John and the Blues

During my time at Holden, most of my study revolved around preparing to lead Crossings through the season of Lent

Since ancient times, the church has used certain readings from the Gospel of John to prepare new believers for baptism. I was curious, why these passages?

We've also developed a tradition of playing blues music and african american spirituals during lent. On a gut level, this music - FEELS - like lent. But is there something deeper behind this music that I could connect to the spiritual revelations in John?

Of course!

John is essentially a two part gospel. The first part focuses on what it means to be "born again" not born again in the accept Jesus as your person Lord and Savior sense. But to be recreated with a new life in faith. The second part shows us the path to walk on once we've committed to a new life in Christ.

It is not an easy Gospel. It is about letting go of our identity - letting go of our jobs, social status, patriotism, insurance plans and individualism for a new identity shaped by a call from God to live out the Gospel.

The Blues were born out of a need to express the raw pain and reality of slavery and of abject racism of a post civil-war south. The Blues are the truth of our experiences and the reality of being human in a broken world.

The Spirituals however are born of a different theology. Slaves saw Jesus as God taking on the burden of being human. Not simply human, but a human born in a barn as a slave is born, whipped by oppressors and killed humiliated and rejected. Yet, he was God's chosen lamb who died to free all of us and to make us all God's children.

The Spirituals are the expression of joy, hope and freedom that will come to those who are reborn not as slaves but as children of God.

So, together, the blues and the Spirituals embody the theology of John. Each of John's stories begin with a human condition that is broken. Each start with the Blues. With the acceptance of Jesus and the Gospel message, each is reborn as children of God and into the hope of the Spirituals.

This lent, we goin down to the river.