Praise God with trumpet sound; praise God with lute and harp!  Praise God with tambourine and dance; praise God with strings and pipe! Praise God with clanging cymbals; praise God with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! –from Psalm 150

A Letter From Your Pastor on Jazz Praise
and a Reflection on Worship in the Tradition of Jazz
 

This Saturday, October 27, at 6:00 p.m. we will praise God with bass, sax and piano in our first service of Jazz Vespers. Vespers is an evening service of praise and prayer that dates back to apostolic times. Jazz was added to the tradition in the 1960s by a Lutheran pastor who sought to do ministry with jazz musicians.

The Jazz Vespers service at UUMC will be an opportunity for all of us to praise God through the musical genre of jazz. It also will be a time to invite others into our midst. Yes, there are those who will just come for the music. But perhaps, while listening, they will hear something that will touch their hearts and open them to an encounter with God.

I hope that many of you will come to support this service and to also support our mission team to New Orleans. The offering from the service will go to support their January mission trip.

In preparation for this first Jazz Vespers service, I have asked one of our members to share with you his own love of jazz and how this particular musical form has been important in his spiritual walk. His reflections are below.

In Christ,

Pastor Kennetha Bigham-Tsai

A Reflection on Musical Worship, Prayer and Celebration
 In the Tradition of Jazz  

by Jeff Linderman

I believe that among the many blessings that God “built into us” at birth is the ability to appreciate music.  Whether the music comes from the classical, traditional, gospel, blues, pop or rock genres, all forms of music are God’s creation.  But, I happen to think God has a particular liking for jazz.

In my own personal experience, I grew up around music and know in my heart and soul that it was a critical part of my spiritual development, since I was old enough to hear and “feel” the music.  I have been blessed with the experience and memory of meeting some of “the great ones” of the 40s, 50s, and 60s “big band” era of swing and jazz.  My father was first, foremost, and forever a musician – both a gifted performer, and a teacher of great skill.  Because of the experiences he gave me, I will always and forever appreciate fine music, especially jazz.

I believe that all music is a form of spiritual expression and a beautiful form of worship and witness. Our love for and appreciation for music is very personal. We have tastes in music that are as unique as the foods we like to eat to nourish our bodies. Our upcoming Jazz Vespers service will allow us to combine the best of our musical tastes and our spiritual senses to listen to and feel the music, and through it, to celebrate God with our brothers and sisters in Christ.