Andre Rieu and Rascal Flatts
It was Sunday night after a full day with our new District Superintendent Melanie Carey as our preacher, then hosting lunch for her family at our house, followed by an evening commitment. About 9:00pm I sat down for some TV therapy--a little relaxation with a medium that doesn't require the use of my mind. First, I turned to PBS (one channel that does seem to make television worthwhile) to listen to Andre Rieu and wonderful music of Vienna, one of my favorite cities in all the world. A glass of wine and the glorious music of Mozart in front of the Hofburg Palace made me homesick for another visit to that wonderful city.
Then in the middle of my Vienna reverie, Judy came in and changed the channel to ABC for the "CMA Music Fest", including Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts. It took be back to another one of my favorite cities, Nashville, Tennessee. The overhead shots of the stadium, the District and Second Avenue made me homesick for a town where we spent seven wonderful years and a music tradition I came to enjoy along with the cowboy boots crowd.
Mozart and Martina McBride. Rascal Flatts and Andre Reiu. Scotty McCreedy and Sound of Music. In some ways, it doesn't make any sense, but on the other hand, maybe that's a glimpse at the world in which we live. I love the great hymns of the church, the liturgy and the tradition that connects us with generations of Christians who have walked with Christ and worshiped Christ over the centuries. At the same time, I love the vitality of what we call "contemporary worship", the desire to share the faith in new and vital ways with a new generation. Without an anchor in tradition we lose our identity, but without a new, creative edge we lose the ability to touch the lives of new people. That's a commitment this church made over a decade ago when you launched "Sunday Night Alive." This fall it will take a new direction as we offer both traditional worship in the sanctuary and contemporary worship in the CLC at the 11:00am hour. Next Sunday we will be unveiling the plans for the new service. At the same time we will be offering a new Sunday School alternative at 11:00am. On September 11 we invite you to find your place in one of our four morning worship services.
At First Church it is both Andre Rieu and Racsal Flatts and I love it!
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