- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
The reason I’ve been posting about my experiences in other churches is because I’m a musician. And a member of our group goes to a non-Mormon Christian church. He also has a trail of churches behind him as he’s moved around. So, I’ve been doing church gigs lately by invitation. I am not looking for a different church, but the exposure is creating some interesting experiences after decades of insular experiences in the LDS world.
This last event, we did a jazz concert on a Sunday evening. At points during the jazz performance, the pastor got up and read scripture, told stories, etcetera, and preached a sermon. He asked us to play quiet music behind him as he did so. So, if any of you know these songs — we were playing Mr. Magic (Grover Washington Junior), Solar (Miles Davis), Footprints (Wayne Shorter) in quiet, ballad form, behind the preacher while he spoke. Since there was no script. After he was done, we brought up the tempo and volume and played the song as it was originally meant to be played — upbeat, most of them, with a full drum and bass complement to make it rock.
At the end, we tore it up with a fast blues song called C Jam Blues.
At the end, they took up a “free will offering” where they passed the plate to pay the band, and we all got paid. It was minimal but puts cash in your pocket. All this happened in the equivalent of the chapel. For example, the equivalent of our sacrament table, on wheels, was behind where I stood playing my electric instrument.
It was so unlike what passes in the LDS Church for wholesome Sunday activity. But I liked it much better.
An ironic part of the evening was when we were all given Apple cider if we wanted. We needed to set our cups down while tearing down our equipment. Someone said “just set it on the altar”. The fellow who booked us, the drummer said “I don’t want to be sacreligious”. I replied “we just played a raunchy instrumental blues song right in front of it”. And everyone laughed hard.
I wish we let our hair down in the LDS church!
With our missionary haircuts, we don’t have any hair to let down. You haven’t seen some people’s armpits. Sounds fun SD. I observe that churches of this sort believe less in the hierarchy, dogma, forms, and rules – and more in relationship.
The assembly of God church where I participate on Sunday evenings is doing a study on anger. They do use bible scriptures but they also use social science research and a good dose of humor. I think this is what you would call “looking under the hood”.
In two weeks they the anger study is going to focus on abuse, how to know if your in an abusive relationship or are an abusive person and what to do about it. I do not want to miss it.
Roy wrote:
Sounds fun SD.I observe that churches of this sort believe less in the hierarchy, dogma, forms, and rules – and more in relationship.
The assembly of God church where I participate on Sunday evenings is doing a study on anger. They do use bible scriptures but they also use social science research and a good dose of humor. I think this is what you would call “looking under the hood”.
In two weeks they the anger study is going to focus on abuse, how to know if your in an abusive relationship or are an abusive person and what to do about it. I do not want to miss it.
I have long felt that weaving practical topics into gospel teaching is something people crave. They want to learn how to do things better, yet we focus on generalities to the point someone with my experience in the church rarely learns anything new.
That’s a good story. I might can top it because I once got to play a jazzy/rock Christmas set while actually setup in the chapel (LDS). The situation was thus: little combo group asked to play at a ward party. Cultural Hall was jam packed full of tables and decorations. Bishop suggested opening the folding doors and setting up the band inside the chapel. Drum kit, piano, sax, electric bass, guitar along the back row and between the pews.
I’ve played music in several LDS cultural halls, and even in a Buddhist temple but never before or since in an LDS chapel.
I want to go to this church! 😆 😆 Cnsl1 wrote:
That’s a good story. I can top it because I once got to play a jazzy/rock Christmas set while actually setup in the chapel (LDS). Darn, now I have to figure out how get a heavy metal band into Sacrament meeting!!!
😈 😈 Years ago I wanted to do Traveling the Road by Afterglow in sacrament meeting and the music director refused because it had a beat to it. I thought it was ridiculous…
Here is the closet thing I can find to that song on Youtube. Would that be appropriate for Sacrament meeting in terms of its musicality?
I seem to recall that at some point there was great resistance to pianos being used in LDS church services. Because church services for a long time were often held outside (under the “bowery”) having a piano was just not practical. Pianos and organs were also associated with the “sectarian” religions of the day. Better to sing the hymns of God in their pure acapella form. SilentDawning wrote:
Years ago I wanted to do Traveling the Road by Afterglow in sacrament meeting and the music director refused because it had a beat to it. I thought it was ridiculous…Here is the closet thing I can find to that song on Youtube. Would that be appropriate for Sacrament meeting in terms of its musicality?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOrdYBwW9Ng
I don’t think it’s the beat, it’s the instruments. The list of approved instruments for SM appears to be very short. Pianos, organs, violins, flutes, cellos, harps. That’s about it.
I play guitar and they’ve got even me brainwashed into believing that guitars are not appropriate for SM.
nibbler wrote:
SilentDawning wrote:
Years ago I wanted to do Traveling the Road by Afterglow in sacrament meeting and the music director refused because it had a beat to it. I thought it was ridiculous…Here is the closet thing I can find to that song on Youtube. Would that be appropriate for Sacrament meeting in terms of its musicality?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOrdYBwW9Ng
I don’t think it’s the beat, it’s the instruments. The list of approved instruments for SM appears to be very short. Pianos, organs, violins, flutes, cellos, harps. That’s about it.
I play guitar and they’ve got even me brainwashed into believing that guitars are not appropriate for SM.
We were going to do Traveling the Road with a piano vocal instrumentation. That”s it. I had this convo with someone on an orthodox Mormon site a few years ago — guitars are allowed. At least they were back then. Check it — there is a myth in the church that you can’t have guitars. Acoustic ones.
nibbler wrote:I don’t think it’s the beat, it’s the instruments. The list of approved instruments for SM appears to be very short. Pianos, organs, violins, flutes, cellos, harps. That’s about it.
Well, so much for my tuba-accordion-and-bagpipe rendition of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
NightSG wrote:
nibbler wrote:I don’t think it’s the beat, it’s the instruments. The list of approved instruments for SM appears to be very short. Pianos, organs, violins, flutes, cellos, harps. That’s about it.
Well, so much for my tuba-accordion-and-bagpipe rendition of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.