A Letter By James Lowrie
James Lowrie, our friend who played
cello and recorder on our CD and played some shows with us, passed away on May
6, 2000 at the age of 24. This is the last letter that he wrote. Thanks for
reading it.
Dear friends and family,
I greet you with the grace and peace poured into (my) life by God the Father and
(my) Master, Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 1:2, The Message)
For all those who have known me for any length of time, you know that I have a
bit of a problem with time management. Getting letters and other such things out
on a deadline have often proven difficult. This is no less the case. However, I
do have a credible excuse this time! Being a great lover of the church calendar,
if one follows the Christmas season faithfully, there really are twelve days of
Christmas after the initial feast/festival, culminating with the Feast of the
Epiphany on January 6. Also, not a slave to trends, I also use this as a way of
stretching out my gift-giving. Why celebrate on only one day when we have been
given over twelve.
The season of Advent, unlike that of Lent, is not just a contemplative time to
ponder the miracle of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the name
suggests, it is one of external as well as internal preparation. . The mixing of
traditions, the decorations of the home, the preparation of special meals and
foods, the playing and signing of special music, the recollection of fond
memories and the formation of new ones- all this serves to remind us of the joy
that has come in the form of a tiny, helpless, Child born on the outskirts of a
little town on the western edge of the Fertile Crescent.
It often saddens my heart to
consider, too, what this caused people in the past and at present to do in the
name of this now grown, dead, and resurrected Child. Ugly words and heinous
crimes have been committed against those whom believers in the Christ should
have no business doing. It must make His Father in Heaven very upset indeed, and
it must grieve His Holy Spirit to no end as well. But the Son of God, born in
humility and submission to the Father, gives us the ultimate example for us how
to live and to relate to one another.
If we are to truly believe that God is love, we have to take a long, hard look
at ourselves and what we have received for our deeds/misdeeds. So many of us
will say, " How could a god such as the God of the Bible allow or commit
such atrocities?" But I ponder this: are these really atrocities perpetrated
by an angry and vengeful God?
With any Christmas message, the subject of sin is one we all would rather
forget. Yet it is for that very reason that Christmas exists at all. Many of you
know my take on the nature of sin in one's life. I do not believe that God
necessarily needs to punish us for our sins. Rather we bring about our own
punishment in that we absent ourselves from the grace and mercy and protection
of God, thereby leaving ourselves vulnerable to all manner of grief, and pain,
and confusion and anger, and violence borne by the Enemy, Satan, Beelzebub,
Darkness, whatever you call it/him.
Trust me, I am not trying to foist my beliefs upon anyone. Nobody I know has
ever come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by 'Bible-thumping!"
Rather, it is only by "Bible-thumbing" by opening the pages and
reading with an open mind and heart that we come to understand what and who God
is and our relationship to Him. The account of the Christ's birth in Bethlehem
continues to inspire and bewilder those who would consider its relevance and
truth.
For all of you who have not received the grace of Jesus personally and have not
by this point crumpled up this page and thrown it into the garbage, let me tell
you this. Your celebration/non-celebration of Christmas is what you do. I love
you all so very much (which at times may be difficult), and I want you to know
that I pray for you everyday. We live in great and wonderful times, and I want
to keep on sharing these times with you. This letter is to let you all know
where I am coming from so that there will be no misunderstandings, if possible,
in our relationships.
It does not matter one bit who or what you are: white, brown, black, blue,
polka-dotted. It does not matter what you consider yourself: single, married,
swinger, butch, gay, lesbian, straight, femme, biker, baker, musician,
architect, nurse, whatever. God loves us so much more than we could ever
imagine. Do we love Him back the same? I know for a fact that much of what I do
and what i have done and what I have not done causes much grief and pain to His
heart.
None of us are any different. My vision of Jesus is one of quiet tears for our
sorry states. Just think: The Third Reich, Stalin's Soviet Union, Kosovo,
Rwanda, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Honduras, Chechnya, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Columbine High School, ETA, and the Basque country- all these brutal injustices committed
in the name of insanity, religious zealotry, greed, racist nationalism
must cause our Lord to weep bitter tears of sorrow. That is the great mystery-
why won't He intervene? Perhaps this is the premise of free will versus
predestination. Though God may know the beginning from the end , He wants us to
choose Him, which will bring about life, healing, and redemption and restoration
to those who wholly embrace His gift of grace. If we were to believe the Genesis
Creation account, then God would not have us as automatons doing His bidding
without faith or obedience . We are His children, and as with human parents and
children, the is strife, rebellion, and separation. For some children, there is
no hope, for they have cut themselves off completely. Others have been impeded
from access by people with or without malice of forethought.
Through this all, God still calls us over the tumult and extends out His hand to
pull us out the mire of our sin-filled existences.. He has "come to bring
life, and that much more abundantly." (John 10:10). May we embrace this
Light of Life and hold on for dear life before it is too late.
As you are wiping the sweat from your brows at this time, let me close by saying
this. If anything happens to you on account of reading these words, if your
heart is troubled and darkened, if it is enraged and even insulted, ask
yourselves: Is my reaction to him or to his words? If in these words I genuinely
repulse you, then we might have to part company if you so choose to do. If these
words seem to assault you, then take some time to contemplate as to how you
might remedy these feelings. Should there be a Bible lying around your house
collecting dust in some corner, try dusting it off and reading a bit of it. The
Old Testament is rather meaty, but the New Testament is no less meaty even if it
is less than half the size of the Old.. If it is an old King James version, try
finding a more vernacular/modern English version like the New International
Version.. Better yet, try Eugene Peterson's "The Message". I cannot
recall a better rendering of the ancient texts in a more easily communicated
text than his.
Well, dear ones, I have thrown much into the ring. Those of you who have been in
relatively frequent contact this past year or so know just how much has gone on
in my life, some too painful and personal to plaster all over these pages. Nevertheless, know that my heart is full of hope and longing for seeing and
sharing time with you all in the months and years to come.
One of my favorite benedictions comes from near the end of the New Testament
book of Hebrews. May it spur you to investigate further the depths of Scripture
for your lives now and in the days to come.
May God, who puts all things together,
makes all things whole,
Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus,
the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant,
Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd,
up and alive from the dead,
Now put you together, provide you.
with everything you need to please him,
Make us into what gives him most pleasure,
by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah.
All glory to Jesus forever and always!
Oh, yes, yes, yes,
(Hebrews 13:20-21 "The Message")
None of us are any different. My vision of Jesus is one of quiet tears for our
sorry states. Just think: The Third Reich, Stalin's Soviet Union, Kosovo,
Rwanda, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Honduras, Chechnya, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Columbine High School, ETA, and the Basque country- all these brutal injustices committed
in the name of insanity, religious zealotry, greed, racist nationalism
must cause our Lord to weep bitter tears of sorrow. That is the great mystery-
why won't He intervene? Perhaps this is the premise of free will versus
predestination. Though God may know the beginning from the end , He wants us to
choose Him, which will bring about life, healing, and redemption and restoration
to those who wholly embrace His gift of grace. If we were to believe the Genesis
Creation account, then God would not have us as automatons doing His bidding
without faith or obedience . We are His children, and as with human parents and
children, the is strife, rebellion, and separation. For some children, there is
no hope, for they have cut themselves off completely. Others have been impeded
from access by people with or without malice of forethought.
Through this all, God still calls us over the tumult and extends out His hand to
pull us out the mire of our sin-filled existences.. He has "come to bring
life, and that much more abundantly." (John 10:10). May we embrace this
Light of Life and hold on for dear life before it is too late.
As you are wiping the sweat from your brows at this time, let me close by saying
this. If anything happens to you on account of reading these words, if your
heart is troubled and darkened, if it is enraged and even insulted, ask
yourselves: Is my reaction to him or to his words? If in these words I genuinely
repulse you, then we might have to part company if you so choose to do. If these
words seem to assault you, then take some time to contemplate as to how you
might remedy these feelings. Should there be a Bible lying around your house
collecting dust in some corner, try dusting it off and reading a bit of it. The
Old Testament is rather meaty, but the New Testament is no less meaty even if it
is less than half the size of the Old.. If it is an old King James version, try
finding a more vernacular/modern English version like the New International
Version.. Better yet, try Eugene Peterson's "The Message". I cannot
recall a better rendering of the ancient texts in a more easily communicated
text than his.
Well, dear ones, I have thrown much into the ring. Those of you who have been in
relatively frequent contact this past year or so know just how much has gone on
in my life, some too painful and personal to plaster all over these pages. Nevertheless, know that my heart is full of hope and longing for seeing and
sharing time with you all in the months and years to come.
One of my favorite benedictions comes from near the end of the New Testament
book of Hebrews. May it spur you to investigate further the depths of Scripture
for your lives now and in the days to come.
May God, who puts all things together,
makes all things whole,
Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus,
the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant,
Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd,
up and alive from the dead,
Now put you together, provide you.
with everything you need to please him,
Make us into what gives him most pleasure,
by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah.
All glory to Jesus forever and always!
Oh, yes, yes, yes,
(Hebrews 13:20-21 "The Message")
Let us all consider this great and wondrous mystery of Christmas, and may we all
be all the more enriched by the truth it reveals as the Spirit moves throughout
our lives.
In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, I bid you
Pax et Bonum (Peace and Good Things),
James
GOD my shepherd!
I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
You find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your Word,
you let me catch my breath
And send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
When you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
Makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner
Right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
My cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me
Every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of GOD.
For the rest of my life.
Psalm 23 (The Message- Peterson Edition)
JAMES FERNANDO LOWRIE
Born in Monterey Park, CA. On June 12, 1975, passed
away in San Francisco on May 6, 2000. He was beloved
firstborn son of James and Victoria Lowrie, and elder
brother to Simon and Victor. Incredibly talented,
unfailing, generous, unbelievably educated, full of love
and faith- James was a multifaceted musician, including
pianist, organist, cellist, arranger, composer, teacher,
director and vocalist. He studied music in Irvine and
Germany, snf travelled throughout Europe and Mexico.
Wherever he went he was incessantly learning and
making music, and in his life he has touched countless
people with his open-hearted, gentle spirit. He is survived
by his entire family and innumerable good friends.
His service held Saturday, May 13, 2000 at 1:00 PM at
First Baptist Church of San Luis Obispo, 2075 Johnson St.
Burial at Cayucos Cemetery , Monday , May 15, 2000.
Memorial Service-- Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Friday, May 12, 5:00PM. Officiated by Bishop
Catedral de Cuernavaca with orchestra and choir, High
Mass.
Memorial Service-- San Fransico, California
Saturday, May 20, 2000 - 11:00AM
St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 1111 O'Farrell St. , San Fransico
There is a JAMES F. LOWRIE MEMORIAL FUND and funds can be sent to
MID STATE BANK, 251 Harbor Street, Morro Bay, CA 93442