Jeff Adams

If you’ve missed me for the past few days, it’s because over the Fourth of July weekend I declared my independence from this blog. I love doing this blog, but everyone needs an occasional break.

Sunday night my friend Sergio Blásquez gave a concert at our church. Regular readers of this blog will remember Sergio from when he gave a similar concert and master class last year.  To learn a bit more about Sergio, his amazing career and how we became friends, read what I wrote previously here and here. Sergio is currently the principal tenor at the Mainz Opera Company in Germany and is busy singing at the great venues of Europe and beyond. Last year’s highlights include his Carnegie Hall debut, and roles in operas in Berlin, Prague, Stockholm, Hamburg plus a concert with Placido Domingo in his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico.

After the concert, Sergio and I, our own worship leaders, Arturo and Jeremy, along with our wives went out in search of something to eat. After a long season in Germany, Sergio was ready for some Mexican food but knew that authentic Mexican food is in short supply in Kansas City. I surprised him by taking him to a new find of mine, El Rancho in Westport. I have become a regular in recent months but was anxious to see what Sergio and Marisela thought. Home run! Thirty seconds inside the door and we were all family with the staff. The food was fabulous and Sergio gave the tacos an 8 on a 10 point scale. Pretty high praise from a Mexican in Kansas City.

As we sat down and ate, salsa running down to our elbows, Sergio honored us with his wonderfully good Placido Domingo impersonations. Opera singes are all actors anyway, so they pick up on every nuance of personality.

Sergio told of a time when he was with the great tenor prior to a concert. He was so excited to be with him that he tried to engage Maestro Domingo in conversation. Domingo simply put his hand to his mouth and whispered, “Después, Sergio. Después del concierto.” “Later, Sergio, after the concert.”

“Placido Domingo is a very nice, humble and genuine individual,” Sergio went on to say, “but I had simply forgotten that he does not speak on the day or two before a concert. He’s no divo; he just does not speak prior to singing in order to conserve his voice. He’s well into his sixties now and still singing strong.”

“You know,” Sergio said seriously, “if this concert would have been in Germany or any place else, I would not have been talking either. This is a lesson I have had to learn. It’s too hard to do here because of being with all my friends. But, I can tell that I am tired and this is something I could not do often.”

This is the side of greatness that many people never see. They see only the talent but ignore the discipline and focus. I recalled having dinner with Sergio and Marisela in Amsterdam a few years ago with a opera singer friend of his, a member of the chorus in the company where Sergio was singing at the time. His friend walked with me after dinner and shared his prediction of greatness for Sergio because of his technique and focus. “There are many great young voices,” he said, “but most of them ruin their voices before they turn thirty, or they simply do not have the focus to develop them properly and learn the necessary technique.”

I was a minor scholarship musician in college, a French horn player. Our college was a good music school and I was surrounded by some people who went on to outstanding musical careers. I learned early that if I was going to continue on the path of music, I would have to do music and nothing else. I wasn’t ready to make that decision, and it wasn’t long before I discovered I could not keep up. Great musicians begin as good musicians with great talent. They become great musicians by single focus and discipline that enables them to become musicians worthy of their great talent.

I think this was part of the reason for the Apostle Paul’s success. He understood focus, sacrifice and discipline. His words to the Philippians come to mind.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Philippians 3:13-15

What is the object of focus in your life? Do you have focus? Many people have a long list of wants and desires, but few are willing to focus, sacrifice, work hard and exercise the type of discipline necessary to become a great opera singer.

I find that Christians particularly can be lazy and even blame God for their laziness. They call it “waiting on the Lord, or waiting on the Spirit.” They want to live by grace alone, some say, and not force things in the power of the flesh.

There is a time to wait upon God, to be sure, and everything we do should be by the grace of God. There is, though, no conflict between God’s grace and hard, disciplined work. Listen to Paul once again.

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1Corinthians 15:10

What one thing will you do?