The Singing Priest

I recently encountered a singing priest.  He burst into a John Legend song right in the middle of a wedding Mass.  At one point he was giving his homily with the bride and groom sitting quietly listening, and then suddenly he started singing, “All of me, loves all of you…give your all to me, I’ll give my all to you.”  You’ve probably heard the song on the radio a time or two (or a hundred).

As you can imagine, everyone was slightly surprised. I have certainly never seen a priest burst into a pop song, a cappella, in the middle of a formal catholic mass.

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I confess, my first thought was, “wow, he’s a pretty good singer.” Then I thought, “what is he doing?! How could he be doing this during a wedding ceremony?!” I had a bit of a condescending attitude initially, I must admit.

And then I realized something – I loved it.   I found myself appreciating his honesty, his charisma, and his passion.

This was an intentional expression of joy – authentic, evident joy. And the more of that we show the world, the more the world wants to know the source of that joy. Especially when that joy is intentionally expressed in unexpected times.

Living Intentionally

According to psychologists, the twenties are the most formative, pivotal time of our adult lives.  What patterns and choices we make in our twenties determines our course of life.  It’s called the “Defining Decade” for a reason.  Young adults should not consider their twenties as wandering, meaningless years.  We should all live  intentionally – in both our life choices and our faith.

This applies to all of us, whatever stage of life we are in, though doesn’t it?  What choices are we making? How are we making a positive difference in people’s lives?

Erwin McManus asks in The Artisan Soul, “If your greatest work of art is the life you live, what life will you choose to leave behind as your masterpiece?”

A masterpiece, above all, embodies honesty. Glennon Doyle Melton recently wrote, “Art is not for the talented; it’s for the honest.” That is what the Millennial Generation craves in the church – that is what connects all of us– honesty.

Have a Conversation

So volunteer your time to serve at church or a non-profit.  Have a meaningful conversation with someone. Step out and simply DO something. One step follows another step and another – and before you know it, you’re showing people the love of Christ and living a life that humbly points heavenward.