Chapter 9 – The Artist and Sin

1.     Do you agree that people with artistic temperaments are more susceptible to sin? Why or why not? No. I think we are all susceptible, just in different ways and to different things. What I might consider abominably wrong might not be considered bad at all to someone else and vice versa. But it’s all sin – plain and simple. No, varying degrees. Whether we acknowledge it or not. Whether we are in denial or not. What might send me into a frenzy will stir up advocates.

2.    Have you ever had accountable relationships in your life? Do you presently have accountability in your life? The closest thing I have to an accountable relationship would be the school and church relationship. I am supposed to attend church 50% of the time in order to qualify for tuition assistance. This helps me to attend faithfully. I cannot understand why it doesn’t act the same way for others. My commitment to leading children as a large group leader does the same thing. It guarantees that I am there even if I’m tired. I have a responsibility to them. I don’t have an accountable relationship with a person or a group of people. So for me as an individual, there is very little accountability for my life and character.

3.    If you’ve had accountability in your life, was it a good experience for you? Why or why not? The above accountability that I have described is an exceptional experience for me. It helps me to discern what is important and where my priorities are. It shows me where I want to be and where I need to be and it requires choices to prove my commitment and where my heart is.

4.    What would you expect from an accountable relationship? What kind of person would you feel comfortable being with in an accountable relationship? I have yet to find a person I feel “safe” enough to be accountable to. What would I expect? No judgment, but support. Help. Guidance. Understanding. Patience.

5.    Do you think most artists deal adequately with temptation? Why or why not? I don’t think most people in general deal well with temptation. They hold true to the biggies. Maybe. But the little things are forgotten. I don’t think artists are any different from other people. They just handle things differently and respond differently. I would find it very interesting to take a room full of Christians and walk through what is expected of us as followers of Christ. I bet many would be surprised.

6.    How can memorizing Scripture help in the battle with temptation? Memorization keeps the verses at the forefront of your mind. The better you know them, the more readily you can access them in time of need. Knowing the ones that address your issues are important. But the more you know, the better you can respond in any situation. Temptation or unbeliever.

7.     How can you tell when repentance is genuine? It comes from the heart. It isn’t empty or vague. It is heartfelt. It seeks to change and not revert time and time again. True repentance asks for help, knowing that it is an issue that won’t simply go away. It is NOT another Sorry. Repentance isn’t asked for just this instance, but for all future temptations.

8.    Have you ever seen a church leader fall into sin? How did the church handle it? Do you agree with how the church handled it? I’ve seen the children of church leaders fall into sin. I was ashamed of how the church handled it. The family was ostracized for the sin of the child. But I believe this is going to happen in a society that is so very lax. We ignore the little things until they blossom out of control and it’s too late. You think it cannot happen to you. Until it does and it’s too late. I think it is more beneficial to support the sinner and help them. I have seen things change, but unfortunately, I see the same situation happen again and again, but with no repercussion. There must be a medium.

9.    What causes an artist to love the gifts more than the Giver? The Gifts gain attention for the artist. The Giver should be the receiver of all attention, but we are very selfish. We like to be acknowledged. The further the gifts can take us, the more amazing they are. We forget the very person who gave them to us.

10. If something happened (Such as a career-ending injury) and you couldn’t function as an artist anymore, how else could you serve God? Sometimes, I think this would be best. An Armageddon mentality. I just finished a book recently. I child, artist and pitcher, lost his left hand which made daily functions more difficult. But at the end of a year, the child realized that everything he had accomplished in the last year was because he had been forced to work so hard. If he had not lost his hand, he certainly would not have worked so hard, and he wouldn’t have reaped the benefits. I believe this to be true. Those injuries stretch us beyond our comfort zone. We work harder to gain what we have lost. And we achieve a new form of excellence and confidence, but perhaps in a new or different, unrealized way.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:21 (ESV)

Chapter 8 – Leading Artists

1.     Can you remember your favorite choir director or drama director, or some leader who inspired you to go further with your talent? What was it about this leader that inspired you so much? I remember choir directors. I don’t know that I had a favorite. There was always so much drama in the schools. I don’t think we had the same choir director two years in a row. The choreographers didn’t stick around either. At church we had longevity at least. I saw commitment. I had trust. I knew what they expected and I knew where to find them. But I don’t recall a relationship. I was too young I think. The best things I remember that stand out – I was asked to do things like solos or duets or hit the high notes. That made me feel that they had least recognized some ability or willingness to serve in that fashion. There’s nothing better than being asked to do something – being recognized.

2.    What do you think is the most important ingredient needed to be a good leader of artists? Right now, I am thinking that there needs to be a relationship in order to lead artists. You cannot remain separate from them. The artist feels that standoffishness and calls it dislike. It feels like being used. The leader needs me to do something. They appreciate my gifts or talents, but they don’t care to invest in me as a person.

3.    What ideas can you suggest to someone who’s trying to balance the demands of being a leader and an artist? You cannot flip a switch between the two. You cannot act as a leader then flip a switch and be the artist. It’s like turning your emotions off in order to deal with people and turn them back on in order to create your art. Wouldn’t be better if we chose to create our artists? Create them into people of character and integrity? Wouldn’t it be better to treat them with the same care we give our art? Invest in and sacrifice for people. Serve them. That’s a true leader.

4.    What advice would you give to a leader who works sixty hours or more a week? Oh please. That’s simply ridiculous especially if you have family. Share the work for crying out loud. Especially if there are people willing. And I bet there are. What are we trying to protect, our jobs? Yes, those leaders might think they can do it better, but there is always someone out there who is better. Leaders are missing infinite opportunities to grow new leaders by doing it all themselves. And their burning themselves out in the process.

5.    How can a leader help those they lead be the best artists they can be? By having a relationship with them. By knowing them and working alongside them. By responding to them. By being available to them. By investing in them. By supporting them. By caring for them. Or by finding a leader who will and has the time to do it.

6.    What can a leader do to help the artists they lead grow spiritually? Hold them accountable. Share their own spiritual life with them. Have devotions and Bible studies with them. Pray for them. Challenge them. Give them opportunities to minister and lead. Stretch them.

7.     Can you think of any more leadership styles that don’t work well with artists? The one I identified with most was the Silent Type with an ounce of Protective Patron. But neither one were really quite right in my personal experience. I would identify three more – the Hands Off Leader, the Too Busy to Lead Leader and the Ignore It and It Might Go Away Leader. The Hands Off type gives you the introductory information to get you started and then they disappear. They expect you to handle it all. When it fails, they blame you even if you tried to engage them when you needed help. The Too Busy type is more interested in the work itself than leading others to help. They micromanage everything accepting praise for success and placing blame for failure. The Ignore It type knows that there are problems primarily problems between people, but they don’t step in to resolve conflicts or character flaws. They hope that it will go away if they don’t address it. They must not like conflict.

8.    Which of the five keys for nurturing artists (being sensitive, loving them, exhorting them, encouraging them, imploring them) do you respond to most favorably when you’re under someone’s leadership? I’m not sure. Perhaps encouragement. Or maybe that’s the only kind I’ve recognized or felt. I get encouraged a lot. And it’s not exactly right either. I feel like I am encouraged to do. And thanked for having done.

9.    If you’re a leader, what would you like to say at this time to those you lead? Do what you love. Love what you do. Put more time into people. Relationships are more important than anything else. Don’t hold yourself back. Give freely. Be bold and passionate. Be vulnerable. And do it all for the Love of God.

10. If you’re under someone’s leadership, is there anything you’d like to say to your leader? Invest in me as a person and not for what I can do. If you don’t have time, then find a leader who does. I have too many leaders and I don’t feel any relationships. Don’t feel like following much anymore.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV)

Chapter 7 – Managing Your Emotions

1.      As you were growing up, were you allowed to express your emotions freely, or were you taught to suppress them? I believe that I was programmed to believe that my feelings didn’t matter whether I showed them or not. Whether I expressed or suppressed, nothing changed. So I learned to suppress them until I exploded. Very healthy.

2.     Why do you think it’s awkward for Christians when we encounter someone who’s down or sad? I think it is awkward because we don’t know what to do. Is it enough to just hold someone? Is more expected? What if we cannot fix the problem? What if we make it worse?

3.     What should you do if you suspect someone is trying to get attention by creating his or her own emotional turmoil? Is the question, “What is the right way to handle it?” I think it is important to listen, but not encourage. You might be able to pull them aside and point it out, but it has the potential to backfire especially with people who enjoy drama. It may fuel the drama fire.

4.     How do you feel when you’re around someone who’s constantly critical? I feel devastated, alone, unworthy. I certainly don’t want to be around them. I don’t feel good enough. I am sad. I get a sense that there is nothing I can do to please them, so why bother.

5.     How can one person’s negativity affect the church? Negativity, like gossip is contagious. One person is unsatisfied or unhappy, and others will join them – mass mentality and strength in numbers. Instead of dealing with one person, you quickly find that you’re dealing with many.

6.     Why is it important to try to dwell on the truth? What kinds of things force us to dwell on God’s truth? Dwelling on God’s truth keeps us from getting carried away with our emotions. More importantly, we don’t dwell on the negative. Even more importantly, we don’t dwell upon ourselves. Reading the Bible forces me to dwell on God’s truth. Being receptive to His Holy Spirit also keeps me in the truth.

7.     What kind of effect does worshiping God have on us emotionally? I can be overwhelmed with both joy and sorrow when worshiping God. But it can only happen when I am receptive to God during worship. Rarely can worship move me out of my self-obsession. It must be amazing. Sometimes, it just feels forced. And that might be my fault. What moves me might not move others.

8.     What does our concept of God have to do with how we look at life? My devotional email this morning said that when we are successful and living well and are happy or content, we think we feel God and God’s love, but when things are not going our way and we feel depression and failure, we think God has left us or is mad at us. If we think God is like this, it is very hard to live cheerfully, joyfully, contentedly. We have to recognize that God loves us and never leaves us and may withdraw to test or stretch us. It is also possible that He seems far away because we are far away.

9.     Do you agree that every artist should read the Psalms regularly? Why or why not? Laughing riotously! I’d say no. Primarily because I don’t much care for them. I like prose and action. BUT, I do like to sing them. So rather, we should sing them regularly!

10. How would it affect the church if we were all more content and filled with gratitude? Wow, if we were all content enough to give and give generously, the church could do amazing things. Ask not what your church can do for you, but what you can do for your church. Ask not what Jesus can do for you, but what you can do for Jesus. We could stop bickering and one-upping each other and focus on what’s important.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
   but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
   but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12 (ESV)

Chapter 6 – Jealousy and Envy

1.     What would make it difficult for artists to talk about any feelings of jealousy and envy they might have toward another artist? That’s easy. Talking about it openly would mean admitting that we feel inferior, admitting that we feel left out or invisible, admitting that we might not be the best.

2.    Do you think that the Christian community does an adequate job of addressing the problem of jealousy and envy? Why or why not? I would have to say no. The opening scenario for this chapter hit way too close to home. I don’t think Christians are talking about it or calling it by name. When I’m jealous of someone, I complain, I don’t explain.

3.    Have you ever seen a relationship strained or terminated by jealousy and envy? I can say that I see people not entering into relationships because of jealousy or envy. I don’t see a lot of us trusting each other. I see entire ministries suffering because of “personality conflicts” that I believe must stem from jealousy and envy.

4.    When do you think a person’s jealousy and envy are serious enough for the person to do something about it? At the onslaught of jealousy and envy, it is serious enough to do something about it. If one waits too long, it is out of control and much more damaging and harder to fix without more devastation to the heart and spirit. Of course, most won’t do anything about it at all.

5.    What do you think prevents us from being content with the talents we’ve been given? There is always something more that would help us be more. And we always want to be more than we are. I love to sing. I want to sing. I’m fair enough. But if I could just sing a little better, I’d be more confident to put myself out there to scrutiny. Ugh, this is killing me! I should be thrilled that I’m not good enough to warrant competition. And if there are complaints, I at least know they are true. Hahaha.

6.    In what ways could healthy competition benefit an artistic community? Healthy competition inspires excellence. People will rise to the occasion when they are working with or against someone of equal or greater talent. You will get more out of me for placing me in competition with someone who is more than me. And I will appreciate the stretch. I will see that I can be more and do more than I once thought. I will have grown.

7.     When is competition bad for an artistic community? When we are always competing. Especially when you always have to take second fiddle. It can be demoralizing. You feel like you’re never growing. And if you are the best, if you always win, you will feel superior. But you really need to find more and different people to compete against. There is always someone better out there. Too much competition and not enough relationship are not healthy. There must always be time to commune together.

8.    What happens when we compare ourselves with others? We either hate ourselves or glorify ourselves and neither is good. We need to take the focus off of ourselves and turn it towards God and then others. Rejoice in the generosity of God’s towards us and others. Rejoice in the gifts and talents of our community. Not one person can do all things.

9.    How can people with similar gifts and talents really be friends? I wonder. I really do. I don’t know that I have friends with similar gifts and talents. No, that’s not true. I do have friends at the library that are similar, but different enough. And somehow, I rejoice with them in their amazing abilities. I love them. Yes, there is some jealousy, but not like in the church. But I spend good amounts of time with them as a team. And I don’t at church … Team building alert!

10. How does praying for someone affect your relationship with that person? Let me try it out and I’ll let you know. Hahaha. You know I’m not a pray-er. If there is something that I really need to work on, it’s personal prayer. I need to set aside time. I have a bazillion things to pray for. God is telling me to pray. It’s like I have this list that I never get to. Ugh again! Ask, God says, and He will be generous.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:6 (ESV)

Chapter 5 – Handling Criticism

1.     What causes an artist to be defensive? It is hard to make something out of nothing, something that comes from your own heart, and put it out for others to hold and see and hear and read. You are giving a part of yourself away. If they have good things to say about it, they are good things about you. If they have bad things to say about it, they are bad things about you. We want to protect ourselves from that.

2.    Why is defensiveness such a blind spot for artists? When you’re always defending yourself and your work, you forget you are even doing it. You stop listening to what others say and start preparing your rebuttable. You anticipate bad, but never good. Oh my gosh! That’s it! That’s why I get so anxious. I’m scared to death to hear bad and I’m always expecting it! I never expect to hear good.

3.    Can you think of someone who takes criticism well or responds to suggestions with grace? What do you notice about the way this person handles those kinds of things? Um, no. I know people who are really good at asking for help or advice and are very receptive to hearing it when they’ve asked. Why just yesterday we had to discuss how to handle a newly self-published author because we didn’t want to crush them. We are anticipating their defensiveness.

4.    Have you known any defensive people in your life? How did their defensiveness affect you? Quite a few actually. Insert laugh. You never want to talk to them. You never want to help them. You never want to correct them even though they need to be corrected to avoid further critique. I especially avoid people who take it to the next level and turn your criticisms around back on you. They make it sound like it’s your fault even if you didn’t blame them for anything.

5.    Have you ever felt offended by someone and found out later that they didn’t mean to hurt you? What did you learn from that? All the time! In this day and age, it is especially hard to determine what emotions follow what words. Through email and texting, you lose all of the body language as well as most of the explanatory language. We’re reduced to the bare minimum. And I am so very good at reading paragraphs into single words. I’m so easily offended by what someone could have meant. And even more offended by receiving no response. That’s like saying I’m not worthy of their time.

6.    What should artists do if they disagree with someone’s review of their work? They should review the review and look for an ounce of truth in it. When critiquing an artist, one should always start with a positive note no matter how little it is before giving the negatives. An artist needs to do the same. And you can always keep the work for yourself or give it to someone who likes it. Or keep it for another time. Or work and work and work some more on it. If you’re a perfectionist ;) there is always something more that can be done …

7.     What prevents most people from being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger? We don’t have time. We don’t have time to listen. We don’t have time to ruminate. We barely have time to create within time constraints. We are diminished to appointments rather than conversations. And if you’ve already spent a great deal of time, it is hard to see more time put into it. We need instant yeses.

8.    Why are artists afraid to fail? If you define yourself by your art or work, what’s left when you don’t succeed? If it turns out that you aren’t good enough, what’s left? I’d rather not be an artist. If everyone expects art from me and I cannot produce it, I need something else to fall back on. You have to live for your art or not at all. It has to be bigger than the opportunity to fail.

9.    As a team, come up with your own list of ground rules for critiquing. Post them somewhere for all to see. If I were to make a list for someone when critiquing me … I know I can be defensive. My number one point would be that you have to have a relationship with me. And you have to trust me. And I have to trust you. Then I will know that what you have to say is for me because you love me. And not because you wish to hurt me. If you don’t have the time of day to know me, then why would I give you the time of day to know my work. If you only know your impression of me, all I will hear is your impression of my work and that’s an opinion. And this is for me. How can I possibly be critical or judgmental of a person, if I’m not willing to know them more than as another face in the crowd.

10. Does your team haven an “elephant in the room”? Are there any problems that are big and obvious, such as defensiveness, but no one dares to talk about them? How can your team enter into a healthy discussion about those kinds of issues? I think there are big obvious problems, but I’m not a part of the team so it is not my right. I have to assume that they’re acknowledged and will be taken care of. I really wonder. I’m supposing they’re not. We’re in denial. We’re all pussy-footing. We’re all saving the problems to get to later. Great! Sarcasm dripping.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger: for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 1:19 (ESV)

Chapter 4 – Excellence versus Perfectionism

1.     Do you see any signs of perfectionism in your life?

a.     Minimizing the positive, maximizing the negative

b.    The dot syndrome (looking at a small flaw and ignoring the overall good)

c.     Black-and-white thinking (I’m either all bad or all good)

d.    Self-esteem based more on performance than on identity

e.     Setting unrealistically high expectations

f.      Negative self-talk

g.     All of the above

2.    Do you think your team does a good job of celebrating when God uses the team in a special way? Celebrating? Really? I don’t think so. I was particularly excited about a performance and it was like pulling teeth to get anyone else slightly excited. I was quite quickly brought down. I would think we would have gotten together to discuss pros and cons while it was still fresh to plan for next year. That didn’t even happen. Celebrate? Wow.

3.    How can you savor something you’ve done artistically that God has blessed, without becoming prideful about it? Personally, I’m always so amazed upon its completion that I could have taken part in it. I know it’s from God through me. Not saying that I don’t have pride and wrongful pride at that, but the big things I’ve done artistically, I just don’t have that in me. I can stand back amazed and enjoy it.

4.    When was the last time you attended an artistic event such as a concert, movie, or play or visited an art museum? How was the experience? I’ve been to a few movies recently. I’ve been to a play and a concert within the last two years. I don’t like art museums. I really don’t. I find them boring … I love movies like I love books. I appreciate them for how they capture me and move me emotionally. I went to the Ignite Chicago event two years ago. Wow! That’s how I want to worship. I LOVE music. I like it fast and rocking. I hadn’t realized that God could reach me on a baseball field.

5.    What would be a hypothetical example of an artist offering a “blemished lamb” for service at church? Well, let’s say someone is to talk or present something at church. And that person isn’t prepared. There are those who leave it entirely to God to place words in their mouths. That would be a “blemished lamb.” You need to write it out and rewrite it and perhaps get a second opinion. You need to go over it in your head or practice it. Come prepared. If there is something you always stumble upon, work harder on that part. Amazingly, when you come prepared, God might point you in a different direction. You still have all of your points and an outline to get you to the finish line, but God might add something that completes it beautifully.

6.    Are you convinced that it’s important for art in the church to communicate clearly? What about art for art’s sake? I am convinced that the church needs to communicate in all ways clearly. If we cannot communicate period clearly, how can we move to the next level – communication through art? I had never considered this before for church. When I have sung and danced on stage, it has been very important to consider facial expression. And proper facial expression. If you are in competitions, it can mean the difference of several points and a trophy. And when something goes wrong, to smile as if everything is perfect. Have I got a story … Having said that, I don’t see much facial communication at church. Everything solemn and stately and straight. I cannot help but move … but sometimes the vocalists just bring me down.

7.     In your mind, what is the difference between pursuing perfection and pursuing excellence? Perfection is unattainable. Excellence is worth working towards. I never want to put mediocre on the table. If I’m going to offer mediocre, I shouldn’t even take the project. Perfection is self-idolizing for only God is perfect. Excellence should be a given when bringing forth first fruits to God.

8.    How do you know if your artistic endeavors are anointed by the Holy Spirit? Whoa. I don’t. I’ve been assuming. I’ve assumed that the Holy Spirit was with me because I couldn’t do it alone. So much of what comes into my head is obviously not my own. I need to be more accountable in inviting the Holy Spirit to enter me. And I need to strive towards better character and righteousness so that the Holy Spirit would dwell in me.

9.    What does it entail for the artists in your ministry to be prepared spiritually to minister in the church? I will have to assume that they are preparing themselves individually for the ministry. We are doing it as a team. We don’t pray first together. I know, in some cases I pray first. Things like, remember, it’s not about me. Please, fill the children with your love. Things that give my anxiety to God … We’re doing a lot of assuming that our artists are prepared spiritually in my opinion.

10. Why do you think it scares some people to talk about excellence in the church? Hmmm. Don’t know. Does it scare people? I expect it. But I expect high standards of everything. And I’m constantly let down. I want to fix things. I think we’re too busy denying our talents and gifts. We need to do more for celebrating the glory that God has bestowed upon us. We can do so much better!

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

Psalms 33:3 (ESV)

Chapter 3 – The Artist in Community

1.     As a group come up with a mission statement for your team. If I had a team, our mission statement would reflect an outward focus. Something about reflecting God’s glory upon others in such a way that they wish to get up and join. Not sit and consume. But reproduce through their gifts and talents … Something about making passion contagious.

2.    As a group write down your team’s code of ethics or marks of professionalism. You might want to write at the top of a flip chart, “This is the way we do things on the (insert name) team” and pool ideas from the whole team. If I had a team, punctuality would be important. Rehearsals and meetings would be mandatory. And we would have to have an outward ministry together as well as an inside one. Something that brought us together so we could learn to trust and rely on each. An annual mission trip. And no interruptions or outside business except at times set aside at the beginning and end. No phones or other such gadgets. Everything turned off.

3.    Can you think of something your team has done recently that would be an example of coming together to do what no one of you could do alone? The perfect example is the bell choir. There are few who can play many bells. There are some who can play several. There are many that can handle a couple. We can know the song well, but if we are not directed, we become lost. We look to our director for the language of the notes. I rely on the person to my left for unusual rhythms. I rely on the person to my right for page turns. When we are all together, we play glorious music to God that fills and uplifts us.

4.    Do you feel, as a team, that you encourage each other enough? I think we put ourselves down a lot. We lift others up by demeaning ourselves. There is a lot of sarcasm and jokes. Even encouragement comes across as a joke. Is this what society has become? Can we be honestly sincere? Do we know how to be close? Do we know how to appropriately read people? If I’m not getting something, and I’m apologetic, and I need more time, I get a “you’ll get it,” Which doesn’t instill much confidence. Is that their confidence in me?

5.    How do you best receive encouragement? (For example, verbally or written, how often, etc.) I’ve been stumbling around this question for a year maybe. How does one affirm someone, who doesn’t take praise well? Especially when that person’s love language is affirmation. I see the same problem with encouragement. I desperately need encouragement. And I receive it. But I don’t seem to accept it. I’m too hard on myself. I think I need encouragement daily at this point in my life. I would probably accept it better written, but I probably need more practice with human interaction.

6.    Why is it difficult for most people to bring a healthy self to the team? Well, gosh, isn’t hard to bring a healthy self to your family? How about yourself? If you cannot bring a healthy self to those you love, how can you possibly bring a healthy self to your team, those you love a little less? I think a lot of times, being a part of that team, is what sets you over the edge of healthy. That’s the one thing you add to your already busy and hectic schedule out of obligation and commitment. Taking the time is stressful, even though the reward is soothing and/or joyful. Because you aren’t paid for it, perhaps you don’t put as much into it. Or it’s your opportunity to just get by?

7.     How can we keep each other accountable about being healthy physically, spiritually, and emotionally? We can be more than just a team. We can be a family. We can do more things together to take care of our health. We can be more than a team for an hour once a week.

8.    Besides their artistic abilities, what other gifts do your fellow members bring to the team? There are people who bring laughter, empathy, prayer to the team. I don’t think we know each other well enough. I know myself, but I don’t always know how to use my other gifts together. Some get seen, others don’t. Sometimes I just keep quiet rather than risk being too stubborn or talkative or saying something that could be construed wrong.

9.    It has been said that fellowship, or community, is the art of knowing and being known. Are you better at one than the other, or are you pretty good at both? I’m obviously horrible at something. I think I’m pretty good at the art of knowing, but I don’t put it to use much. I’m probably good at being known, although I don’t feel like it. I feel pretty invisible, which is probably where I belong.

10. How can your team become even more effective in ministry this next year? I think I need to choose a team to sink myself into. I kind of float between teams and it’s not working. But I don’t really feel like I’m part of a team other than bells. I feel alone. And multiple people have been put in charge of multiple things, but they don’t utilize their assets … Some people are allowed to do much. Others aren’t. And talents aren’t being utilized. Some people always do the same thing, but it’s not really their gift … Other’s who are greatly gifted in a certain area, seem to be sidelined. It’s almost as if they want consumers. They talk big, but no follow through.

What then brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

1 Corinthians 14:26 (ESV)