Podcast: The Arts And Faith
Pastor Blair Thompson-White sits down with Dana Effler, who is the Director of Music & Arts at First United Methodist Church in Dallas, to talk about music, the arts and how Broadway Musicals can be spiritual.
Pastor Blair Thompson-White sits down with Dana Effler, who is the Director of Music & Arts at First United Methodist Church in Dallas, to talk about music, the arts and how Broadway Musicals can be spiritual.
About Dana Effler:
Dana Effler is the Director of Music and Arts Ministries at First United Methodist Church of Dallas where she oversees the graded choir and handbell program, the Rotunda Theatre series, and Goodrich Gallery series. She conducts the Chancel Choir, First Men’s Chorus, First Women’s Chorus, Vox Nova and the Variations Youth Choir. Under her direction the Chancel Choir has toured to Canada, England, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Scotland and Switzerland and has sung for both Southwestern division and National ACDA conventions. Beyond the church, Dana enjoys her work as a singer, guest conductor and clinician for organizations including ACDA, TCDA, Choristers Guild, AGO and The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from Furman University and master’s degrees in choral conducting and in vocal performance from Southern Methodist University. Dana is inspired and energized by the wealth and diversity of talent represented in the FirstChurch family and is continually amazed at the beauty of God’s creation in and through it.
We Refuse To Wear Masks (Phantom Of The Opera)
The reality of God’s love and grace is available to you, take off the mask. Accept that you are accepted. And when you do that, when we do that here in these walls, well then our work together is to unmask the injustices outside of these walls—To unmask the racism and the sexism and the homophobia in our culture—to unmask the atrocities going on at the border—to unmask the culture of guns and violence in our country—we are the ones to unmask the cruelty and carelessness and unchristian actions, because we follow a God who refuses to wear masks and play games and so do we.
If there are no sick or sad or sinful or silly people in your church, I’m not sure you are preaching the gospel…because the gospel is not just everyone is welcome, the gospel is also: you don’t have to put on a mask here. You are accepted.
The reality is that God’s love and grace is available to you, take off your mask. Accept that you are accepted.
And when we do that, then our work together is to unmask the injustices outside of these walls—
To unmask the racism and the sexism and the homophobia in our culture—to unmask the atrocities going on at the border—to unmask the culture of guns and violence in our country—we are the ones to unmask the cruelty and carelessness and unchristian actions, because we follow a God who refuses to wear masks.
And so a group of us are going to the Texas-Mexico border in October to see for ourselves the situation there; A group of 80 clergy recently returned from the border and they said that what you hear on the news and from the White House is not what you see: they unmasked the poor conditions migrants are facing and they are telling the story and organizing to work to end policies that are causing harm.
We refuse to wear masks and play games.
When we go and serve breakfast to our homeless neighbors in downtown Dallas, we look them in the eye and we see the reality they face in their faces, and we make this human connection—the homeless are no longer other than us, they are our brothers, our sisters, our friends…
We refuse to wear masks and play games.
When we listen to the stories of our LGBTQ+ siblings, when we hear how the church has excluded and pushed them out and made them feel less than, when we hear how they have in some cases been forced to wear masks to hide their true selves…
we as the church proclaim what is God’s truth that they are loved and accepted for who they are, and God blesses them and their relationships—
We refuse to wear masks and play games.
So may you take off whatever mask you have been wearing, may you be real and know that you are loved and accepted for who you really are—and may we work together to unmask what needs to be seen in this world for what it is:
so that we can right wrongs, so that we can work for a world where there is not just the appearance of peace but true peace, the kind of peace rooted in justice and respect and understanding.
But It Is Also True That Love Never Ends
It is true that you are going to die. But it is also true that Love conquers death. There is this part of you deep within that has this sense, this intuition, this understanding that you are connected
It is true that you are going to die. But it is also true that Love conquers death. There is this part of you deep within that has this sense, this intuition, this understanding that you are connected to the Source of Life and that this connection can never be broken. Your connection to the Source of Life can never be lost. Your desire for the life that you have - this desire to live forever is there because it is meant to be there, because you are made for eternal life.
Remember Who You Are
Do you know that this place at this table is for you? Do you know that it has always been set for you, do you know that you belong here, that you are accepted here, that you are needed here,
Do you know that this place at this table is for you? Do you know that it has always been set for you, do you know that you belong here, that you are accepted here, that you are needed here, do you know God wants you at this table, needs you at this table, made you for this table, yes you are made to be one with God and to participate in the work of God in the world.
Rublev’s Icon - Trinity