Community Music Potlucks

I’ve been thinking a lot about community these days; in particular, how to build, maintain and strengthen community. 

When I was a child, this happened through my church – we attended weekly on Sundays, and everyone kept track of each other with visits, calls and prayers in between. Help was available for all sorts of things, from yard work or garage-building to childcare, canning tomatoes and making casseroles for the ill or elderly. It was a system of reliable care, built into the schedules and intentional lives of my family and the many other families who belonged to that church.

There was a price of admission to this kind of community, of course. We had to abide by a certain set of rigorous theological beliefs, in order to belong there. To receive the benefits of such ongoing, available care, it was necessary to conform to the standards of those giving it.

Fast forward some 20 years, when a great number of people in our society are not in the habit of attending any kind of congregational service. For a lot of us, churched or unchurched, something feels limiting and uncomfortable about rigid conformity. We want to belong where we are, without needing to abide by a set of doctrines. 

Often, since I parted ways from organized religion years ago, I’ve imagined creating a church out of my own home and yard – a community of radical welcome, where everyone belongs (as long as they’ve showered in the last 48 hours, of course. LOL). 

I mean, the basic rules would apply that hold fast in every kindergarten room across the planet: 

• keep your hands to yourself unless you receive consent
• use your words to ask for what you need
• don’t hurt other people verbally or physically
• use the washroom and wash your hands 
• be tidy 
• participate 

So anyway, the long and short of it is that I’m inviting YOU to belong at my place for a monthly Community Music Potluck! It’s my version of church – a place where we gather and commune regularly, a place of song and appreciative expression, a place of respite and meditation.

Aiming to create a fun, safe space for connection, friendship-building, singing and sharing, I encourage you to attend whether you love to sing along or just listen, whether you like to offer interpretive dance or play the kazoo, whether you bring a salad or just a box of crackers. 

The Community Music Potluck will occur on the third Sunday of each month, but the INAUGURAL one is September 25th @ 6:00-8:30pm. 

The singalong will be easy stuff like gospel spirituals, simple chants and old hippie songs (think Bob Dylan). You are more than welcome to submit songs for consideration, if you have any favourites you’d like to sing!