I’m prepping a post about some technical stuff having to do with volume levels and multiband compression in a live setting. In it I reference last weekends worship. That worship time deserves a short post of its own.
Last weekend’s worship at Cornerstone goes down in my book as one of the most memorable in our history. I can’t put my finger on why, and if I could it would only diminish its personal meaning the way naming things does.
I love what Frederick Buechner says about naming things in his book The Sacred Journey. My memory is hazy and I never have a copy around because I’m always giving it away, but I remember that he spurred this thought I carry around.
As a small child, a tree has greater personal meaning and intrigue before you learn to call it a tree. Before it has a name it only has its treeness and you’re not yet aware of any distinction between you and it. There is only what is at the moment you see, touch, and smell the giant in front of you. We inevitably and necessarily learn the names of things and lose an innocent sense of wonder as we start to feel that we understand them; that we own them somehow.
We would be wise to take care in describing and naming things we don’t understand – like an amazing time of worship. I saw a couple people on Monday and Tuesday with a look in their eye still of, “Wow. I don’t know what that was but… Wow.” And isn’t it the same with God? Certainly God would inspire a stunned and awe-full “Wow” infinitely more than anything else ever could if we’d let ourselves be comfortable with not naming, not fully comprehending, and not owning him but rather being (re)named, comprehended, and owned by him. I understand the deep value of the ancient Jews never speaking his name.
So, my fellow tech friends, may you have more moments of “wow” and more mixes (and camera shots, focus rolls, graphic slides, lighting transitions…) that come together on their own in ways that feel deeply spiritual and full of mystery.
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I’m still processing that wknd, too. I just know that I am grateful I get to work with people who approach their job with the sort of awe and wonder that you don’t see much of these days.
You have these weekends, every once in a while, that cement for you what your purpose is. I suspect that several of us feel a little lee shaky, a little more firm now.
de
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Interesting thought about not naming things, not quite sure I fully understand it yet. Seems odd that the Bible never uses this theory.