Creativity and Community

One month from today I will be flying home to Washington. Two months ago at this time, I was preparing to leave again for Denver. It is crazy to me how fast this year has gone. It's strange to me how time only seems to pass faster as I get older; a concept I'm sure I will become more aware of as I grow older.

Over the last two months in School of Worship, we have been looking at many different facets of worship leading, what worship is, songwriting, and creativity in general. We have had incredible, creative and talented speakers and it has been an honor to share time and meals with them.

In all reality, all of our speakers have had a huge impact on my life- whether they know it or not. However, I think the week which has stuck out to me during these swift months was back in week 6. We had the pleasure of having Jim Ehrman, Nathan Johnson, and Eric Tate as our speakers. Each of them is inspired, with Jim having been a professor at Yale University, Nathan having written soundtracks for movies, and Eric as a music mixer who in his own unique way pulls the soul out of raw music and gives it a new life in the way he mixes it. Seriously though, these guys spoke in our school!

They didn't really teach us in a conventional way; although we did learn. Over the course of their week, I felt like I was sitting in on the type of conversation people would have in a coffee shop while sipping lattes. Listening in on conversations of people with different experiences and different points of view, there was so much more communicated than just the words they spoke.

The Monday night of their week, because Eric lives locally, he and his wife invited us over to their house where they cooked a delicious meal of spare ribs, a personal take on a German potato salad, a red cabbage slaw all finished off with roasted pineapple and vanilla ice cream for dessert. To say it was a nice change from base food is an understatement! I felt like I was in a dream while feasting on the incredible food and enjoying the group of amazing people.

Over the course of the short three days we had with these people, we got a taste of what they value in their lives when it comes to community. As we sat down for dinner on Monday, my heart felt so full, realizing part of what I hold in my heart was tangibly in front of me. A community that gathers together, laughs, eats outside in spite of the rain, talks about things that are valuable and simply grow together as they seek the Lord's heart when it comes to what community looks like. I feel like that evening, sitting around a long table, eating piquant food, I got to glimpse a piece of Heaven. Community, breaking bread [spare ribs] together, listening to music with a festive, joyful feeling.

Toward the end of the week, as I was reflecting with people, someone said the sense of community they brought to our school was not because they were impressive people, but more so, it was something they carry with them. Community is something they see the value of, and although our triad of speakers don't all live in the same places (Connecticut, California, and Colorado), they are intentional about the community they have, across miles and across time. That is inspiring to me as someone who at this point has no idea where I'm going to settle down. But with seeing that sense of community as something I want to carry as well, consider this your invitation of an open door at my house (whenever I actually move out of my parents' house) to come over when you need to or if you ever need a listening ear to feel free to shoot me a message.

With only one month left during this School of Worship, I am really just thankful for all our speakers, and all the lessons we've been given, our incredible school staff, and all they have put into this season for us. We have one month left which is going to fly by. We leave for California Wednesday morning, one week of lecture when we get back from there and only one week until graduation after we finish hearing from him. But here's to irreplaceable opportunities and all that is yet to come in the finish of this season.

Please be praying for us as 30 students and staff pile into two 15 passenger vans to drive across the mountains and desert over to Fremont, California. Close quarters, long hours of driving, and hot temperatures are good ways to break peoples' patience. God is going to do big things in our lives as we take this midterm outreach to Cali.

Thank you all for all the prayers over the last few months! I look forward to meeting up with people and catching up when I get home. Let me know if you'd like to grab a coffee or would like to Skype sometime!

God bless and love from me,
Erin