Practice, Practice, Practice

I want to thank so many of you who came up to me and thanked me for playing my musical worship service last Sunday. The service did not take a whole lot of writing, but still quite a bit of time was spent practicing.

IUC groundsLast year Cameron and I went to hear our friend Stephanie Blythe sing at Carnegie Hall. She is the premier mezzo-soprano at the Metropolitan Opera. During the intermission I went to the gift shop. I saw a coffee mug I simply had to have. It said, Carnegie Hall, Practice Practice Practice!

This, of course, refers to the story about a person who asked an old man directions as to how one gets to Carnegie Hall.  The old man, assuming the person was a musician said, “Practice, practice, practice!”  This is a cute story that brought a smile to my face the first time I heard it as an aspiring musician at Hart College of Music many years ago.

It still makes me chuckle today.  I am sure Stephanie Blythe practiced many hours along with those whose pictures adorn the walls of this historic music hall. I am also sure she practiced again the morning after her performance.  For her, practicing is a way of life.

Believe it or not, I apply the same story to our faith.  Our faith is something we practice; it is never something we own completely.  In fact, like musicians we are to practice daily. There is always room for improvement.  Also like a piece of music, one must continue to work on it, lest it be forgotten.

Practicing our faith is our path to spiritual wholeness. As we seek to rebuild this church, we must build it first and foremost on the faith that brought it into being~~the faith of our spiritual ancestors that has been passed down and now belongs to us, so that we might become a beacon of hope to seekers on the journey.

Peace,
Jarv

 

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