Some time ago I wrote on this blog about my elation at being appointed leader of the choir at my church. Since then I have found myself more and more involved in other church affairs that have nothing at all to do with the choir or the music department.
A short while after my appointment as leader I started to receive the odd message from the church authority commending me on my efforts in conducting the affairs of the choir. Then gradually, and even before I realised it, I found that I was spending more and more of my time engaged with church matters. So that unlike previously when I could afford to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon lounging around at home, nowadays the weekend zips past before I even know it.
I suppose it was natural for the church authority to see me as the right person to name as leader of the "young men's group". When I think of it, it's not as if I can correctly be said to be a "young man," or that there are none of the youngish married guys who are capable of taking on the responsibility of leader. In fact, quite a few of those married men are younger than I am. But maybe the reasoning was that since I wasn't married, I had more in common with the majority among the young men, who like me are unmarried. But that's just me guessing.
Anyway, as if running the choir and heading the young men's group isn't enough, I have been appointed to every committee conceivable, (except for the church executive committee, which is reserved exclusively for the clergy and the elders). And as if just being on these committees still isn't enough, the pastor has seen to it that I lead the committees as well, whereas none of these appointments was made with my consent. How does one say NO to one's pastor?
What has irked me now is my recent appointment as leader of the... wait for it...summer picnic organising committee. Now tell me, what would I know about organising a picnic for 50 odd people, many of whom are children? Fortunately, the other members of the committee are women, so surely they would not be expecting me to be the one to work out how many loaves of bread are required to make the sandwiches. However, I still do have the responsibility of choosing a suitable site for the picnic in two weeks' time, which will of course entail driving around extensively, time which I would otherwise utilise more profitably sitting behind my desk.
This evening Pastor rang me to check on the progress of our plans and preparations for the picnic. I had no answers to his questions because I've been so preoccupied with some difficult issues at work, that I simply have not had the time to spare. Yesterday was taken up with choir stuff, in preparation for a service last night, and the Sunday service today. I've spent this evening drafting documents for work that must be ready for first thing Monday morning.
What I find interesting is that working hard at my choir leader job has been to my disadvantage, because it has made me seem like a reliable pair of hands to whom more responsibility can then be entrusted. I wish I was more like some of the others who seem to be not interested in taking on any responsibility at all.
