Preparation, Planning, Practice, Performance…

Last night was music practice night. Each Wednesday those singing and playing for Sunday’s service meet together… The service has been prepared and planned. We discuss the songs, their meaning, our feelings and response… how they’re to be played, speed, dynamics, introductions, endings. We practice. Sunday’s Easter Sunday. We want all to go well.

In the morning I’d been to Men’s Shed. Some gents have been making ‘bug boxes’ out of pallet wood. Materials are assembled. Plans are drawn up. If someone makes a mistake they can start again – pallet wood is free. If one isn’t quite right there’s a good chance that the next one will be better.

Last week was the children’s pantomime ‘Robin Hood’. I remember Josh writing the script… Tif and Sophia showed me the scenery they’d created… costumes, lighting plan, sound effects were prepared. I sat in on a rehearsal; I enjoyed the performance. Actors had rehearsals and several performances to hone the production; each child that came saw it just once.

Returning home from the music practice. Rachel was watching a medical documentary, ‘Saving Lives in Cardiff’. A nine-year-old boy had complex foot and hip surgery; a retired miner had a brain tumour operation; a mother, facing breast cancer, had a double mastectomy. Surgeons had expertise and many years’ experience; patients had a single life-changing operation.

Today is Maundy Thursday. Christians throughout the world will remember the events… Jesus and his friends celebrating Passover, the Last Supper, prayers of anguish in Gethsemane, Jesus’ arrest… Throughout his life Jesus had been preparing for this, part of God’s plan, but there were no rehearsals. It was straight into the ‘final performance’.

And me, today? Many days like today have prepared me for today. Some plans are in place… scenes and activities mapped out. But today is a one-off performance. I must give my best, to be the best version of myself that I can… for the benefit of today’s fellow musicians, workmen, actors, nurses, doctors, patients, audience…