In a little over two weeks, we start our outreach Christmas project, and this year we will intentionally be inviting singers who can join us just to work on that event. Call it an introduction to music ministry or a “taste of Hope Choir.” This means we will be welcoming them into our community to experience how we work, how we live together, how we love one another.
Our rehearsals for Sunday worship will still begin at 7:00pm on Thursdays, but at 8:00pm we will shift to Christmas prep and be joined by these special guests. Hopefully we’ll attract some new singers, who can’t yet commit to an every Sunday morning ministry, but are willing to take a first step.
Some may come boldly, brimming with self-confidence and ready to tackle the impossible. Others might come with anxiety and fear that their contribution will not be noticed or needed. Think back for a moment to the last time you joined a group for the first time. What were your hopes at that first meeting? Any fears? What made that experience such that you wanted to return? Or what, perhaps, happened that kept you from going back?
My sense is that we have (at least) two universal desires when it comes to joining a new community: 1) to “fit in” and 2) to be needed, or valued. In a choir, that primarily can be related to the musical contribution we make, but as human beings, I think we wish to be valued for who we are, not just what we can do. Some in our very own Hope Choir even now are waiting to be noticed – not in a prideful way, but in a manner that says, “When I am not here, am I missed?”
Let’s practice the art of hospitality with each other tonight, and be all the more ready for any newcomers in the next few weeks. Don’t forget what it took you to brave joining a new group for the very first time. I believe how we handle the “little things” of creating a safe and welcoming place brings a smile to the face of God!
-tad
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