2nd Wednesday of Lent & Flugelhorns

March 3, 2021

The warm and rich sound of a flugelhorn complemented our listening experience of an album the other night. I like the sound of the word “flugelhorn”. I like the sound of the flugelhorn in the hands of a gifted player. Lent began with ashes reminding us of the words that often are said when committing a body to burial – “earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes”.

Now how did my mind connect earth to earth and flugelhorns you might ask? I’ve been thinking that in many ways Lent celebrates the life between those two moments as life begins and ends. The disciplines to sharpen our connection to Jesus’ life enriches the vibrancy and creativity of our humanity.

Our creation story tells us we are made by a loving Creator from the earth. Jesus healed a blind man by applying an earthy muddy ointment to his eyes. We wait for the piles of snow to melt so the earth can soften, and new life will emerge in crops and flowers, food for the body and the soul.   Earth has life and hope, the ingredients for creation and creativity and renewal. Even though we are earthy we are also wondrous creatures in body, soul and spirit with gifts of creativity, love and joy.

But what about the flugelhorn? Earth contains the copper and zinc which combined make brass. Gifted instrument makers take the brass and shape it with mouthpiece, bell and valves (and a host of other parts) to create a warm whole musical sound which brings us joy and pleasure.

Our lives have been shaped from the earth by our Creator – yes they are temporary – but they are full of capacity for love, creativity, community, family and kindness. Let’s be instruments from the earth that create warm music for the souls of others and the good of our earth.

Lent isn’t designed to be dark, but serious about life and our need for periodic correction in our life direction. Yes, we are earthy, but we are created by the Divine mind. We may discipline ourselves in Lent but a great musician’s disciplines produce warmth, energy and beauty as the flugelhorn is played. Here’s a lovely meditative piece for our Lenten reflection;

We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:3-5 MSG)

Goodness of friendship grow among us,

Norm

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