Learning to Follow Jesus through Peter Mayer's Music

I find that I feel closer to God and can lean deeper into the teachings of Jesus through music. I grew up during Vatican II in the Catholic Church which opened up worship to the composition of folk songs for the Mass and "Guitar Masses," perfect for smaller churches and student campus missions with no organs. The movement wasn't welcomed by everyone, but I was in my happy place. I sang in several churches over the years, both Catholic and Episcopalian, and learned from the best-- The St. Louis Jesuits (more on them in an upcoming post), as well as my partners in our Music Missions.

Then I moved to the Unitarian Universalist denomination which does play its share of Christian music, but certainly not with the same regularity I was accumstomed to.

Then one Sunday in church, we sang "Blue Boat Home," by singer-songwriter Peter Mayer (not the guy who played for Jimmy Buffet; the musician from Stillwater, Minnesota). Mayer had set new words to a very familiar hymn tune composed by Rowland Hugh Pritchard in the mid-1800's. Mayer's words describe Earth as a ship sailing the ocean of the universe - a blue boat - with we humans as the crew and passengers on a wonderous journey. It has a smooth waltz cadence and uplifting images. 

Not long after, Mayer performed in concert at my church, and I was blown away. The one song that struck me deep in the heart was "God Is a River." I became an instant fan. I found a playlist of his songs on YouTube which I saved to my phone and started collecting every CD he's produced. 

As the Folk Mass movement had given wings to my spiritual path when I was younger, 40 years later, Peter Mayer 's music renewed my soul. His album "Midwinter" is a permanent part of my Solstice/Christmas celebrations.

So, a bit more about this extrodinary musician. He is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church and many of his songs express a fresh approach to spirituality. His music and performances have garnered admiration for their spiritual depth and emotional resonance. His songs, "Holy Now" and "Blue Boat Home," are celebrated for their introspective lyrics and connection to Unitarian Universalist values. Fans have described his concerts as uplifting and soul-stirring [I agree!!], often highlighting his ability to blend storytelling with music. [from RiseUpSinging.org] 

Have you experienced his music or performances firsthand? Let me know in the comments. And if music speaks to your soul, and you haven't experienced Mayer's music yet, I encourage you to have a listen. [https://www.petermayer.net/  On YouTube: @petermayer9776 ]

Blessings on your Day!

The Inimitable, Limitless God

 Disclosure: Some of the links below (whether the link is associated with an image or text) are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

My Christian Fellowship group at church has just started reading Karen Armstrong's A CASE FOR GOD.  In her introduction, she states her intent to show through history that humans have always wanted to know more about the transcendent, no matter what it is called or how it is defined. 

To prepare for reading more, I listened to a radio interview Ms. Armstrong gave to NPR in September 2009. This is the final exchange between Terry Gross of "Fresh Air" and Ms. Armstrong:

GROSS: Now, you know, your view of religion isn't that there's a personal God who has some kind of physical manifestation and who can appear to you and speak to you. But some people have - say that they've experienced that manifestation of God. They've had some kind of direct contact or message from God. How do you - how do you process that?

Ms. ARMSTRONG: Far be it for me to decry anybody's religious beliefs or religious experience. And if religion - your experience of God speaking to you or whatever, compels you to live a more compassionate life, then it's doing its job. And if it's filling you with respect and awe for the natural world and for all God's creatures, it's doing its job. What we call God comes to us in many ways. I couldn't make the personal God work for me. But that's not to say it won't work for other people. We all experience the inimitable, limitless God in as many different ways as there are human beings.

Along with the other observations and information Ms. Armstrong shares throughout the interview, this last statement struck deep. After years of exploration, discussion, and prayer, the author describes something of my own perception of Transcendence in our world. What about you?

Listen to the complete interview on the NPR website.