The Emergent Church & Carlos Santana
There is a lot of talk about the emerging church. Some people seem sky-high on the concept; some seem very bored by the talk. It reminds me of what the owner of the independent record store down the street once told me about Carlos Santana. In 1999 Carlos sold 10 million copies of SUPERNATURAL and won 10 Grammy Awards. It certainly wasn’t his best work, although it was his most commercially successful. The owner said with a chuckle, that many teenagers came to his store raving about this "new artist" Santana and wondered if there were any other albums by him; this occurred 30 years after Santana released his first album. Some have been listening to Santana for 30 years and are delighted that others have discovered his genius; others are just discovering the mystery of Black magic Woman and are on fire. The same kind of thing is happening in the church.
I think it is great that some folks in the church have discovered scholarship that gives voice to something that has stirred in their souls for years; it is freeing and life giving. It is like the kid discovering Santana for the first time and being inspired to play guitar. You can hear him banging in his/her garage and if he/she stays with it long enough one eventually makes music. If one attempts to play publically too soon, it comes across as loud noise. I must admit that some of what we hear sounds like loud noise or really old songs played out of tune. Some times it feels like there are 20 white dudes in a garage with their used guitars with Santana sheet music playing through one amp too loud and out of tune. The passion is to play is great, but take a few lessons; especially some who think they are the next Hendrix or Santana. Like I said, the passion to want to jam is wonderful and often the music is often beautiful (although I have heard some lousy albums in my days). Keep playing until the music becomes you-- an expression of your soul; what seems like noise to some may just be the next Smells Like Teen Spirit. At the same time, just because one is making noise doesn't mean one can play. We just need to be careful that in learning how to play guitar we don't butcher the masterpieces that have been left before us; think we are in a positon to re-write or add lyrics to a masterpiece because we've read the guitarist's autobiography & attended a concert; think because we play in a garage band that we are ready for Woodstock; or learn one song half-assed and play it over and over until everyone is sick of hearing it.
3 Comments:
Maiken says....
Rick - right again - I've counting myself among the sky-high people - now I'm a little bit of both over the Emergent thing.
As a guitar player I can relate to all the bad "interpretations" of masterpieces. Reminds me of the scene in "Wayne's World" where they have the "No Stairway to Heaven" sign in the guitar shop! So true so true.
I've never been the type myself to try to batter an old masterpiece and think it cool. I've never jammed Santana, Metallica, Led nor any other big name. What I've always looked for in other guitar players is a sense of self - some form of originality. Something that makes them instantly recognizable. And that exists even in local guitarists, and not just with big stars. We all need to find our own unique voice - and that's what we should aim for. But we need to give credit where credit's due and not believe that we invented tapping or the downward bend not the hammering or pull off's etc. What makes a guitar player unique is often not some new "invention" but how s/he uses the tools and techniques already invented. We could get ten good guitarists together and have them all play the same piece and non of them would sound remotely the same. They'd all have their own bend, tone, attack etc. etc.
Knowledge abounds of the church and it's misgivings because it's such an easy target. I struggle daily with cynicism and find that it often times consumes me. I too appreciate the passion with which we question supposed 'authority' these days, but I feel that we don't go far enough. It is not enough to merely question authority...we have to speak with it too.
You've given me much to think about, Rick - along the lines of the continuum between renewal and "just throwing out old stuff." I've been reading C. Peter Wagner's "Churchquake" and coming to see how the church's search for new wineskins is often the re-discovery of old ways of storing new wine that are still perfectly workable...just out of use, for whatever reason. Witness the renewal of "praying the hours," of renewed interest in liturgy and symbolism in worship.
Now, the struggle is that the one who worships tradition will say, "See? SEE? We need to hold onto this tradition, because it is holy, and young people are being drawn to it." And the one who worships innovation will say, "Naw, forget him - we're doing something new, not that *old* crap." It ends up being an unending variation on "I'm right!" "No, *I'm* right!" Grrrrr....
The fact is, they're both wrong - because it's not the tradition, and it's not the innovation that is holy - only God is holy.
The Buddhists have a saying: "Do not confuse the finger for the moon." A man asked the master, "Show me the moon." The master pointed his finger at the moon high in the sky, but the young man grew fascinated with the finger, saying, "Ah, very nice moon..." While the finger points to the moon, it is *not* the moon itself. If we confuse the finger for the moon...if we confuse the worship of the worship-style, or the music, or the tradition with worship of the God to which all this points - then we have failed completely.
Like your image of Santana's music, there is much to be rediscovered (if you'll pardon a Lutheran pun, to be "Re-formed"). We've talked about this before, but I see it as the difference between practicing a set of traditions and living a set of faith practices (which is what I understand "discipleship" to be). Whenever the church starts to break out of "going through the motions" and into discipleship, the church will always be "emerging." Something about remaining evergreen, pliable and flexible.
Guess I've got a blog-entry of my own waiting to be written on this...didn't know I had it in me, brother. Thanks for another great post...through you, God inspires great things.
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