He was able to carry a tune in a bucket, though sometimes it spilled out. His singing revealed his genuine honoring of God more than any other cantor I have seen before or since.
About 30 years ago he cantored at our church in the Houston area. Our music program was small and not very sophisticated (that changed about five years later). Sometimes he led the singing because he was assigned to. Other times he took the mic because there was no one else to. He did it for love of God and to add to the service in hopes of getting the church to fill with voices.
The thing is, he was not very good as far as one would expect for a music leader. His voice cracked; he missed notes. But he sang. He gave of what he had. God wants that from us.
I have historically not done much singing from the pews because a singing voice is not one of God’s gifts to me. That attitude is changing now since my wife is in our church’s choir and I feel emboldened to at least sing from the pew. I don’t envision myself ever being at the front of the church leading the congregation in song, though. All of which makes me even more appreciate what the cantor of yesteryear did.
I have not historically danced in public either. That, too, is changing with my wife, but for decades I opted to not dance out of embarrassment. About 40 years ago, while working for a newspaper, I photographed a Christmas party for the residents of the Richmond State School in Richmond, TX. One attendee, wearing a football helmet (for his own protection), missing both legs and having one deformed arm danced all night long, making his moves and spins while using his arm for leverage. He enjoyed every exhausting minute of the party. I cried all the way home, asking God for forgiveness for my utterly stupid ego and fear of dancing.
God wants us to enjoy every moment of life. He wants us happy, exuberant, fulfilled, fully alive. That doesn’t mean we have to be perfect at everything we do, as long as we do it for the glory of God, whether we are doing it knowingly or not. Just living fully and finding joy in the moment is glorifying God because life is God’s gift to us.