Minister’s Column
On Friday I went to a concert: performing at the Soaring Eagle Casino was a band called Styx that I had listened to all through my teenage years. This band was popular in the 70’s and 80’s, and almost all of the music they played in concert was from that era. Only one song was a more recent one, that singer Tommy Shaw explained was composed during the pandemic. The song is “Our Wonderful Lives” and the chorus says:
Now the days go by, and we laugh and cry
while the dark cloud hovers nearby.
We won’t give in yet, we shall not forget:
we still have our wonderful lives.
I learned something about myself by attending this concert. The moments that moved me and touched me were the beautiful harmonies and the poignant lyrics that many of the songs contained, and my favorite moments of all were the times when the band invited the crowd to sing along. I appreciate those moments at a rock concert – and I love those moments in worship services. Singing together. Beautiful music with meaningful lyrics. Feeling like I’m part of something larger than myself—a communal experience.
My belief is that a lot of people who go to a concert are seeking those moments, and that they give themselves permission to feel those feelings (connection to music, meaningful thoughts about life, connection to a collective group event) only in settings like that. I think these are universal human longings. Some people respond to those longings by going to a concert, some by going to a religious service…and some enjoy both. I have come a long way from being the teenager who would listen to Styx albums on my headphones plugged into the family stereo. I was searching for truth and meaning then, just as I am now. These days I have learned to find truth, meaning, and community in a Unitarian Universalist congregation. And I still find moments of it at a rock concert.
PRAYER:
May God bless Tommy Shaw, Dennis DeYoung, and their music that helped me through my teenage years. May their music continue to bring joy and inspiration.
May all people find what they are looking for, whether it be at a concert; in a worship service; spending time with family; going on a solo hiking adventure.
May we all embrace moments of human connection wherever we may find them.
Blessed be.
Rev. Drew Frantz
May 7, 2024