Jeremy L. Berg

I’m a creative and an artist who suffers from regular emotional peaks and valleys. I’m usually doing well when I’m pouring into a writing project, crafting a sermon or lecture, designing a book cover, revamping a website, learning and performing music, or bringing a fresh ministry vision to fruition such as “Hope on the Hill.”

I wobble and teeter toward the edge of the abyss when I stop creating and lose my focus and sense of purpose. After an exceptionally productive season of writing from January through June, I took my foot off the pedal to take a much needed and deserved rest. Then I started to wander and slide into another depressive funk in July.

I needed a creative spark of some kind to pull me out of the abyss. But I found myself in a familiar cycle:

• Creating (especially writing) keeps me grounded and energized
• This grounding and energy keeps the “dark cloud” away
• So I write and create until I’m exhausted and take a break
• The cloud of depression settles over me during my time off
• Under the cloud, I lose motivation, inspiration, and ability to write and create, which I need to do to get out of the muck

Music, not writing, will be my ticket out of the valley of the shadow this summer.

My son, Peter, is a a musical prodigy of sorts. I’m blown away watching how quickly he learns songs on the piano, and this summer he’s been taking guitar lessons, too. Luckily for me, he has also picked up my musical tastes and influences, and so I get to re-experience all my favorite bands and artists with Peter.

We took a road trip to Milwaukee together a few weeks ago to see Counting Crows in concert (with Carlos Santana). Not only did we enjoy a good show, but we had 12 hours of quality listening time in the car together.

We visited a couple music stores along the way, Peter drooling and dreaming about his own guitar, and my musical juices started flowing again. The past few weeks have brought about fresh opportunities to play/perform/minister with music.

• I played guitar at an old friend’s funeral
• I was invited to play two concerts at Lake Minnetonka Shores (Pres. Homes)
• I joined my buddy Peter Herzog playing banjo for Isaak’s baptism service
• I purchased a new portable sound system to facilitate more music ministry

Then came the vision for “Hope on the Hill” – two Sunday evening “yard concerts” on the hill to cap off the summer. Not worship services for “the initiated”, but something more relaxed and non-churchy that we might invite our neighbors and friends out for. No bait and switch evangelism. Just enjoying the gifts that music brings, and some hopeful messages that may emerge.

So we’ve (literally) set the stage the last two Sundays for live music on the hill. The chickens clucked along as Brendan and Abby “brought it” on a few powerful songs. The first week I took the lead and played a bucketful full of songs, and the more talented couple gave me some breaks. I did mostly foot stomping songs by Crowder including “My Beloved”, “This I Know”, and “All My Hope.” My favorite song of the night was a version of “Hold Me Jesus” by Rich Mullins.

This second Sunday was intended to be Abby and Brendan’s night, and I would fade into the background and play just a few songs. Due to illness, they had to bail last minute and I had to go solo (except for some last minute help from our “summer daughter” Emma). (Where’s Peter, you ask? Sadly, we do not currently have a portable keyboard for him to play outside.)

Peter, my dad and I went to the cabin this past week for a couple nights where we spent the evenings watching movies including “Walk the Line” on the life of Johnny Cash, and “Great Balls of Fire” on the life and music of Jerry Lee Lewis. I came home inspired, crawling out of the muck, hiking up music mountain with renewed purpose and a hint of joy.

I hurriedly put together a playlist with a mix of outlaw country covers and some 90s Christian music. I spent a couple evenings jamming in the garage, trying out a new percussion pedal, and tinkering with my amp effects to get a slap/delay sound reminiscent of Sun Studios in Nashville circa 1958.

I had a blast putting together and performing 25-30 songs these past two Sundays under the oak tree. My favorite songs of this second week were “Get Rhythm” by Johnny Cash, “Sunday Morning Coming Down” by Kris Kristofferson about a drunk wandering the streets on a Sunday hearing church bells in the distance and in need of some hope, and the inimitable brilliance of Bob Dylan’s “Love Minus Zero (No Limit).”

Here’s a list of the songs I did:

• Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp
• Metal and Steel by Bob Schneider
• Sunday Morning Coming Down by Kris Kristofferson
• Why Me Lord? by Kris Kristofferson
• Love Minus Zero by Bod Dylan
• Ants Marching by Dave Matthews Band
• O Worship the King by Chris Tomlin
• Ring of Fire by June Carter Cash
• Get Rhythm by Johnny Cash
• Wildwood Flower by The Carter Family
• My Beloved by Crowder 
• All my Hope by Crowder
• Everything Glorious by Crowder
• This I Know by Crowder
• Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
• Table for Two by Caedmon’s Call
• Beautiful Scandalous Night by Sixpence & Bebo Norman
• Hold Me Jesus by Rich Mullins
• God Be Merciful to Me by Jars of Clay
• Love Song by Third Day
• Take My Life by Third Day
• Be Thou My Vision
• Lion of Judah by Robin Mark
• Like A Lion by Daniel Bashta
• Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble by Matt Redman
• King of Kings

We didn’t get the turnout I was hoping for. I invited TONS of people to no avail. My neighbors chose to listen from their front steps if at all. One neighbor chose to mow his lawn right at show time, unintentionally no doubt. All but a handful of MainStreeters were MIA. Nevertheless, I had a blast and I think I took one step closer to a dream of someday playing gigs beyond the safe and forgiving walls of a church or nursing home.

Come to think of it, one neighbor did come by just as I was finishing my last song, so I proceeded to keep going another 30 minutes for his sake. I played for the second time the poetic Bob Dylan song “Love Minus Zero” because I know my neighbor was an English Lit major. Before he left, he reminded me he is the Activity Director at a senior home and wants me to come play there sometime. ;)

I hope we planted a seed for future Hope on the Hill events. Let’s do it again next summer and get more people to come out. If anything, this was good therapy for my wandering soul as I let the gift of music help pull me back onto higher ground again.

Here’s a taste of the action (and, yes, making and editing videos like this is another creative outlet for me):