New Beginnings - Part One

Last week, we started a new chapter - Interim Worship Leader at Gilgal Baptist in Duncanville (near Tuscaloosa), Alabama. It's an interesting story how I got here.


Gilgal is my wife's, Susan's home church and it is in the community where she grew up. It's also the church where I was Music Director when I was in school at the University of Alabama. It's also the community where we have an interest in Susan's late Mother's house that was rebuilt in 2001 after being destroyed in a tornado. Our default plan after I retire is/was to retire to that home. It had crossed my mind that it would be great to direct music there again after I retire in a year or so. - But they had a director.


Last summer the Pastor, Bro. Bart called me out of the blue and said their music director had quit and would I like to be considered by the church to do it. I told him I would be thrilled to do it, but we had a timing problem. The church is 106 miles from my home in Montgomery, Alabama and I'm not ready to retire. So, I told him "no."


God would not let me let go of it, so after about week, I called Bart back and asked if we could revisit it. We discussed a plan whereby I would do the job for them only on weekends, forgiving me Wednesday night duties and moving choir rehearsal to Sunday afternoon. Bro. Bart was amenable to "floating" that idea by the church which he did. After discussing with Susan, Bro. Bart invited me to come up a lead music one weekend and see how the church liked me and visa versa. The appointed weekend came and I drove up to the church, lead music, met with various committees and waited for the church's response. I thought I had done a good job and thought I had given it my best effort.

Well, the response was a little slow in coming; there were some questions so we decided to just let the idea rest and see what God would do. I had no idea what would happen.

Your see, though I thought I was walking fairly closely with God especially on this music at the church issue, in fact, I was doing my own thing and living life my way. I guess I thought I'd call on God when I needed him. I could do that music thing on my own - after all, I used to do that.

Then came the first Saturday in September and I fell off a ladder. I broke six ribs and a collar bone and punctured a lung and was in ICU for several and in the hospital for a week total. Recuperation was long and I went through "side issues." God was teaching me a lesson through all this - a hard lesson. I didn't know how much I needed Him, but when you are praying in the hospital bed just that your body will work right, you get an interesting perspective on life. I really do need God, not now and again and really not even daily. God taught me to live life like a football game, one quarter at a time - and I need Him in each quarter.

Time passed. A few weeks ago, Bro. Bart called me again and asked if we could re-consider the music position at Gilgal. I told him that I still had several side issues that would make it difficult for me, but I would pray about it. God wouldn't let it go. He told me, though you really aren't much on your own, you can say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

So, I agreed to try the church - one quarter at a time - not a quarter of a year, but a quarter of a day. Did I have the physical strength and stamina to drive to Tuscaloosa on Saturday? Then lead the music on Sunday morning, standing in the pulpit and singing? Then planning music in the afternoon? Then rehearsing a choir? Then leading an evening service? Then driving home on Sunday night getting home at 10:00? Then getting up to go to work on Monday?

God said, "trust Me, try Me, prove Me and see if I will not open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that you are not able to receive." I told Bro. Bart point blank, "Bro, Bart, I'm not up to this, but if God wants me to do it, He'll just have to do it through me." -Through me - what a concept. That's what I was missing before. God was not singing through me, I was singing through me. But now my perspective is surely different.

It's been two weeks now - and God has been faithful . . . to be continued.