A Summer of Transformation

A reflection from Mara Harrington, Renovare Music’s first ever summer intern.

My summer internship with Renovare has caused both my faith and musicianship to blossom in ways that I never anticipated. I began my internship with an attitude of expertise. I thought I would be bringing my knowledge and gifts to those I encountered. Instead, I found that I was not the teacher, I was the student. The men and women I performed for and helped teach taught me more about faith and music than I ever could have taught them. As a result, I experienced growth in my faith and a marked change in how I approach and play music.

Mara (left) performing with Renovare at the Mansfield Correctional Camp.

In the first few experiences that I had in prisons, I entered with the entitled attitude that I would be one of the only ones bringing the presence of the Lord into the institution with me. What a foolish and wrong concept that was! God was already hard at work well before I entered each institution, and will be at work long after I leave. I was surprised to find that I was not the one sharing my faith with others, but that my own faith was becoming strengthened by the people I encountered. I was blessed and ministered to over and over.

A particularly meaningful experience I had was when I had the privilege to participate in a chapel service on Death Row. I had many thoughts and feelings in the days leading up to our trip down to Chillicothe Correctional Institution, where Ohio’s Death Row is housed.One of my biggest fears was that I did not know how I would proclaim the goodness and love of God to these men who live in conditions that led me to believe that they would have no hope. Was my faith strong enough to do this? Would it come to light that I was just a sham? Again, the Lord gently corrected me and showed me how this was not about myself. I was having trouble believing that God is who He said He is because of where we were worshiping, but the men on Death Row had no problem loudly declaring things like “He makes all things new” and that the Kingdom of God is now and coming. Something huge changed in my faith that day by worshiping with some of the men on Death Row.

Mara (right) performing with Renovare in downtown Cleveland.

Another theme throughout my internship has been how faith and classical music intersect. I left music school this spring in a fog of confusion and burnout. I had had a particularly brutal semester and was wondering if a career in music really was where the Lord was leading and whether I still wanted to be a musician. I was confused about what a calling from the Lord looks like and how playing music could relate to my faith in any way besides playing in my church on Sundays. I wanted to know if music had any effect or power in the lives of other people. I have seen over and over this summer that it does. I heard testimonies of the incarcerated musicians in class who said that playing music has helped them emotionally. I had people in the audiences of our ‘Summer Bird’ concerts tell me that they had more hope after hearing the concert. Through observing and partnering with Renovare, I was able to see a way of playing music that gives the audience dignity and dominion*. I have learned and seen how music can be used to humanize people, to give them emotional outlets and ways to process, and to give them a new skill that they can use to create new and beautiful things.

I still have not decided if I want to continue to pursue music in college or if I want to pursue another avenue, but I do know now that whatever my vocation is, it can be used to bring the Kingdom of God. I am incredibly honored to have been given the opportunity to work with Renovare this summer and to have met the men and women I had the honor to play for and work with. My faith, personhood, and musicianship have been transformed into a new thing.

*For a deeper look at this word and how Mara is using it, check out Lisa Sharon Harper’s ‘The Very Good Gospel’.