As I reflect on my life and think of times where I have joined with teams, the most rewarding was with the First Baptist Church of South Daytona choir. While the outcome did not cure cancer or solve world hunger, it really did make a positive impact on lives. The team is comprised of men and women that range in ages from 30-90 years of age, with most between ages 50-90. This team meets twice a week for approximately 5 hours per week. It hasn't won any international awards or recognition, but it doesn't seek to compete for these types of accolades. It is a church choir that shares the values of humility, grace and living a life devoted to God. The importance of being able to share these values is in the understanding that all members are not trying to out do one another or win a competition, but sincerely sing from their heart to praise and worship, humbly.
On Palm Sunday of this year, I had an opportunity to sing a solo at church. It had been some time since performing a solo and it was the first time since my health had declined to my current state. Needless to say, I was nervous. The night before the performance I had prayed and practiced the solo A Capella style, so as to have a better level of control over my breathing rather than trying to force myself to stay with the tempo of a song track. As I went into the sanctuary for the sound check and practice, I began to sing "In Christ Alone." The music director, Glen Jones, said it had a beautiful sound as he walked through the sanctuary to check acoustics. Then, Dennis Stowe, our church pianist/organist, asked if I would like accompaniment. I explained about the difficulty breathing and keeping tempo and he assured me that if I allowed him to see my mouth as I sang, he would be able to follow with my vocalizations even if I had to take pauses. As he started to have me sing to determine the most appropriate chords, Brother Glen realized he had the same song in the same key with the full piano accompaniment in the choir room. He brought it out to Dennis and he masterfully sight read as I sang along. Within minutes we were having a great time of worship during practice.
Then I thought, what if people do a standing ovation? Sometimes that happens, especially if they want to provide moral support to someone. Yet, I didn't want the song or the performance to be about me. It was Palm Sunday. It was all about Jesus! So I thought, well, maybe the choir would be willing to sing the chorus of "The Solid Rock" as a tag at the end of the song and we could have the congregation stand as we all sang that verse. The choir had 5 minutes to practice this as it was completely impromptu and church was about to start. We were adapting and changing together and we were able to do it because we shared the same beliefs. Give your all for God all the time! No one got upset that they weren't notified in advance or that it wasn't sent out previously in some type of communication. We all knew the words, we just needed the key and the signal to stand when it was time for the tag at the end of the song.
As I approached the front of the sanctuary I could feel my heart beating so quickly. Some from nervousness, some from Dysautonomia. I prayed a silent prayer that the performance be something that glorify God alone and it be a song performed solely for Him. I explained to the congregation that this song was a beautiful song about God's love and Christ's sacrifice. It is a song of hope and the power to overcome. I then asked that they stand and sing the chorus from "The Solid Rock" with us at then end of the song. I then angled my body toward Dennis as he played the introduction. The words of the song flowed out and they were completely in tempo. I looked out into the congregation filled with eyes that met mine with expressions of hope and love. There were some sweet tears of joy. Then it was time for the tag and I motioned to the congregation to stand. As I sat in my wheelchair singing, the church was filled with souls standing and singing to God. At the end of the chorus we all clapped in joy over the incredible time of worship we just shared together. It was simply beautiful.
When I think of our choir, it is with a sense of intense interpersonal connection. While I have been part of musical ensembles that perform more as a work group that have their parts and report to the choir director, this group of people is more of a team. They interact closely. They are there for each other through the hardest of times, and I remember their sweet faces looking over and praying for our family as we were in the hospital. They were the same people that helped us get to and from doctor appointments and cared for our daughter when I was too weak. While some think that church and choirs are like a community, not closely knit and something that you connect to as you so choose, our choir and our church truly is focused on making those deep connections with one another grounded on our shared beliefs in our faith. Yes, we are part of a large network of "Christians" but we don't simply like one another's photos on Facebook or post pictures of scripture, we serve as a true church in each others lives. We ensure that we continue to foster those meaningful engagements Christ taught us to do when He was here on earth.
I look back on times where I had similar opportunities to create these deep connections and I failed. Years ago I met a man that I thought was going to be there with me when I took my final breath. A man that I wanted to marry and raise a family with, and at first he wanted the same. We were in what we thought was love and we asked our pastor to marry us. The pastor was a little apprehensive, probably because he could see the warning signs we were invisible to by the effects of infatuation. I had been taken aback by my ex-husband's musical ability and his confidence. He was a Music Ministry Leader and I would look up to him every Sunday from the pew as he strummed his guitar and sang. After we were married, he and I would sing together in front of the congregation and lead worship. Looking back, we were not a team. I remember quite vividly one Sunday where we were singing, "It is Well." This traditional hymn allows for the alto and soprano voices to sing and then have the tenor and bass voices echo. Yet, my husband wanted more of a spotlight and he decided he would take the melody and I would echo. When we did this before the church, I could see the discordance on the faces of the members. Everyone realized what was happening. That afternoon I was convicted about how much the worship was not about creating unity in the congregation, but was about an on-stage showcase of talent for the audience in the pew to enjoy. It wasn't long after that I could see our relationship wasn't about a team founded on a shared values but was one of differing values of narcissism and humility. We were divorced shortly after we married. It broke my heart, but when we also realized that I wanted children and he didn't, we knew it was time to part. It is hard to see how this team, this marriage, failed. Yet, I realize now how important it is to create all teams, even the ones that are in your very own home, on shared values. Without having that foundation, you have very little to build upon for future success. Through these positive and negative experiences, I am able to assuredly agree with the statement, "What sets apart high performance teams...is the degree of commitment, particularly how committed the members are to one another." (Denning, 2011, p.171)
Denning, S. (2011). The Leaders Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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