Wild World
Yesterday AndyMac sang for us and this was one of the songs he chose. He talked about how sometimes God lets us make our decisions - he lets us go our own way, even when he knows the outcome is not what his heart desires. Sometimes, AndyMac said, God lets us go, and this song expresses what he must be feeling at such times. I was deeply affected by what he said and by the songs he chose. I’ll never hear this song the same way again.
A Jazz Shaped Faith
On Sunday we were talking Jazz. Well, Ian was talking Jazz. Specifically, about the intersection of Jazz and faith. How is it possible that jazz and faith intersect? Ian shared with us Finding the Groove: Composing a Jazz-Shaped Faith
In the video above there’s a drum solo that begins at about the 5:00 minute mark and lasts about 2 and half minutes. It’s really quite elegant. The drummer goes someplace all his own but never loses the feel of the song and, when the time is right, Dave Brubeck turns around, puts his fingers on the keyboard, and the band comes together again beautifully.
For years I tried to like jazz but just couldn’t understand it. There didn’t seem to be any melody, no tune to follow along with. One day I heard that the secret to listening to jazz is to hear each individual instrument but hear them all, together, at the same time. The moment I was able to do this it suddenly just opened up for me. That seems like a perfect description of community, also - a place where each individual voice is heard but where all our voices, together, create something really beautiful.