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August 11-23, 2010
Larry Agnew brought us to a land that he has been tilling for more than 26 years: Romania. He introduced us to brothers and sisters who love the Gospel, who live for the Gospel proclaimed, who suffer for the Gospel proclaimed, and who opened their lives and homes to hear of our testimonies of God’s great grace and mercy with which He has loved us through His Son - Jesus Christ.
In addition to the familiar rhythm section of Jason French / Jesse Harms / Steve Goold, Tracy Patterson came to observe and serve with alto and flute. Curt Olson brought his ear and recording gear to capture the time in soundscape form. Marty Mcalpine captured with his camera a beautiful visual history to share with all of you. David France showed up in his own timing, and with his own set of graces, to play the part that only he could play. And many of you did not come with us, but joyfully and sacrificially sent us in your place that we could all be fellow workers together in the truth (III John). What a blessing the body of Christ is!
We are working on a full “SOUNDSCAPES IN ROMANIA WITH THE JASON HARMS QUINTET” piece that will put you right there on trip with us. (Sample of The Church in Targu Ocna.) You will want to put on your headphones to fully enjoy the dimensional details in soundscape recording.
Jason Harms
Each event had its own sweet treasure on this tour through eastern Romania in August of 2010. If we would only have ears to hear, and the patience and grace to perceive, our souls would be worked and fed by the Lord. One of those delights was how the concert in Iasi (sounds like “yah-shh”) came together.
Just three weeks before we would leave for Romania, pastor Florin Vasiliu, after serving the church for 15 years, had been voted out by a small minority of disgruntled people (not a quorum of church members). This was the second time this group had schemed to remove him, yet Florin loved his people. Larry Agnew, “The Elder Statesman” I’d call him, had known and discipled Florin and his wife for many years, and Florin was not going to miss this opportunity to share with his people Larry and the jazz band that he was bringing. So he rented an old railroad workers’ concert hall. What a balm the Lord was preparing that evening.
When I first met Florin that afternoon, the wounds in his soul were still visibly tender. He loved God. He loved the sovereignty of God as the Bible unpacks it. This was the ground that gave Florin such a love for his people, and many of his people loved that he fed them the raw Bible.
Florin was going to translate for me that night, and I thought, “This is beautiful. He has to say what I say!” So I got the pleasure of putting words in Florin’s mouth that would hopefully, Lord willing, be a grace to Florin’s soul that he would then have to consider and translate and give to his people as from me. He heard everything twice; once from my mouth, once from his own. I sang straight to Florin that night, though he stood at my side, and watched the shepherd and his flock grieve and rejoice together. It was “dulce.”
This stereo soundscape recording of that night places you in the back of the room, right in the midst of the people. A good set of headphones may put you right there.
JASON HARMS