Christmas Shows

We just had a fabulous rehearsal on Monday for our Moveable Feast Christmas shows, and I'm jazzed! This will be the best year yet as Sahra Featherstone adds a wonderful new dimension with her harp and violin. Also, be prepared for a special vocal number from our very own David White!
People keep asking me if we're going to do a Christmas album at some point. I must confess that I'm pretty cynical about the vast majority of Christmas music that's been released - do we really need another version of Silent Night by some pop artist, who, frankly, has no artistic or spiritual attachment to the thing? Let's face it, much of it is a cash grab! I would only do something if it was possible to do something musically unique and had songs outside of the top twenty you usually hear. That being said I'll give you a few that I return to fairly frequently around this time of year:
Bruce Cockburn - Christmas (I think my favourite all time)
Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas (unusual, quirky, ragged, very outside)
Emmylou Harris - The Christmas Album (just because she's Emmylou!)
Tuck Andress - Hymns, Carols, and Songs about Snow (no self-respecting guitarist couldn't love this instrumental piece)
The Roches - We Three Kings (their voices and harmonies are too cool - meets the quirkiness criteria)
Harry Connick Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas (sentimental family reasons - always decorate our tree with this blasting - actually, some really strong tunes here)
Steve Bell - The Feast (meets the 'avoids the classics' criteria, and takes Advent and Epiphany into consideration)
The Blind Boys of Alabama - Go Tell it on the Mountain (how could you not love Tom Waits guesting on Go Tell it on the Mountain, or Solomon Burke guesting, uneven but lots of fun)
Jacob Moon - This Christmas (because he's my friend and I co-wrote a song on it? It's new, but we'll see if it has lasting power)

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Weekend Past

We were in Batawa, Ontario on Friday night singing for a YFC fundraiser. We like the folk there - Pat & Dan Koets are very helpful and encouraging. We like Colin Leaver as well, the worker for the area; he has a high Q factor and is obviously passionate about the evangelism of youth. They also had some terrifically honest and real kids giving testimony (the highlight for sure) and their take on what it means to be a youth in today's culture (my favourite line - "we're into gruesome"!)
One question that always emerges for me at events like these is around the word 'challenge'. It was the theme of the night: challenging youth to become all that they can be, challenging supporters to get on board with the ministry. There's room for that word, but, I didn't hear the word invitation all night! Is the gospel more about challenge or invitation? Is it outcome based or presence based? I for one lean to presence that engages and invites. Challenge is too easily co-opted into judgment and condemnation; and we have more of that than we need! Bless these folk on their journey in Christ.

We then ended up in Peterborough on Saturday for a workshop on Sabbath for the Lindsay-Peterborough Presbytery. It was amazing to see how JP Smit and I were in the same zone on our presentations (without previous discussion). The folk were very open and receptive, and joined in heartily in worship. Best moment was in the closing worship, when I told the old 'Anointing with oil/Burning through' story from St. David's. Carey Johnston from Bobcaygeon in a Spirit led moment came up and gave me some oil she had with her, and I invited people to linger for prayer if they felt the need to be anointed. We had two people stay whom we laid hands on and prayed for - it was very cool.

We then drove over to the home of Bert and Tracey-Ann Van Brenk for a house concert. What a great home! Doug and Michelle Fisher graciously arranged this at fairly short notice, and we were grateful to them for getting about twenty people there. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music and stories, as well as the wine and cheese! We are so amazed at the community of friends out there who believe in what MFR is about, and who help us in keeping the ship afloat - God is good.
Finally got into bed in Rockwood by 2:15 AM after fighting traffic through the top of Toronto because of lane closures at 1 PM. Aaargh!!

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Something Jean Vanier Said

In his marvellous reflection on John's gospel, Jean Vanier suggests that the healthy and mature community will be one ( I paraphrase) where no one deems themselves as unworthy of God's love nor deems the other as unworthy of God's love. Clearly the barrier to true community is the disease of self-hatred which then distorts our view of the other. If only our churches could learn this truth and be credible witnesses to it.

Songwriting

I have had the great privilege of co-writing with Steve Bell and Jacob Moon in the last few months, with some very satisfying results. You can hear the song that Steve and I wrote which is called 'These are the Ones' at the SignpostVillage theatre here.
Jacob and I wrote the title track for his new Christmas album called 'This Christmas'. It won't be released for a little while yet, but I'm pleased as to how it turned out; I also contributed some background vocals to it. I enjoy the process of writing with someone else. You wrestle over words and melodies, but, in the end the process can really work. It always helps to have some objectivity! Look for these tunes on future Signpost releases.

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George MacDonald

I've just been revisiting George MacDonald's collection of poems "Diary of an Old Soul' which offers an eight line poem for each day of the year. The poem from July 10 gave me the title for my second album 'By Faint Degrees'. He was such a wonderful writer, and his writing was grounded in a beautiful (though not uncontroversial) theology. In the first part of these poems from July he deals with the importance of small things and I'll reproduce here the verses of July 4 & 5:

Master, thou workest with such common things-
Low souls, weak hearts, I mean - and hast to use
Therefore, such common means and rescuings,
That hard we find it, as we sit and muse,
To think thou workest in us verily:
Bad sea-boats we, and manned with wretched crews-
That doubt the captain, watch the storm spray flee.

Thou art hampered in thy natural working then
When beings designed on freedom' holy plan
Will not be free: with thy poor, foolish men,
Thou therefore hast to work just like a man.
But when, tangling thyself in their sore need,
Thou has to freedom fashioned them indeed,
Then wilt thou grandly move, and godlike speed.

Amazing stuff. Hope that whets you appetites.

Life Transitions

There are events that become significant markers on one's life journey and I have just been involved with two of them. Last week we celebrated my Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding anniversary - wow! What a legacy! It was a wonderful afternoon at the splendid Nassagweya Farm retreat centre, where approximately 90 family and friends passed through to wish my folks well. I know they were thrilled with the day, and I appreciate all those who took the time to come out.
The second event is that tomorrow we will be driving our oldest daughter Danielle to Ottawa to begin university. She will be going to Carleton U. to study Public Affairs and Policy Management, and we're thrilled for her. It will be strange not having her around here, and her sister Julia will miss her especially, but it is the new phase in Danielle's expanding map of the world. We pray that she will find solid friends, and be able to make sense of what she's learning from the perspective of a Christian worldview.
I don't whether all this stuff has heightened my senses or what, but the muse has come upon me strongly this last week, and I'm writing some new songs. It feels good to nurture the imagination and see what emerges; hopefully some work that will last!

News

We had a great time in Thunder Bay, Ontario this past weekend. Our friends James and Inez Collie had us up to sing at a 25th Wedding Anniversary house concert. We were joined by our friends Brad & Greg Woods (of the Great Wooden Trio) and had a marvellous time telling stories, singing songs, and enjoying fine beverages and food.
We flew out of T-Bay at 6:30 in the morning to get back to Monck, Ontario for an afternoon concert at the Baptist church there. Thanks to Tim Medhurst and his folk for being gracious hosts.
I have been in correspondence with folk from New Zealand and Australia who are starting to use 'The Peace of Christ' in their worship down there. It's cool to see where these songs end up being offered in worship!
Our good friend and producer Roy Salmond has been involved in the latest project from Leigh Nash (voice of Sixpence None the Richer "Kiss Me" fame) called Fauxliage. He co-wrote 8 of the tunes and seems pretty pumped about it; check it out on her web-site.

I'm Back

My sister in law Bonnie Filipchuk lovingly admonished me for neglecting this blog. I can't fully explain why I drifted so far out of the communication orbit, but like anything, this has to become a discipline if it's going to work; so I will try to be more responsible at keeping interested parties up to date.
We're all doing pretty well this summer.
Highlights for the last month include hearing Jean Vanier speak at the Prison Fellowship International convocation; I have tremendous admiration for this modern day saint. He probably broke every modern communication rule going, but his integrity and the fact that he didn't need for us to like him (you could just tell), freed him to communicate a word from God that was deep and profound. I was very moved.
Those of you who get our MFR newsletter know that we had informed our support base that we needed $10,000 in donations to make our budget work for the summer (and whole year really). Well, I'm thrilled to report that as of today, $9,000 has come in so far. Wow! I am filled with gratitude to God our provider and the many friends who have come through. Of course, the need doesn't end there, but, I think people realize that this is a good kingdom work which is worth getting behind. That's real encouragement to David and myself.

Steve Bell

Last Saturday night, David and I played with Steve Bell at St. David's Presbyterian in Campbellville, ON. It was a nostalgic evening, as it was the first time I had ministered in that sanctuary for almost three years (after pastoring there for thirteen years). It was the place where Steve played a number of times in the early years of his career, and where we forged our friendship. I love that room! Besides the terrific acoustics, beautiful decor, and great people, it is a place where God's Spirit seems to have the freedom to move.
Afterwards, I reflected on the success of Steve's career and calling. He was struggling to remember lyrics that night (he's got so many songs in the repertoire) and while he can be the consummate professional when he needs to be (extraordinary fingerstyle guitar, evocative vocals, and superb storytelling) he is disarmingly human in the end. Yet, for whatever distractions those gaffes bring, it does not mitigate what to me is the essential character of a Steve Bell concert - an event which opens the possibility for an encounter with the holy. It is because of Steve's lack of self-consciousness, that the listening participant is freed for God-consciousness. It is because he is tuned into a Christ-centered spiritual frequency, we are allowed to listen in and receive. I've probably played with Steve at least fifty times over the last twelve years, and these things prove themselves over and over. I am proud to be associated with him, Dave Zeglinski and the great folk at Signpost; their friendship is one of our great treasures.

He is Risen!

We've been having some technical difficulties with our web-sites, so I'll use that as an excuse for this absence, but now that we are in the season of Easter, there's new hope for blogging!
I love walking into a church on Resurrection Sunday, and without saying anything else, just launching an 'He is risen!' and having an 'He is risen indeed!' come back at me! It says a great deal about the connectedness of brothers and sisters in Christ across time and traditions as well as regularly astonishing me at how such a simple exchange explodes into worlds of meaning and deep joy. It's the secret handshake of the community of Christ, but as Lesslie Newbigin so beautifully put it - it is an 'open secret', one we should have no desire to keep hidden.

A Man for all Seasons

I have a post card on the bulletin board above my desk that is a reproduction of a famous painting of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger. I viewed this breathtaking portrait firsthand at the Frick Gallery in NYC on a family vacation a few summers ago. It is an exquisite rendering of a an extraordinary human being, and the image keeps rewarding prolonged reflection, I can't wait to get back to see the original again. I remember Brennan Manning telling me that 'A Man For All Seasons' is his favourite movie, so I purchased a copy - it's well worth the view. More was an example of integrity; in the face of personal loss and ultimately, death, he stuck to his principles and gave the glory to God. While I'm equally fascinated by and sympathetic to fallen heroes with feet of clay, it's worth spending time with those who make the right choices and allow them to inspire us.

Some Just Get It Right

The Collect for Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God,
who hast revealed thyself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and dost ever live and reign in the unity of perfect love:
Grant that we may always hold firmly and joyfully to this faith,
and, living in the praise of thy divine majesty, may finally be one in thee;
who art three persons in one God, world without end.

Quoted from T.F. Torrance in 'The Trinitarian Faith' (T&T Clark: 1988)
P.340.

New Web-sites

We have updated the glensoderholm.com site and added a site moveablefeastresources.com which gives the ministry a little more of a focused presentation. The idea is that down the road MFR will include other people and resources beyond what we offer. David is having fun (he might describe it differently) learning how to use iWeb so that we can make all of our changes in-house. There are still some things that need to be added and rejigged, but it's a step in the right direction.

Fear and Trembling

The apostle Paul enourages the believers in Philippi to 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.' (Philippians 2:12-13) I take it that the triune God of grace is the initiator of our salvation in Christ, but, in a very generous and mysterious fashion invites us to take that gift and make something of it. It's a partnership of sorts that will achieve God's ultimate dream and purpose for creation.
Can a blog make a positive contribution to this vision? I think so. I'm going to use it as a way of keeping friends of our work and art, as well as of the Moveable Feast Resources ministry, up to date on what we're doing, thinking, and praying. I do this with 'fear and trembling' because many blogs degenerate into maudlin self-indulgence and the author, in order to fill the gap, loses self-transcendence and good taste! I will leave it open to dialogue in the hopes that it will be honest, helpful, and respectful discussion about things that matter. If it appears that nobody gives a rip, then it will morph into some other way of keeping people up to speed. Here we go!