June 2, 2008  

Ministry Tools
Bob Burroughs

Quote

The truth is that most people have a better chance to be 'uncommon' by effort-- than by natural gifts. Anyone could give that effort in his or her chosen endeavor, but the typical person doesn’t, choosing to do only enough to get by. 
(Tony Dungy, Quiet Strength, Tyndale Books, page. 29)

Scripture

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:10)

Prayer

Great God, who loves us beyond human comprehension and understanding, and who has called us into Your service, filled us with the fruits of righteousness and has provided the ability to discern what is best for us, I praise You today. You have promised those who love and follow You a 'crown of righteousness.' My prayer for us today is that we would be worthy of this crown because we have worked hard to be the best we can be in our chosen field of service, and to able to stand before Your throne with thanksgiving, pure and blameless and praise for allowing us to bear witness in all things to the glory of God--and lay this crown at Your feet. I pray this day for Your called and faithful servants. Bless them with a knowledge that You are with them--even now, and that the nudgings of the Holy Spirit would be felt throughout this day. I pray this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, who stands before You even now, interceding for us at the Mercy Seat. Amen.

What Think Ye?

Uncommon Effort
The quote above, by Indianapolis Colts Football Coach Tony Dungy, struck a chord with me when I read it. It literally jumped out at me! I have seen this happen many times in my 50+ years of ministry—in the local church, in the university setting and among ministers of music! Both young people and adults, who have been given so much natural ability to do what God has called them to do or to be, but have chosen instead to walk the wide highway of doing just enough to get by.

Read Dungy’s statement once more…and then, let his words sink deep into your soul. Try to recall the times when you have chosen the wide road rather than pay the price to walk the narrow path of personal discipline.

These instances might help in your recall process:

• The student who fluffs off all semester—then hits the practice room the night before juries and memories 3-4 pieces out of the required 10 and hopes the faculty will call one of the ones memorized—instead of doing consistent work throughout the semester and being prepared to face the music.
• The minister of music who allows the choir or orchestra to get by singing or playing wrong notes, incorrect phrasing or ignores the composer’s dynamic listings and instructions, allowing the choir/orchestra to sing or play at a constant forte level, with no thought whatsoever given to good musicianship, precision and preparing a piece to be offered to the glory of God.
• The young person who has so many gifts and skills, feels led into music ministry in a call from God, and works just hard enough to earn a final grade of C—when he knows C is average. We have far too many “average” people in ministry today as it is!

One cannot help but wonder if the one who has the gifts and skills to excel, but chooses instead to walk the wide highway of average--will someday turn to the narrow path of personal discipline and focus his gifts/skills where God had intended him to focus and become one of those extraordinary people who learns to excel in order to honor the Father, who demands only the best gifts, the best fruits, the top of the ladder.

What think ye?

Leadership

Leadership Mantras for Success

#4. The higher you are in the leadership chain, the less truth you will hear.

This statement is perhaps the most true of the ten mantras—and probably the least understood or recognized by leadership. Pastors, CEOs, music ministers, university deans, committee chairpersons—anyone who is in a position of leadership--often will not even think about the fact that what they hear most from those who are under their leadership are words of praise and sentences that soothe the mind and/or feed the ego. Rarely, ever so rarely do these leaders hear profound truth.

Why?

Quite simple, really. Upper echelon leaders are too high up the power chain and employees, staff, church members, students, faculty, choir/orchestra members, and others do not wish to rock the boat, get themselves in trouble, to offend, or risk telling the truth about one or more situations that possibly could help the leader do a better job or fix a problem.

• Who’s going to be brave enough to tell the new pastor that he needs to be more open to his congregation or that he is moving way too fast with change or he is too “heavy-handed” in his leadership skills?
• Who’s going to have the nerve to tell the leader that the always closed office door does not invite underlings to feel the freedom to stop in for advice, counsel or comment?
• Who will dare tell the CEO that his leadership style often offends people, or that his humor is degrading, or his comments to co-workers in public borders on abuse?
• Who is going to step forward to tell the minister of music that he is singing too loud in rehearsal and that he should listen more--sing less, or that his conducting patterns are not clear, or that he should not keep his head in his music and ignore the choir or orchestra, or can’t we ever sing just one piece and do it really well?

You already know the answer to all these questions! No one—or at least, very, very few will take the chance for fear of punishment, retaliation, isolation,  embarrassment.

The wise leader should take every opportunity to improve and hone his leadership skills--but more important, to begin to be a listener to those below him on the leadership chain, and encourage--even ask for comments that would help him keep abreast of problems. He would begin to find out information that will help him do a better job in his position.

Remember: it is always easier to lead with a closed mind than to lead with an open and receptive heart.

Family

The Kids Are Alright
USA TODAY (MAY. 2008)
Gas prices are up--way up--housing prices are down! The Iraq War keeps grinding on and on…and the pre-election ads are driving us crazy...but against this backdrop of depressing news comes good news about our youngest Americans.

By a wide range of measures, babies and young children are significantly better off this decade from the previous one, according to the Foundation for Child Development, a non-profit organization in NY.

The analysis of about two dozen key national indications revealed promising trends on many fronts, including:

• Education: 70% of children—ages 4-6—attended full-day kindergarten in 2007.
• Health: Mortality rates declined dramatically for children ages 1-4.
• Family: Far more parents of children 3-11 limited TV viewing time and programming. Slightly more parents read regularly to young kids.
• Safety: Only 9.5% of sixth graders said they feared attack or harm at school or to and from school.

Lessons learned from these positive words are pretty simple. When it comes to improving the lives of our children, we will try anything that has a reasonable chance of success. With enough effort, some combination of strategies is likely to work.

Those of us who own cats and/or dogs spend hours training them to sit, stay, heel, and more. Perhaps, if we spent as much time trying to train our children in the ways of righteous, generations would be changed forever.

Inspirational Corner

Ray Robinson

In 1990, I had the opportunity to begin a 5-year teaching opportunity at Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL. One of the personal highlights of this appointment was the pleasure to meet and become friends with one of the giants of choral music, Ray Robinson. For 21 years, he was President of Westminster Choir College. Ray has also written one of the most definitive books on choral conducting. He has retired from PBA, and is now the conductor of the Palm Beach Symphony. Ray is one of the most intelligent persons I've ever known, and knows so very much about church music. I'm so happy to introduce Ray to MME. His inspirational comments below are worth reading!

If you wish to get in touch with Dr. Robinson via email, his address is: ROBINSRE@pba.edu
  
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow....

This is the time of the year when activities, such as graduation ceremonies and political campaigns, remind us of prominent figures--past and present--who have persevered and often overcome tremendous odds and personal setbacks to succeed in their chosen careers. I think particularly of one great American who was raised in relative poverty and whose family was forced out of their home when he was only seven years old, and he had to go to work to support them.

At age nine, while still a backward, shy little boy, his mother died. At the age of twenty-two, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go on to law school, but his lack of a basic education deprived him of the opportunity.

One year later, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store. Three years later, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took him years to repay.

At age twenty-eight, after developing a romantic relationship with a young lady for four years, he asked her to marry him. She turned him down! An earlier youthful love he shared with a lovely girl ended in heartache at her death.

At thirty-seven, on his third try, he was finally elected to Congress. Two years later, he ran again and failed to be elected. It was about this time that he had what some people today would call a nervous breakdown.

At forty-one, as additional heartache to an already unhappy marriage, his four-year-old son died. The next year, he was rejected for the position of land officer.

At forty-five, he ran for the United States Senate and lost. Two years later, he was defeated for the nomination of Vice-President. At forty-five, he ran for the Senate again--and lost again.

At fifty-one, however, he was elected President of the United States--but his second term in office was cut short by his assassination. As he lay dying, in a little room across the street from the theater where he was shot, a former detractor [Edwin Stanton], spoke the fitting tribute to his political rival:

Here lies the most perfect ruler of men the world has
ever seen--and now he belongs to the ages.

By now you surely know that this tribute was directed at one of the most inspirational and highly regarded political figures in American history, Abraham Lincoln. If there was anyone who fought the good fight under tremendous odds, it was he.    

If you are discouraged as the result of financial loss, if you are downtrodden, or if you are just tired from the journey, the prophet Isaiah has some good news for you.

Hast thou not known?
Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God,
the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
fainteth not, neither is weary?

He giveth power to the faint; and to those who
have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fail.

But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40: 28-31)

This Idea Will Work!

Ten Principles for Choir/Orchestra Growth

Contributed by Kennon L. Callahan, Dynamic Worship

1. Music usually constitutes 40% or more of the worship service.

2. Music usually constitutes 40% or more of the worship service.

3. 15%-20% of those who attend on any given Sundays are potential prospects for the choir or orchestra.

4. One person singing in the choir or playing in the orchestra can draw 1-3 others to church.

5. Ensembles can provide participants a sense of family.

6. The best choirs and orchestras have both quality and quantity.

7. Each service should have its own distinctive choir or instrumental group.

8. Because vocal and instrumental groups are important relational groupings, they can provide key ways to involve newcomers.

9. Choir and orchestra groups tend to grow best in multiples--rather than by adding one person at a time. Thus, Fall and Winter Enrollment times work well.

10. A personal invitation to attend a rehearsal--but not to join the ensemble-- is the best way to recruit new members. Let them attend three rehearsals and feel the pulse of the group before asking for their commitment to join.
Choir and orchestra growth is determined by basically four things:

• rehearsal space
• chancel space
• music selection
• and the personality of the director

This Idea Will Work!

Tips for the Smaller Church

QUALITY in the Smaller Church

Music ministers, choir directors—anyone who directs a church group is charged by the scriptures and by our high calling to quality. The word literally means: the finest, the best, the choicest of the choice. God requires nothing less than the best from His servants, whether full time, part time, bi-vocational or volunteer!

Quality does not necessarily mean Bach, Chopin, Handel. Quality does not necessarily mean Kirkland, Fettke, Hayes

Quality in the smaller church simply means: offering the best you can prepare to present to God in your worship service--with the resources that are available in your music program. It is as simple as that.

Remember: the congregation—in small or large churches--is not the audience. God is the audience. It is God to whom you are presenting your gifts of music and worship. God--and to God alone.  

True: any music program must learn to balance the selections of music to the likes/dislikes of the congregation--but the congregation’s influence should not tip the balance.  Be very careful here.

Quality is not an alternative. It is a command from the Lord Himself.  Do the best music you can--with the resources you have at your disposal. If you work hard to do this, you will grow from the challenge. Your choir will grow because of the satisfaction of doing something well. And the congregation will grow in accepting a good balance of music.

July issue: REHEARSALS IN THE SMALLER CHURCH--PART 1

Worship Quote

"Wonder is the basis of worship." [Thomas Carlyle]

Serious Humor 

Things I’ve Learned Over the Years

• The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elder.
• When you’re in love, it shows.
• Being kind is more important than being right.
• We should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
• Money can’t buy class.
• The Lord didn’t do it all in one day...so what makes me think I can?
• To ignore the facts does not change the facts.
• Love--not time--heals all wounds.
• One should keep his words both soft and tender because tomorrow, you may have to eat them.
• A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
• When your new grandchild first holds your little finger in his little fist, you’re hooked for life.
• Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs when one is climbing it.

MME is looking for Ministers of Music, Professors, Choral Directors and other musicians to share with MME readers "What I've Learned In Ministry." 

Interested?  Simply jot down a few thoughts that you think would have MME reader interest--serious or with humor--and send them to Bob Burroughs at bbur65@aol.com

If used, MME will list your name, church, city/state and email address, if you wish. Of course, MME cannot use every thing sent, but we will be looking for really interesting thoughts that might help the younger generation (and even the older generation) to do a better job in ministry.

          To read the rest of this week's MME by Bob Burroughs - click here.