When I got to Wartburg freshman year I went to the involvement fair to...well..get involved! I ended up signing up for choir auditions, joined ultimate frisbee, and threw my name on a bunch of other lists. I remember afterward not knowing if I would have time for everything or how I was going to balance college classes along with anything else. I texted my youth director about it and he told me something that I actually just remembered yesterday for the first time in quite awhile: he gave me the metaphor of a juggler. We often talk about college as juggling a bunch of things but my youth director brought up a very important aspect of juggling: you only have one ball in your hands at a time. As the juggler catches one they throw another away for a moment. I think that is the key for college and life afterward: only have one ball in your hand at a time. Especially in college we are constantly dealing with five things at a time and responding to emails while doing homework assignments while watching tv with friends. While some might argue that it is “productive” I personally argue that it is not being present when one's attention is stretched across multiple things. This is something that I struggle with all the time (phone) and I think it is so easy with the world we live in. I don't think there is a larger compliment or more respectful thing one can do than give someone their undivided attention, especially in society today. I bring all of this up because in this choir when we give a concert that is the only ball that you should have in your hand. We talk about how when we come to choir whether for rehearsal or concerts that we get to drop everything else but most want to keep juggling. when you enter these concerts today feel free to keep on juggling but in the spirit of that juggling catch the ball that is this concert and throw the rest of them into the air.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The Juggler's Philosophy
This is more or less the devotion I gave to the Wartburg Choir before the second performance of Christmas with Wartburg this last December.
When I got to Wartburg freshman year I went to the involvement fair to...well..get involved! I ended up signing up for choir auditions, joined ultimate frisbee, and threw my name on a bunch of other lists. I remember afterward not knowing if I would have time for everything or how I was going to balance college classes along with anything else. I texted my youth director about it and he told me something that I actually just remembered yesterday for the first time in quite awhile: he gave me the metaphor of a juggler. We often talk about college as juggling a bunch of things but my youth director brought up a very important aspect of juggling: you only have one ball in your hands at a time. As the juggler catches one they throw another away for a moment. I think that is the key for college and life afterward: only have one ball in your hand at a time. Especially in college we are constantly dealing with five things at a time and responding to emails while doing homework assignments while watching tv with friends. While some might argue that it is “productive” I personally argue that it is not being present when one's attention is stretched across multiple things. This is something that I struggle with all the time (phone) and I think it is so easy with the world we live in. I don't think there is a larger compliment or more respectful thing one can do than give someone their undivided attention, especially in society today. I bring all of this up because in this choir when we give a concert that is the only ball that you should have in your hand. We talk about how when we come to choir whether for rehearsal or concerts that we get to drop everything else but most want to keep juggling. when you enter these concerts today feel free to keep on juggling but in the spirit of that juggling catch the ball that is this concert and throw the rest of them into the air.
Originally I thought this is where I was going to end my devo but there is one more important thing I want to mention. We have the age old cliché yet true statement that we are changing people's lives. But who are these people? I don't know about you but sometimes it can be a bit difficult for me to be driven solely on the fact that I might affect someone I don't know and who I'll never actually know how I affected them. Sure every once in awhile we get stories from Dr. Nelson or others but there are still many more, we assume, whose stories we don't hear. However, when you are unsure of our true affect of the audience remember that we are not just singing for the audience, although that is definitely one of the main goals. We are also singing for each other. If healing and changing people you don't know isn't enough of a motivation to make you give it your all then remember that you are healing and changing other members of this choir. Last year at christmas with wartburg my life was changed and healed and honestly I believe I became a different person. There are those in our choir right now who are struggling, who need peace and love just as much as anyone in the audience. Today I challenge you to not only sing for those who are in the audience but also sing for your choir family. Heal one another and in that process the audience will also be healed. Please pray with me.
Dear god, please help us remember that you have given each of us many beautiful gifts and responsibilities and things to be involed in but that we are called to be fully present in each of them. Help us maintain focus on these concerts this weekend and remember that we don't need to worry about anything else while we are with this choir. Be with the members of this family who are struggling and who simply aren't feeling the joy commonly associated with this season. Help us all remind each other how much we are loved and how much we are needed. Be with us as we heal one another and our audiences this weekend and give us the strength to do it with a smile on our faces. Amen.
When I got to Wartburg freshman year I went to the involvement fair to...well..get involved! I ended up signing up for choir auditions, joined ultimate frisbee, and threw my name on a bunch of other lists. I remember afterward not knowing if I would have time for everything or how I was going to balance college classes along with anything else. I texted my youth director about it and he told me something that I actually just remembered yesterday for the first time in quite awhile: he gave me the metaphor of a juggler. We often talk about college as juggling a bunch of things but my youth director brought up a very important aspect of juggling: you only have one ball in your hands at a time. As the juggler catches one they throw another away for a moment. I think that is the key for college and life afterward: only have one ball in your hand at a time. Especially in college we are constantly dealing with five things at a time and responding to emails while doing homework assignments while watching tv with friends. While some might argue that it is “productive” I personally argue that it is not being present when one's attention is stretched across multiple things. This is something that I struggle with all the time (phone) and I think it is so easy with the world we live in. I don't think there is a larger compliment or more respectful thing one can do than give someone their undivided attention, especially in society today. I bring all of this up because in this choir when we give a concert that is the only ball that you should have in your hand. We talk about how when we come to choir whether for rehearsal or concerts that we get to drop everything else but most want to keep juggling. when you enter these concerts today feel free to keep on juggling but in the spirit of that juggling catch the ball that is this concert and throw the rest of them into the air.
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