Vineyard Conference

This week, I am very proud of my tribe.

In a day when it is popular to sound hip talking about alternative methods and forms of church - often outside of denominational constraints - I am proud to say I love the Vineyard.

Being part of a family is messy. We never know how our mom may embarrass us or what jam Uncle Bob may get himself into. But we love them anyway. We are committed and bound to our families because of deep and profound love, our genetics and our history.

I have been a part of the Vineyard since 1990. I was hooked from the moment I attended my first conference in Anaheim, where I heard like-minded, ordinary people get up and talk in a way I understood and deeply appreciated. They were expressing a passion for the church and a desire for authentic spirituality that I craved. I quickly grew to love and identify with this group of people. I have experienced various waves, transitions and even extremes in my years in the Vineyard. But I have always sensed a deep devotion and passion to follow God and a readiness to repent and change courses when necessary.

I don't think I can really ask more of a relationship.

This week, while attending the National Leadership conference, I am reminded of why I am a part of this community...this tribe...this family.

The theme of the week is heroic leadership and the first few talks have stirred me.

Bert Waggoner (National Director) started the week on a strong note, using the story oif Esther to remind us that heroic leaders:

• Have a compelling value of God's people that drives us. He reminded us that building the church is good and right and worth it.
  
• Take risks. He encouraged us to free ourselves from what powerfully holds us back and to live our lives for an audience of one
• Are captured by sacrificial love that allows us to say, "If I perish, I perish". This love only comes from the experience of love.
  

Cheryth Fee Nordling gave a powerful talk which focused on the fact that this will kill us! There was way too much to share here, but a few things include:

• We are children of the resurrection and as his image bearers, we are to enact justice
• She challenged our entitlement mentality that is choking the American church
  
• We must stop side-stepping death and trying to resuscitate ourselves
• Do we treat our relationship with Jesus as a friend with benefits?

And last night Don Williams reminded us that we must stay on course with Jesus' agenda for ministry which starts with receiving power from the Holy Spirit.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds.

Last of the JAM favorites

Okay, so JAM was officially over yesterday. But I couldn't let this time go by without sharing two of my absolute favorites with you.

Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins - 1950





Do yourself a favor...turn the volume up, close your eyes, and enjoy Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

Beautiful!

JAM-Jazzwomen #2

“Only God can make a tree…and only men can play good jazz” - George T Simon

There was a great deal of pressure for jazzwomen to look glamorous. In order to be treated as a serious musician, Anita O’Day once shed her gown and tried to wear a uniform, like the male musicians. But this scandalous act simply generated additional interest in her private life and caused her to be sexually suspect and worthy of rumors. Female musicians usually gave in to the status quo in order to make a living.

The pressure to be glamorous created a complex tightrope women musicians had to walk. On the one hand, female musicians had to reassure audiences of their femininity while, at the same time, try to come across as a serious player. The implication was that it is okay for a woman to really play as long as she looked like a lady when she did it.

These stereotypes were everywhere; from sexist cartoons to blatant statements such as the one in a 1951 Downbeat Article which stated, “girls who want to be musicians should stick to instruments such as piano, violin, harp or even accordion-any instrument that the playing of which doesn’t distract from their feminine appeal”.

Here is a glimpse of Ina Ray Hutton - probably the most prolific female bandleader and arranger of her time

JAM-Jazzwomen

Seems like everywhere you turn these days, people are talking about Susan Boyle, the woman whose talent is contained in an unlikely package. Susan’s story is certainly nothing new. For decades, women entertainers have understood that often only the beautiful are taken seriously. Nowhere is this truer than in the world of Jazz.

In the early twentieth century, Jazz was decidedly a male game. Serious female musicians during this time did what marginal groups have always done; they accepted images of themselves that were not altogether true. A woman’s narrowly-defined place in the jazz world was usually as torch-singing songbirds, or as rough and masculine instrumentalists. The prominent stereotypes of the time often pitted skill against sexuality, and reinforced the prevailing notions of femininity.

The cultural construction of stereotypes is complex and the reasons why they proliferate are numerous. But, one thing is certain - once these powerful stereotypes are embedded in a society’s psyche, they are almost impossible to demolish. This is definitely true of the stereotypes of women jazz musicians of the early twentieth century.

The cornerstone of these stereotypes centered on a woman’s appearance, where feminine dress and demeanor was essential. Female musicians bore the weight of a severe double standard. How ludicrous to think that a bad haircut or a few extra pounds would overshadow the music of Louis Armstrong or Jelly Roll Morton. Yet, this is exactly what a female musician dealt with on a regular basis. Her weight, gowns, high heels and youthfulness, were all judged before her playing.


More Later...but for now, enjoy one of the great jazzwomen of all time.

Downsizing

Last year I moved to a new place - a much smaller place.

It needed to happen. I could little afford nor maintain the large sprawling ranch that served me so well when my family was much larger. Moving to a tiny space has forced me to downsize to the absolute essentials and ask the important question, “What do I really need?”

Keeping What's Essential

Downsizing has not been easy. I never had a houseful of useless trinkets bought just for decoration. Most of my things had a story and were well used. As I look around at the stuff I have chosen to keep, I realize they represent important aspects of who I am.

My books…well this is a no-brainer

My glassware…represents the hospitality and warmth I love to offer others in my home

My creative gear…the many crates I have hauled around five Texas counties have made the cut! In honor of my new resolve to honor my creative self, I am bringing the fabric, the paints, the jewels, etc. all out into a creative space that will make it handy to USE!

I still maintain a very small storage unit for a few things I couldn't fit in my duplex. My favorite possession - a custom made table that hosted hundreds of community meals and gatherings - was the main thing housed there. For the storage costs, I could have bought another table. But I wasn't ready to part with it nor could I replace the memories etched on its pine planks. I recently found a fabulous home for the table. So this week, I will clean out the few remaining boxes.

No Space For Extras

I know that if I bring the boxes home, I will be forced to decide what is important. There is just no space for extras - whether possessions or clutter in other areas of life.

I like the process of culling, de-cluttering and downsizing. It feels good to my brain. In fact, I have been doing this in other areas of my life for several years. Nothing has escaped this process – my belief systems, my theology and my values have all been subjected to heavy scrutiny.

To all these things I have asked, “What do I really need?”

And the answer? "Not as much as I apparently thought!"

I find myself increasingly drawn to the simple…the main and plain…the essentials.

It is easy to get bogged down with things we have picked up over the years. Things that were meaningful at another time are now more sentimental then practical and not functional to this season of our life. Or worse, these are useless, cumbersome and not essential to our growth.

Forcing ourselves to bring our stuff into the light is a great exercise. If things stay packed away, they are easy to forget and easy to ignore. And the truth is, we are probably paying a cost for keeping it all in storage!

JAM- Take the 'A' Train

Duke Ellington at the piano playing Take the 'A' Train (Billy Strayhorn), which became known as his orchestra's signature song.

Jazz Appreciation Month

My last post was a bit heavy, so I thought I would lighten things up.

For those of you who don't keep up with such things, April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). I thought I would share some of my jazz favorites over the course of what is left of the month.

JAM 2009 is highlighting the centennial of Benny Goodman, so here is an old recording of his orchestra, recorded in 1937. The film is a bit rough, but check out the band - Goodman, Harry James and Gene Krupa.

Fantastic!