'Sunday morning comin' down', a tune by Kris Kristoferson and sung by a lot of his friends, Johnny Cash among others. It's kind of a sad song about guy who is wondering hopeless, smoking and drinking and numbing his mind to his worries but Sunday morning really seems to strike a nerve, where he really feels alone.
On the Sunday morning sidewalk,
Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned.
'Cos there's something in a Sunday,
Makes a body feel alone.
And there's nothin' short of dyin',
Half as lonesome as the sound,
On the sleepin' city sidewalks:
Sunday mornin' comin' down.
For many years I could relate to this. I think I would've known it if I would've been single and unattached. Most people relate Sunday morning to church but why wouldn't this guy want to go? For me way back then, it would've been about the music and the people. It was a place filled with hypocirsy and music that was not how I wanted to picture God to be. A lot of it was a drone or durge and depressing. Why would anyone want to go to that? And then see people waiting for the final 'amen' and dashing for the parking lot or the ones who stayed back that were usually in their 80s with their plastic smiles or total indifference to young people. I never felt welcome and it was torture to sit through.
Fast forward to 1991 and my wife and I heading out to take the kids to the Easter service and we both saying to each other we didn't want to go the Catholic church we belonged too. There on the counter was a flyer for another church that had 'sax' appeal so we thought let's check it out.
Sitting in a school auditorium with the lights down on the audience and there up on the stage, musicians! Real musicians, who looked like they were enjoying themsleves and playing music with feeling and something was grabbing me. It was kind of a jazz rock style of instrumental but very interesting and played well with passion. Afterward a pastor came and talked and I actually listened, he was talking about the bible and how it actually applied to today's living.
Well 15 years later and here I am, one of those musicians. Livng a life that is hopeful and vibrant because I understand who my savior is and how I fit into this world and His kingdom. This is what church is suppose to be about. Relevant, inviting, bringing a true connection between people and God. So my Sunday morning coming down tomorrow, I am excited about it. It will be a bit different as a large portion of the congregation is out camping but the people who come tomorrow morning may be someone like me 15 years ago wondering how God and church can be relevant. I will praise the Lord, I will sing with passion, and play to the best of my ability and hopefully by God's grace someone will come along with me and see how wonderful worship can be.
