Playing a Ministerial Melody of Friendship
As I express emotions through my music, I intend to transport listeners from having a fear of God to having a friendship with God. Much of the theology of American Christianity relies on fear, fear of God and fear of the other. In John’s gospel, Jesus talks of wanting to be a friend to those who come to follow him (15:12-17). That is in contrast to following Jesus out of fear. Fear mongering has often been the hallmark of evangelicalism. Fear of God, fear of hell, fear of queer, fear of racial integration and fear of immigration. As a result, we have Christian nationalism and oppression of the marginalized. My audience at the PrayGround bears the brunt of that oppression.
Jesus did not use fear when he called his disciples. He did not say follow me and I will keep you safe from the gates of hell. No, instead he said, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people” (Mark 1:17, NRSV). He said nothing of invoking fear in the lives of people. Instead, he spoke of befriending people.
Click on image to go to Mansfield, Ohio First Christian Church's website.
Friendship is the intention of my music and art ministry.
A friendship bound in music and art has a way of opening hearts, breaking barriers and encouraging hope, which in turn can bring change to societal institutions. A few of my PrayGround friends have found their way into Sunday morning worship services at First Christian Church. Church members have welcomed them with open arms.
Looking over the landscape of First Christian Church’s neighborhood, I have often thought of the Valley of the Dry Bones from Ezekiel 37. The prophet Ezekiel has a vision of a barren valley full of dry, dead bones. They begin to shake and rattle, connecting with each other. They take on flesh and God delivers breath to them, which results in the resurrection of Israel. As I play my violin, I get to watch dry bones in live people begin to shake a little bit.