Monday 4 April 2016

#AtoZchallenge: Capacity

Capacity is an individual thing. It's hard to compare from one person to another. Some have small capacities - serving in one ministry is enough for them; they are drained and tired at the end of it. Some can serve in two or more before they feel the strain. Others do not seem to tire no matter how many ministries they serve in.

It is a difficult thing to understand. Those with large capacities look at those with small and wonder, "why do these people do so little and complain so much? Do they not see the many things I am doing?" Those with smaller capacities look at those with large and stand in awe, feeling guilty because they do not have enough to give - and worry if God might love them less because they have not enough to offer. This brings us into the dangerous territory of works vs grace.

Leading worship is a strenuous, time-consuming thing. It may seem that all you do is stand up on stage for a 30-minute set and sing. "Why can't you lead at prayer meeting too then? Since you're so good at it, it won't be a matter for you to also lead in cell group and in that outreach meeting. It doesn't matter if you use the same songs."

Maybe some - if they have the capacity for it - can lead multiple services during a week. But not everyone can. Do you have the energy - and the time - to select songs over and over for different meetings, knowing that you can't simply repeat the same songs because God may be wanting to say different things at each one? If you do, good for you. If you don't, give yourself more time between each time you lead. This is easier said than done, especially if your church does not have enough worship leaders.

And even if you have the time and the energy and the brainpower to keep doing it over and over again, the question you need to ask next is if you have enough heart for it. Do you have the capacity - the largeness in your heart - to love the congregation, the leaders, the musicians with you? Enough to pray over them? To seek God's heart for them? To sing the songs they need the most?

Or are you just picking songs because you like them and everyone knows them and you don't have time left choose?

When you lead, you do not just stand there and sing a set of songs. You stand there and you cover them in your mantle - you lead them into God's presence with your voice and with your heart.

And sometimes, your heart isn't big enough on its own.

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Are you an A to Z blogger? Send me a message on my facebook page or twitter with your blog name and number and I will send you a coupon to get Coexist on Smashwords for only $0.99!

About the book:

Jane Hays has been told all her life that it’s dangerous to be out in the forest past sundown. At fifteen, she’s quite sure that it’s all old wives’ tales... yet, why does her village bar the gates every night? Why do they even have gates? When she is caught in an unexpected rainstorm on her way home, Jane ignores all the warnings and seeks shelter in a cottage in the middle of the forest. Soon, she is caught up in a world of magic and beauty – and in the storm of the Fairy Queen’s wrath.

The Fairy Queen is out for blood. There have been intruders – human intruders  in her domain and she will stop at nothing to find them and kill them. After all, it is only fair. She is only seeking retribution for the death that humans leave in their wake.

But Jane isn’t all that she seems to be. And the events of the night aren’t as innocent as they appear.

A tale of magic, fairy creatures and family, Coexist is a novella for the young and the young-at-heart.

Get Coexist on Amazon or Smashwords. Check out Book Depository or Createspace for paperbacks!

Coexist


Today's tour stop is at Patricia's, where I talk about my inspiration for writing and for Coexist! See you there!


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13 comments:

  1. Interesting! To each his own capacity. It is also a refelction of one's focus, intent and determination that affects one's capacity.
    @KalaRavi16 from
    Relax-N-Rave

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  2. Coexist sounds really cool. I liked the post on Capacity, but honestly the blurb for your book pulled me right in!!


    --
    Tim Brannan, The Other Side Blog
    2015 A to Z of Adventure!
    http://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Tim!
      I hope you were able to get a copy :)

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  3. Fascinating view of capacities to me because your post is so different from how I think of them. Thanks for sharing Anna!

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  4. A really thought-provoking post! I've learned through much trial and error, that I have a small capacity but constantly ignore the boundaries. This inevitably leads to resentment, bitterness, and a desire to quite altogether. Learning to respect our capacities actually makes us more effective ministers to others. We can't give if the well is dry.

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  5. Thank you for your thoughts on Capacity, Anna. How eager we are to compare, instead of following Jesus. He says, "Well done," to the person with five talents and to the person with ten. We scratch our heads over that...

    Happy A to Z!

    Laura

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  6. I find my capacity for doing things has reduced - maybe it's that I'm underestimating the energy I put into my writing and my blog, but doing outside things seems to get squeezed these days. Is it a function of capacity or of age, I wonder?

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    1. Both? I'm sure they're interrelated.

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  7. I can't imagine at the bigger churches where they have several worship services on the weekend the energy it takes to lead worship. I can see how people would have to gauge their capacity and make sure not to overdo it to lead to burn out and stress.

    betty

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