Beats 4 BEAT (2): Rock and Soul Concert, Sunday, August 17th @ 3 pm

On Sunday, August 17, 2014 at 3 pm we're putting on a benefit rock and soul concert for our friends at BEAT (Berkshire Environmental Action Team.) And talk about synchronicity: this is BEAT's 10th anniversary AND it is the 45th anniversary of Woodstock. Not everybody is as pumped about the second celebration as I am, but I love the idea of doing a wild and wonderful show for our partners in mission who are so committed to caring for Mother Earth. (For more information about BEAT, go to:  http://www.thebeatnews. org/)

There are two genuinely sweet truths about doing this kind of mission work:

+ First, they define how the action needs to take place. We are simply partners. Working cooperatively with those in the know is not only the right way to do contemporary mission, but it also gets us out of our head and buildings into the streets, rivers and city council meetings.

+ Second, what WE do best - besides educate our people - is CELEBRATE the presence of holy love in the world. Our concerts raise funds and awareness in a way that allows all types of people to participate: they can sing, they can dance, they can contribute, they can make connections all in a groove with NO pressure and NO guilt.

Last night the band met to lay out some of the tunes we'll work on - and explore others - and we agreed on a neo-Woodstock set-up that comes both from the actual festival as well as the early days of CSNY.  The first set will be "wooden" music (acoustic) and the second will be "electric" music (rock and soul and who knows what else!) So, dear friends, if you are in the area on the 45th anniversary of Woodstock - and the 10th anniversary of BEAT - please come on down to the party at First Church. It will be a total gas!