THE PROFESSIONAL CHORISTER – PART 1 One of the first things every chorister and indeed every believer should learn is the concept of motive in doing all things. Motive is not the reason/s why we want to do something…nor is it the desire to do it…motive comes from the powerful word motivation…meaning the driving or compelling force behind an action. We talk about motivation a lot these days…but what we don’t talk about is the fact that MOTIVATION IS NOT ALWAYS IN OUR BEST INTEREST! We talk about it as though all motivation is good…as long as you feel ‘driven’ to do it, just go for it! Yet the Word is that sharp instrument…sharper than any two-edged sword that divides between the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. This scripture verse does not talk about motives…instead it uses an even deeper word…intents…or to use modern English – intentions. Ordinarily this word could pass as an exchange for motives in modern English, but not so in the bible…for in translating the word intent (ennoia in Greek); we find it means moral understanding! In other words the word intent goes deeper than the word motive in that it brings into play the moral understanding behind the action you are about to take…it goes beyond the blind passion that is the driving force of your action and takes into cognizance the moral implications of the contemplated action. There is a thoughtfulness…a thinking through of the moral implications and consequences behind intent that is absent behind motive. Motive is simply the driving force that pleases Self to take an action or decision…which is why Service in a church activity group has not been based on Intent…it has been based on Motive. What is your motive for joining the choir? Anyone can give any number of reasons just to get in…but only the individual him/herself knows the intent…or intention and that would never be divulged if it is in conflict with motive. If I wanted to join a choir for example, and during my interview I am asked the above question: why would I want to answer – “Because I actually want to use the choir eventually as a launching pad for my own ministry or career in music…” of course that answer…as true as it is…won’t get me into the choir! Better to answer – “Because I want to serve the Lord”…better to keep my intentions secret and use motive as my reason…motive (or motivation) has no morality or moral force behind it…it will do what it has to do in order to achieve its ambitions or goals. The very word ‘Service’ implies a duty or responsibility rendered towards others at the expense of self and purely for the benefit of others. Motive cannot do this…because it is naturally self-oriented…yes but intention can! This is the reason why the Professional Chorister is a most valuable asset within the church community. He/she is powered or driven by intention…not motive…hence all the usual reasons for wanting to resign from the choir are absent…because self was not taken into consideration when he/she joined the choir. You see…intention is closeted within the spirit of Man…whereas motivation is closeted within the self of Man…buried deep among Man’s thought processes and calculations…and this is the reason why the Word has to come in to divide or separate between Man’s thought processes and calculations (his motivations)…and his simple intention. It is true that intentions are not always good…but they are always pure because they originate from the heart…from the spirit. One may have an evil intention to take revenge on someone who has hurt him/her so badly in the past, that one is still trying to recover from it…it is an evil intention…but it is a purely evil intention…intentions cannot be mixed…as in being both good and evil at the same time…so whenever there is a genuine intention (not genuine reason) to join the choir…it is usually a pure one…a purely good one…devoid of self…clearly separate from motive. You may have noticed from the scripture verse above that when the Word divided between the thoughts and intents of the heart...there was nothing left for it to divide between...it had eventually arrived at the heart and core of Man...his intention! Music is a powerful avenue for the acquisition of fame and fortune…we are not condemning fame and fortune here…we are simply saying that in the matter of joining the choir…the eventual goal of acquiring fame and fortune…or even just the simple reason of following passion/career regardless of whether fame or fortune comes my way… by the use of choir connections such as the assistance of the musicians/singers or the exposure one gets on the platform of the church…or the soliciting of financial assistance from the church (or its congregants), or many other reasons…is immorally unacceptable…the simple pure intention for joining the choir should always be purely – “because I want to serve…” As a former music director of over 27 years’ service…if I have to choose between ten absolutely talented singers…and one single professional chorister…. I would choose the professional chorister over and over again…for the simple reason that Self was not the principal operating factor here…only service. But if I were a singer looking to eventually further my ambitions by launching a career in singing…I would go to the pastor and declare my true and pure intention…my pastor’s advice would determine my next step…should he ask me to still join the choir, I would then go to the music director and give him a full account of what transpired between me and the pastor and him sending me to the music director…thus if the music director eventually decides to admit me into the choir…it will be on the basis of my pure intention which was not hidden either from the pastor nor from him…under those circumstances it becomes not only legitimate…but also morally acceptable for me to be a member of the choir. Under those circumstances…I may not be a professional chorister…but I will be a singer in the choir with a pure intention… The Professional Chorister continues tomorrow…
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 01:45:34 +0000
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