Getting it headed right

Last Sunday I got to play my new cello twice and I'm still reveling in the second opportunity. Piano, drums and me and 3 singers and it was fun and stretching. We, the musicians, were all older guys. The drummer played way back with Hugh and Fergus Marsh, both are deeply respected musicians in the local scene. Fergus used to tour with Bruce Cockburn in the eighties and I heard him play Chapman stick at that time.

I actually had fun Sunday afternoon. Because there was clear musical leadership from Matthew, even though rehearsal was only 40 minutes for 9 songs, we functioned truly as a band! In fact I was covering a variety of roles, bass, rhythm guitar, some soloing, pads etc. Interesting learning experience, I realized that I've forgotten my B major scale on the cello! (This is probably the dumbing down effect of a lot of worship bands and songs played in C and D.) I've borrowed from the public library 2 books on improvisation because I think I want to get serious again with music.

Matt just sent me links to "Worship team Hero" (see it here). What is really scary is the accuracy of how bland Christian worship has the potential to become.

75% of your vocalists must sing the melody. A maximum of two harmonies are allowed. These harmonies must be at 50% the volume of the melody. They must also be dragged out longer than the melody, to allow the congregation to hear them.

The accuracy is frightening.

Bonus points if everyone in your band (including vocalists) shows up on time. However, double MINUS those points because the sound techs are MIA. [translation missing in action]

Take the time to read the parody of "Worship Team Hero" - laugh and then cry for its accuracy.

The danger of inadequate assessment

I don't whether you read months back about the man who grew a finger back using pixie dust, a matrix extracted from pig cells. When I read it I was skeptical even when reported by the BBC (here) and other very reputable sources. Anyhow soon after details became clearer and clearer that it seemed to be a finger tip and not bone i.e. we're not dealing with limb replacement. If you're interested the badscience.net website has a good clear critique (be warned the picture is nasty here)

Now there is some truth to it all just not the extravagant claims that were made. Matrixes are being made from animal parts such as heart valves. It is simply exaggeration crept in. Some years ago I sliced off the one aspect of my index finger and half the nail, the thumb side. The flesh grew back and the nail grew out slowly covering the wound over about 6-8 weeks. The nail grew faster than normal. I can bear witness to that. But I cringe when people make extravagant claims which are not are not validated. However Evelyn, who I knew, went into hospital for surgery for a tumor clearly identified through ultrasound. However when she recovered from the anesthetic she met two doctors who sheeplishly admitted they couldn't find anything. She said she'd come to realize this incident was about God's care for her and something for her doctors. There are no crazy claims here.

I cringe when I hear people say that believing will solve all your problems, cure all your ills, and you will receive blessing on blessing. The faith of many does not bear witness to that. neither does the Biblical record. Only a few people healed, cured, delivered, and restored. Faith is something intensely personal and you can only truly assess it personally and even then it needs validation in practice and in discernment of spirits. One of my internationals shared on Saturday that God is real, after a year from becoming a Christian he bears witness that God is real. I give thanks for something real and true, because I knew him before and now.

Zimbabwe - what is justice?

I have watched Africa for a number of years and the post-colonial heritage. I now see issues of justice come into focus for me in the Zimbabwe situation. Formerly Rhodesia and a formerly white dominated country, things are different but not necessarily for the better. I don't fully understand how Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has seized power but the country is now ruled by Africans, which is Just? But was this really justice - I'm reminded of Alistair McIntyre's question - Whose justice?

The former white-owned farms are producing just 10% of the food they did a decade ago and long-established communal farmers, who used to grow the bulk of Zimbabwe's maize supply, are now growing about 25% of former production. The Guardian July 21 2008

It looks like famine is coming with the failure of the recent maize harvest without sufficient seed stock to replant and the hyper-inflation means people cannot buy food. Food aid has been blocked with the accusation of further colonialism. According to UN statistics a third of the population is chronically undernourished already. When will this reach the global news headlines? I remember the Ethiopian famine, which prompted the mega event LIVE AID 1985. I remember the images on the news of starved children. But this is the 2000s, and somehow we're in danger of being all compassioned out. Images don't touch us the same way, because they've been over used to get our money. Is there a real danger that we have lost our ability to feel, to be truly touched by other people's situations?

Somehow I think key is not merely the theoretical which I'm good at. But is still good to be informed otherwise we'd miss news about Zimbabwe. But more importantly to recognize what media and life as a whole can do to us. It can edit, forget, or exhaust us to name a few possibilities. Compassion is passion together and therefore feeling together i.e. an empathic response. To hear the other person in pain rather than to be deaf to it, is the right move. Remember Zimbabwe and perhaps notice the volume of your organic waste from your kitchen.

There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of dread and fear ... Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears' Band Aid Do they know its Christmas?

Perspectives

Today I got to play my cello at two services in very different settings. They provide some very interesting points of reflection particularly when I was asked after the second whether I was ministered to even though I was actually playing.(thanks Carny) Strangely I have to say a definite to the second - Yes. Not because the service was twice the length, nor because the congregation were multiracial, nor even a sense people willing to worship. I think I can place the issue key in the message of surrender. It was delivered beautifully and intensely intentionally in an opening video sequence of images, carefully selected songs and hymns, a message passionately delivered with a pastoral focus and communion and prayers. Everything was woven into a beautiful tapestry and I didn't only enjoy myself but was genuinely touched.

I have watched at this very unique BBC new video (here) This is not a CGI, computer generated image. But is genuinely taken from a NASA craft in deep space of the moon circling the earth. The issue is one of perspective. We can never see this from Earth, only from outside its orbit. I don't think I've really ever thought about ministry and being ministered to as a single action. But of course giving and receiving are intensely precious in our lives. We give our lives, our selves, all that we are and receive back even more; a Life in all its fullness.