Oratorio

I’d like to write an oratorio. Maybe a Christmas-themed masterpiece which showcases local talent and serves to bring the unchurched into a decent working knowledge of the fundamental purpose in Christ and his mission.

The first question which bothers me is using performance music in church, and before you assume one of the polar views on this consider the grey area: using talented people glorifying God with their gifts is appropriate to most ways of thinking but one cynical suggestion of ego spoils it all. At the top of this post I wrote about a desire I have. Unless it’s something I will present as God laying a task on me, that’s all the ego some will need to reject protests of purer motives.

Secondly, I’m not that good. More precisely, I can churn out hours of generic garbage. I’m not prone to fits of genius that bypass the brain and hot-wire the spine. I think I need to collaborate. So now it’s not “me”, but “us” and I lose the sole credit.

The main obstacle might be my own fear of my ego and the corruptive influence it could be. I want to do this, but I’m not certain if it’s a work to glorify God or a project to make me look good.

If you can see where that particular line is drawn, good for you. Until then I’ll stick to fighting my own best intentions and greatest obstacles in my own head.