Rule 18: The longer you wait to practice... the more complex the hymns are

True fact: The complexity level of the hymn is inversely proportional to the amount of time you leave yourself to practice.

If you wait until Sunday morning to look at the hymns, two of them will have 4 flats. One of them will have a bunch of accidentals (and I'm not talking about all the wrong notes you accidentally play...) and awkward chord structures.

Good luck.

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The feeble struggle

November 1 marked All Saints Day, which many celebrated this past Sunday. Lutherans are in the End Times season of the church year, so many will celebrate "Saints triumphant Sunday" in the next couple weeks if they have yet to have that saints in heaven theme... And still many will not feel like celebrating. There's a whole group of people whose loved one died right in the middle of that season. Or who are about to die. Part of the challenge is that it's a day where you're supposed to be joyful. It's a day that is supposed to bring relief and comfort and peace. And objectively, it does. There is a peace that comes with knowing your dad's future (or now present) is secure. But there's a tricky thing about grief... As soon as you are "supposed to" or "should" feel a certain way at a certain time, you're pretty much guaranteed to feel the opposite. There actually are no "shoulds" in grief. You'll be happy...

Why I don't like church...

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Rule 11: Be careful what you wish for

You might get it when you don't want it. For example, when you ask for an Ascension service, you'll likely end up playing for it. When you ask for a specific hymn, it will be added when you least expect it and aren't ready for it. When you complain for years that we start phasing out the Easter music by Easter 3, your pastor will finally start keeping the Easter music alive through all seven weeks.... ... ... on the first Easter season after your dad dies when you could use a break from all the death/heaven/crying verses. So, as the Spice Girls would say, Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it.

True confessions

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