My answer begins in Consider the Birds by Debbie Blue

I left my examen hopeful that it was a start to answering the questions about jazz in my church, but clearly without answers. That is when I picked up the book I am reading, Consider The Birds. Here is the second paragraph I ventured into, then stopped, and reread, then stopped and read outlook to Mosaic Woman.

There's no logical or geographical reason for it to take forty years to get from Egypt to the Promised Land. We sometimes believe the shortest path is the best one, but maybe (God knows) there is a need to wander. There is unmapped territory that needs to be explored -- desires to be let go of, renounced, or transformed. God's seduction is not a crass come-on, nor is it smooth. The path to intimacy may be long and complicated.

Indeed...