Jesus and jazz in the wilderness

Endless Field musician Ike Sturm is a guest on the ‘New Way’ podcast

September 17, 2024

“What’s the worst that could happen?” musician Ike Sturm asked his co-composer and bandmate, Jesse Lewis, as they stood with their instruments and recording gear on top of a glacier in Alaska.

Lewis answered, “There’s a lot on the line, actually.” Sturm and Lewis make up the atmospheric jazz and folk acoustic duo Endless Field. Lewis, a guitarist, and Sturm, a bassist, compose and record songs out in the wild.

Sturm is also the convener of a new worshiping community that meets in the Times Square neighborhood of New York City. He was a recent guest on the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement’s podcast, “New Way,” hosted by the Rev. Sara Hayden and produced by the Rev. Marthame Sanders.

Hayden described Sturm, who has “recorded everywhere from Denali to Acadia and in between,” as “living intentionally in the balance of wild and tame and responding to both poles by integrating the experiences into thoughtful and transformative gatherings and compositions.” As their podcast conversation reveals, Sturm approaches worship and community as thoughtful and transformative gatherings and compositions as well.

In the first of two episodes titled “Finding Our Way Home: A Conversation with Ike Sturm,” Sturm discussed the evolution of his path as a musician and how it coincides with his understanding of faith.

“The last two summers, we’ve been in Alaska scouting, and then last year we went and filmed an entire project,” said Sturm, who talked about the process he and Lewis used to challenge themselves as musicians through longer compositions in more remote locations. “We actually wrote everything in the moment and in the spaces.”

Sturm also described how long it took Lewis and him to hike up a glacier with their gear and set up and compose the music in the space before recording. “It was very raw.” Sturm said he could feel God moving them even while feeling “really freaked out to do it.” Sturm described a point at which they realized, “Wow, we have everything we need. Everything is right here and inside us and around us.”

In the second episode, “Endless Field: More with Ike Sturm,” he and Hayden discussed how to understand Jesus through a jazz framework and break God out of institutional boxes.

“We like to kind of institutionalize Jesus, or we like to put him in these very understandable spaces, and it’s just not how it was,” said Sturm, who describes how he likes to imagine “who would Jesus be hanging out with in my little framework, in my little community. And I always try to take a hint from that and be like, ‘Oh, this cat.’ That’s what I would say in my jazz language for ‘This is the person.’”

“How can I be loved being that way?” Sturm asked when he considers the “pretty funky combination of different things” that he or “that cat” is.

Inspired by the image of an “endless field,” Hayden called Sturm’s approach to music in open spaces and community with all sentient beings beautiful, open and generous. “I see the endlessness of this field of God holding this space where we can find ourselves at any point. If the field is endless and we are all in the field, then it’s OK to be at countless and infinite places in that space, within that space,” said Hayden. “We can find and connect with one another. It’s such a beautiful and open way to foster spirituality, foster a sense of self-awareness and deeper connection to the people in our lives and even the creatures in our lives, the non-human beings we’re surrounded by and fed and uplifted by and nurtured by. It’s so generous.”

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Today’s Focus: Endless Field musician Ike Sturm is a guest on the ‘New Way’ podcast

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Almighty God, our Creator and Sustainer, you provide richly for your people and for the mission of Jesus Christ. Anoint us with your Spirit that we might trust your word and hear the good news of Christ to the nations. In Jesus’ name. Amen.