Monthly Archives: January 2011

Band Retreat 2011

I just got back from a time of good food, good folks, and good fun, that sounds familiar… As a band, we all took a retreat together at a cabin on Gun Lake. Geno and Grace Harris, Brad Fortuna, and I rehearsed old songs, explored new ones, and critiqued future potentials. It was hard work at times, and I can’t say enough about these guys and their dedication to the music, to praising God through the gifts He’s given them, and to be willing to do this stuff with me.

Betsy made us a Chicken Pot Pie for the first night and in Geno’s words, “We’re off to a good start!” It was delicious. Grace made us Lasagna for lunch the next day. I swear there was a 1/2 inch of cheese on the top, plus it had whole garlic cloves in it, outrageous. I mention the food because it takes the right amount of ingredients to make a good meal. It takes cooperation, it takes the right fit of flavors, and it takes the right amount of time to bake. Band fellowship, to me, is very similar to that, and somehow I was blessed with people who take the simple ingredients I’ve used in writing the songs and make them taste wonderful.

Plus we found a game called Bass Fisherman Monopoly. Everyone hated it even before we opened it up and played it, but none of us could resist giving it a try. Geno demolished the rest of us, which was surprising because he was jail-bait for the majority of the game. Fortuna kept landing on the “draw a card” space, and I rolled doubles consistently, but not enough to enact the “three doubles in a row jail time” rule. I lost first because I have no business sense and I knew Brad was about to quit so I kept giving him all my properties. If you’ve even read this far, you may be wondering why I’m typing this and why you are wasting your time reading about 1 hour and 1/2 of our pain through a terrible game. Well, I’ll tell you… For some reason, its experiences like that which create memories. I video taped and recorded most of the retreat because I’m still amazed that they enjoy doing music with me. Fortuna and I were music brothers all the way back in High School, and Geno has been with me these last 6 years. Grace has been a great addition for probably the last 2-3 years. I’m really excited for the stuff we have worked out and for the songs that are still being formed.

More than the music, the food, and even the fellowship, what unites us as a band, is our belief and desire to give glory and honor to our God and to celebrate Jesus in our lives, and that is where the retreat centered. It was a blessing to be with them and I had to share that with everyone who will give this a read.

I want to thank the Meunier family for letting us use their cabin, it is such a great place to hang out for a while, thank you. I also want to thank Betsy and Jen for letting Brad and I take a night off and do music together. You guys rock!

As a band, we’ll see what doors God opens, and we’ll see what roads we’ll travel, and in the mean time I know I’ll enjoy the memories created and experiences shared. Enjoy life everyone.

Brian

The Ritual of Fire Part 2

Let me begin with a warning, fire is dangerous when not handled safely. Do not try anything with it without an adult present and perhaps a functional extinguisher and a cell phone with 911 on speed dial.

I was introduced to the dramatic flash and flame of Coffeemate Creamer powder when I was in Junior High, back in the 80’s. A friend of mine poured a little single packet over a lit match, and I was hooked. After that I experimented with many other flammable sources but I always came back to Coffeemate. I would take a handful and toss it over a well lit camp fire and FLASH, it would light up the night sky.

In my always and ever concern to include others in all things freaking awesome, I developed what began to be called, “The Community Fireball”. Basically I would take a canister of generic creamer powder and hand out handfuls to people who formed a half-circle around the fire- with the wind at their backs! (Oh the lessons learned when giving a metaphor to 30+ willing participants at a Freshman Orientation Retreat)

I would then begin with a devotional thought about what we can accomplish on our own in comparison to when we pour our resources in with others, a basic truth discovered back during the building of the tower of Babel, but when applied to Christians taps into the advancement of the Kingdom of God as Jesus prayed for in John 17. I know to think this way pulls at the fabric of many churches, and it should because I’ve seen flames stretch up 20+ feet in the air, reminiscent of the pillar of fire God used to guide His people with by night.

The highest I’ve gotten on my own is maybe 6 feet of flame. Jesus calls us the “light of the world”, and He prayed for us to be “one” just as He and His Father are One, so that, and here’s the kicker- “to let the world know that You have sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.” So by being unified as Jesus prayed for, we are evangelizing to the world.

There’s a group called COGL (Churches of Greater Lansing) who are planning a food drop this February for families in need. I believe it is a group of more than 30 churches and I’m very excited to see the influence and effect this act of love will have on the surrounding communities. Who knows, it might just change the city as Jesus’ followers reach out in love to those in need. I betcha this flame will be so big it will be seen from Heaven.

Go ahead, grab a handful and come along. Let’s all throw in to that great consuming Fire and see how far the Light will shine.

-Brian

The Ritual of Fire

I love building fires, whether its on the river during a wilderness trip, or at home heating the house. For me, there’s something spiritual about it, even if the Bible would have never said anything about God being a consuming fire. But it does, in fact fire is mentioned many times throughout Scripture from Divine action to description to everyday function. Many times its presence is connected with the power of God. His cleansing power through crucible, His saving power amidst persecution, His guiding power through darkness, altogether it is indeed a mighty physical manifestation of something intangible but felt and seen keenly.

But what I like most about fire is breathing into it. For a fire to build sometimes it is necessary to blow into it, and even when its not, I do it. The roar of the flames that rages to life when I blow out the air of my lungs into its hungry coals always catches me for a moment. Long enough for my lips to feel the intense heat I just blew into life, and then my nose breathes in the warmth as if the fire is responding in kind. I think for a moment what it must have felt like for Isaiah to have his lips touched by a coal from the altar. That atoning ritual commissioned him for his prophetic role to the people of God. And there are other times when I consider myself the flame, my soul a pile of wood waiting for the breath of God to bring me to life, to engage me in the outpouring of His will on the earth.

I love building fires, it should be a sacrament, or at least a ritual. It is for me.

 

 

There is no comfortable distance between You and I,
You, that great consuming fire, and I, a tinder box.

-Brian