Skip to main content

The Beat Goes On




During Advent, Hyde Park Community UMC did a series based on Beatles songs as we “Unwrapped Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love” preparing for Christmas. I was BEYOND excited for this sermon series! As we came to a finale of the “long and winding road” of Advent my hope was that some people thought, “Don’t stop the music!” For those experiencing that sentiment, I stood in solidarity with them – as music is a passion of mine. 

While I know God can’t give all of the gifts to people – I wish I would have received the gift of music (either singing or playing – I’m not picky) instead of only the gift of appreciating music. While a college professor graded me as being only “average” in my appreciation of music I have since made up for it spending extra money and time at concerts. 

For some people, though, music is something that just “sounds nice, it’s good background noise.” For me, it is so much more! People of the Bible used music as a tool to pray and as an outlet to express the whole spectrum of human emotion. This creative expression helps us emotionally and spiritually, offers us direction, and has the ability to articulate thoughts and feelings all while showing us that we aren’t alone.

The Advent series was based on the premise that God is in all things and we have the ability to find sacred in the ordinary and everyday as we theologically reflect on how songs not traditionally found in “Christian music” can point us to God. This Advent, the Beatles songs acted as a soundtrack for the season leading up to Christmas as we were invited to explore creative ways to connect with God and others. 

For those who are interested in exploring faith through music – the beat goes on! The teaching theme for *Summer Impact is “Rock of Ages” as a way to enjoy music, express faith, and find community. Whether you will participate in Summer Impact or not, there is a community made Spotify playlist of 176 songs made for all people.These songs were submitted to the playlist because people have found divine meaning, hope, and love. Are there unexpected songs that have connected you to God? 

May you experience God in unexpected places and unexpected ways this Christmas season and into 2019 as you open your eyes (and maybe your ears) to what God is trying to show you. 

*Summer Impact is a ministry of Hyde Park Community UMC that invites groups to come and serve for a week alongside local ministry partners. These inner-city Cincinnati partnerships include building projects, day camps, delivering furniture, urban gardening, communing with those who are experiencing homelessness and sickness, and more. Follow the link to learn more.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Building with adobe mud bricks in Ohio is not "a thing"

I’m soaking wet, standing in the middle of a field in Dayton, Ohio as rain is pouring down…and all I see around me is mud . It is in this moment that it finally hits me…“I’ve made a horrible mistake...” I am many things, but one descriptor phrase is: "I’m a pusher". Read on to learn how I came about this self-realization in ministry and how I found myself standing in a field of mud. Let’s rewind to the Spring of 2007, a man who can only be described as the jolliest person’ besides good ole St. Nick was digging a post hole in order to build a tree house. This isn’t your typical, back yard tree house, this was a tree house built for a community. The man’s name was David Helmers and he was the architect and designed this tree house. David Helmers is working hard digging his hole for this massive 20’ pole that would be one of 8 to hold up the tree house. This tree house is right in the heart of this community known as el dumpe in Tijuana, Mexico – the city dump. So...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lost in the Crowd

Have you ever felt lost in the crowd? For someone who loves concerts, there is always this heightened sense of anxiety for me being in a large group. I constantly catch myself looking around to make sure the people I came with are by my side, I avoid bumping into strangers, and I leave early so I'm not in this rush of people. I've found that being in large churches can feel the same way. Most of my experiences of church is from the lens of the large church context. Before I got connected with any ministry areas when I first started going to church, I found myself lost in this sea of people coming and going. I could easily slip in and out of service without people noticing and I could even miss worship and no one would think twice about it. Reflecting back, I realize that I treated church like a crowded concert that I loved going to, but rarely interacted with others and take advantage of any chance to leave early. It wasn't until I got connected to a small group ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Travel ProTip #1: Local Cuisine

My name is Kate Smith...and I'm a foodie and I need your help. Not to stop - but I need your expertise of the West Chester area so be sure to check out the questions in the last paragraph. According to one of the most credible sources on the interwebs, Wikipedia, a foodie can  be defined as someone who seeks new food experiences as a hobby rather than simply eating out of convenience or hunger. I think my identity as a foodie stems from a rule that we had on family vacations: eat locally. This meant skipping national chains and opting for "mom and pop" hole in the walls, greasy spoons, and establishments that were unique to that area.  This guideline for harmonious travel has translated into my everyday life, my mentality when I travel or visit new places, and even ministry. Considering myself an adventurous type, I always like to explore what makes each place I live or visit unique. I actually get really excited finding stores, restaurants, and things to do tha...
5 comments
Read more