Steph's USA Adventure

The Flip Side

2009-06-29T14:39:00.001-07:00

Well... since my last post I have been thinking about the balance to what I said- about how the church was a bit useless for not sorting out all the world's issues ; )

I was thinking how Lord Wilberforce, the Amish and countless other Christian groups were anti-slavery. And fought for it. And how their experience was that God was leading them.

How Martin Luther King Junior really felt lead by God in his stand for social justice.

How lots of my friends are into helping people who are less fortunate than them. How others are fair trade geeks. Or don't like the cigarette industry because its effect on children in the communities where it is grown...

I have been thinking that as much as there is evidence that Christians dont seem to be THAT amazing overall at getting social issues right, there is as much evidence that ones of us and groups of us, are responding to what we believe is the true call of God - be it a little prompting here and there or some major kind of call.

That's something to get excited about. That is something to be encouraged by.

Because as much as the world has crazy issues in it, and as much as the church should be for the world, there are also other people in it. You cant point to all the bad issues and say - naughty Christians. You can say, get it together people (all people, everywhere)!!!! And then the church can seek God for how to live, and which issues to focus on, and just look at the things they care about and start doing something till God says do something else!

I have been reeaaallly challenged about how we need to hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit in the day to day. I think that God is available to give us peace, provide some direction, point us to needs, strengthen us to love when we cant be bothered any more. That's the challenge. Not to get busy living as Christians so that we miss the point.

I think the church is very busy.

Sometimes it needs to be.

But sometimes not.

Yesterday I went to David Wilkinson's church - the guy who wrote the Cross and the Switchblade. He did a lot of work in the 1970s with the gangs of New York, and that book is about his experiences. I wanted to go to this church because his book impacted on me as a teenager, and because I thought he lived Christianity with a great deal of integrity. His church was cool... I heard that his church has a big missions population - they are sent all over the world. However, in that 9/11 happened, God told the church to keep the leaders home, that he wanted them to serve at home that year. When 9/11 happened, all the leaders were at home base, and were ready and really easily mobilised to help the people most affected. They fed people, housed people, etc. That is so so cool.

So, I think, yay this guy. Who hears from God and does it.

I have noticed that the differences I notice most in the States are the 'desperate' ones. The homeless thing, racial issues - the basics. But also the things that to fix are the 'heroic' ones. I noticed that when I re-read my last blog.

Since then, I have been thinking- what does God want with people like me? Has he only come for the homeless and those in survival mode? What is it that really sets a Christian apart? What is it about God that he is there for drug addicts and homeless, but also for me? What is it that God wants with my life that I need him before I become a person in need of desperate, basic help for survival?

I think the thing that is important is that God wants to be involved. With me. He wants to help when I'm anxious, to step me through life so that I have His peace, and His blessings in my life.

Am I qualified?
Nope.

Am I sick enough?
Could get there... hahaha. I dont need to be sick. I just think that my life with God actively in it would be a better adventure ; )

Do I need His blessings and his help?
Possibly not. Plenty of people survive in the world without God. But I would like to have God's involement. Because I know God is real. And I want to respond to God, and to see what happens when I live like that. And because when lots of us join in with what God is doing it is easier to see the effect of his involvement.

Will my life be markedly different?
Maybe, maybe not. I think the point is to keep listening to God. The difference will be inside me mostly, and over time I hope that comes out as something cooler than when I'm not listening. I dont want the difference to be only that I go to church. That isnt enough.

Will I have to help the homeless and the drug addicts, etc?
Maybe, maybe not. I have had this passion for seeing better justice for Maori in New Zealand, and I dont think that that is coincidental. I like organising things, I'd like to tie that into helping people connect to each other - I'd like to help people get to know who Christians are in Kelburn where I hope to live so that they can have access to God's help. The point really is not for me to save the world. The point is for God to save the world. I would be suprised if the church as a whole wasn't involved in some kind of 'emergency' help. But there are a lot of other needs, which are valid and not desperate, and God is for all of us.

SO.

That's been my thinking and revelations over the last few weeks...

And what do I think now?
I think the church has a real challenge to think about how it is. I think that as Christians we need to be checking each other to see if we have become mediocre. It is possible to help the homeless and have stopped hearing from God (not so good). It is possible to be just praying and hearing from God, and being prepared for something in the future (why not!?). It is possible to be living as a Christian with sin that the church readily identifies, and be working it through with God (yay, that is the whole point). I think as Christians, we are allowed to just live. We are allowed to be in our lives enjoying that God is at work, and/or trying to figure stuff out, or struggling through stuff and seeking his help. And I expect that in His love for the whole world, he will be keen to have the church meet the needs of people around us, in all sorts of ways.

At the end of the day, I think I have sorted out my thinking a bit to get that God is for me, too. Just like this. Travelling in New York and shopping till I'm too tired to walk any more. It's so fun. I can see him helping me work things out in my head as well while I'm here.

God is a goodie. I also realised that God wont zap the worlds problems away because he's into free will. And he has a funny role for the chruch, which I'm just learning about...

A Confession

2009-06-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

I am giving up on chronology - when I get behind i dont catch up, and a blog with no updates is kind of lame. Tonight I cant sleep because there is too much whirling around in my head. I have been thinking a lot about faith. It's a bit of a story:

The Context
Here there are a lot of homeless people. In every city I have been to. Begging, sleeping in parks or on benches. Calling out, 'How are you doin''. Trying to trick you into paying them money.

I have been in the South, and have been to a few civil rights museums. I have been in the land of Martin Luther King Jnr - where he was shot, where he preached, where he lived... That has been really amazing, and moving. I didnt really know much about USA's civil rights history, except for slavery, and was surprised that segregation was only stopped in the 1960s. I have found the history of Martin Luther King Jnr pretty amazing. I have been sobered by photos and videos about the impacts of peaceful protest, and moved by his personal conviction, and what he sufferred for his cause.

More personally, I have had some surprising encounters with people on issues of race. Some conversations with locals paint blacks more as criminals and communities to be afraid of and in, than as people, some of whom are criminals, and cautioning that in some areas I need to be careful and why.

It doesn't matter who told me what, but I was told that I might not want to walk down this street or that street because it is a black area. That's it. No other explanation. Nothing about crime statistics. No explanation about why it might be more risky for white people to go there (found out from subsequent conversations, that in some areas no white people go there except cops and social workers, so not a high level of joy about white folks). No explanation about anything. Just, there are blacks there. Same about a night club. Thought it was too dangerous, too many blacks.

I find this so deeply disturbing.

Most immediately for me, I have found these experiences unsettling in terms of thinking about my own safety. I have no idea what these statements mean. I know the colour dynamic is different over here, and I have to be sensible. But working out what these statements mean practically is tricky.

Most importantly, though, it is really disturbing for the health of communities here. To paint barriers so starkly is really dangerous. The proximity to the days of segregation matters - it is in the living memory of some people, and I think that impacts on life here.

Just to clarify at this point - by no means has every white person I have met been racist. Some people don't seem to think much about it. Others seem to have opinions that are informed sensibly by history and are have differing levels of understanding about the issues. Mostly it doesn't come up.

The Faith Connection
I drove through some little hic towns in Tennessee and (aside from seeing some hillbillies in real life, woohhooo!!!) I drove through a town famous for lynching blacks. Right there in the heart of the bible belt.

And i got to thinking about how the South had been into slavery more than the North. How the South seems to be more fundamentalist than the North. How there is no longer segregation in the States, but I find myself being one of very few white people in some of the places I go down here (in the South).

More irony...

And here I am sitting in my hostel thinking a lot about judgementalism and faith, and sin, and blind spots and morality. And me back home. And us back home. And what faith means.

How can the church ever be the beautiful bride of Christ?

Some of us hit social justice, some of us miss racism. Some of us let women lead, others of us dont let gay people lead. Some of us nail chastity, some of us let judgementalism or piousness in. Some of us get the rules right, but totally miss grace. Some of us look righteous but don't have faith. Some of us go to church regularly, but how many of us let the holy spirit work in us towards His transformation?

How does the bible belt (as a big generalisation) miss slavery and racism? What is the NZ church missing? What needs do we live with or justify? Are we active about loving people or do we play church? Do we attend, or do we practice being Christlike? Are we Christlike about the big issues as well as the little things - the every day, things done for ourselves or for others, but without trumpets and banners?

But actually first, how are we listening to God and allowing him to shape us before we do a thing?

The Confession
For a long time I have felt like these questions have been churning inside.

A lot of what I have been thinking about while I have been here is that I am pretty good at making excuses for not doing things. What I am about to say I think helps to keep me from being Christlike, and helps me to miss being part of the church-answer to issues like the ones I have talked about above.... It is my confession.

I have felt unqualified for Christianity for ages. I grew up in a 'good Christian household' where I was brought up to be good. And in some ways it doesnt come too hard... there is something to be said for following the training of your parents. But I can do that pretty well without any involvement from God.

My problem is that I have tried so hard to be good about morality, that I have missed the joy of obedience. And i have done it myself. I have been good out of discipline (and there are definate moments on help from god), but i have not stretched my 'obedience' outside what the church has seemed to be comfortable with. I have also lived in fear of stuffing it up so that sometimes I feel like I haven't lived. Sometimes i feel like i have suffocated the life of Christ out of my own self. I've developed habits of legalism and not of a life sourced in Christ, so much so that I think I have a pretty warped view of what Christianity is. I can feel like God loves everyone, and see how it applies, but find it hard to accept that the offer is also for me.

I think I got used to churches that told me what to do and how to live. And i have to get better at taking responsibility for my own Christianity, especially in the light of things I have seen.

And now I am stuck. Churches go too fast for me because they want me to be involved. I want to learn how to obey God, but I feel vulnerable about people in positions of authority getting me to do what they want me to do. Is it what they need, or what I need, or what God wants or a mix?? Somewhere there is a balance between seeing a need and doing something about it, and cultivating Christ in us so that he impels us. I also that I get so tied up in questions about things that I get overwhelmed and cant go forward very well.

I dont want to be 'in church' for its own sake. I want to know Jesus and know the power of His kingdom for me (which translates into His kingdom to others). I dont want to get tied up serving inside the church, but when I am honest, I dont want my life to be too overtaken by Christ! Oh man!

So, that is my confession. Its kind of a confession and kind of not. I think the confession is that I havent been doing all I can do to sort out my questions. But I am not sorry for my questions.. I think thats an important part of growing up in faith.

I am figuring out over here how important community is. Without community, I couldn't help the homeless guy who wet himself at the bus stop beside me. I have nothing to offer - it is too much for me to meet that need alone. That takes a group of people (including a whole lot of men! Ha) to address the cause of something that can result in that kind of indignity. I cant do much about racism over here... thats a problem that takes relationship with people over a long time.

I am also missing all my friends from home, being able to chat about things, share little things in life and work through things that come up. I am really looking forward to coming home, and to settling into life again. I'm going to need some help with my questions... In the mean time, you praying folk could pray for me about this stuff, and for God's peace to be with me in my travels...

Out of New Orleans

2009-05-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Some friends I met years ago in Central Asia very very generously decided they wanted to pick me up from New Orleans and take me back to their place in Rayne (just next to Lafayette, Louisiana). What a cool journey!!

It turns out Louisiana is incredibly flat. With a lot of short trees (including heaps of cypress trees which have all sorts of incredible properties which I was told about but totally forgot!) and swamps and bayous. And real live alligators in the wild. I saw my first alligator (admittedly a tiny one) on this car trip. And I saw an amazing red bird (all red) which was my immediate favourite. Forgot what its called. Again.

Really, in New Zealand we are totally lucky with our scenery... wow. Here I missed home a bit. No mountain, no sea for ages. A big Palmy, but with swamps and short trees ; ) hahaha

My friends were so generous. They took me around and showed me rice fields and Crawfish fields - the general scenery, up a few bridges to see across the country, oil wells in the making, major trading rivers, etc. Once I got there they took me to see touristy things, and made sure I got me to a bible study on Wednesday night- we had to check out whether there was singing!! (church experience blogged seperately). All round, it was really cool. And I felt overwhelmed about the generosity I was shown.

I found the swaps amazing. They are moss green, with still, quiet water. Sun reflecting on water, on clouds on trees, creating cool shadows. Trees with lichen-looking tufts of fluff hanging from them creating an eerie kind of feel. In Lafayette I went on a swamp tour and ABSOLUTELY LOVED it!! It was really fun.

Here's my best Alligator pic. Yep, I got quite excited about the Alligators...

Observations from Rayne- I figured out why shops look so different: their doors are all closed because of the air conditioning. I figured out why you need a car in America. Because it is gigantic, and because things are so spread out. And people drive everywhere. Shopping centres are huge, and most have false frontages so you can't see the roofs. There is so much land. Everything is big, and way away from other things. It is a really different kind of layout when you are not smack bang in the middle of a city. Veerrryyy different. And they drive on the wrong side of the road!! And there are not many footpaths - people don't seem to use them - cars really ar the thing!

My most significant memory in Rayne was the company. And home cooked meals, and Louisianan delicacies. But it was amazing to catch up with two girls, well young women now - my age, who were my best mates for a year, yonks ago. It was great that we still got on really well. It was so fun!! And getting to know their parents as an adult and having grown-up relationships. And meeting their siblings and grandparents, and hanging with their kids and enjoying some adventures and meals together. It was totally priceless. And completely unbloggable. It was just friendship in the making. Thanks y'all.

Gospel Church #2 - The Sixth Baptist Church

2009-05-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

The Sixth Baptist Church was just down the road from where I was staying. So I went and checked it out...

I totally have not got the start times of church sussed out yet - this one started at 9.30 so I missed the singing - I showed up at 10. The sermon was very entertaining... it was for girls aged 8 - 21 and was about how they are worth something. There was stuff in there about not getting their identity wrapped up in guys, finishing high school and becoming independent financially from their parents so that they had options and opportunities. The preacher was halarious and entertaining - it is a story telling kind of style that I find really refreshing! And honest. Oh my goodness. There were things said in that 'house of god' that were never said in mine growing up!! And men not afraid of being men - being honest (and funny) about the nature of attraction and how it affects them... I really appreciated that. I think the NZ church goes overboard trying not to be offensive that it turns out a little bit neutral sometimes on a subject that totally isn't!!! (I think it causes problems for both men and women- for themselves and for each other... anyways, my views on 'asexual men and women in the NZ church' is not worth talking about in great detail here, but if you're interested, ask me!!...)

Anyways. The way this subject matter talked about the value of women made me realise that I was in a different community than I was used to. Talking about finishing high school - any expectaion that we wouldn't is not my experience at all.

To be honest, the most I can say about this experience was that I found this church entertaining. It was genuinely fun, frank and halrious. I liked it. Unfortunately, no-one really talked to me (including the pastor), except another woman who used to go to this church, but now lives in North Carolina. It was a bit awkward, and I felt really shy. I was the only white person there. I also didn't take my bible to this church - EVERYBODY had one, and I felt like a total tourist. Which I kind of was I guess. But anyway. The major thing I took from this church was that it was really telling about the area I was in. The area had been re-built after the hurricane, so all the houses were new. Everyone seems to drive a flash car. It was really hard to tell exactly what kind of area I was in. The sermon helped.

There was a youth choir at the end that sang a song that I knew. At that point though, everyone on the side (where I was sitting) walked towards the back of the church, then I got ushered down the middle of the church, up the front and then up the other side of the church. I still don't really know what that was for. Perhaps I was supposed to put some money in the bucket at the front for a tithe? Otherwise I figured I could have left out the backdoor like half the locals did to skip the notices. Oh well, in my new spot I was closer to the choir.

No regrets ; )

New Orleans - Louisiana

2009-05-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

New Orleans was an interesting place to hang out in. There were some beautiful buildings in the French Quarter, which took you back in time. Wrought Iron trimmings on houses, balconies overflowing with flowers in flower boxes, high ceilings with long slim windows graced by elegant and functional shutters... Mmmmmm I liked it.

In my part of town there were houses with front porches which were well used in the evenings, or by older people who watched the street... These houses tended to be two storied, and had high ceilings with pillars out front - in plantation style architecture. More of those lovely shutters. If you know what to look for, you can tell how rich someone is by the number of pillars, and/or the width of the houses (trad. taxed on pillars or width of street frontage), and what religion and/or denomination by the colour of the shutters...

There were definately parts of New Orleans that were not so savoury. Much of the city is still not back to normal post-hurricane Katrina. It is still a well talked about event - cab drivers talk about it, bus drivers talk about it... people you meet on the street talked about it. It has affected the reliability of public transport (still), the type of people living in the city - apparently there are a lot of abandoned houses and warehouses with who-knows living in them, families are fractured - one man was talking about how he saw his mamma everyday, but now she lives in Dallas, Texas (millleesss away). A change of life for all concerned.

But still, there is music everywhere. On street corners, spilling out of bars, streets blocked off for music and crazy artistic goings-on. And it is awesome music. We went out a couple of times to check out the local scene - we found a crazy pianist in the oldest pub in town. He asked us for song requests - someone from our group wanted Britney Spears, so we got a mock-Britney song. Very entertaining. Another night we found a classic jazz club and had a drink or two there enjoying every moment ; ) Happy with those evenings - they delivered what we had hoped New Orleans would deliver.

Oh, I have to tell you about a bus trip. There were a few of us who had made friends at our accomodation coming back from the jazz fest together - a couple of NZers and a couple of Pommes. We were singing random NZ and UK songs on the bus on the way home.... A few of the locals were wondering where our screws had come loose... We took suggestions - one lady said 'Shut Up' - so I sang the Black Eyed Peas version. We thought we were halarious. I think she was slightly amused but more exasperated. She told us not to quit our day jobs... WOOOOPPPSSSS!!! ALL OF US HAD. We laughed and laughed.

Anyways.... there is some random stuff about New Orleans during jazz fest season. I think there is less music when the jazz fest is over - it brings in quite a lot of money, and a lot of musos work during this time...

A fun experience. Really enjoyed it... The N.O. church experience has its own entry.

Need New Listening Material?

2009-05-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

There really were a raft of incredible artists at Jazz Fest. Here's some that you might be interested in checking out:

Jazz - Trombone Shorty (um... trombone); Leah Chase (chick singer); Germaine Bazzle (chick singer); The James Rivers Movement; Esparanza Spalding (keys); Sharon Martin is probably worth checking out.

Gospel - seriously, Tyrone Foster ruled. There were good shows from a few others incl. Irma Thomas, Mavis Staples and Pamela Landrum - but these guys because of their voices rather than the show I have to say. The Anointed Jackson Sisters on the other hand put on a good show- try U-tube for those ladies!

Blues - didn't really catch much of the blues, but John Mooney was GREAT. Etta James (not BLUES blues) was okay for a while too.

Zydeco - Buckweat Zydeco was fun to watch and an energetic concert. Want to learn more about Zydeco music...

Dunno the category - Allen Toussaint, Dr John, Bon Jovi - good times.

Final comments - Ben Harper live is really over rated. Heaps of people left his show, including me. Dr John is kind of past his prime, but his music still rocks ; ) I actually enjoyed some country- oh my goodness!!! - I could handle Emmylou Harris. Actually, I enjoyed her music. Oh, and Earth Wind and Fire still know how to rock and rock and rock and make the crowd rock...

But, if anyone needs inspiration, look up the jazz fest web site www.nojazzfest.com and look at the performers list. Get into some of that!!

Yay, jazz fest. And, that's all I'm going to say about it. Done. Finished. New topic for the blog.

Things I learned from Jazz Fest

2009-05-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Jazz fest for me was awesome because it exposed me to so much music that I had never thought about before. There are so many cool types of music in the world, and it's awesome that I got to see so many. And to think that most of that music came from the Louisiana region!!

It was exciting to hear the different styles, and to see the showmanship of the different artists.

In an earlier entry I had said how gospel music makes sense here. Actually, I think a lot of the music was like that - Eryka Badu's lyrics made sense when I saw her on the stage with the crowd she had, and she shared some of her experiences and pain through her songs and 'in between' talking; Theresa Andersson's music was creative and incorporated beats that had been 'created' in New Orleans; Zydeco music incorporates accordians, harmonicas and crazy metal breastplate things with corroguated type ridges all down the front (they must have a name!) that are used to create rythmical, full, expansive music, and they do it well... that is a bit of creole and cajun (french influence that is quite significant in parts of Louisiana)... It is just of and from the people (and of course with worldwide influcences as well, I'm sure).

Jazz fest has made me think about my own music quite a lot, and the styles that I like. It has really opened my eyes up to a much bigger world of music than I was exposed to, or thought too much about previously... And it's lots of up beat, dancy kind of music that rocks ; )

I can really see that music shaped by your own background, upbringing or experience is the best kind of music you can make. I really value having seen that...

The Jazz Fest

2009-05-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

It's been aaages since I have updated my blog. I have been a bit busy catching up with old friends, and doing heaps of stuff, as well as not having much internet access. But I want my blog to be fairly chronological, so even though it's a few weeks back - we're back to the jazz fest...

The jazz fest in New Orleans was fabulous. What a great event - so much music and food and people.. it's a great time!

I hung out in the Gospel tent quite a lot in the first weekend (jazz fest is 7 full days of music, over two weekends). I heard heaps of styles of gospel, from the 'I have a gospel voice and know how to sing and here's me and my band' (like Mavis Staples), to family shows (like the Anointed Sisters), to man groups (like Sherman Washington and the Zion Harmonizers), to a gospel choirs - the whole traditional thing.

My absolute favourite performance from the whole of Jazz Fest was Tyronne Foster and the Arc Singers. What a sound. It was like a great horde and throng of people singing with rich voices, even though there were only about 30 of them. They were excellent and sharp and professional, and had obviously sung together for a long time. I loved it. It was not so much what they sang but how they sang it. Their conductor (Mr Foster) was awesome and entertaining, and had command of the choir so that it could do anything dynamics-wise. Wow. I have tried googling these guys, but they are elusive... if anyone finds anything of his/theirs, please let me know. I would love to share some sound clips of this with you if I could find some on line (nope, didn't record the show myself). For me, this was one of those shows I will never ever forget... one of those musical moments that makes time stop because the music is taking you over.

Second best musical moment was hearing Theresa Andersson play. She is a solo artist who plays violin, guitar, drums, etc. while singing - yep she does. She records herself on stage and loops herself. So she might start of with a wee guitar line, add some drums and then sing for a bit; when she gets to the chorus, she'll record and loop in the main line, then sing a harmony, record that and sing another line over the top, and/or sing and play the violin at the same time. All of this while delivering a convincing show, keeping everything in time, and making some magical music. It was kind of like live composition (except all pre-planned). It was awesome!! I bought one of her CDs and a DVD.... am happy to lend it when I'm home if anyone's interested.

Those were my favourite shows. Another highlight was discovering John Mooney. He is a blues artist... I just happened upon his show in the blues tent. That was superb. I can't remember if I bought his CD yet or not - might have decided to pay NZD for that... Anyways, he's awesome. If you need some blues inspiration, look him up.

One of my favourite times at the jazz fest was when I was trying to find a friend-to-be at the jazz fest. I had been in contact with a friend of a friend of a friend who was going to jazz fest, back when I thought I would be going solo... We had great fun trying to find him for an hour or so waving the New Zealand flag and shouting out his name. We met a lot of people, got in some strangers' photos and generally had a darn good laugh. We didn't find Fred till a wee while later, but sometimes it's all in the trying.

Gluten free food was a bit tricky to find inside the grounds, but the people on the door read my Dr's note and let me bring my own food in. That was cool. I did find Lamb Tagine, and these fabulous boiled Crawfish... yum yum yum. That was a bit of an adventure that also made us a few friends - heroic fullas who wanted to show us how to eat them ; ) Apart from that, the most consumed item were strawberry dacqaries... mmmmmmmmm!!!

I liked the jazz fest a lot!

N´awlins Gospel Reflections

2009-04-25T22:16:00.001-07:00

The Jazz Fest is truly cool.

The musicians are excellent. EXCELLENT.

What strikes me in person is that the music that these guys play is effortless. They have either been practicing their lil' hearts out for years and years so this stuff is second nature, or they are born with some'in. Or both.

It is amazing to watch.

I keep being on the verge of tears (like once or twice a day) here, because i cant quite believe that I am here, hearing this, and that it is not pretend.

----

Y'all know that I came here to check out gospel music. No surprises, I have been hanging out in the gospel tent. Gospel makes sense here in New Orleans. The part of town where I am staying is predominantly black. It feels like so many shows and movies and screenings of churches come to life... Some of the black people's voices can truly boom, there is a way of talking and being that is just like on tv - but its for real, and in person, and alive, and personal because its in the street or the seat next to me.

The way people are is really expressive - Americans in general seem to be pretty loud and in this community there is a fair amout of body language that comes with it... And the feeling - the soul that makes gospel great - is all expressed. The good, the bad, the ugly. It's right out there. People are real about what they feel. People are expressive about the Lord. The flamboyance (compared to NZ) of normal life translates into musical magic.

So, you get lyrics like:

'You might not be able to pay your bills, but it aint over... you might be in trouble, the tide might be high - but wait! It aint over! It aint over! It aint over! The Lord will see you through.'

I love that the songs are so positive. It is such a refreshing contrast to my experience of those NZ pentecostal soppy songs that can be about me and my problems, or just meaningful songs that are soppy and heart-wrenching... These are shake-your-booty reminders of the goodness of the Lord. These are songs that invite us to lift our heads up, lift our eyes up - to see the goodness of God. They truly celebrate the life of God in us. So, you get lyrics like:

'Fire! Fire! Fire! Shut up. Shut up in my bones... I've got the fire. Fire, it 's shut up in my bones...'
My help cometh from the Lord
You'll find peace joy and contentment in the word of the Lord

Maybe its because these are mostly celebratory performances, and this is the music that jazz fest 'consumers' want to hear. But, there is something to be said for the musical excellence, the showmanship, the performance side of what I seeing. And again - it makes sense here - it is a pretty natural extension of who lives here- I can't imagine the martyr-like-modesty of Wellington churches working here. People would fall over laughing, leave in droves, or just be completely baffled about why NZers are so careful not to be too expressive. Nah!! Let it all hang out! The worries, the joys, real life - and make it fun!

Gospel music rocks. Its natural, it just comes out, and it's an inspiring, heart-lifting show.

Oh, and I've realised, for all I thought I might have a little bit of that black 'some'in' - i have nothing!!!! My voice is white, I move white, I think white. I am white. But thank the Lord I can love what black music and the black church offers to the rest of us to learn from and enjoy ; )

I AM LOVING IT!!!

Stanford University

2009-04-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

Stanford is an estate with a university on it. Oh my goodness. I knew it was exclusive, but seriously!!!!! It has grounds, with old trees, and history. Google earth this baby. It is exquisite.

Monday night... what a night!

2009-04-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

Two doors down from the hostel there is a bar called Enricos. Monday night I saw some classily-dressed jazz musicians head into the bar. I got my life together to follow them. I found some friends at the hostel, and headed over there. I was keen to go come what may – the other girls were going to be persuaded by the price of the drinks. It was $10 for mojitas (say mohitas)... the other girls weren't keen.. we were negotiating who was staying and going when a man at the bar (his name was Dick) persuaded us to stay with the offer of a round of drinks. Okay, so we stayed!! Dick bought us a round of mojitas while we listened to some old school jazz and watched a fablous display of dancing from an old couple who are Monday night regulars. Let me tell you their story:

The man is 86, he was dressed in an expensive cream suit with a tasteful shirt and tie, with the most fabulous 50s shoes- black with a white top piece to the shoe. STYLEEE. He had arrived with his usual dance partner- Gail, shes 67. She was dressed to the nines with a gorgeous floaty dance dress and heels (another guy in the bar has run into Gail around 200 times and says she has never worn the same dress twice!). They have been coming to Enricos for 5 years. They met back a few times many years earlier, but have been dancing together all these years. They live in different parts of town, and meet on the highway and join up, and come to Enricos. And they dance. Lively, 1940s swing dancing. They act like the are 20, and they dance because they love it. And I think they know what living is!

Another round passed, and I had a few dances with Dick to say thanks for the drinks. Jandals and shorts... not really a match for what else was going on. But I love dancing, and lapped the whole thing up. FUN times and fabulous folk.

The neighborhood

2009-04-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be interesting to comment on the neighborhood that I have been staying in this week.

History first - a block from the Green Tortoise Hostel is 'the city light bookstore' which is where the beat poets used to hang out - like Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerorac. The streets round here are named after these guys. There is also a bar next door to the store dedicated to the beat maestros here called Versuvio- I popped in here, its very quirky and its history is obvious.

Most noticeably, the hostel is in the middle of three streets with tacky looking strip joints... the bling bling red lights, badly named, dark and dirty looking red light district. Not too bad to walk through in the day, but better with mates at night!

Moving on... two blocks toward the sea, there is a very very well off part of town. Beautifully kept homes (the kind that join up to each other – like on full house) with one stand alone house with its matching Mercedes taking in the harbour views... cant imagine how much that baby cost.

Two blocks in the other direction is Chinatown. Street signs in Chinese, Chinese food, Chinese people, shops with fans and swords and herbs and buddahs and laterns – red and gold everywhere... Old men sitting on street corners reading the paper, old ladies conversing at length in their native tounge at the bottom of housing complexes. Old gnarled faces, thick rimmed glasses, shopping carts being tugged along, thick socks with jandals, kids laughing and licking icecrems... its all go!

One block from there, Italian flags on street posts contrast with the beckoning shop signs of Chinatown. Smells and language transform the bright colours and flags to a food-focussed district. Generously spacious cafes with water features and wine bring stillness to the bustle. Old people congregating to talk about old times. Young relaxing with a drink on pavement-side tables.

A park, one block further accommodates every man and his dog (literally!), with different languages spoken, alcohol 'secretly' drunk in public, smells of this and that being smoked wafting, young people laughing, kids playing, soccer balls and frisbees flying, people watching people...

Dogs are everywhere here. Dogs of every size (but mostly little ones) are a feature here. As are men in hats. Hats are cool. Men with hats with dogs – can be very well done ; ) And music - it comes out of everywhere - bars, buskers, people hanging in the park, shops... its all around!

Night-time transforms all this into overflowing outside dining, street people coma-ed out in alleys, the beckoning of lusty night-time lights, the muttering and stuttering odd-folk, the quiet drinkers, the raw night time deals that darkness brings, dancing to tasteful music... anything from 'life as usual' to a 'fabulous new experience' (that I was having).

All within a stones-throw of my hostel...

Sign Language at Glide

2009-04-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention in my last entry that Glide church had a sign language interpreter in one of their services. It was awesome... this guy had all the charisma of the preachers (think shine tv, all American church), translated with a twist of the interpreters 'attitude' made for the most fascinating, must-watch translation I have ever seen... Songs being interpreted in time to the music, with the translator picking up the soul of the music in his facial expressions and body language – Fab-u-lous. Ill do you guys a demo when I get home ; )

San Franciso - Gospel Church #1: The Music

2009-04-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Glide (the music side of my previous post)

THE CHOIR ROCKED!! It had about 80 people I think. I found the sound a bit murky because of the auditorium size, but still, the musicains were awesome - there was a chick soloist, Leah, who was fabulous. There was a hint of country in her gospel style - her voice was so strong, and she was so enthusiastic. It was great! I was moved to tears in a song later in the service because of the arrangement of the choir combined with the soloist. It was so immensly powerful and its that experience that makes me love gospel choirs so much...

(I think, for you interested in technicalities (and for me to remember!) that the choir came in about half way through the song singing along with the lines of the lead vocalist, then they sang some backing for the guy's freestyling, then broke into a lead part with the sopranos, echoed by the altos, then sop/alto - tnr then sop/alt/tnr - bass, everyone together moving through some phat cords before ending it. NB: stoccato for effect rules) .

I am also pretty stoked to have seen MOTOWN's Martha Reeves sing at Glide this morning... she just popped in and sang 'Happy Day'... why not ;- ) That was pretty cool. She just opens her mouth and it comes out - strong, dynamic, and meaningful - and she sang about the Lord like she knew him in her freestyling. And control of the band. Oh yes indeedy. Amazing (actually I'm all stoked in the inside and am stamping my feet excitedly).

All in all - that was a pretty cool first 24 hours in the USA!

San Franciso - Gospel Church #1: The main thing

2009-04-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to "Glide" church, San Francisco.

From the outside, the church is an old building that looks like it's been around for a long time, and is in need of renovations. Inside, it's an old theatre-type set up. A generous stage for the choir, band and 4 or 5 'reverends', and the ground floor and balcony for the congregation. A beautiful nearly full wall of blue stained glass windows illuminates one side of the church. In some ways, its just another building, just another space...

... But for the soul of the place.

The church had a mission. To serve it's community. Glide is located at (or next to?) Tenderloin, San Fran. Travel books advise to be pretty careful in Tenderloin or avoid it (particularly at night) because of high drug use here.

Glide seemed to be all about bringing freedom to people and empowering people to be themselves and live their dreams. There was a strong message that 'Glide has a place for you' - with a long list of the 'you' you might be - anywhere on the political spectrum, any colour, any sexual orientation, any preference to be known or stay anonymous, if you came with social skills or not... ; ) All through the service there was a sense that everyone was good enough to be there, and personal growth was really important. There were two parts of the service where we had to hold hands with the person next to us, and one part where there was some hugging. I have to admit that I got the giggles over all of that. It reinforced their message though. And it forced me to think about my church prejudices that I've adopted - I had to touch quite a few strangers not knowing which of the type of 'you' they were ; )

The sermon didn't have a lot of scripture in it (more of that Britain Idol type show, actually!) but the message was about how we all have dreams that we should take hold of (and the ressurection of Christ symbolises new life, meaning, we can do it - we have the right to change our story!). It was all about how our dreams are available for each of us if we go after them - no matter where we start from. So, at the end of the day, (and especially given the mission of this church) perhaps Christ was still preached... !?

And for all that I went to the church mainly for the music, that's not what I want to talk about the most today. There was evidence that this church did what it said . There was a drop in centre available to the community (even while church was on) and volunteers were preparing lunch for people who needed it. They advertised that the church feeds people regularly, medical supplies were needed and anonymous HIV tests are available... I got the sense that this was a church that lived and breathed the hope it preached. And it costs them. About $6 million a year.

The high point of all of this for me today was that they celebrated the life of a man who died trying. He was a drug addict, came clean, served the church for a good stretch, and later fell of the wagon again. He didn't recover from his drug addiction before he died. This is the first time that I can remember a church taking the time to celebrate the life of a real person who tried 'but failed'. Man that's cool.

I'll spend some time thinking about church culture while I'm here. Church culture is wierd, and I've avoided church for a good few years because of it. I'm trying to get over that... and I've asked God to help me with this while I'm away.

I think this church nailed something important. It demonstrated that God loves us just where we are. This church showed that it is possible for churches to trust God with us, while at the same time making sure that the church gets alongside us to love us into more growth and better lives.

I don't think it has to be drug addictions. It can just be annoying people. Annoyingly self righteous. Annoying because they're from a different socio-economic background or differently educated. Annoying because they're awesome and we don't see ourselves that way. Annoying because we're awesome and we don't see them that way. Annoying because they're so ordinary. Annoyingly appathetic. Annoyingly busy. Glide gave the message that it will love all people. I think it's because that's how God loves us.

Big ups, Glide.