First Performance!

Every Monday evening, the American Baptist Seminary of the West (ABSW) hosts a chapel service. During last week's service, Woun delivered a heartfelt and well-received sermon about taking risks in the church. This week, the Amenables were invited to share two praise songs - Come Just As You Are and Unchanging - both of which we look forward to sharing with the people in Japan as well.

I must admit to being more than a little nervous as we took the stage. However, as I looked out into the congregation and saw the smiling faces of the ABSW faculty and students brimming with encouragement, I gradually loosened up. This was, after all, the house of the Lord, and not some concert hall with a super-critical audience (or worse yet, a club filled with jaded hipsters).

All in all, the congregation appeared to be blessed by our music. During Unchanging, several people even stood up to clap. That's not to say that our performance was completely devoid of mishaps. Due to a last minute printing mistake, we ended up singing Come Just As You Are in a different key from the one we practiced. In addition, a malfunctioning cable resulted in Sun's bass cutting out several times during Unchanging. On the bright side, it is fortunate that these mistakes were caught now, rather than in Japan.

In addition to providing us with our first group performance experience, the evening was also a blessing for me in that it revealed a glimpse into the seminary world. Following the chapel service, a dinner was held for the graduating seniors and faculty, while Sun, Lawrence, and I tagged along ("we're with the band" was our official excuse). As I watched the familial interactions between students and faculty and heard the seniors reflect on how attending ABSW strengthened their walk with God, I couldn't help but feel that God was trying to tell me something. For those of you who don't know me, I will be starting graduate school at the University of Toronto in Computer Science. And while I am certainly passionate about this field of research, I have realized that I must consider the possibility that God may have other plans for me.

Earlier in the evening, Dr. Russell (the president of ABSW), affectionately introduced me as a "future seminarian" and half-jokingly asked when they could expect my application. I replied that anything is possible...and indeed it is.