Saturday, October 3, 2009

THE CHOIRMASTER (A Spiritual Tragedy)

The Choirmaster” by Joseph R. Alila (ISBN 144954199-2; 13 ISBN 978-144954199-6, https:/www.createspace.com/3403394) the evangelizing wonder of the Church Choir has become both a blessing and a minor headache at Mud Valley Church. The growth in card-carrying membership and church attendance explodes overnight. That is the blessing. The headache is the charismatic-but-unassuming Choirmaster, whose spiritual gifts are key to the phenomenal church growth. As the womenfolk with available daughters fight to outdo each other in monthly dinners for Michael, the Choirmaster, things become a little earthly and scary. Finally, Michael is betrothed with the urgency akin to that of Samuel the Priest, his outreach ministry becomes a bother to the Church Board, whose membership is left asking, “What if the Choirmaster leaves?”But these When the Choirmaster is caught in a tryst, chilling secrets in his house are revealed. Pastor warning “Throw ye not the first stone!”

J.R. Alila’s “The Choirmaster” is a lesson in summoning spiritual resources to manage church resources, nurture youth and manage crisis. It is also a reminder of what can go wrong in a church when the Church Board delays decisions so as to accommodate the interests of larger-than-life congregants.