Like a basketball hoop in the wintertime

Ever feel like your mindset is hopelessly out of synch from everyone around you?

Last night my church choir(generally comprised of sweet, quiet retired conservative Catholics) sang at a sort of ecumenical, evangelical sort of prayer service/ choral gathering of all of the churches in a nearby city.

For a while I was the youngest person in the room. Eventually though, as the other choirs showed up to rehearse, there were other people closer to my age.

I haven't felt so out of place in a l-o-n-g time. Catholics tend not to mutter "amen" and "hallelujah" aloud after every sentence the priest says. The priests don't punch the air with their fists, exclaiming "Yea, God!"

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not making fun of him. It was just... so different from what I've been attending for the past dozen years. (I grew up attending a Lutheran church, and when you consider that Luther was a Catholic priest who wanted to reform his church, you will grant me that I've really only been to a narrow "type" of church services.)

Everyone was joyful, and happy, and the songs reflected that, but I love singing the old latin hymns. I really do. The contemporary, "Lord I lift your name on high" sort of songs just don't work for me. (I don't mind singing gospel, though.. one of my favorite songs that isn't Latin was written by Thomas Dorsey and is written about here.)

There were some interesting preachers, though. There was one from Nigeria (who left his wife in his homeland with his eight children, which made me think "ugh... to be left behind... with EIGHT? I'd kill him, calling or no calling). He did this shouting sort of song of praise that I would have to do in person to really capture for you. (Put your right arm up in the air as high as you can, like you are holding the moon in the palm of your hand. Tilt your head back, close your eyes and wail "Oh-h-h.." Very Loudly. And not like Jamie Foxx, either)

There was another young preacher, about my age, who spoke very intensely about the lost in the city. He didn't use the word "souls" to describe them, just that they are lost. I found some meaning in what he was saying. I guess I felt a little bit like he was describing me.

It made me realize that I typically don't notice the sermon in my own church, especially given the fact that we're upstairs in the back, in the choir loft.

Now, I'm not saying I'm going to switch churches, but is it enough to get more out of the music, than the message that you're supposedly there to hear in the first place?