A Time for Everything -- Even Imperfection

Or ... "Why Mamma Mia Works, Pt. 2 of 3"

Imperfection.

I think there is a time for perfection. In preparing Worship services, as a lector/coordinator, my goal is perfection in what I do. The reason is not ego. I am fully guilty of ego in many instances, but in this instance, it's the opposite of ego. My goal is to be so smooth, that the "me" in me is rendered invisible. I don't want to get in the way of anyone's worship experience.

Plus, we are without a minister, so it's a different speaker every week. We use many guest musicians, so different musicians, too. The opportunity for an "oops" is so great, there's no need to add to it with a lack of preparedness on my part.

It's a goal and life invades. A sneezing fit, a missed cue -- hey, that's life. At least I aimed for perfection.

But there's a place for imperfection, too. And we can't be so afraid of imperfection that we play it too safe.

I think one reason why people flocked to Mamma Mia ... and then flocked back again ... has a little to do with imperfection. We see these movies with impossibly beautiful people, saying impossibly perfect things -- and then, along comes the anti-perfect movie. Meryl Streep is too old, and not model-thin, Pierce Brosnan is completely beautiful, but with an imperfect voice ... we take a deep breath and relax.

These are amazing people ... but in the movie, they're willing to relax, let us see their soft underbellys. They are not perfectly polished. But they look like they're having a lot of fun.

The story is imperfect, it doesn't add up, it requires a huge willingness to suspend disbelief.

Well, to everything there is a time ... a time for My Dinner with Andre, a time for Mamma Mia. A time to read deep philosophical texts and a time to read Carl Hiassen.

And a time to pull on sweatpants, put the hair in a ponytail, and sing karaoke.

Imperfectly.