It seems like a few weeks ago when I was playing on the worship team at New Life Church. We just climbed up to the stage before and I plugged in my wireless to my belt pack. Jeff began the song softly and Soren got a soft mallet accompaniment going on his drum kit.

We began with a beautiful favorite and my old mandolin started playing, seemingly by itself. My fiddle hanging on the music tray with it’s mini XLR waiting for the next song. We dove into the present song and I exploded way up on my frets and began a fast tremolo that sequenced down about four frets before ending to chords. Jeff looked my way and smiled. I switched for the next song to the violin and we started the second song. I am not skilled enough to go beyond second position but it was adequate for that song. We completed the set and we all unplugged and began to set our instruments aside to Tony’s dive into scripture.

Jeff said; “ I thought you were way up the fret board on your viola.” As I was walking down the short stairs to the main floor a young boy walked up to me and simply said ; “ I like your violin”

Later, ,Jeff told me he laughs inside when I play the high tremolos on my mandolin. I will never forget the simple things like that. I was and am fulfilled with that memory. It’s a small church, maybe a hundred or more seats. Doesn’t matter about size. Neither does eternity when I think about those things. Timeless. God was there with us and he danced for us as David danced before the Ark with the tambourines and string players. We played good songs and had a good time, we got to touch eternity.

I miss those things that happened. The high notes on my fiddle that Jeff thought was my viola beyond second position. What a band, what joy. I transitioned to production at huge multi campus church 75 miles away and was satisfied with telling camera operators what was coming next from our control room. That small voice that came through on their headsets as one of them, Fred, told me. Another gentle laugh from worship involvement.

I ran cameras later and I understood those things. A quick ‘nice shot five’ from the director to a hand-held operator and the upcoming shots for each camera also coming in on the one earphone in our right ears. It was nice to hear the lead electric guitar player tell me that Jeff was his guitar teacher. A connection between huge and little church. No differences. The people always come about 5 minutes before worship and leave just as quickly. A good laugh and puzzlement for me.

I like coming early and leaving late. Just me, rushing is a waste of time, not a gain.

It was challenging and fulfilling but not as much as having Jeff laugh inside when I played mandolin. I miss those times and treasure them as musicians do. If you play ensemble with an audience you know what that is. Timeless, eternal joy to Jesus who dances and laughs when those things just happen for Him. He is the best teacher of all these things.

It’s pretty good, Jack