“What if for one day, everything stopped…and we all just listened to the music?” That is the question that shapes a worldwide celebration of “Play Music on the Porch Day”. This is a real event that happens on the last Saturday in August in 70 countries and nearly 700 cities. And it is going to happen at Greenbelt Community Church this Saturday, on our front porch, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. The Relics are going to play and there will be Open Mic sessions throughout the time allotment. Everyone is invited to come, bring a lawn chair, make yourself comfortable and listen to the music!
In the description of a children’s book related to this day we read: The passion for music is powerful and universal. It doesn’t matter if you play an Oud, a Guitarrón, a Nyckelharpa or a Guitar. When you pick up your instrument and start to play, the world disappears, and you get lost in the sounds. Music ties us together like a thread through our hearts. Our skin is many colors, but music is our blood, our bones and our soul.”
I will be continuing the theme the next morning in worship as we consider the Apostle Paul’s writing in the book of Romans: we are members one of another. One of our hymns will be “When In Our Music God is Glorified”.
Meanwhile, downtown in Washington DC, all who are interested are invited to participate in the ongoing witness known as the March on Washington. The power of music – of resistance songs – fueled the energy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s march to highlight the poverty in America and the need for voting rights and civil rights. Before that historic event, the acclaimed singer Marian Anderson stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and sang “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”. Music has the power to transcend our all too human experiences and take us to new places.
When in our music God is glorified, and all creation leaves no room for pride,
It is as though all creation cried: Alleluia.
Rev. Clara
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