Fermata Jan 14, 2022: Hospitality through Music

Fermata is the weekly newsletter describing some of the past week’s highlights from Notes of Rest, which is my spiritual retreat ministry that interweaves text, music, and questions for the sake of cultivating stillness, introspection, and creativity in communities so that all may rest. I'd love to host a Notes of Rest for your church, seminary, or affinity group. Feel free to reply to this email to start the conversation!

Recap: Notes of Rest for Ultreya at Our Lady of Lourdes, Rest Assured Devotional Series

I hope this year finds you persisting despite the continued craze we're in. This past Monday I hosted a session for the Ultreya group that meets at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Atlanta, GA. The session focused on 1 Sam 16:16-23, where David plays his lyre (harp) to soothe the emotionally troubled King Saul. We sat with how music soothed us in the midst of what troubles us and how we could be hospitable to musicians in our midst like King Saul was for David. I loved how one participant said that music helps her respond more Christianly in situations when she's inclined to respond in otherwise unloving ways. Given Notes of Rest always focuses on music's healing effects, it was awesome to center a session on the Scriptural story behind that. To be a musical healer is a humbling charge.

How can you be hospitable to musicians who bring you rest? How can God's presence with you lead to someone else's healing through music?

In other news, the "O Lord, Hear My Prayer" Devotional entry of the Rest Assured Devotional Series is now posted! This devotional series is a spiritual companion to the album Rest Assured. Read them all here.

May The Lord grant us Notes of Rest today, for salvation has come and is coming.

abundantly,
Julian