The Messenger
May 14, 2012 Volume XXII, No. 5 Nationalchurch.org
Dancing in the Streets!
A Brighter Day On Pentecost
Stop by the Brighter Day table on the plaza of the church during Pentecost to learn about our growing relationship with Brighter Day Ministries, a cooperative United Methodist parish in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington DC. Metropolitan will be supporting its Summer Academic Camp Explosion this summer through a donation from our Foundation, volunteers, and supplies. See page 7 for more information.
I think the real reason that many of us do not dance in public is not because we cannot dance, but because we are afraid. We are afraid of what others will think, and we are fearful of being embarrassed. That’s why the phrase “dance like no one is watching” can be freeing. We sometimes live out our faith life as if we hope no one is watching. As a matter of fact, there are times when we do not want anyone to know. We get embarrassed. Sometimes we’re ashamed. Yes, even, sometimes we are fearful of what others might think. Although most of us have been profoundly impacted by our faith, learning to share our own story is incredibly difficult. It’s like making that first attempt at dancing in front of others if you are unsure about what others might say or do. So, often we keep the party inside of us. It wants to get out, but we aren’t sure how to make that happen without alienating or leaving ourselves vulnerable in the process. However, is sharing our faith worth that risk? I think so. On May 27, we will celebrate Pentecost. This day, which came fifty days after Passover, was originally a Jewish festival marking the fullness of harvest. Christians also mark the day of Pentecost fifty days after Easter as a day when we celebrate the fullness of the Spirit’s work in us. On this day, we are told in Acts 2, that the disciples were hidden away in a room, fearful of political leaders. As they were hiding out, the Spirit came down like tongues of fire and just like that the disciples’ fear subsided, and they poured out of the room and began “dancing in the streets.” Well, maybe not dancing per se, but most definitely a “party” ensued. They began to proclaim God’s good news of life to the people gathered for the Pentecost festival. In the midst of their dancing, the church was born! On Pentecost, we do not celebrate just the actions of an obscure bunch of folks who were thought to be drunk. We celebrate the beginning of the church and the Spirit’s continuing work within us. It is a time to renew our commitment to sharing our stories. Will you join us to celebrate Pentecost? In recent history, we have shared one service together, but this year, we will have two worship experiences with a Pentecost celebration in between at 10:10 am. This celebration will replace the picnic lunch we have held in recent years. The main event will be between the services with games for the kids and birthday cake for the church. We will also have special doves for you to make and take with you to share with others as we tell the story of God’s love for us. Refreshments and doves will also be available on the plaza following the 11:15 a.m. service.
A Musical Pilgrimage
Many of you know that for a number of years, I have played a Japanese bamboo flute called the shakuhachi, and at the end of this month, I will be leaving on a twelve day pilgrimage to Kyoto, Japan, to attend the World Shakuhachi Festival. Since our Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) has given me this time as continuing education/spiritual development, I wanted to let you all know why practicing this instrument has been an important part of my spiritual journey.
Traditional shakuhachi are made from the root end of a bambooculm and are extremely versatile instruments, playing a wide repertoire of original Zen music, Japanese ensemble music, folk music, jazz, and other modern pieces (including a number of popular movie soundtracks). Unlike a recorder, which has a mouthpiece that funnels the air, the shakuhachi
is blown as one would blow across the top of an empty bottle (though the shakuhachi has a sharp edge to blow against), giving the player enormous control over the pitch. Different fingerings, embouchures (the way one shapes mouth and lips), and blowing angles can produce notes of the same pitch, but with a substantially different flavor. Much of the instrument’s subtlety derives from this rich tone coloring. Bamboo flutes and Buddhism both arrived in Japan from China in the seventh century C.E. The earliest reference to both shakuhachi and Buddhism comes from the ninth century when the shakuhachi was used as an accompaniment to religious chanting. Over the centuries that followed, shakuhachi playing developed into its own form of meditation, called Sui Zen or "blowing meditation” (as opposed to the traditional sitting form of meditation, called Za Zen). The traditional Zen music is the meditative honkyoku and is thought to have evolved from Buddhist chant. (Cont. on page 2)