I am planning to skip church on Sunday for one simple reason: the piece we’re singing, Monteverdi’s “God of Mercy, We Implore Thee,” is out of my range. 60% of the notes in my part are right in the passagio, and another 20% are basically out of my range.
I sound squeaky and shrill.
So I’m going to skip it. Is this bratty? Maybe not.
I will make the sound worse if I go and sing. People’s worship experience will be disrupted by my horrible squawks.
But not really. For one thing, I am not the only one squawking in there. Also, God doesn’t care. And church is not just the anthem. By missing church, I will miss the chance to hear the sermon.
Last Sunday, the sermon included a suggestion that, if we had a wonderful opportunity which we were not grasping because we were scaredy pants, we should trust God and follow his commands to be courageous.
I needed that message.
There are also prayers, and time with other people, and even other music.
So maybe I am skipping just because I don’t like to do things badly. In other words, I might be brattily planning to miss church out of sheer pride.
I had better think about it, and possibly pray as well.