A Jazzy Vision of the Church

A NEW BEGINNING

OK, we are now living in Westminster Shores, St. Petersburg, FL. The furniture has arrived and is mostly unpacked–some of it sitting in chaotic piles. We are adjusting to our new home after having lived in North Carolina for almost 31 years. It is fun to have a new beginning at 73 years of age. Hopefully we will have several more years to enjoy this new setting and in the process contribute to the lives of others.

A VISION FROM JAZZ

In my unpacking, I came upon some notes about an experience I had many years ago at a General Assembly listening to a concert by Count Basie. I think it still has validity. The experience of the Jazz concert provided a commentary on the church.

Here was a corporate group that fostered the excellence of the individual, which in turn contributed to the excellence of the group as a whole. Jazz, as I understand it, has a definite theme and enough structure to prevent it from dissolving into chaos but not so much structure that it represses creativity and imagination. The individual is affirmed and nurtured in creativity and imagination without falling into a competitive and divisive individualism. And the corporate group is definitely built up by the gifts of the members.

A VISION FOR THE CHURCH

How difficult it is to have a church that fosters creativity and imagination and yet is aware of both the central theme (one baptism and one Lord) and the need to build up the group through the use of the gifts of the members. To often our fears and hypersensitivity tend to level out charisma and imagination both of which are necessary for the full joy of life. If charisma is thought of as the gifts of God for the building up of the community of faith, then to be a Jazzy church may be what we are to strive for.

PAUL THE JAZZ MUSICIAN

“Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) Who knows, maybe Paul was into Jazz.