Bluegrass gospel wins another soul for Christ

Just kidding. Sort of.

I spent not-enough time a couple of weekends ago at the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park. I saw Earl Scruggs and Emmylou Harris and the Barbary Coast Cloggers. My favorite act last year was Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. The year before that was a group called Mountain Heart.

Really, really a bummer that a really important meeting for worship with a concern for business should overlap with Iris DeMent, live and for free; not to mention The Del McCoury Band and Ricky Scaggs and ... [Sigh.]



This story begins in my hometown, where there were two radio stations: one played last year's bad pop and the other played old and current country music. Guess which one I listened to? Here's a hint: In college, one of my roommates was from eastern Montana - she still calls me when she's trying to remember the lyrics from some old country song.

When I moved to New York and started dating Chris M, I introduced him to the East Village's country music dive bars. The Village Idiot and later The Coyote Ugly. At the time, he was more interested in rap and African music, especially from Kenya. He used to say he liked all kinds of music except opera and country. But he was crazy enough about me to listen when I'd play Randy Travis's "My Love is Deeper Than The Holler" on the jukebox. As he heard more classic country, Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, in their native environment, he was a little more open to it. He even learned to like my Dwight Yoakam albums. Because he is always interested in where music comes from, he explored deeper than I had, into the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Bill Monroe. Chris introduced me to the music of Doc Watson. We learned to like bluegrass together.

Ten years or so later, he brought a tape home from the library, "O Sister Where Art Thou?", a compilation on Rounder Records of women in bluegrass. It opened new horizons for me. I loved it. I listened to it over and over. I started to listen to more recordings of women in bluegrass, and to appreciate bluegrass music more generally. A funny thing started to happen. I realized that the songs I liked best on these compilations were the gospel songs. To the point where I finally went out and bought a couple of compilations of just bluegrass gospel - some old and some contemporary. And I kept listening to them, over and over.

And in that period of about a year, my appreciation for them changed. Some of the language is really hard to listen to - songs about being washed in the blood of the lamb, for example. But it was easier with the banjo going full tilt along with the lyrics. I was able to sing along with some very old-fashioned Christian imagery just because I liked the harmonies. And through the repetition, some of it came to make more sense for me. And then Jesus started talking to me directly. I think I just had to be ready.

I really love fiddle tunes. Before I die, I would like to learn to play bluegrass fiddle.


P.S. On October 7, 2007, there WILL be a meeting for worship on the grounds of the festival, maybe around 9:30 a.m. Check this blog the week before for exact details. I'm not missing Hazel Dickens again.

Bluegrass worship this weekend!

A reminder of the meeting for worship at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival this weekend.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Worship

--submitted by Robin Mohr, San Francisco Monthly Meeting

The 8th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival will be October 3-5, 2008 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The Festival will feature Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, Hazel Dickens, Earl Scruggs and one of my personal favorites, Iris DeMent, all for free.

The 2nd annual (unofficial) meeting for worship on the grounds will be Sunday morning, October 5, 10 am, on the little hill to the left, facing the Banjo stage. Bring your own blanket or share mine. We'll have great seats for the rest of the day.

A show not to be missed. A worship opportunity like no other.

For more information about the festival, visit www.strictlybluegrass.com. For more information about last year's meeting for worship on the grounds, visit http://robinmsf.blogspot.com/2007/10/meeting-on-grounds.html.

October 2009 worship at HSBF

Just a reminder that there will be an hour of unprogrammed worship this Sunday, October 4, 2009, 10:00 am, in front of the Banjo stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. You can find more details (map, schedule, etc) at www.strictlybluegrass.com. The whole point is that you don't have to choose between going to worship and getting there early.

Three years ago, I wrote about how bluegrass gospel brought me to Christ, sort of. You can find it here.

A couple of years ago, I put together this half-page/double-sided outreach flyer. I still have most of the ones I printed then, I'll bring them on Sunday, but this is what they say:

Welcome!

You’re welcome to join this informal meeting for worship in the manner of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). It is being held here in order to allow Friends to worship together and not miss any of the wonderful music here today. We expect to end around 11:00 am.

---

Regular meetings for worship are held Sundays at 11:00 am and Tuesdays at 6:00 pm. For those new to Friends or unprogrammed worship, we offer an orientation to meeting for worship at 10:40 am every Sunday. All are welcome.

San Francisco Friends Meeting (Quakers)
65 Ninth Street, between Market and Mission, near Civic Center
www.sfquakers.org
www.quakerfinder.org

[other side]
Our meeting for worship, which is at the core of Quaker practice, is focused on the response of the human spirit to the call of the Divine. Worship begins when the first worshippers settle into the silence. This meeting for worship will end when the host of the meeting shakes the hand of another person seated nearby. At that signal, everyone may shake hands and greet each other.

You may find it helpful to close your eyes for most or all of the worship hour to reduce distractions and increase your focus on the presence of God among us. During worship people may meditate, pray silently, inwardly offer praise or thanksgiving or confession to the Spirit, or reflect on a passage from the Bible or other spiritual reading. In our corporate worship, we seek communion with God. We wait and listen together, seeking divine guidance or inspiration from a source known among us by many names: Wisdom, the Light, the Inward Christ, the Seed, the Word, Jesus, the Lord.

All present share in this process. At times an individual may be moved to speak, to offer a prayer or a message that has come out of the silence. All are welcome to do this. Listen to the ministry of others with an open spirit. If it is not God's word for you, it may be for others. After a message has been given, allow time to ponder its meaning and to let the Meeting return to silent worship.

The responsibility for the spiritual depth of the meeting rests with each attender. Those who keep silent as well as those who give a vocal message do their part when they yield their minds and hearts to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Friends hope that in the meeting for worship a consciousness of the Divine Presence will be felt by every attender, and will be a source of direction, strength and comfort after leaving the meeting.

Worship on the Grounds: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 2010

The fourth annual (unofficial) meeting for worship on the grounds of the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park will be Sunday, October 3, 2010, at 10:00 am in front of the main stage, which in previous years was called the Banjo Stage. (If you’re standing there looking at the stage, there’s a little hill to the left. We’ll be near the top of that, and as close to the stage as I can get when I arrive.)

We’ll have an hour of unprogrammed worship. I’ll bring my blanket, my picnic basket and a bucket of Legos. If you don't know me, look for my dark blue SF Friends School sweatshirt. If you bring your blankets, we can stake out more room for the rest of the day. It will be elbow to elbow people by noon. Food is available at the festival.

EDITED 9/28/10:
The exact lineup for Sunday has just been announced, and the Banjo Stage will feature Hazel Dickens, Emmylou Harris, the Del McCoury band, Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson. More details about the festival at http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/.

You can read all about the previous meetings on the grounds on my blog.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Worship 2009

For the third year in a row, there will be a Quaker meeting for worship on the grounds of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.
(First year report) (Second year report) (Original inspiration)

October 4, 2009 at 10:00 am.

I'll get there early with my blanket and save some seats - if you bring your blankets, we can share.

I'm especially looking forward to these fine musicians:
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
John Prine
The Del McCoury Band
The Flatlanders featuring: Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock
Buddy Miller
The Chieftains
Doc Watson & David Holt
Boz Scaggs and the Blue Velvet Band
Emmylou Harris
The Claire Lynch Band
Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys

among many more fine acts over three days. The exact schedule has not been announced yet, but more information is available at www.strictlybluegrass.com. The concert is free and open to the public - thousands of people will be there. For more exact details on where the meeting for worship will be, bookmark this post and check back in the comments.

Come early on Sunday for worship and be doubly rewarded with great seats for the rest of the day!

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Worship

The 8th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival will be October 3-5, 2008 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

The 2nd annual (unofficial) meeting for worship on the grounds will be Sunday morning, October 5, 10 am, near the main stage. More details to be announced here when the HSBF site has them.

The Festival will feature Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, Hazel Dickens, Earl Scruggs and one of my personal favorites, Iris DeMent, all for free.

Also Robert Plant and Alison Krauss featuring T-Bone Burnett, and MC Hammer, believe it or not.

A show not to be missed. A worship opportunity like no other.

Meeting on the Grounds

My first attempt at holding a meeting for worship on the grounds of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival was a success. The criteria were

1. I got to worship
   
2. I didn't miss Hazel Dickens again.

One other Friend joined me. It was a beautiful, sunny morning to worship in a meadow. I spent much of the time holding the other people all around us in prayer.

Two additional benefits of going so early:

1. We had great seats for the rest of the day - up on the little hill, with good sightlines and great acoustics.
2. Emmylou Harris did an extended soundcheck at 9:30, playing four or five whole songs. What a beautiful voice.

A side note is that when I explained to the man setting up his blanket next to mine that we were about to hold a Quaker meeting for worship right there, he looked up and said, "Quaker? My mother was a Quaker." A little later, he explained that she was an Iowa farmgirl and she was raised Quaker, although he wasn't. The Quaker connections are everywhere, all around us and we don't even know it.

I will do this again next year if at all possible. Mark your calendars now! There's no official word yet but I expect the festival will be October 3-5, 2008.

Here is the text of the little half page handout I prepared just in case anyone wondered what was going on. (No one did.) What do you think? What would you put on a handout about public worship?

Welcome!

You’re welcome to join this informal meeting for worship in the manner of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). It is being held here in order to allow Friends to worship together and not miss any of the wonderful music here today. We expect to end around 11:00 am.

---

Regular meetings for worship are held Sundays at 11:00 am and Tuesdays at 6:00 pm. For those new to Friends or unprogrammed worship, we offer an orientation to meeting for worship at 10:40 am every Sunday. All are welcome.

San Francisco Friends Meeting (Quakers)
65 Ninth Street, between Market and Mission, near Civic Center
www.sfquakers.org
www.quakerfinder.org

[other side]
Our meeting for worship, which is at the core of Quaker practice, is focused on the response of the human spirit to the call of the Divine. Worship begins when the first worshippers settle into the silence. This meeting for worship will end when the host of the meeting shakes the hand of another person seated nearby. At that signal, everyone may shake hands and greet each other.

You may find it helpful to close your eyes for most or all of the worship hour to reduce distractions and increase your focus on the presence of God among us. During worship people may meditate, pray silently, inwardly offer praise or thanksgiving or confession to the Spirit, or reflect on a passage from the Bible or other spiritual reading. In our corporate worship, we seek communion with God. We wait and listen together, seeking divine guidance or inspiration from a source known among us by many names: Wisdom, the Light, the Inward Christ, the Seed, the Word, Jesus, the Lord.

All present share in this process. At times an individual may be moved to speak, to offer a prayer or a message that has come out of the silence. All are welcome to do this. Listen to the ministry of others with an open spirit. If it is not God's word for you, it may be for others. After a message has been given, allow time to ponder its meaning and to let the Meeting return to silent worship.

The responsibility for the spiritual depth of the meeting rests with each attender. Those who keep silent as well as those who give a vocal message do their part when they yield their minds and hearts to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Friends hope that in the meeting for worship a consciousness of the Divine Presence will be felt by every attender, and will be a source of direction, strength and comfort after leaving the meeting.

Extra Special Opportunities for Worship in SF

1) This Sunday, September 30, 2007, 9:30 am until 12:00 noon. 65 Ninth Street, between Market and Mission, near Civic Center BART. Here's my report on our last Extended Meeting for Worship at San Francisco Monthly Meeting. This is an amazing opportunity to go deeper in listening to that still, small voice. For more information on longer worship, you can read Marcelle Martin's Pendle Hill Pamphlet, Invitation to a Deeper Communion.

2) The following Sunday, October 7, 2007 at 10:00 am. On my blanket at the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, in Golden Gate Park, in front of the Banjo Stage. After last year, I said to myself, "I'm not missing Hazel Dickens again!" The first act starts at 11:20, Hazel Dickens is at 12:20. This will be an opportunity to practice finding stillness within, with all the festival set-up continuing around us. Plus we'll have great seats for Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and Emmylou Harris. I'm planning to bring my kids, some Legos, and some little flyers about meeting for worship to give any visitors who want to join us. Bring your friends and a blanket to share!

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Middle School Affirmations

Over the last four months, I've been coordinating a middle school religious education program at my Meeting. We have three boys in 6^th & 7^th grades (one is my son) who make up the class, and three teachers who were willing to take turns preparing & leading the lessons. It’s been a delight for me.

A few months ago, I wrote about what I want our kids to get out of First Day School. I really think we made progress this fall. At the end of August, all six of us met to set goals, discuss our expectations, and suggest ways to make the program work for all of us.
Here is the list of what the adults want for kids in FDS:

• To know what Quakers do
• To know about the Bible
• To know what you believe
• To know some Quaker history
• To make friends
• To develop good, strong values
• To want to come to FDS
• To feel part of the meeting community

Here is the list of what the kids want out of FDS:

• Good snacks
• To want to/to be excited to come
• To be able to read what you want
• To know who/where God is
• Fun stuff – games, clay, trust games
• Be more active
• Drawing
• Make things for meeting

If you look closely, there’s some overlap in those lists, but at the very least they are not mutually exclusive. You can have good snacks and learn Quaker history in one day, trust me.

We had a monthly service project, serving brunch at the Martin de Porres Hospitality House on the fourth Sunday of each month.

On the day of SF Meeting’s fifth Sunday Extended Meeting for Worship, we held a Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Bicycling. We rode along the Bay Trail and stopped for worship near Coyote Point. It was a gorgeous day and just being outside felt holy to me. One highlight was the brief discussion afterwards where we talked about why riding our bikes felt more worshipful than being on one of the loud electric scooters that went by us.

We had a section on George Fox. Starting during worship-on-the-grounds at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, we read Friend by Jane Yolen. The next couple of weeks we talked about the origins of Quakerism, the role of Quaker journals, and the spread of Quakerism through the world – all tangents that rose up out of our discussion of Fox. And one week we unpacked the George Fox Song and talked about what each line means and why each section is an important truth about Quakerism.

We had another section on what to do in meeting for worship. One week we discussed the effects of meditation on the brain. One week we learned about Lectio Divina as another way of looking at reading in meeting. That week we also had visitors from the 6th & 7th grade class at the local Unitarian Church, and we talked about the differences and similarities of our two groups.

We had a series of discussions about current events – the flap over “the mosque at Ground Zero” was big right when we were starting, so we talked about religious persecution and tolerance, and one of our teachers went to Jordan for a Habitat for Humanity build during this fall and she talked about her trip, and then last week they wrote letters to the President about the war in Afghanistan.

This morning we held an evaluation session. We looked at which of our goals we had achieved and how we might improve the curriculum for another time. The kids said you really couldn’t make it better without it just becoming like camp where you don't learn anything. But they would like to do more trust games and to learn more about modern Quakers. They would like to read something about Quakers that was written by someone who didn’t like the Quakers – what would they say about Quakers? (I think this would be very interesting – if you know of anything like this that’s readily accessible, let me know.)

The thing they liked best was the snacks. It is my personal opinion that middle school religious education is already overcoming enough barriers – a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. These particular kids eat very healthy diets the rest of the week.

However, today was the last day of our group because two thirds of the kids and one of the teachers are moving to South Africa next month. Hence today’s evaluation. We also wrote affirmations for all the members of our group. Here are the affirmations I received:

• Thank you for being willing to teach so we don’t need to go to meeting.
• Thank you for always having a enjoyable lesson planned.
• Thank you for teaching and the donuts.

I really appreciated the honesty and curiosity and imagination that these boys brought to our time together. I will really miss the class. In the future, the one kid who is staying has chosen to go to meeting for worship every week rather than join the little kids or have a separate class all by himself. I support that decision and we’re looking at other ways of continuing his religious education.

Take it to the Lord in prayer

A friend of mine said recently that, at its best, worry can be a form of prayer. This has been a helpful image to me. Instead of worrying about an idea or a problem in a downward spiral, digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole, it gives me a sense of worry as a way of holding my concern up to the Light, looking at it from different angles, getting a better sense of perspective, asking for help.

As I have tried to practice this over the last several weeks, I have been reminded of the old hymn:

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

This is odd to me because I have rejected almost everything I was ever taught about Jesus - recognizing that most of the stories that have been told about Jesus have been made up or at least manipulated at some time in history, for various social, political and economic reasons. But Jesus hasn't gone away. In fact, Jesus is still waiting for me - in times of prayer - and welcoming me into greater faith. I think I'm currently at the stage of "Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

A few weeks ago, I went to a peace vigil on one of the most notorious corners of San Francisco. From 7-9 pm, 3-5 of us hung out on the corner, sang songs, played drums, and greeted every single passerby. This vigil has come a long way from the days when gunshots were a regular feature, three years ago. Lots of people felt safe enough to walk by, but mostly it was the two main organizers, another local woman for the first hour, and me, there for the first time.

But at 9:00 on a Friday night, there were 20 people gathered on the sidewalk, waiting for the closing prayer. We held hands in a circle and Kevin led us in a very traditional prayer, almost stereotypical for the African-American church - very repetitive, participatory, emotional. It was not at all about the historical or scholarly understanding of the Gospels. It was Jesus save us, heal us, bring us peace, for us and all who suffer. It was people who have suffered far more than me turning to Jesus for help. It was unashamed of the Savior's precious name (to paraphrase another bluegrass gospel song I love). Unlike me. Yet.


Here's the rest of the song. (I love the Doc Watson version (nearly a capella, with a little harmonica on the side), but I couldn't find a link.) [Update 12/10: You can listen to it here.]

Have we trials and temptations, is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer,
In His arms He'll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.

Words: Joseph Scriven, music: Charles C. Converse. (Thanks to Rise Up Singing for the correct and complete lyrics)