In 2006 I chose to turn to the model of Quaker ministry to inform my making music. Getting low. Being humble. Only writing songs that felt like a message from the Spirit. Knowing that the message is not my own. Attempting to be a vessel. Releasing my agenda, knowing my limited perspective. Letting go and letting God.
Vital ministry is essential to vitality. Vital ministry breaks us open, stirs us up, inspires conversations, exposes us, makes us uncomfortable, puts us through the refiners fire. Ministers activate people. In short, without vital ministry, we are lost.
Our spiritual forefathers and mothers spoke of a “Light” that was an intense spotlight, something distinctly uncomfortable, that would shine on the the dark places inside of ourselves and reveal the things that we are trying to hide. This “Light”, honestly, sounds horrifying. It is no wonder they also called it the “refiner’s fire”.
But here is my point: we spend too much of our lives feeling insignificant, feeling not-powerful, waiting for someone to tell us that its okay to use our voice now.
Stop waiting for cultural credentials to write your book. Write it now. Stop holding back from singing in the streets. Stop waiting for an “appropriate” message to stand up with in Meeting for Worship. Stop robbing us of your gifts.
When I released my new album, “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness”, last Fall, I promised to myself (and to you!) that I would edit all of the footage I had taken during the recording process and turn each song into a videosong.
I got through 8 of these videosongs, and then needed to take a step back and rethink the way I was approaching them. Video editing is an entirely new skill for me, though there are some aspects that are akin to audio.
I have been a bit too busy working on video editing to continually update the “press” section of my website on the fly, as coverage comes in. Most of the attention so far has come from blogs, which (luckily) leave the posts up forever. Here are some of the blogs mentioning my project since its release:
“How I Built Myself, With My Mother’s Help” from the album “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness” by Jon Watts Produced by Jake Thro Violin by Marina Vishnyakova Download the song Lyrics
Yesterday my co-minister and partner in crime Maggie posted a blog entry entitled “YOU’RE NOT A QUAKER (so please stop calling yourself one)” The post has provoked some great discussion and obviously real feelings from some of…
Jon Watts instrumental album.
“This is Just a (Love) Song” from the album “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness” by Jon Watts Produced by Jake Thro Violin by Marina Vishnyakova Download the song Lyrics
“Together We Compose This Bloody, Bleeding, Beating Drum” from the album “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness” by Jon Watts Produced by Jake Thro Violin by Marina Vishnyakova Download the song Lyrics
“Don’t Doff Your Hat” from the album “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness” by Jon Watts Produced by Jake Thro Violin by Marina Vishnyakova Download the song
“The Burden of Vision” from the album “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness” by Jon Watts Download the song Produced by Jake Thro Violin by Marina Vishnyakova
“Lifted Up” from the album “Clothe Yourself in Righteousness” by Jon Watts Download this song And for a moment there I was ground down I had my chin on my chest, infested surround sound. But I took…
Rather than passively sitting back and being entertained, we now interact with whatever we are watching… we share it on facebook, we comment on it, and we even make response videos. It is definitely a new world of media, sharing and entertainment.
When we were filming the scene in the hut for the music video, Tom Clement and I had some down time with Max Carter and, having asked him to prepare a brief lecture on the history of…
During the time of George Fox, Quaker — and the Valiant Sixty — James Nayler (or Naylor) was a powerful and respected Quaker preacher, who, at the beginning of the formation of the Religious Society of Friends, traveled extensively preaching the Quaker message and writing prolifically.
Friends, As the tenth anniversary to 9/11 came and went, I found myself reflecting on the past ten years… especially our reaction to being attacked and the results of that reaction. I found myself reflecting on my…
“What’s important is not your emotional reaction to something, but how you hold and interact with that emotion” It will continue to become clear that 9/11 was a turning point for our country. Not because we were…
Announcing the release date for Clothe Yourself in Righteousness, a multimedia project about Quakers and nakedness.