The Interlude

I've finally begun to actively think about my summer and what I'd be doing. With a few things somewhat cleared up, I can now insert tasks and all the other fun things into the space that I have with time. Ideally, I want to start working by the Fall, which in a lot of ways is a scary thought, but it gives me some time to spend.

Originally, my family was to go on a week or two vacation at the beginning of May that I was actually really looking forward to, but I guess my parents decided that we'll just take a longer one in August to be in Vancouver. So this means that I'll be able to go home after graduation and really just do nothing. I think I will force myself to take the first two weeks of May to do absolutely nothing and not regret it. I know some people frown at that, but I know I need it. After my two weeks, I'll probably start to re-surface and begin to take on things again, especially given that I preach at the end of the month.

So what's on the agenda? Aside from a few things, right now, I don't really know.

There is summer camp on the last weekend of June and there is the Vancouver trip in August. Other than these two things, I think I am pretty much free. I'm sure that when I get home and begin some conversations, I'll have more things put onto my plate, but until that happens, I'll take it somewhat easy with the active volunteering.

One thing I'll be thinking about is whether or not I want to lead worship for the duration that I'm home. This whole topic of leading worship has become an interesting one for me to think about. To be quite honest, I miss it. I really miss jamming with the team and using such a gift that God has given me to be able to play and sing. I miss the practices, the learning of new songs and new styles, the preparation that leads up to a Sunday or worship event, and all the hard work it takes to build a team. If there are opportunities for me to lead worship, I will definitely think about them seriously. The other thing about it is that I haven't done it regularly in such a long time, and I don't know that this one specific task is something I want to do in a church - I see myself working in a broader sense rather than just being a worship pastor. I also have a lot of catching up to do with leading teams and building worship sets. Like fashion, the worship environment changes rapidly, and what the scene is like now compared to what it was back to the period where I lead during 2005 to 2010 is already quite different. I knew that worship would become increasingly contemporary, which it has, but I still need to be able to practically apply my knowledge. No one wants me to still be singing the songs in the same way and same style that I used to. And let's face it, some times it's better to leave the things of the past where they belong. Being a worship leader is what sprung me forward with my ministry, and maybe that was what was appropriate for me at that time of life; and where I'm headed now may be a different direction.

I think I'll also challenge myself to rekindle a lot of the relationships that I've left behind when I left Edmonton. It'll probably be quite weird for my friends and the people I know, especially given that I haven't really been around for four years, but building relationships take a lot of effort, and that's what I need to commit to. So it's my goal to see where a lot of my friends are headed; this topic is rather vulnerable and can force a lot of walls to come up, but I think it's something that has to be addressed.

Aside from these things, I don't have big plans. Maybe in a few weeks, something will come up, but I don't think I'll really be traveling or doing anything out of the ordinary because I can't afford it. I screwed myself over with how much I've spent in the last couple months, so I'll live with the consequences.

Anyways, it looks like Spring has finally arrived, and I could not be happier just thinking about the warm weather that is approaching! I've got three more papers and three exams to do. Time to buckle down and get 'er done.