Benched

I henceforth make a vow – no more self-deprecating remarks when it comes to writing about my mostly unfinished 2011 Lizard Lounge DIY project list. By now, you know I’m slow (“Hi – I’m Dusty and I’m a procrastinator.” From the room full of fellow procrastinators: “We’ll say hi to you later.”) but checking off yet another item from my list is hopefully an indication that the tide has turned. Hopefully…

I know completing the piano bench looks like a simple project, but it included upholstering and mitering and pocket screw joinery and really careful measuring, so I’m gonna up the difficulty rating to at least a “4″ – maybe a “5″. (It’s my list and my rating scale – I have carte blanche to do that.) Regardless of the effort, I finally have a nice soft place to sit and play the piano and arrange, two of my most treasured pastimes.

Here is a video of me playing during the offertory at church recently (I’m not using my new bench, though). I’m playing a piano arrangement I wrote of two beautiful old hymns: “I Need Thee Every Hour” and “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”.

As you can imagine, I love to play the piano and have been doing so for almost a half-century.

Of course, I didn’t start out playing like the recording above. I had humble beginnings, playing such classics as “Yankee Doodle” with one finger and “Chopsticks” with two, as well as a lot of unrecognizable picking and pecking, but it was enough to whet my appetite for more.

I recall my mother putting little squares of white bandage tape on the keys of our small spinet piano and writing the names of the notes on them: “A”, “B”, “C”, and so on. I could still only pick out “Yankee Doodle” with one finger, but at least I knew that finger was playing C-C-D-E-C-E-D.

Once I was able to take a few lessons, though, and make the connection between what I was playing and the notes on the page, it was a whole new world. You couldn’t keep me off the piano. What with all the banging and experimentation, I’m glad my parents were longsuffering and supportive. (At least I was playing the piano and not the drums.)

All told, I probably only took about four years of lessons. Some people take piano lessons for years and vow they can’t play a note. For me I suppose my ability can only be described as a gift. (I have a friend from college who could twirl 50 hula hoops at once, all choreographed to music. Now that’s a gift.)

As soon as I was able, I began to play piano in church. Back then (he says, waxing nostalgic) everything we sang came from the hymnal. Since I had that arranger mentality even then, I seldom (OK – never) stuck to what was written. As you can imagine, there was a heaping helping of re-harmonization and ad-libbing going on. But since everyone in our church sang the melody (except for three or four altos) a new harmonic structure was no problem. Taught me a lot about music…

Suffice it to say, I love the hymns and spiritual songs I grew up with. Of course, now that I’m back in church and playing the piano again, I’m discovering there’s a whole new world of sacred music out there. I’m loving jamming on the more contemporary praise and worship tunes and can’t wait to sit in with the band, choir, and orchestra, all led by our gifted and talented worship pastor on Sunday morning. (And I promise it has nothing to do with the enormous Baldwin grand piano I’m sitting at in the video above.)

For me, serving in church is important, especially with the talent God has given me. Luke quotes Jesus as saying, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48 NIV)

I take that passage personally. Although I’ve been the one sitting on the piano bench all these years playing and practicing, I have no delusion that I developed that ability on my own. Even during those years when I would definitely describe myself as being at extreme apogee as far as a relationship with God, I readily admitted that He was the source of my musical ability. Now that I’ve turned mind, soul, and body over to Him, I can’t imagine not taking advantage of every opportunity to use what He’s given me for His honor and glory.

That’s why you’ll always find me wherever that gifted and talented worship pastor of mine asks me to be, doing whatever he needs me to do, whenever he needs me to do it.

What a shame it would be to be “benched” by the Lord for failing to offer back to Him the ability He gave me in the first place…

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