March 1, 2006 - Ash Wednesday

Groundwork

“so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Hav-ing gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” - Romans 12:5-8 ESV

I like to sing. I have an OK voice, not great but not bad. I can’t read music, which can be a problem, so I sing soprano, even though I can’t always hit the high notes. But I like to sing and I can hear the melody (especially with Heidi standing behind me) so I sing soprano in our church choir.

When my family first joined GPUMC I really enjoyed listening to the choir. I often thought about joining but I was intimidated by the quality of the group, and my weak gifts held me back. So for several years I just listened and sang along from the pew. Then finally one Thursday night I decided to go to a rehearsal, I figured I could sit in the back and see how it went. The reception was so warm and everyone was so helpful that I came the next week. Within a few weeks I felt like I fit right in, and now I am blessed to sing my heart out to the Lord.

Being involved in choir had brought me closer to our church family too. As a matter of fact every committee I’ve been on and every job I’ve been recruited for (no matter how reluctantly) has blessed my life. GPUMC is a wonderful church full of wonderful people with a strong faith to share – many of whom I wouldn’t know if I hadn’t stepped outside of my comfort zone.

Lent is traditionally thought of as a time of preparation. The thesaurus lists “groundwork” as a synonym for “preparation”. This Lent, lay the groundwork for making a closer connection to our church; take on a challenge, join a committee, or sign up for a Bible study class. The experience of being with your Christian brothers and sisters will bring you closer to God.

Prayer: Lord let my heart be touched by someone today and let me touch someone.

Cathy Lorenz