Commitment is Better Than Talent

we're running out of praise and worship team
members. last week two of our senior members
left to work abroad, the keyboardist and the
guitarist. two members of the junior team have
been inactive for months now because of conflicts
in their work schedules. they both work as customer
service representatives and they are both worship
leaders. the bassist and the guitarist will be busy
in school this coming schoolyear when they start
their nursing internship. the drummer, who is
struggling his way out of college, is somewhat lost.

and so am i.

two weeks ago i find myself training 14-year olds
so as to fill the gap. that's just about the same
age when i started joining in as saling-pusa.
it has been a very challenging experience for me, like
starting from scratch. i taught the simplest songs,
heart of worship and here i am to worship. concon,
who used to be my sunday shool student and the one
who responded to our call, struggled through the song's
chord changes. he's determined to learn.

martin smith (delirous?) in one of the talks he made
at hillsong said these words and it has made an
intergalacticplanetary impact on me:

commitment is better than talent.

i find these statement very true in my experience in the
music ministry. but this is not to undermine excellence
in playing and glorify mediocrity. what i mean is, when
worship is concerned, it will always and ultimately be an
issue of the heart. the Lord sees our hearts and it is
what counts the most.

i pray that these kids would continue with accelerating
zeal. i pray that they would continue to seek the Lord.
i pray that they would not lose their sacrifice. please
pray for our church.