Congregational Life Centre
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Rhythms of the Spirit
at High River United Church
The name was appropriate. We experienced the Spirit of God through rhythmic music, and passion-filled story telling. Opportunities to participate were everywhere and the leadership was exceptional. It was truly one of the best events I have ever had the opportunity to experience in the church. God was with the 150 or so participants who sang, drummed, danced and mimed action songs through two days filled with music, laughter, music, spirituality and more music.
The line-up
of musicians was incredible - Bruce and Cheryl Harding, Peter Woods &
Brian Browne, Paul Rumbolt, Common Cup Company, Linnea Good and David Jonsson,
and Barry Luft. There were concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings, theme
presentations with the message delivered as much through the music as with
words, and a broad choice of workshops on music making.
Rain, rain, rain, rain . . .
Can't you hear the rushing rain?
Pouring down to earth
To revive us again.
There was a lot of enthusiasm in a crowded High River United Church as Bruce and Cheryl Harding led in singing this chant written by Bruce. Bruce Harding is a prolific composer. He believes in using simple two, four or six line refrains repeated, sometimes antiphonally, giving a sense of immersion in the spirit of the words and the music. Bruce and Cheryl led in creating musical moments that had everyone involved. It was music that spoke to the emotions and the spirit. Bruce was very present throughout the whole time, often invited on stage to provide flute or African drumming to enrich the presentations of other groups.
Peter Woods plays a mean jazz saxophone and is equally at home in the professional jazz scene as in the church. When not touring or recording, he is the pastor of Trinity United Church in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Brian Browne his partner at High River is an experiences pro on the jazz piano.
A highlight for me was Peter playing a jazz version of "Over the Rainbow" while communion was served. The familiar melody given new life in a jazz format created a spiritual atmosphere that was deeply moving.
Paul Rumbolt grew up with folk music in Newfoundland. His music combines those Celtic roots with rock and roll rhythms, a toe-tapping melodic formula. He shared music from his latest album, "SongSmith":
Walkin' on the planet
Walkin' on the earth
We are walkin' to the rhythm of rebirth
Walkin' from the ashes
Walkin' from the dust
We are walkin', walk with us.
Its a song of invitation that speaks to every generation that cares for the earth and wants renewal in the church.
Paul led a songwriting workshop on Saturday afternoon. A short introduction, a few words of encouragement, one sample song he had written, and then those participating were on their own. Come up with a song in the next hour. The results were surprising, if not astounding. Each of the five teams produced a song that you and I would be proud to have sung for our congregation. One groups built a beautiful melody around two lines:
Quietness and confidence
Will be my strength.
The group I was part of took inspiration from the "lilies in the field" for the verse and the days full of music for the chorus:
God is praised with strumming strings,
Singing voices taking wing,
Crashing cymbals, all those things
We are celebrating.
Linnea Good on the piano along with David Jonsson on drums created a movement of their own. Linnea has a broad repertoire of songs she has written. Some, like "I'm having a bad hair day" are very humorous. Others convey an up-to-date theology. Yet others are deeply spiritual and moving.
In addition to the music, Linnea told two stories during worship in a way that brought them to life. When Elijah took on the prophets of Baal and called on Yahweh to set fire to the altar, we felt the heat. It was an example of how alive scripture can become. Our response to the worship was that every worship leader in the church should have been there to experience how worship should be done - worship that is participatory, genuine, and heart-felt. It was worship with an integrity that came from the full involvement of both the leadership and those present, united in a single act of being present to a greater presence.
The Common Cup Company are aging. It happens to all of us. One of the things it has done for them is give rise to the songs that speak to the process of aging. Their theme presentation Saturday afternoon, mostly through music, spoke of a mother's dementia and a brother's death. We all had tears. Their evening concert showed the other side of their talent - 25 years of creating music sung everywhere in the church. The evening finished with the magic of "She Flies On". I think all our spirits took wing.
Special thanks have to go to Susan Lukey and David Robertson, High River clergy, whose behind the scenes coordination and worship leadership made "Rhythms of the Spirit" a truly spiritual event. The hospitality provided by the members of High River United Church was outstanding. We felt truly blessed.
It was a magic time - the whole two days. Even more meaningful, we all felt a deep sense of the presence of God. It came through the way the musicians shared their professional-level talent and through the enthusiasm of those who came to celebrate the important place music shares in our lives.
Bruce Harding's site gives access to his CDs, mp3 downloads, ring tones for your phone and djembe drumming lessons. www.melodicarts.com/bruceharding. You can read his appreciation of "Rhythms of the Spirit" and print copies of "Rushing Rain" at Evensong Worship Resources www.evensong.ca.
You can learn about Peter Woods & his jazz piano partner Brian Browne at www.peterwoodsmusic.com or http://www3.sympatico.ca/peterwoods.
The Paul Rumbolt site gives you an opportunity to hear the song "Walk with Us." www.paulrumbolt.com
Linnea Good - www.linneagood.com.
The Common Cup Company can be found at www.commoncup.com.
Barry Luft - www.barryluft.com
Congregational Life Newsletter. June 2010. Volume 16 No. 5.