Permission to Experience

During Epiphany this year, we have been singing that little John Bell chorus “Come and Fill our Hearts.” Like the music of Taizé and some pieces of contemporary music, it is designed to be sung again and again until our left brain can sing it without words or thinking, freeing up our right brain (or souls) to have an experience of the Holy.

It rarely works for me. My mind is too busy, and I’m too much of a multi-tasker. I suppose that is good because, in our worship, we weave the song in and out of our pastoral prayer so I really do have to multitask in that moment. I wasn’t surprised, then, that this experience in worship wasn’t leading me into the holy of holies, but it didn’t seem to be working for our congregation either.

So, this Sunday, I took a moment to explain what we were doing and why. As I described what we were hoping would take place, I saw several faces light up and heads nod. I almost snickered as I thought that we were just so, well, WESTERN. After worship, someone even thanked me and said that they “got it now.” Another person thanked me for explaining why we were “irritating them.”

For people familiar with meditation or mantras or chants or, really, any more Eastern religion, what we were doing made sense in their soul, if not in their mind. For me and my congregation, though, we needed an “explanation” to give us permission to be open to a new experience. What is that about?

Why are we so afraid to be open to possibilities? Why must we understand in order to feel a sense of control? It isn’t like what we are doing is making our lives so spiritually rich, so why not try something new or be open to other possibilities? I spend much of my time trying to persuade moribund churches to experiment, try something new, do things differently for a season. It is a bit embarrassing that a logical explanation is needed to get my own congregation and, for that matter, my own soul to do the same. Hey, who needs faith?!?

by Michael Piazza
Center for Progressive Renewal