... many of [the singers] expressed gratitude for the challenge. ... it had shown them what they were capable of accomplishing together ... Communities that “lean in” to the difficult work of restorative justice may discover that it yields a similar kind of joy.


Other times, it comes from free world volunteers who venture behind the walls of area jails and prisons simply to offer the ministry of their presence, assuring the men and women languishing on the other side that they haven’t been forgotten (Hebrews 13:3). Sudden- ly, new freedom dawns upon these damaged souls as restored dignity and community fellowship help them move forward into new life. Where once there was only “death by institution,” now there truly is “life within these walls.”


A difficult selection The composition is both chal-


lenging and dissonant, not unlike the work of restorative justice itself. Its extended chord formations are left uncomfortably exposed in this unaccompanied setting, requiring singers to know their parts very well in order to confidently sustain pitches that don’t seem to belong together. It takes a mature, well- rehearsed ensemble to pull it off. Most of these dissonances


___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20


resolve to satisfying major chords, evoking the harmony of a commu- nity that successfully reintegrates offenders who have paid their debts to society. But in several places, the dissonance stubbornly refuses to be resolved, creating slightly unsettled phrase endings. The singers’ instinct is to simplify these chords in order to force a resolution – to summarily banish the offending notes, as it were – but doing so greatly diminishes the


cluded with a simple D-flat major chord, giving the singers (and the audience) a clear indication that


it is convicting – for the Pharisee in all of us. To truly know Christ is to be bathed in an unfathomable species of grace that transforms


performance. These peculiar mo- ments of “consonant dissonance” are what lend the piece its distinc- tive “shimmer,” showcasing the choir’s most haunting sonorities. The music is far more interesting when singers “lean in” to the dis- sonance rather than recoil from it. This mirrors the collabora-


tive endeavor of restorative jus- tice, which likewise resists easy solutions to complex problems, summoning participants to endure uncomfortable circumstances for the greater good of all who are im- pacted by crime – victims, offend- ers, and the communities to which they belong (or will someday return). In contrast to the harshly punitive paradigm of Western institutional justice, restorative jus- tice aims to “make things right” in a manner that holds offenders ac- countable for their behavior while also respecting their dignity as human beings made in the image of God. It recognizes that punish- ment has an important place in the administration of justice, but it shuns simple retribution in favor of corrective models that meaningful- ly rehabilitate offenders and equip them to make amends. It’s not the kind of justice that satisfies our thirst for blood, but it’s the kind that tends to contain rather than multiply the damage crime does to our communities. Originally, the piece con-


they had finally “arrived” after so much harmonic ambiguity. But Dr. Cohen felt this was untrue to the spirit of the work. She thought it should end not with a period, but with a question mark. So I revised the final cadence to include an E- flat – a gentle note of irresolution, hinting at the work yet to be done in our broken world. I worried that the choir might


not like the piece because of its dif- ficulty, but the singers worked tire- lessly on those two minutes’ worth of music. After the concert, many of them expressed gratitude for the challenge, commenting on how it had drawn the ensemble up to new heights of artistic excellence. Yes, it had been difficult to prepare, they admitted, but it had also shown them what they were capable of accomplishing together, once they set their mind to the task.


A more joyful brand of justice Communities that “lean in”


to the difficult work of restorative justice may discover that it yields a similar kind of joy. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled,” Jesus says. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:6-7, NIV). In Luke’s Gospel (7:36-50),


Jesus tells a parable about two people indebted to the same moneylender. Though one owes ten times as much as the other, neither can pay; so, in a profligate display of generosity, the money- lender forgives both. Turning to the Pharisee who has just criticized him for showing mercy toward a sinner kneeling at his feet, Jesus asks, “Now which of them will love him more?” The answer is as obvious as


January-February 2018 • WorshipArts • www.UMFellowship.org


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32