Last Sunday morning at church our preacher talked about being content. Paul the apostle said, Philippians 4:11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Then, the preacher proceeded to ask the question of my title, Are you content? In my mind, I replied, No. No, I am not.
Sometimes things just don't seem to go the way I thought they would. People aren't doing what I wish they would, circumstances are not easy to be content in and I have let down others as well as myself. Of course, there is no reason why I should be discontent, after all I am a Christian. If I have Christ in my life then everything else should be accepted for what it is.
Today, four days later, I continue to write this entry after an evening spent in true worship. Our church congregation is a very typical Church of Christ. It has been part of my discontentment over the past several years. I would term my husband and I as active members at church. My husband more than I because, as a man, he has opportunities offered to him that I, as a woman, do not. He leads the singing, he says prayers in worship, he reads scriptures in worship and teaches adult classes and serves communion. Don't take that statement the wrong way, I'm just explaining why he is able to be more active than I. Of course, I have the opportunity to be active through the Women's Ministry and teaching Sunday School, cooking meals, etc. To teach, it would have to be in children or ladies' class, cooking meals is not my thing and the woman's ministry seems outdated. *sigh*. As I stated in a previous blog, it is what it is.
Our congregation was lead by a former minister, in a Taize style worship service last night. Something our congregation possibly would not have embraced had we been more upfront and explained the worship style was borrowed from the Lutheran brethren. Instead it was billed as a time spent in peaceful worship, Welcome to the Quietness. And that it was. Peaceful and quiet. Worshipful, if you will. My part was with the small band of singers attempting to sing Taize without the aide of instruments. Acapella sounded okay, but would have been grander with a few instruments. Alas! as I think about this big step for many of us, it was a mere baby step for those Christians gathered at that place of worship. Still I'm very thankful that God opened hearts and allowed us the worship we sorely needed to be one with God.
This morning, I must admit, my soul is more at peace and content.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14.27
August 24, 2009
August 7, 2009
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
As summer approached and my husband was preparing for various theater conference
s, I expected to spend time working around my house all summer long. Ideally, I would have had a small part time job, but after the week of GT testing for the school district, nothing else worked out.
Kim and I had been saying for months that we were not going to be in the upcoming BLT summer musical, Beauty and the Beast. He was the production manager for the show as a member of the board of directors. I was going to do my part to help box office with ticket sales, and preparing the season ticket information for the new season coming up.
On the first day of auditions for Beauty and the Beast, I had just sent my grandchildren back home with their dad and was left to straighten up the house. Kim left to attend the first round of auditions, just to be there to represent the Board and to observe. Later that evening I decided
that I wanted to watch auditions to see who was trying out for the main parts. As I came into the Lee College Performing Arts Center, I was greeted by friends and saw a lot of new faces as well. There had been a large number of people to audition for the show. As I sat down by a friend to watch auditions, I noticed a group of men with name tags stuck to their shirts, and sheet music in their hands, lined up on the stage preparing to sing. That was when I noticed my husband, who had said all year he was not going to do anything more than production manager for the show, standing on stage with the other male auditioners. What is more, when he finished his song, I had to admit that he was good, really good.
So, Kim was cast as Cogsworth, the uptight clock. Before auditions ended, I had tried out just to be part of the chorus and played a villager and a pepper shaker. Our son, Ryan, also auditioned and got the part of the Beast. Then, his
wife, Amy, tried out and was cast as Madame De Le Grand Bouche, the wardrobe. We all got parts in the play and enjoyed performing on stage together. It turned out to be a huge theatrical event for our community and the college where we performed. We played to sell out audiences of around 650 for each of our 6 performances. After it ended, we were all glad we'd been part of such a big production as Beauty and the Beast.
Next summer our theater will produce the musical, My Fair Lady. Kim is already talking about trying out for the play. Don't know if I want to spend another summer at the theater, but even if I don't tryout, I can be certain that I'll get involved somehow in another BLT summer musical.
s, I expected to spend time working around my house all summer long. Ideally, I would have had a small part time job, but after the week of GT testing for the school district, nothing else worked out.Kim and I had been saying for months that we were not going to be in the upcoming BLT summer musical, Beauty and the Beast. He was the production manager for the show as a member of the board of directors. I was going to do my part to help box office with ticket sales, and preparing the season ticket information for the new season coming up.
On the first day of auditions for Beauty and the Beast, I had just sent my grandchildren back home with their dad and was left to straighten up the house. Kim left to attend the first round of auditions, just to be there to represent the Board and to observe. Later that evening I decided
that I wanted to watch auditions to see who was trying out for the main parts. As I came into the Lee College Performing Arts Center, I was greeted by friends and saw a lot of new faces as well. There had been a large number of people to audition for the show. As I sat down by a friend to watch auditions, I noticed a group of men with name tags stuck to their shirts, and sheet music in their hands, lined up on the stage preparing to sing. That was when I noticed my husband, who had said all year he was not going to do anything more than production manager for the show, standing on stage with the other male auditioners. What is more, when he finished his song, I had to admit that he was good, really good.So, Kim was cast as Cogsworth, the uptight clock. Before auditions ended, I had tried out just to be part of the chorus and played a villager and a pepper shaker. Our son, Ryan, also auditioned and got the part of the Beast. Then, his
wife, Amy, tried out and was cast as Madame De Le Grand Bouche, the wardrobe. We all got parts in the play and enjoyed performing on stage together. It turned out to be a huge theatrical event for our community and the college where we performed. We played to sell out audiences of around 650 for each of our 6 performances. After it ended, we were all glad we'd been part of such a big production as Beauty and the Beast. Next summer our theater will produce the musical, My Fair Lady. Kim is already talking about trying out for the play. Don't know if I want to spend another summer at the theater, but even if I don't tryout, I can be certain that I'll get involved somehow in another BLT summer musical.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
