Ever wonder why many people feel closer to God in nature than anywhere else? Does God love everything or only humans? Why did God become a human? And what's God up to anyway? Starting with an eternal jazz trio that decided, before time began, that it would love to share the joy of Music-making with others, the Audacious Great Singing School Adventure explores these and other theological themes in a playful imaginative re-casting of the Gospel story. It also serves as an entertaining source of inspiration and insight for those just getting into spirituality as well as for those seeking to deepen their spiritual journey. While orthodox in content, the fable presents Christianity in a fresh way relevant to a world in environmental and social upheaval. Those interested in what Christianity has to say to such a world will find this engaging musical story enlightening regardless of their own faith perspectives while those identifying themselves as Christians will find their faith deepened and enlivened. A discussion guide to the fable is available for free download. " ... a rarity, a theological meditation ... in the form of an allegorical novel, ... a winsome, highly readable way ... to join the 'mighty chorus which the morning stars began, ' and help both ourselves and the whole creation heal." - The Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Andrus, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California "... a delightful, hopeful and affirming retelling of the Christian gospel story ... a high-energy narrative about diversity, harmony, belonging, listening." - Richard Nisbett, Community ecologist/anthropologist; Moderator, Iona Community Whole Creation Network What If the World Really Sang? Ittakes an act of God and a lot of help from friends to make a creativewriter out of an economist. Yet miracles do occur. For instance,consider my book entitled The Audacious Great Singing School Adventure.How the book came about and what it turned out to be is a story all byitself.As an economist exploring therelationship between humans and their environment, I wanted to know iforthodox biblically based Christianity might provide insight into theissues the world faces today or rather might prove to be part of theproblem. Like many people I also felt closer to God in nature than inchurch but couldn't say why. What I learned over the years validated myoutdoor encounters with God, energized my life of faith, and enriched my understanding of the world. So, after writing Living in an Icon, aspiritual growth program based on Christian nature contemplation, Idecided I wanted to share what I had learned. You've Got to Be Kidding! That saga started one morning when I was on a lunch break at a weekendretreat. When I shared with the retreat leader my desire to write aneasy-to-understand book on creation inclusive theology, he, an authorhimself, advised me to start by writing a blog. Because I never had even seen a blog let alone read one, I doubted this was for me. When I gothome and checked my email, guess what I found - a message from theHuffington Post asking me to consider blogging for it on religion andthe environment. Writing blogs led me to discover my voice as a someonewho has something personally important to share.Taken up with writing blog posts, I couldn't get to writing the book. I keptthinking about what I wanted to say and how I would organize it. Aftermany blogs and much prayer I finally came to understand why theopportunity never came to start my project. Instead of writing a morereader-friendly but traditional book, I was supposed to write a story.As I had never written a story, I now was being invited to leap out ofmy comfortable boat and step onto very deep water.If it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly took one to help mepen this book. Over several years as friends critiqued drafts andadvised me on creative writing, the fable took on more and morepersonality and a life of its own, including, of all things,illustrations. But that's a story for another day. What's It About? So, what does this fable tell? It relates the adventure of an eternal jazztrio that one day realizes it longs to share its musicmaking with others and so embarks on an audacious adventure. It's about Music (not justmusic), creativity, truly learning to listen and to see, and the impacts doing so has on the cosmos.  Christopher Bryan, an Emeritus Professorof New Testament and fiction writer himself, describes this orthodoxretelling of the gospel story as follows: "This is like a melody you'veheard before--but never in this key. A story you think you know--but notquite like this. One thing is sure, once you start you won't be able toput it down." It appears that the Fable not only pulls readers in butalso communicates what I wanted to share. According to CeliaDeane-Drummond, Director of the Laudato Si' Research Institute at theUniversity of Oxford, "Most of us are drawn instinctively to music, butthis readable book invites a different kind of response. By portraying