.:. Thee Art Hovel List and "ing"

I'm quickly learning that time spent around small people who are just learning to talk is a good exercise in keeping the ol' noodle sharp. I remember all sorts of funny stories from editorials and pastors and blogs and...probably Garrison Keillor about kids saying something completely unexpected or thinking they had said something wild when they were simply speaking toddler. Getting together with friends from college the other night was part of the catalyst for my reflection here. The other piece of the puzzle for me has been with the worship band that I lead. We have such a deep pool of talented musicians. Vocalists, instrumentalists, leaders, students who are honing their skills in songwriting, fun things for the little extra "flare" like banjo, oboe, or harp...what DON'T we have?

I think that sometimes we don't have "the art of listening." I think that we have pounded through songs that we've done hundreds of times only to get to the end and listen for the first time only after that last big hit.

How is it that great musicians get to that point? I'm as guilty as anyone! How do I fall into that? To play music IS to listen. I know this! I've had hosts of amazing ensemble directors who have driven this through my skull since before I could say my R's. I think we need freedom and we need to see the bigger picture. We need to be able to get beyond the little note that I'm playing and hear all of the things that weave us together into some mysterious tapestry (sorry, but I'm serious).

When I teach one of my students how to play the blues, often one of the first things I tell them is to think of it like a conversation. You say something, you say it again for emphasis, you're asked for more details, so you reiterate what you just said, so you both expound and go do something cool. So if music is communication, no one wants to hear me blab all day (I know, I'll finish this blog soon). There's a natural rhythm of speaking and listening--how much more true when you're playing with other people! This is probably where I should share the old addage that God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth...

so does anyone else out there have any thoughts? Or have I just talked too much yet again?

Design your own church...

What does it mean to be the Church?

I think a lot of people have pretty strong feelings about what a church should be. We have our pet peeves about our church or that church that we used to go to. So if you were going to start a church today, what would you do to “start it?”

If you’re at all like me, you might start by sitting back and wondering what is most important. You might think up principles that you’d employ and maybe you could spin those into a list of values or even a “mission statement.” You make it good and catchy, theologically sound, and clear enough that people can live it. Then none of these problems that you see with the church could squeak in. Next, you come up with a marketing strategy about how you’ll bring in other people and hope that some of the people you bring in have good gifts that you can use to expand what it is that you’re going for. “Maybe we have a weekly get together- maybe in the evening...maybe even a weeknight to be a little extra edgy. Wait, people are more flexible on the weekends. Saturday night. That’s good.” You think through what would be unique and exciting, authentic and creative. Then we give it a little dose of structure and as people start flocking to this thing, we get some more resources to funnel into it and build it up into something really big and cool.

How would Jesus build a church? How did he?

He got a group of people together who were willing to seek God. He taught them that, if nothing else, you’re supposed to love God with all that you are-with every thought, word, movement, and emotion because you’ve heard about how deep his love for you is. And that needs to lead to pushing down your desires to be great, to be served, to be in charge, to be the expert, and focus on other people. Those people started living differently. They related to people differently-to each other differently. People wanted to hear their story and came into their community and shared meals with them and learned to pray with them.

Could something like that still work today?

Then, as people start flocking to this thing, we'd get some more resources to funnel into it and build it up into something big and cool--then it can be really great. Then I can make sure my needs are met–I’ll be in charge. After all, I will be the expert-the one who created this thing...

Lord have mercy.