When things go wrong -- Newsletter article for the week of 12 April

Christ Candle
Christ Candle,
originally uploaded by revger.
Dear Friends,

I was a bit flustered. Could you tell? Did you see perhaps a bit of a nervous twitch or my growing anxiety?

Everything was all set for the Easter service:
  • the worship service was done in time for the deadline to have it copied
  • the computer slide show finished and polished
  • compatibility with the UCC’s church’s projector was confirmed
  • my remote slide advance clicker worked from the back of the church
It was all in place.

Or so I thought. Those of you who were in worship saw that, even though my remote clicker had worked just fine moments before the service, during the opening parts of the worship, it was reluctant and obstreperous. Then of course, the connection with the projector kept failing and when I thought I was advancing the slides, I really wasn’t. And then there were the times the screen just turned purple. Argh!

So my nervousness increased & I grew increasingly embarrassed as each techno-glitz came roaring down the cables at me. Until…

Well, until I realized it was just fine. Even when the acclamation of Christ’s resurrection hadn’t gone as I planned, Christ was still raised. Even when the screen in front didn’t match what was on my computer at the time, we still sang praises to a God who comes and walks among us. Even if the Table collapsed right before us, my computer had burst into flames and the piano had sprouted wings and flown away (they didn’t, by the way), we would still have shared the meal together and been the blessed community that God calls us to be.
In spite of our best plans, not because of them, we praise God and give thanks for the community of faith that surrounds us.

Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Peace,
Gerry

Picture and text © Gerry Brague

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh no and Alleluia indeed. The Lord knows that it certainly won't be the last time for things to go wrong - as much as we would like for that not to happen :)

P.S. A for effort!

Gerry said...

@cam--Thanks for your comment. No it won't be the last time...alas. But worship services have had errors in them long before modern technology. We're just facing new and different errors! The Spirit moves regardless!

(And thanks for following and commenting on my blog. I hope to start blogging more often here. Got to train myself to do it.)

Anonymous said...

Hello again Gerry! I've been enjoying reading your blog since I came across it in February. Do you recall that it was your post titled "Good Eye" - about when you had taken a photo at a big outdoor market, then later discovered in the photo a person staring right at you which you didn't realize at the time? I told you that I had a similar experience/photo - I just posted that photo this weekend (at FNE). I was aware of someone watching me that afternoon, but not when I actually snapped the picture. It struck me much the same when I later got to look at the photo!

Gerry said...

@Cam--I definitely recall you posting after my "Good Eye" article. I so appreciate that you read and comment on my blog. I wonder if anyone does read this. I'm going to try to start blogging more here. Not just repeats of sermons and newsletter articles. Maybe I'll get around to real live bloggin. :)