If you were able to watch the PBS special on the Carter Family you saw A.P. Carter roaming the hills of Appalachia searching for all types of Scots-Irish traditional songs, hymns, mountain tunes, and what not. He collected them then produced them. He took in all of these songs and sifted them through his creative mind and produced a Carter Family product. When we all sing Will the Circle Be Unbroken, we sing it the way AP Carter produced it. I wonder if there is an individual alive who remembers in its true "mountain form?"
So the same goes for ministry. As pastors we roam hospital rooms, living rooms, baptismal waters, Books of Common Prayer, ancient contemplative works, coffee shops, donut houses, jazz clubs and the like. We take all of this stuff in and sift it through our creative Spirit and produce a form of ministry, a new creation.
2 comments:
Hey.
A couple of things...
First, this is a great post. I come from rural VA, the hill country outside of Richmond. My wife is from the Lynchburg area. But we have been in urban Chicago for almost ten years. The conflation, confusion and general meyhem is fodder for some interesting ministry.
And to think, I came all this way to learn to play the mandolin.
Second, you may want to consider spam protection for your blog. You would avoid the first comment to this post.
Peace,
-Tripp
I like your title. Ken C
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