary and most had left the building at that stage. And it was then that Steve sat behind the organ and opened it up! As he did my ‘gizzard’ inside – shook. Whoa! This old grandmother organ has lots of stuff left in it. With the Leslie Speaker sitting beside it the sound was BIG!
I grinned at Steve as he was lost in his making of music. What a talent this guy has.
Now those old people are no more… or at least greatly reduced in their angry protests and arm crossed objections to most everything.
The ‘new” Hammond B3 sits beside the ‘old’ grand piano that was built in 1875. So the Hammond B3 is really youthful. Together… last evening they both made new music… and every one was happy.
I grinned at Steve last evening and felt great relief… the old “worship wars” were now over. And like the First World War and the Second World War in our World… it can be remembered.. but will never have to relived again. The old attitudes that once drove the efforts of everyone… are now gone.
Worship Wars? Pastor how can you say a thing like that? Church doesn’t have Wars – does it?
Almost 12 years ago now a whole flock of congregants left the church because someone asked them to change what they were doing… I shudder at that memory.
12 years ago one of the young leaders of the worship service came into my Pastor’s Office sat down before the morning service and cried her eyes out. Two old ladies that were playing their instruments basically refused to play the music that the young person had picked out. The war was on and we were losing big time… nothing new or easy was going to happen in that auditorium.
12 years ago now one old man threatened a young worship leader by saying, “I have a $1000 cheque in my pocket. If my wife cannot play that Organ the church will not get the Cheque!”
That young worship leader was standing in my office weeping as he related what had just happened to him with the older man. Then he told me, “Last night my wife had to go to the Hospital… we lost the baby… and I wish I wasn’t here now… and this old man is threatening me with not giving his money if his wife doesn’t play that stupid organ… Pastor I really don’t care anymore… I don’t care.”
Yep I have seen it all… and last night… no one was more blessed to see happiness and wholesomeness in all that was done.
And did that ‘new’ organ ever sound great.
Christmas is a mixed bag of feelings for us all. Last night as I sat there listening and reflecting… I couldn’t help think of all the folk that slipped away because of death. Young and old they have gone to their final reward.
One was a young lady of 42 that struggled with a tough life… and cancer took her, leaving two kids and a grandbaby… we will miss Lisa Rose… My wife and I used to pick her up for church each Sunday.
One was a lady by the name of Lil… who was only 52 years old… died… leaving behind a 15 year old son and a 13 year old daughter… they now have no mom and no dad…
One was the old man that had the $1000 cheque in his pocket…
It has been a very full year of changes… so many changes… so many…
As I listened and took it all in…last evening I cried. My tears were a mixture of happiness and sadness as I remembered all that has happened.
Some how I just know that 2011 will be a better year still.
Gotta get goin’… Grandkids are a comin’….
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
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