I haven’t dated in awhile but I still remember the clammy desperation to come across as “marriageable”, if that’s an actual thing.

It should also be noted that I’m happily married and so is Erin, like to each other, though some days it’s less “happily married” and more “still married”.

The early days of our relationship were filled with wonder and nervousness. I’m not naturally a fearful person, but the day at Bow Falls I was ready to pop the question I actually put it off an extra ten minutes because I had the panic-thought “I think she wants to marry me, we’ve talked about it, but what if I have a huge misread right now???”

“MARRY you?? You’re so funny!!”

Friends will laugh because that doesn’t sound like me, but one of the things that makes me who I am is that I’ve actually run a thousand weird scenarios through my head before they actually happen.

Crisis? Someone might ask “How did you know to do THAT?”

Odd look on my face: “Um, I thought about it before it happened?”

…enter a recent Venue service where literally every piece of tech equipment and their backups failed in an almost impossible way we’ve never experienced EVER.

My follow up convo with Production went something like this: “Soooooo, you’ll only really understand the necessity of the term fully functioning and loaded backup when everything goes dark with hundreds of eyes on you, and you have to figure out what to do next and make it funny at the same time”. 

 

I feel that they understand me a little more now.

What does a preacher do when the computers fail?

Songs? – No. I actually had to grab a mic and speak the upcoming words while singing the current words because the tech went down at the beginning of the song. Try it, there’s no way to do it and be cool at the same time.

Media vids? – Not if the media computer crashes and the backup is not ready to go within 30 seconds.

Preaching? – Yes, normally, but this week we showed a sermon video captured at the theatre beforehand because my guest pastor from San Antonio couldn’t stay for two full weekends.

• So NO sermon with no computer.

The closing song? – No, not if you want everyone to be able to sing it.

If I close my eyes I can recall that I smiled and said something like “Well, I could recite poetry (if I knew any) while waiting for an update from Production?”

When in doubt just smile more and make a joke about it?

Turns out they scrambled at the back and we were able to finish our whole service.

It was more of a Marriage experience than a Dating experience though…

Speaking of dating experiences:

Sunday September 15 Venue has an Open House at Bert Church Theatre at 10:30 am with a Street Festival to follow complete with the following my amazing staff informs me either IS happening or is currently on the agenda:

Mini Donuts, Popcorn, Cotton Candy, somebody on stilts, a magician, balloon artist, carnival games, crafts, and other things I can’t remember from a phone call less than two minutes ago.

All free because Venue loves Airdrie. It’s on our dime ya’ll!

(It also should be noted September 15 is my birthday in case anyone would like to bake me a cake or make me a taco, or bake me a taco cake. Cough cough.)

This I say in fun because I’m attempting to remember my own birthday earlier than noon of the same day this year. Also one birthday I was shocked to discover I was turning the age I’d been telling people I already was the entire year, so in touch am I with myself…

But an Open House is more of a dating experience and our technical equipment will be on its best behaviour, we promise! Mostly because it will all be new and have new backups with everything ready to go so I’m not the class clown on stage.

Not to say that we are perfectionists in a worship experience, but we do like to do things well. Having said that, it always works out in the long run and it’s good for people to realize that real life has more flaws and ad-libbing than we’d like to admit (can the parents give me an Amen?).

It’s very likely that the gods of irony are also reading this and will attempt to Loki us that very Sunday, but we’ll be ready for them.

And by ready for them I mean I’ll hand the mic to Edwards from Production if things go down, sit down and enjoy the show like everyone else did when it was my turn:)

So come out for a great day with family and friends September 15,

Just don’t ask me how old I am on my birthday… it’s not classy when you’re my age!