GreenBelt 08

A Fantastic time out with friends at this years festival (see Jon Taylor’s reflections). Highlights were as often the case – catching up with friends – Dave Wiles, Howard J, and David R. I was really encouraged about different things to reflect on from the tallskinnykiwi (such as itips and soon to be released book by Phyllis Tickle ‘The Great Emergence’). His talks certainly helped stimulate conversations over a couple of organic beers at the ‘Jesus Arms’. Music was pretty good, a highlight for me was ‘Emmanuel Jal’! There were still many tensions and questions in listenening to dialogue between emerging communities, traditional models and the difficult balancing act of postmodern engagement at the expense of walking a dangerous road to exclusivity. Brian Mclaren (check out the linked interview)was emotionally engaging and visually beautiful. Anyway there was no greater highlight than seeing my daughter dancing to the beat-boxed-coldcut-classic – legendary!

Secular Songs Sacred Sounds

There is no doubt in my experience of the Christian faith that music has been central to my understanding of and relation to God. Yes, I believe in a God whose image permeates all of creation and when I listen to a Radiohead song I connect with that imago dei. However, I also wonder if it is possible that I am hearing the cry of humanity for a God they do not know. Sometimes I am brought to tears, sometimes God speaks to me (like through Mike Scott’s This Is The Sea et al), sometimes I question the limited style of ‘church-music’. That is not to say I dislike such music, in fact I like some Christian worship and some choir-singing but the range of genres present in the music, including bigger congregations, seems to lack reggae, ska, punk, pop, thrash, techno, deep house, funk, disco, folk, R ‘n’ B and on and on. Now I know some places such music is being played but if we are God’s image bearers to a world who may not have discovered who God is… well… I think Willy Mason with a track like Oxygen is a voice of a generation – it is prophetic – God speaking through the youth today for the youth tomorrow. He is one amongst many musicians. Now we have so many fragmented sub-groups in today’s culture that it is not possible (i think) for one artist to speak for a generation. In fact, it may never have been – although Dylan certainly connected with the American youth culture. Redman and Hughes and this kinda of folks have an opportunity to be even more missional and experimental with their music to both cross-over and to influence culture. They may be doing this already, to which I say great but they are young and with a passion of a M Joseph and others could represent God in music and the music offered for God to those seeking God?

Lifeline

This is not necessarily a review of Ben Harper’s new album but rather a grateful response to an album stripped of technology in its editing and mastering. This is not to say that technology in music is a bad thing, my other recent purchases the old Zion Train (1995) and the strange journey taken by followers of Aphex Twin amongst a million other artists express themselves through music, sounds and noises manipulated and enhanced by technical gear. I stumbled once again across ‘No Direction Home’ Dylan documentary and the impact of Dylan stepping from a purist folk expression to a world of noise and loose vocal and chord arrangements. Judas some cried at him. Who are currently expressing themselves on a journey, artists who are not static but looking to push the boundaries of their own experience of music and prepared to go places where rejection may await. Who are the prophets of today, expressing the cry of a fragmented generation? Likely there will be many from within the diverse sub-groups of this generation, Generation Y-Z-A. Who is crying out the pain and joy of a God who wants to embrace and engage with each human life and community?