Music is soul food for me. I not only listen it for entertainment. I immerse myself in it, splash around in it, roll in it, slurp it up. Angel is the third sonic culinary creation by South Jersey based singer songwriter Lew Doty. Newly released at the time of year when people are more angelically aware, Angel offers both soft-soothing melody and bouncy-dance-y tunes to which I can imagine celestial beings bopping and swaying along. Doty’s velvet smooth voice reminds me of one of my favorite singers,; Nat King Cole. We met at a house concert at which he performed, in the 1990’s when he was musician in residence at The Center For Conscious Living in Moorestown, NJ. Although that is still his home base, he makes the rounds at other New Thought communities. It is as if the Divine is singing through him, using him as the proverbial ‘hollow reed’.
Doty’s spiritual practice and music are informed by the writings and teachings of Ernest Holmes who was a spiritual writer and teacher and the founder of Religious Science, also known as “The Science of Mind.” To put it into perspective:
Science of Mind uses a five-step affirmative prayer called spiritual mind treatment. The five steps are:
1. Recognition—know that God is all there is.
2. Unification—know that you are one with God.
3. Declaration—state your word for the circumstance you want to manifest.
4. Thanksgiving—give thanks for your word being acted upon by the Law of mind.
5. Release—“And so it is!”
The CD presents God as a welcoming presence that has our Highest Good in mind at all times. As I listened to it in the car and at home, I felt comforted, inspired and challenged to move past my own limiting thoughts.
Angel opens with the chant Day Becomes Me which feels like a sunrise call and response that had me sighing and stretching to greet the day.
Day becomes me
Day becomes me
Day becomes me
I
become the day
Peace becomes me (etc.)
Joy becomes me (etc.)
Day becomes me (etc.)
Humorous I Found The Buddha reminds the listener that The Buddha can be discovered anywhere, including the car, in a book and at the mall. The song invites releasing of selfish desires to be of ‘selfless service’ and express selfless love.
Sweetly sung Day Lily espouses the beauty that exists even if for just one day and that the memory of such exquisiteness is carried with us. With this song, Doty dares us to embrace change.
One With The Life of God is ushered in with percussion as it declares affirmatively, using what is said to be two of the most powerful words we can speak:
I Am
I am one with the life that creates this life,
I Am
I am one with the life that creates this life
I Am
I am one with the life that creates this life
I am one with the life of God
I am one with the mind that creates this mind (etc.)
I am one with the mind of God
I am one with the love that creates this love (etc.)
I am one with the love of God
Dreamy I Become You is a close your eyes and sway as you imagine being one with all that is, no separation.
I can touch the sky
I can walk on water
I can taste the sun
I can touch you . . .
Can you touch me?
How The World Is Changed is a New Thought primer with the lyrics:
I speak my word into the Law
The Law of Mind
The Mind of God
This is how the world is changed
This word is powered by belief
Belief in God
Belief in Me
This is how the world is changed
Creation Chant invites the listener not only to dream and wish, but to put legs under their desires by focused intention, attention and action with a certainty that a beneficial outcome is assured.
If I set my mind to it,
And I speak my word into it,
Then I let my heart pursue it,
The Universe will do it
My Beloved offers joyful juxtaposition and a recognition of seeming opposites as it states:
To gain the Power I release all power
To gain abundance I must give to receive
To gain intelligence I lose my mind
To see it clearly I must believe
Grace of God is an invitation to the Divine to be companion along the path we all walk.
Oh, grace of God, follow me home
Oh, grace of God, follow me
Grace under fire
Gracing this heart of mine
Oh, grace of God, follow me home
Oh, grace of God, follow me
The song ends with a quote inspired by the Bhagavad Gita
“O, Arjuna
Those who live in wisdom see themselves in all and all in them, who have renounced every selfish desire and sense craving tormenting the heart
Establish yourself in mindfulness and live free from lust, fear and anger
Throw down your sword and shield
For the war rages within!
Cast off the armor you, yourself have created
Grace
Mindfulness
Surrender . . .
are the only way home”
As Angel enfolds the listener in its wings, the chant called The Rest of Me, closes this lovely CD that will embed itself in your soul.
There are no clouds up in the sky
It’s just the rest of me
Wombats, fish and pygmies
All reside within me
Some days I gaze into the stars
With nothing else to do,
I trail off into Universe
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