Discerning Gifts

I took my family to a community theater production one evening a while ago.  The show was a review of the theater company's 30 years of musicals.  It was fun to spend the evening at the theater with my family and the show was excellent.

The theater was set up in a cabaret-style.  I was seated right in front of the stage with my wife.  My daughters were seated at a table just to my right, their excitement and anticipation bubbling across the table to join with my own.  We were served desserts and coffee before the show. Then, after some brief introductions, the performance began.  The singing was wonderful. The actors filled the space with energy and that energy was absorbed by the audience like greenhouse plants absorbing the sunlight, and then the energy was reflected back to the actors in a perpetual cycle for the entire show.  These performers had the talent of professionals, a nearly tangible love for their art and a sincere desire to share the music and emotion with the community.

As I sat and listened I began thinking about my skills and what fun it would be to participate on stage.  I did a little acting in high school and a little in college; took a couple acting classes, was in a few productions.  I loved it.  The skills I developed through those experiences have served me well in many other areas of my life.  I harbor no illusions about my skill though. My particular talents are not that of a professional. I am also well aware that participating in the production of a show requires time and focus commitment that is beyond what I have to offer.  So that begs the question, what do I have to offer and to whom?

For many years now my most creative outlet has been through the contemporary choir at my church.  I've directed, and played the guitar and sang.  This was, necessarily, never a performance.  It was and continues to be, a venue for me to make use of the talents I have been blessed with for a wholly (holy?) other purpose than entertainment.  The role of the church musician allows me to put positive energy into a community.  The difference from a performance is that all the energy is meant to be directed to God who, through his Spirit returns that energy to us (me) as his grace and blessing.  The offering is the focus and intent.  Grace and blessings are unsolicited gifts.

The stage is different.  The focus is on the audience and the thrill is the energy exchange between the actors and the audience, back and forth in a direct fashion.  The intent if the gratification of both.  I have been part of that process and it is incredible and awesome when it clicks.  When it doesn't, it is drudgery.

So where do these two creative outlets converge?  I'm not really sure.  Maybe that's why this particular post has sat in draft form for so long.  The discernment of the answer eludes me.