For many years, I've subscribed to the idea that each calling and profession has its own particular ethical and spiritual pitfalls. On my recent trip, I visited good friends and returned to locations where I spent a lot of time years ago. In addition to reviewing the course of my life, I also had a quick survey of the lives of a lot of other musicians in a bunch of locations. Through these experiences, I was reminded of three pitfalls we musicians face.
1. sarcasm
Sarcasm seems an unhealthy but sort of natural bi-product of having a vision and being taught to be critical about one's own work. If it gets out of hand, it can rob you of a lot of joy.
2. not really engaging with one's church job as ministry or worship
Sometimes we take jobs because we need money, and that's probably okay. But I think we don't live up to our potential as believers if we don't go beyond that. We might also lose some joy that way.
3. worshiping people, experiences, and institutions
Respecting these should be alright, but worshiping them robs us of our freedom and I think it eventually leads to some imbalance and loss of energy.
1 comment:
I totally agree that there are a myriad of pitfalls in any vocation, calling. ministry or otherwise.
I do think that we need to find a balance between work and life. In musicians' careers and in ministers' careers the job is not and usually cannot be separate from the life. This is extremely hard to handle and almost impossible to avoid. I'm not sure we could be effectively taught to handle it even if it were part of curriculum in higher ed.
In a nutshell, the blessing of earning your living in our capitalist world, becomes an anchor which stifles innovation energy and excitement in our ART or in our Ministry. We end up committing all that we are to the institution, church or school, rather than the purpose. This leads to the downfalls you mention. Cynicism creeps in and the joy of playing, singing and worshipping is literally "pushed out".
It is indeed hard to maintain a balance and actually live a life actively as a central contributor to a varied, multicultural, progressive community in our modern world. Musicians, Ministers and Artists are increasingly relegated to peripheral roles in larger communities. I think it is up to us to "not go silently". Our art and leadership is critically necessary to our world. where we abdicate that mission, it will be quickly filled by something else.
Alas, this mission sets us up for a difficult journey. I think we have lots of model for that sort of change agent in the New Testament.
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