Choir tour was good but exhausting. I was actually in a very weird place personally because I wasn't physically or mentally tired because we didn't do anything all day, but toward the end of the trip I found myself being socially exhausted. I realized that for the past 5 or 6 days I had hardly been alone at all. I'm the kind of person that needs to be alone to re-energize myself, so after I realized this I made a conscious effort to pull away from the group when I could. Other than that, I am always amazed by the newness that each new concert/worship can bring. It's always a new audience, but the songs are the same for us singing them. But, it always seemed like God was showing me new things through the texts and the music. I am excited to have the choir at my home church in a few weeks. We don't have the best music at our church, so I think it will be very energizing for a lot of people to hear worship music done well.
Rehearsals for the musical have started. I'm pretty pumped about this show because I finally get to play a character that isn't much like my personal character. It will pose a challenge to act like a real gruff guy, but it does make things more interesting. And I'm really excited about working with the cast we have. It seems like everyone was cast in a perfect role
In other big news, I found out today that I was elected as May Day King. I guess it's kind of a big deal. From what I understand, the position used to be known as "Most Popular Guy" which makes me feel sort of queezy to think that that is what I was chosen for, but it is an honor. Plus I get to help pick the frehsman May Pole dancers and I'm hoping that my nephew will be able to be the scepter bearer. Maybe I can get to be the cool uncle for once. But all that is in the future. Who really knows where my king-ship will take me. I'm doing my best to be humble about it, but I did spend at least half an hour talking myself up to my friends.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Passed
So, I passed my recital hearing. The joke is that now I get to stop practicing, but in reality it seems like nothing has actually changed. I still have to worry about trying to get people to dress rehearsals, makign sure everything is still memorized, coordinating dates, email-ing people...It never seems to end. I will be really happy when March 22nd at around 4 p.m. rolls around. It will actually be a bittersweet sort of thing because I am to the place now where I am actually invested in the music. I used to dread my French set, but now I am starting to connect with the texts and the music in new ways. I love the entire program, and I am excited for people to hear it.
We leave for tour in a little over a day now. This is only my second choir tour, but (now that I type this I think I already said this exact same thing) I am mega-pumped. I dwindled my to-do list down as far as I could before we leave so I don't have a bunch of stuff hanging over my head the whole time. Granted, there will be some stuff, but it should be a nice relaxing time. I am a little jealous of the people I hear who are taking trips to the Carolinas or Florida. I miss the warm weather. Hopefully we'll be following it as it moves east.
This semester has really made me start thinking more deeply about worship for a number of reasons; I am in my music ministry class, I got to attend the Calvin Symposium on Worship, I'm still working out what SNW should be like, etc. I am reading a book by one of my recently founded new favorite authors, Marva Dawn. She writes from a pretty reformed/conservative Lutheran background, and it makes it seem like all she writes about worship is in favor of traditionalism, but she is really pushing me to think more deeply about what worship really ought to be. She has helped open my eyes to the ways in which our worship has become neither for God or about God in big and subtle ways. She has challenged me to think of how the good news of Christ should form us in everything we do.
In a way this pushing has caused some discontent in my life. I sat through a Chapel service today and just felt frustrated most of the time because I didn't feel like what was happening was actually worship. There were so many little things that caught my attention enough that they pulled me away from doing what Dawn would say is true worship and "royally wasting" my time in the glory of God. Maybe I was just discontent because the day before there had been an Ash Wednesday service that I was able to connect with on a deep level and I had hoped that the season of Lent might be marked by more such reflective worship experiences. I know that I am not on the Chapel planning committee so I have no right to "complain", but these things are helping me to think more critically about the worship services that I do help plan.
I'll leave you with just something to mull over: One of the resources I have been reading talked about thinking critically about the words we actually say within worship and how they can get in the way. One of their critiques of many services was specifically of the first words used. Do they always have to be "good morning"? What sort of atmosphere would it create if we stopped utilizing colloquial greetings and jumped right into worship by hearing God's revelation to us through scripture? In short, how are the first words of a worship service setting the tone for the rest of the service?
We leave for tour in a little over a day now. This is only my second choir tour, but (now that I type this I think I already said this exact same thing) I am mega-pumped. I dwindled my to-do list down as far as I could before we leave so I don't have a bunch of stuff hanging over my head the whole time. Granted, there will be some stuff, but it should be a nice relaxing time. I am a little jealous of the people I hear who are taking trips to the Carolinas or Florida. I miss the warm weather. Hopefully we'll be following it as it moves east.
This semester has really made me start thinking more deeply about worship for a number of reasons; I am in my music ministry class, I got to attend the Calvin Symposium on Worship, I'm still working out what SNW should be like, etc. I am reading a book by one of my recently founded new favorite authors, Marva Dawn. She writes from a pretty reformed/conservative Lutheran background, and it makes it seem like all she writes about worship is in favor of traditionalism, but she is really pushing me to think more deeply about what worship really ought to be. She has helped open my eyes to the ways in which our worship has become neither for God or about God in big and subtle ways. She has challenged me to think of how the good news of Christ should form us in everything we do.
In a way this pushing has caused some discontent in my life. I sat through a Chapel service today and just felt frustrated most of the time because I didn't feel like what was happening was actually worship. There were so many little things that caught my attention enough that they pulled me away from doing what Dawn would say is true worship and "royally wasting" my time in the glory of God. Maybe I was just discontent because the day before there had been an Ash Wednesday service that I was able to connect with on a deep level and I had hoped that the season of Lent might be marked by more such reflective worship experiences. I know that I am not on the Chapel planning committee so I have no right to "complain", but these things are helping me to think more critically about the worship services that I do help plan.
I'll leave you with just something to mull over: One of the resources I have been reading talked about thinking critically about the words we actually say within worship and how they can get in the way. One of their critiques of many services was specifically of the first words used. Do they always have to be "good morning"? What sort of atmosphere would it create if we stopped utilizing colloquial greetings and jumped right into worship by hearing God's revelation to us through scripture? In short, how are the first words of a worship service setting the tone for the rest of the service?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
looking ahead
I just typed an entire entry and then it gave me some sort of error, so this is round two:
I have my hearing for my recital on Monday where the professors get to tell me whether I can do my recital or not. Today was the first day I had my entire program memorized (all 17 songs), but all the words don't always come fast enough or in the right order. I'll probably be practicing all weekend. Yay! But it is comforting that this week my voice teacher heard all of my ensemble pieces and she seemed very pleased with the shape we were in, especially a whole month before my recital. I'll let you know how it goes.
In other news, Spring break is just around the corner. This is only my second spring break choir tour, but I'm completely pumped. We're headed to PA, VA, MD, and Washington which may all sound like lame spring break locations, but it's not really about the location. It is about getting to spend and entire week with a great group of people and leading people in worship almost every night. It's a great feeling about midway through the trip when we all have the entire program memorized and we can focus on the music rather than staring at our folders. Plus it's always fun to meet new people at home stays and do a lot of reading on the bus and it has been awhile since I've been to Washington.
Now if I can just make it to Friday it'll all be good.
I have my hearing for my recital on Monday where the professors get to tell me whether I can do my recital or not. Today was the first day I had my entire program memorized (all 17 songs), but all the words don't always come fast enough or in the right order. I'll probably be practicing all weekend. Yay! But it is comforting that this week my voice teacher heard all of my ensemble pieces and she seemed very pleased with the shape we were in, especially a whole month before my recital. I'll let you know how it goes.
In other news, Spring break is just around the corner. This is only my second spring break choir tour, but I'm completely pumped. We're headed to PA, VA, MD, and Washington which may all sound like lame spring break locations, but it's not really about the location. It is about getting to spend and entire week with a great group of people and leading people in worship almost every night. It's a great feeling about midway through the trip when we all have the entire program memorized and we can focus on the music rather than staring at our folders. Plus it's always fun to meet new people at home stays and do a lot of reading on the bus and it has been awhile since I've been to Washington.
Now if I can just make it to Friday it'll all be good.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Awhile
So it's been awhile and there's so much to fill in on, but I think one of the things that keeps me from updating is that I try to cram too much in to each post. So, this will be shorter:
Because we've been having trouble scheduling Sunday Night Worship, we had SNW in the morning this past Sunday. I was worried for a number of reasons including the fact that it seemed like no one was going to be around and my guitar player was busy that morning. I decided somewhat last minute that we were going to try doing a more traditionally liturgical service with all hymns and a brass ensemble accompanying the singing. There were so many new variables to the service that I was super nervous about how it would turn out. Added to this was the fact that all of our potential speakers were busy so I ended up having to speak. I had wanted to speak at some poiny anyway, but I had wanted to not be involved in any other part of the service when I did. I'm afraid that it felt like I was controlling everything, but I felt liek someone had to direct the hymns. I think my message went well. It kind of fizzled out toward the end because I really wanted to go to bed and finished before I felt really good about it.
In other news: Trayless Tuesday has taken over campus. In an effort to use less resources, food service has enacted trayless tuesdays and I think they hope to go completely trayless soon. I can't remember the last time an issue like this has been such a big deal here on campus. During the first Tuesday they tried this there was nearly a riot when one girl dropped a glass trying to take her stuff up to the dishroom. People were screaming and shouting "give her back her tray" or " this never would have happened with a tray". I personally think that going trayless helps me find out what is enough food rather than piling it all on, but on the other hand, it is inconvenient to try to carry everything. If nothing else, it is fun to see the campus so moved even if it is by something stupid like this.
Because we've been having trouble scheduling Sunday Night Worship, we had SNW in the morning this past Sunday. I was worried for a number of reasons including the fact that it seemed like no one was going to be around and my guitar player was busy that morning. I decided somewhat last minute that we were going to try doing a more traditionally liturgical service with all hymns and a brass ensemble accompanying the singing. There were so many new variables to the service that I was super nervous about how it would turn out. Added to this was the fact that all of our potential speakers were busy so I ended up having to speak. I had wanted to speak at some poiny anyway, but I had wanted to not be involved in any other part of the service when I did. I'm afraid that it felt like I was controlling everything, but I felt liek someone had to direct the hymns. I think my message went well. It kind of fizzled out toward the end because I really wanted to go to bed and finished before I felt really good about it.
In other news: Trayless Tuesday has taken over campus. In an effort to use less resources, food service has enacted trayless tuesdays and I think they hope to go completely trayless soon. I can't remember the last time an issue like this has been such a big deal here on campus. During the first Tuesday they tried this there was nearly a riot when one girl dropped a glass trying to take her stuff up to the dishroom. People were screaming and shouting "give her back her tray" or " this never would have happened with a tray". I personally think that going trayless helps me find out what is enough food rather than piling it all on, but on the other hand, it is inconvenient to try to carry everything. If nothing else, it is fun to see the campus so moved even if it is by something stupid like this.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Worth it
I got to experience working this last Saturday with the Presidential Scholarship Competition here on campus where they give out the biggest scholarships based on an essay competition. I worked in the sound booth and got to listen to the lecture for the topic of the essay, and then I got to listen to the Admissions and Financial Aid people give their presentations to the parents. It made me start to think about something that I touched on in my last post. How do we justify spending such large amounts of money on our education when there are people dying every day from the simple things we take for granted. I sat and listened to the Financial Aid people talk to the parents about funding their child's education and I just felt like this question was on a lot of people's minds (ok, so maybe they were less worried about dying people and more concerned about the economy).
There is no getting around the fact that it does cost a lot to go to college these days whether it's a large state school or a smaller private university like Bluffton. The question must be asked, then, how do we balance the moral demands for good stewardship of the gifts God has given us with an expensive education. In my last post I think I talked about taking advantage of all that Bluffton has to offer me, and, while I think that that is an important part of the answer, I also think that there is something bigger. In reflection, I believe that I can justify the money I spent here (or the debt I've accrued) based on the fact that I recognize that Bluffton has changed my life in such a way that it has pushed me to a desire to allow God to work through me to change my world. Bluffton has helped open my eyes to the call to build "God's universal kingdom" to the effect that I recognize my life means very little unless it is spent in the service of others. I could have gone to any other school, gotten my degree, found a job for my-self so that I can use my money to support my-self so that I can make my-self happy.
Sounds pretty empty to me.
Tonight we had a joint session of the senior capstone class that everyone has to take eventually. In this class we learn about ourselves and how we fit into a global community. We watched a movie called "The Motorcycle Diaries" that chronicled the journey of the Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevera across South America. Along the journey he realized that he couldn't just see the poverty and the hurting of the world and say "oh that's too bad" and move on. Along the journey he realized that both his heart and his life must be among the poor and the hurting in order to change his world. Granted, his ideologies led him to use violence as a means of advancing the interests of the poor, but watching this movie helped me to understand the context out of which Guevera came: a cruel world that refused to listen to the cries of the poor.
Along the journey I have learned that a life lived only for myself is hardly a life at all. I have learned that my hope means nothing until it means something for everyone.
So when people ask me if it is worth the money to have attended Bluffton, I could talk about all the great friends I've made, the neat opportunities, or the interesting class discussions, but that answer would be incomplete. I guess for me to truly answer that question, I would have to ask it right back. Has Bluffton changed me in a way that affects everyone I come in contact with? Has Bluffton pushed me to bring salt and light to the hurting and broken places of the world? Have I been challenged to lead a life contrary to the popular notion that everything is all about me?
So, was it worth the money? You tell me.
There is no getting around the fact that it does cost a lot to go to college these days whether it's a large state school or a smaller private university like Bluffton. The question must be asked, then, how do we balance the moral demands for good stewardship of the gifts God has given us with an expensive education. In my last post I think I talked about taking advantage of all that Bluffton has to offer me, and, while I think that that is an important part of the answer, I also think that there is something bigger. In reflection, I believe that I can justify the money I spent here (or the debt I've accrued) based on the fact that I recognize that Bluffton has changed my life in such a way that it has pushed me to a desire to allow God to work through me to change my world. Bluffton has helped open my eyes to the call to build "God's universal kingdom" to the effect that I recognize my life means very little unless it is spent in the service of others. I could have gone to any other school, gotten my degree, found a job for my-self so that I can use my money to support my-self so that I can make my-self happy.
Sounds pretty empty to me.
Tonight we had a joint session of the senior capstone class that everyone has to take eventually. In this class we learn about ourselves and how we fit into a global community. We watched a movie called "The Motorcycle Diaries" that chronicled the journey of the Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevera across South America. Along the journey he realized that he couldn't just see the poverty and the hurting of the world and say "oh that's too bad" and move on. Along the journey he realized that both his heart and his life must be among the poor and the hurting in order to change his world. Granted, his ideologies led him to use violence as a means of advancing the interests of the poor, but watching this movie helped me to understand the context out of which Guevera came: a cruel world that refused to listen to the cries of the poor.
Along the journey I have learned that a life lived only for myself is hardly a life at all. I have learned that my hope means nothing until it means something for everyone.
So when people ask me if it is worth the money to have attended Bluffton, I could talk about all the great friends I've made, the neat opportunities, or the interesting class discussions, but that answer would be incomplete. I guess for me to truly answer that question, I would have to ask it right back. Has Bluffton changed me in a way that affects everyone I come in contact with? Has Bluffton pushed me to bring salt and light to the hurting and broken places of the world? Have I been challenged to lead a life contrary to the popular notion that everything is all about me?
So, was it worth the money? You tell me.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
One final hoorah
I finally made it to my final semester of undergraduate college. I'm realizing this more and more each day as I start to think about what my life will be like a year, or even a couple months from now. I wonder how much I've taken for granted the fact that I got to live within walking distance (if not in the same building) as most of my closest friends. How much have I taken for granted not having to cook for myself, or drive to work every day, or pay to do my laundry? Have I taken advantage of all the resources I have here at Bluffton? It makes me sound like a big nerd, but it wasn't until the end of last year that I really began to appreciate the awesomeness of having a great library available to me. I guess the closer I get to the end the more all the tough things fade away and I realize how great these past four years have been. I've only got a few months left, but I will make the best of it, learn all that I can, be crazy with my friends all I can, and maybe do all the free laundry I can.
I don't mean to sound depressing. In fact, this semester is looking like it's going to be one of the best of my Bluffton career. My classes are all pretty interesting without being completely over-challenging. Sunday Night Worship is going really well and I've got great out look for that. My senior recital seems to be coming together. I might even be trying out for the musical this year because I think I'll have so much time to spare at the end of the year. Added on top of all that, two of my closest friends are back this semester from their semesters abroad so I'm getting to spend time with them. And added on top of even that, the Marbeck food has been pretty good lately.
I've got so much to do and see and learn in these last months I can't waste even one more minute here. Don't worry, though, I'll be sure to keep you posted on all that I see, do, and learn.
I don't mean to sound depressing. In fact, this semester is looking like it's going to be one of the best of my Bluffton career. My classes are all pretty interesting without being completely over-challenging. Sunday Night Worship is going really well and I've got great out look for that. My senior recital seems to be coming together. I might even be trying out for the musical this year because I think I'll have so much time to spare at the end of the year. Added on top of all that, two of my closest friends are back this semester from their semesters abroad so I'm getting to spend time with them. And added on top of even that, the Marbeck food has been pretty good lately.
I've got so much to do and see and learn in these last months I can't waste even one more minute here. Don't worry, though, I'll be sure to keep you posted on all that I see, do, and learn.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Out of Office...
I opted to use my first week of Christmas break to serve with Habitat for Humanity down in Mississippi with a group from Bluffton. We are collectively keeping a blog of our experience. You can read it here until I return:
Until then, have a blessed Christmas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)