The sights and sounds of defeat

Arrgh.

One of the many things I enjoy about having a "newer" church is that nobody really expects anything from me. I don't have to help with offering, no one knows I have sound board experience, and except from "kind of" helping to deal with LCD projectors? They really don't know what this little projectionist can do to assist their service. So they don't ask. So I get to sit in the audience and just be one of the crowd with no responsiblities.

However, this doesn't mean that the service runs smoothly without me. It doesn't. At least one song a service, the powers that be will lose track of what's going on and be incapable of keeping the songs advance on the screen. Lyrics get fuddled. Guess what, we don't have any hymnals or print outs to help us along! Once you folks mess, I pretty much resign myself to being done with the song and hoping you figure it out in time for the song after that.

The nice side of me wants to believe that they're trying. That they aren't getting paid for this, and they're just attempting to help out in whatever way they can. Plus, I don't have to worry about running AV for two churches.

The perfectionist in me wants to turn around and yell up at the booth, "What are you people doing up there?! They just said the first line they're about to sing, find that slide and you're golden! C'mon now!!!"

Sigh.

I enjoy being able to mingle (even though I don't do it much). But I also enjoy a good performance. You don't see me allowing dirt on my screen at work, do you?

So I either adjust to the fact that I'll be grumpy for a song or two, or I get off my lazy little church-bum and find myself in the same position for two churches. Neither sounds very appealing.

You're not supposed to have "lesser of two evil" decisions to make when you're just trying to worship God, darnit!

A trivial matter, to be sure. But one that just doesn't want to go away...