Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: D ~> Dave Douglas featuring the vocals of Aoife O'Donovan

Doodle by Wayne Stratz

 

Sure I could have explored the trumpet of Miles Davis, but Dave Douglas and Aoife O'Donovan visiting Be Still My Soul led me into a new doodle.

 

 

 

This year's Watch ~ foiling and praying

I am not so hot with sitting still and so I entered my studio at 10:00 this morning. At that time seven pieces had been foiled. By 11:05, all were done.
Near the beginning I read a reflection by Fr. James Martin, SJ. It asked us to consider the human side of Jesus pondering a failure as he suffered. Had his ministry been for nothing? Where do we see ourselves failing? Some students came to mind. But no matter the journey they have taken this school year, I'll have hope for their future. Maybe that hope is what has allowed me to continue on as a special education teacher for 26 years.

I also took a break from the foiling to browse scripture, this passage from Matthew struck me ~

"Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. And indeed I came to call not the upright, but sinners."

Ironic. Sad. To come with a message of saying sacrifice is not what God wants, then to be asked to sacrifice his life. Can we be grateful? Can we experience the joy of Easter?

And surely jazz was flowing as I prayed and foiled. A few years back a friend gave me a CD, Jazz Meets Hymns by Juju Song. Wish I could have found a video of Were You There When They Crucified My Lord, but I did find this ~

May our prayers take us into deeper places.

From back in the day ~ A highly favored hymn ~ Be Thou My Vision

"Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word"

Walking with God ~ Day by Day, Creatively Keeping The Hours

as seen at my church

A week or so before I left for the retreat I began a novel that is broken into sections called such things as Matins, Lauds, Terce, Compline.  Who knew it was preparing my soul for the workshops I chose.

The first workshop was based on a book by Marney K. Makridakis would love if we could create time by viewing it not as our enemy (fill in negative phrase here... killing time, comes to mind) but as something we are immersed within as our life flows into creation.  That is my take on the book, which I have not read.   I took this workshop because I knew I would be given colors to play with.   I drew something, which I gifted so it is not to bee seen here.  

My second workshop of the weekend was on keeping the hours, which though I wanted to drum, called me a bit stronger.  I got to hear a great story in the process about how my friend came to dig Martha while she was in silence.

What I drew was my abstract take on my soul stretching out to God at six times during the day.  So now let me get creative with my time and create some hours to keep.

Awakening time... between 6 and 7:00 a.m. 

Prep period time... 10:00 a.m.

Lunch break time... Noon

Preparing for the commute home time... 3:30 p.m. or later

After Dinner time... between 6 and 7:00 p.m. 

Examen time... 9:21 p.m. 

Now how to fill those first five times.  one could be reading a Psalm, and another to be imaginative while reading Matthew since our Bible study is examining the book this fall, one to sit with the prayer chain list and see who I am led to pray for, maybe one just to be quiet and breathe with God.  

So how about the fifth... any thoughts?

just plain baffled...

now I am baffled, because... Last Sunday I sang a hymn.

Well, I have a memory of singing a hymn, so I took Red's advice and went to the band and asked them what the closing hymn was the previous week. They showed me. I said, "That's not it. It started with a line about falling to one's knees and at the bottom of the music it said it was based on the third chapter of Ephesians." They pulled out their play list and we went through the whole service. Nothing.

was I dreaming? mystical experience? elaborate conspiracy to drive me loopy. I came home and talked to Mosaic Woman about the experience, and did one more quick google search for the hymn. I walked up stairs to my studio, pulled out a cassette from my past and this was the first song. and yes, this did happen and yes, I will let the mystery be. Mosaic Woman asked if I had chosen this song to play because of my experience at church. I hadn't.

Maybe an answer will arrive to explain what happened last Sunday. maybe it was a way to walk up the stairs at church and have someone in the band ask, "What instrument do you play?" Twelve hours earlier I had been talking to Mosaic Woman about how listening to an old guy play piano had yet again rekindled my desire to create music.

The song also took me back to a movie. A movie in which the song was used much to my delight. The beginning of Little Buddha...

time consideration... the Wernersville 2009 retreat

Tonight I had my first meeting with a spiritual director. In 80 minutes I managed to talk about the retreat which I began blogging about many days ago when I wrote about the last morning.

more this weekend.

school and jazz rule the day till then, but here is a thought...


Sunday I spent much of worship feeling out of sorts as I was getting used to the Episcopal service after 8 straight days with the Jesuits. Then the opening line of the final hymn had these words... I fell to my knees.

I thought that is familiar and I saw it was from Ephesians, the verse I shared on the first post about the retreat (see link above). Wonderful choice of a closing hymn if you ask me, but I forgot the name. feel free to help me out Holy Trinity folk.

singing an old friend

It is through hymns that I often have the most emotional response to God, it happened the other day.



I know the hymn from the New Century Hymnal, which was used at the UCC church where I first returned to such places 11 years ago. Isaiah says that God sees us as precious and that mountains cry for joy when we return from far away. It is healing that happens along the way and I am in the mood to celebrate where my life has come to at this point in time. And if I was to celebrate the healing that destroys what keeps us from experiencing joy, peace, hope, and love.... I would want this hymn to be part of it.



The music is old. Beach Spring is a tune that comes from the Sacred Harp tradition, but the words by Ruth Duck are newer...



Lyrics:
1. Healing river of the Spirit, bathe the wounds that living brings. Plunge our pain, our sin, our sadness deep beneath your sacred springs. Weary from the restless searching that has lured us from your side, we discover in your presence peace the world cannot provide.
2. Wellspring of the healing Spirit, stream that flows to bring release, as we gain our selves, our senses, may our lives reflect your peace. Grateful for the flood that heals us, may your church enact your grace. As we meet both friend and stranger, may we see our Savior's face.
3. Living stream that heals the nations, make us channels of your pow'r. All the world is torn by conflict; wars are raging at this hour. Saving Spirit, move among us, guide our winding human course. till we find our way together, flowing homeward to our Source.

I love this hymn and the healing power that inspired it.