Wow, what a full weekend: on Friday we had the privilege ofhosting the Live Out Loud's Youth Project dance at our church - what a total gas - and today we celebrated All Saints Day in the morning and then Jazz Vespers for the Berkshire Association of the United Church of Christ. Each event was full and holy in a unique way and I am so grateful for the entire time. What's more, I was finally able to pick up and take home my new guitar: it plays so sweetly with such a warm, round tone that I am awed. (We played a very quiet tribute to St. Lou Reed at the close of my message - my take on "Sweet Jane" that let my baby sing!) Given all of this, I am so ready for a little break and tomorrow I will be away from church until the early evening.
I have three thoughts about what I experienced this weekend:
+ First, it made my heart sing to open the church to the teen
+ Second, this morning's worship was tender. There were a few people who haven't been around for a long time who were there today - and they told me how important it was to reconnect. Go figure, right? Just when you think somebody has bailed and moved on, they show up and say: I REALLY needed to be here today. Thank you. Just goes to show you that we are mostly vessels for the Spirit - we aren't in control - and God knows we don't know how the Spirit works. Like Jesus said, "The Holy Spirit blows where she will." (And Bob Franke added with prescient wisdom: So beware of the man selling tickets!)
+ And third today's jazz ensemble played some of the sweetest music I have ever performed. Each person - vocalist and each instrumentalist - not only knew how to listen carefully, but each person really wanted to help everyone else share their best. Each person practiced their music so that they could share it from both head and heart. For a moment in time we became an embodied community in song where each artist lifted up their gift with precision so that everyone else could share their best, too. This doesn't happen making music on the fly: this takes discipline, compassion and real trust. For me it is like the brothers of Taize used say: we can be a parable of Christ's festival - or feast - and it felt like that was happening today we played and listened and created beauty.
The jazz critic, Stanley Crouch, once observed that "in all its styles, jazz involves some degree of collect ensemble improvisation and in this it differs from Western music even at those times in its history when improvisation was required." Now there are two essentials that are implied for the cognoscenti in this quote: first, that those who are doing the improvisation KNOW their instruments (read: each player practices and has a well-developed sense of intuition); and second, that they are committed to listening to one another carefully and compassionately. Crouch continues:
It is as if jazz were saying to us that not only is far greater individuality possible to man (sic) than he has so far allowed himself, but that such individuality far from being a threat to a cooperative social structure, can actually enhance society... for a (true) jazz musician, thought and feeling, reflection and emotion, come together uniquely and resolve in the act of doing!
I give thanks to God for everything that happened this weekend. I give thanks to God for our hospitality team that shared some really fine treats after worship this morning and this evening. And I give thanks to God for the chance to be a part of a worshiping community that is committed to compassion in pursuit of excellence. These artists are servants who give the best they have to give of themselves and damn well helps others to do so, too. (I hope to post Paul's video of today's gig soon.)
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