Slow to wrath

OK.  So I get a phone call from the same person as last week.

I didn't lose my temper this time.  Result.

But you know when you repeat yourself over and over again, because the person doesn't believe you?

"That is all that is written."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing else."

"No extra notices or signposts or words?"

"Nothing else."

"Nothing mentioning X, Y or Z?"

"Nothing else."  Hey, I was polite, but if speech could be bolded and underlined, you would have perceived that listening to me.

Finally, the person gives up and I guess this isn't the end of the chapter, but please God he doesn't phone up asking the same question, but I get someone who believes what I say.

But this is the problem with the human race - we just don't believe or trust one another, and frankly, whether you believe the Garden of Eden was literal or an analogy, can you really blame us?

This has got my mood somewhere in the region of "Pffffftt" and got me thinking about the stuff that has really been bugging me...

...and I then hated myself for allowing them to bug me.  This Saturday, and the following Saturday, yes, I'm ready for them, or at least I know that God wants me to do them, and that means it will go OK as long as I'm doing it for Him.  But I'm starting to question again whether I'm ready for Sundays.

Distracted

Yes, I forgot to post yesterday, for the first time in ages.

Worship:

He Brought me into His Banqueting House (request from leader - original "lead" Jesus, Hope of the Nations, ditched)
Jesus! the Name High Over All
All I Once Held Dear
I Sing Praises to Your Name
More Love, More Power

Honestly - I felt I did poorly yesterday, although one person did say to me "nobody noticed" which makes me think either a) my worst is better than I thought b) he's looking through rose-tinted spectacles or c)...

...it wasn't that bad at all, it's just that I've set a bar too high.  He noticed how much the worship had changed over the last few weeks, it is true that something has clicked over and worship has become worship, not just "something we do"

My excuse for my "performance" is that I was distracted.  Later, the distraction made me angry, this morning I am disappointed with myself in allowing the distraction to take hold.  After all, it is a distraction I should be used to, but I guess it's me saying to God "Why are You so slow sorting this out?" and Him saying "You never have let go..."

So I am perhaps being unfair on myself.  It doesn't stop me licking my wounds occasionally..

Many gifts, one body

1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. KJV 1611

Paul was talking about gifts of the spirit, but this can apply to gifts or talents in the church.

Musicians, "technically", are higher up the pecking order in church heirarchy.  Doubtless, in Corinth, there was this "I prophesy, but you only speak in tongues, nyah nyah nyah" going on.

Each has their own gift, or talent, to give to God, via the church.  But to "puffeth oneself up" is wrong, causes division, and hurt in some cases.

Pride is something I fight with all the time.  I try to remind myself that I'm not doing this for me, or the church, primarily, I'm doing it for God.