waiting

December 01, 2019 by Paul Vasile in Advent, Congregational Song, Music

This jazz-inspired Advent song was written on the plains of Southern Ohio last spring and holds an invitation to reflection and wonder. Rather than assume we know who or what is coming (because we often struggle even to know ourselves), we are invited to look and listen, to be in the present moment, attentive to where and when Divine will manifest.

And it could be in any number of forms - sound, light, touch, a human body, or through the movement of grass on rolling hills. God is always being made known to us, and Advent calls us to heighten our senses, to practice paying attention both individually and in community.

the pilgrimage continues: one year later

July 15, 2016 by Paul Vasile in Pilgrimage, News

One year ago, I stepped away from a steady job, a comfortable New York City apartment, my closest friends and family, and went on a pilgrimage. Beginning in Seattle, I drove down the west coast of the United States over a month, stopping to visit colleagues and friends, and leading worship and workshops along the way. At the end of the trip I was invited for a six-week residency at a church in San Diego but very little was planned afterward. Call it craziness or call it faith, God gave me courage to follow an unknown path.

worship pilgrimage 2015

July 15, 2015 by Paul Vasile in News, Pilgrimage

"Anytime life ousts us from our places of security,
we are called upon to bring ourselves fully present to our experience."
– John Valters Paintner, The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within

The past year has provided many invitations to practice how to be fully present in the midst of change. A little over a year ago I imagined I was leaving full-time music ministry to embark on a new vocation in the non-profit world. I said goodbye to Park Avenue Christian Church and dove into a new position at the Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, assisting two of the most seasoned and dedicated individuals in the classical music business. The experience was invaluable and I am grateful for the way it has shaped me as a person and as a leader.

But rather than feel my interest in the church wane, time away reminded me of what I missed. Weekends off and time with family during the holidays were a gift, something I hadn’t experienced in almost 20 years. But as colleagues and friends invited me to offer leadership in their congregations as a guest organist, choir director or song leader, my heart continued to tell me that my deepest calling is to ministry.