Starting a new church position is like a soft casino opening...

I think the Oceans movies are great cinema works.  Nice pace, great lines, tons of laughs.  Oceans 13 hits one running bit about "soft openings," also known as soft launches for Las Vegas casinos.  Gone are the days of the big grand gala openings that people have waited for months...well, you still get the big grand gala opening...but the place has been up and running for months, basically to get the kinks out and other anomalies.  So, you ask how does this connect?

August 1st was my official start date at Christ Episcopal Church, Ridgewood...which I was on the road returning from a family trip to Williamsburg VA.  That's OK though.  I have already played for one major funeral of a long standing parishioner, one major wedding which the bride was not terribly delayed for once, consulted on another wedding for August, prepared the office space for painting (thank God for our sexton), analyzed the music library, ordered music, still waiting for said music to arrive, put in my 12 cents on things for the coming months well before the 1st, with my first official service on the 5th and a little welcome kibble** afterwards.

So, this church organist basically got the ball rolling before there was a ball in play.  Being a church musician is like a casino in Vegas that is up and running months before the big reveal.  It's OK.  A little birdie told me that there will be a big welcome party in September with much more kibble!  Cheers!

**kibble: a party term for snacks, munchies, or any variety of finger food at a gathering.  You can thank my buddy Jonathan for this term.