Notes

Rhythms of Life

2009-05-05T05:30:00.000-05:00

Here we are at last at long last. Enugu, Nigeria. We are slowly settling in to a routine, a rhythm, if you will, but unlike the rhythm of our previous existence.

Prior to April 1, my life proceeded along a very clear meter, four-four time, key of B-flat. The pace was . . . well astounding. We were a part of the frenetic energy of the “two parents working” with our son in a myriad of different daycare “solutions.” Now the solution is us. And we are teaching not only our son, but a cadre of future ministers of the Gospel.

In Africa, things are very different. If you want to go to the bank, or even something as simple as paying a utility bill, it can take up a good part of your day. Things can proceed as a very slow waltz here. Or a tango, maybe, depending on the situation. There are plenty of cars and plenty of traffic, but mostly, lots and lots of walking.

Is your life so hectic that you do not take time to sing a new song unto the Lord? Do you find that the song in your heart has become a mournful dirge? Are you running to and fro seeking that which you must do to get eleven more items crossed off of your never-ending to do list? Or are you at the opposite end of the spectrum, with no less long a list, but without the energy to drive another block or even look for a pen so you can cross off the one item you were able to finish two weeks ago?

Lord, help us to remember to always praise you in song, with our voices, in our hearts, and let our light shine no matter the circumstance.

The Soloist

2009-04-14T21:08:00.004-05:00

(Please forgive the lack of picture and the lateness of this post - blogger just wouldn't cooperate!)

I recently finished reading “The Soloist” by Steve Lopez and I must admit that I haven’t been that moved by a book in a long, long time. I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements here and there for the soon-to-be-released movie by the same title. You can view the previews here as well as interviews with the author and the subject of the book, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers.

I promise I won’t give anything away, but this book is about mental illness- certainly the tragedy of it, but also, in a strange way, the beauty of it. Not beauty in the sense that we typically think of beauty, but I think you’ll understand after you read the book. Nathaniel Anthony Ayers is a 52 year-old homeless African-American man living on the streets of Los Angeles, staying near a statue of his beloved Beethoven in Pershing Square. Why the Beethoven statue? Ayers is a Julliard trained double bass player who, because of mental illness, became homeless and has lived on the streets for some 30 years. He catches the attention of Steve Lopez, an LA Times columnist who notices Ayers setting near the Beethoven statue, playing a violin with just two strings – in Ayers words, “I’ve had a few setbacks.” Thus, the two-stringed violin.

The book is the beautiful, raw, honest story of their two-year journey. Lopez does all he can to help Mr. Ayers get off the street and lead as stable a life as possible despite suffering from schizophrenia. I won’t give any details, but trust me, you’ll be moved beyond words at the lengths Lopez goes to make a difference in this man’s life. Time, money, and at times his own sanity, are sacrificed on Lopez’s part, all with the hope that he can help Mr. Ayers find peace and stability. I have to admit that I’d have probably given up LONG before Lopez did. As I read the book I had to ask myself why my calling as a child of God – a Christian – did not compel me to give and sacrifice as much for someone in a similar condition. There was no mention of God in the book, but I heard the voice of the Lord speaking to me several times as I read, asking me what I had done, or better yet, what I planned to do beyond teaching in a Apostolic college, participating in the music team at church and doing the occasional care ministry activity in my church. So, I guess that’s a subject for a different blog, but I couldn’t help but mention it here since it spoke to me so strongly in that sense.

Conviction and hope…

What I found so fascinating about Mr. Ayers is that despite all the hurt and pain in his life, much of which was caused by a broken family and a lack of support by friends, mentors and instructors, he never, ever became bitter against his art, which you will see is the great love of his life. He never became embittered against those he went to school with at Julliard – cellist Yo-Yo Ma being one of them – because of their successes in life when contrasted against his own sickness and resulting failure. Instead, he applauded them, praised them and found more joy in their music than you could ever imagine. It’s so built into our nature to envy those who are successful – even people in the church who are our brothers and sisters. At the opening of Romans 12, Paul speaks about the different gifts given to each member of the body of Christ. When I mulled this all over I had to repent and pray for that simplicity of mind that would cause me to rejoice in the gifting of my friends and co-workers. After all, they are gifts – given to us by a God who chooses us as His vessels through which He will make known His greatness, His beauty, His majesty.

Thank you Mr. Ayers – in your simplicity, your weakness, you have reminded me of the Source of every beautiful gift.

Conviction and Hope

2009-04-10T15:44:00.007-05:00

I recently finished reading “The Soloist” by Steve Lopez and I must admit that I haven’t been that moved by a book in a long, long time. I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements here and there for the soon-to-be-released movie by the same title. You can view the previews here as well as interviews with the author and the subject of the book, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers.

I promise I won’t give anything away, but this book is about mental illness--certainly the tragedy of it, but also, in a strange way, the beauty of it. Not beauty in the sense that we typically think of beauty, but I think you’ll understand after you read the book. Nathaniel Anthony Ayers is a 52 year-old homeless African-American man living on the streets of Los Angeles, staying near a statue of his beloved Beethoven in Pershing Square.

Why the Beethoven statue? Ayers is a Julliard trained double bass player who, because of mental illness, became homeless and has lived on the streets for some 30 years. He catches the attention of Steve Lopez, an LA Times columnist who notices Ayers setting near the Beethoven statue, playing a violin with just two strings – in Ayers words, “I’ve had a few setbacks.” Thus, the two-stringed violin.

A Calling

The book is the beautiful, raw, honest story of their two-year journey. Lopez does all he can to help Mr. Ayers get off the street and lead as stable a life as possible despite suffering from schizophrenia. I won’t give any details, but trust me, you’ll be moved beyond words at the lengths Lopez goes to make a difference in this man’s life. Time, money, and at times his own sanity, are sacrificed on Lopez’s part, all with the hope that he can help Mr. Ayers find peace and stability. I have to admit that I’d have probably given up LONG before Lopez did. As I read the book I had to ask myself why my calling as a child of God – a Christian – did not compel me to give and sacrifice as much for someone in a similar condition. There was no mention of God in the book, but I heard the voice of the Lord speaking to me several times as I read, asking me what I had done, or better yet, what I planned to do beyond teaching in a Apostolic college, participating in the music team at church and doing the occasional care ministry activity in my church. So, I guess that’s a subject for a different blog, but I couldn’t help but mention it here since it spoke to me so strongly in that sense.

Conviction and Hope

What I found so fascinating about Mr. Ayers is that despite all the hurt and pain in his life, much of which was caused by a broken family and a lack of support by friends, mentors and instructors, he never, ever became bitter against his art, which you will see is the great love of his life. He never became embittered against those he went to school with at Julliard – cellist Yo-Yo Ma being one of them – because of their successes in life when contrasted against his own sickness and resulting failure. Instead, he applauded them, praised them and found more joy in their music than you could ever imagine.

It’s so built into our nature to envy those who are successful – even people in the church who are our brothers and sisters. At the opening of Romans 12, Paul speaks about the different gifts given to each member of the body of Christ. When I mulled this all over I had to repent and pray for that simplicity of mind that would cause me to rejoice in the gifting of my friends and co-workers. After all, they are gifts – given to us by a God who chooses us as His vessels through which He will make known His greatness, His beauty, His majesty.

Thank you Mr. Ayers--in your simplicity, your weakness, you have reminded me of the Source of every beautiful gift.

"The Soloist"

2009-04-09T21:01:00.011-05:00

(I apologize for the lack of a nifty photo - blogger just wouldn't cooperate....sigh)

I recently finished reading “The Soloist” by Steve Lopez and I must admit that I haven’t been that moved by a book in a long, long time. I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements here and there for the soon-to-be-released movie by the same title. You can view the previews here as well as interviews with the author and the subject of the book, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers.

I promise I won’t give anything away, but this book is about mental illness- certainly the tragedy of it, but also, in a strange way, the beauty of it. Not beauty in the sense that we typically think of beauty, but I think you’ll understand after you read the book. Nathaniel Anthony Ayers is a 52 year-old homeless African-American man living on the streets of Los Angeles, staying near a statue of his beloved Beethoven in Pershing Square. Why the Beethoven statue? Ayers is a Julliard trained double bass player who, because of mental illness, became homeless and has lived on the streets for some 30 years. He catches the attention of Steve Lopez, an LA Times columnist who notices Ayers setting near the Beethoven statue, playing a violin with just two strings – in Ayers words, “I’ve had a few setbacks.” Thus, the two-stringed violin.

The book is the beautiful, raw, honest story of their two-year journey. Lopez does all he can to help Mr. Ayers get off the street and lead as stable a life as possible despite suffering from schizophrenia. I won’t give any details, but trust me, you’ll be moved beyond words at the lengths Lopez goes to make a difference in this man’s life. Time, money, and at times his own sanity, are sacrificed on Lopez’s part, all with the hope that he can help Mr. Ayers find peace and stability. I have to admit that I’d have probably given up LONG before Lopez did. As I read the book I had to ask myself why my calling as a child of God – a Christian – did not compel me to give and sacrifice as much for someone in a similar condition. There was no mention of God in the book, but I heard the voice of the Lord speaking to me several times as I read, asking me what I had done, or better yet, what I planned to do beyond teaching in a Apostolic college, participating in the music team at church and doing the occasional care ministry activity in my church. So, I guess that’s a subject for a different blog, but I couldn’t help but mention it here since it spoke to me so strongly in that sense.

Conviction and hope.....

What I found so fascinating about Mr. Ayers is that despite all the hurt and pain in his life, much of which was caused by a broken family and a lack of support by friends, mentors and instructors, he never, ever became bitter against his art, which you will see is the great love of his life. He never became embittered against those he went to school with at Julliard – cellist Yo-Yo Ma being one of them – because of their successes in life when contrasted against his own sickness and resulting failure. Instead, he applauded them, praised them and found more joy in their music than you could ever imagine. It’s so built into our nature to envy those who are successful – even people in the church who are our brothers and sisters. At the opening of Romans 12, Paul speaks about the different gifts given to each member of the body of Christ. When I mulled this all over I had to repent and pray for that simplicity of mind that would cause me to rejoice in the gifting of my friends and co-workers. After all, they are gifts – given to us by a God who chooses us as His vessels through which He will make known His greatness, His beauty, His majesty.

Thank you Mr. Ayers – in your simplicity, your weakness, you have reminded me of the Source of every beautiful gift.

Thula Mama

2009-04-07T23:38:00.001-05:00

EVERETT: ENOUGH ALREADY! We are sick and tired of these posts which do not directly relate to the matter at hand, Apostolic music. If you post one more blog about that banjo playing guy. I think you’ve referenced him in something like three or four posts already. ENOUGH! WE ARE SICK OF IT!!

Well. Too bad. I can’t help myself. There are songs and there are songs. There are spiritual songs. There are worldly songs. There songs that make you glad and songs that make you sad. There are songs that lift up your spirit and there are songs that bring you down. There are songs that bring an atmosphere of worship in the sanctuary and there are songs that you can only imagine the devil himself worshiping to.

Banjo? Banjo??? What is this about a banjo player? The guy’s name is Bela. Bela Fleck. The first name is Hungarian, apparently. He shares the name with a very cool composer by the name of Bartok. I’m sorry I don’t know the diacritics offhand and am too lazy too look them up. Ok. So I’m not that lazy. Bartók Béla, in the correct Hungarian order. But I digress. I don’t recall how I came across Fleck’s music initially, but he’s got a super bassist, Victor Wooten, as part of the group, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. You can listen to a sampling of their music, here. Fleck defies genre. I call it jazz. Others, country, fusion, bluegrass. He plays across different genres depending on the project. Most of my favorite stuff he does is jazz.

My life has been seriously touched by three Fleck tunes. Actually, I think only two of them were written by him, and the third… just experienced it last month for the first time and had to listen to it a few times. It brought me near tears the first three times I listened to or started to listen to it. “Is it right that children have to fend for themselves, no, no, no.” The song is a “protest” song that laments the plight of the downtrodden, children, women. The thing that gets me is that the tune is so joyful. How can a lament be set to such a happy tune? Is it the indomitable human spirit no matter the situation?

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a “non-spiritual” song has ministered to someone. And it sure won’t be the last. Although I can’t really honestly say that “Thula Mama” is not a spiritual song. The theme of Isaiah 61:1-3 runs through the song as an undercurrent. Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted, give the oil of joy to those who mourn, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Certainly this song speaks to the very same type of individuals with the same purpose. Such a song cannot fill a void if God does not exist tangibly in the hearer’s life, but it can augment our innate compassion and teach us to strive to always show Jesus’ love to those in greatest need in our communities and worldwide.

Musicians for hire

2009-03-28T03:31:00.003-05:00

I was a part of a lively discussion this week with our church staff about the issue of hiring outside musicians to come and be a part of the music program of a local church. We all saw the positive and negative aspects of the issue and walked away with more questions than answers. I thrive on these sort of discussions and would like to hear from some other blog readers on the subject.

I will present some of the opinions briefly for the purpose of discussion...

OUTREACH

There is the church that hired a musician who did not attend any church to come in and play. The guy loves going to church and is in a home bible study with one of the church pastors. There is the church that hired members of a band that one of the church musicians was a part of when he was out of church. Some of those members have been baptized and received the Holy Ghost. There are those instances where a church has hired a musician from another local non-Apostolic church. I am not sure what the outcome was on this particular situation.

ANOINTING

Does a church know when there is someone involved in leading worship who doesn't have a relationship with God? Is there a "spiritual awkwardness" in a service when a sinner is on the platform? What about a non-Apostolic musician? Is there no anointing on their ministry?

LEADERSHIP

I spend a lot of time and energy communicating to the music team at our church that they carry as much weight and responsibility for the service they are involved in as the minister who will be delivering the message. This involves much reassuring of all involved that I do not place any more importance on music than should be there, but platform ministry is leadership. Leadership carries responsibility. If we involve anyone from outside our congregation/community, then I would think we have the responsibility to make sure they are bringing the character that we require for leadership amongst ourselves.

So what do you think? Have you hired anyone from the secular music scene to be a part of leading worship? Do you know of any success stories? Share your wit and wisdom, I am not through discussing this yet.

Syncretism

2009-03-13T14:08:00.002-05:00

SYNCRETISM – “the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.” (From dictionary.com)

Not being a fan of the rock band craze that has taken Christian music by storm in the last few years, I rather cautiously looked forward to an event I was obligated to attend in which this would be the predominant genre of music. It’s not that I think this genre is sinful or evil; it’s just not my preferred style. Granted, at times I swear I was born 100 years too late while at other times I am labeled a “music snob” by those who know me best, but there are some uses of music that I just cannot reconcile.

I have often wondered just why so many speak out strongly against so-called “Christian rock.” When you really think about it, you can’t label a particular style of music as “Christian” or “non-Christian,” “worship” or sacrilege.” I believe music, judged alone is neutral. What about electric guitars, driving drums, and a persistent bass with no vocals is inherently evil? On the flipside, what about a couple of violins, a viola and a cello is neutral? Or what about a pipe organ played at a slow tempo with big, 10-finger chords is inherently sacred?

I’ve gone back and forth with these kinds of questions for some years now. Is it that we identify the lifestyle of most rock musicians with negativity and worldliness and so we don’t want to imitate that in our Christian music? I’ve made this argument before on this very blog. But now I’m not so sure that lifestyle association is what bothers me.

Going back to the event I referred to earlier……..

The event featured several bands, singing mostly original material in the rock genre. Other than the fact that my ears were about to explode because the sound was literally parting my hair down the other side though I was sitting on the back row, the music itself was not an issue. What I could not reconcile were the gyrating, jumping, bending, mic-stand-throwing individuals who were playing and singing this music. Thinking it was just me, I looked around at the crowd – was I the only one feeling this way? The atmosphere was definitely not that of worship – save for a few old folks like me who were clapping or raising hands, determined to make the best of what was becoming an awfully embarrassing situation. I felt like I was at a nightclub – not that I’ve ever been to one, but I’m guessing that would be the atmosphere. People walking in and out, talking on cell phones, laughing with neighbors, you get the idea.

Well, let me end my musings by sharing Leviticus 10:3:

“’Among those who approach me I will show myself holy;
in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’”

This passage of scripture referring to the “strange fire” that was offered by Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, kept running through my mind. These guys got fried for offering a sacrifice that, underneath it all, was meant to bring attention to them instead of God. I wonder, could that be the issue at stake here? Not the music itself but the outcome. It’s an important question to ask, gyration or not.

Just thinking……

I’m a Pentecostal

2009-03-03T05:47:00.000-06:00

"What a great service last night, celebrating 25 years since our church was founded as a home missions work. One of the highlights for me, the song "I'm a Pentecostal," about halfway through the song the saints broke loose, cuttin' a rug, some of the ladies even shouted their hair down! I don't recall exactly when the rejoicing started in earnest, but I think it was on the line "they're leaving their dead churches." I am so thankful I have always been a Pentecostal, never having had to experience firsthand a service bound by tradition and without any real worship."

"What a strange service that was. Never in my life have I been so
uncomfortable in church. One song in particular really bothered me. Not only did the song imply my faith tradition was not valued, everybody seemed to be mocking my faith tradition. I worship God in a conservative Lutheran church. While we may not shout or dance or raise our hands, we sing heartily during the hymns (and, if I may say so, with a modicum of actual musicality), and we participate fully in all aspects of the service. Hardly a 'dead' church, if you please and thank you."

Am I on a rant roll or what. I watched a video of this song a while back and thought about it from a number of vantage points. The song has its merits and its drawbacks, I suppose, as with any song. Do you know the song? Do you sing the song as a chorus, special song, or choir song? What do you think of any of the foregoing?

2009-02-28T19:57:00.003-06:00

Celestial Gifts

It is one of the worst sounds in the universe... an instrument being played around on by an individual without musical ability. Call me a snob, I don't care, it hurts deep in my spirit. I get incensed when someone says that they've never had a lesson, perform horribly on an instrument, and then have the audacity to try and blame God for the debacle. "God gave me this talent." No, sir or ma'am, He didn't.

God-given Talent

I recently felt the prompting of the Spirit in my own life showing me how very much like these non musical performers I had become. I was trying to force my will through in a situation that I had no business trying to control. I gave lip service to the fact that I did not have the ability to run things on my own, but did not feel I had the time to "wait' on the Lord. So it was in very quick order that chaos and confusion reigned supreme. It was also in very quick order that I went crawling to the Creator to make things right. The sufficient grace that He always provides was once again more than enough to set things in order, amaze me anew, and tweak the imperfections in my life so that I grow a little more like Him.

Divine Revelation

I imagine my efforts were much like the offering of a non musician on an instrument intended for beauty giving off offensive and ugly sounds. I also see that if the Master Musician is so merciful to me, then I had better be careful how I approach the offenders of my delicate aesthetic sensibilities. If He is willing to be patient with me then I can get over myself and become more of a teacher than critic with those dear, sweet, sincere souls... who are making a racket.

An die Musik

2009-02-13T20:45:00.002-06:00

“Oh gracious Art, in how many grey hours,When life's fierce orbit ensnared me, Have you kindled my heart to warm love, Transfigured me into a better world! How often has a sigh escaping from your harp, A sweet, a sacred harmony of yours Thrown open the heaven of better times, Oh gracious Art, for that I thank you!”

Sometimes you just have those days. I was having one of those days today – thinking to myself that a job selling books door-to-door wasn’t sounding so bad after all! I really love music –obviously, but sometimes I think I just can’t hear it anymore, can’t write it anymore, can’t teach it any more, can’t grade it anymore!

Today was one of those days. But then, ironically, the words to one of the hundreds of lieder by Franz Schubert started running through my mind. Schubert’s hymn to the art of music, “An die Musik,” was written in 1817 and, in German, is still sung the world over today. So what is it about music that is so captivating, so ensnaring and inescapable? I can honestly say that some of my deepest personal hurts have come at the hands of music – or I should say musicians. But on the flipside, some of my deepest joys have come as a result of it. I guess that’s what happens with things we love, right?

I often wonder, what is it about the power of music, of song? Surely we have all talked about its ability to captivate our emotions, to order the atmosphere, to shape the very direction of our lives. What a fascinating creation it is! What a fascinating creation any art form is– as my friend Laura Jurek has taught me. Her beautiful paintings, stained glass and simple drawings have shown me a dimension of beauty that could never be expressed the same in any other venue. (Thanks, Laura)

When I contemplate all this – the beauty, the captivating power – I have to stand back in amazement that the Lord whom we worship created such a thing. Surely it has to be one of the most special of all His creations. I believe it is part of the essence of his being:

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Imagine the sound of His music!

I realize my ramblings here seem more like a stream of consciousness than organized thought, but I do have a point here. When gratitude rises in my heart for this art that I am privileged to be a part of, what my heart is really speaking is praise to my heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, who chose music as His means to express the essence of His being – His love- to me, his daughter. “Oh gracious Art,” oh gracious Lord, “for that I thank you!”

Motivate Me...I dare you...

2009-02-10T18:54:00.004-06:00

My Christmas tree is still up. Don't judge me. You don't know what it took just to get it up. Like I mentioned before, the Christmas "thang" just wasn't happening for me. What gets me is all the motivational music that you have to get you in the mood for decorating. All one has to do is pop in Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey, or whatever your preference, and KABOOM! You have instant impetus to string lights on...anything!

So where is my motivating music to take it all down? What, no jingling bells? I need some motivation! My sister shared her play list for motivational housecleaning music. It included (mostly) hits from the '90's, uh, remember the Spin Doctors? There was some old school gospel jamz from New Jersey Mass Choir and Dean Martin. Yes, Dean Martin. The whole housecleaning soundtrack I get. But what does one do to deconstruct a feeling? Did I mention twinkle lights? Who wants to take away the twinkles? Not me. If I have to do it I want to feel like I have a cause in mind. That by keeping the tree up I'm causing harm to my children's psyche. Or perhaps that I'm causing the allergen count in my house to multiply times ten. The trouble with that logic is that if it was true, I would never put the blasted thing up in the first place. But those twinkle lights! If I was not such a sucker for those twinkle lights!

I'm coming to my point here: Is there enough motivational music out there to deconstruct the human will? I'm talking about repentance here. I know we have a gazillion praise songs in our repertoire. We have worship songs on our song lists that make me want to cry by just humming the opening refrain. Incredible songs that create the atmosphere for worship. I understand the concept of praise for all who breathe and that it breaks down the walls to allow us to come into the inner court of worship. The soundtracks for that are immense. But are there enough songs that reveals the dirt behind surface decoration? Gorgeous songs. Songs that drip with majesty. But are there enough songs that say, "Your tinsel is out of place now. The twinkles are insignificant. There's dust on the baubles. And it's time to make a change."

Perhaps this is for the songwriters and psalmists to tackle. Which leads me to my next question (look for it in March): Is there a difference between songwriters and psalmists? I'm going to go unplug my tree now. Each small step brings me that much closer...

Liminality

2009-02-03T06:00:00.001-06:00

I was leading song service last night, #172, He Set Me Free. As I went through the three verses, I came closer and closer to singing the notes as written, until finally, on the third verse, got almost the whole verse correctly sung. And the whole congregation was singing it the way we always sing it, that is, differently than written.

Would that instead of "smartphones" we had "smarthymnals" (songbooks, if you will) that would rewrite the notes in the book to match the notes being sung by the congregants.

I reminded myself of my initial response to "Apostolic" music. It's been almost 13 years so the specifics may be a little off . . . I do not relive the memories to criticize. These are more memories of how I experienced it as an outsider looking in. Now that I have the "insider" view I have a completely different viewpoint.

Too loud and too repetitive. The music and the preaching. The only respite from the cacophony is the altar music.

Come on, do you really have to sing the same chorus fourteen times in a row?

Oooooh- kay. You're all singing this chorus and supposedly I am expected to sing along but I don't know the words or the melody. Maybe that's why you're singing it so many times.

Having come from a culture of music reading, I do not understand this "just listen, you'll pick it up as we go." Adding to this misery bordering on the criminal, you don't even sing the same songs the same way each time. I mean, how does the melody go, exactly??

And eventually, there was choir. No written music. Just pick out the tenor part based on the third part down from "lead."

WHAT?? This is craziness. Surely you can't be serious. Really??

Oh yes. Not only are we serious, we actually consistently have a nice three part choir.

But what is the correct part?

It really doesn't matter what notes you sing as long as they sound agreeable and you don't stick out. And it would be nice if all the tenors are singing the same thing. But if you can't pick out your part or it's too high for you, just sing it an octave down, or sing lead an octave down.

In sum, there is no wrong way to sing "Pentecostal" -- except not to sing at all. But please try to sing in tune. And with a modicum of respect to traditional harmony or else sing vewy qwiet.

No time to say Hello. Goodbye. I’M LATE. I’M LATE. I’M LATE!

2009-01-30T07:07:00.003-06:00

I hate to be late. You’ll find To-do lists scribbled on all kinds of paper. In my purse, notebook, house, etc. But I recently read an article from The Washington Post that preached to me as loud as a sermon.

The newspaper decided to try a social experiment and recruited the world famous violinist Joshua Bell to participate. He stood in the entrance of a busy Washington D.C. subway station and played for 43 minutes on a Stradivarius violin worth 3 ½ million dollars.

The editors worried what might happen when he was recognized, or too many people stopped to listen to the beautiful music. Cameras. Autographs. Crowd control. But the results were quite different, and not very surprising, when you think about it.

Most people power walked by without even sparing a glance. It was rush hour, after all. They had jobs to get to. Projects to complete. Starbucks to buy. Out of 1,097 people who passed, only a handful even paused to listen for a few minutes. Only one woman recognized him. And there was never any problem with a crowd. In a direct quote from the article, Gene Weingarten wrote, “The people scurry by in comical little hops and starts, cups of coffee in their hands, cellphones at their ears, ID tags slapping at their bellies, a grim danse macabre to indifference, inertia and the dingy, gray rush of modernity.”

They filmed the crowds as they rushed by and noticed only one consistent glitch in the apathy. Children. Every time a child passed, they were caught by the sound, twisting and turning to listen. And every time, the parent hurried them off, deaf and blind to the musical splendor.

I felt conviction as I read the story, because I knew in my heart I would have been one of them. I might have hesitated for a second, thought how talented he was for a street musician, then glanced at my watch and rushed right along. Can’t be late for work. Gotta stick to the schedule.

I believe God places little gifts along the roads of our lives. Beautiful moments to relieve the monotony and give us a glimpse of Heaven. Music is just one of the tools he uses. But how many times do I rush right past these hidden presents? The verse says unless we become like children we will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. I pray God helps me develop the kind of attitude they have that recognizes the beauty along the way, and stops to listen to the music.

If anyone is interested in reading the full article “Pearls Before Breakfast” from The Washington Post, the link is: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

The Voice of God

2009-01-23T17:10:00.002-06:00

This morning I read the scripture from Zephaniah that speaks of God rejoicing over Israel with singing. I admit my first thought was, “How can I turn this into the blog posting that is due today?” My second thought was, “Does this count as a daily devotion?” Finally, I put away childish things and began to read about the singing voice of God.

The celestial voice

Many people imagined that God’s voice must be something to behold. All concluded that eventually in Heaven we will finally be able to hear God singing and it will blow our minds. My imagination ran rampant on these musings. God must have range for days right? Would He be like Donnie McClurkin, Israel, or is he going to be more like George Beverly Shea? Wait a minute, you can’t put God in a box! He might sound like Aretha Franklin! You can see how quickly it gets out of control.

I suspect that Heaven is going to be filled with musical splendors that will blow our finite minds, but I am not inclined to think that God singing over us here in the present needs to be defined in such an ethereal context.

The subastral voice

There are songs that minister despite the various interpretations and styles it is delivered in. There are moments captured by technology in which an anointed singer has far reaching impact beyond the moment they had prepared for. We all experience moments week after week in which we find ourselves in a position to minister to one or many through the avenue of our vocal abilities. I believe in each circumstance we can find ourselves in the unique position of being the singing voice of God. I suppose that would mean He does sound like Donnie, Israel, George, and Aretha!

We are the body of Christ. We are the visible face of Jesus to the world around us. What a sobering and exciting thought that we are to be the voice of God singing and rejoicing over His people.

Blackberrys and the Power of Perspective

2009-01-17T01:19:00.006-06:00

President-elect Obama is “clinging to his BlackBerry,” saying “they are gong to have to rip it from my hands.” President Bush awaits his January-20th-reunion with his BlackBerry. Upon leaving her post, Condoleezza Rice plans to buy an iphone! It is bizarre to image that great world leaders live out their “calling” in such an insulated way.

Living an insulated life

Then I consider my own life calling. I am a music pastor. Let’s face it… I live an insulated life too. Like many music leaders at Apostolic churches I “do ministry” with the so-called-spiritual-elite. Those who fall into my ministry team are those who have already traveled the path beyond spiritual infancy, through the gates of modesty, and into the realm of “approved for the platform.”

Let me be honest. This bugs me. Some days I feel like I’ve been forced to surrender my Blackberry. Sometimes I crave the raw perspective of a new convert. Or the passionate worship of a newbie. I sometimes wonder if the insulation hurts my effectiveness more than it helps.

Do Apostolic Musicians Impact the World?

As I see it, this is one reason that Apostolic musicians are not carrying the battle-cry for Justice. Israel Houghton and Donnie McClurkin are singing to 400,000 in Africa. (Thanks, Ann, for the inspiration for my thoughts!) But the majority of us are not challenged to reach the world because our job descriptions are to lead the sanctified.

How can we begin to comprehend mercy and justice when we are solely rubbing shoulders with saints who allegedly have it all together? How many Apostolic music leaders and musicians visit the prison? How many feed the homeless? How many ever mentor a new convert? How many visit impoverished nations of the world? Or minister to orphans? Are we pre-occupied with consulting our own inner-circle and managing the occasional “administrative scandals” that rise up? Does our only glimpse of the “real world” come through carefully staged tours?

What about Isaiah 61?

What if our next choir rehearsal was filled with inner city kids? Or we were asked to minister to orphans in Guatemala? Or our band was entirely filled with new converts? I don’t know where to begin, but I pray that Apostolic musicians begin to impact the world as it really is. It is tragic to think that non-apostolic musicians are leading the way in fulfilling Isaiah 61:1:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

Can I have my BlackBerry back? I need to gain some perspective.

CompassionArt - Get It

2009-01-10T21:32:00.004-06:00

Our fearless leader here at ninetyandnine recently gave me a cd for review (which will shortly be up on the home page) entitled CompasssionArt: Creating Freedom from Poverty. You can read all the details in the forthcoming review. Admittedly I'm not one to rush out and buy the latest Christian worship album to come down the pike. But I'd buy this one over and over. Yes, I was pretty impressed with the songs and the singers (the likes if Israel Houghton, Steven Curtis Chapman (who in my opinion OWNS the rights to "best written songs EVER"), Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin, and other well-knowns. But it was the subject of the CD that really caught my attention. I'll admit that I had one of those jaw-dropping moments of pure joy when I read the following quote by Israel Houghton, stating, “It’s impossible to call ourselves worshipers and not be so moved in the area of justice.”

What is worship?

You see, I think we have a real problem in the fact that we don't know what WORSHIP means. we try to separate the terms "praise" and "worship" thinking that the mood each term evokes has something to do with it, when in reality "mood" has nothing at ALL to do with it! A working definition I came up with was this: worship is the God-centered, self-denying act of the faithful Christian life in which we encounter and respond to God, with mind, body and soul, in all of life, with the singular goal of glorifying God. Yes, I know it's kinda long, but worship is complex, thus the many commas!
Last semester I took Theology and Pracitce of Worship at UGST where I have to admit that every notion I ever had about worship was turned completely inside-out by Dr. James Littles' capable teaching. One text for required reading for the class was "The Message In The Music" by Woods and Walrath - a book I STONGLY recommend for all music ministers/worship leaders. Each chapter examined 77 current p/w songs from the CCLI list. They were examined from many angles, such as did they express the nature of God, were they overly "sexualized," meaning did they use language too personal or that evoked questionable images, were they musically excellent - melody, harmony, rhythm easy to sing congregationally, etc, did they encompass all facets of worship - corporate, us to God, us to each other, us to the world. One chapter that really stood out was the chapter examining whether or not our worship songs addressed the needs of social justice and those less fortunate. I had NEVER considered that! But the more I formulated my worship definition, the more I realized we had made our worship music too self-centered when it was never meant to be.

Right purpose = right use

Worship is not about us. It's purpose was never meant to make us feel good. As Dr. Littles said so many times in class, when someone states that they "didn't get anything out of that service," the reply should be, "well, I didn't know we were worshiping you." So, I said all that to say, if we really get the purpose of our worship music right, then we will address more than our own felt needs. That's why I loved CompasionArt so much. Someone (or several someones) finally got together and displayed a facet of worship music that is rarely seen.

Now, go buy this CD (on January 27) for two reasons: the songs are AMAZING and ALL the proceeds go to beneft several poverty projects worldwide for as long as the CD is sold.

Ramblings on Genre

2009-01-06T00:03:00.000-06:00

I was vacuuming the sanctuary New Year's Day listening to some music on shuffle on the Shuffle and once again marveled at the way music can make work seem like play. It made me think of the genre of the “work song.” I was reading about it in an ethnomusicology article a while back. I think I was reading about music of a country in West Africa.

It also makes me think of the origins of the genre of the blues. I have mixed feelings about the blues. I enjoy the chord progression. I enjoy the melancholy and the expression of the inexpressible. I am saddened by the exaltation of things that are not godly. But mostly I am intrigued by the relationship of blues and gospel music.

What was it someone said in a post recently? Most of what we sing from our “hymnal” are not hymns but worship choruses? I think that’s true. But I have also noticed the predilection, or our heavy leaning on the more simple chorus, such as “God is great, and greatly to be praised.” You know the one. Don’t pretend that you don’t. It’s the old standby that starts off a song service when you don’t have something new and you don’t have something else. I can’t count the number of times I have heard this song. I love this song. But where did it come from? I, IV, V, I six-four, V, I … or something like that. Three chords, basically, give or take, depending on your mood, technique, and possible inventiveness. But where did this infectious yet simple chorus (and words) come from? Who thought it up? Who composed it? Obviously the words greatly and praised are paired together in four passages of scripture, my favorite being Psalm 48, with the other three expressing the same sentiment. "In my soul," is a lyric less obviously scriptural, more obviously composed. There's not much else to it.

I could sing this song working on the railroad, hammering ties into the ground. I could sing it dancing a jig around the sanctuary. I could sing it all day long. But I want to credit its author. I want her to receive royalty payments. And what is the genre of this song? Yeah, obviously it’s a worship chorus. But beyond that? Where did this song originate? We seem to have a long tradition of unattributable songs. What other songs do you know for which we cannot find who wrote it?

My thoughts summarized in one paragraph...

2008-12-29T23:36:00.004-06:00

As the season passes, the holiday decorations will come down. Many will swear off chocolate, and many will be successful until Valentine's Day candy goes on sale. I will put my Christmas CDs in a box and put them in a cabinet to be left alone until next September. I will keep "O Come O Come Emmanuel" on the iPod for the moment. It has been my Christmas revelation, inspiration, and New Year's resolution. Sadness, grief, suffering, and all sorts of misfortune come to us all regardless of status or wealth. We can all identify with the call, "ransom captive Israel." There are those of us who are blessed to also understand the call to "Rejoice". In spite of all manner of suffering, we have life more abundant than we can imagine. We have hope beyond present circumstances because Emmanuel has indeed come. I want to show more than ever before the Emmanuel that dwells in me to the world that is desperately seeking for Him. Happy New Year!

My anti-rant.....on a lighter note

2008-12-12T22:05:00.003-06:00

First let me apologize for posting so late. It’s been a wild and crazy week to say the least! Between giving finals and taking finals I must say that my brain cells are nearing burnout, thus the late post.

I’ve been thinking about RJ’s post and the positive message he shared with us in expressing gratitude to all the many people who have impacted his life musically and otherwise. Since it seems that I often rant and rave on this blog, I thought I would take advantage of RJ’s inspiration coupled with the beauty of the season to take a more positive tone. Every time I begin to go over in my mind the many people who have impacted my life via education alone, I become pretty nostalgic, to say the least. It humbles me so much to see the thread of God’s presence woven into the fabric of my life by men and women who took the time to invest in me and direct me down the path I’m on. And here I refer to Christian and non-Christian people because I believe that God has used them all whether they realized it or not. That said, I’d like to take some time here to publicly thank a few of them once again, and in the process, inspire those of you reading this blog to have your own moment of gratitude.

Her name is Elaine Wilson. Every day she comes to her small studio inside the music store she and her husband have operated for twenty-five plus years teaching and touching lives. I still go by at times when I visit home just to see how she is doing and I can honestly say that she hasn’t changed a bit. If you look there by the piano you’ll see the same stubby pencil with the cap eraser, the same round yellow stickers on which we would draw a face to express how we felt about a particular piece of music she had assigned. She drove me to every recital, every competition, supported me endlessly. And just as always, she still believes in me – amazing. I remember when I played my senior recital in college, she drove three hours to surprise me – and boy was I surprised! Then at my graduate recital I arrived to the biggest bouquet of roses I’d ever seen. Sure enough, there on the card, “We’re so proud of you – Dick and Elaine Wilson.” What a wonderful gift the Lord blessed me with when He gave me Elaine. I’ll always be thankful for her.

And there were so many others. Dr. Jeffrey Heyl, my choral teacher who taught me to love great classical vocal music. Dr. Ruth Price who patiently dismantled and rebuilt my pitiful technique and saved my aching arms. Daniel Schene who taught me that teaching is not telling, but rather leading the student to their own revelations, or what I like to call “light bulb moments.” Dr. Cathy Benton who stood by me through moments of accomplishment and moments when music caused me the deepest pain and hurt of my life. Dr. James Littles for teaching me what worship really means.

I count every one of these wonderful people a precious blessing in my life. We hear it over and over that we should be careful to realize the impact of our words and actions on the lives of those that God places under us. And while I wholeheartedly believe this, I have to take it one step further and remind us that how we use our influence and our calling is an act of worship, one that will be played out long after we are gone as a result of our shaping other lives. So, go type your list of those to whom you owe gratitude and follow it with the list of those whose lives have been placed in your hands. Perhaps a great title could be “My Act of Worship.”

Ice Princess Reveals All!

2008-12-04T11:10:00.003-06:00

Ms. Ballestero's post will be appearing in 90&9's Monday edition, as it includes a darling picture and some thoughts on the "most wonderful time of the year!"

Please visit again Monday.

It's that time of year again

2008-12-02T21:39:00.003-06:00

Feeling a tad schizophrenic. Last year, around this time, posted about a general dislike of Christmas music. But since it is the time of year to write about Christmas music... I have been listening to it nigh non-stop for three weeks and counting. Ever since purchasing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' Christmas CD. Greatly enjoying (mostly) the artistry mixed with playful revelry. Subject, verb, subject, verb, my kingdom for someone with a decent sense of grammar! Never. Not me. Not on your life. I send Blackberries.

Yes. I admit it. I crave "Jingle Bells" as performed by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones along with their very special guests. At first I was taken aback by the unusual throat singing. I found it somewhat distasteful. I associate throat singing with Tibetan monks and thought the juxtaposition of Christmas music with a Buddhist tradition rather appalling. But then in started to grow on me, in a good way. I admire the artistry and musicianship and I am no longer negatively distracted by the throat singing.

However, it brings me to an interesting spiritual application. Where is the "spirituality" in the performance of music? Is it in the performers? Is it in the style of music? Is it in the composition? Is it in some nebulous region in between or some combination of the above?

I believe the "spirituality" of music lies chiefly in the lyrics. Music that does not have a "programme" or words is hard for me to appreciate in any spiritual sense. I have discussed here before "spirituality" in one of Beethoven's late works. Certainly, there is something to the notion that we apply (or project) our own integrated spiritual presuppositions on the music that we listen to. However I can enjoy "Jingle Bells" with no sense of "spirituality" applied to the music. Or can I? Is all of life truly worship? I fear I may be trampling on some sacred cows here, but can I simply listen to Jingle Bells and be merry?

I also like "The Christmas Song," "Winter Wonderland," and "Sleigh Ride." Especially Johnny Mathis's "Sleigh Ride." Rock on. And merry Christmas to all!

Oh, Give Thanks!

2008-11-27T00:11:00.003-06:00

I love Eugene Peterson's The Message, especially the Psalms. I'd like to share a small portion of Psalm 105 with everyone during this season, this is my "Thanksgiving" Psalm...

Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name!

Tell everyone you meet what he has done!

Sing him songs, belt out hymns,

translate his wonders into music!

Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,

you who seek God. Live a happy life!

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday I would like to express gratitude to the many people who have influenced the musical aspects of my life and have literally made me what I am today...

I'd like to thank my parents who encouraged our musical interests as kids, even attending the fifth grade band concert which I am sure was excruciatingly painful on the ears. Thanks for piano lessons and for making me play in church even when I felt I was in way over my head. Thanks for patience and understanding through the "tortured artist" phases and for sacrificing monetary resources more than once so I could be a part of varied musical adventures.

Thanks to the people who at pivotal points in life spoke wise words to a young man floundering with life direction and purpose. I can now see the hand of God in what seemed like a chance conversation with Gayle Myers in her living room. A few years later it was Kevin in the San Francisco airport in a similar situation. Thank you both for being sensitive at crucial moments along the journey.

Thanks to my teachers with patience beyond understanding. Thank you, Dr. Bogard, for being blunt, for giving me weak knees at piano juries, and for unexpected encouragement when I most needed it. Thank you, Alla, for Shostakovitch. Thank you, Laura, for shaping my attitude towards church music and for teaching me how to play it. I owe much to you.

Finally, thanks be to God who gave us all the gift of music which we've known since the beginning, are enraptured by it in the present, and will carry it with us when we pass from mortality into immortality. You are the Master Musician.

Confessions of a Christmas Music Snob

2008-11-14T10:11:00.002-06:00

I really love this time of year. As the air gets colder I can finally haul out the sweaters, the occasional swing through the Starbucks drive-through is even more enjoyable, and there’s just that electricity in the air that excites and energizes me. And yes, I’m one of those weirdos who enjoy raking leaves. As I write today, there is a slow, steady rain – I love a good dreary day now and then.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this time of year is Christmas music. I’ll admit that this year I was listening WELL before Halloween – I just couldn’t wait any longer. Any why should I? Why should I put off listening to music that celebrates the birth of Christ? (Okay, I know that He wasn’t actually born on 12-25, but it’s just the time we choose to observe the most important event in history.)

But it’s inevitable. I turn on the 24-hour Christmas music station and some genius is singing about giving his or her heart to someone only for it to be given away – you know the song. Or someone else confesses that they want nothing else for Christmas, just YOU! You know that one, too. I’ll confess that drives me nuts. When someone hijacks a musical genre that is intended to celebrate Christ’s birth and shoehorns in their lamentations over their long-lost love, well, it just puts me over the edge.

Now granted, I know there’s “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives or “Silver Bells” done up in Harry Connick Jr’s inimitable style, to name a few. But to me the message is still in keeping with the spirit of the season – family, giving, compassion. I know that people really do feel those emotions of unrequited love, etc., but it really bugs me when we treat Christmas music like a recipe: take one really depressing pop song, add the word “Christmas,” sprinkle in a few other holiday connotations and you now have Christmas song. If I wanted to hear that I’d tune into the local soft-rock station.

So what do you all think? How far do we go? Do we keep the message pure and focused on the message of Christmas?
Meanwhile, I need a cup of tea while Tony Bennett soothes my soul with “White Christmas.”

And the Nominees Are . . .

2008-11-12T11:32:00.004-06:00

I have songs I would like to nominate for the hymnal. If we actually still used a hymnal that is. Rather I have songs that are modern but deserve hymnal status. I am judging them on the following merits*:

*I do not have the authority to classify songs. I haven't taken a class and I don't have my doctorate in Hymnology. I'm just a gal with an active opinion and the ability to type 70 WPMs on ninetyandnine.

Merit #1: POETRY
The songs have expansive language and majestic prose. This is not recyclable music that sounds like volume seven in the Praise series, with multiple uses of Praise, Hallelujah or Worship.

Merit #2: INCLUSION
Folks born before 1976 can enjoy these songs. The songs are singable to everyone.

Merit #3: CUZ I SAID SO
It's my week to post so if you disagree leave a comment and address it to Courtney!

Drumroll Please

Chris Tomlin’s “How Great Is Our God” -- a perfect example of fusing achaic language with modern worship style. Our church sings How Great Thou Art at the end and they blend beautifully. Congratulations Chris, we will plant a tree in your honor. Or, we'll at least keep singing your songs.

Mercy Me’s “I Can Only Imagine” -- Not my favorite, but according to my husband it meets the criteria. It has been far reaching for music lover's of all genre's. It is country enough. It is gospel enough. And it makes for great sign dramas. BONUS: It talks about heaven.

“Awesome God” -- Rich Mullins put it on the map. Michael W. Smith brought it back and it's been given the remix several times over. I'll admit, lyrics like "when he rolls up his sleeves he ain't just puttin' on the ritz" may not jive with Merit #1, but the chorus makes up for it.

If you can think of more to be added to the list, leave a comment!

Psalm 61

2008-11-04T06:00:00.001-06:00

I did something a bit unusual for me the other day. I was scheduled to sing a special, and, as seems to be the usual case, I had not procured any new soundtracks, listened to any new tunes that inspired me, nor had I sat down to put some chords together to plunk out on the piano along with a melody to one of the three or four songs I have been wanting to learn. So instead, I "winged it." I really hate doing that. It always feels so . . . uninspired. It's almost never with at least a nudge from the Spirit, and this time, well, this time I had received several nudges.

I have been trying to learn some Hebrew, on and off (more off than on) and was looking at Psalm 61. Shema elohim rinnati, haqsheba t'pillati. Hear, O Lord, my cry. Attend unto my prayer. I'd been meditating on this line for a few days and the Lord had given me two melody fragments for the first line. The superscription to the psalm alludes to it being accompanied on a string instrument or instruments. So I asked our bassist to accompany me solo, giving him the basic notes and key for my improvisation. I sang in D minor, giving it that slightly Hebraic feel that we all strive for when we play/sing in D minor. I know you all know what I mean!

I sang the first line in Hebrew, and then sang the whole Psalm through once in English, using bits and pieces of the two melodic fragments. Once or twice I added the first part of the first line in Hebrew as a sort of refrain. And where it said Selah, I nodded to the bassist for him to play a short meditation. All in all it was well received. I was more nervous than usual, given I don't sing improv much, and nearly the whole thing was improvised.

Anyway. Just something to think about. As always, I'd be interested in your thoughts.