"I think he's realizing there's more than one way to spread the gospel."

On April 22 I had the pleasure of joining some friends to attend a concert downtown at the Downing Gross Cultural Arts center. Samara Joy, a two-time grammy award winning jazz singer, was the headlining artist for the Ella Fitzgerald Festival taking place that weekend. Samara has mind-blowing talent and skill, especially for someone who is only 24 years old. Her performance was compared to Ella herself, quite high praise!

The whole evening took on even greater importance for me a few days later when I heard Terry Gross’s interview with Samara Joy on NPR’s Fresh Air. Samara grew up in the church. That is where she learned to love music and where her church family encouraged her and her tremendous gifts. Of course, as someone who works in church music, I was eating this story up!
 
Samara’s parents and grandparents are gifted musicians as well. For her family, music is church, and church is music. In fact, especially for her grandparents, music only belonged in the church.
 
“I remember a story of my grandfather, who is 92,” Samara told Terry Gross. “I just talked to him the other day. He actually got… a recording contract to sing opera. And [my grandmother] threw it in the garbage because at that time it was church or nothing - sacred, no secular.”
 
Terry Gross (and I!) were both fascinated by this story. “Did that carry over to you,” Gross asked, “that they didn't want you to sing secular music?”
 
“Yeah, my grandfather was definitely hesitant about it at first. Even with me going to school, it's like, music doesn't belong in school. It belongs in the church,” Samara said. But, “I think now it's safe to say he's come around…. I think he's realizing there's more than one way to spread the gospel.”
 
I was cooking dinner as I listened to this interview, and I set down my spatula so I could “Amen!” that last quote. More than one way to spread the Gospel! I hope that is as encouraging for you to hear as it is for me. As you head out the doors from church each Sunday morning, I hope you are filled with all the love and encouragement you need for you to spread God’s love in everything you do, whether explicitly or implicitly. Let the church say Amen!
 
-Ginny Chilton