This past Sunday we switched things up a little bit by hosting a main stream country duo, The Lovelocks. If you were there, you know that it was a whole lot of fun. Of course their music and vocals were outstanding, but so were the things they had to say about their faith and their calling to be musicians in the country music world. (And it’s worth noting at this point that The Village is totally blessed with stellar music every week…our band rocks!!!)
A few things stood out from the interview. Here are some highlights…
– Ali (violin/vocals) was introduced to Jesus through a youth pastor (pentecostal/evangelical) who began working in her United Church. This person introduced Ali to a faith that included a personal relationship with Jesus. It’s amazing how one can be part of a certain kind of church and miss the point of Christianity all together, it’s Jesus.
– Zoe was somewhat the opposite, she had grown up in a charismatic (perhaps pentecostal) church community and become numb to it all, after her time in college she discovered what it meant to really follow Jesus.
– They both eventually landed at The Meeting House (a church we actually network with) and through music, both served and even worked at this local church.
– After many years of serving and working in this setting they felt a nudge to write and play music that wasn’t intended for worship. Ali said that she just figured that God+Music=Worship; God would eventually show her that she was called to continue using her musical gift, but it would be in another arena. I wonder if we’re open to God blowing up our assumptions or perspectives for him to do something different in and through us.
– They both talked about how they feel like they can make a difference through their work. Sometimes it’s through a song pointing to something much bigger than your standard country tune, but most times it’s through the relationships they’re building and the people they are encouraging. And isn’t that the case for all our work relationships? Work is another space or opportunity to love our neighbour as our self.
– A line that hit me was one that is apparently used a lot in Nashville, “Hurry up and wait”. The context in Nashville would be arriving for a rehearsal or a sound check or a musical run through. You’ve hurried and now you’re waiting. Is this not the story of our lives? By that I mean many times we are given moments to be present with people, moments to be kind, thoughtful, patient, gracious, loving, honest, peaceful, encouraging, and yes, even moments to share God’s story with someone. What do we do with those moments? Those times when we’ve hurried up, and now we’re waiting, may we ask God to use us, as broken as we are, to be a light and a fresh presence to other broken people.
Songs thoughts:
– Lovely, the unreleased song they sang, was, well, lovely. It reminded us that because of Jesus, we are lovely, because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, no matter how battered and scarred we are, God sees us as lovely. (1 Peter 2:4-5 & 9-10)
– Dance, one of their first songs, is a song about living life to the full (John 10:10). A subtle way for The Lovelocks to point people UP.
A word that has been in my mind and heart as we almost wrap up this series is the word ‘whatever’. It comes from the text we’ve been going back to every week, Colossians 3:17&24, ‘And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him…whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…It is the Lord Christ you are serving.’
As we’ve heard from the BroLaws, Colleen, and Steph, this week we’ve heard again through The Lovelocks, it’s in the whatever that God is present. How cool, how amazing, how profound, that in whatever we do, we can serve God; that God calls us to this and to that, but in all of it, he is present and he is using us. Whatever we do, we serve God. Wow!!!
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small(er) group discussion:
What did you take away from Sunday’s Interview?
Have you felt God calling you to something specific before? If so what did it feel like? If not, are you open to him doing that?
Do you identify with the saying, “Hurry up and wait”? What do we do with the moments and space God has given us? Ever thought of starting your day by asking God to use you in those moments?
Lovely, the unreleased song the LL sang on Sunday was a metaphor for God’s love for us through Jesus. Read 1 Peter 2:4-5 & 9-10. Any connections?
Dance, another song from Sunday’s gathering felt like a reflection on John 10:10. Are you embracing Jesus’ call to live life to the full (abundantly)?
We’re back to Colossians 3:17 & 23-24. What’s your whatever? Are you comfortable with it? Are you confident in it? Are you following Jesus through it?