In preparing for an upcoming series, I looked through some planning and brainstorming notes from an earlier series. (Piece Of Work from 2009, if you must know which one.)
And as I looked through the notes, what came to my mind was, “what in the world were we thinking?”
It’s obvious simply from what I jotted down that we were trying too hard to be creative, trying too hard to be inventive, trying too hard to add elements to our worship gathering.
Sometimes, when you do more, the result is less.
Less clarity. Less understanding. Less application.
I’ve been struck by how much less arduous is our series planning these days . . . and, I pray, how much more impactful the different series actually are.
Not that we want to stop being creative. Not that the right video or monolog or comic moment — track jackets, anyone? — won’t bring the right feel on a certain Sunday.
It’s just that we don’t ever want creativity to get in the way of the Creator.
Because sometimes He can say more when we do less.