jakorte's blog

Sunday, September 20, 2009. Dawson Auditorium, Adrian College.

Framed by stage-lit floral displays speaking aptly to the active transition between waning summer and looming fall, Adrian Symphony Conductor John Dodson introduced the first body of an afternoon of compiled works by living American composer John Williams, remarking how the symphony is usually filled with songs by dead people, about dead people. A glance at the program clearly indicated first on the docket was Williams' orchestral music from the film "Jaws."

“This year,” he continued with obvious exhuberant enthusiasm, “We’ll begin our new season by killing somebody!”

What does this have to do with this week’s message?
As usual - absolutely nothing; and then predictably - everything.

For me, Sunday’s season opener was a much anticipated escape. Even so, as I was sitting there, the floor vibrating with menacing bass and brassily snapping shark jaws, my mind remained distractedly clamped on missionary management issues.

At this point, our vehicles and our volunteers are in accord.

However, there are also three more potential volunteers looming on our horizon. As our discussion evolved, someone said, “We have room for one more.” Technically, there is one traveling seat still available the first week, and two seats available for the second week.

But that’s not completely accurate, either. When we began to evaluate it, we all headed the same direction. Do we really have room for one more? Nope, we have room for as many more as GOD sends our way.

Why? Because, we cannot limit ourselves to our current resources. We cannot encourage inclusion or exclusion based on “now,” when our missionary organization is based on “faith, hope, and the future.”

How? Oh, I’m not 100% sure GOD will provide what we want, when we want it. But if HE leads people to be moved with the compassion for volunteering, I suspect HE will also provide a way for us to move them. Probably not without stress or worry, probably not without reworking all the figures, reanalyzing the budget, or resubmitting required paperwork. But probably with gifts we’ll have to reach for, seek out, and submit to. And there’ll surely be a lesson to be had, a message we can pass along, a testimony to how GOD works for the good of all men.

And if, in the final hours before departure, we still find ourselves one seat short, we could always begin our new missionary season by killing somebody.

In this issue: John Williams, Apple App – Ocarina, Stop Worrying Step 3, Learning to be a More Valuable Employee

Now Posted: Details