Speaking & Singing...Praisin’ & Preachin’
Since I’ve been a full-time Pastor, I have not had enough opportunities to sing my original tunes with my band as much as I had dreamed. I watch folks in the public eye like Smokey Norful, Bishop Paul Morton, and even my girl Kim Burrell (a friend in my head) maintain the phenomenal balance of being pastors and musicians. While my Presbyterian Pastoral reality would not allow me to move and shake in the way these folk do, I have watched from a distance with the hopes that ONE DAY I can flow with ease as a singing sistah of the cloth who can swing with the best of them.
As I try to find the balance between being a musician and a full-time pastor, I realize the real struggle is being a freak of nature who is equally administrative as I am creative. When life is calm and balanced (yes, I am trying to see how many times can I use a variation of the word ‘balance’ in this blog...), I seem to be able to fully attend to my creative outlets like singing, composing, writing, and yes, knitting. (Don’t hate, I know you wish you could.) But when I am consumed and worried about every possible worst case scenario, I focus on the lists, and fixated on accomplishing tasks and keeping an administrative duties.
I am constantly aware of this tug-of-war between my creative side and my administrative side. But it was on my most recent trip to to preach for our Synod Conference that I was reminded of how much I miss and am in desperate need of of singing as often as I can. The funny thing about being a singing preacher is that you have to be prepared that an invitation to preach could EASILY turn into an invitation to sing a song or two.
At our synod conference(Synod of the Trinity), I was surrounded by a bunch of Presbyterian pastors and worship leaders who are also gifted musicians. The conference was not only life giving to me as a minister, but it offered a sense of renewal to me as a vocalist. Carl and I had pleasure of sharing musically in the worship service. We played a Brooks-Lytle arrangement of “In The Secret” as Shelden Sorge improvised with us on piano. Preaching and praising always feels right and natural to me. I love the opportunity to see the preaching and the singing go together hand in hand. In those moments, I see God fully at work in the marriage between my ministry and my music.
The unforeseen joy at the table that weekend was the concert and jam session thanks to Bill Carter, the Presby Bop Quartet, and gifted vocalist/worship leader Warren Cooper. I love to hear those guys play and perform together. I knew ahead of time that we would probably do a tune together but it just morphed into something fun and fantastic. “My Funny Valentine” was a the request from the floor and so we played it. Caught up in the moment of the music, scatting, and listening to the rhythm section play one of my favorite tunes, I was suspended in time. I thought to myself, “This is it right here, Lord”. I wanted to take that moment and multiply it over a thousand times. Nothing can replicate the mix of voice and sound to capture the emotion locked in a tune.
As we ended My Funny Valentine, we rolled into another playful tune (Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, I believe). I had the sheer joy of trading four-bar phrases with Warren Cooper. It was upbeat, funny, musical, and a gift to this magical moment. I was in my element and so thankful for the blessing of our time together.
As much as I feel an internal tension between music and ministry, I put my full confidence in the One who can make it all fit together. While nothing can replicate being on the bandstand singing my favorite tune, I know that one day in the courts of the Lord is better than a thousand elsewhere. While I’d love to take that musical moment and replicate it a thousand times, nothing can take the place of the mystery and moment of lifting up the bread and the cup, looking at God’s people and saying, “the body of Christ broken for you...the blood of Christ shed for you.”
Lord, you have me right where you want me. And there’s no other place I’d rather be.
A.
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The Parable of the Talents
‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”