Lately, there have been folks in my village who have nudged me to get closer to God while here at FPC Montgomery. While they didn’t come out and say those words exactly, their leading questions and statements made it clear they were encouraging me to walk toward Him.
First, it was my daughter. In her initial email to me, she asked if I had access to a bible. The answer, of course, is yes. Included in that email was Psalms 22 (Why Have You Forsaken Me) and 23 (The Lord Is My Shepard). After reading and reflecting on both, I commented that I really enjoyed Psalm 22 best. I don’t know exactly what it was, but it resonated with me and uplifted my mood which is exactly what I need in this season. Thank you baby!!
Second, was a fellow camper named John. John has been a very good friend since my arrival. In my first 10 days here, he always came through with simple things that I needed including a reading light, a rubber band, or seasoning for our sometimes bland food. One day, John informed me that he was the organist at the camp chapel and suggested that I come to an upcoming Friday choir practice. I excitedly accepted the invitation.
I arrived at the chapel at exactly 6pm on Friday as John had instructed. As I approached the chapel, I couldn’t help but notice the colorful floral arrangement leading to the front door. These vibrant colored flowers are in stark contract the the mostly landscaped green camp grass. Arriving in our usual leisure camp attire (gray shorts and T-shirt), I walked inside to a mostly empty chapel with approximately 20 rows of chairs. The chapel was quite sterile with no cross, pictures, statues, or other trappings of a particular religion. My assumption is that the chapel is used by multiple faiths and thus needs to be neutral.
I sat and got comfortable in row 17, after all, I was only there to visit, watch choir practice, and not be noticed. Slowly but surely, the choir members came in one by one. They greeted one another with hugs, fist bumps, and smiles as if they were long lost friends. I didn’t mind that I wasn’t initially a part of the circle, after all, I was comfortable sitting alone like a fly on the wall.
After the team arrived, the leader summoned everyone to the front of the sanctuary. He also called on me to come forward. My initial thought was that the leader clearly does not know that I’m not in the choir. It quickly became apparent that he was fully aware. He requested everyone, including visitors, to come forward for prayer. Simple enough I thought, so I got up and joined the circle. When I got there, the leader gave me the microphone and asked me to introduce myself. While I wasn’t expecting to be put on the spot, I gave my name and stated where I was from. After I did, we connected fists similar to holding hands as he led us in prayer. Upon conclusion, I returned to row 17.
Following prayer, the 11 person choir and 3 musicians got in position on stage for practice. There were some line of sight issues so height adjustments had to be made. When everyone was in position, the choir began to sing. The first song was “10,000 Reasons”. While I could tell the choir was giving their best effort, it was apparent that they weren’t going to be onstage anytime soon with Kirk Franklin or Hillsong. The leader stopped the group on a few occasions correcting them for being off key, not in concert with the organist, or not hitting the right note. Similar corrections were made with the second song, “Nothing Else”. When they finally got in harmony, I knew they were prepared for Sunday.
Sitting back on row 17 as a witness, I saw campers who were not perfect, but were trying to improve and move closer to God. I saw campers who’ve made mistakes, but were remorseful before God for their shortcomings. Finally, I saw campers who weren’t perfect singers, but sang perfectly for God. Watching the humbleness, contriteness, and humility displayed by these men, confirmed for me that God’s spirit was alive and well here at FPC Montgomery.
