Practicing the rest of faith and music
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Julian Davis Reid’s presentation at Grace Farms was as inspirational as it was provocative. He is a wonderful jazz improviser, but on top of performing some blues tunes, in his lecture he was able to illuminate the process of creating the genre of jazz as a path for its composers on the way to finding a musical home by vulnerably expressing pain in sounds. He has a rare gift to be able to join in musical, historical and philosophical ideas in a coherent and exciting way.
-Elena Dubinets, Artistic Director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
“Julian Davis Reid’s visit to Duke Divinity was inspiring and re-energizing. Students, staff, faculty and members of the community came away with uplifted hearts, deepened understanding, and reinvigorated imaginations. Whether giving a formal lecture, or playing at the piano, or conversing casually with students, Julian was always present to that moment and to the needs of those he was with. His reading (in word and music) of the Scriptures offered just the right measure of comfort and challenge, at a time when our hearts were burdened by news of global conflict and weary from pandemic isolation. He is also a gifted translator of ideas and teacher who knows how to synthesize his considerable academic training and wide range of reading in a way that is understandable and relevant to everyone in his audience. As if that weren’t enough, he is an incredibly talented artist, whose desire to highlight other’s gifts and attunement to the Holy Spirit enabled him to put on one of the most memorable musical performances we have ever hosted at DITA. In every way Julian’s residency was a gift to the Duke Divinity community, and we look forward to welcoming him back as soon as possible.”
– Distinguished University Professor Jeremy Begbie, Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts
“Julian Reid ministered powerfully to our community. The combination of his sensitivity to our spiritual situation, engaging presentation of the Scriptural text, and incredible musical skill produced a rich experience that provided rest for our souls, while challenging us, individually and collectively, to discern the meaning of the passage for us in our present circumstances. I am amazed at how God inspired him to bring us a message that spoke so insightfully into our particular context. His playing was exquisite, beautiful in tone and rich in inventiveness, and so smoothly interwoven with his Scriptural reflections and spiritual guidance that it served the pastoral needs of our community in manifold and remarkable ways.”
- Awet Andemicael, Associate Dean of Marquand Chapel and Lecturer in Theology, Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music.
“As a pastor, experiencing Notes of Rest for my own spiritual well-being is wonderful. Being filled with God’s Word in these creative ways truly refreshes and energizes the soul. I’d recommend Notes of Rest for anyone who just needs their spiritual tank refilled or who likes the challenge of fusing scripture and creative works. This is the experience for you.”
- Carson Thaxton, UMC Pastor from Notes of Rest for Pastors
“Julian led us down a metaphorical baptismal remembrance to the river where I met my ancestral lineage along this spiritual journal. Through the dance of Julian’s fingers as he struck each chord on the piano and brought to blossom each crescendo on the foot pedals, we marched back to the banks with a sustained and loving light that glimmered. The light seemed to illuminate the room and finally, boldly shone on all that we hold dear and all that we are called to remember. In the end, there was rest. He was incredible”
Lynn S. Sullivan M.S. Ed., M.A., Associate Dean for DEI, Yale Divinity School
Julian Davis Reid brought Notes of Rest to our church's Confirmation Class. This year's class was particularly reticent, yet Julian's inviting presence and transformative music created an experience that drew them out, leading to rich discussion and reflection. Notes of Rest speaks to the head, heart, and soul, creating space to tap into our spiritual selves in ways that don't ordinarily happen during the busyness of life, even in many church worship experiences. Gathered around a piano, the kids leaned in and breathed deeply, responding to his invitation to simply be. To rest. To refrain from creating or making. And to know that, in doing so, we are all dearly loved. Julian's gorgeous music worked a kind of magic, eliciting a visceral response; the kids answered by unburdening themselves of pressures and anxieties. When Julian asked them to name people in their lives who could use some rest, our youth responded with such compassion, naming parents and family members who could experience God's gift of rest when they shared the load. My own son even wondered if he could offer his older brother the gift of rest by helping him more with the dishes (parents, can I get an amen!?) Notes of Rest was an uplifting experience for our youth (and their adult leaders), offering an encounter with the holy that we all need.
- Rev. Amy Pagliarella, Parish Associate, Fourth Presbyterian Church.
