Festival of Homiletics Reflections: The Music, Tuesday Night

As I mentioned, I arrived a bit late and frazzled to the Festival of Homiletics because of the arrival of my nephew Sam on Monday. (Not that I'm complaining - and here's another fabulous picture of him, by the way.) I missed both Barbara Brown Taylor and Walter Brueggemann, among others, which was too bad - I've heard Barbara Brown Taylor - back in 2001 at a gathering of ministry fellows through The Fund for Theological Education (where I also heard Fred Craddock). I've only read Brueggemann. Oh well.

The first thing I was in time to hear? A concert given by four singer/songwriters. I hadn't heard of any of them, and that's because they are primarily successful as songwriters - those who crafted the tunes that we know and love for other artists. We heard Marcus Hummon, Allen Shamblin, Kyle Matthews, and Beth Nielsen Chapman. Hummon, for example, wrote "God Bless the Broken Road," also "Ready to Run" for the Dixie Chicks, and Shamblin wrote one of my favorite songs ever, Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."

What a perfect first event to attend. The music was so excellent, moving, relaxing, mellowing, reflective. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed hearing about the writing process, the courage it took for them to move to Nashville to pursue their dreams, what it is like to have others sings your songs and be famous for them. I enjoyed the way they seemed to respect each other, and how they worked together and improvised with each other. They shared how they saw their faith expressed in their music - sermons in words. Hummon is married to a clergywoman, and I especially like this song of his, "Stand Up (Song for Jesus)":

You’re battered and blue

He drinks and you pray

You cringe in the corner

But you're still in his way

You oughtta run like hell

But you always stay...

Stand up Stand up

You're out on the street

And you're only fifteen

You oughtta be dancin'

Bright homecoming queen

But you sleep in the alley

And you cry in your dreams...

Stand up Stand up

You learn to speak English

So you can explain

That you need the job

For the money to pay

To bring a hungry family

'Cross the border someday

To this town and these streets

That your ancestors paved, Oh...

Stand up Stand up

Now, I know a poor man

from an occupied nation

He was trained as a carpenter

But he lost all his patience for it

He believed that the truth

Was the chosen vocation

Still they hung him like a criminal

Despite the adoration

Of the invisible masses

Who forgetting their station

Believed in a God

Who loves all creation...

Stand up Stand up...

I had a great week in Nashville - I have many more sets of reflections to come. But I also just enjoyed being in Nashville. I've been to Nashville for meetings before, but this was the first time I actually got to just be in Nashville and walk around and see things. I really got a better sense for the community of artists and musicians struggling and/or succeeding in the industry. I like the city. Still couldn't ever see myself living in the South, but maybe if I did, it would be in Nashville.

Lots more to come...

OK - and one (two!) more picture(s) of Sam (with me, self-portrait, courtesy my cell phone).