CCC Gainesville | Blog
Our eternal God. From everlasting to everlasting—and often overlooked. And not just by the masses, but by me. This story reminded me that we’re called to live beyond the business. To sit, to dwell, to ponder. Enjoy, I think.
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent – without exception – forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/hnOPu0_YWhw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
Drew Donovan grew up in Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church in Crystal River. He attended Santa Fe College, and during that time he attended Christ Community and was a youth volunteer here. He comes to us most directly from Tallahassee, where he graduated from FSU in December 2011 with a degree in Family and Child Sciences. Drew has served in internships at Seven Rivers and at Pinewood Presbyterian in Middleburg.
Drew interviewed with Christ community members in recent weeks. Here is an excerpt from the very positive feedback our members offered after meeting him:
“I think that Drew is an excellent choice for the youth position given his experience, enthusiasm, and communication skills. I appreciated his honesty during the interview about his struggles and how God is working in him. During his interview, he appeared to be very thoughtful about what he would want the CCC youth ministry to grow into. He has an excellent mentor from Seven Rivers (to complement Rob and Frank) that will provide him advice from outside CCC which will help keep a fresh perspective and infuse new practices when appropriate. He clearly has the interpersonal skills and command presence to lead both middle and high school youth.”
Drew will be introduced to our congregation on his first day of work, Sunday, May 13.
Middle School Girls’ Night is being rescheduled. We’re moving the date to Friday, May 4th.
At least five families lost everything but their lives in the Majestic Oaks apartment fire April 7. Majestic Oaks is off SW 24th St near the I-75 overpass. Some people, including small children, had to jump from third floor balconies. You can see a video and an article about the fire online (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120407/WIRE/120409690).
Powerhouse Family Worship Center is collecting donations for the families who lost their homes. They need everything. Please consider helping by donating items listed below or gift cards. We’re most desperately in need of diapers and beds.
Email me and I’ll help you find a convenient time to donate items. If you have a truck and are able to help move furniture, please email me.
– Bedroom furniture, especially beds and cribs
– Pillows and bedding
– Kitchen appliances, dishes and utensils
– Bathroom items, including towels, rugs, and shower curtains
– Living and dining room furniture, tables and chairs
– Toys, art supplies, and stuffed animals
– High chairs and booster seats
– Books, puzzles, games, and DVDs
– Food and household cleaning supplies
– Clothes for 7 and 8 month old infants (boy and girl)
– Clothes for girls and boys 2T to 5/6
– Clothes for teenage boys and adult men and women
I’m thrilled to announce that our search for “Nate’s replacement” is over. Tuesday the elders approved the hiring of Drew Donovan as our new Director of Youth Ministries. Check back here tomorrow for more information–it will be good!
