Introduction
About two weeks ago, the new Pope – Francis I (or Poppa Francesco as I they
say in Italy) – returned to Latin America for the World Youth Day rally in
Brazil. Millions of people turned out to
see and hear Francesco as he spoke from his heart by the seaside about loving
God with a deep and tender compassion. While
he was in native country of Argentina, Francesco took time to speak to some of
his bishops and priests about how he wanted them to serve the Lord in this
generation – and his words are instructive as I share with you part two of what
I am calling a spirituality of jazz – because he said that we need to speak
like real people rather than those set apart by an institution.
+ All too often
church leaders become self-centered and forget that the church is to be the
birthing place of faith NOT the inspector or judge of ordinary people. In
Francesco’s words that means we must learn a new language that moves beyond "outdated manners and
forms which, even on a cultural level, are no longer meaningful."
+ He also observed
that a new/old style of leadership is required in this age noting that church
leaders are to be among the people in three ways: "In front of them,
pointing the way; among them, keeping them together and preventing them from
being scattered; and behind them, ensuring that no one is left behind, but
also, and primarily, so that the flock itself can sniff out new paths."
New language that is culturally meaningful – new
styles of leadership that nourish, protect and innovate God’s people in the
real world – and new paths that the flock sniffs out together. And while I don’t believe the Pope had a
spirituality of jazz in mind when he was making his com-ments, it is clear to
me that his insights resonate with the practices of a jazz spirituality – and
let me be explicit about why I believe this is so important.
+ First,
spirituality is NOT a set of ideas – so I’m not taking about abstractions or
theories – rather I am exploring how it is we practice our faith. How we make the words flesh – how our love of
God is incarnated in real time and space – what do we do every day to
intentionally become more like Jesus?
+ Do you grasp this
distinction – that spirituality is about concrete practices and spiritual
disciplines – like prayer, service, fasting, silence, worship rather than
doctrinal ideas? Is that clear?
+ Second, as best
as I’ve been able to come up with – and I am looking to the wisdom and research
of a few contemporary Christian intellectuals who are also jazz musicians –
there are three key practices to a jazz spirituality: syncopation, call and response, and
improvisation.
Last week I tried
to make clear how syncopation works in both jazz music and Christian living and
some people got it – and others were left confused. So let me try to clearly restate my case about the spiritual practice
of syncopation before moving on to this week’s conversation about call and
response, ok?
Insights
One way of describing syncopation is playing the offbeat: finding and emphasizing something in the
rhythm of the song that is always real but mostly just below the surface. Jazz theologian Robert Gelinas likes to say
that as a spiritual master Jesus was always looking below the surface of
things. He didn’t just take the obvious
for the whole truth. Rather he pushed to
uncover the deeper truths that are always present, but not always realized or
understood. In a word, Jesus accentuated
the offbeat. So in jazz and
spirituality, the practice of syncopation does two things:
+ First,
syncopation invites to go below the surface – beyond the obvious – to search
and listen for the offbeat. Personally
that means going beyond ourselves – we’re not the center of the universe or the
essence of the song – we’re part of a greater whole. So the offbeat invites us into unselfish
territory – new place and sounds – rather than following the beat of what is
popular or normal.
+ Second, if we get
really good at syncopation, then we’re likely to start hearing and owning those
places in our own lives and souls that are also offbeat and hidden. Sometimes we’re afraid of them – sometimes
we’re ashamed of them – and often we don’t want anybody else – including God –
to know that we’ve got some offbeat parts to us so we hide them.
A spirituality of jazz using the practice of syncopation asks us to
bring our personal offbeats to the surface - and to the Lord - so that even in our weakness, shame or
fear God’s strength can work in and through us.
And the more we practice asking God for grace when we are wounded and
afraid, the more like Jesus we’ll become when it really matters. That’s why I asked you to practice clapping
or snapping on the offbeat in Paul Simon’s song: not only does that song speak of the scripture,
but it gives us a clear way to practice and feel syncopation
+ Does that
recapitulation and summary help? Do you
have any questions about what I mean when I talk about the practice of
syncopation in both jazz and our spiritual lives?
+ Here’s one more
musical example – a song from the African American tradition – that involves
both syncopation as well as another practice I want to share with you – call
and response. Let’s sing together – and
have Between the Banks offer the response – the song: “Over My Head.”
Did you feel how
awkward that pause at the end was? How
if you weren’t paying attention, it was easy to rush through that extended
rest? But what a difference that offbeat
makes, right?
Now the second practice in a spirituality of jazz is something called
call and
response. Because jazz has its
roots in New Orleans – a place saturated in the experience of the African
American slave church – it is not surprising that a lot of songs take up the
structure, rhythm and ebb and flow of a slave preaching event. Here’s the context: on the Sabbath a lay preacher would share a
reading from the Scriptures by memory and then offer his or her insights while
the gathered congregation encouraged greater truth and passion by offering
shouts of joy or sorrow, words of encouragement or correction and sometimes
even songs. 
Now the second practice in a spirituality of jazz is something called
call and
Well, the same thing happens in a lot of jazz music where the piano
plays a tune and then the trumpet responds to the call. Or the vocalist sings a riff and the band
plays back a response and this call and response goes on and on and, ok? Do you know what I’m talking about?
Ask Carlton for a musical example
Now here’s the thing: this call
and response rhythm and structure in jazz is not only grounded in the African
American church tradition – even in the most secular jazz – it is also the fundamental biblical reality for all creation: I mean the whole of the Bible is
all about God’s call – and our response.
Think about some of the key stories in scripture:
+ In the beginning, God calls – and NOTHING responds – chaos responds – the cosmos responds and creativity and beauty and life come to birth.
+ When Israel was
in Egypt’s land oppressed by slavery and bondage, God calls – and Moses
responds shouting: Let my people
go. When the people of the Word strayed
in fear and sin, God called – and the prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel
and Amos and Micah and all the rest responded with acts of truth and healing
that redeemed God’s people.
+ God called and
Mary the mother of our Lord responded – and gave birth to the holy. God called and the disciples followed
Jesus. God called and Paul was struck
blind until he was able to respond with new insight and a life of love not
hate.
In today’s key passage from the book of Hebrews, the story of the faith
tells us over and over again that first God calls and then we are invited to
respond. A spirituality of jazz
practices both syncopation AND honoring the call and response rhythm of a holy
life.
Specifically, for our purposes today, that means: a) LISTENING for God’s call; and b) WAITING to
respond in a way that is uniquely your own. Let me say that again and break it down: to give shape and form to practicing the
wisdom of call and response means:
LISTENING – WAITING – AND SHARING YOUR UNIQUE AND CREATIVE RESPONSE TO
THE LORD.
+ Jazz musicians
are clear that the KEY discipline to playing well and creatively begins with
LISTENING. Not speaking first – not
rushing to fill the silence – not insisting on our way before the call is even
offered; but listening. So what do you do
in a given week to help yourself become a better listener? That's part of a jazz spirituality.
+ Now a good listener
knows how to wait – and a good jazz player does, too – not only to give the
call room to mature, but to discern what should come next. Have you ever been in a conversation where the
other person can’t wait to jump in and all over your thoughts or concerns? There’ is nothing sacred about all those
opinions and voices and words: holy
listening needs a whole lot of silence and waiting before a good response can
bubble up. Same is true with jazz.
And when enough listening – and some authentically sacrificial waiting and discerning – has taken place, then God wants to hear from you. God wants and needs you to share your own unique gift to the song of life. Because, you see, you have something special to offer the world even if you don’t yet even know what it is.
And when enough listening – and some authentically sacrificial waiting and discerning – has taken place, then God wants to hear from you. God wants and needs you to share your own unique gift to the song of life. Because, you see, you have something special to offer the world even if you don’t yet even know what it is.
In today’s text we're told that Abel had a gift to share in response to
God’s call – and so did Enoch and Noah and Abraham and Sarah – and they all
listened and waited and then responded in faith sharing their unique song with
creation. And what was true in scripture
was true in jazz: Coltrane listened and waited and at the right time shared his unique
song on the saxophone – Miles and Louis Armstrong did much the same on the
trumpet – Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald did it with their voices – Mingus
and Chambers did it on the bass – Monk and Tatum and Bill Evans and Oscar
Peterson did it on the piano – and on and on it goes – including Maaia the
Man on the 88s and all the rest of us here today.
Conclusion
So let me ask you to listen – and wait – now as we share something you are almost
NEVER likely to hear in a church because it is so out there.
Applying the call and response practice of a jazz-shaped faith, however,
see if you can’t listen for a new insight – a new voice from some deep place –
speaking a new/old truth about this moment in time in a way that sounds real rather than institutional.
And then let me ask you to wait – and keep waiting over the next week at the very least –
for a deep response. Don’t give in to
the obvious – the quick – the opinionated or banal. Practice a jazz spirituality and just listen and wait…
To look at a baby you've
gotta be brave
In the black of his eye is your own grave
And something darker you wanna touch
It must be love 'cause it hurts so much
Love, love, love, love
I've been to Egypt, I've been to Rome
I was a young man when I left my home
Looking for something I couldn't find
Now I'm back where I started, it was here all the time
Time, time, time, time
Out of the darkness into the light
I had it wrong, you made it right
I had it right, you made it wrong
Same old story, same old song
Same old
Song, song, song, song
Some call me Allah, some call me Tao
Some call me Buddha, some call me now
Some call me Jesus, some call me God
Some say I'm real, some say I'm not
In the black of his eye is your own grave
And something darker you wanna touch
It must be love 'cause it hurts so much
Love, love, love, love
I've been to Egypt, I've been to Rome
I was a young man when I left my home
Looking for something I couldn't find
Now I'm back where I started, it was here all the time
Time, time, time, time
Out of the darkness into the light
I had it wrong, you made it right
I had it right, you made it wrong
Same old story, same old song
Same old
Song, song, song, song
Some call me Allah, some call me Tao
Some call me Buddha, some call me now
Some call me Jesus, some call me God
Some say I'm real, some say I'm not
credits
1) Il Papa
2) Jazz Duo - Leonoid Afremov @ http://leonidafremov.deviantart.com/art/JAZZ-DUO-LEONID-AFREMOV-177700657
3) Late Music - ibid
4) Sing My Guitar - ibid
1 comment:
I never really knew what syncopation was until I heard Steeleye Span's The Weaver and the Factory Maid.
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