By Jeff Brummel
In 2009 I climbed the steps into the organ loft situated in the rear gallery of the Corinthian-columned Greek revival church of La Madeleine in Paris. I sat down at the console of what I still feel is the loudest organ I’ve ever heard. My teacher for the day was the famed organist Frédéric Blanc, and my piece was the Menuet gothique, which you will hear as today’s prelude.
Through much of my lesson, Blanc talked about the Spanish influences that permeate the French organs in Paris. Not only that, but the organ’s design in turn influenced the music that was written for these instruments — the flare of the trumpets and the sharp pickup rhythms followed by strong downbeats. It’s almost enough to make one dance in the aisles! Blanc kept urging me to play with more fire and excitement as the lesson progressed. I loved every minute of it.
My experience with Blanc parallels many parts of our culture, history and life. We often learn something one way and think whatever it is, that’s the only way, the right way. I had always learned to be careful with my playing, to be very measured and controlled, until my Parisian teacher urged me to play into the angst and energy that the instrument and the music were yearning to communicate. It was another way, and I had been missing out. Actually, I was missing out on the truth and integrity for this particular piece of music.
In seminary I took the compulsory biblical hermeneutics class. I was a bit nervous as a musician, but our professor was a graduate teaching assistant who understood the true need of the scope and sequence of this general education requirement. He structured the class in such a way that we could teach this to our future congregations. That is to say, it was accessible. From the beginning, it was all about one word, context. Everything in our Bible can only be understood by understanding everything about the circumstances around who wrote it and where, when, and to whom it was written. It wasn’t what I was expecting from a conservative seminary in Fort Worth. I often thought our prof should come to Wilshire.
Today, you will hear context. You will hear it in the hymns we sing, the notes that are played, the notes from your own voices, and the good word preached from our pulpit. May you hear and feel these moments in our worship today, may you feel closer to God in your new understandings and may you share this Good News.
Now, get ready, because today I’m gonna use those trumpets!