Organ Lessons

Yesterday I continued to help removing our church organ. Where it once was there’s now a gap…

Organ Debate

I’ve been part of our Lowestoft church family for 35 years; ‘the organ’ has been a constant source of debate and disagreement. Typically there are 4 points of view, each expressed with passion:

• Pro-organ: speaking of tradition, beauty, reverence, the importance of the instrument.
• Anti-organ: speaking of progress, relevance, reflecting current culture.
• Compromise: we should have a bit of everything and try to please everybody.
• Anti-argument: we shouldn’t discuss it– there are much more important things to consider.

Then there’s the God part – how we best express worship, what it says in the Bible, what God would want…

Organ Lessons

Sometimes discussions have been uncomfortable and unhelpful. Here’s 7 lessons I’ve learnt:

• Respect: It’s OK for other people to hold different points of view; they should be encouraged to express them.
• Strength: It’s good for people to hold different points of view. Different viewpoints makes a group of people stronger.
• Understanding: In discussion I’m not to prove I’m right and the other person is wrong. I need to understand their point of view.
• Prejudice: I like to put people in boxes; if this person thinks this then…I jump to conclusions about people too quickly.
• Destructive: Debate that’s seen as winning and losing can be destructive.
• Constructive: disagreement is about coming together to find a positive way forward.
• Compassion: People can be hurt in discussions and decisions; I need to be more sensitive to the reactions of those around me.

Today my reading was Numbers 6 that includes a good prayer for everybody – especially those who I may disagree with:

‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.’