The Melody Matters

Two years ago, life took an unexpected turn.
Just weeks into a drastic change of ministry appointment, the discovery of a malignant thyroid tumor took my topsy turvey life and threw me a whole new learning curve. One piece of bad news led to another. Grace preceded me at every turn. At the end of the surgery, my brilliant surgeon told my family that, after 5 hours of tedious work, he had not been able to get all the cancer and, further, that damage had been done to my vocal chords.
I could go through additional treatment for the cancer. I have and will continue to go for that. But my voice? Only time would tell.
Time told us that my vocal chords had been significantly damaged. My speaking voice came back. But my singing voice was gone. For months, I cried every time I tried to sing the hymns when I went to worship. Nine months later, when I asked my surgeon if I would sing again, he didn't lecture me about how grateful I should be for the speaking voice I had considering the circumstances. But he didn't mislead me either. Would I sing again? "No." Then, seeing the expression on my face, he said, "Well, let's do a consult with the Voice Clinic."
He didn't tell me that a consult with the Voice Clinic included swallowing a camera which verified and recorded the damage. Yikes. But that consult led to specialized voice therapy which basically told me that if I would be diligent about breathing differently, doing voice exercises every day, relaxation regimens, drink impossible amounts of water, and had faith in my damaged voice that I would be able to sing again. No small challenge.
Through following all (or most -- or many--) of these recommendations, I have learned to develop a decent alto voice. After all this work and effort, singing again should be thrilling. But often, it is miserable.
My frustration with singing alto doesn't have to do with my voice or my ear for harmony. To sing alto, you have to depend on others to really sing the melody. Because no matter how strong your voice is or how good your ear is, if the melody isn't clear, you can't harmonize. The melody doesn't make the sound of all the parts. But the clarity of the melody is what makes it possible for the other parts to add the harmony. When the melody is not clear, all my work goes out the window. Voice or no voice, it sounds awful.

I believe the same thing happens in the church in terms of leadership. The leadership of the church -- lay and clergy--are the ones to sing together the melody of mission for Jesus. The importance of the unity and clarity of this melody cannot possibly be overestimated. Because if the melody of Christ-centeredness is not clear, the mission of the church will be lost and the turmoil of power struggles and resistance will inundate the church.
That's why I have been telling my Nominating Committees that they are crucial partners in the mission of the local church. If they take their job as shuffling names on empty lines instead of evaluating the positive influence of laity in their congregations, the church will be derailed from its mission for Christ. I have told them that without constructive, cooperative, teachable lay leadership, the church will not move forward even with the most gifted pastor.
Lay leadership has long been a priority in United Methodism. Our appointment system is designed to insure that churches are not built around their pastors. And our committees on Nominations and Lay Leadership hold the sacred -- and powerful--and challenging trust to nominate lay leaders who are faithful to their membership vows, Christlike in their actions and positive in their influence in the church.
I have told Nominations members that any lay person who is constantly critical and openly oppositional to the pastor disqualifies himself/herself from leadership. To give or sustain leadership positions to people who are not constructively working with the pastor is to ensure and entrench turmoil in the church. Clergy and lay leaders do not always need to agree. But there needs to be the one central melody of focus on the mission of the church, mutual respect and Christlike behavior. We have a multi-layer system of accountability for the clergy in these areas. And now, during this fall season, we depend on Nominating Committees to put the mission of the church above everything in their important work.
Unless the clergy and laity are singing the melody of Christ first with strength and clarity, no one else can provide the harmony and beauty that lifts the heart and inspires the faith. We are in this together or not at all. There is only one melody. If the lay leaders and clergy aren't singing the same melody, the church will move into the new year profoundly crippled.
Pray for those who sing the melody. Everyone else depends on them.