because mono hands would be silly

Just before Christmas, I was mixing sound for a “Glee-style” vocal/dance ensemble of about 16 high-schoolers. These are not your typical high-schoolers. Well maybe they are… if you high-schoolers can sing every note in a 4 octave range, tap dance, do splits, and make every audience member feel like they are sitting on the first row – all at the same time. They are good because they have an amazing team of directors supporting and teaching them. When it comes time to hire an audio guy, there is a very high caliber of quality expected. And they expect the same excellence from behind the mixing board as from the stage.

We set about rehearsing, and the Music Director started asking me to fix things in the mix that just wasn’t hearing. (Geek note: not just i missed it – like he’s like, “hear that?” and i’m like, “uhh… no?”). Needless to say, my quality control sensors went on high alert for the rest of the rehearsal and event. I found myself fully invested into every moment of every song. My heartbeat followed the tempo. My exhale waited for the vocalist to hit each and every note. My body contorted in something like dance that was a mix between the rhythm of the song and my total emotional involvement. I dared not think that my life would last any further than just a beat more.

I gave my all for that show. I got paid, but what I gave cannot be supplemented by any amount of money. As the show ended, the audience applauded and all stood in ovation to these very talented children. I didn’t hear them. I didn’t see them. I didn’t come back to reality until nearly all the audience had exited and now numerous VIPs were shaking my hand and telling that it “was the best the kids have ever sounded”.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Col 3:23-24

It’s easy to regulate how much we put into something based o what we’re getting out of it. “I’m only getting paid $10 an hour. They’re only getting $10 of work outta me!” That’s an easy, real-world example of what we put in to a transaction between men. What about when you’re not working for men? How about when you’re working for your family? Does that have a price based on what your family gives back to you? How about when you get on a super-creative binges and you start doodling, building, whatever? No one may ever see your creation, but you’ve invested into that, and likely gotten nothing but a satisfaction that it was complete. What about when you are working for God? How much does He pay you? How much work do you put into that?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your reasonable act of worship.

Rom 12:1

Read it again. Stop. I said read it again.

Yeah. It says, “offer your bodies”  What?! That means I might die while vacuuming the church sanctuary! And I’d have to be ok with that!

Yep. Not only that. It says, “this is your REASONABLE act of worship”  You giving your all and DYING is only reasonable. It’s adequate. If someone came up to me after that show and said to me, “That wasn’t terrible. You gave your all, did your best and are physically drained. And we’ll settle for that if we have to. We think the mix sounded reasonable.” I probably would’ve just passed out in shock.

Not everyone will take this verse as literally as I have. But here is something to ponder (by that I mean stop thinking about it and start doing it). God deserves requires our everything. There’s nothing else worth saving your strength for.

When Jesus comes back, he’s gonna catch me doing something totally, stupidly, irrationally dangerous that will bless His name.