Jubal’s Jottings

I’m new at Fuller Seminary. I’m still trying to figure out what I don’t know, but I’m finding out some things anyway. I went to the cafeteria to get a quick piece of pizza for lunch last week. As I left with my slice of barbeque chicken pizza I thought to myself…”I think you just heard 3 different languages in the process of getting that pizza.” I also was a guest teacher in a class last week. It is very interesting to look at 30 students or so and see at least 1/3 of them be other than Anglo. Being in a chapel service it is easy to hear accents of all kinds as the weekly prayer is given…or a group of students singing who represent several cultures. I find that there is something very real about the mix of people. As the world has become smaller, and in this seminary world the world has come here, the geographical divides are broken down. It is a great opportunity and challenge to model life together as maybe it was intended to be…especially as brothers and sisters of faith in God. It is far different that what I have come from, but as we often said about that environment, “This is Disneyland!” You just know that heaven will be full of this mix of cultures…and many others. I think I will learn so much about real life in this world of cultural diversity. I welcome that, knowing that it will be uncomfortable at times. It will better prepare me for worship around the throne of God. I know that as well!

I don’t know how many of you have traveled much on Southwest Airlines. I am currently doing a LOT of it between Phoenix and Burbank…my new hometown airport! If you haven’t done the Southwest thing, they don’t have assigned seating, but rather board by groups…A,B and C, 30 or so in each group. You can get your boarding pass online 24 hours ahead of departure. So, the first competition is to sit at your computer and see if you can get your pass right at the 24 hour ahead mark, insuring you a place in the “A” group. It is virtually impossible to be #1!!! At one minute before the 24 hour mark it won’t let you do it…so you keep clicking to see if it will let you get your pass…then it lets you in…and, behold, at 5 seconds into the allowed period you are #6! Who could have beaten you? Impossible, but at least you’re in the “A” group.

The second rush comes once you arrive at the departure airport. Sometimes people wait in the “A” line of the previous departure so that they can be not just in the “A” line, but be at the HEAD of the “A” line. That way they can have the first choice of seats. Then as the line forms, there are little games played to improve your line position. People will walk non-chalantly in from the side…or talk to someone in the front of the line…or ask someone to watch their lugguage, and then return to that advantageous spot as the line starts to move. It is quite a scenario at times!

And, what then becomes the great benefit for all of the wrangling? Maybe row 7 on the window, if you’re lucky. There are some advantages for playing the Southwest game, I’ll admit, but probably there is more intrigue in playing and watching the games than in what finally becomes your actual seat. Getting a prime spot for overhead baggage is actually the biggest advantage that I like for being an “A” groupie! And, if your’e going to Burbank, sit in the back of the plane, on the aisle, since they let you go out of the back of the plane! See, another game to play! You might even be #3 out of the plane!
PS I REALLY prefer Southwest Airlines! They sometimes give me double peanuts!

So, today marks the one month anniversary of my first day in my new position. I have been reminded that I am in the period of time called “Ignorant Incompetence.” I think the layperson’s interpretation of that is that I don’t even know what I don’t know…which is pretty accurate, I’d say. They say it lasts for 90 days, so I have 60 days to go! Of course, after that comes the period when I KNOW what I don’t know. Maybe it’s better to not know! Even though I’m a little impatient to make some noticeable headway, I DO know that this is an important time. The people of the Brehm Center have been very gracious. I do know that their year is running at 200 mph, and it’s both hard for them to stop and get me up to to speed as well as it is difficult for me to jump on something moving that quickly. There have been some great times with people…a Brehm Center retreat day, Lois Bock and her family, a Dodger game with Steve Bock, an afternoon with Lucy Hirt, calls and e-mails from old friends in CA who are welcoming me back, or friends from everywhere that just know I’m here, being at Fuller chapels has given me some insights, guest teaching a class was a kick…it’s a pretty good list of things so far.

I’ve spent a LOT of time getting my e-mail system in some semblance of order. I am surprised at how many mail lists I’ve gotten used to seeing! They range from daily devotionals, to worship video companies, to lists on different subjects that Christianity Today puts out. I think I have them all transferred over now to my new address.

Overall, I think I’m getting settled. The housing thing is still standing out there to be solved. I’m content to be in my one room…in a beautiful neighborhood for walking! I know that I belong here, whether I always feel like it or not. I’m not sure why this all came along at this point in my life, but here I am…wanting to be what God wants me to be in this place. I know I’ll find out more about that as the next 30 days go by…though I’ll be still ignorantly incompetent!

This Thing Called Moving!
(or Thoughts While Driving Across the Desert in a Yellow Penske Rental Truck!)

So, as I drove in solitude across the desert in a noisy, bumpy rental truck, I thought about the major moves in my life and how they contrasted.

Move #1 – from Kenosha, WI to St. Paul, MN to go to college.
• 18 years old
• A high school diploma
• Dropped off by parents
• Didn’t own a car
• Possessions – a small trunk, suitcase or 2, and probably a grocery bag as well!

Move #2 – Kenosha, WI to Tucson, AZ to attend graduate school.
o 22 years old
o A college degree
o Drove alone, in a 1965 VW bug – black with no AC. This lack of AC proved to be a problem in Tucson!
o Possessions – everything I owned was in that VW bug!

Move #3 – Tucson, AZ to San Diego, CA for my first real job – Assistant Professor of
Music at Point Loma College (now Point Loma Nazarene University)
o 26 years old
o A brand new doctoral degree!
o Now married!
o Possessions – now it took a Ryder truck to carry things. Owned 2 cars (one was still that black VW!), and a new condo in Santee, CA!

Move #4 – San Diego, CA to Scottsdale, AZ – to work in the music publishing business.
o 36 years old
o 10 years of experience teaching college and in church music ministry
o In addition to a wife, there were now 2 children – both girls
o Possessions – now it took a professional moving van. And the 4 of us drove in a station wagon. We lived in a rental house in Scottsdale while our permanent house was being built.

Move #5 – Scottsdale, AZ to Pasadena, CA – to be the Director of the Fred Bock Institute
of Music, The Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts, at Fuller Theological Seminary. WHEW! The title got bigger along the way!
• 58 years old
• 22 years of experience in publishing and church music and worship ministry
• Still married, but the girls are now adult – one married and one engaged
• Possessions – I’m in Pasadena alone right now. Still own that same house in Scottsdale, so still not sure what it will take to move everything here at this point. Stay tuned on that part for now.

So, as I relived and reviewed these 5 major moves of my life, I thought about how they differed. Some of that is obvious from the synopsis above. Sure, the locations were varied, family situations changed, the amount of possessions increased, the vehicles were different, my age changed – all of that. I started this journey with brown hair, more hair, thinner waistline, no glasses – all of that. Now, however, I have experienced so much fullness of life that doesn’t get described in a synopsis of 5 moves. It took the physical moves to allow the experiences and many wonderful relationships to occur. As I write this, I am on the front-end of the next chapter. While I am sad there is so much behind, I look forward to what’s ahead – pressing on toward the ever-moving call of God on my life.

See what you started, Jubal? A great life!

So, there I am…sitting in church on Easter Sunday. Where do all these people come from? And why? I’m sure that most of their motives are right, but I’m trying to figure out how active the faith is of most of those who are there. You just KNOW that there are many obligations being paid! You know that many men are there because they got drug there by wives…who maybe go to church more often than the men anyway! You KNOW that the Easter offering is full of $1 and $5 bills…you know, the annual tip to God. So, I haven’t figured it out, but I’m glad they were there. At least the church I went to had songs of resurrection and hope…had a choir and orchestra singing and playing a song about the power of the cross. There was a message from the bible given to offer hope through salvation in Jesus Christ. Whether they were drug there, or paying an obligation, I’m glad they were at that church. Maybe it’ll actually sink in sometime that the Easter celebration packs a big punch of meaning for those of the Christian faith. In a world where there is a lot of need, I hope they’ll come back. After all, EVERY Sunday is meant to be a first day of the week resurrection celebration! So, come back everyone!

Jubal – Who Am I?

Since this blog is called “Jubal’s Jottings” it might be appropriate that an initial moment should be taken to identify who Jubal was historically and why this blog should be named for him.

In the biblical book of Genesis, the 4th chapter, we find a long listing of the early descendants of mankind, beginning with Adam and Eve.  Each of the names mentioned has a short tag line denoting something of interest and significance about that person.  In verse 21 there is a mention of the name Jubal.  We see that his father was Lamech and his mother was Adah (vs. 19).  He had a brother named Jabal (vs. 20), a half brother named Tubal-cain and a half sister named Naamah (vs. 22).  The tag line for Jubal is this – “he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.”  It is the first biblical mention of someone who apparently had some musical giftedness.  So for those of us who have been given some musical gifts, Jubal in one sense was the father of us all – the first of many.

The reference to Jubal does not indicate what the use of these instruments was sacred or otherwise – perhaps both.  It also does not indicate anything about singing - so all of you instrumentalists can rejoice that you were first!  Is that why instrumentalists are often called musicians, and singers are called simply singers?  Have you ever noticed that?  Hmmm…?  That’s another topic entirely!

So, in honor of Jubal, the first musician mentioned in the bible, we give the notoriety of naming this simple little blog for him.  I wonder if Jubal had any idea what he was starting – controversies, et al.  His first, no doubt simple, instruments have sure developed into quite a host of choices, haven’t they?  WHEW!

So Jubal says – “thanks for taking up what I started and being my musical children!”  And to you, Jubal, we who are your musical descendants say – “Thank you for starting all of this that we enjoy!”