Release Healing Truths

How strong, O Lord, are our desires,
how weak our knowledge of ourselves!
Release in us those healing truths
unconscious pride resists or shelves.

— Fred Pratt Green
"O Christ the Healer" (UMH No. 265)

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

I am mildly obsessed with this version of this hymn.

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

— George Matheson

Michael Franti & Spearhead // The Sound of Sunshine

Last spring, I saw Michael Franti & Spearhead open for John Mayer in Greensboro. Franti put on a killer show. His music and lyrics are uplifting, but he's not afraid to talk about real problems of poverty, gangs, etc. It is clear that the audience matters to him, not only when he opens the stage to any kids who want to come dance to his hit single "Say Hey" but also when he runs through the crowd with his guitar, singing and playing (which was cool in the Greensboro Coliseum, but cooler for my mom and sister when they saw him in the smaller Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte--they actually got to high-five him).

Franti's music defies and crosses genre barriers. He is a vocal supporter of a number of social justice issues. He's a vegan and hasn't worn shoes in ten years. The son of an Irish-German-American mother and an African-American and Native American father, Franti was adopted by a Finnish-American couple and raised with their 3 biological children and another adopted, African-American brother. His music reflects his diverse background and embraces cultures beyond his heritage.

Franti also made a film, I Know I'm Not Alone: A Musician's Search for the Human Cost of War, in which Franti travels to Iraq, Israel and Palestine with a few cameras and a guitar. Franti was tired of seeing news reports on the conflict that paid no attention to the humanity behind it. So he basically went to play music in the streets and to hear people's stories.

So...Michael Franti is pretty freaking amazing. I started this post to recommend his latest CD, The Sound of Sunshine, and got a little distracted. Back on task.

The Sound of Sunshine is *exactly* what the album name suggests. It is freaking auditory sunshine. Franti believes in the power of music to transform mood and renew a sense of purpose, and this CD does just that. And uplifting sound coupled with honest lyrics results in an album about whose message you can really care. Here's the first verse and chorus of one of my favorite songs from it, "Hey Hey Hey":

It's been a long time coming that I had to say
When I wake up in the morning all I do is pray
For some guidance and protection on the streets today
And an answer to the questions I ask everyday
So tell me why do the birds that used to fly here
Tell me why do they come to die here
And all the kids that used to run here
Tell me why do they load their guns here
I remember, in the days when,
We were one heart no need to defend
I just wrap my arms around
Don't give up this song is for you

Hey, hey, hey, no matter how life is today
There's just one thing that I got to say
I won't let another moment slip away
I say hey, hey, hey no matter how life is today
There's just one thing that I got to say
I won't let another moment slip away

Just for good measure, here's a 5-second video clip I took at the concert last March--a little girl who joined Franti for "Say Hey" and was so into it that he gave her the mic. Adorable.

I've Got the Methodist Blues

The other day, while listening to NPR, I heard this song on the radio. "Methodist Blues." I laughed my head off at lyrics like "Problems? We've got a whole long list / But we can't say cause we're Methodist" and "Church is a club, it's downright tribal" and "Our theology gets thinner and thinner / We don't talk about saving the sinner."

Then I recalled a conversation I had with a member at a Methodist church where I'm involved, where he said he and his wife came from different Christian backgrounds and decided on Methodist because it seems to be where anyone can come in. A part of me rejoiced at that, but I began to wonder what Methodism's identity was.

And then I got sad. I recalled Jon Stewart calling United Methodism "the University of Phoenix of religions" (see it in context here). And I remembered Dr. Stanley Hauerwas calling Methodism "flaccid." I thought about a classmate who is considering leaving the Methodist church because he is disappointed in our sacramental practices.

I love how diverse United Methodist congregations are. From high-church liturgical worship to old gospel black church to parishes that more closely resemble Baptist churches, we're all over the map. You aren't necessarily going to get what you expect at a Methodist church, even if you grew up in the denomination.

It's wonderful because it allows for the UMC to bring a myriad of people into communion with one another within the denomination. On the other hand, how much are we really doing that if our church is so fragmented in terms of liturgy, theology, practice and politics? Does a statement issued by the UMC mean anything really?

Yes, the Methodist church has problems. But it is my home, the place where I grew up, the place from which and to which I am called into ministry. Wherever God may take me in my vocation, I doubt you will ever find me far from the Methodist church, even with its tribalism and aversion to facing the reality of sin. My hope is that the Methodist church's true legacy is the evangelical revivalism that John Wesley originally intended.

Composer Robert Kyr Finds Inspiration at Christ in the Desert // From NPR Music

One of my favorite places on the planet!!!!!

Communion and Protestant Perplexity

Today in worship class, we're talking about the Eucharist (AKA the Lord's Supper, AKA Holy Communion). My interest was piqued when the professor pointed out a paragraph on page 51 of The United Methodist Book of Worship:

"The pastor, or laypersons at the direction of the pastor, may distribute the consecrated bread and cup to sick or homebound persons as soon as feasible following a service of Word and Table as an extension of that service. When this service is used as a distribution of the consecrated bread and cup, the Great Thanksgiving is omitted, but thanks should be given after the bread and cup are received."

Now, I had to ask a question, because I happen to know that this was a topic of debate at the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church. I realize that makes me a huge nerd, but here's why I know that: my dad was a part of that discussion and was texting me as the conversation was unfolding. I was his sort of "phone-a-friend" resource, and he had me look up Article 16 in the Articles of Religion (which are a pretty standard marker of how Protestant theology differs from Catholic theology, and which John Wesley adapted and adopted for Methodists). Here's the relevant section:

"The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but that we should duly use them."

When I brought this up, the professor pointed out that this article was written as a response to the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation (which basically means the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ). Catholic practices of adoration (worshipping/praying before the consecrated host), processing the Host in a monstrance (a really pretty display case for the Jesus cookie), Corpus Christi processions, etc., were unsavory to the early Protestants and remain so (except to some Anglicans...which is another story). Article 16 was meant to avoid magical associations made with the Eucharist ("This is my body" in Latin--hoc est corpus meum--became "hocus pocus"), not to keep Aunt Betty from participating in Holy Communion.

Fair point. However, I took issue with the professor's comment that the people at General Conference who debated this issue had forgotten CH13 (our intro church history course here at Duke). I didn't bother mentioning my dad's participation in the discussion with his M.Div. and Ph.D.--but this is my blog, so I can mention it here. :)

OK, so what, I may not agree with my professor entirely. But it did bring up an interesting consideration for me. Is the act of taking blessed bread and wine (er, grape juice) intended to incorporate the sick and homebound into the communal nature of the sacrament? I assume the alternative to bringing the elements to a person is to do the Great Thanksgiving with unconsecrated bread and juice. But should private communion services like that be avoided?

Maybe no one else cares about this, but I used to read liturgical theology for fun, so I do. :)

India Arie in Church?

We did this song in church today. :)

Thad Cockrell // To Be Loved

I recently picked up Thad Cockrell's latest album, To Be Loved. Consider me hooked. Folk/Americana/pop. Lyrics that communicate meaningful values, faith and truth in relationships.

The album opens with the track "Pride (Won't Get Us Where We're Going)," a song whose title is its message. I obviously like the song "Look Up Sarah," not only because I can claim it as "my" Thad Cockrell song, but because it has a happy, easy groove that is fun and celebratory in a laid-back, understated way.

Hit "Rosalyn" is radio-ready but sticks with me because of this uplifting line: "No matter how small the flame against the darkness, don't you know the light will win." And the shuffling, country-esque tune "He Set Me Free" is a straightforward declaration of redemption.

Apparently Jars of Clay (a band whose debut album is quite possibly my favorite CD of all time) is putting out a new album next month, and Thad is featured on 2 songs--one with Audrey Assad, another recent music discovery for me.

Check it out.

Chatham County Line // Wildwood

I've taken to listening to NPR in the car, and a week or two ago I found myself driving while 91.5 FM was broadcasting WUNC's Back Porch Music program. I heard a song that I really liked, and I learned from the DJ that it was "Alone in New York" by Chatham County Line. I downloaded their new album Wildwood and was pleased by the band's sound, which ranges from full-out stomping, clapping bluegrass to gentle ballads suspended by a mandolin or banjo. Critics have praised CCL for straddling the past and present of bluegrass, and I agree with them.

Of course, this made me realize that I like bluegrass music, but I own very little. I saw Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers in concert on campus last year, which was incredible, but I have very little in my iTunes from that genre. So I went to my housemate Samuel, who has a mind-blowing 110GB of music on his laptop, and swiped a few random albums. Be looking for more of those featured here.

Patty Griffin // Downtown Church

This article from PBS NewsHour's Art Beat piqued my interest in Patty Griffin's latest album, the rich and soulful Downtown Church. In the article, Griffin confesses she's "a lapsed Catholic at best," someone who left the church partly over frustrations with its male-centric language. But now she's made a gospel album, and apparently it was her idea to record it in a church--the Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN.

I purchased Griffin's CD and finally listened to it all the way through. It's gritty. It's raw. It's soulful. Griffin's own textured alto voice is joined by other artists in such a way that it encourages the listener to join in, too. I love the shuffling "Wade in the Water" and the stripped version of "All Creatures of Our God and King."

I don't know if recording Downtown Church changed anything in Griffin's heart, but I'm grateful to have it anyway.

A Rant About Worship

Don't worry, I'm not actually going to go on a rant about worship. Not right now, anyway. I just wanted to call attention to this post over at Evangel, the blog of First Things magazine. Make sure to click on the links within the post.

Laundry for Jesus

Earlier this month, I was in the wedding of one of my dear friends from Duke. It was a beautiful ceremony, but the hours and minutes leading up to it were predictably hectic. The maid of honor was late because the getaway car, which she was to park in front of the venue, wouldn't start; we forgot about the boutineers until the moment we were lining up to process in; and the wedding bands were left at the hotel and had to be retrieved by the significant others of myself and another bridesmaid while we assured the bride we had them on location. At some point, one of the groomsmen commented to me that a wedding seems a whole lot less organized when you're a part of the behind-the-scenes action.

That's not just true for weddings--it's true for worship in general. This year, I'm working as an intern with the chaplain's office in the Divinity School, so I get to help plan and lead worship in Goodson Chapel. This week, I've been helping out with services that are being held as a part of new student orientation. Yesterday morning's opening worship was wonderful, and I enjoyed simply being there. We sang great hymns and the third year student nominated to preach did an incredible job.

Perhaps my favorite part came after the service. I had just been on hand to help with whatever came up, and afterward I went back to the sacristy to assist in the cleanup. When I asked what I could do to help, I was handed a wad of linens from communion and a Clorox bleach pen. My major contribution to worship yesterday was to rub bleach on the grape juice stains on the napkins, then toss them in the laundry bag hanging on the closet door.

This wasn't the first time laundry had come up as a part of my job. This past Monday, we had our first worship planning meeting, and one official point of business was to decide who had a washer and dryer and would be responsible for laundering the linens as needed. I ended up being assigned laundry duty.

I love the fact that things like laundry are a significant part of the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into making worship happen. A wedding ceremony may look like a fairy tale to a guest and yet be fraught with all sorts of improvisation, mother-of-the-bride meltdowns and overlooked details; and worship may look glamorous and other-worldly to a congregation member, but it's really just a bunch of people doing what they can to honor the God to whom they owe their lives. Those people make typos in the bulletin or powerpoint, forget to take up the offering, and mispronounce Biblical names. We are children working together to produce a crayon drawing for our patient, loving father. And to him, that drawing is every inch a masterpiece of love.

David Wilcox and St. John of the Cross

If you've never heard of David Wilcox, remedy that immediately. The singer-songwriter is an incredible musician, artist and storyteller. His music is intelligent, clever and beautiful, and he is not afraid to tackle themes of politics, spirituality, addiction and more, all held together with songs about things like Waffle House.

He's released a number of wonderful records over the years, but the one I continually come back to is Live Songs & Stories. Wilcox is remarkable on stage. He talks while tuning his guitar, makes jokes and tells beautifully woven stories about his songs.

There are lots and lots of songs by Wilcox I could share, but I was just listening to his song "If it Wasn't for the Night" (not on the album I referred to, but still), and it struck me because it alludes to St. John of the Cross, specifically his famous poem "The Dark Night of the Soul." My roommate asked the other day if I had read that work--I had, in a religious poetry class in undergrad, and I really ought to go back to it.

Here are some of the lyrics of Wilcox's song:

If it wasn't for the night
So cold this time of year
The stars would never shine so bright
So beautiful and clear

Ah heck, just go listen, not only to that song but to just about everything Wilcox has put out. :)

Audrey Assad // The House You're Building

My roommate recently got me into a Christian musician named Audrey Assad. She's got a powerful sound, and her lyrics echo people like St. Augustine ("Restless"). She reminds me somewhat of Brooke Fraser, whom I adore. Check it out.

"Faithful" Brooke Fraser

Turn Around

At CCC, the senior high youth from HCUMC performed a skit as part of the Friday night campfire. It was to the Bonnie Raitt song "Total Eclipse of the Heart." (Sidebar: if you haven't seen the YouTube video "Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literal Video Version," bookmark that link and watch it after you read this.)

The skit was incredibly moving, and the youth did a great job with it. I'll spare you a lengthy description and just direct you to the video below of another group performing it. The addition that really shook me is that the girl playing the main part was Tristan, and her dad was an adult leader at CCC; at one point in the part where she was being pushed around inside the circle, she broke out, screamed "Daddy!" and ran to hug him before Amber, who was playing the Satanic character, pulled her away and back into the circle. I definitely cried.

Here's the thing. To my knowledge, I don't know that any of these kids have theater training. I know a number of the girls are very active in dance, but these are not the drama club nerds. I've seen it over and over again--kids you wouldn't normally see in an acting capacity get brought into a skit or drama for youth group, and they do a superb job. There's something about the sheer power of what's communicated through the drama that pulls in kids that you might never see on stage elsewhere.

This is proof to me that the arts have a very important place in the life of the church and that they can and should be accessible to everyone, regardless of "talent" or even interest. That's why someday I want a job with the words "worship" and "arts" in the title or description. There is a quality to the arts that is capable of transcending all sorts of boundaries and bringing people together for a common cause: in this case, for proclaiming a message of hope and redemption in Christ.

"You're Beautiful" Phil Wickham

I had never heard this song until we sang it several times this past week at CCC. I am now completely obsessed, and this video is pretty awesome. Watch/listen to this NOW.

"Silence, Frenzied, Unclean Spirit"

"Silence, frenzied, unclean spirit!"
Cried God's healing Holy One.
"Cease your ranting! Flesh can't bear it.
Flee as night before the sun."

At Christ's words the demon trembled,
From its victim madly rushed,
While the crowd that was assembled
Stood in wonder, stunned and hushed.

Lord, the demons still are thriving
In the gray cells of the mind:
Tyrant voices, shrill and driving,
Twisted thoughts that grip and bind,

Doubts that stir the heart to panic,
Fears distorting reason's sight,
Guilt that makes our loving frantic,
Dreams that cloud the soul with fright.

Silence, Lord, the unclean spirit
In our mind and in our heart;
Speak your word that when we hear it,
All our demons shall depart.

Clear our thought and calm our feeling;
Still the fractured, warring soul.
By the power of your healing
Make us faithful, true, and whole.

-- Thomas H. Troeger (UMH No. 264)

Psi: Connecting the Psalms with Ancient Greek Figurines

This is just a random observation on my part that I mentioned during last night's Psalms class. When I studied abroad in Greece in 2007, one of the souvenirs I brought home was a terra cotta statue (I assume a replica) like the one in this picture. Countless figurines have been found in the shape of several Greek letters--in this case, the psi (Ψ). The vaguely humanoid statues bear the trident shape of the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet, and they seem to lift their stubby arms up in praise.

Being both a language dork and a history nerd, I liked the imagery at the time. In researching for my Psalms series, I learned that the Greek word from which we get the name of the Biblical book is psalmoi, which means "songs sung to a harp." The fact that the first letter of psalmoi has been rendered as a symbol of an act of praise is pretty cool to me. Worship and music are meant for each other, and the Psalms embody that.

Field Notes #22: Psalms, The Mixtape

Watch out. The queen of CD mixes is back in action, this time with better technology and with the Psalms in mind. Tomorrow it's Psalms: The Songbook of the Bible, so we're talking about music! In preparation (and to have as a goodie for folks who come), I've created a playlist of music based on the Psalms. The CD covers a broad range of genres, and the tracks are arranged in numerical order by psalm. Here's my Psalms playlist (with the performer, not necessarily the writer, listed along with the referring psalm). You can hear song samples and download the whole playlist (minus tracks 17 and 19, for some reason) as an iMix in iTunes by clicking here.

1. "I Will Call Upon the Lord" Marty J. Nytrom (Psalm 19)
2. "House of God, Forever" Jon Foreman (Psalm 23)
3. "Cry of My Heart" Studio Musicians (Psalm 25:4-5)
4. "O Taste and See" John Rutter & The Cambridge Singers (Psalm 34)
5. "I Love You, Lord" Eric Quiram & The London Fox Singers (Psalm 35:9)
6. "Your Love, Oh Lord" Third Day (Psalm 36)
7. "As the Deer" Terry Clark (Psalm 42)
8. "A Mighty Fortress" John Rutter & The Cambridge Singers (Psalm 46)
9. "Create in Me a Clean Heart" Martin Smith (Psalm 51)
10. "Better Is One Day" Passion (Psalm 84)
11. "Bless the Lord" Tye Tribbett & G.A. (Psalm 103)
12. "East to West" Casting Crowns (Psalm 103:12)
13. "Not to Us" Chris Tomlin (Psalm 115)
14. "Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes" Choir of King's College, Cambridge (Psalm 117)
15. "Come to the Quiet" John Michael Talbot (Psalm 131)
16. "Forever" Chris Tomlin (Psalm 136)
17. "Cry Aloud" Shelly Moore Band (Psalm 141)
18. "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Psalm 103, Psalm 150)
19. "Let Everything That Has Breath" Passion (Psalm 150)