Here we are: we have reached the end of another season with our Trinity Music Team. Our Section Leaders and Trinity@Home musicians will be released for a couple months until returning to us in September to once more, fill our holy space, both online and in person, with joyful, joyful noise. A holy, well-deserved break for our mighty fine musicians.
Today, I find myself thankful for these people, these musicians, the moments we have created, and the joy, dedication, and passion they bring to the ministry. It also brings me to a reflection on music ministry in our sacred space, divine timing, and holy spontaneity.
Music creation is a sacred space. There are many qualities that work together to help these moments come alive. It requires a dedication to your craft of choice, like singing or playing your chosen instrument. Dedication to the craft often involves daily practice, taking lessons and coachings with other wise instructors, constant continuing education like engaging in community concerts and listening to music, and learning the music ahead of time chosen for this moment. It requires time and the development of skills to make you a versatile musician. Often, it requires some sort of schooling, but not always. And that is just the prep.
When you get into this room for music creating, it takes true collaboration with your colleagues to make something truly beautiful. And that collaboration, true collaboration, requires a certain vulnerability; a willingness to learn and change and adapt to what others are doing in the moment. This vulnerability and willingness to let your guard down takes courage; to find true trust and security in yourself, to surrender to the moment. Less thinking, more feeling. For those of you who have not done this in a musical capacity, it’s like feeling out the best gust of wind when flying a kite or finding the current in a stream for fantastic kayaking or learning to bake perfectly without need for a timer because you can just “smell it.” It’s there- that flow, that moment- it might not always be apparent, but you know it when you feel it. And when that flow comes over you and the group, those moments are spontaneous gifts made possible through dedication, collaboration, and surrendering to the moment; trusting your friends and colleagues, your own abilities, and the moment, or perhaps the Spirit herself, to guide you in holy spontaneity.
What we have at Trinity, this music full of holy spontaneity, is created through a highly professional and exceptional team; Melissa Toth, Kim Buehler, Tajj Crowder, Bradley Baker and Brian Buckner bring skills and expertise to the space that are unparalleled to other spaces. They are flexible, kind musicians, willing to be vulnerable to find that flow. I believe in divine timing, and all of these people together in one place doing these cool things is enough to show me, and remind me, of how wonderful and awesome our God truly is.
Chelsie Cree
Director of Music & the Arts