Breathe Deep...

Breathe Deep the Breath of God by Lost Dogs

Politicians, morticians, Philistines, homophobes,
Skinheads, Dead heads, tax evaders, street kids
Alcoholics, workaholics, wise guys, dim wits,
Blue collars, white collars, war mongers, peace nicks

Breathe deep, breathe deep the breath of God (2X)

Suicidals, rock idols, shut-ins, drop outs
Friendless, homeless, penniless and depressed
Presidents, residents, foreigners and aliens
Dissidents, feminists, xenophobes and chauvinists

Breathe deep, breathe deep the breath of God (2X)

Evolutionists, creationists, perverts, slum lords
Dead-beats, athletes, Protestants and Catholics
Housewives, neophytes, pro-choice, pro-life
Misogynists, monogamists, philanthropists, blacks and whites

Breathe deep, breathe deep the breath of God (2X)

Police, obese, lawyers, and government
Sex offenders, tax collectors, war vets, rejects
Atheists, scientists, racists, sadists
Photographers, biographers, artists, pornographers

Breathe deep, breathe deep the breath of God (2X)

Gays and lesbians, demagogues and thespians
The disabled, preachers, doctors and teachers
Meat eaters, wife beaters, judges and juries
Long hair, no hair, everybody everywhere!

Breathe deep, breathe deep the breath of God (2X)

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The Lost Dogs were (are??) a great band, a “super group” from the 90’s composed of musicians from various bands. They’re common thread: alternative christian rockers. Good (great) musicians, students of bluegrass and Bob Dylan, feeling & finding the mystic pull but not necessarily fitting the CCM mold… Hello, friends. Need a drummer?

Al·ter·na·tive (/ôlˈtərnadiv/)
adjective
1. (of one or more things) available as another possibility: "the various alternative methods for resolving disputes”

This week I’m feeling the “alternate” Psalm…listed that way in the Lectionary/Lutheran church worship guide…Go figure.

Psalm 150 v.6
6 Let everything | that has breath
  praise the Lord. | Hallelujah! 

Do me a favor. Please. Close your eyes. Take a deep deep breath. In for 7 seconds. Hold for 5, out for 7…

Now open your eyes.

Meditation is breathing (with awareness). Yoga is breathing (in a posture), there’s a whole section of the orchestra that is breathe powered…anything living… is breathing. Life… is…well, you get the point. But we forget. I forget. To breathe. When I’m scared or prepping to say something without listening to whom I’m holding my breath to talk at… God, that must be so annoying.

“Take a breath!”…. “Breeeeeeeeathe!” I tell my crazy children all the time. (Especially when I’m freakin’ crazy… and need to breathe). I was a yoga teacher for 10 years. It suited my need for community, spiritual exploration and a wellness habit… Good side gig too. As a teacher my job was to talk students into different postures, support their safety and ‘anatomical correctness’ while reminding them to breathe mindfully. Through teh thoughts. And the torture of a never ending warrior pose. Practice. Breathing. Through peace. Through pain. And, if you want returning clients, do it in a way that’s interesting…rewarding… and fulfilling… A nice little story arch or lesson interweaving through the class flow. But it’s gotta be authentic. The real you. Good yogis, the real ones, see right through bullshit. So… be real. If you’re not a mystic, don’t talk like one. Talk like you. That’s what teaching yoga taught me; breathe, with grace and strength…through the suffering. That and - bodies are fickle & need maintenance. Breathe through the maintenance.

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Praise /prāz/ verb
1. express warm approval or admiration of: "we can't praise Chris enough—he did a brilliant job"

Easter happened. Hallelujah is back, baby. For Lent (40 days & nights leading up to Easter) we loose all “hallelujah’s” from the liturgy(church service text). When I started the church gig almost 7 years ago I had a lot of grappling to do before committing… ‘Am I selling out? or 'giving up?’ ‘Am I good enough??’ ‘Is it ok that I’m not even Lutheran!?!?’ I had to do a lot of meditating aka ‘sittin’ & breathin’… or as my Jones sister, Kiwi calls it - simmerin’ …. These days I call it ‘listening for the call’ (from the Holy Spirit) …. I don’t say the “from the Holy Spirit” part out loud… Feels weird. Awkward. Embarrassing…like I’m trying to talk like a theologian or a mystic. I’m neither of those things.

So after lots of simmerin’ what landed on me was a phrase of affirmation that kept looping in my mind…“Praise for praise” ; the act of praise as a practice and the benefits of such…

Putting yourself (myself) in the act of praise for the people, with the people is gonna have positive results in terms of the head, heart and body… In other words - this gig is good for you! Get out of your head and into your heart and body. And freakin’ praise the Lord, Daniel!!

Stop thinking. Breathe. You belong exactly where you are. At St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in beautiful Chester Springs, PA. The irony here, despite all of my doubts and maybe cynicism, I discovered how happy and fulfilling this job would be and has been for me. Praise the Lord.

A huge attraction to the Lutheran faith, for me, is their steadfast credo used far & wide by Lutherans everywhere: All are welcome… ALL. are welcome. ALL ARE WELCOME. And I’m beginning to think they mean it.

My brother Jonathan (The Daily Slow), though distance vast between us in miles, have always been close & on the level as it relates to the quest for realness in religion. You might say we’re the "black sheep” or “road less traveled Pilgrims” of the pack/family. He attends an Episcopal church up in Anchorage, AK where he lives. I get a chuckle when I think about the two of us; two fundamental, right wing rejector rock & rollers… sitting in a Lutheran and an Episcopal church 4,315 miles away from each other listening to very similar sermons.

They’re on a similar schedule Liturgically. So he’s up there with a similar head (& heart) as me as it relates to the Church world and he’ll often send me a song - “hey, this one’d be good for your church gig…” He sent me this one last week. Breath Deep the Breath of God by The Lost Dogs. Then this week I opened up the Lectionary and there’s Psalm 150 v.6 - 6 Let everything | that has breath praise the Lord. | Hallelujah! 

Hell yeah! Forgot about the Lost Dogs. They were the shit! to me, a teenage burgeoning drummer and musical aspirant of the 90’s. Scenic Routes: Great record. I was unaware, but it turns out we play 2 songs from it already at church (I am a Pilgrim and Lord Protect my Child). Song to song it takes you on a trip that meanders off the pew, out the narthex into the world, down the side streets and alleyways through some gritty rock clubs to the high & lonesome creekside meadows. And back to church again. He sent me this rusty gem last week.

All Are Welcome?? Atheists, scientists, racists, sadists???
Dead heads?? Cool. But, Evolutionists too?? GAYS!?!
WIFE beaters!?!? Pornographers??? I don’t think Jesus meant them too…
IMMIGRANTS!?!? No way. Jesus did NOT die for brown people too, did he???
Ok, fine… he died for them too but… do I have to welcome them??

Yep. Sure do.

Ok fine. I was actually being sarcastic up there. I have no problems with any of those demographics (except wife beaters) and I might/do fall into a few of them myself. But let’s get real…Clearly I do NOT have to welcome MAGAT’s into my church or home do I?? Not those hate fueled red hat rejects?? C’mon, God. Can not my heart contain just a tiny little room, a shed, a mere storage pod - for hatred and othering?? There’s gotta be a line somewhere. Right???

Everybody Everywhere!

There is no line. How’s that old hymn go? They’ll know we are Christians by our…

Not by our policy. Not by our tax bracket. Not by our pit-falls. Certainly not by judgement fueled fact bombing on facebook (or wherever else we drop digital digs into the ethos) Like… What the actual…. FFFFF
ok, hang on. I’m getting worked up here.
Gotta go simmer down. Breathe deep, Ya’ll.

Love.
d

Gigs

- 5/2 DSB2 / Other Farm Brewing Co. / Boyertown, PA
- 5/3 Manatawny Creek Ramblers / Private KY Derby Party
- 5/9 Neo Trio / Mikes Tavern / Reading, PA / 8-11p (LAST ONE OF THE SEASON)
- 5/11 Manatawny Creek Ramblers / Brother’s on the Brandywine / 2-5p
- 5/16 Philly Nelson / Brickette Lounge / West Chester, PA / 9pm
- 5/18 Frog Holler / West Reading, PA
- 5/23 DSB2 / Other Farm Brewing Co. / Boyertown, PA