Djembes and the Rhythm of Abundance
A few thoughts:
October is around the corner and as we move into fall we are reminded again of life's rhythms as reflected in the seasons. Each year it happens as Spring moves into summer, into autumn, into winter. Each season brings with it a different experience -- in winter it's the cool rains, in springtime the verdant hills, in the summer the warm air and long days, in fall comes the harvest. In the seasons we see a Rhythm of Abundance as we enjoy God's blessings.
This October and November we will be thinking and praying about the Rhythm of Abundance. God's gifts are all around us and they are sure, just as 3 follows 2 follows 1 as we count in waltz time (3/4 time)-- a beautiful flowing abundance of riches.
Now that Adowa Kudoto, a Master Drummer from Ghana, has joined our congregation, I am learning to play the Djembe, a West African drum. I have noticed a few things. So, in the spirit of the Rhythm of Abundance I'd like to share. I am a rank beginner when it comes to drums and rhythms. I grew up believing that I had no sense of rhythm. Before I started lessons I decided to stop believing that. Perhaps, it worked. At the first lesson (Fridays at 4 pm) I found I could actually move my hands and beat out a rhythm in time. However, I noticed that sometimes it was easier than at other times. And the difference was this: the more I let go -- of thinking about it, of trying to make my hands go at the right place at the right time -- the easier it got. It was as if I had found a beat that was already pulsing. In letting go I more joined the beat than made it happen, discovering something essential about life as pure gift. This, of course, got me thinking about my life, about God's way, and the Rhythm of Abundance.
It seems that God's Rhythm of Abundance is on-going and constant. It is there to be discovered. The gift of God's love moves in our lives in a real and insistent way -- it is for us to join it. Joining this rhythm of abundance is all about letting go -- it is about moving with God's movements in our lives, drumming with God's beat, singing God's song, dancing God dance. Letting go means that we begin to move with what Jesus called "the abundant life." This is not something that we can create or make happen -- it is gift, an eternal gift of presence.
This month we will be talking about God's rhythm of abundance as it applies to the stewardship of our lives. Adowa and her daughter Sena will be taking part in our 10:30 worship services. We will drum with God's beat, sing God's song and dance God's dance. Letting go means that we move with what Jesus called, "the abundant life."
Blessings,
David
October is around the corner and as we move into fall we are reminded again of life's rhythms as reflected in the seasons. Each year it happens as Spring moves into summer, into autumn, into winter. Each season brings with it a different experience -- in winter it's the cool rains, in springtime the verdant hills, in the summer the warm air and long days, in fall comes the harvest. In the seasons we see a Rhythm of Abundance as we enjoy God's blessings.
This October and November we will be thinking and praying about the Rhythm of Abundance. God's gifts are all around us and they are sure, just as 3 follows 2 follows 1 as we count in waltz time (3/4 time)-- a beautiful flowing abundance of riches.
Now that Adowa Kudoto, a Master Drummer from Ghana, has joined our congregation, I am learning to play the Djembe, a West African drum. I have noticed a few things. So, in the spirit of the Rhythm of Abundance I'd like to share. I am a rank beginner when it comes to drums and rhythms. I grew up believing that I had no sense of rhythm. Before I started lessons I decided to stop believing that. Perhaps, it worked. At the first lesson (Fridays at 4 pm) I found I could actually move my hands and beat out a rhythm in time. However, I noticed that sometimes it was easier than at other times. And the difference was this: the more I let go -- of thinking about it, of trying to make my hands go at the right place at the right time -- the easier it got. It was as if I had found a beat that was already pulsing. In letting go I more joined the beat than made it happen, discovering something essential about life as pure gift. This, of course, got me thinking about my life, about God's way, and the Rhythm of Abundance.
It seems that God's Rhythm of Abundance is on-going and constant. It is there to be discovered. The gift of God's love moves in our lives in a real and insistent way -- it is for us to join it. Joining this rhythm of abundance is all about letting go -- it is about moving with God's movements in our lives, drumming with God's beat, singing God's song, dancing God dance. Letting go means that we begin to move with what Jesus called "the abundant life." This is not something that we can create or make happen -- it is gift, an eternal gift of presence.
This month we will be talking about God's rhythm of abundance as it applies to the stewardship of our lives. Adowa and her daughter Sena will be taking part in our 10:30 worship services. We will drum with God's beat, sing God's song and dance God's dance. Letting go means that we move with what Jesus called, "the abundant life."
Blessings,
David
posted by FirstUCCSR at Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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