As worship leaders and musicians, we are familiar with routine.
We learn songs, we rehearse, we show up on Sunday, we organize worship services. When Monday comes, we’re making plans to do it again. The routines never stop. Our service programming abides by a routine. Our liturgy abides by a certain routine. The church calendar follows a routine.
Do you ever get tired of the same old? Is your routine killing your creativity? Do you feel like you’re being held back?
My son has his routine. And he loves it. He leaps out of bed and greets the day with more enthusiasm than this dog greets the sea.
He starts talking right away, getting everything off his mind he’s been pondering all night. You know, things like “Where’s my balloon?” and “Are we going somewhere today?” and “I want a drink” and “Are we making eggs?” You know, the important things.
Then he has to get his Paul Baloche, Chris Tomlin or “Daddy’s CD” in the DVD player in order to start making music. It’s so intense. He positions himself in front of the ottoman with his two drum sticks and leaps up and down, banging the poor footstool as hard as he can, shouting (I mean singing) at the top of his lungs.
Full of passion.
Full of wonder.
Full of enthusiasm for this life he gets to live.
Tyler is teaching me about routines. For Tyler, the routine isn’t a problem. It doesn’t dampen his creativity or hold him back. The routine is a construct where his imagination can soar. He doesn’t just go on autopilot. He’s fully present, fully alive.
Routine helps him learn letters and recognize numbers. Routine helps him place his poop in the proper location other than his pants. Routine helps him know when it’s time to sleep.
For many of us, the problem may not be our routines but the heart that we’re bringing to them. We’ve allowed our hearts to grow cold. We’ve allowed ourselves to drift away from what is good for us. We’ve set our sights on the “big moments” and missed the “every day.”
The most important thing about you isn’t what you present to the public. It’s what you do every single day. It’s your habits. Your routines. Yes, we are shaped by our habits, patterns, routines.
