Who Do We REALLY Serve

Soapbox moment that has to be said.

I have never understood how churches/religious organizations can raise an enormous amount of funding for so many people to go so far away to help people that will most likely NEVER help themselves. But a local group of musicians, schools and such cannot sqeeze a dime out of people! We are talking about kids right here on that same God’s green Earth, in your back yard, that want to get an education, excel in music and one day become a success in small town America and return the gesture.
I have worked in several organizations since my kids started school…PTO, Scouts, Marching Band…all programs that function like a church…”sharing a common belief and goal”…yet, they are limited on how successful they are by politics, religion and greed of the people. I simply cannot understand why we are constantly answering a “calling” to travel to some far, far away land to “spread the word” when we have listeners right here in our own yard!!??
Yes, this stems from my latest adventure with school marching band. We operate on a small budget governed by a school system, restricted by the Government. Most of these kids DESIRE and WANT to be successful musicians. Some struggle as they try to discover what they want. They ALL battle to represent their community and lay a path for their future and those to follow them. The instructors will NEVER be compensated monetarily for their passion and time. Once in a while they recieve satisfaction when a student returns to them with a big thank you and a success story. Everyone comes together and functions like a family…complete with the drama, personality conflicts and competitiveness to be their best…but they all share the struggle. Forever bound together with their fellow band family struggling to help spread the love of music to others. It is through music, we express ourselves, it is through music, we mourn. It is through music, we celebrate. As was said in Footloose “Aren’t we told in Psalm 149: “Praise the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song. And let them praise His name in the dance.””….””There is a time for each purpose under heaven. There’s a time to weep. There’s a time to mourn. And there is a time to dance.” And this is our time! “.
Maybe the next time a religious organization wants to spread the word maybe they could look into their community and ask their local educators….it would be aaaamazing to see just how far kids go with more help like that…I know The Word would be spreading like wildfire..