04.29.07
Too Busy for Grace?
My friend Marshall Coffey, minister at the Anson Church of Christ, sent me this link to Pearls Before Breakfast, a Washington Post article about a world-famous classical violinist who performed in a Washington, D.C. subway station. How do people respond to beauty and grace when it is unscheduled and free? The article is lengthy, but well-worth time to read. If you do, you’ll be reflecting on it for days to come. (If your internet connection permits, view the videos and listen to the audio.)
How does the church preach and embody a message of grace in a culture that may be too self-absorbed to receive it?
Sandi H. said,
April 30, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Hey, Anthony — just found you again — for some reason I had you linked by your original post at this new site, and I could never find the updated blog. I’m glad I found you. I heard that you guys had a little reunion last weekend — I’m jealous!
Dee Andrews said,
May 2, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I saw this two or three weeks ago over at Mike Cope’s blog, read the entire story and watched all of the video because Tom & I both love Joshua Bell.
As far as the church preaching and embodying “a message of grace in a culture that may be too self-absorbed to receive it,” I think we most often don’t do that at ALL or else just try to reach out to people in the wrong places. It seems to me more and more that we spend way too much time trying to either be like everyone else around us or else trying to win over and “convert” other church going people, rather than going to those who are really in need of the gospel and would be willing and ready to receive it.
We are not “missional” enough in our thinking many times in many places, I don’t think. Just like there in Albany where you are (and Picayune here where I am) - the vast majority of the people are Christians (of one kind or another) and aren’t looking to change church homes, unless they are unhappy about some things where they are.
But I’m sure there are those in Albany - the poor and the disenfranchised, including Hispanics, probably - who might be more receptive and certainly in need of Christian support of many kinds. Another way we can reach out (and should be doing so) is through our involvement as parents with the schools and teachers and other parents to try to reach young people and their families.
As far as Joshua Bell and his graceful and brilliant music - there are a couple of good movies that he does the entire violin music for and they are recorded on the movies’ soundtracks. One we happen to have here at the house at this very moment on DVD that we’ve seen before and want to watch again. It is “The Red VIolin.” The other is a really charming British movie we saw just a month or so ago called “Ladies in Lavender” about a pre-WWII small villlage and two older spinsters who take in a young man who washes up on their beach and who is an incredible violinest. The story is about his effect on the villagers and what becomes of him.
“The Red Violin” follows the story of a violin as it is created in the 1500s and passes through the hands of some very interesting people in far off places of the world over the centuries and finally is brought to the modern day U. S. to be put up for auction. It stars Samuel L. Jackson as a violin expert and sort of investigator and is a fascinating story of the violin, past and present. Joshua Bell plays all of the beautiful and haunting violin music in the movie.
Both movies are definitely worth seeing! We got them through the mail through Netflix and Blockbuster.
Cheers & Blessings to you all today! Dee