And a few thoughts on the gift of humiliation…

…so at our Making the Case Conference, we had several wonderful worship opportunities scheduled, the first of which was Compline after hearing from Dr. Rast and the first part of Dr. George’s presentation. It is a lovely liturgy that I know like the back of my hand. We often prayed it and without any accompaniment at all. There is one tricky part for me, though, where, after the responsory (in F), the preces begin (in G). A single step. Not hard, but it always sounds odd to my ear.   

So I asked for the tone from Dr. Wente, who was preparing to give it to me, but allowing some silence before we moved into prayer, and impatient Weedon jumped the gun and missed. Not by a little. 

So yes, right in the middle of the most beautiful and peaceful prayer office, TRAIN WRECK by yours truly. This was followed by an equally disastrous start to the Nunc Dimittis, that only swerved back into something approximating the right key just before the people came in. 

So here is Synod’s former worship director totally and completely flubbing the liturgy in front of a huge crowd of folks. Well, good. Glory to God for all things, including liturgical flubs! Not that it is good to have a liturgy poorly executed (no, that is distracting), but it is good for the soul to experience a bit of public humiliation.

And I am convinced that the key when this happens—and yes, it has happened to me before; not this particular gaff, but gaffs in other spots—is that I am to remember that I, a poor, miserable sinner, am WORSHIPPING not PERFORMING; and so it’s never about Weedon. And when Weedon’s screw up gets in the way, and draws attention to Weedon, it’s good to get out of the way as fast as you can by simply moving on and in outward demeanor, staying focused upon the Lord. 

When someone thanked me particularly for the worship, and I referenced apologetically the gaff in Compline, his response made my day. “And all the pastors breathed a sigh of relief. Weedon can do that TOO.” Indeed he can. And in spades.

Thank you, Lord, for the moments of humiliation by which You “humble pride of heart to save us.” (Akathist of Thanksgiving).