Church Is Like Jazz

Playing jazz can be a pretty individualized effort. MY artistic vision as I shape the melody and caress the chords.

But the real magic happens when musicians interact with each other. When talented artists play together...and I don't just mean play instruments, but actually play, as in, "to exercise or employ oneself in diversion, amusement, or recreation."

Chick Corea is a great jazz pianist/keyboardist who, early in his career, played with the legendary trumpeter and band leader, Miles Davis. The following are the words of Chick, quoted in Bob Gluck's book, The Miles Davis Lost Quintet and Other Revolutionary Ensembles:

Miles ... was a chemist -- a spiritual chemist -- as far as putting musicians together, because he himself didn't really compose tunes that much, although he developed styles and arrangements but he chose musicians that went together a way that he heard and that he liked. And he went from this piano player to that piano player or from this drummer to that drummer -- he chose these guys so that it went together in a way that he heard it. And I guess that's leadership, you know, it's like the choosing of the way and the treatment of the group.

With Miles' band we were all allowed to play what we wanted to play and shaped the music according to the group effort and not to the dictates of Miles, because he really never dictated what he wanted. I try to do the same thing with my group. I think it serves this function that I just mentioned ­-- that everybody feels that they're part of the product, you know, and not just contributing something to somebody else's music. They may be my tunes, but the music belongs to the guys in the band. They make the music -- it's not just my thing.

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So what's that got to do with the "Church" mentioned in this post's title?

Everything.

God's plan has never been about saving you so you could be saved, but saving you so you could be part of His unbelievably huge plan...bringing all of creation back into harmony with Himself.

Harmony. Ha! Musical term.

Truth is...He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)