Drum Call

I'm sitting in my Spiritual Disciplines for Leadership class, and we've started with a demonstration of African spiritual practices.  While we are currently involved in an African praise/prayer, the example started with drumming.  This is not the first time since I have arrived here that I have experienced drumming in a spiritual sense, and in all instances I have been reminded of the drum call that often started a howie&scott show.

These drum calls were often some of my favorite parts of their shows.  It was like a centering force, a way to recognize that I am here instead of coming here.  It was a call to recognize what I am experiencing. Of course, there were also ending drum calls, to release us to the world.  They were like brackets on the experience, showing us when it would begin and end, but also to show the experience was different than what one normally would see or hear.  That's not to say h&s were an experience like none other, or superior to what else might have been going on (though an ego-driven reading of the situation might see that).  It was just more like a signal flare, to set aside what was to come or what had happened.

I've had visions in my head of calling to worship through these drum calls.  Drums are becoming more prominent to me in a spiritual way of thinking.  Example: Jeremy drumming during the Taize service on Wednesday that was rooted in the pagan Equinox celebration.  While I was unfamiliar with a number of the rituals during the service, the drumming was able to center me to the experience and recognize there was a spirit involved in the service.

I don't have drums.  I don't have any instruments.  I don't have any musical talents.  But I've decided to add a resolution to my time at seminary, really two: learn basic guitar, and learn to drum.

I don't know what I want to do when I leave seminary, but an idea that has recently entered my head is working on a church (or perhaps just a service) geared towards youth and young adults, and what may be a good start to that may be a drum call.