Musical Spirituality Reprise

Thought this post from August 2009 was worth revisiting...

Musical Spirituality

My mom is a piano teacher. When I first learned to play the piano, the keys, learning the notes and then chords, inversions, and scales were drilled into my head. One octave - two octaves - three octaves - accenting keys accordingly. These were the building blocks that my love of music, of playing music, and of listening to music was built on.

The keys are the same wherever you may go, but what people do with them, the musical compositions, from classical to rap and metal to hymns to rock-n-roll to jazz...they are all different styles, just in different arrangements of the notes.

That is a simple way of how I view Christianity. In this analogy, the notes would represent foundational Truth, core concepts about the nature of Christ and such, the virgin birth, and the Resurrection, etc. The way the "notes" are presented in composition varies from fellowship to fellowship.

In a Lutheran congregation, you might find those notes in more of a classical style similar to Mozart. In a reformed congregation, these notes might take on an arrangement similar to that of a waltz. A non-denominational congregation could vary from rap to 70s rock-n-roll to - dare I say it? - jazz (with a nod to Don Miller)in their presentation of "the notes." And biker churches? Gotta be similar to Stevie Ray Vaughn:) But the notes are still the same.

How would your walk with God appear musically? A symphony? A waltz? A great 70s guitar solo? Something that you could slam dance to? Or sadly, a dirge?

Just my random thoughts for this morning, and if you have read this far, you might enjoy the following from Keith Giles...

"What I think we fail to realize is that, conversion to Christ is really a process of falling in love with Jesus over a period of time. When we make this process about a series of steps and a progression of words, we have seriously interfered with something that is far outside our ability to grasp and coordinate."

Read The Entire Article.

This excerpt also reminded me of another quote that I have written in the front of my Bible...

"I think the most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus." Don Miller in Blue Like Jazz.

Beatles - Hey Jude (please click thru to blog to listen)

An Odd Pairing?

I love the song Closer To The Heart by Rush. Here it is if you have not heard it and the lyrics follow:



Closer To The Heart

"And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones to start
To mould a new reality
Closer to the heart

The blacksmith and the artist
Reflect it in their art
Forge their creativity
Closer to the heart

Philosophers and ploughmen
Each must know his part
To sow a new mentality
Closer to the heart

You can be the captain
I will draw the chart
Sailing into destiny
Closer to the heart"

As I was listening to the song, the words, I found the theme of people from different backgrounds with different abilities all being called to contribute the talents that they have been given to something bigger than themselves. The following from 1 Corinthians 12 then came to mind:

"4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[b]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[c] 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[d] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ..." "27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it."

Everyone has a part to play. No one is expendable. Philosophers or plowmen, blacksmiths or artists, captains or navigators, fishermen or tax collectors... as followers of Jesus we are called to tell others about Him, His love, His redemption, His grace, His compassion. We are His body, and as we take seriously our faith, our hope, our love for Jesus, we will begin...

Molding a new reality
Forging our creativity
Sewing a new mentality
Sailing into destiny...

closer to His heart.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Totally Random Post on Chick Flicks

I admit it - I love a good chick flick. I have a whole string of them that I put on from time to time just for the sheer pleasure of it. I am listening to my playlist, and a song from one of my fave chick flicks just came up, so I felt compelled to post the songs as well as the movie... If these links do not come thru on Facebook, please click "view original post" and it should take you to my blog so you can see the links!

A Lot Like Love


And the songs...
Brighter Than Sunshine - Aqualung


Look What You've Done - Jet


Breathe

What A Disciple Is...From Starving Jesus

Quoted from Starving Jesus, pages 78-80...

"A disciple doubts.
A disciple deceives.
A disciple denies.
A disciple forgets.
A disciple fears.
A disciple changes lives.
A disciple is arrogant.
A disciple denies himself.
A disciple believes Jesus is Savior.
A disciple heals.
A disciple leads.
A disciple hides.
A disciple is human.
A disciple loves.
A disciple protects.
A disciple is radical.
A disciple is lost.
A disciple is healed.
A disciple leaves his life.
A disciple cuts off ears.
A disciple follows Christ.
A disciple gives his life for others.
A disciple dies for faith.
A disciple sins.
A disciple is called to be a disciple.
A disciple falls away from Christ.
A disciple prays.
A disciple leads people to Christ.
A disciple gets in the grill of others.
A disciple has little faith.
A disciple has no attachment to men.
A disciple has no attachment to religion.
A disciple will write.
A disciple will teach.
A disciple will lie.
A disciple will tell the truth.
A disciple forgives.
A disciple asks for forgiveness.
A disciple rants.
A disciple travels.
A disciple fasts.
A disciple questions.
A disciple hopes.
A disciple gets angry.
A disciple does not worry.
A disciple worries.
A disciple likes money.
A disciple doesn't worry about money.
A disciple has friends.
A disciple has a church.
A disciple gives up.

Disciples leave their lives and follow Christ...You will not find them sitting in pews. You will find them among the wolves."

Food for thought.