Hello, friends!
One of the things that I love about planting is that most of the cool things that happen, happen spontaneously. We don't have large groups or small groups, or any structures really, so anything that happens is 1) totally Spirit led and 2) probably unplanned. Last night we had one of those sweet moments.
Like I've said before, I've been involved in the Gospel Choir at Mizzou to try and learn about the black Christian culture on campus. I'm not much of a singer, but I try hard and I show up, two things that apparently are a big deal. At the last rehearsal they said one of their fundraisers was going to be a group fro-yo run to Red Mango on Thursday night. I figured this would be a great chance for me to get some of the students I had been investing in together for another chance at fellowship and community. Who doesn't like frozen yogurt, right?
So I sent out the text messages and received a bunch of "maybes." Maybes for me are as good as a "no" because very rarely does it turn into a "yes." Still, I figured at the very least I would get some fro-yo, so it wouldn't be all bad.
At the end of the night, only two of the students whom I had been investing in so far this semester showed up but that wasn't the cool part. The cool part was me being able to spend a solid hour and a half with the OTHER Gospel Choir folk who were there, namely two of the presidents of the Gospel Choir. We didn't talk about anything of great consequence. I didn't go deep or try to set up any inroads. I just ate my Red Mango and we enjoyed each others' company.
But that was the beauty of the evening. It was like I belonged. They didn't mind that I was there and they went about their normal business like I was one of them. It may seem like a small step, but it is a step in the right direction. Praise Jesus for making inroads!
A few points for prayer:
- We have ONE BCM student going to Fall Conference. Obviously I would prefer more, but one student is one student. Pray that God will work in Shawn and he will catch a vision for what BCM could be at Mizzou.
- Tomorrow is October, which begins migraine season. Please pray that history does not repeat itself and that I will have a healthy and migraine free month.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Lip Synching a Duet
Hello, friends!
A funny story to share with you from the land of BCM!
One of the ways that I have been trying to get myself plugged into the Black Christian community on campus is to join the Legion of Black Collegians Gospel Choir (LBCGC). I talked to my old supervisor and he said that there really is no better way to get the pulse of the Black Christians on campus then being a part of the Gospel Choir. As someone who is trying to plant cross culturally, this is extra important since I do not have an automatic in into that community.
So I've been a part of the Gospel Choir and it has been a blast. The voices that I am around are amazing and the songs that we do are complex, simple, and beautiful at the same time. The only downside is that I'm not a very good singer. I can sing when I need to but a two hour rehearsal puts a strain on my pipes. Also, I can't hear the notes I'm supposed to sing really well so singing those notes back is usually an adventure.
I can get around that by sometimes taking a few notes off. If I don't hear a phrase really well, I can lip synch the words and focus on my listening instead of on my singing. Eventually I hear what I'm supposed to sing and I can come back in.
Last Tuesday I was freaking out at the beginning of rehearsal. Why? THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER GUY PRESENT! My whole plan was ruined! How would I be able to lip synch when I was supposed to be providing half of the vocals? There was no way around it; I was just going to have to try my best and hope that I don't get called out.
Thankfully, two things happened that eased my fear a bit. The first is that the first song we did was a review song. I remembered most of the notes from that song and instead of going through section by section we just ran through the song, which meant I could hide a little bit if I needed to. The second thing that worked in my favor is that other guys started showing up. Thank you, Jesus! =0).
All said and done, I'm really enjoying my time in the LBCGC and I think I'm starting to make inroads. On Tuesday it felt like I actually a part of the community and I wasn't getting nearly as many "What is the Asian guy doing here" looks. Jesus is working and I am excited!
A few prayer points:
- Pray for the choir. Much like most of the student groups here on campus, they are starting to feel the stress of the midterm season. Please pray that students will receive a peace that surpasses all understanding when it comes to their studies.
- Pray for my throat. Like I said, 2 hours of rehearsal wreaks havoc on the throat of a guy who isn't a very good singer to start. Pray that I will be able to continue to sing so I can be a part of the community.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
A funny story to share with you from the land of BCM!
One of the ways that I have been trying to get myself plugged into the Black Christian community on campus is to join the Legion of Black Collegians Gospel Choir (LBCGC). I talked to my old supervisor and he said that there really is no better way to get the pulse of the Black Christians on campus then being a part of the Gospel Choir. As someone who is trying to plant cross culturally, this is extra important since I do not have an automatic in into that community.
So I've been a part of the Gospel Choir and it has been a blast. The voices that I am around are amazing and the songs that we do are complex, simple, and beautiful at the same time. The only downside is that I'm not a very good singer. I can sing when I need to but a two hour rehearsal puts a strain on my pipes. Also, I can't hear the notes I'm supposed to sing really well so singing those notes back is usually an adventure.
I can get around that by sometimes taking a few notes off. If I don't hear a phrase really well, I can lip synch the words and focus on my listening instead of on my singing. Eventually I hear what I'm supposed to sing and I can come back in.
Last Tuesday I was freaking out at the beginning of rehearsal. Why? THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER GUY PRESENT! My whole plan was ruined! How would I be able to lip synch when I was supposed to be providing half of the vocals? There was no way around it; I was just going to have to try my best and hope that I don't get called out.
Thankfully, two things happened that eased my fear a bit. The first is that the first song we did was a review song. I remembered most of the notes from that song and instead of going through section by section we just ran through the song, which meant I could hide a little bit if I needed to. The second thing that worked in my favor is that other guys started showing up. Thank you, Jesus! =0).
All said and done, I'm really enjoying my time in the LBCGC and I think I'm starting to make inroads. On Tuesday it felt like I actually a part of the community and I wasn't getting nearly as many "What is the Asian guy doing here" looks. Jesus is working and I am excited!
A few prayer points:
- Pray for the choir. Much like most of the student groups here on campus, they are starting to feel the stress of the midterm season. Please pray that students will receive a peace that surpasses all understanding when it comes to their studies.
- Pray for my throat. Like I said, 2 hours of rehearsal wreaks havoc on the throat of a guy who isn't a very good singer to start. Pray that I will be able to continue to sing so I can be a part of the community.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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