Post-Its Have Nothing On You

When you attend one of our traditional services, you’ll likely see Jamel standing there, holding an old red hymnal with dozens of colorful pieces of paper sticking out of the top. These are the Post-it notes he uses to mark the hymns the choir is singing that week, along with some of the other classics we sing often.

Interestingly, Post-it notes were designed for this very purpose. Art Fry, who worked at 3M, also sang in his church choir. Between Wednesday night rehearsals and Sunday morning services, his bookmarks would fall out of his hymnal. One of his coworkers had developed microspheres—a slightly sticky material that easily detached from surfaces. The idea had seemed so impractical that it went nowhere for years until Fry realized this slightly sticky substance was perfect for marking hymns in his hymnal. Now, we see Post-it notes everywhere, including in Jamel’s hymnal.

What stands out to me most about this origin story is that this sticky substance existed for so long and could have easily stayed unutilized. Our lives would be far worse off without Post-it notes (okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration). However, I am convinced that each and every one of you reading this blog is far more useful than slightly sticky microspheres. Your skill set, your personality, even just your physical presence in the room makes an impact on the kingdom of God. The big question is whether you are willing to use your gifts in an intentional way. There is a place for you, and even if you don’t see where or how yet, we can help. We’d love to talk to you about putting your gifts and graces to work in the best possible way. Feel free to find one of the staff members, mark your connect card, or even email us.