Yes He Does Work in Mysterious Ways

I had one of those moments this past Sunday when I realize that I'm not as much in charge as I'd like to think I am. One of my many duties with The Crimson River Quartet is to put together the programs each time we sing. Depending on the amount of time we have I've got to try and structure a program that will flow well and make the impact that we want it to make. It's usually a pretty easy process.

I had to plan 4 different appearances for this weekend. 30 minutes for Friday night, 45 on Saturday, 30 minutes (in each of two services) for Sunday morning, and another 30 minutes for the Sunday evening concert. Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening came pretty easily as I worked on them last week, but I had a dickens of a time putting the Sunday morning program together. When you lead into a sermon you have to look at the program a bit differently than you do when you're just doing a concert stand.

I was still wrestling with it Sunday morning and had make more than one change to my original plan, but finally having looking over the 32 or so songs we had available to us, I settled on the song I would use right before the message: "I'm Just a Sinner Saved By Grace".

I had never met Pastor Scott Jones before that morning, and we got together briefly before the service. I didn't ask him what he was preaching on, and he didn't ask me what we were singing. We just exchanged pleasantries and then got ready for the first service.

After we finished "Sinner Saved by Grace" we sat down in front to listen to the sermon. I don't know what his exact sermon title was, but if I could sum up his powerful message in one phrase it's this: We're all just sinners saved by grace.

I couldn't have chosen a better song more fitting to the message if I'd tried.

Sometimes I don't think I'm in charge at all.