Lessons from a Festival

Wow! What a great time! My lovely wife surprised me with tickets to a bluegrass festival in Wilkesboro, NC (a double birthday present--hers and mine--and anniversary gift as well). Now, when we read the gospels, we find Jesus using illustrations from his surroundings and drawing out applications from them. I would like to do the same from what we observed yesterday.

1. The necessity of planning. One doesn't just throw a festival together. Yes, we know this intuitively. But I was struck by it while leaving the venue--along the closed off main street of Wilkesboro, not a scrap of trash was seen. There were trash cans aplenty, but there's no guarantee they would be used. Someone had to make sure the receptacles were there, an idea of how many would be needed, and others to continually pick up refuse and empty the cans when full.

2. The importance of humility. The sponsors of Carolina in the Fall (the name of the festival) were the Kruger brothers--extremely skilled musicians. During their first set, they shared the stage with other performers who were "lesser lights" and gave them a chance to shine.

3. Developing giftedness. Certainly ALL those playing and singing had a knack for the craft and an an ear for music. But they continually improve, never being content with their current level of proficiency.

He who has ears, let him hear how this applies to a local church.