An eventful week -- ACM was finally here

It's been an eventful week for me. So I haven't really got the time to think through everything.

Last Thursday marked the long-awaited rehearsal the choir team had with the ACM performers who came from a handful cities in North America and from Hong Kong. Together with two other friends, I had to leave work early in order to beat the traffic on the freeway to get to the church. It took us more than an hour to finally get there. During the rehearsal, a couple more moves were introduced to enhance the visual experience. And we were taught signs so that we could tell when to repeat a section of a song, when to move on to the next song in a medley, when to swing while singing, etc. And we discovered that we had to stand on the platform most of the time. I have never participated in any other formal choir. But IMO ACM has relatively high requirements about musical talent, strength, spirit, and smile on the choir team.

The tenor had made many mistakes (as usual) in the rehearsal, but things otherwise went smoothly. However some doubts came to me during the practice.

1. I grew uncertain how some of the new moves relates to serving our God.
2. I allowed myself to believe that direct envagelism would be more effective than spreading the gospel in such way.
3. Also I recalled the question I raised upon myself weeks ago that whether having someone come from a distant city an effective way to evangelize in terms of resources.
4. Lastly the doubt came back to me again -- whether unhappy incidents happened before or during the tour on the ACM coworkers were all Satan's road blocks?

A certain part of me knew it wasn't good to discuss the above matters with another choir member the night before the actual performance. However I was fuelled by my urge so that I still discussed with them in three occasions that night. Either I was stupid and inconsiderate to the event, or I was set up to cause myself and my fellow choir members to trip over. I was grateful that my brother and sister in Christ sincerely listened to my view and woke me up to realize what I should have done.

So, my answers to the above issues:

1. I didn't see the whole picture until I was performing for the first night of the actual event. What seemingly unnecessary fuelled the audience with awe, energy and excitement. When serving God, someone needs to take the role a the center of the stage. But also, many others need to take the role on the side or at the back of the stage. I have to learn to be conscious about what I do but at the same time put more faith in the leadership.
2. I learned that often music touches a person's heart easier plain works do. And God provides different visions to different people. And I saw with my own eyes that many, especially those who worked for the event, were touched by it. Their hearts were rekindered.
3. ACM Canada is a Toronto-based organization that is composed of volunteers of a past ACM event. It is a proof that ACM's work successfully brought up new blood which served God in the destination city. This week's event was also made possible by ACM Canada. God was the one who gave the vision to ACM. Let those who have the vision serve God that way.
4. I've asked my instructor in the mission course how to tell whether an incident is Satan's doing. She said I would know if I kept reading the Bible.

I am happy that I am now over these issues and I can move on my spiritual path. The ACM tour truly had a big impact on most of us in the choir team. Sisters in Christ resolved their differences. A sister decided to serve God in full time. Many were willing to be further used by God for the mission to spread the gospel in Seattle and even North America. Lord, thank you for letting me experience your grace in this eventful week.