non-linear, emergent, participatory, ambient music

Via Crucis :: Immersion 2008 flyer

Well, I’ll admit it.  I’m procrastinating.  I should be writing a seminary paper on podcasting.  But at the moment I’m pondering more about non-linear, emergent, participatory, ambient music.

Yeah, I know.  You were thinking the exact. same. thing!

Specifically, I’m looking forward to Via Crucis :: Immerison 2010 that we’ll be creating this Spring. (if you want to play, let me know)  Every year we’ve had some kind of opening night event.  In 2006, Aradhna played a beautiful concert in the round.  In 2008, Isaac Karns (of the Pomegranates) conducted an ensemble of brilliant musicians who created a fantastic musical happening (I’ll repost the mp3s that we recorded soon).  In 2010, I’d love to push the envelope a bit further and create music together as a gathered body – but do it in a non-linear, emergent, participatory, ambient way.  I’ll attempt to delineate deliberately in reverse:

music

- It matters.  As much as worship isn’t only music – a helpful corrective from folks like Lilly Lewin – music remains a powerful and visceral way we connect with God, the world around us (in a sonic, vibration sorta way), and one another.  There is something about music that quite literally rings in our ears and penetrates to the heart.

ambient

- I’m thinking here of the musical genre, which our friend Wikipedia defines thusly:

Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an “atmospheric”, “visual” or “unobtrusive” quality.

As such, this would be building on the work and thought of Brian Eno.  Deep resonances and earthy electronica that evoke (and perhaps, provoke) more than they instruct, lead, or demand.  Allowing the space between to be attended to as much, if not more, than the actual notes, sounds, or chords.

participatory

- One of the bones to pick with typical “worship music” – be that “traditional” (hymns, organs, choirs) or “contemporary” (bands, guitars, drums) is how non-participatory it actually is.  In both cases we watch the professionals/experts on the stage conduct us to minimally participate at the lowest common denominator.  Sure, we may sing – or some do – but that’s it.  Deciding what we sing, when we sing, how we sing and the notes to which we sing – that’s the expert’s job.  So, what if Via Crucis :: Immersion was a deeply participatory event?  Not just those who create the stations and engage the stations – but what if the music that is generated on opening night is fully participatory.  What if what existed that night would not exist if not for each person gathered – not merely in the spiritual presence sense – but in the actual live creation of music.  I’m thinking here of an Aural Event – that resonates from our the soles of our shoes to souls of our brains.  Sort of like a musical wiki.

emergent

- Imagine an aural event of ambient music created together by active, live participation that EMERGES out of a set of simple rules that everyone follows.  I’m thinking here of the complex behavior of ant colonies or bee hives.  All created by leaderless systems of autonomous individuals following specific behavioral codes.  This music would be birthed out of people following a simple set of guidelines.  Nothing pre-ordained, no sheet music, no conductor.  Rather when the gathered assemble we would instruct them of 3 rules about how, what, and when they can play (this might be vocal or instrumental) – out of this social matrix (something that is intentional and crafted) the musical aural event would emerge.  Think fractals.  See also emergence on Wikipedia.

non-linear

- This would not be a 1, 2, 3 process.  Sure, the Stations of the Cross are linear – they follow a path that leads from point A (Jesus’ condemnation) to point B (Jesus in the tomb).  And the music event would have a beginning and an end (though you could debate that to an extent).  But within the (parenthetical) confines of the Aural Event the music would follow it’s own path – not one that we predetermined.  It would be the Worship Music equivalent of a Spirit-led walk in the woods.

So, what do you think?  How could we pull this off?  What would we need to pull this off?

MC500 – day six

Our discussion today of the changes in worship that Augustine grappled with was helpful.  It caused me to realize the different emphases between nominal faith communities and highly committed ones.  Specifically, it was reflective of my experience being part of Vineyard Central (a highly committed faith community) and various congregations of the UMC (more nominal christianity generally).  That reflection connected with noticing that in nominal faith churches the preaching and teaching language is often about what “you” (the average church-goer) needs to do whereas in highly committed contexts the language is more about what “we” are doing, can do, or have done.

New Books for New Class

Just received my new book for the next class I’m about to take at Fuller – MC500: Church and Mission in a Global Context with Ryan K. Bolger, Associate Professor of Church in Contemporary Culture.  Very excited about this particular course and very excited to only have 2 to go after this one is complete!  It only has take 9 years to finish a 2 year MA.

Here are the books:

• Emerging Churches
• Beyond Christendom
• Disciples of All Nations
• Global Pentecostalism
• The New Conspirators
• The New Christians
• An Introduction to Pentecostalism
• A Many Colored Kingdom
• Interpreting Contemporary Christianity

Science Fiction Read-up

Every once in a while I go on a public library binge. Now is one of those times. I’ve been in need a good novel of late so I looked up the nominees and winners of the last couple years of The Hugo Awards. So I checked them all out (we’ll see how many times I have to renew them!), plus Ender in exile by Card, Orson Scott, of which I’ve heard mixed reviews.

2008 Hugo Awards : Best Novel

• The Yiddish policemen’s union : a novel by Chabon, Michael. (winner)
  
• The last colony by Scalzi, John, 1969-
• Halting state by Stross, Charles.
• Rollback by Sawyer, Robert J.
• Brasyl McDonald, Ian

2007 Hugo Awards : Best Novel

• Rainbows end by Vinge, Vernor. (winner)

2006 Hugo Awards : Best Novel

• Spin by Wilson, Robert Charles (winner)

Thy Kingdom Come (emphasis on the "Thy")

I’m in wont of reflection.  But it just isn’t happening.  Start the new gig at NKU doing campus ministry 2 weeks ago.  I’m in my 3rd week now and it is going very well, but like all transitions it is a process.  I’m adjusting to the new schedule, the new tasks, the new “figuring out the the tasks”, a new computer, new phone, new commute, new relationships, etc….

Like I said, it is good.  Just a process.

But what I’m really missing is reflection.  I feel like I’m constantly juggling and adjusting.  Always thinking through what I should/could/might do next.  I know this will pass in time, routines and habits will be established, but for now it is not only draining (and not really that bad) but it is sapping me of the emotional energy to reflect.

These few minutes at 9:42 PM after I’ve gotten the kids in bed are about it and I’m forcing myself to do it now.

So, just what am I doing in this new job of mine?  Well, good question.  I’m getting to know the campus, the culture, the atmosphere of NKU.  I’m attempting to enter into relationships (or attend to the ones I already have) with NKU and UMC folk.  I’m working on designing and building a NKUWF(.org) website and get biz cards printed.  Those are the main things at present.  Events, programs, bible studies, service projects, worship experiences, etc… those may come in time, but I’m intentionally not putting my energies there.  I need to enter into this community (NKU) as a good missionary – listening, ear to the ground, prayerfully, contemplatively listening.  I need to truly hear people and structures and systems and cultures.

We will build in time.  I do deeply believe that there is a Kingdom movement at work on campus.  A Mission that God has called us to.  I sense a budding insurrection of sacrificial love and service.  I pray, God, help us to attend to that!

My prayer is that God’s Kingdom would come to NKU as it is in heaven.  I keep coming back to this and I truly believe it is as simple and as profound as that.

Come Holy Spirit, Come.
Come Blessed Jesus, Come.
Come Dear Father, Come.

Bring it.

Thy Kingdom Come.
Thy Will be Done.

in me.
in us.
on campus.

Beyond Organic: The Story of Polyface Farm

UC Berkeley Journalism – Events – Beyond Organic: The Story of Polyface Farm

Click that link to watch a great video seminar by Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm (you won’t be sorry).

NOT a Zero-Sum Game

From Chris Marshall:

Ordinary Community: Being Ready
It is the sense of entitlement that I am speaking against when it comes to vocational roles in ministry. I am not against the idea of being paid, I am against the assumption that its the way it always has been and always will be. God does not owe us anything! Not a job, not a title of honor, not an air-conditioned office nor full time hours a week to be a spiritual leader. Now his provision may [embody] all of that for you, but we have to be okay if it doesn’t.

I think this is so important.  This weekend, as I reflected on this issue, I found myself being often drawn back to the idea that this thing (the transition, the economics of what it means to be the people of God in the early 21C) is NOT a Zero-Sum Game. “In game theory and economic theory, zero-sum describes a situation in which a participant’s gain or loss is exactly balanced by the losses or gains of the other participant(s).”

This is not about one “model” of church being more “right” than the other.  It is not even about being more biblical, though I think that is an intriguing question.  It is about the Kingdom of God continuing to break in and how we are going to respond.  It is not about older, traditional church folks losing and young, hip, emerging Jesus-followers winning.  That is NOT the point.  It is about the Mission of God in our time and place.  It has always been about God’s Mission, we’ve just tended toward co-opting it to our own ends (and I’m as guilty as anyone on that matter).

I had a couple offline (i.e. real life!) conversations this weekend with 2 friends (Russell and Bethany) who read my (and others’) post about this topic.  A prevailing concern was that of older, traditional church and the older, traditional adults in them.  Does this move to a new form of ministry and church leave them in the dust?  What about inter- and multi-generational ministry?  What about all those presently paid clergy and staff, are they all doing it “wrong”?  Again, I don’t think this is a Zero-Sum Game.  Transition times are inherently liminal spaces and as a society (and as a global church) we’ll surely have a period of both/and-ness.  We’ll have traditional, institutional expressions of church who are honestly and sincerely seeking to follow in the Way of Jesus… right along side organic, emerging, experimental communities of faith also seeking to follow in the Way of Jesus.  We’ll have paid clergy who instigate Kingdom work partnering with bi-occupational pastors and missional leaders (Russell Smith is a great example of this!).

I think one of the points of this whole conversation is that many see that this transition is coming (and has in significant ways already arrived).  These deep cultural shifts aren’t going away.  The church has always and will continue to adapt to the cultural situation in which it finds itself.  My take on these (blog) writings of church leaders from around the country is that we’re seeing similar adaptations across the USofA.  These adaptations look less and less like the churches of our parents and grandparents (not necessarily less and less like Jesus – though every experiment will have the errant petri dish…).

So, during this transitional time we may have to work extra hard to facilitate inter-generational ministries.  We are by our nature cultural beings who feel most comfortable in what is familiar to us.  But, and I think this point is very important, we are not bound by our culture.  We have the ability to cross cultures and even be countercultural.  As a church our main identifier should never be the comfy cultural confines of me and mine.  This is equally pertinent for the postmodern-embedded college student and the retirement-home octogenarian – both (and all of us in between) must seek first the Kingdom.  We find our common cause in the cause of Christ.  Of course we’ll have disagreements and points of contention, but that is important too for the refining process.  Our unity is in Christ.  Working out the way we live as a people of God in a particular place and culture… well that takes time and an openness to the Spirit that cannot happen if we are tight-fisted about our way (which we always think is the “right way”) of doing things.

Mark Van Steenwyk’s comment on his blog in this conversation is helpful in this strain.  In response to what traditional (local churches, denominations, seminaries) churches can do, he says…

You can be helpful by doing what you’re doing…leveraging what resources you have at your disposal to think with a kingdom mindset, rather than with an Institutional one.

At some point, all of us tied into the status quo need to make a choice. We have to choose whether it is better to work hard to secure what we have…or work hard to secure the future. In other words, are we going to leverage everything to try to make sure that the Mennonite Church USA and Canada have a place in the future? Are we going to leverage everything to try to make sure Bethel Seminary and Mars Hill Grad school have a place in the future? OR are we going to leverage everything that MCUSA and MC Canda and Bethel and Mars Hill has to advance the kingdom where we see it breaking in, with a lesser concern for the role they will keep for themselves in that inbreaking future?

To say it another way: Maybe our educational institutions shouldn’t ask how they can survive the transition. Maybe they should ask, how can we risk our resources on our students so that they can thrive in the transition? Clearly there is a tension here. It doesn’t need to be an either/or. But the way most institution are operating (from the lofty philosophical level to the banal logistical level), I am seeing a stronger desire to maintain market share…to survive…than a desire to help create the necessary future.

The distribution and use of resources is a HUGE issue with all this.  Who has what resources and how are they being used is an important part of the process of how any ministry works.  It also says a lot about our lived theology and priorities… follow the money.  Figuring out how to leverage resources (money, time, property, etc…) for the Kingdom is essential.

May the Kingdom Come…

Via Crucis :: Immersion 2008

Via Crucis :: Immersion 2008 intro letter (pdf)

You are invited.

Wanna play? Email me.

Via Crucis :: Immersion is an experiential Stations of the Cross. Via Crucis is based on the 14 Stations of the Cross … remixed. Our expression of this ancient Christian practice will be multi-sensory,multi-denominational, multi-layered, and multi-media. Via Crucis :: Immersion is a pilgrimage. A journey into the heart of God. It is an immersion into the suffering of Jesus and a discovery of our own brokenness. It is Christ’s passion.

linked up – soupablog: Walter Brueggemann's 19 Theses

soupablog: Walter Brueggemann’s 19 Theses
1. Everybody lives by a script. The script may be implicit or explicit. It may be recognized or unrecognized, but everybody has a script.

2. We get scripted. All of us get scripted through the process of nurture and formation and socialization, and it happens to us without our knowing it.

3. The dominant scripting in our society is a script of technological, therapeutic, consumer militarism that socializes us all, liberal and conservative.

4. That script (technological, therapeutic, consumer militarism) enacted through advertising and propaganda and ideology, especially on the liturgies of television, promises to make us safe and to make us happy.

……. etc…

Generative art = Church

Generative art – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Too tired to pontificate….. Generative art = Church/People of God/Community of Faith/Ecclesia.  Discuss.