The role of the church musician is not to satisfy the musical desires
of everyone in the congregation — a practical, theological description of the church musician's vocation.
The leadership would have a way of maintaining regular contact
with everyone in the congregation, and I could focus on preaching, evangelism, administration, benevolence, hospital visitation, community involvement, and offering common services.
Perhaps a sermon should be regarded as great, not
because everyone in the congregation agrees with the preacher, but because at the end of the service those present just can't wait to talk about it; to debate it together, because the text around which it was built has captured their imagination and curiosity.
«It seems be couldn't keep his body and his soul aligned,» the young pastor said, and seemed a little lost for words until he left the pulpit, walked over and opened the casket, took out a harmonica and began to play «Just As I Am»
while everyone in the congregation nodded and wept and smiled, some of them mouthing the words of promise and comfort to themselves.
You and
almost everyone in your congregation have no reason to believe and aren't anticipating that someone will choose to become a follower of Christ at every large group gathering.
And I remember a pastor giving a sermon once in which he held up a picture of a mom and dad and two kids and prayed that
everyone in his congregation would find that for themselves.
The young man waited in the pews while the congregation went forward to receive communion, anxious because he noticed that
everyone in the congregation was drinking from the same chalice.