The Blog: ministry, music, media

Planting Things, Faith and Music posted on May 27, 2009

It is spring and in the northeastern USA where I live we have leaves on the trees, iris and lilacs in fragrant, purple bloom, and little green leaves springing up from the garden beds. I actually picked some swiss chard yesterday and threw it into the meal plan! God’s earth and seeds making bounty for sustenance is joyful! It just has a natural resonance, doesn’t it? In an effort to contribute to the common good with what we do here at CGR, how could music support the idea of how to help parents and care providers of children, continue to feed one another faithfully and well, swiss chard or not?

As parents, what if we tried to re-frame the notion of the vegetable garden as not only providing life-giving food, but also as a faithful response to good parenting that includes good modeling, exercise for adults and children and just plain fun as something we can do together? Planting a garden also reduces our personal carbon foot print and that sounds like faithful environmental stewardship. Check out this article from The Good Guide about reducing your carbon footprint through food. If you do not have a community garden opportunity or yard to dig up for some seeds, could you fill a one galleon container with dirt and tomato vines and /or arugula and leaf lettuce? This actually works, I have done it. Kids can pick the salad for dinner! Can you plant a pot or row of something this spring?

I know that many folks do not have the time to plant things, but can support farmers markets to get whole, fresh foods into the home which is also cool. Or perhaps you will try fruit and vegetable based vitamins, especially if your kids are challenged to get excited over chomping into an apple or carrot as a snack rather than salty, fried chips and soda. Been there, done that. And to be completely redundant, sometimes that salty packaged stuff is fine as occasional food (not as a staple).

Here is the CGR contribution: music. I wrote a song about this notion years ago and called it, Ick Ick Ick. The song is silly and speaks about getting sick to your stomach from junk food. It was a “Top Ten Hit” on the Radio AAhs hit list (the national, commercial, terrestrial radio network that was based in the Twin Cities - I hosted and produced the mid-morning show for a few years). So, music was supportive of healthy eating habits for children and their families. Listen for Ick Ick Ick from my, Rainbow In My Heart CD on CGR! And, listen for Jay Mankita’s good material about healthy eating habits in songs like, Try New Foods. His stuff is well produced and fun to sing along with! Music helps new ideas take root in family life!

Could this spring be the spring when you plant some seeds, introduce more whole foods and find support through music on CGR? Please let me know how the kids like digging in the dirt!
blessings for the common good, Pastor Robin