Palm Sunday blues...

Bono once talked about the Psalms of lament as our traditions first connection with the blues - and I think he is right! As a musician and pastor, I find the blues to be an essential way to express some of the truths of real life. I am also sadly aware that some church folk have either been trained to be terrified of connecting feelings and body to their faith - or else so confused about the high/low art divide - that they don't know what to do when the blues winds its way into our worship.

One of the best new (relatively speaking) blues expressions is Springsteen's "Reason to Believe" that first made its appearance on the scene during the down days of the Reagan regime and was resurrected three years ago. In its new persona can sound like a techno-folk rant from the fields or even a full tilt boogie a la ZZ Tops. The song, however, remains the same as Led Zeppelin knows so well: amidst crushing sadness, fear and brutality people still... hurt and find a reason to believe.

U2 certainly has applied the blues-thing, too, in their new work - think "40" or "Sexy Boots" - Dylan has perfected and reinvented the genre and even CCM artist Michael Card has recognized the importance of lament for our worship lives. - and I haven't even mentioned country singers and jazz! But we have a long road to walk before most "blended" congregations understand the value of the blues - and can connect their lives to the wisdom of the music. God knows we've felt and lived the blues... we just don't always know what to call it.

As my congregation takes the Palm Sunday journey tomorrow from joy into lament and certainty to ambiguity, I will be hearing Nick Cave's masterpiece, "Hiding," the whole way. Cave sings and embodies something of the mystery of a God who seems to be hiding amidst the darkness of our lives. It is a lament for a post-modern generation - true and subtle - bold and bewildered. And it is the best expression of a theology of the blues embraced by art and faith that I have ever encountered. (His "Mercy Seat" is pretty damned good, too!)

And when Cave and his band wrap up this wildass tune with the charge, "We all know that there is a law... and that law is love: there is a war coming!" it is a bold reminder of grace - but, man, does it ever take a commitment to the blues to get there with him! So I'm in a palm sunday sort of groove today... waiting for the God who is often hiding within the ordinary with the promise of grace.

I waited and waited and waited for God.

At last he looked; finally she listened.

God lifted me out of the ditch,

pulled me from deep mud.

God stood me up on a solid rock

to make sure I wouldn't slip.

He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,

a song of joy to our God.

More and more people are seeing this:

they enter the mystery,

abandoning themselves to God.

Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,

turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"

ignore what the world worships;

The world's a huge stockpile

of God-wonders and God-thoughts.

Nothing and no one

comes close to you!

I start talking about you, telling what I know,

and quickly run out of words.

Neither numbers nor words

account for you.

Doing something for you, bringing something to you— that's not what you're after.

Being religious, acting pious—

that's not what you're asking for.

You've opened my ears

so I can listen.

So I answered, "I'm coming... coming to the party you're throwing for me."

That's when God's Word entered my life,

became part of my very being.