$57,000

Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments-harps, lyres, and cymbals. 1 Chronicles 15:16 HCSB

A cardinal principle of Total Quality escapes too many managers: you cannot continuously improve interdependent systems and processes until you progressively perfect interdependent, interpersonal relationships. Stephen R. Covey*

Once, when my wife Kathy was taking an interpersonal relationships class, I went with her to purchase her textbooks. When the items were scanned and totaled, the digital screen on the register read $57,000. When Kathy pointed out the problem to the bookstore clerk, he said, “Hmm. I think that might be a mistake.”

When I started in worship ministry, I thought that my biggest challenges would be choral conducting and script writing. I didn’t realize that ministry is more about interpersonal relationships than it is about artistic craft. King David must have had many interpersonal relationship troubles with the musicians he appointed since they were not only artists, but were also all related. Hmm… the secret to worship ministry interpersonal relationships might be worth $57,000 after all.

Lord, help us with our interpersonal relationships.

*thinkexist.com