Having said that, I am sometimes conscious of how we must look and sound to the traveling-thru tourist. We are in danger of appearing as a spectacle, as an indulgent group of angsty, chaotic souls who holler out our pain to the Almighty for the sake of drama and adrenalin. I don't blame anyone who makes that conclusion based on one cursory drive-by of a Bridge service on Sunday morning.
Enter videographer Craig Spinks. Craig and his wife Sarah came through Portland a few months ago. They are doing a tour of the US, filming people along the way about all things faith and spirit. He interviewed Todd and Angie Fadel, the creative force behind the roar of Bridge worship. I think Craig captured the spirit of The Bridge music sound with his interview and filmed glimpses of how we are whether anyone is looking or not.
I’ve visited The Bridge a handful of times the past 5 or 6 years and each time I’ve been surprised by how my soul responds to the music. The lyrics resonate with me. The unpolished arrangements invite me in, imperfections and all. The volume is cranked to 11 and I feel at home. Todd and Angie’s style of worship is certainly not for everyone, but that’s just the thing…their style of worship works for the community they pastor, not the other way around - Craig Spinks of Recycle Your Faith
{Click the link on to see Craig's video snapshot with Todd and Angie and of a Bridge Sunday service. (Keep an eye out for the bass player. That's my Jerry!)}
I loved his interview with the Fadel's, albeit I think it was way too short! I know Craig likes to keep his videos to soundbites for the Soundbite Generation. If the bit he provides teases your appetite for me, there are other interviews, print and video, floating around the web. There is for sure a kind of pioneering vibe on Angie and Todd that has very much shaped The Bridge. This can be credited to the founding pastors of The Bridge, Ken and Deborah Loyd, both of whom helped create and lead The Bridge for about a decade before moving on. Our rambunctious fellowship is currently pastored by Angie, Geoff Neill and Donna Van Horn wil be ordained in February.
I could write a book on the evolution of worship in my life, the change of songs, music styles, philosophy of and practice in both public and private. The worship of God, I have come to believe, is more like art than ritual. There is freedom to be creative in our adoration of our Creator. That is what I hope more people will discover as they come by to visit us on a Sunday morning. Maybe this is something to think about, what artful worship would look like in any given fellowship if the creative powers within the worshipers were unleashed. At The Bridge, I think we do that.
One last thought, much of my evangelical career has been mixed with a steady dose of spiritual "I just want..." This sentiment is futuristic rather than here and now. Futuristic thinking is good for all kinds of realms in life, but in the spiritual life it can become paralyzing. If I am focused on what I could be if only I were this or that or if only God would do this or that, then I have sabotaged discovering God's presence in the here and right now of whatever brokenness possesses me. I must be able to freely associate with my Creator no matter the state of my mind of heart. If he is truly unconditional with his love and if his mercy is really new every single day for me, than there must be a freedom to find him and adore him in the abyss as well as the joyful mountain peaks and all along the path between the two.
That the things we are expressing are not feigned pain, but actual pain. - Todd
If there is any whiff of bullshit somebody will call us on it. - Angie
The things we sing are not what we aspire to, but what we're actually going through. - Todd