IrishOboe

I’ve been working hard all week for the Good Friday service at BCF.  It was a nice service of readings, reflections, prayer and hymns.  I was happy to be asked to play piano.  After all, I said I’d rather do that than organize a group of instrumentalists to accompany the church.  I find that no instrument like a keyboard instrument works well with congregational singing.  That’s the bread.  The rest is seasoning.

I was also glad to have a reason to play piano and learn some hymns.  I have never been inspired by competitions, auditions, or other judged events but find it rewarding to play for people who have reason to appreciate it.  The job was also unpaid, so the pressure was off in that sense as well.  I enjoyed the preparation and the service and it went reasonably well.  I’m sure everyone heard me botch the introduction to the first hymn, but other than that my mistakes were minor and recoverable.  Still, my heart felt twice as light leaving the service than it had all week.  The BCF congregation is an appreciative one and received thanks from a good portion of the attendees.  Ellen had offered to play oboe with me and I accepted and it worked out well to give me some cover for when I missed a note and had to find my way back, which happens all the time.  The trick is to keep the rhythm going in soprano and bass and most people won’t notice.  All those summers of playing through the hymnal at home have paid off.  There is nothing we do that is purposeless.  Every area of work that I’ve done God has used at some point for a different and unexpected purpose.  With a 25 year track record of God using my random interests I plan to continue investing in activities that do not have an apparent purpose.  Still, it’s hard to answer the question “Why on earth do you . . . ?”

I miss liturgy.  I opened the prayer book that other day and it fed my thirsty soul.  Pastor said something thought provoking at the Good Friday service.  We all realize the importance of prayer but we often leave out two important aspects of prayer: thanksgiving and praise.  We might remember to give thanks, but if we attempt to praise it often is reduced to “Thanks for doing this for me.”  He encouraged us to give our praises to God in prayer at the moment.  Praise Him for who He is.  That’s hard!  Why?  Don’t we know the God we worship?  How can we worship Him if we know so little about Him?  What made the Israelites dance and sing and celebrate for days on end?  What made Paul and his fellow prisoners sing with joy while they sat abandoned and in chains?

I need to memorize more verses about God’s character.  I think part of why I miss liturgy is that I forget over and over who God is.  Hymns with rich words about God and His mighty works and prayers written by men of God tune my heart to sing God’s praise when I otherwise do not have the resources within me to worship on Sunday morning.

I’m going to a number of Holy Week services in an attempted to fill some of my ache for liturgy.  I searched the newspaper listings and picked services that seemed to do something special for Holy Week.  It seems the Catholics do more than anyone to celebrate so Steph and I went to a Catholic Good Friday service yesterday.  It didn’t seem to have much liturgy, but it was still moving.  I understood most of it and even some of the hymns, the language of which is often quite difficult.  I like symbolism and physical gestures of respect, but even I found it a little disconcerting that everyone went forward not for communion but to kneel before the crucifix.  Steph and I gracefully bowed out (not pun intended).

I baked a cake in preparation for Sunday.  That held beautiful symbolism for me as well.  It is Good Friday and our Lord is dead.  I cannot celebrate his resurrection yet but I know Sunday is acomin’.  I can’t eat and I have gone without sugar for a long time now.  Yet I am making food and including sugar that I cannot eat because I know I will get to taste it soon.  I am ready for Easter!