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Prairie Bluffs Mission Center

Prairie Bluffs Mission Center is a fellowship of 21 Community of Christ congregations serving Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. Community of Christ is an international community of faith where all are welcome. We proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.

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A Note from Noel – She Was Already Doing It

There’s a phrase that’s been sticking with me lately: “She was already doing it.”

It makes me think of Sister Rosetta Tharpe—often called the Godmother of rock and roll. Long before the names we usually associate with that sound—like Little Richard, Johnny Cash, or Elvis Presley—there she was.

In fact, many of those artists openly acknowledged her influence. Little Richard once said he heard her as a young boy and that she showed him “you could do this.” Johnny Cash credited her as one of the great early forces behind rock and roll. Even Elvis grew up in the same blend of gospel and rhythm that Rosetta was already shaping.

And what was she doing?

In the 1930s and 40s, she stepped onto stages with an electric guitar and played gospel music with a drive, rhythm, and joy that sounded like something entirely new. Her 1944 song “Strange Things Happening Every Day” is often pointed to as one of the first rock-and-roll recordings.

But here’s the thing…

She wasn’t trying to invent rock and roll.

She was just living her faith.
Expressing her joy.
Playing what was in her.

She was already doing it.

Some people didn’t know what to make of it.
Was it sacred? Too worldly? Too bold?

But Rosetta didn’t wait for permission.
She didn’t wait for a category.
She didn’t wait for approval.

And that’s where this keeps nudging at me…

I wonder how often God is inviting us into something—and we hesitate.

We wait for:

  • the perfect plan

  • the right structure

  • the assurance that it will “work”

Meanwhile, the Spirit may already be at work in us.

“I’ve already placed this in you.”
“You’re already equipped.”
“You can begin.”

As a church, we talk about mission, renewal, new expressions… and those are good conversations.

But what if some of what we’re talking about…
we’re actually already ready to live?

What if:

  • The invitation you’ve been thinking about… you extend it this week.

  • The gathering you’ve imagined… you try it, even if it’s small.

  • The act of compassion, connection, or courage… you step into it now.

Not perfectly.
Not fully formed.
But faithfully.

Because sometimes faith doesn’t look like waiting until everything is clear…

Sometimes faith looks like stepping forward and discovering:
God was already there.

If you’ve never seen Sister Rosetta Tharpe play, it’s worth a few minutes. There’s a famous performance of “Didn’t It Rain” filmed at a train station in England—joyful, powerful, and completely alive.

Or check out “Strange Things Happening Every Day”—and notice how something new is breaking through… even when she’s just doing what she’s always done.

Because maybe that’s how the Spirit still works.

Not always by starting something from scratch…
but by stirring something already within us—
ready to be lived.

Already.

Blessings,

Noel

Noel Sherer, President
Prairie Bluffs Mission Center
Community of Christ

 

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