Music for Fraternity Meetings (and please, nothing more!)

At Council meeting yesterday, the topic of music came up.

At our fraternity gatherings, we sing hymns along with recorded music. Our minister mentioned yesterday that it's too bad we can't have live music for the hymns - and several people looked a me. I then pointed out that I am a musician. She seems to have forgotten that when the person who brings the recorded music couldn't be there for a couple of meetings I had brought my guitar and led the singing.

Then the discussion turned to whether the recorded music provider would be offended if I started leading the music. Someone suggested that we need to talk to her first - and I added that to start out maybe we could split, with me leading a song, and she playing the music for a couple.

I'm open to it. I just need to know in advance so I can pick a song or two and have the words ready for everyone else. Maybe I should just compile a "book" with lyrics that can be reused.

But let's see what happens with the woman first.

It certainly would be a way for me to serve the community, and to make use of the modest musical ability I have.

But I am still nervous about other potential calls to service. The minister has made it clear that she thinks I should be the next minister. I really don't want to be. In fact, I would prefer not to even be on the council. I'd rather serve as the doorkeeper in the way I am now.

And, to be honest, I have patience issues. The members of the council are all good, caring people, but they are up there in years, hard of hearing, slow moving, and sometimes easily confused. Our meetings often go off on tangents, complete with misunderstanding or constant calls to speak louder or repeat what was said because one or more person could not follow. Yesterday's meeting dragged on for over two hours to complete national Franciscan reports that if I were doing them on my own would have been done in half an hour. And then, because people were so confused, they wanted to start a financial document over again. I finally said I had to go home to let my dog out - which I did, as it was 5:30 by then and the dog was used to me getting home by 5. I got up and left using that excuse. The truth is that I just did not have the patience to sit there and go through all the information again.

I was good about not being sarcastic yesterday - just one small crack leaked out - but I don't want to risk my impatience leading me into saying unkind things.

Anyway, I hope I can avoid getting elected to any other office in the future. I'm happy just to take care of unlocking the building for meetings, answering the door, and, if it happens, playing music.

So at the next election I plan to decline any nominations.

That's the plan, anyway. We'll see.

Pax et bonum