Final Week of Sabbatical

Wow! What a wonderful journey this has been. Since my last writing, words came to me for the tune “healing waters” and the title is changed to “A Saint’s Prayer”. Late in the night the words came to me based on the outpouring of the man’s life at the laundry. In summary, “I know you’re there Lord, just hear my plea.” We’ve all said that at one time or another.

For worship Sunday I attended worship with the Episcopalian congregation where Padre Steve is one of my Lectionary study buddies. (I’m actually meeting with my buddies to help me prepare to return this Sunday before I take my last few days to visit my mother.) As I entered the worship service, I felt that my journey had come full circle. Episcopalians share much in common with the Roman Catholic tradition at the Pecos Benedictine Community and having begun my journey I felt it unique that I was concluding at a worship experience so very similar, but with one important difference, the Eucharist. Having been excluded from the full fellowship of the table at Pecos, it brought tears to my eyes to receive communion at the altar rail of the Episcopal church. All our traditions are near yet so far!

I am grateful to all who have made this Sabbatical journey possible. The dedicated Lay Leadership at Christian Church of the Covenant has made a huge difference in this Pastor’s life. I’ve been given the freedom and resources to pursue a dream of music. In many ways the song is only just begun. Some exciting adventures lay ahead with the Seasons of Thanks, Advent, and Christmas. I’ve been invited to participate in an Ordination the first Saturday of December. Thanks for sharing this journey with me. I will try to keep the blog going from week to week.

Grace and peace with a song in my heart,
SongWriter

Two Songs, Well Almost

I know it’s been over a week since I’ve written. Linda was here and we attended our first ever War Eagle Mill Craft Weekend and still didn’t make it to all the craft shows in the area. We spent Saturday night with Mindi and her boys Carson and Cole in Fayetteville and attended the early worship “praise” service at First Christian with Mindi. It was a delightful service. We appreciated the wonderful hospitality. When I returned to my campsite, I encountered my first real problem of the stay, no water. My one neighbor explained that a major water leak had shut down the back side of the camp. She helped round up enough hose to cover a football field and helped me hook up to water at the front of the camp.

I finished an instrumental song… no words yet and perhaps it doesn’t need any words. I’ve decided to call it “Healing Waters” after visiting the Blue Spring Heritage Center and gardens, and learning the history of Eureka Springs. I visited there on Tuesday. Words alone cannot describe. I’ll try to remember to put the pictures on my church web site. And I would hope that the song might convey, even without words, the feeling of the place.

My first song, “Time Won’t Wait for Friends” is close to completion. I just need to spend some time on the computer manually correcting my “midi” mistakes. I’m still no musician but I’m finding it easier to play, the more I play. The music is definitely all around me. If I had another month I’m sure I could write several songs now. However, I am having a few technical problems with my computer.

I met an interesting man at the laundry yesterday. He told me a good bit of his life story. It is truly interesting what happens when you simply listen. I even visited his home where he showed me a video of his work with big cats, you know lions and tigers and more, oh my! We then went out to the game reserve he founded. The rain chased us back inside before we could complete the tour. I suppose our meeting was another one of those “God” things. We just happened to cross paths at the laundry. I wish I had met him sooner in my stay here. Hopefully, if the weather clears, I will visit with him again before I leave. He would like to show me a place he describes as a “Holy Place”.

Grace and peace with a song in my heart,
SongWriter

God Understands Giggles in Church (I hope)

Is it OK to get the giggles in church? It doesn’t happen to me very often (I can’t remember the last time), but there I sat during Holy Communion, no less, doing my absolute best to hold back the giggles. You see, we didn’t read the fine print in the bulletin well enough. I did glance at it to see the “trespasses… trespassed” part and that “everyone who believes is invited to partake…” but I missed the part about “hold the elements for unison participation.” We received the bread and placed it in our mouths, when the lady deacon said, “don’t take that until the end.” I removed the wafer from my tongue (you know those round ones that are almost like Styrofoam anyway) and picked up a cup, but she was in such a tizzy to correct us, that the deacon went on before Linda was served. So I handed my little cup to Linda, and that’s when the absurdity of it all hit me, and I jiggled as I stifled my giggle. So, here’s my reflection on attending church at a Disciples church near Eureka Springs…

Lord, I got the giggles today,
The Deacon corrected me then she turned away,
Lord, I know it is time to simply pray
But I thought it funny how she removed the tray.

Lord, I didn’t mean any disrespect.
The Deacon’s reprimand I didn’t expect.
The instructions I missed, I was not correct.
Does this mean I’m doomed at the resurrect?

The sermon had gone on and on,
Eight points is simply much too long.
That deacon told me I was doing it wrong
I guess at this church I just don’t belong.

Don’t worry Miss Deacon I won’t be back.
Unwanted attention I don’t like to attract.
I was just a visitor, didn’t mean to distract
And from your Order I won’t again subtract.

In a few weeks I’ll be back at my home.
I’ll try to remember what it was like to roam,
And when someone’s different I won’t moan,
I’ll think of my giggles and be glad to be home.

Hmmm. Now what about a tune?

Grace and peace with a song in my heart,
SongWriter

The Jesus Prayer

I have a much greater appreciation for song writers now. I’m seeing that at the worst I will have a draft of a song when I conclude. It seems like such an uphill journey at this time. The software and keyboard are working together just fine, they simply have problems with the aspiring SongWriter, or as when trying to learn to drive a standard shift automobile, we are encountering “operator problems”. But the journey is worth it all. At least I’m only inflicting pain upon the critters around me. It might be encouraging to hear a song-bird instead of a crow. Then again, the crow just might be in closer harmony with my sound presently. I’m no song crooner, but I’ll croon a song to the song crooner comes.

I’ve been reading an interesting book written by and about the spiritual journey of a Russian peasant, The Way of a Pilgrim. His travels are primarily an interior spiritual journey. The peasant seeks to learn how to pray without ceasing. Early on he is encouraged to pray “The Jesus Prayer.” Are you familiar with the Jesus Prayer? I had not encountered it before. At first I thought perhaps the Lord’s Prayer, but it is not. The Jesus Prayer is stated as, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.”

I’ve found it to be a profound prayer. I’ve even wondered if perhaps all these years we would be bettered identified as members of the sinner’s church instead of the Christian church. Imagine coming into a community and encountering the “First Sinner’s Church” or “Sinner Church of the Covenant.” I’ve noted that the word “Harvest” is a frequent word in new churches where I’ve travelled. Almost every community has a “Harvest” church. But I have yet to see a Sinner Church. Even the Apostle Paul recognized he was first among those least likely to become followers of Jesus.

If you put the Jesus Prayer on the forefront of your thinking, it does begin to influence your thinking. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner. (I’m a sinner and I approve this message.)

Grace and peace with a song in my heart,
SongWriter

HOSPITALITY

I’m well on my way now with my first song. “Time Won’t Wait for Friends”. I shared a bit of it last week and even that has changed now. It’s about relationships and the passage of time. It’s a story that we can all identify in our friendships, but also about a story shared with me by another friend.

While visiting the Monastery in Pecos, N.M. last month I said something about their hospitality and wanting to talk a little more on the subject. Just the other day, I overheard a manager and crew meeting at McD’s. You tend to overhear a lot of things when you spend some time in solitude. Some would call it “eavesdropping”, but I just call it listening to my surroundings. I heard the manager say something like this, “I don’t care what they look like to you. Even if their dressed shabby and smelly, I want you to treat them just like any other customer.” Isn’t that the essence of hospitality? Sure, we’re more comfortable when we’re with people just like ourselves, but the object of hospitality is to make the stranger feel at home. I’m beginning to understand exactly what it feels like to receive genuine hospitality.

Even the words that we use trying to show hospitality sometimes fall quite short of our intentions. I remember receiving a note in my early days at Covenant from Dr. Masters after he had visited calling my attention to my use of the phrase, “It’s so nice to have you with us this morning.” I knew what he meant when I was told that repeatedly one Sunday morning and realized that I’m not a ham sandwich. One might have a ham sandwich, but you’re not having me.

I have a minister friend in Louisiana who was accused of “radical hospitality” last month. I received a note from someone who was helping a family member relocate to Ruston, Louisiana over the Labor Day Weekend. They had some special needs and found tremendous help from this minister and his congregation there. In the midst of it all, this person was able to connect the Ruston minister with me (once again it is a small world) and then sent me an email about the experience. The last time I called his number, it had changed, so it was great to get back in touch with my friend.

If McD’s is concerned about hospitality, how much more should we be concerned about it in the church? I seem to recall one of the ways that Jesus separated the sheep from the goats had a lot to do with hospitality. I experienced hospitality at worship last Sunday. Yes, I was back in Enid for the weekend. I found out that one of my “lectionary” friends were serving hamburgers after church, so I worshipped there. Actually it was one of the most unique and friendly services I have attended. It was held in the midst of one of the Habitat for Humanity Houses being built in Enid.

Grace and peace with a song in my heart,
SongWriter

Too Bountiful

October 2, 2008

As the calendar turns to October the leaves are starting to turn, but many of them are already falling. I begin to wonder will there be any leaves left for Fall Colors? The campground road is practically covered in leaves. And yet, there remain many more on the trees. Is bountiful a word that applies to how you view God? It seems like I remember Jesus telling many parables to describe God’s love and grace as bountiful, indeed too bountiful for many of His listeners. The leaves which remain and will show us bountiful colors, might serve to remind us of God’s bountiful love.

Speaking of bountiful, I guess my words are too bountiful to bring to music. I must figure a way to use fewer words, and still convey texture and meaning and then add music. I’m sure someone might say to me, “Hey, if you can figure out how to convey meaning and texture of feelings with fewer words, your sermons might be better.” One songwriter told me that the process is similar to writing a sermon, just using fewer words and being more precise.

I’ve been told that there is bad financial news all over the world. It is convenient to be without television news right now. Life is simpler without so much input, especially the campaign rhetoric. But if I’m right about the bountiful leaves representing the bountiful God, then sooner or later we might set aright our economy by living as true stewards of all that God has bountifully given us.

Grace and peace with a song in my heart,
SongWriter