April 3, 2009

Groundwork

“so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having 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 (from March 1, 2006)