The Holden Village Podcast
Holden Village is a remote wilderness community, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, that welcomes all people into the North Cascade Mountains, above Lake Chelan, Washington.
Over the course of 60 years, Holden Village has been transformed from a copper mining town to a vibrant place of education, programming, and worship.
Holden Village welcomes and embraces people of all races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. Holden Village has been a Reconciling in Christ congregation since 1985.
For the sake of Justice, Holden is called to foster Diversity through deliberate invitation and welcome; deploy an ethic of Equity to confront and dismantle systemic oppression; and practice Inclusion by listening to, learning from, and being transformed by marginalized voices, in order to become, together, the community for which God longs.
The Holden Village Podcast
Isaiah Vespers at Holden Village: With a performance by John Hermanson, Maren Haynes Marchesini, and Megan Makeever
Holden Village debuts a new vespers this summer. “Isaiah: Is This the Fast We Choose?” is a liturgy composed by John Hermanson and edited and arranged by Maren Haynes Marchesini. The music draws from the Book of Isaiah, a collection of prophetic texts in the Jewish canon. The book is referenced frequently in the teaching of Jesus and reveals that justice, liberation, care for immigrants, release of prisoners, redistribution of wealth and critiques of power are at the heart of our theology.
During this episode of the Holden Village Podcast, we’re joined by the three musicians who recognized Isaiah’s unambiguous call to justice and brought the text to life.
John Hermanson is an award-winning songwriter and composer of the acclaimed acoustic duo Storyhill, as well as projects spanning orchestral, world, pop, rock, and indie genres. Raised in the Lutheran church and rooted in prophetic and mystical traditions, his songs raise ancient yet urgent questions about radical love and mutual responsibility.
Maren Haynes Marchesini serves as Director of Worship & Music at Hope Lutheran Church in Bozeman, Montana. Maren is a choral director, cellist, vocalist, composer, and scholar with broad-ranging musical interests. She holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Washington where she focused on megachurches, gender, and ritual.
And Megan Makeever lives a multi-pronged life as a professional flutist, multi-instrumentalist, award-winning singer/songwriter, recording artist, and music educator/collaborator. As a performer, Megan plays with various bands, groups, and ensembles in Bozeman, Montana such as the Bozeman Symphony, Montana Ballet Orchestra, Bozeman Chamber Music Project, and the Ellen Theatre Orchestra.
Isaiah was conceived in residencies and commissions in a variety of contexts including Holden Village. It’s available through the Holden store. You can also order your copies here.
To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org. The Holden Village Podcast is accessible through Apple iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, and most podcast apps. For questions and inquiries, contact communications@holdenvillage.org.