August 27th 2023 : The value of music
Think of a song that has inspired you to seek truth, to live more fully, to care more deeply, or to hang in there and make a difference. Lyrics that encouraged you to be compassionate and caring in your relationship with your self, others, and the planet. A phrase that affirmed what you believe is important and made you want to sing it out to the world (even if you aren't a singer).
This Sunday, you'll be invited to share the title of the song and (briefly) why it has been meaningful to you. If you'd prefer someone else share it during the service, email the title and a brief explanation to Scott on Saturday evening (late is fine). We'll also have a solo, a round, and a traditional folk tune with new words and as always the experience of singing meaningful songs together.
Reading 1
The first reading is from the life and business coach and author Rasheed Ogunlaru. His writing has appeared on the BBC, The Times, and the Guardian. His original songs include “Music Saved My Life.”
“We love music deeply, but why?
Put simply: music makes lives, shapes lives, expresses all shades and stages of life – and even sometimes saves lives.”
Reading 2
The second reading is from the work of Sandra McCracken, a singer-songwriter who draws on folk, gospel, and traditional hymns. Sandra founded an artist collective in Nashville and co-founded a children’s music collective. The following is from her book Send out Your Light.
“If we sing songs with thin ideas, superficial hopes, and more hype than authenticity we will find ourselves depleted in times when we need some truth to fall back on. We need songs sturdy enough to sing at the bedside of a dying friend. We need songs of comfort for the birth of a child. We need songs that we can share that inform our hearts and minds of what is true for the times when we can’t think true things for ourselves.”
Reading 3
The third reading is from the work of Joy Harjo, a teacher, poet, saxophonist, actress, band member, playwright, and vocalist from Oklahoma, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. She earned a BA from the University of New Mexico and a Masters in Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She has served as Professor and Chair of Excellence in Creative Writing at the University of Tennessee and has taught creative writing at several universities. Harjo is a founding board member of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. She was named U.S. poet laureate in June 2019.
In her creative work, which is often autobiographical, Harjo draws on First Nation storytelling and histories, as well as feminist and social justice poetic traditions, and frequently incorporates indigenous myths, symbols, and values into her writing. Her poetry is set in the landscape of the American Southwest and Southeast, and also Alaska and Hawaii. She has released four albums of original music.
She shares her deep concern with politics, tradition, remembrance, and the transformational aspects of poetry. The following is from her book, Catching the Light.
“We must take care to feed the minds, hearts, and spirits of those coming up behind us--to offer songs, poems, and stories that will break open that which is hardened, expose that which is evil-minded or would harm, and remind us how we are constructed to bring forth beauty in thought and being-ness.
VIDEO on Powerpoint A change is going to come
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4&list=RD8GzLHgdz4ag
VIDEO on Powerpoint “Try a little kindness”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GzLHgdz4ag&list=RD8GzLHgdz4ag&start_radio=1
VIDEO My Own Two Hands Jack Johnson
https://www.streetdirectory.com/lyricadvisor/song/pppupo/with_my_own_two_hands/
VIDEO Pentatonix Imagine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLiWFUDJ95
VIDEO What the world needs now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5AyGvJcyoU&list=RD8GzLHgdz4ag&index=8
SONG Babette May We Be One Babette