Thank you Mr. Keillor

What a wonderful summer. Hollywood Bowl was the sight of an amazing intimate exchange between Garrison Keillor and 18,000 audience participants. Arriving to witness the final Prairie Home Companion folks were ushered into a sacred sharing of laughter, mortality, genuine affection and earnest appreciation. For companions of the show, old timers and neophytes alike, the event was a sensuous evening of entertainment that caressed heartstrings and funny-bones.

At show's end, Mr. Keillor quietly led 18,000 folks in a moving sing along. My wife was deeply blessed by the absolute thrill of singing with her 87 year young mother. From Goodnight Irene, Happy Trails, the Doxology, Swing Low, Falling In Love, to Amen – the two enjoyed a fellowship unique to singing with someone you have loved a lifetime.

Janet was reminded of Mr. Keillor's words on Methodists. Written almost a decade ago, they still strike a chord. He wrote:

We make fun of Methodists for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed, and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese.

 But nobody sings like them. If you were to ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Methodist-less place, to sing along on the chorus of “Michael Row the Boat Ashore,” they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Methodists, they’d smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach! And down the road!

 Many Methodists are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony, a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person’s rib cage.

 It’s natural for Methodists to sing in harmony. We are too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you’re singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it’s an emotionally fulfilling moment. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other.

I do believe this: People, these Methodists, who love to sing in four-part harmony are the sort of people you can call up when you’re in deep distress. 

Student Music Ministry at CUMC

I am excited, inspired, hope-filled.

The direction music ministry is taking CUMC is disciple making at its best. Encouraging young people to develop skills, strengthen talents, and discover ways they can impact the world is a remarkable culture. Achieving excellence and having fun, developing inspiring leadership and compassionate relationships, living out the gospel in ways that build up others are all key ingredients to a culture of encouragement.

Music ministry is more than a rehearsal or learning a “part.” The ministry creates and sustains an environment encouraging each young person to discover God’s unique gifts and call. We (the church) are a community encouraging young people to stretch their wings, explore possibilities, and strengthen positive leadership skills. We are a community which considers nurturing the confidence of young artists to be a high sacred calling. At the heart of our music ministry is a community of veteran musicians welcoming and standing along-side young artists. These veterans are themselves encouraged by those they affirm.  

Dr. Irene Messoloras is the Director of Music Ministry at Covina United Methodist Church. She uses the amazing talent with which God blessed her to encourage, inspire, and equip young people. Her exceptional leadership, heart for joyful artistic excellence, and compassionate commitment infects the music ministry.  

Covina has already been impacted by this exceptional ministry. Music in worship has touched hearts and stirred souls. Public presentations have offered joyful inspiration. People are finding a connection with God through music. 

I count as a blessing the joy of watching young people grow in skills, confidence, and passion. A culture of encouragement is the gospel giving life to everyone.

You are an important part of the community. You can share the culture of encouragement:

• A financial donation is always welcome.
• Spread the word about our exceptional music.
• Bring a friend to worship or a concert.
• Be blessed by the inspiration.
• Tap a musician on the shoulder and say, “Thank you for the music. I’m glad you are here.”

Star Wars Day

Star Wars Day is upon us. A twist on the catchphrase so central to the formation of Luke Skywalker, “May the Fourth, be with you.”

So I join the celebration by sharing a pun or two floating around the web.

Words from Yoda are a good place to start. (Let your ears hear that distinct Yoda Voice)

"Forgiven you,

Jesus Has"

This teen post reminds us that science and faith often come to the same conclusion. From //teenagerposts.tumblr.com:

"You're alive; you have mass; and you occupy space.

  Do you know what that means?

  YOU MATTER!"

Just past Star Wars Day is Mother’s Day. A great time to celebrate the gift of life!  

More Than A Caterpillar with Wings

The Butterfly has been a powerful symbol or metaphor for new life. It is an image used at Easter time to evoke beauty and freedom.   

Ferris Jabr, writing for Scientific America penned this description of metamorphosis at:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/caterpillar-butterfly-metamorphosis-explainer/

Once inside the cocoon: …the caterpillar, releases enzymes to dissolve all of its tissues… But the contents of the pupa are not entirely an amorphous mess. Certain highly organized groups of cells known as imaginal discs survive the digestive process. Before hatching, when a caterpillar is still developing, it grows an imaginal disc for each of the adult body parts it will need as a mature butterfly or moth—discs for its eyes, for its wings, its legs and so on.

Once a caterpillar has disintegrated all of its tissues except for the imaginal discs, those discs use the protein-rich soup all around them to fuel the rapid cell division required to form the wings, antennae, legs, eyes, genitals and all the other features of an adult butterfly or moth. 

The transformation is total. A butterfly is not a caterpillar with wings.

Celebrating Resurrection Sunday is all about becoming a new creature in Christ. We celebrate that in each of us is are “spiritual imaginal discs,” formed by God, wakened by Christ, and given new life by the Holy Spirit. In Christ our being is transformed. We rise from the tomb of sin and death, not as old selves with wings added. We rise as new creatures.