ELBOW & ALBOW

Oh, Happy Day!

2007-08-20T20:37:00.000-04:00

Check out this proposal by an artist in Chicago. How wonderfully creative!

It reminded me of the beautiful way that Alex used his creative mind to propose to me over two years ago.

It's the small things

2007-08-19T15:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I purchased a 12-pack of ultra fine tip Sharpies. Ever since, I've been really happy about having these permanent markers in my possession. I know they aren't anything special, but I write so well with them and I now have 12 color options. For me, it just takes the little things to get me excited, I guess. Do you feel this way about anything? -LB

Vote for your Louisville Favorites

2007-08-14T07:35:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! It's that time of year to cast your vote for LEO's Best of Louisville. You may write in your favorite coffee shop, Tai restaurant, church, art gallery, original band, etc. Click here to vote.

HIking the Narrows - Zion National Park, Utah

2007-08-12T22:56:00.000-04:00

So...

2007-08-12T22:45:00.001-04:00

I finally figured out how to sign in to my Blogger account. Somehow I forgot my password and couldn't sign in and was too lazy (or busy, actually) to try to discover the problem. So, maybe I'm back to blogging occasionally, not that I have any readers left. -LB

2007-04-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

A Song of Benediction (shadows)

Things are Rollin' Right Along

2006-11-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

It is quite difficult to blog when you don't have a desk job, and when your nights are full with grading papers and tests, meetings about the galleries and visual arts at the 930 Art Center/Sojourn, pulling a 50-piece gallery show out of 4 huge crates until 11:00 PM, hanging gallery shows, meetings for Travelogue, editing articles for Travelogue, writing for Travelogue, cleaning up at the new building/930 Mary Street, etc.

Regardless, I just wanted to catch everyone up on a few things. Sojourn is officially in its new building. We will have our first services there this Sunday. Michael and Mickie Winters and I have been working to get all the gallery stuff rolling. Michael has been working especially hard! We have three galleries. The first floor houses the worship space, the music venue, and the main gallery. We're hanging the show tonight and will have the public gallery opening on Dec. 8. The second floor houses the offices for Sojourn Community Church, and the gallery on that floor is for Sojourn artists. We had the opening for that gallery on Nov. 3. It was awesome! There were probably 70 people that showed up! The thrid floor houses studio space rented out by artists, and the gallery on the third floor is for the studio artists. These are very exciting times!

Here are some pictures (by Winters extraordinaire) of the second floor gallery (Sojourn artists) opening:

2006-11-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hahaha

If this doesn't put a smile on your face I don't know what will...

Old Home Movies to DVD vol. 1

2006-11-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

Thank you for the support letters!

2006-11-01T13:29:00.000-05:00

Laura Beth and I have just been overwhelmed with emails and letters from around the world showing their support for the "ELBOW & ALBOW BLOG" and we are just thrilled! Thank you SO MUCH! We'll never let this blog die!!!

just kidding

Crash and Burn

2006-10-22T12:37:00.000-04:00

This thing (blog) is going down in flames, and I don't think anyone cares (including myself).

Weird

2006-09-17T14:39:00.000-04:00

Alex and I saw Andi McDowell at Lynn's Paradise Cafe this morning. Alex wanted to get her autograph, but I wouldn't let him. "But she's in my favorite movie," (which is Goundhog Day). That was his excuse and reasoning for getting the autograph.
"No," I said. "Would you like people bothering you all the time like that? She's just a person like you and me."
"Well, can I just say hello?" he asked.
"No."
When we left, we walked by her table, looked at her (she really is such a beautiful lady), and smiled.

Photographs on Friday

2006-08-25T12:28:00.000-04:00

Long time, no update

2006-08-20T09:19:00.000-04:00

Alex and I have been in a huge season of transition lately. Alex is still working for the railroad with CSX but recently received a promotion. As most of you know, he has been working as a railroad conductor for the past four years, but he now is a YARD MASTER. Isn't that an awesome job title? The best way to describe the job is that he is like an air traffic controller for trains. He sits in a five story tower that overlooks the train yard and keeps the trains moving in and out of the yard in a safe, orderly, and efficient manner. There are certainly a lot of logistics involved. I think it is a wonderful job for Alex, and he seems to be recieving a lot of satisfaction from his work, even though the hours are horrendous right now. (This is starting to sound like one of those family newsletters that people enclose with their Christmas cards. Oh, well. I'm keepin' on.)
I graduated from Southern Seminary in May, and stepped down from my job working for Dr. Whitney in June. The last two months I have enjoyed being at home, and taking an extended break. It was wonderful to be able to be at home and help Alex through the transition into his new position at work. I have also used this summer to begin planning for a new school year. This time, however, I will not be the student. I will be teaching at Highlands Latin School, a Christian classical school. I am very excited and extremely honored to be a part of the HLS faculty. My first day of teaching will be on September 5.
In other news, we recently got a new baby.

Photographs on Friday

2006-08-11T15:14:00.000-04:00

Perfect lighting. Perfect sky. Perfect place. No photoshop, friends. This is at Kyle's dad's cabin. We went there to celebrate Sean's birthday a few weeks ago. After we ate dinner, we looked out the windows and noticed that the sky and lighting was amazing. Alex grabbed his camera and ran out to take a few pictures before the moment was over.

The Mover

2006-07-27T10:57:00.000-04:00

O Supreme Moving Cause,

May I always be subordinate to thee,
be dependent upon thee,
be found in the path where thou dost walk,
and where thy Spirit moves,
take heed of estangement of thee,
of becoming insensible to thy love.

Thou dost not move men like stones,
but dost endue them with life,
not to enable them to move without thee,
but in submission to thee, the first mover.

O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
between my receivings and my deservings,
between the state I am now in and my past
gracelessness,
between the heaven I am bound for and
the hell I merit.

Who made me to differ, but thee?
for I was no more ready to receive Christ
then were others;

I could not have begun to love hee hadst thou
not first loved me,
or been willing unless thou hadst first made me so.

O that such a crown whould fit the head of such
a sinner!
such high advancement be for an unfruitful
person!
such joys for so vile a rebel!

Infinite wisdom cast the design of salvation
into the mould of purchase and freedom;

Let the wrath deserved be written on the door of hell,
But the free gift of grace on the gate of heaven.

I know that my sufferings are the result of my
sinning,
but in heaven both shall cease;

Grant me to attain this haven and be done
with sailing,
and may the gales of they mercy blow me safely
into harbour,

Let thy love draw me nearer to thyself,
wean me from sin, mortify me to this world,
and make me ready for my departure hence.

Secure me by thy grace as I sail across this
stormy sea.

* from The Valley of Vision

Thursday is the Day

2006-07-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

I know I'm always talking about Alex, his music, his band, blah, blah, blah. I am sure I annoy some. I know I sometimes embarrass him, but he's gracious enough to smile and call me "his biggest fan." So, that being said, here's more info about the NPR deal I mentioned last week:

The independent segment of All Songs Considered callled "Open Mic" is featuring Alex's electronic music.

Alex's Open Mic will be available as a podcast and to stream on Thursday, July 20. The page is usually up around 4 PM EST.

So everybody listen, please.

2006-07-17T09:34:00.000-04:00

of Asaph - "Six Line"

Alex's band of Asaph made this music video about two years ago. For your viewing pleasure...

Photographs on Friday

2006-07-14T09:33:00.000-04:00

Alex took this one. Check out other Friday Photos - Steve, Joe, Timmy, and Alex. Also check out Brent's Friday special of poetry (and sometimes music).

Alex's Music Featured on NPR!

2006-07-10T14:15:00.000-04:00

Today, we got exciting news from NPR's radio show "All Songs Considered." They want to feature Alex's elctronic music on their independent segment called "Open Mic." This news is very thrilling for us! You can listen to Alex's music here.

b.m.b.c. - Falls of the Ohio Ride

2006-07-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

THe Gospel According to Who?

2006-07-07T11:03:00.000-04:00

NO WAY!

Photographs on Friday

2006-07-07T09:14:00.000-04:00

Alex took this shot as we crossed the bridge from Savannah into South Carolina. Check out other Friday Photos - Steve, Joe, Timmy, and Alex. Also check out Brent's Friday special of poetry (and sometimes music).

Talkin' 'bout My Generation

2006-07-07T08:36:00.000-04:00

My parents are amazing people. I love them more then words can express, and recently they have both made me smile with love and gratitude and appreciation. They have shown me that they love me by trying to understand my church community, and that means worlds to me. A few weeks ago my dad called me. He said, "Honey, I've been reading some things by Ed Stetzer and, oh, you know, that guy in Seattle. What's his name?" "Are you talking about Mark Driscoll?" I asked. "Yeah, Driscoll, that's right. You know, the things that they're saying sound really good. I don't know what all the controversy is about. It seems that they're just doing church in their cultural context." I was smiling from ear to ear as I listened to my Dad talk. I was so excited that my Dad got it! He understands or is at least trying to understand, and that makes me happy.

Alex and I went to visit my parents in Oxford, Mississippi for the 4th of July holiday. My mom had clipped an article by Ed stetzer out of one of the Baptist state papers. In this article Stetzer discusses the difference between Relevants, Reconstructionists, and Revisionists. My mom had circled the subtitle "Relevants." She held up the article for me to see and pointed to the word she had circled. She said, "I've decided this is what your church is." I smiled. My parents love me. They show me they love me by seeking to understand me and seeking to understand why I am a part of a church that is in many ways very different from anything they have ever seen before. I wish many others would follow my parents lead, would show their love for the younger generation by seeking to understand them rather than conform them.

Photographs on Friday

2006-06-30T09:23:00.000-04:00

I know it's these guys two weeks in a row, but Doug (aka Hulk Hands) said he'd hit me if I didn't post it.

You're Invited...

2006-06-28T12:22:00.000-04:00

Come one, come all! The Black Mustache Bicycle Club is riding tonight.

Photographs on Friday

2006-06-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

This one is of our silly and wonderful nephews - Aidan, Doug, and Jack - camping in the backyard. Check out other Friday Photos - Steve, Joe, Timmy, and Alex.

50 Annual Questions to Ask Your Spouse

2006-06-20T16:18:00.000-04:00

Dee and his wife Sarah have made a practice of asking each other a series of questions annually. The original list consisted of 13 questions, and has now grown to 50! Dee shared his "50 Annual Questions to Ask Your Spouse" on his blog, and I am posting them here as well.

1. Name one thing I do that makes you feel loved.

2. What could I do to cause you to feel more loved?

3. Name one thing I do that causes you to feel respected/honored.

4. What could I do to cause you to feel more respected/honored?

5. Name one thing I do that causes you to feel understood.

6. What could I do to cause you to feel more understood?

7. Name one thing I do that causes you to feel secure.

8. What could I do to cause you to feel more secure?

9. Name one thing I do that causes you to feel confident in our future direction.

10. What could I do to cause you to feel more confident in our future direction?

11. Name one way I serve you that brings you great joy.

12. Are there specific ways that I can serve that I am not already doing?

13. What attribute would you most like me to develop?

14. Name one attribute (or mannerism or idiosyncrasy) that you most like me to
change?

15. What attribute would you like me to help you develop in yourself?

16. What achievement in my life would bring you the greatest joy?

17. What mutual goal would you like us to accomplish?

18. How is our sex life?

19. Is there anything I can do to make our sex life better?

20. How are we doing with our family budgeting and finances?

21. What is one thing we can do to improve our budgeting and finances?

22. How does it feel when I…(Name something that you know displeases or discourages
your spouse.)

23. What goes through your mind when I…(Name something that you know displeases or
discourages your spouse. This can be the same as question 17 or something
different.)

24. What specifically would you like to see me do to change…(Name something that you
know displeases or discourages your spouse.)

25. How does it feel when I…(Name something that you know pleases or encourages your
spouse.)

26. What goes through your mind when I…(Name something that you know pleases or
encourages your spouse.)

27. Name one personal goal for your life that I can help you achieve this year.

28. Name something new we might do together that would bring joy to our
marriage/family? (Hopefully this is different from question 17).

29. How are our relationships with our extended family (parents, siblings, etc.)?

30. Name one thing I can do to improve one of these family relationships.

31. Name one way that God has blessed our marriage.

32. Name one way that we could make our marriage more Christ-like.

33. Name one sin that you continue to struggle with.

34. What could I do to help you with this struggle?

35. Name one sin you see that I continue to struggle with.

36. What would you encourage me to do to deal with struggle?

37. Is there some way that you can help me with this struggle?

38. What would indicate to you that I really desire to be more Christ-like?

39. How has your love for God grown?

40. How is your devotional time going? (Specifically Scripture study & prayer)

41. Is there another spiritual discipline that you would like to develop? (fasting,
scripture memorization, etc.)

42. What can I do to help your love for God grow?

43. Name one thing about our church that brings you great joy.

44. Name one thing that would increase your joy in church?

45. In ten years where do you hope to be spiritually?

46. In ten years where do you think I should be spiritually?

47. Name one way that my leadership/submission has strengthened our marriage.

48. What could I do to lead/submit better in our marriage?

49. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate our marriage?

50. What would make our marriage a ten?

Black Mustache Bicycle Club Rides Again

2006-06-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

Last night we rode with the Black Mustache Bicycle Club (basically, its a bunch of our friends that get together and ride throughout the city of Louisville), and it was amazingly fun. We started at Cherokee Park, rode out of the park, got on a creekside trail that took us from Grinstead+Lexington to Butchertown, through the skatepark, by Waterfront Park, over the 2nd Street Bridge to Indiana, back over the 2nd Street Bridge to Louisville, down Payne Street, around downtown, got on Market, to Baxter, to Bardstown, and back into the park. The craziest part of the ride was actually due to poor planning on our part. By the time we were riding back through the park, it was pitch black dark. The trees were growing over the street, forming a canopy and you could hardly see the paint that marked the lanes. It was thrilling and exhilerating! We can't wait to ride again!

Photographs on Friday

2006-06-16T09:02:00.000-04:00

Laura Beth took this one at Palmyra in Syria last summer. Check out the Friday Photos bandwagon that I have recently joined with Steve, Joe, Timmy, and Alex.

Confessions of an SBC Pastor's Daughter: Childhood Memories of the SBC Annual Meeting

2006-06-14T15:42:00.000-04:00

June 1988 – That was when I attended my very first annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. It was in San Antonio, and I was seven years old, well on my way to being eight. Tensions were still high in the convention that year. I remember very clearly Foy Valentine, who had just retired from his position as Director of the Christian Life Commission (now the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission), came up to my family and angrily chastised my dad, sparing no swear words, for having my brother and I there as messengers. We were of course children, and Valentine assumed that we kids were voting in the conservative persuasion. The truth is, there was limited seating at the convention that year, and the only way my brother and I could sit with our parents was if we were registered as messengers.

My first annual meeting was certainly not my last. I have since attended many others in Houston, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Orlando, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and other places. Some of those cities I visited multiple times for the SBC. As children, my brother and I would run around the convention center and play the Bible Nintendo games at the then Baptist Bookstore now LifeWay display. When we were voting on issues that looked like they would get a unanimous “yes,” we would raise our ballots to give two “no’s” – just to entertain ourselves and embarrass our parents.

My brother and I would laugh at things like “Committee on Committees.” What a silly name! I also learned what the word “lesbian” meant at the 1995 New Orleans convention. I was 14 years old, and had never heard of a lesbian until the SBC annual meeting. I kept hearing the word over and over and finally asked my parents what it meant. See, the SBC annual meeting is very educational. As I got older, I would check out the Baptist colleges. An ambassador from one of the schools (which shall remain nameless) tried to sell me on the fact that Point of Grace used to go there. I was not impressed.

Speaking of not impressed… Remember Geoff Moore and The Distance? Yeah, I met Geoff Moore one year at the convention. Remember DeGarmo & Key? I met Key. I also met some guy from the Newsboys – the bald one. I met all these B-rated CCM stars by just wandering around the convention hall.

One year, I met Jerry Clower. It was in Indianapolis – June 1994, I think. He was there to nominate Nelson Price as president. My dad used to always listen to Jerry Clower tapes in the car, so I knew all of his stories. Well, somehow, my dad convinced me to go up to him and ask him if Marcel Ledbetter was with him at the convention. For those of you who did not grow up with any class or social graces, Marcel Ledbetter is the star character in all of Jerry Clower’s comedy sketches. Jerry laughed and laughed. I was embarrassed. He then looked at me and asked, “Are you from Mississippi?” “No, sir,” I replied. “I’m from Georgia.” “Well, you sure are pretty enough to be from Mississippi.” And, do you know that that very fall, I moved to Oxford, Mississippi where my dad became the pastor of the First Baptist Church. I bet Jerry Clower had the gift of prophesy.

This year, I sat in Louisville during the annual meeting, but something inside of me wanted to be in Greensboro so badly. I don’t know if it was nostalgia or love for the SBC. I followed everything so closely leading up to the convention and during the convention. I saw real change starting to happen, and I wanted to be there for it.

It made me think of my dad Tom Atwood. I always knew that my dad was a leader in the Southern Baptist Convention. He was on the Committee on Nominations. He served on the Board of Trustees for Southern Seminary. He was the 1st Vice President for the Pastor’s Conference. But more importantly he worked hard to get lay people plugged into SBC positions, and he worked even harder to get people who had never served in the SBC into positions. He knew that “recycled leadership” was not going to get the convention anywhere, so he worked hard to get new and fresh people involved.

My dad associated with all types, although he himself was of the reformed persuasion. I remember my dad telling me about the time he walked out of the convention hall after a pastor had gotten up and told the messengers that “God had told him that the entire convention was to fast and pray on October 2.” I remember another time when someone was leading a prayer saying, “If we just pray enough, God will [do whatever we are asking him to do].” Dad rounded up the family and we left. I remember it as if it were yesterday. My mom looked at me and said, “We cannot pray God into anything,” Even with these minor incidents, my father never lost his love for Southern Baptists.

This year, my Dad was not able to attend the SBC. In fact, he hasn’t been able to go for several years now due to some pretty serious health problems. But he’s still working on getting new and fresh people plugged into areas of leadership. I’d just like to thank my dad for the love for the SBC that he has instilled in me. I’m thankful for the summers I spent in the convention halls across America. And I hope to attend an annual meeting again sometime soon. -LB

Photographs on Friday

2006-06-09T10:16:00.000-04:00

Alex took this picture of Lilly Lake in Estes Park. Beautiful.

Important Event For Lovers Of The Arts

2006-06-01T09:53:00.000-04:00

poster design by Michael and Mickie Winters

I am really excited about an event that's happening at Sojourn Community Church this weekend. Taylor Worley, a PhD student in aesthetics at Durham University is visiting us here in the states. He along with his buddy Jonathan Gillette, a Chicago artist and gallery director, will be here to share a presentation entitled "Art and Artifact: Why Does Art Look So Funny Now?" I am really excited about this "talk," and I hope a lot of folks will be there. While the discussion will most directly refer to visual artists, there are certainly strong implications and applications for musicians, filmmakers, any type of creative thinker, or even those who just love the arts in general. Its Sunday, 11:00 AM, at 930 Mary Street. Bagels and coffee will be available for all your breakfast needs. Hope to see you there!

Check out Alex's latest movie...

2006-05-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

Sad Socks

2006-05-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

So I just put on my Uncle Ray's socks. He died last Wednesday. My mom brought a bunch of his clothes home from her sister's house for my dad, two brother-in-laws and me to go through. I don't think he wore them, but the simple thought of my uncle putting on his socks was silly but really heavy. Seeing all his clothes in my mom's van just piled up in the back seat, I felt like we should hold a memorial for him before we moved them. I didn't know my Uncle Ray really well, but he and my dad were always really funny at family events. His wife (my mom's sister) is as amazing as my mom, and their two kids and their families are very wonderful, so I know he had to be wonderful, too. I had a lot of respect for Ray, and I think that is why I felt the way I did looking at his clothes. He used to wear them. He picked them out, or someone picked them out with him in mind. He wore them. He put his arms through the sleeves and buttoned the buttons. I had the same feeling when my Grandpa Jamesy died about 8 years ago... only it was his tighty whities, and after the memorial I held in my head I couldn't help but laugh. But looking at Uncle Ray's clothes in he back of the van made me feel the weight of my family member dying. It reminded me trial God tested my Uncle Ray with in his short-yet-long fight with cancer and also the trials my aunt and cousins still have to go through. So, I've decided that everytime I wear these socks I'm going to hold a memorial for my late Uncle Ray and ask for more grace for my family.

- Alex

Graduation

2006-05-23T20:34:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord! After three very long years of hard work and study, I finally graduated last Friday from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Although I have had times when I have seriously wondered why God brought me here, I can now look back and see the ways that he was preparing me to become who I am today. My first serious doubts came during my first semester. I felt inadequate and weird. I was somehow very different from everyone around me.

I was in the missions track of the Billy Graham School. I came here thinking God wanted me to be a full-time international missionary, but I sat in my missions classes knowing I was in the wrong place. I thought maybe I should leave. Why should I be here if I wasn't going to be a missionary? I had heard dozens of people say, "If you can do something else and be happy, do it." Well, I could list about 1,000 things I would love doing and would be perfectly happy doing. I would love to teach college literature. I would love to be a gallery director. I would love to work in magazine design and layout. I would love to work for an independent record label. I would love to go to culinary school. I would love to go to hair design school. I would love to own an independent bookstore. The logical thing then (based on what I had heard all these preachers say) seemed to be to leave.

However, God used several wonderful people and conversations to show me my niche - the arts and the church. That's my "thing," and I was fully prepared to persue this niche in academics and with my hands. I was going to get the Ph.D. I was going to move to New York City. I was going to write books. Then, one day I met Alex. He turned out to be another wonderful reason why it was very good for me to stay in seminary. If I had moved away from Louisville too quickly, we would have never crossed paths, and I cannot now imagine life without having Alex in it. Alex has simplified and complicated my life all at once. For one thing, he has eliminated the NYC option, and that's a good thing. He's allowed me to settle down and relax and figure out what I really want to do in the arts with the church. He has ushered me into Sojourn Community Church which has opened up many, many opportunities for involvement in the arts. He has given me the stability and love and encouragement that allows me to explore where God will have me go with this arts thing. He wants me to write books. He wouldn't mind me getting my Ph.D. - just not right now. He loves the way that God has chosen to use me in this uncoventional way. Honestly, I don't think I would have made it through seminary if Alex hadn't come along. He kept me going when others discouraged me. He identified with me when I felt like I was an outsider. He, along with the Lord's good grace, is why I walked across that stage on Friday to receive that diploma.

Together At Last

2006-05-17T19:27:00.000-04:00

We have combined Blogs, ya'll!

How Evangelical Are You?

2006-05-17T13:24:00.000-04:00

OR

OR

The folks at Lark News have put up a great little quiz to determine how evangelical you are.

I scored a 75, which indicates that I'm "Somewhat Evangelical," and only one point away from being "Backslidden." Uh-oh!

So, I Guess I'm Not Type A

2006-05-16T09:26:00.000-04:00

You Have A Type B+ Personality

You're a pro at going with the flow.
You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer. A total joy to be around, people crave your stability.

While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity. Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done. You're passionate - just selective about your passions.

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Answering Questions

2006-05-10T11:33:00.000-04:00

I got this survey from Bobby's blog. Here it is with my answers.

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. What does it say?
"...vailed. (EXCUSE ME, RABBI, BUT JUST WHAT WORD IS IT EX-"

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
air

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Local on the 8s

4. Without looking, guess what time it is:
11:35 a.m.

5. Now look at the clock. What time is it actually?
11:36 a.m.

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
someone rolling the mail cart down the hallway

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
8:00 a.m. walking from my car to my office

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
Bobby's blog

9. What are you wearing?
pink skirt, black shirt

10. Did you dream last night?
I don't remember.

11. When did you last laugh?
Sometime today, I'm sure. I'll laugh at anything.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
a bulletin board, a wall-mounted bookshelf with office manuals

13. Seen anything weird lately?
24 - season one

14. What do you think of this quiz?
I'm a little annoyed with it.

15. What is the last film you saw?
Paper Moon

16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
a house and another Subaru

17. Tell me something about you that I don't know?
I want a kitten.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
I would like to see more people entering into a relationship with Jesus, communicating with God, and finding the peace and comfort that can only come from him.

19. Do you like to dance?
Yes! Especially with my husband.

20. George Bush:
I have to steal Bobby's answer on this questions he said George Bush is, "Not as bad as his detractors claim or as good as his supporters claim."

21. What do you think God will say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
Welcome home.

22. What do you think you deserve?
nothing, really

I'm An Indie Rocker

2006-05-10T09:08:00.000-04:00

You Are an Indie Rocker!

You are in it for the love of the music...
And you couldn't care less about being signed by a big label.
You're all about loving and supporting music - not commercial success.
You may not have the fame and glory, but you have complete control of your career.

What Kind of Rocker Are You?

A Must-Have Vehicle Accessory

2006-04-28T10:58:00.000-04:00

ORDER YOURS HERE!
I'm not typically into politics, but I thought this was so funny.

Sojourn's Cultivate Beauty Film Festival This Weekend

2006-04-25T15:30:00.000-04:00

CULTIVATE BEAUTY FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 27
Local filmmakers Bryan Miller & William Wallace will discuss the creative process behind their film “Justice Is A Blessing” & making a film on a shoestring budget. Followed by a local filmmaker meet & greet.
7PM @ Sunergos Coffee, 2122 Preston St. (next to Uncle Pleasants)

Friday, April 28
Stu Pollard, Director of “Keep Your Distance”, will be speaking on cultivating beauty in film making.
7:30PM doors & 8PM lecture @ Pyro Gallery, 221 Hancock St. (off E. Market near gallery row)

Saturday, April 29 Film Festival
Kentucky Theater on 4th St., Louisville, KY
*Moving Pictures art exhibit in theater lobby.

2:00 Doors Open

2:30 Viewing of Previous Years Winners:
“Wooden Man” by Sean Fawbush
“Hope” by James R. Suthard
“Transportation: The Airplane” by Alex O’Nan

3-5:00 Showing 2006 Films:
1. “A Wacky Look at Art Etiquette” by Rubin J. Moreno (5 min 38 sec)
2. “Dudes Being Awesome” by Kyle Noltemeyer (12 min)
3. “Christian” by Stuart Hazeldine (18 min 52 sec) Non-entry
4. “You Are A Conductor” by Alex O’Nan (3 min 49 sec)
5. “The Man With The Red Hat” by John Russell Cring (15 min)
6. “Balance” by Will Hartstock (4 min 10 sec) Non-entry

4-4:15 Break

4:15-5:00 Showing 2006 Films:
7. “The Pitch” by Tom Holby & Nick Marrinucci** (11 min)
8. “Fred Astaire’s Got Nothin’ On Me” by Rubin J. Moreno (13 min 8 sec)
9. “Glitches & Dropped Frames” by Sean Fawbush (12 min)
10. “I Got The Headache” by William Wallace (5 min) Non-entry

5-6:00 Break

6-6:45 Lecture by Vin Morreale

6:50-8:30 Showing 2006 Films:
11. “Ordinary Life” by Tyler Deeb (29 min)
12. “The Package” by Jeffery McLeid** (8 min 30 sec)
13. “Kiss A Cloud” by Austin Blair & John Coulter** (6 min)
14. “Moments In Motion: A Conversation on Life and Death” by Ed Marcelle** (15 min)
15. “Oscar’s Mother” by Brian Cunningham** (12 min)
16. “Ninjas Are Two Sweet” by Thomas Bernardin (15 min)
17. “Justice Is a Blessing” by William Wallace & Bryan Miller** (6 min 30 sec) Non-entry

9:00 Presentation of 2006 Sojourn Film Festival Winners

9:15 Second Showing of 2006 Winners & “Justice Is a Blessing” by William Wallace & Bryan Miller

**Mature Subject films

Rock Incarnate: The Christian Roots of the Devil's Music

2006-04-19T18:40:00.000-04:00

As part of Sojourn Community Church's Kill Your TV/Cultivate Beauty month, Dave Sims, writer for Paste Magazine, will be speaking at Sunergos on at 7:00 p.m. He will be discussing Rock and Roll from a Christian perspective, and his lecture will be called "Rock Incarnate: The Christian Roots of the Devil's Music." The event is free and open to the public, so I hope a lot of folks can make it.

My Graduation Gift

2006-04-19T08:27:00.000-04:00

Even though graduation is a month away, Alex decided to go ahead and give me my gift, so that I can be enjoying this nice spring weather. So far I've ridden my bike every day since I got it, but I've only had it for two days. The first day, Alex, Erin, and I rode to Kyle and Hilary's. Then yesterday, Erin I rode to Cherokee Park, around the loop and back. I love my bike! Thank you, Alex!

Spring Reading Days

2006-04-13T17:03:00.000-04:00

Hello from Savannah, GA

2006-04-08T11:24:00.000-04:00

One more day in Savannah. The weather is wonderful... warm with a cool breeze.

Hello From Jax, Fla

2006-04-03T12:28:00.000-04:00

They have a Mac store!!!

of Asaph on MySpace.com

2006-03-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

(click the headline to go to...)
www.myspace.com/ofasaph

Of Asaph & Anathallo - Be There or Be Square

2006-03-20T08:32:00.000-05:00

My husband's band Of Asaph is playing tomorrow night (March 21) at Uncle Pleasant's at 8:00.

They, along with another local band The Commonwealth, are opening up for Anathallo. You can check Anathallo out here and here. Please come out and hear some amazing music.

Separated at Birth

2006-03-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

You might be a Crunchy Con if...

2006-03-11T13:36:00.000-05:00

Alex and I shop at Whole Foods. We value the traditional family. We love independent bookstores. We generally vote Republican. We buy local honey. We are strongly pro-life. We enjoy catching the First Friday Gallery Hop. We are concerned about our culture's moral condition. We listen to NPR.

Occasionally, when I mention Whole Foods, the Gallery Hop, or NPR around some of my staunch Republican, dyed-in-the-wool conservative friends, they look as me wih suspicion as if to ask, "Are you going liberal on us?" Then when I talk about traditional parenting roles or preserving the morality that is taught in the Bible, my more liberal friends look at me as if I have just arrived from the Stone Age.

Well, I think I've finally found some folks who stand on common ground. Yeserday, Alex and I were listening to a commentary on NPR's "All Things Considered" about Crunchy Conservatives. As we listened, we looked at each other, silently agreeing that we resonated with these ideas.

So what is a crunchy conservative? Rod Dreher, a conservative writer and editor at the Dallas Morning News, has written a book called Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstock Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party), which seeks to explain the idea of crunchy conservativism. "Crunchy cons prefer old houses and mom-and-pop shops to McMansions and strip malls... Many of us homeschool our kids, and cheerfully embrace nonconformity. I read Edmund Burke and wear Birkenstock sandals. Go figure."

Dreher has even formed A Crunchy Con Manifesto:

1. We are conservatives who stand outside the conservative mainstream; therefore, we can see things that matter more clearly.

2. Modern conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character.

3. Big business deserves as much skepticism as big government.

4. Culture is more important than politics and economics.

5. A conservatism that does not practice restraint, humility, and good stewardship—especially of the natural world—is not fundamentally conservative.

6. Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract.

7. Beauty is more important than efficiency.

8. The relentlessness of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and wisdom.

9. We share Russell Kirk’s conviction that “the institution most essential to conserve is the family.”

I guess I can sign my name to that...

Sojourn is Podcasting

2006-03-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

Good news! Sojourn Community Church is now podcasting. So everyone go to itunes and subscribe! Its free! All you have to do is go to itunes music store, select podcasts, search for "Sojourn Community," and you get free sermon downloads. Daniel has been preaching through Matthew for a while now, and we're still in the Sermon on the Mount. What amazing words from Jesus.

Hoppin' to the Harrison Gallery

2006-03-02T09:34:00.000-05:00

I am heading to Indianapolis tomorrow with Sojourn's visual arts group. We're going to the open studio night at the Harrison Gallery. The Harrison Gallery is part of the Harrison Center for the Arts, which is associated with Redeemer Presbyterian Church. The HCA website says, "The Harrison Center for the Arts seeks to be a catalyst for renewal in the city of Indianapolis by fostering awareness, appreciation, and community for arts and culture. Harrison Center tenants include: 23 local artists (studio space), VSA Arts, the Harrison Gallery, The Advent Project, The Nature Conservancy, and Redeemer Presbyterian Church." I am so excited about seeing the Harrison Center and observing the ways in which they reach out to their culture and their community. I hope that we can learn from Redeemer-Indy and see new ways that Sojourn can love the city of Louisville.

What a Beautiful Song!

2006-03-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD ABOVE

Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is “Love,”
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heav’n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there! the risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!
One with Himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by His blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God.

Charite Lees Bancroft, Vikki Cook © 1997 PDI Worship

We Went Through Hell (Mich.)

2006-02-28T20:15:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday afternoon, Alex got hit with the I-gotta-take-a-road-trip-now bug, so by Saturday morning, we were on the road heading north to Michigan. Michael and Mickie came along with us, and we all had great fun. So why Michigan? Well, on January first, our friend Greg moved up there to join a band called Anathallo. They were having a CD release party in Lansing, Michigan, so we decided to go up there, surprise Greg, and see a great show. The show was phenomenal. Two bands - Those Tansatlantics and Page France - opened up for Anathallo. I had never seen Anathallo live before, and I was very happy to be listening to their music. The next day we took the backroads from Lansing to Lake Eerie. It was so wonderful to see the countryside. We even drove through a little town called Hell, Michigan. Here are some pictures from the weekend.
On the way to Lansing...

In Lansing/at the Anathollo show...

Driving through rural Michigan...

At Lake Eerie...

It snowed today, and it made me want to be back here.

2006-02-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

all photos by my my amazingly talented husband Alex (except for the one of himself - I took that one)

Super Foods

2006-02-17T09:42:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, my mom sent me this article on super foods. Alex and I are big fans of eating super foods. For one thing, they are proven to aid in disease-fighting and anti-aging. For another thing, they are foods that we generally eat anyway. The superfoods include:
Apples: Alex loves apples. He really likes Galas, Pink Ladies, and Braeburns. But his very favorite apple is the Honey Crisp. This apple has a very short harvest season in the late fall, so you can only get them for about a month or two out of the year.
Pomegranates: I have actuallly never eaten one of these.
Kiwis: Yummmm... One of my favorite fruits to eat in the summer.
Garlic: Almost every meal I cook calls for fresh garlic, so we get plenty of the over 100 nutrients found in a single clove of garlic.
Onions: I often use onions in meals and salads. They are associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer, which is in both my and Alex's family medical histories.
Cinnamon: I love cinnamon! My favorite way to eat cinnamon is to sprinkle it onto my coffee filter, add the coffee grounds, and brew. Its a tasty way to spice up your normal cup of joe, and to get in one of your super foods.
Tumeric: I rarely come across a way to incorporate this spice into my diet.
Dark Chocolate: This is a super food that I definitely make sure is a part of my diet! Alex and I allow ourselves to have a small portion of dark chocolate every day. However, make sure that the chocolate is 60% cocoa. Otherwise, its no good as a superfood. In other words, Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses don't count. Alex and I discovered this after we had nearly finished a whole bag.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I consistently cook with olive oil. It is certainly a kitchen staple for us.
Avacadoes: We eat gaucamole at least once a week, thanks to Qdoba.

Let me emphasize that some of these foods are high fat, so be sure that you are not over indulging in dark chocolate or avacadoes. Also, as with any type of diet, be sure that you are off-setting your fat and calorie intake with plenty of good, cardiovascular excercise. I've been taking a 45 minute Pilates class twice a week, and doing 45 minutes on the eliptical machine two to three times a week. Alex has been swimming five to six days out of the week. We can guiltlessly enjoy our tiny morsels of daily dark chocolate when we know we are living relatively healthy lifstyles.

Is anyone else into a certain diet or health plan?

Happy Valentine's Day to My Little Song Bird

2006-02-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

I had the amazingly wonderful opportunity to witness my Boo create some of the most moving music I ever heard. The Ole Miss Concert Singers gave a reunion concert and I honestly heard sounds I've never heard before. I'll post a video clip soon to try and show just a little bit of what I'm talking about.

I love you
- A

Happy Valentine's Day to My Husband

2006-02-14T07:17:00.000-05:00

all photos by Michael + Mickie Winters

No One Likes A Poser

2006-02-09T11:56:00.000-05:00

The building to the far left is the new building some Louisvillians are proposing to build downtown. Not the prettiest building I've ever seen.

Andy Warhol

2006-02-09T07:39:00.000-05:00

Andy came back to us from 1987, just to paint our picture. He's such a nice and thoughtful guy.

Its the Sojourn Film Festival - Start Makin' Movies

2006-02-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

Sojourn's 5th Annual Cultivate Beauty Film Festival is going public this year. It will be April 27th-29th at the Kentucky Theater. At this point, I would like to brag on my amazing husband, and say that he has won an award at the film festival for at least the last two years, so you have some tough competition comin' at ya'! (The picture is of Alex holding his Best Post-Production Award. Its a golden turtle!) Now here are the rules. So get to makin' a movie!

2006 Sojourn Film Festival- GENERAL RULES

1.) Entries must be original, undistributed works produced, written and/or directed by the submitting filmmaker(s). Entries of works submitted previously in the SOJOURN Film Festival are not permitted.

2.) The submitting filmmaker(s) must be directly responsible for the creative control and direction of the project. Collaborative efforts may be recognized and acknowledged, but only the submitting filmmaker(s) will be awarded any applicable prize.

3.) All entries using copyrighted material (sound or picture) must obtain proper clearances and permission to use the material. Documentation showing this clearance and permission must be submitted with the application. Examples of copyrighted material may include: popular music, stock footage and still photographs. It is the Filmmakers responsibility to obtain rights, clearances and permission. The SOJOURN Film Festival assumes no responsibility for violation of copyright law.

4.) It is to the discretion of the Film Festival advisory board as to what films are deemed appropriate, eligible for entry, & shown in the SOJOURN Film Festival. All rules & guidelines are subject to change. Any change(s) made will be posted & made available to film makers at the earliest possible moment.

5.) The theme of the SOJOURN Film Festival is "Cultivate Beauty". We on the Film Festival advisory board recognize & understand that this theme can mean a lot of different things to different people & perceived in many different lights. We encourage creativity, diversity, & visualization of your own interpretation of this theme. However, entries deemed obscene, pornographic or those films containing excessive violent or inappropriate material are not allowed under any circumstance. The enforcement of this rule will be at the discretion of the Film Festival advisory board.

6.) Submission of an entry automatically transfers unlimited exhibition, duplication and distribution rights for the entry to SOJOURN Film Festival. The media and the contents contained on the media becomes the property of SOJOURN Film Festival. Entries will not be used in any way for commercial purposes. The intent is to allow the Festival to use your entry for promotional or educational purposes. By submitting and entry to the SOJOURN Film Festival, each entrant expressly grants permission to use their name, likeness, hometown, etc...

7.) Entries will be returned to entrants only under the following conditions:
a) The entrant has included self-addressed packaging appropriate to entry type.
b) The entrant has included appropriate postage and postal instructions.
c) At least 60 days have elapsed from the end of the festival.

The SOJOURN Film Festival in no way guarantees the return of any entry and no guarantee is therefore expressed.

8.) No entry will be considered unless the entire entry form is completed. If you are entering more than one project, you must submit a separate, completed entry form for each one.

9.) Each entry must be accompanied by the following:
b.) a 25-50 word synopsis of the filmmakers intent & how you believe this film "cultivates beauty"
c.) the filmmakers biography or resume
e.) appropriate clearances or rights
f.) a detailed description of the production method used including a complete list of credits

10.) Entrants shall indemnify, defend and hold the Festival, its agents and its representatives harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses which may be incurred by reason of any breach of these representations, or arising out of any matter contained in the media or otherwise by the Festival's use of the media.

11.) Entries may be disqualified for the following reasons:
a.) inappropriate material
b.) incomplete application materials and documentation
c.) submissions on unacceptable media
d.) entries which are submitted past the deadline of March 27th 2006
e.) entries which have been submitted previously to the SOJOURN Film Festival
f. )if the film festival advisory board and/or the judges feel for any reason (at their discretion) that the film takes away from the overall feel of the film festival & does not "cultivate beauty"

In the case of disqualification, an attempt will be made by the festival staff to contact the entrant. This will allow an opportunity for the disqualification to be remedied.

12.) In case of questions, disputes or misunderstandings the decisions of the Directors of the Festival are final.

13.) Entry is void where prohibited by law. There is NO entry fee for the SOJOURN Film Festival 2006.

Entry formats

Projects submitted to the Panel of Judges are limited to 15 minutes. If your project is longer than this limit, please consider re-editing the program in order to meet the entry requirements. If a submission is longer than the 15 minute limit, only the first 15 minutes (or your own choice of 15 minutes edited down) of the project will be screened. AT THE JUDGES DISCRETION, longer versions of submitted entries may be requested for presentation at the public screenings. Only the versions that meet the festival competition criteria will be judged in the festival competition.

Entries must be submitted on DVD (video mode only). They must conform to the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) specifications. All entries will be presented as two-channel, conventional stereo soundtracks.

DO NOT SEND THE MASTER COPY OF YOU PRODUCTION. DO, HOWEVER, SEND A HIGH QUALITY COPY.

Listen to Andrew Bird

2006-02-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

Andrew Bird is absolutely amazing! Alex and I went with some friends to see him at the Louisville Free Public Library. What a fascinating show! Andrew uses loop pedals to create a symphony of sounds with his violin, guitar, and glockenspiel. He also whistles with a melodious and rich tone. And his voice! His voice is powerful and emotional, reminds me of Jeff Buckley a bit. I cannot describe how incredible it was to watch this man create his music, part by part. Martin Dosh is touring and playing with Andrew. He adds the drums, keys, other percussion. Quite a cool guy. In short, I was blown away and fascinated, as was our resident music snob, my husband Alex. If any of you ever have a chance to hear Andrew Bird, please go do it. I promise it will be a wonderful musical experience! (And for those of you in Oxford, Mississippi - he's playing there Monday night, February 13.)

Goldsmith Frenchfry: We Rap!

2006-02-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who do not know my secret talent, its rapping. Yeah, I can lay down some pretty fly rhymes, and I'm even in a rap group - Goldsmith Frenchfry. So far, we have recorded five tracks, all of which have become instant hits among ourselves. This album is all about breakfast 'cause its the most important meal of the day. There are some guys out there that hate breakfast and have initiated a "rap war" with us. Look for that recording to be released soon. But for now, sit back and enjoy the all-time favorite breakfast accompaniment here.

If you only have time to listen to one, check out Punpkin Bread. Its our newest and most innovative. It features our favorite four year old guest rapper, MC Willow, and MC Ricky adds a mind-blowing guitar solo. I, for one, cannot stop listening to Pumpkin Bread.

Jesus and Indie Rock

2006-01-24T12:47:00.000-05:00

Pitchfork Media columnist Chris Dahlen has written an interesting article on Christianity and indie rock. Dahlen claims that faith in Jesus has been totally unhip in the indie rock world. However, with the popularity of Sufjan Stevens, and particularly with the release of Stevens' Seven Swans, artists who profess faith in Jesus are throwing the idie rock world for a loop. First of all, I find his claim a little over-stated. There are plenty of artists who are Christians who seem to be thoroughly accepted in the indie world - Pedro the Lion, Innocence Mission, Anathallo, Eisley, etc. Admittedly, I may have a wrong perception of their treatment in the indie rock realm.

Regardless, Dahlen makes a plee for tolerance on behalf of the believing rockers and concludes his column, saying:

"You can disagree with the church of your choice, but to dismiss religion altogether - and to write off the best ideas, the best people and of course, the best indie rockers - that come out of it, seems pointless. Why shoot the messenger just because you're scared he has a message?"

Happy Birthday, Erin!

2006-01-22T14:58:00.000-05:00

Today is Erin Richter's birthday, and I sure hope she has a good one. Erin is a wonderful friend, and here are some reasons that I love her to pieces:
1) She is a killer skier and could probably ski professionally if she wanted to.
2) She has great discernment and knows when I am giving her good advice and when I am giving her bad advice.
3) She gives and gives and gives and gives to others - she is a servant.
4) She cooks really well.
5) She works very, very hard but still makes time for friends.
6) She could backpack through the Andes if she really wanted to, but she still likes fashion and stuff.
7) She is an encouragement and a joy to be around.
8) She listens to really awesome music... What?!?!?!?
9) She is incredibly loyal to her friends.
10) She is a beautiful friend who often reminds me of what it means to live a Gospel-saturated life.

Thank you Erin for all that you mean to me and to all of your friends. I hope you have a fun, fun, fun birthday.
If any of you want to encourage Erin, you can leave a post here or call her or email her or something!

Worship Matters

2006-01-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

I just discovered that Bob Kauflin is blogging. (I know. I am probably way behind the times.) He is taking this week to write on "Blogging to Worship God" and has some very helpful insight and wisdom. I am so thankful that this man is sharing his thoughts with the blogshpere. Thank you, Mr. Kauflin!

Music That I Have Enjoyed in 2005

2006-01-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

Here are some albums that came out this year that I have really enjoyed listening to. I don't want to say they are the best of 2005, just albums that I can't seem to stop listening to.

Minus the Bear - Menos el Oso
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Hem - Eveningland
Broken Social Scene - self-titled

There are probably more, but I'm just writing off the top of my head. Oh yeah, and Spoon "Gimme Fiction" is over-rated.

Please feel free to share your favorites of 2005...

New Year's Rap

2006-01-02T10:55:00.000-05:00

On New Year's Eve, Kyle started cravin' some bacon... so we (Alex, Kyle, and I) wrote a song. Check it here.

What to do with I-64

2005-11-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

The waterfront interstate of I-64 is apparently a huge problem here in Louisville. The approved expansion and "improvement" of spaghetti junction is a huge, messy, 13-year project that will harm, rather than improve the downtown vibrancy and economy. One group has proposed another plan that involves tearing down the waterfront portion of I-64, a plan that has been successfully enacted in other major waterfront cities such as Portland, OR; San Frascisco, CA; London, England; and Milwaukee, WS. You can view a short presentation of the plan here. On first thought, it looks like a great idea, but I would like to hear the other side before committing.

Music Survey

2005-10-19T11:38:00.000-04:00

This music survey appeared on the Sojourn discussion board the other day... I thought it was fun, so here goes.

1. Of all the bands/artists in your cd/record collection, which one do you own the
most albums by?
Wilco

2. What was the last song you listened to?
Broken Social Scene – “Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Half)"

3. a) What's in your record player right now?
no turntable in my house

b) What's in your living room CD player right now?
Charles Mingus, “Mingus Ah Um”

c) What's in your car CD player right now?
Paste Magazine Sampler CD

4. What song would you say sums you up?
Outkast – “So Fresh, So Clean” (Ha! Just kidding… I couldn’t really think of one.)

5. What's your favorite local band?
Of Asaph (do you even have to ask?)

6. What was the last show you attended?
Wilco @ The Palace

7. What was the greatest show you've ever been to?
Wilco @ The Library (a tiny venue in my hometown)

8. What's the worst band you've ever seen in concert?
Q and not U (I cannot begin to explain the misery of this experience) tied with Widespread Panic

9. What band do you love musically but dislike the members of?
Ummm… I don’t know. I like most people.

10. What is the most musically involved you have ever been?
Well, I was a music major in college, but that’s the nerdy kind of musical involvement. Also, when I was in college I constantly bought CDs and was constantly at shows. Oh yeah, I’ve taught private voice lessons before. Uh… I’ve led worship at Sojourn (that’s really stretching it). Okay, so I haven’t really had much musical involvement. I just like music a lot.

11. What show are you looking forward to?
I would really love to catch American Analog Set on their last ever tour, but I don’t think that’s gong to happen. So, I’ll just look forward to seeing Of Asaph play again… Soon, please?

12. What is your favorite band shirt?
Of Asaph – “we draw crowds” (My allegiance is embarrassing)

13. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?
Sufjan Stevens (Alex, I promise I’ve given up my crush on him, but I still think he would be interesting to talk to.)

14. What musician would you like to be in love with for a day?
I am already in love with one for life… thanks, though.

16. Sabbath or solo Ozzy?
UGH!!!

18. Punk rock, hip hop or heavy metal?:
Hip hop

20. Name 4 flawless albums:
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; Jeff Buckley – Grace; Interpol – Antics; Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One

21. Did you know that filling out this survey makes you a music geek?
I can accept that

22. What was the greatest decade for music?
I’m gonna say the 90s.

23. How many music-related videos/dvds do you own?
not many

26. What is your favorite movie soundtrack?
The Wedding Singer and Garden State (tie)

27. What was your last musical "phase" before you wisened up?
This is embarrassing… I used to kind of like “jam bands”

28. What's the crappiest CD/record/etc. you've ever bought?
The Shore – Self-titled (It is popilicious)

29. Do you prefer vinyl or CDs?
CDs

30. how much do you spend on music a month?
I used to spend a whole lot, now I hardly ever buy music. I’m getting so behind the times.

Repentance

2005-10-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

Daniel has been preaching through the book of Matthew, and it has been amazing. I cannot expres the joy and love that my heart feels for Jesus every Sunday night as Daniel shows us more of Jesus and leads us to see more of Him. Last week Daniel talked about repentance. He talked about true repentance - a repentance that brings deep and healing love, that leads to celebration and not condemnation, that brings satisfaction and rest. So what does true repentacne look like? Daniel chose to show us true repentance by contrasting Wordly Sorrow and Godly Sorrow. (How convicting!)

Wordly Sorrow or confession or shallow repentance is our usual way of saying I am sorry to God and to one another. It does not cost us much pain.
Godly Sorrow or deeper repentance is the lifestyle Jesus is calling us to. It is a dying to self that may cost us some pain.

WS = I am sorry for what I DO
GS = I am sorry for what I AM

WS = I focus on my behavior and desire moral reformation (behavior modification)
GS = I focus on my heart-attitude and desire spiritual transformation

WS = I have an explanation
GS = I am sick of explanations

WS = I repent by trying to do it right the next time
GS = I repent that I don't have it right and trust Christ to be my righness.

"Is the rest of the world back to normal?"

2005-09-18T10:09:00.000-04:00

The town of Natchez is in the southwest corner of Mississippi, about 170 miles north of New Orleans. My friend and college roommate Julie Finley lives in Natchez and works as a newspaper reporter for the Natchez Democrat. Hurricane Katrina affected Natchez in a huge way, and Julie sent us all emails documenting the things that happened in Natchez. Her perspective is so intimate, and I wanted to share her observations and experiences with all of you. So with her permission, I have posted her emails here:

E-Mail #1 - August 30, 2005

Hello all, We've finally gotten power and Internetgoing at my house and at the newspaper.I'm glad to hear all you coast folks have safe families. Natchez had gusts up to 50 mph and some trees through houses, etc. Nothing major, nothing remotely like the coast.
But we are still mid-crisis here. We have 900 plus in 5 Red Cross shelters and well over a couple thousand in hotels, in campers and staying with friends. We are guessing there's close to 5,000 refugees in town. Much of town is still without power. The school's are all closed for the week. There is no regular grade gas to be found in Natchez. You can get premium if you wait in line for an hour. There were fights at several gas stations last night. The people in our shelters have been told they cannot leave. Tensions are rising at the largest shelter where 350 people are sleeping essentially on concrete.
The numbers in the shelter are expected to grow because people in hotels are running out of money. We are also getting refugees who orginally went further north. They are trying (foolishly) to get back home, but are running out of gas, money or hitting road blocks. Traffic going into Baton Rouge is expected to bottleneck up to Natchez (90 miles north) soon. Most of our refugees are from New Orleans. They are
all thankful to be here, but most know they have nothing when they get back. The lucky/unlucky ones have seen their neighborhood on CNN, but unfortunately, the national media doesn't give specifics on the small communities - so some have no
way to know anything.Cell circuits are busy from Natchez south. For every person I've talked to who got away, they know someone who stayed behind. Very few have made
contact with those family members. The shelters are preparing to stay open for a month or more. A local bank just donated $10,000. The United Way donated $10,000 yesterday. The problem today is that prescription medicine is running out and local
doctors won't sign off on new medications. The shelter at my church was without power for two days. So those folks have been in sweltering heat.
Talking to the refugees is tough because most are resigned to the fact that they have to completly restart their lives. We have a million homeless people.

As for the paper, we lost power when the storm hit and went without it for 24 hours. We all brought our laptops in to do what we could. We have a generator
that runs 3 computers and the printer at once. No lights, no phones, no internet. And no printing press. So the first night we all huddled around the same
power strip and did what we normally do in 7 hours in about 3, with only the glow of our computers. There a small weekly paper in Louisiana about 20 minutes away,
we took it to them to print - black and white. Yesterday, we had power most of the day, and were planning to print our own paper (and we'd already printed the one from Brookhaven), with four extra pages and an increased press run, when the power went off for about 2 hours. We panicked, because it was also off in the other town 20 minutes away. We made plans to drive 2 hours to Monroe, La or 5 hours to Selma, Ala. to print it. But luckily it came back on.

Entergy tells us that Natchez is the only town south of I-20 that has any power. The grocery stores here are out of the main foods. Restaurants are out. Burger King had no fries or bread on Monday night. Our publisher bought the last 8 pizzas from Pizza Hut Monday night and brought them to us. The Sysco food delivery truck isn't making
deliveries because they lost power at their main warehouse. The main grocery store chain here lost $30,000 worth of meat when the power went out. People were camped out in the camping section at Wal-Mart this morning because they heard a false rumor
that some generators were coming in. It's a mess.
New Orleans and the coast are the immediate story, but very soon, the refugees -the people that can't get back home- are going to be the story. Rental houses are filling here.
How's Oxford? I hear a tree fell in the Grove.

-Julie

E-Mail #2 - August 31, 2005

We were slapped in the face this afternoon with the stark reality that our small little economically deprived area is now changed forever. Our 5,000 guests we thought we were playing nice host to aren't guests. They are residents. Not all of them, many will leave. But many, many, will stay.
We don't need to bring them blankets and snack food for the shelter, we need to find them jobs and houses. I realized it when the public school system here sent me a fax telling evacuees that they needed to come to the school board office on Tuesday to enroll their children in school. My editor realized it when she went to the board of
alderman meeting tonight and the United Way director stood up and told the mayor "They are us," referring to the refugees.

A brief background: In the last 3 years, Natchez has lost everything. Our industry is gone. Our middle class is gone. Our jobs are gone. In my opinion, the town's been going nowhere fast.

Now, we have a couple of thousand new residents who have nothing. The majority are not skilled workers. We have no jobs to offer them. We have no place to put them. Our school district doesn't have the space or the money.

Federal dollars will come, but there's no way it'll be enough.

FEMA is on the way. They are in a recovery mission right now (bluntly put, they are removing bodies on the coast) The next phase is to come to the sites where the refugees are. We've been told they will come set up mobile homes here for housing. This is typcially the housing you see on the coast line of Florida when a hurricane hits -- the blue roofs. But since there is no coast line for this storm, they
have to go where the people are. There's talk of some sort of government job
arrangement - like the WPA projects of a long time ago.

Our mayor issued a proclamation today that no one can buy more than one tank of gas at once.

It's unreal. We haven't begun to wrap our minds around it yet. Most of Natchez is blissfully unaware that we are about to completely change.

My editor burst into tears about every 20 minutes tonight when she thought about the scope of things. It's not that we don't want to help these people, we do, but we aren't sure we can.

Quick sidenote: I interviewed a group of thugs today who swam through 12 feet of water in New Orleans early this morning, found their way out and sipphoned enough
gas from other vehicles to drive to Natchez. They are now staying at the First Baptist Church. They made sure to tell me that they didn't leave New Orleans without going "shopping" first. (Shopping = looting).

We now have 8 shelters open, with another on the way.

Has anyone heard of other towns experiencing the same thing? We have been virtually cut off from other papers. It seems to us though that for the size of our town, we have more refugees than other places. What's Jackson like?

Peace.

-Julie

E-Mail #3 - September 4, 2005

This sums up our area right now. Obviously other areas are just as affected, but we still believe we have got to be in the minority of towns our size being affected this greatly. The water and ice trucks came Friday night. And the
FEMA supply trucks came yesterday.

-Julie

E-mail #4 - September 15, 2005

It's 12:30 a.m., I just left work and drove through downtown. There are more than 1,000 people lined from our Convention Center back three blocks. Some of them have been there since probably around 10 a.m. today. The Red Cross has been giving out checks for around $300 per person, up to $1,500 per family. They've done it every day this week from 8 a.m. to late in the afternoon. Monday and Tuesday they gave
checks to about 4,000 -- mainly evacuees staying in our area.
Wednesday and today word had spread that there was some organization to the process in Natchez. Now we are a victim of our own successs. The lines were longer those two days and snaked through about 6 downtown streets. We had people in line from as far
away as Lafayette, La. (3 hours) and Jackson. Apparently, no other town is doing this --and the few that have tried have had problems and had to shut down.
They've given out about $10 million total. The Wells Fargo truck visited our banks today. Once they get the check they go straight in and cash it. Now, because we are no longer serving Natchez evacuees, the Red Cross has announced that Friday will
be the last day of the checks. Hence the line that is out there now. These folks are laying on concrete for what will end up being more than 12 hours for some. There are some in wheelchairs.
Every day they cut the line off at some point, when they realize they can't serve that many. Estimates have the cut off happening early tomorrow-- and we may have hundreds of very angry people. We have cops here from towns I've never heard of, and
a National Guard unit from Indiana. It should be interesting. Watching the line grow is amazing.
We are down to 10 open shelters now, with one scheduled to close tomorrow. The shelter count is 545. But there are still hundreds in people's houses and hotels. Just over 1,000 kids have enrolled in school -that's 2 public school districts, and several private ones. 504 in Natchez public schools makes it the second highest evacuee count in the state (just behind Jackson's 700). Concordia Parish schools -just across the river) have 500 also.
Is the rest of the world back to normal?

-Julie

Positively Affecting Culture

2005-09-17T09:22:00.000-04:00

Over the summer, I read a book by Bob Briner called Roaring Lambs. It was a quick read, but extremely challenging. He talked about the tendency among conservative Christians to criticize the culture and approach culture negatively. He gave an example of Christian organizations who spend huge budgets on screening movies and television shows, and then publicizing material to inform Christians how many times the actors used obscene language, how many times violence was portrayed, how many time sexual scenes were shown, etc. Briner's argument was that Christians are called to be salt and light - positively affecting the culture. Instead of spending money on listing all the sin portrayed in movies (as if we don't alreay know its there), why not put that money toward the type of movie we as Christians would like to see in the theater? Now I'm not talking about "rapture movies," movies that evangelize, or have an overtly Christian message. I am simply talking about good movies - such as The Lord of the Rings, Radio, etc. - movies that reflect Christian values of good conquering evil, of kindness toward the less fortunate, of men acting as the husbands and fathers they should be (such as in Cinderella Man). I agree with Briner that this method would be far more affective and would look quite a bit more similar to Jesus' idea of being salt and light. Any other ideas?

For those flooded in New Orleans, those homeless in Biloxi, those hungry in Bay St. Louis

2005-08-30T23:19:00.000-04:00

I spent a substantial portion of the evening watching the hurricane coverage. My prayers are certainly with the hurricane victims, for their safety, health, and recovery. I pray that this will be a time when the Gospel will go forth and be heard. I saw not only damage to roads and buildings and homes, but I saw damaged and hopeless hearts.

One of the news reporters, after showing footage of the looting in New Orleans, commented, "These times certainly bring out both the best and the worst in people." It seems true that those far away from the danger desparately want to help, to send money, to show kindness and generosity. Meanwhile, many of those in the midst of disaster, seem to want to take advantage of the chaotic situation by looting or even killing (as several people reported gunshots). This seems to illustrate both the common grace and the fallen nature of mankind.

Several times, I heard people express that they had lost everything in this hurricane, whether that be a home, a business, or a spouse. They seemed lost, helpless, and hopeless. I wondered if they had really lost their everything. I wondered if many of them were without the eternal promises of Christ. Nevertheless, I could understand feeling those emotions even as a Christian, when your reality is that everything you have ever known on this earth is gone. That would be shocking and devastating. My prayer is that the Christians affected by the hurricane will remember the promises they have in Christ and turn to Him for all comfort. I also pray that unbelievers will see their need for Christ alone. I pray for God's mercy and provision on all those affected.

I heard a lady tell her story. She owned a bed and breakfast in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. She and six guests were in the B&B when it literally crumbled. She and the others clung to a tree as the waters swiftly swept under them. A couple in their eighties were swept away (and later rescued). The others kept clinging on for dear life. The reporter asked this B&B owner what she was thinking about while clinging to the tree. She said she was thinking that she wanted to have more faith. From her testimony, I got the impression that she had not previously been living a life of faith. I pray for her, that God will truly work in her life, open her heart, and bring her to faith in Him (if she has not already). I pray for all those like her, who encountered a life or death situation, that God will use those situations to draw them to Himself. I pray that there will be many boldly poclaiming the Gospel. I pray that there will be many showing the love and care that Christ demands us to show to those in need.

Remember that Amy Grant/Vince Gill Duet "Lucky One"?

2005-08-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

By God's perfect goodness and grace, I am marrying the most talented man I've ever met in my whole life! You can check out one of his 6 billion talents here. Enjoy...

P.U.S.H.

2005-08-02T12:47:00.000-04:00

Do you know what P.U.S.H stands for? Well, according to the bumper sticker I recently saw, it means Pray Until Something Happens. How delightful! Instead of prayer being a means through which God chooses to accomplish His sovereign and unchanging will, it is now a means by which we can sway God into doing whatever we want. Are things not going your way? Well, you probably just haven't been praying about it enough. So get down on your knees and get going. Pray Until Something Happens!

Other annoying bumper stickers: My Boss is a Jewish Capenter, Fight Truth Decay, No Sin Zone, Too Blessed to be Depressed, My Child Honors God and Praises Jesus, Boycott Hell, This Car is Prayer-conditioned.

Of course, most Christian bumper stickers communicate some major theological errors and the others are just plain stupid. What are some bumper stickers that you love to hate?

God Bless Americans

2005-07-15T08:47:00.000-04:00

I'm totally stealing this from Palmer... But check out this music video.

11 Reasons Why I Love Billy Collins

2005-07-07T12:27:00.000-04:00

Number One:

Another reason why I don't keep a gun in the house

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark
that he barks every time they leave the house.
They must switch him on on their way out.

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
I close all the windows in the house
and put on a Beethoven symphony full blast
but I can still hear him muffled under the music,
barking, barking, barking,

and now I can see him sitting in the orchestra,
his head raised confidently as if Beethoven
had included a part for barking dog.

When the record finally ends he is still barking,
sitting there in the oboe section barking,
his eyes fixed on the conductor who is
entreating him with his baton

while the other musicians listen in respectful
silence to the famous barking dog solo,
that endless coda that first established
Beethoven as an innovative genius.

Number 2:

The Art of Drowning

I wonder how it all got started, this business
about seeing your life flash before your eyes
while you drown, as if panic, or the act of submergence,
could startle time into such compression, crushing
decades in the vice of your desperate, final seconds.

After falling off a steamship or being swept away
in a rush of floodwaters, wouldn't you hope
for a more leisurely review, an invisible hand
turning the pages of an album of photographs-
you up on a pony or blowing out candles in a conic hat.

How about a short animated film, a slide presentation?
Your life expressed in an essay, or in one model photograph?
Wouldn't any form be better than this sudden flash?
Your whole existence going off in your face
in an eyebrow-singeing explosion of biography-
nothing like the three large volumes you envisioned.

Survivors would have us believe in a brilliance
here, some bolt of truth forking across the water,
an ultimate Light before all the lights go out,
dawning on you with all its megalithic tonnage.
But if something does flash before your eyes
as you go under, it will probably be a fish,

a quick blur of curved silver darting away,
having nothing to do with your life or your death.
The tide will take you, or the lake will accept it all
as you sink toward the weedy disarray of the bottom,
leaving behind what you have already forgotten,
the surface, now overrun with the high travel of clouds.

Number Three:

Flames

Smokey the Bear heads
into the autumn woods
with a red can of gasoline
and a box of wooden matches.

His ranger's hat is cocked
at a disturbing angle.

His brown fur gleams
under the high sun
as his paws, the size
of catcher's mitts,
crackle into the distance.

He is sick of dispensing
warnings to the careless,
the half-wit camper,
the dumbbell hiker.

He is going to show them
how a professional does it.

Number Four:

I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakey's Version of "Three Blind Mice"

And I start wondering how they came to be blind.
If it was congenital, they could be brothers and sister,
and I think of the poor mother
brooding over her sightless young triplets.

Or was it a common accident, all three caught
in a searing explosion, a firework perhaps?
If not,
if each came to his or her blindness separately,

how did they ever manage to find one another?
Would it not be difficult for a blind mouse
to locate even one fellow mouse with vision
let alone two other blind ones?

And how, in their tiny darkness,
could they possibly have run after a farmer's wife
or anyone else's wife for that matter?
Not to mention why.

Just so she could cut off their tails
with a carving knife, is the cynic's answer,
but the thought of them without eyes
and now without tails to trail through the moist grass

or slip around the corner of a baseboard
has the cynic who always lounges within me
up off his couch and at the window
trying to hid the rising softness that he feels.

By now I am on to dicing an onion
which might account for the wet stinging
in my own eyes, tough Freddie Hubbard's
mournful trumpet on "Blue Moon,"

which happens to be the next cut,
cannot be said to be making matters any better.

Number Five:

Consolation

How agreeable it is not to be touring Italy this summer,
wandering her cities and ascending her torrid hilltowns.
How much better to cruise these local, familiar streets,
fully grasping the meaning of every roadsign and billboard
and all the sudden hand gestures of my compatriots.

There are no abbeys here, no crumbling frescoes of famous
domes and there is no need to memorize a succession
of kings or tour the dripping corners of a dungeon.
No need to stand around a sarcophagus, see Napoleon's
little bed on Elba, or view the bones of a saint under glass.

How much better to command the simple precinct of home
than be dwarfed by pillar, arch, and basilica.
Why hide my head in phrase books and wrinkled maps?
Why feed scenery into a hungry, one-eyes camera
eager to eat the world one monument at a time?

Instead of slouching in a café ignorant of the word for ice,
I will head down to the coffee shop and the waitress
known as Dot. I will slide into the flow of the morning
paper, all language barriers down,
rivers of idiom running freely, eggs over easy on the way.

And after breakfast, I will not have to find someone
willing to photograph me with my arm around the owner.
I will not puzzle over the bill or record in a journal
what I had to eat and how the sun came in the window.
It is enough to climb back into the car

as if it were the great car of English itself
and sounding my loud vernacular horn, speed off
down a road that will never lead to Rome, not even Bologna.

Number 6:

Forgetfulness

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never
even heard of,

as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the nine Muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a
bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.

Number 7:

Nostalgia

Remember the 1340's? We were doing a dance called the Catapult.
You always wore brown, the color craze of the decade,
and I was draped in one of those capes that were popular,
the ones with unicorns and pomegranates in needlework.
Everyone would pause for beer and onions in the afternoon,
and at night we would play a game called "Find the Cow."
Everything was hand-lettered then, not like today.

Where has the summer of 1572 gone? Brocade sonnet
marathons were the rage. We used to dress up in the flags
of rival baronies and conquer one another in cold rooms of
stone.
Out on the dance floor we were all doing the Struggle
while your sister practiced the Daphne all alone in her room.
We borrowed the jargon of farriers for our slang.
These days language seems transparent a badly broken code.

The 1790's will never come again. Childhood was big.
People would take walks to the very tops of hills
and write down what they saw in their journals without speaking.
Our collars were high and our hats were extremely soft.
We would surprise each other with alphabets made of twigs.
It was a wonderful time to be alive, or even dead.

I am very fond of the period between 1815 and 1821.
Europe trembled while we sat still for our portraits.
And I would love to return to 1901 if only for a moment,
time enough to wind up a music box and do a few dance steps,
or shoot me back to 1922 or 1941, or at least let me
recapture the serenity of last month when we picked
berries and glided through afternoons in a canoe.

Even this morning would be an improvement over the present.
I was in the garden then, surrounded by the hum of bees
and the Latin names of flowers, watching the early light
flash off the slanted windows of the greenhouse
and silver the limbs on the rows of dark hemlocks.

As usual, I was thinking about the moments of the past,
letting my memory rush over them like water
rushing over the stones on the bottom of a stream.
I was even thinking a little about the future, that place
where people are doing a dance we cannot imagine,
a dance whose name we can only guess.

Number 8:

Introduction to Poetry

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

Number 9:

No Time

In a rush this weekday morning,
I tap the horn as I speed past the cemetery
where my parents are buried
side by side beneath a slab of smooth granite.

Then, all day, I think of him rising up
to give me that look
of knowing disapproval
while my mother calmly tells him to lie back down.

Number 10:

Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems of the Sung Dynasty, I Pause To Admire the Length and Clarity of Their Titles

It seems these poets have nothing
up their ample sleeves
they turn over so many cards so early,
telling us before the first line
whether it is wet or dry,
night or day, the season the man is standing in,
even how much he has had to drink.

Maybe it is autumn and he is looking at a sparrow.
Maybe it is snowing on a town with a beautiful name.

"Viewing Peonies at the Temple of Good Fortune
on a Cloudy Afternoon" is one of Sun Tung Po's.
"Dipping Water from the River and Simmering Tea"
is another one, or just
"On a Boat, Awake at Night."

And Lu Yu takes the simple rice cake with
"In a Boat on a Summer Evening
I Heard the Cry of a Waterbird.
It Was Very Sad and Seemed To Be Saying
My Woman Is Cruel—Moved, I Wrote This Poem."

There is no iron turnstile to push against here
as with headings like "Vortex on a String,"
"The Horn of Neurosis," or whatever.
No confusingly inscribed welcome mat to puzzle over.

Instead, "I Walk Out on a Summer Morning
to the Sound of Birds and a Waterfall"
is a beaded curtain brushing over my shoulders.

And "Ten Days of Spring Rain Have Kept Me Indoors"
is a servant who shows me into the room
where a poet with a thin beard
is sitting on a mat with a jug of wine
whispering something about clouds and cold wind,
about sickness and the loss of friends.

How easy he has made it for me to enter here,
to sit down in a corner,
cross my legs like his, and listen.

Number 11:

Litany

You are the bread and the knife,
The crystal goblet and the wine . . .
Jacques Crickillon

You are the bread and the knife,
the crystal goblet and the wine.
You are the dew on the morning grass
and the burning wheel of the sun.
You are the white apron of the baker
and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However, you are not the wind in the orchard,
the plums on the counter,
or the house of cards.
And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.
There is just no way you are the pine-scented air.

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,
maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,
but you are not even close
to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the boots in the corner
nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,
the evening paper blowing down an alley,
and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees
and the blind woman's tea cup.
But don't worry, I am not the bread and the knife.
You are still the bread and the knife.
You will always be the bread and the knife,
not to mention the crystal goblet and—somehow—the wine.

Patriotism in the Church

2005-07-05T10:21:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I visited a church in Nashville. The entire service was patriotic-themed, and I was uncomfortable the whole time. Right now, I am having a hard time articulating all the reasons that I was uncomfortable with this type of service, but I will do my best to communicate my beliefs and reactions.

First of all, the pastor freely admitted that he was not going to preach an expository sermon from Scripture. Rather, he was going to offer a "history lesson." He went on to talk about the fact that America was founded by Christians. Her documents were framed by Christians. And the American principles and standards are Christian. Of course, I would agree with the fact that the overwhelming majority of America's founding fathers were Christians or exemplified Christian standards of morality. And I am very thankful for this fact. However, the pastor went on to say, "America is a Christian nation! America is a Christian nation! America is a Christian nation!" Really? According to the documents that our Christian forefathers wrote, America is a republic, not a theocracy.

It is naive to believe that a simple history lesson will cure everything. I am sure that liberals, agnostics, even anti-Christians, are quite well aware of the fact that America's founders were mostly Christians. But that has no relevence to them today. Many of them would say that we as a nation, and as a culture, have evolved past the need for religion, for God, for a strict standard of morality even. We cannot change the minds of liberal politicians by telling them the history of America. We must change them by telling them the Gospel.

I felt like the pastor was communicating that the way to change America is through voting the right people into office, the ones who will make decisions like a Christian would. I do not believe we can shape America by simply voting the right people into office. The government will not redeem our culture. Our political leaders, in fact, are a reflection of our culture. While it is our duty to vote for politicians who best represent Christian standards, voting is not the way to make America into a nation that upholds Biblical morality and standards. We redeem culture by living as Christ would live - by working with integrity, by telling others of Christ, by creating things of beauty, by showing love and hope to the poor and the helpless, by showing hospitality, by faithful participation in a local church, by preaching God's word. Our culture will be changed by Christians living faithfully. Faithful Christians will reap a harvest of more faithful Christians. The American people must begin to look like a people that is concerned with Christian standards before our government will look this way.

Another problem that I had with the church service was that while the Word was never read or taught, an invitation was given. Why? Salvation comes through faith in Christ, and faith in Christ comes through the hearing of the Word. The invitation was certainly inappropriate for the type of service that the pastor had planned. The pastor also said that he thought God had raised up America, a nation with so many economic resources, to use its money to spread the gospel all over the world. He threatened the congregation that if American didn't "shape up," God would remove his hand of blessing and protection. Where in the world did he recieve such a prophetic word?

So... Back to patriotism in the church. What do some of you feel about patriotic services/sermons/history lessons? Have any of you experienced similar services? What were your reactions? What are practical ways that we can work to redeem culture? How should a Christian be involced in politics? How do you feel about American flags in the sanctuary? What is the Church's relationship to America? I am still sorting through my feelings on this topic and would love others' opinions.

I'm Back!!!

2005-06-24T15:19:00.000-04:00

Realizations I've made over recent weeks:

1) I must be really popular because countless numbers of people have come to me requesting that I post a new blog.

2) Anytime you climb something really high and really steep, it's always worth the effort.

3) I am becoming a more mature person. This is reflected in my decision not to blog about my love-hate relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention.

4) I can grow out my finger nails if I have good reason to do so.

5) Men turn into 8-year-olds when they get in a swimming pool.

6) I am more picky than I thought I was.

7) I think I would be a good cook if I had time to experiment.

8) Riding a camel is uncomfortable after the first three minutes. You just go numb from the waist down after about 20 minutes.

9) People are often impressed by the job title of "train conductor."

10) I hate it when theological liberals call me names that I've never been called before - ones that involve the f-bomb as an adjective.

11) I have very lovely friends. (Actually, I've known this for a while).

12) Pregnant people will say anything!

The Semester is Wrapping Up While I'm Getting Tangled Up In It

2005-04-25T10:16:00.000-04:00

There is only a week and a half left of school, and I have three or four papers to write and six books to read. Here is just a little taste of what I've been up to...

THE ARTS AND THE CHURCH

Introduction

The relationship of the Church to the arts community has changed quite dramatically over the course of the history of the Church. From its beginning years up through the Renaissance, the Church established a reputation as being a place where the arts could thrive, a place where the arts where generally wholeheartedly supported and funded. In fact, society looked to the church to promote and provide good art. However, as philosophical movements began to shape the arts and the art community, the Church found it more and more difficult to maintain interest and investment in the arts community. The arts were on a road toward aesthetical relativism, and the Church which had always promoted aesthetic standards and norms of beauty, could not move with the philosophical trends that were being manifested in the arts.

These philosophical changes began as the humanistic elements of the Renaissance came to full bloom during the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century. For the first time in the history of Western culture, society was embracing a completely secular movement with secular ideals and worldviews. Human reason became more valuable than God and the revelation of Scripture. In fact, Man replaced God as the “Supreme Being,” and Deism – a man-centered perversion of Christianity – became a popular option for those not wishing to disregard religion altogether (Veith State of the Arts, 69). In examining the Enlightenment and Deism, it is clear that by this time in Western culture, Biblical principles and the Christian worldview were beginning to lose their influence. No longer were the Scriptures of the God of the Bible upheld as the standard of truth. Rather, humanism became the new religion, planting the seeds for postmodern relativism. Francis Schaeffer notes the inability of humanistic philosophy to fit into a Christian worldview:

Humanism has no final way of saying certain things are right and other things wrong. For a humanist, the final things which exists – that is, the impersonal universe – is neutral and silent about right and wrong, cruelty and non-cruelty. Humanism has no way to provide absolutes. Thus as a consistent result of humanism’s position, humanism in private morals and political life is left with that which is arbitrary (Schaeffer How Then Shall We Live?, 128).

It was during the eighteenth century that philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, George Willhelm Hegel, and Soren Kirkegaard began to realize the impossibility of the humanistic ideal. Rousseau gave up his faith for what he considered to be the ultimate good in life – autonomous freedom – freedom from God, culture, authority, and any type of restraint (Schaeffer How Then Shall We Live?, 155-56). This concept of autonomous freedom became the reigning ideal of the Bohemian movement, which emphasized individualism, self-expression, and the deliberate rejection of conventional standards (Veith State of the Arts, 73). The Bohemian attitude is still present within many artists today. The rejection of conventional standards among artists has ultimately resulted in a rejection of beauty, and many artists have traded in the beautiful for that which is shocking or clever (Veith State of the Arts, 50).

The idea of the autonomous self also manifested itself in the movement known as Romanticism. In art, Romanticism became a means of personal expression. However, the introspective and self-reflective ideals tended to over-glorify the self. The Romantics enshrined selfishness as a moral principle, as self-fulfillment became the goal, and the value of the work was determined by whether it fulfilled the autonomous self by expressing its emotions and contributing to its personal growth (Veith State of the Arts, 71-73).

By the end of the nineteenth century, art had moved from Romanticism to Realism. The artists of this movement were known as Impressionists. They painted only what they could see with their eyes, and boasted that their art portrayed honesty of life and reality. However, by acknowledging only those things which are visible, they denied the one true and honest thing in life – the existence of God and the redemption found in Jesus Christ. Eventually, the reality upon which the Impressionists had based their entire movement became more dream-like, and the movement fell apart. However, Impressionism left the door wide open for modern thought to become manifested in art (Schaeffer How Should We Then Live?, 183).

Existentialism characterized modern philosophy, and to the artist, truth became fragmented from life. This worldview was expressed in the art produced during this modern period. Cezanne, Picasso, and Duchamp were the champions of modern art. With existentialism, reason had been declared absurd, and now art was declared absurd as well. “The philosophers from Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, and Kierkegaard onward, having lost their hope of a unity of knowledge and a unity of life, presented a fragmented concept of reality; then the artists painted that way… The philosophers first formulated intellectually what the artists later depicted artistically” (Schaeffer How Should We Then Live?, 190). These ideas of fragmentation, isolation, and skepticism produced “chance art” such as Jason Pollack’s canvases of paint drippings, “ready-mades” such as Duchamp’s signed bicycle wheels and urinals (Schaeffer How Should We Then Live?, 190), “minimalist art” such as a solid black canvas, “urine art” such as Mapplethorpe’s crucifix immersed in a bottle of urine, and pornography in the name of art. These expressions of the artist are not “aesthetically successful. Indeed, they are often purposeful violations of aesthetic principles” (Veith State of the Arts, 50).

Somewhere along the way, the Church, and particularly the Protestant church, made a great mistake by giving up the fight for the arts, along with many other aspects of culture. When the battle got tough, the Church handed over the arts to the humanists and secularists. Now, we find the Church in a general position of antagonism towards the arts community. In general, the Church does not value professional artists and their works of art. The reason for this attitude is partly because of the conflicting values between the Church and much of the arts community. The Christian worldview as mandated by Scripture will not allow us to produce and promote art devoid of aesthetic standards. However, the relativistic approach is predominant in the arts community. Another reason for this antagonistic attitude toward the arts is that the Church harbors a worldview approach that presents a dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. Therefore, the arts are seen as something outside of the realm of religion.

The Bible, however, teaches us something very different. Human culture and particularly the arts are strongly united to the message of the Gospel and to the model of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. If the Church truly believed and took seriously what the Bible has to say about the arts and creativity, we would see a revolution in how the Church approaches the arts community. Every aspect of creation and culture belong to the Lord, and the arts bring a very special kind of glory to God, our Creator. For this reason, the Church should be a supportive force behind the arts and work to promote good art from within the arts community.

Why Should the Church Support the Arts?

The first reason that the Church should support the arts is because God is interested in beauty, and His word affirms the arts. Scripture specifically speaks to the visual arts, literature, and music. Many argue that the Scriptures forbid visual art, quoting the second commandment – “Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God…” – as evidence that man is forbidden to make a likeness of anything and is therefore forbidden to do art. However, the second part of the verse indicates that it is the worship of these graven images that was prohibited, not the creation of them. This is further clarified in Leviticus 26:1 – “Ye shall make you no idols, neither shall ye rear you up a graven image, or a pillar, neither shall ye place any figured stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am Jehovah your God.” The idea that this commandment is not a prohibition against creating art is further proved by the fact that Moses received the commandment on Mount Sinai, where God simultaneously commanded him to build a tabernacle that was to include all types of representational art (Schaeffer Art and the Bible,11-12).

Further evidence of God’s interest in visual art and beauty can be found in the revelation of his plan for building the temple. The Bible insists that this plan was not a creation of man but was from God. David received instructions from the Holy Spirit and gave them to Solomon to begin the building project. The Bible indicates that the temple was to be covered in precious stones for the sake of beauty. Schaeffer comments:

There was no pragmatic reason for the precious stones. They had no utilitarian purpose. God simply wanted beauty in the temple. God is interested in beauty. Come with me to the Alps and look at the snow-covered mountains. There can be no question. God is interested in beauty. God made people to be beautiful. And beauty has a place in the worship of God (Schaeffer Art and the Bible,15-16).

God commanded that the temple be very ornate. The outer structure, the beams, the thresholds, the walls, and the doors were all to be covered in gold. Cherubim, palm-trees, and open flowers were to be carved into the walls (bas-relief), and there were also to be two sculptures in the likeness of cherubim (art in the round). God also commanded that there be two beautiful free-standing columns with pomegranates fastened to chains upon the capitals of the columns. There were panels on ten bases of brass that were to be covered in carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubim. The temple had a huge pool or bath that was held up by twelve cast oxen (representational art in the round), and the pool itself was detailed with carvings of lilies. It is quite simple to see from these two examples alone – the temple and the tabernacle – that God is interested in beauty and affirms art.

The Scriptures affirm art in their very existence, in that the Bible is overwhelmingly a work of literature – whether that be in narrative form (hero stories, epic, tragedy, parable, or gospel), poetic form (lyric, proverb, epithalamion, pastoral, encomium, hymn, prophetic oracle, or elegy), oratory, visionary/apocalyptic literature, satire, or street theater. Jesus himself was a wonderful storyteller and poet, and it is clear that he and the other biblical writers had complete confidence in the art form of literature to express religious truth. God chose to reveal his truth through literature. The Bible does not simply allow for communication through literature. Rather, Jesus and the biblical writers found it absolutely necessary to use literary forms, and a vast variety of them, in communicating the truth of God (Ryken The Liberated Imagination, 41-43). C.S. Lewis said, “There is a… sense in which the Bible, since it is after all literature, cannot properly be read except as literature; and the different parts of it as the different sorts of literature they are” (Lewis Reflections on the Psalms, 3). Therefore, in reading the word of God, we must acknowledge it for what it is – a form of art called literature through which God chose to reveal himself. Scripture also affirms the arts through music, whether it be formal or spontaneous, amateur or professional, instrumental or vocal, in the context of daily life or in the context of worship. There are, in fact, more references to music in the Bible than to art or literature (Ryken The Liberated Imagination, 47-48).

So, why is it then that God is so interested in art and beauty? It is because he is a creative God. In fact, he is the Creator. He created the entire universe ex nihilo – out of nothing, from his imagination. As human beings, we are specially created in the image of God, so we are to reflect God’s creative nature. We were made to create, so the imageo dei is a second reason that the Church should be supportive of the arts. When we create we are acting in God’s image, and He receives a very special kind of glory from this activity. The creativity of man relates to the imageo dei in a very interesting and definite way. Dorothy Sayers describes this relationship in the following way:

How then can he (man) be said to resemble God? Is it his immortal soul, his rationality, his self-consciousness, his free will, or what, that gives him a claim to this rather startling distinction? A case may be argued for all these elements in the complex nature of man. But had the author of Genesis anything particular in his mind when he wrote? It is observable that in the passage leading up to the statement about man, he has given no detailed information about God. Looking at man, he sees in him something essentially divine, but when we turn back to see what he says about the original upon which the “image” of God was modeled, we find only the single assertion, “God created.” The characteristic common to God and man is apparently that: the desire and the ability to make things (Sayers, The Mind of the Maker, 22).

The fact that God created man in his image specifically and most directly refers to the fact that man has the capability, desire, nature, and inclination to create. Therefore, the Church should be a safe place for creative people and a support system for those who create. The Church should seek to build relationships with artists and encourage artists to grow in their creativity. “Christians, unlike the secular culture, have a basis for affirming the personal and the beautiful – a personal God who created structure of beauty in the very texture of the universe. Christians, therefore, ought to cultivate what is aesthetically worthy” (Veith State of the Arts, 37). The Church, in a sense, should be fighting for the arts and artistic expression because God loves art, beauty, and creative acts and is uniquely glorified through them. The imageo dei demands creativity from the Church. As Trevor Hart says:

Responsible creativity of an artistic sort is thus not only warranted, but may be viewed as an unconditional obligation laid upon us and called forth by God’s gracious speaking to humankind in the life, death and resurrection of his Son. Indeed we may go further, and suggest that it is not only a proper response to, but also an active sharing in (albeit in a distinct and entirely subordinate creaturely mode) God’s own creative activity in the cosmos (Hart, “Through the Arts: Hearing, Seeing, and Touching the Truth,” in Beholding the Glory: Incarnation Through the Arts, 18).

A third reason that the Church should support the arts is to participate in God’s plan of redemption. We live in a fallen world, and every aspect of life and culture has been affected by the Fall. Too often, as Christians, we tend to look at redemption in a one-dimensional and solely personal way. We assume that redemption applies only to the salvation of souls. However, Christians are called to redeem entire cultures – every aspect of entire cultures (Pearcey Total Truth, 17). The Church should actively work to redeem the arts, especially since the arts are so tightly connected to the nature of God and his image in man. What the Church says about the arts and how the Church responds to the arts community reflects what the Church believes about God. If the Church ignores the arts, it is failing to acknowledge the presence of the image of God in man. By ignoring the arts, the Church will be refusing cultural redemption and refusing to claim this aspect of culture for Christ.

How the Church responds to the arts community also reflects what the Church believes about man. Harold Best says, “To be human is to be cultural. On this basis alone it is impossible for the body of Christ to ignore culture or to assume that to be a Christian is to be above, separate from or against culture” (Best Unceasing Worship, 175). Although we are living in a fallen world, God’s grace still shines through in the lives of men and women in some very wonderful ways. Men and women all over the world, even those who are not united to Christ, are capable of displaying kindness, goodness, creativity, love, devotion, loyalty, and many other wonderful characteristics. Best summarized the relationship of the scheme of Creation-Fall-Redemption to man’s current condition and his creative capabilities:

Being created in the image of God… gives us the urge to believe, the ability to think up and make, and the ability to decide how believing in and making ultimately relate to each other. These abilities must have been perfectly and grandly evident in Eden. Even so, as much as they were smeared and misdirected in the Fall, God graciously allowed something quite remarkable to remain in us. Otherwise, we would not have the stream of systems, technologies, and artistic delights that come to us from every quarter of the globe (Best Unceasing Worship, 174).

If it is true then that how the Church responds to the arts reflects the Church’s beliefs about the nature of God and the nature of man, would we not to engage the arts all the more? Is it not right to say that it is, in fact, inappropriate and even sinful for the Church to ignore the arts, since they reveal so much about our Creator? We are called to redeem our culture, and we cannot redeem culture by ignoring its individual components, such as the arts. Our beliefs about God and Man should be reflected in our participation in the culture. Schaeffer says:

For a Christian, redeemed by the work of Christ and living within the norms of Scripture and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Christ should include an interest in the arts. A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God, not just as tracts, mind you, but as things of beauty to praise God. An art work can be a doxology in itself (Schaeffer Art and the Bible, 10).

In redeeming the arts, we as Christians are called to create to the glory of God. But what does this mean? What does this require? Best says that we must learn from the way that God imagines and creates, and he offers several points to think about:

1. What we call strange or abstract art may be closer to God’s way of creating.
· God created the world out of his imagination, so the universe is God’s version of “abstract art.” Non-representational works of art are good and glorifying to God. Therefore, there is no reason that we should be uncomfortable with or suspicious of experimental art.
2. With God, there is a difference between replication and continuation.
· God created giraffes in the beginning, and he has since continued to create giraffes. However, these giraffes are not replications. Each one is different and unique, never repeated.
3. God’s inside workmanship is as exquisite as his outside workmanship.
· God’s creations are marked by structural integrity and impeccable craftsmanship. Therefore, our creations should be of quality and integrity, not just an exterior show.
4. God’s idea of quality is the same whether he makes something for quick or for long-lasting use.
· God is honest and does everything well. Therefore, we should do the same. We should display the same kind of integrity while singing a praise chorus during a Wednesday evening prayer service as we do in singing Brahms’ Requiem.
5. God’s handiwork is not divided between doing great things for magnificent display and doing average things for ordinary circumstances.
· We have a tendency to either scoff at putting art to work or to place more value on putting it to work than on its inherent beauty – compare the concert pianist and the church pianist. God, however, has no problem with merging inherent worth, intrinsic beauty and usefulness. To him, function and worth are inseparable.
6. The Creator is not the creation, and the artist is not the art.
· God is above and separate from his creation, just as the artist is sovereign over and separate from his or her handiwork. In other words, the created object is not a part of the artist.
7. God is not especially interested in straight lines, perfect circles and geometric tidiness; his work is more chaotic than symmetrical.
· In creation, we do not find a perfectly straight line of buttercups, standing at the exact height, with exact replicated petals. No landscape displays symmetry or order. Therefore, we should not subject these values onto our human creations.
8. God has the jump on anyone who thinks that cultural diversity is the greatest thing since the automobile.
· Our view of diversity is incredibly limited. We are called to a much greater creative diversity that requires courage and commonsense (Best Unceasing Worship, 130-142).

It is important to note that while Christians are expected to be intentional about creating to the glory of God, God can also receive glory from the creative acts of those who do not know Him. Therefore, we are called to acknowledge the common grace that God has given to all of mankind. This is a fourth reason that the Church should be supportive of the arts community. If we ignore the creativity and artistic acts of non-Christians, if we do not praise God for the talent that he has given these artists, if we do not praise God for the skill, craftsmanship, and artistry displayed in good works of art by unbelieving artists, then we are robbing God of the glory due to Him. Obviously, this type of involvement requires the Church to engage the whole of the arts community, not just the artists who profess to be Christians. It is only proper for the Church to look to the arts community when determining what is going on with the arts. Ryken says:

God’s common grace endows all people, believers and unbelievers alike, with a capacity for truth, goodness, beauty, and creativity. It follows from this that not all truth about aesthetic issues will be contained in the Bible. This means that we should expect many of the principles underlying the arts to come from the arts themselves, just as our knowledge of the laws of science come from science itself. Furthermore, if God’s truth and beauty permeate the work of non-Christian artists as well as Christian one, Christians are free to relish truth and artistry wherever these appear (Ryken The Liberated Imagination, 13).

This freedom allows the Church to observe good art coming from all people and offer up praise to God for it. The Church should, in fact, expect to find and even look for truth, grace, beauty, goodness, and creativity in the whole spectrum of art. The imageo dei assures us that we will find truth even in the works of unbelievers. John Calvin says:

Whenever we come upon truth in secular writers, let that admirable light of truth shining in them teach us that the mind of man, though fallen and perverted from its wholeness, is nevertheless clothed and ornamented with God’s excellent gifts. If we regard the Spirit of God as the sole fountain of truth, we shall neither reject the truth itself, nor despise it whenever it shall appear… Those men whom Scripture calls “natural men” were, indeed, sharp and penetrating in their investigation of their inferior things. Let us, accordingly, learn by their example how many gifts the Lord left to human nature even after I was despoiled of its true good (Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, 1:273-275.3)

A fifth reason that the Church should support the arts is that it is to support and encourage all members of the body. This is a natural outpouring of community and fellowship within the body. Unfortunately, the Church generally does not do a good job of supporting the members’ vocations. However, because of the unique opportunities for community and evangelism available in the art profession, the Church should strive to build relationships with artists and seek to minister to and support the artists within their membership. Mike Cosper of Sojourn Community Church compares the Church’s support of a professional artist to that of a coffee roaster and coffee shop owner.

The church should support the entrepreneurial work of artists within its church – not in some specified way, but as a natural part of the relationships within the church. Along with that comes relational realities and critique, which the church may not be equipped for. A church whose only language related to art is Thomas Kinkade is going to have a hard time understanding an artist who does work like Chuck Close. The church isn’t necessarily responsible for offering critique in art just as it isn’t necessarily required to offer critique in coffee roasting, but those critiques will emerge naturally and pastors should at least be prepared to guard and honor an artist in the same way they would guard and honor a coffee roaster (Cosper, Elder of Worship Arts at Sojourn Community Church. 2005. Interview by author, 17 April, Louisville, KY. Transcript).

A sixth reason that the Church should support the arts community is that the arts provide the Church with an opportunity to proclaim God and share Christ. The opportunity for evangelism lies partly in the fact that the arts are simply a doorway into culture and community, just like any other profession. Cosper compares the opportunities for evangelism in the arts to those that one may find as a professional plumber. The opportunity lies in the fact that that worker is in contact with other people. Relationships are happening. Relationships require communication, and your topic of communication can easily be that of Christ. He says, “Evangelism is most authentic and meaningful when it is the fruit of relationship, when Christ-in-me speaks to another person, facilitated by the Holy Spirit. I don’t think art alone has that capacity. Art opens doors to evangelism in that it opens doors to relationships, and in that, art is no different than any other vocation, be it plumbing, coffee-roasting, engineering, or coaching football” (Cosper, Interview by author, 2005. 17 April, Louisville, KY. Transcript).

On the other hand the very nature of art and the artist in relation to the nature of God opens up very specialized opportunities for evangelism. When Christians create wonderful art, people ask questions – What inspires you? What is the process you go through in creating a piece? What made you want to address this subject matter in your art? What does this piece mean? Many times, these questions will open up the floor for the Christian artist to proclaim Christ through honest answering of these types of questions. When the Church shows an interest in the arts, perhaps by displaying the works of local artists or publishing a literary magazine that includes that writings of various authors, then the arts community tends to ask questions of the Church community. Why are you interested in my art? Why do you seek to use art in worship? Why does this church want to host a gallery? Why is the community supporting my music? Again, these questions allow the members of the church to proclaim Christ and truth about God by honestly answering these questions. We are given a platform to share what we believe about God as Creator, what we believe about man as being created in the image of God, what all this means for artists. We can share that their work is important to us because we believe it is important and honoring to God. These types of conversations stir up all kinds of questions and all types evangelistic opportunities that are not so natural and visible in some other professions.

Conclusion

So what does an arts-supporting church look like? It is a church that has artists in the congregation, whether they be writers, painters, musicians, actors, photographers, sculptors, or whatever. These artists feel welcomed and loved and appreciated. They are encouraged by the church, and are assured that what they do is valuable to the kingdom of God. In order to be a church about the arts, it must be a church that is about artists. The two are nor separable. Cosper says, “Hopefully, the arts-supporting church is a church where artists are conformed to the image of Christ, and their work as artists is neither esteemed above the vocational work of others, nor treated as a waste of time and energy. The vocational artist is the key to the arts-supporting church. Without him or her, the church’s support of the arts will be either be kitschy or vain” (Cosper, Interview by author, 2005. 17 April, Louisville, KY. Transcript).

Secondly, an art-supporting church must incorporate art and the artistic works of it membership into the life and activity of the church. Cosper said, “The church also needs to stretch and see that being ‘about the arts’ isn’t just about incorporating art into a building or into multimedia during a service. It’s about the 7-days-a-week life of the community. If the community isn’t ‘about the arts’ on Thursday, then anything they do that’s ‘about the arts’ on Sunday is just for show” (Cosper, Interview by author, 2005. 17 April, Louisville, KY. Transcript). Some churches display galleries or incorporate art in the actual worship service. Some churches have songwriters and musicians producing music for congregational worship and for listening outside of the gathered congregation. Some congregations have small groups of artists that gather for the unique purpose of creating to the glory of God. Some pastors announce the Scripture that they will be preaching through and invite the members to respond artistically to their meditations over the Scriptures. Some churches offer music lessons, art lessons, dance lessons, and other types of artistic training as part of a ministry of the church.

Thirdly, an art-supporting church strongly affirms the doctrines of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. These themes are what authenticate and validate the efforts of the artists as acts of worship. As the body of Christ, we must glory in the fact that we are created in God’s image, and that he is a creative God by nature. We must acknowledge that we are living in a fallen world, and that it is the duty of the Church to redeem culture. We must live as though we truly believe we are reflections of God’s image. We must do art as though we truly believe in the redemption of culture. This is the message of the church that is about the arts, and that is committed to seeing God glorified through creative acts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hart, Trevor. “Through the Arts: Hearing, Seeing, and Touching the Truth.” In Beholding the Glory: Incarnation Through the Arts, 1-26. Edited by Jeremy Begbie. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001.
Lewis, C.S. Reflections on the Psalms. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1958.
Ryken, Leland. The Liberated Imagination: Thinking Christianly About the Arts. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 1989.
Sayers, Dorothy L. The Mind of the Maker. San Francisco: Harper-Collins, 1987.
Schaeffer, Francis A. Art and the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973.
Schaeffer, Francis A. How Then Shall We Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture. Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1976.
Veith, Gene Edward Jr. State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1991.

Summer Plans

2005-04-16T08:55:00.000-04:00

In less than a month, I'll be leaving for the Middle East, along with about 40 other seminary students from Southern, Emory, Duke, Vanderbilt, and several other semniaries/divinity schools. The trip is a 3-week long travel seminar, where we will be doing some archeological work, scaling Mount Sinai (partly by foot, partly by camel), exploring some old Crusader fortresses, visiting some of the ancient cities of the Bible (such as Damascus, Galilee, and Jerusalem), and much, much more. The whole group will be divided into two smaller groups - one led by Max Miller of Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and the other led by Dr. Steven McKenzie Professor of Hebrew Bible and Old Testament at Rhodes College. I am in Steve's group, and our itinarary looks like this:

May14-16 Orientaion in Altanta
WEEK ONE
May 17 Arrive Damascus (Damascus)
May 18 Explore Damascus (Damascus)
May 19 Damascus Museum, Baalbek (Homs-Crak vicinity)
May 20 Crak, Apamea (Hama)
May 21 Palmyra (Palmyra)
WEEK TWO
May 22 Busra (Busra)
May 23 Jerash (Amman)
May 24 Nebo, Madaba (Petra)
May 25 Petra (Petra)
May 26 Aqaba, Sinai (St. Catherine)
May 27 Mt. Sinai, St. Catherine (Taba)
May 28 Arad (Arad)
Week Three
May 29 Masada, Jericho, Beth Shean (Galilee)
May 30 Sea of Galilee and Golan (Galilee)
May 31 Nazareth, Megiddo, Caesarea (Jerusalem)
June 1 Jerusalem-Old City (Jerusalem)
June 2 Jerusalem-Israeli Museum and Bethlehem (Jerusalem)
June 3 Flight to Athens, on to Delphi (Delphi)
June 4 Delphi, Corinth (Athens)
June 5 Athens (Athens)
June 6 Return flight to the U.S.

As you can imagine, I am feeling a million different things about this trip. I am nervous because I am traveling with a group of people who are completely unknown to me. Also, we are traveling in very dangerous locations. I am nervous also because I am traveling with a group that is theologically very different from me. I have a very conservative approach to theology, whereas many of the participants will approach theology from a liberal perspective. On the other hand, I am excited that I am traveling with such a diverse group. My prayer is that in spite of our differences, we will have a unique sense of community and will develop wonderful relationships over the three weeks that we will be traveling together. I am also excited because this is an amazing trip and is certainly an opportunity of a life time. I am looking forward to learning and experiencing so many new things. The very worse part about the trip is the fact that I will be away from Alex for over three weeks, possibly even out of contact for much of that time. But I know that in this case, distance will only make the heart grow founder.

Famous People I've Met

2005-03-22T09:06:00.000-05:00

Athletes:
Dominique Wilkins
Danny Manning
Reggie Miller
Charles Barkley
The Brazilian Soccer Team (at the airport in Campo Grande)
Eli Manning (we had biology lab together at Ole Miss)

Writers:
Amy Tan
John Grisham
Billy Collins
Larry Brown
Nevada Barr
Roy Blount, Jr.
Mildred D. Taylor

Musicians:
David Byrne (from The Talking Heads)
Elvis Costello
Robert Randolph
Sean and Sarah Watkins, Chris Thile (Nickel Creek)
Marty Stuart and Connie Smith
Isaac Brock, Eric Judy, and Jeremiah Green (Modest Mouse)

Actors:
Ethan Hawk
Morgan Freeman
Gerald McRainey (Major Dad)
Glen Close
Chris O'Donnell

Comedians:
Jerry Clower

Composers:
Jaako Matajarvi (sang one of his works for him in Helskinki, Finland)

The Conformity of CCM - Part II

2005-03-04T09:24:00.000-05:00

After reading my last blog entry, my friend Adrian offered his insightful comments and recommended that I read an article by John Jeremy Sullivan of GQ Magazine. The article is JJS's personal account of his experience at a CCM festival called Creation. From what I can tell JJS is not a believer, but his insight on the CCM culture is keen. Here is a portion of JJS had to say:

"The fact that I didn't think I heard a single interesting bar of music from the forty or so acts I caught or overheard at Creation shouldn't be read as a knock on the acts themselves, much less as contempt for the underlying notion of Christians playing rock. These were not Christian bands, you see; these were Christian-rock bands. The key to digging this scene lies in that one-syllable distinction. Christian rock is a genre that exists to edify and make money off of evangelical Christians. It's message music for listeners who know the message cold, and, what's more, it operates under a perceived responsibility—one the artists embrace—to "reach people." As such, it rewards both obviousness and maximum palatability (the artists would say clarity), which in turn means parasitism. Remember those perfume dispensers they used to have in pharmacies—"If you like Drakkar Noir, you'll love Sexy Musk"? Well, Christian rock works like that. Every successful crappy secular group has its Christian off-brand, and that's proper, because culturally speaking, it's supposed to serve as a stand-in for, not an alternative to or an improvement on, those very groups. In this it succeeds wonderfully. If you think it profoundly sucks, that's because your priorities are not its priorities; you want to hear something cool and new, it needs to play something proven to please...while praising Jesus Christ. That's Christian rock. A Christian band, on the other hand, is just a band that has more than one Christian in it. U2 is the exemplar, held aloft by believers and nonbelievers alike, but there have been others through the years, bands about which people would say, "Did you know those guys were Christians? I know—it's freaky. They're still good, though." The Call was like that; Lone Justice was like that. These days you hear it about indie acts like Pedro the Lion and Damien Jurado (or P.O.D. and Evanescence—de gustibus). In most cases, bands like these make a very, very careful effort not to be seen as playing "Christian rock." It's largely a matter of phrasing: Don't tell the interviewer you're born-again; say faith is a very important part of your life. And here, if I can drop the open-minded pretense real quick, is where the stickier problem of actually being any good comes in, because a question that must be asked is whether a hard-core Christian who turns 19 and finds he or she can write first-rate songs (someone like Damien Jurado) would ever have anything whatsoever to do with Christian rock. Talent tends to come hand in hand with a certain base level of subtlety. And believe it or not, the Christian-rock establishment sometimes expresses a kind of resigned approval of the way groups like U2 or Switchfoot (who played Creation while I was there and had a monster secular--radio hit at the time with "Meant to Live" but whose management wouldn't allow them to be photographed onstage) take quiet pains to distance themselves from any unambiguous Jesus-loving, recognizing that this is the surest way to connect with the world (you know that's how they refer to us, right? We're "of the world"). So it's possible—and indeed seems likely—that Christian rock is a musical genre, the only one I can think of, that has excellence-proofed itself."

The Conformity of CCM

2005-03-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

The other day, as I was surfing the net, I ran across something that made me really, really sad for the Christian music industry - a Contemporary Christian Music comparison chart. This webpage allows you to select genres of music (modern rock, rap, electronic, heavy, rap metal, pop rock, "Christian-y" mainstream, pop, urban, pop punk, worship, or random), view the "Christian" artists under these catagories, and then see what "secular" artist they apparently sound like. So, what you see are things like this:

Steven Curtis Chapman - compares to a mix of Cat Stevens and Toby Keith
Third Day - compares to Black Crowes or Rolling Stones
Avalon - compares to 21st Century ABBA
Delirious? - compares to a mix of U2 and Radiohead
Rebecca St. James - compares to Bjork and Garbage
and my personal favorite...
Mercy Me - compares to "If Steven Curtis Chapman sang for Vertical Horizon"

On the surface, this may not seem like a big deal, but I have several issues with the idea of having such a comparison chart:

1) The comparisons are not accurate, and the information presented in the chart is misleading. Therefore, all of the artists are misrepresented. For example, Rebecca St. James sound nothing like Bjork. In fact, I have never heard any other musician who sounds like Bjork. She has a unique sound and is extremely musically sophisticated. Therefore, it is not fair to compare a mediocre (dare I say poor?) recording artist to Bjork's work. It seems as if the "Christian" artists are attempting to "beef up" their appearance by comparing their very mediocre work to that of some amazingly talented musicians, such as Radiohead, U2, and Bjork.

2) The fact that the chart includes the genre "Christian-y" Mainstream speaks volumes. The website defines this genre as "secular bands whose lyrics reflect a Biblical worldview." Last time I checked, God is Lord of the whole earth and rules over every aspect of life on earth. He reigns over every musician and every song. Through common grace, His glory is reflected in the music of every musician or artists who exudes skill, talent, creativity, etc. I believe Christians should be highly involved in the arts for the purpose of reflecting God's glory - making music, writing poems, painting and sculpting, and participating in all types of creative acts. However, I don't believe that Christians produce Christian music, Christian poems, Christian paintings, etc. I don't believe that the only people capable of glorifying God through their art are Christians. In fact, ideally, I would like to see for the whole "Christian music/secular music" division to disappear.

3) Comparison charts like this suggest something that I fear is true of the Christian music industry. CCM artists are more concerned with trying to fit into the existing forms than in trying to create. For example, when ska music hit the Top 40 radio, the CCM industry introduced several ska bands. When punk found a resurgence at the popular music level, several "Christian" punk bands emerged. When these artists begin trying to conform to the forms that are popular in the secular world, they stop creating. And when Christians stop creating, they have stopped doing art in the way God intended. God is the Creator, and we are created in His image. Therefore, God recieves a special kind of glory when we too create. When we create, we are acting in God's image. When we submit to the forms presented by the world, we have stopped creating and have started conforming.

Bluesy Moo-Moo

2005-03-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

My mother, affectionately known as Moo-Moo, is the coolest. I went to my mailbox today and saw that I had a package from mom. As you all know, receiving packages - especially unexpected packages - is so much fun! I anxiously opened up the package, and what did I see but a calendar - and not just any calendar. It was a Mississippi Blues calendar, featuring the photography of Dick Waterman. I was thrilled for two reasons:

1) I don't have a calendar. I don't have a planner. I don't have any system of keeping up with
times and dates and events. I told my mother this last week, and I think she was somewhat
concerned - thus the calendar appearing in my mailbox.

2) I love Dick Waterman. He is an amazing photographer. He specializes in taking pictures of
musicians - especially blues musicians. And he is the only non-performer in the Blues Hall of
Fame. Dick lives in Oxford, Mississippi - my hometown. I've talked to him a few times
around town - at Uncle Buck's Record Shop, The Downtown Grill, the Double Decker Arts
Festival. He wouldn't remember talking to me, but I remember talking to him.

I plan on visiting Dick this spring. He always sells his photography at the Double Decker Arts Festival, and I always go by a look at all his pictures - even though I've seen them all before. I look and dream - dream that I could afford his photography, dream that I could take pictures like that, dream that I had been there when Dick was taking pictures of Howling Wolf, Chuck BerrySon House, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, B. B. King, "Mississippi" John Hurt, Doc Watson, Maivs Staples, John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Loretta Lynn, Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, Robert Lockwood...

Star-Studded Campus

2005-03-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

So what is going on at Southern Seminary? Thus far today, I have spotted C. J. Mahaney, Mark Dever, and D. A. Carson.

Not to mention, Alistair Beggs will be here in a few weeks.

Alex O'Nan is My Rushmore

2005-02-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

So, I have had a few requests from the members of Alex's fan club to get his stuff linked from my website. So, here are all things Alex O'Nan: his blog, his art, his band.

Emmylou and Transmission

2005-02-23T09:35:00.002-05:00

Emmylou Harris is playing at the Double Decker Arts Festival in my hometown of Oxford, Mississippi. This time, I will meet her. She is my musical hero, and I will meet her! I will!
____________________________________________________________________

However, in order to meet Emmylou, I will first have to get my transmission fixed on my car. Yeah, it went out on Monday, and is currently in the hands of Danny at St. Matthew's Imports, getting a $2,000.00 repair.

A Compliment From Piper

2005-02-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

I was just snooping around on John Piper's website and found something that made me really, really happy for my church and for Southern Seminary. Piper's church, Bethlehem Baptist, had their pastor's conference last week, and Dr. Bruce Ware was a speaker at the conference. Dr. Ware is an elder at my church, my Bible study teacher, and a professor at Southern Seminary. I also work in the School of Theology, where he is an associate dean, so my desk is just outside his office. Oh yeah, and his amazing wife, Jodi, is my mentor. This is what Piper said about Dr. Ware:

"So I have asked one of my favorite living theologians—a true see-er of Christ—to come and deliver his burden for The Trinitarian Relationships of Jesus Christ. Bruce Ware has a brilliant mind and a burning heart. I love the fact that he put the word “exulting” in his title: This is My Beloved Son: Exulting in the Trinitarian Relationships of Jesus Christ. That is what I expect to do. And it would make my joy more complete if you came and rejoiced with me over the treasure that we have in Christ."

Dr. Ware is one of Piper's favorite living theologians! This is a huge statement!

I know that Dr. Ware is certainly one of my favorite theologians. My first semester at Southern Seminary, I had him for Systematic Theology I, and I would tear up in almost every lecture. His passion for God, the Scriptures, and God's glory is amazingly contagious. He communicates the love of Christ so eloquently, and causes you to think deeply about the nature and character and attributes of God. The more I got to know Dr. Ware, through church and work, the more I came to see his humility, his greatness as a husband to Jodi and as a father to Rachel and Bethany. He is a man who visibly seeks the glory of God in all things. I have learned so much from Dr. Ware, and I praise God for having raised up a man like Dr. Ware to proclaim His truths, His character, and His glory!

God Bless My Brain

2005-02-08T15:22:00.000-05:00

My brain has officially decided to stop working. I first noticed it last Thursday. I walked into my Greek class, where everyone seemed unusually quiet with noses in books or eyes on flashcards. It never occurred to me, however, that this could all be for a reason. So I just sat there, flipping through my new Paste magazine. Suddenly, a voice disturbed me from my magazine reading. "Okay, let's go ahead and take this vocab quiz, then we'll get started with class." Vocab quiz? You've got to be kidding me! I had completely forgotten, even though we have a vocab quiz in Greek class every single Thursday. Oh well, I thought. Drop grade.

As everyone was turning in their quizzes, I heard yet another surprising request. "Go ahead and turn in your selected passage from Philippians that you will be writing your three exegetical papers on." What? I mean, I remembered this having been mentioned, but it didn't seem like anything urgent. And now he wants it today? I quickly grabbed a Bibile and selected a passage - Philippians 3:12-4:1. Easy enough. Problem solved. No penalty.

The weekend was good, really good. I even got ahead in some school work, and was ready to roll for classes on Tuesday. However, at 11:10 a.m. I realized I had left all of my Greek homework at my apartment. My first class starts at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, so I had time to make to my apartment and back. And that's what I did. As I pulled back into campus, I saw that I was going to get a superb parking spot. That made me happy, really happy.

Honestly, I was running about one minute late, so classes had already begun by the time I walked into the building. I rushed into the room where my Greek class meets but quickly realized that I recognized none of the students. And Dr. Plummer, who is not my Greek professor, was teaching the class.

"Uh, Laura Beth, you had this class last semester."

"Yes, yes I did."

"Are you confused?"

"Yes."

I exited the classroom, sure of one thing - my Greek class meets somewhere on this hall. I decided to look into all the classrooms to see if I recognized my class. But nothing looked familiar. I was so disoriented and displaced and absolutely confused. I could not, for the life of me, figure out where I was supposed to be at this moment in time. So I stood still in the hallway for about half a minute before it occurred to me - Greek class starts at 1:30 p.m., and it was then only 11:30 a.m. Ah! So then where was I supposed to be? It only took me about 10 more seconds to remember that I had Personal Counseling at 11:30 a.m. So I headed that way.

An Important Decision

2005-02-03T08:22:00.000-05:00

Over the past month and a half, I have been praying a lot about possibly changing churches. This is a very difficult decision for me, but I now know - after some very wise council - that I must make this decision soon. I currently am a member at Clifton Baptist Church, and I absolutely love it. I have been at Clifton since I first moved to Louisville, and it has been a true source of growth, learning, service, community and fellowship. However, I have recently felt God leading me to Sojourn, which is a major change from Clifton.

I really wanted to pray through this semester and then make a decision. However, as I was talking this through with my mentor Jodi Ware, she advised me to make the decision earlier. She counciled me to pray about it this week, and then follow the Lord's guidance. I told her I didn't want to make a hasty decision, and she looked at me like I was crazy - "Laura Beth, you have been praying about this for over a month!" So the plan is to pray, pray, pray. Jodi is praying with me. My parents are praying with me. A few friends are praying with me. Tuesday, I will meet Jodi to talk again. And unless the Lord slams the door in my face between now and then, it looks like I will be heading to Sojourn. I am a little nervous and excited and anxious. But I know that the Lord will make this all very clear soon.

Roommate Moment

2005-01-31T23:37:00.001-05:00

The following conversation just took place in my room:

"Hey, Laura, you know what's kind of funny?"

"What's that, Becky?"

"Well, my panties say, 'Made in Israel,' and I just can't imagine Victoria's Secret having a big production plant in the Holy Land."

Confessions

2005-01-29T17:58:00.000-05:00

Here at Southern Seminary, there is this phenomenon of punishment that professors like to use called "unassigned reading." Unassigned reading is conniving, cunning, and cruel. When you see "unassigned reading" on your syllabus, you immediately think "optional," "volitional," "not required." Then you read the fine print. What "unassigned reading" really means is that you must read hundreds and hundreds of pages of text (in addition to the required assigned reading) in order to acquire a certain grade. The books that you read are not specifically designated or assigned, but may come from a large bibliography of texts provided to the students by the professor. Unassigned reading translates, "You must read a whole lot in this class, but at least you have some freedom in choosing what you will read."

Last semester, I was quite disappointed when I realized that my church history professor had included the phrase "unassigned reading" on his syllabus. But I decided I would make the best of it. I scanned down the list of readings and saw Augustine's Confessions. Since it was a classic and I had never read it, I decided I would include this book as part of my "unassigned reading."

From the time I opened up to page one, I was hooked. Augustine wrote as though he were speaking to me, as if he wanted to share his life, his struggles, his heart, his sin, his intellect, his very being with me. He was so intimate that at times I felt as if I were reading something that I shouldn't, something that he really meant to reserve for his "prayer journal," not for me. He was transparent and open. He was truthful even when it hurt. He showed me what it means to be human, what it means to struggle with sin, and what it means to be united with Christ.

I'll leave you with just a few of the many treasures from Augustine's Confessions:

Our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.

There is no doubt in my mind, Lord, that I love you. I feel it with certainty. You struck my heart with Your word, and I loved You."

Those who do not want to find their joy in You (which alone is the happy life) certainly do not want the happy life... And certainly the happy life is joy in truth, which means joy in You, who are truth, god, my light, health of my countenance, my God. This is the happy life which all desire; this life which alone is happy all desire; joy in truth is what all desire.

But what do I love when I love you? Not the beauty of the body nor the glory of time, not the brightness of light shining so friendly to the eye, not the sweet and various melodies of singing, not the fragrance of flowers and unguents and spices, not the manna and honey, not limbs welcome to the embraces of flesh: it is not these that I love when I love my God. And yet I do love a kind of light, the melody, the fregrance, the food, the embracement of my inner self - there where is a brilliance that space cannot contain, a sound that time cannot carry away, a perfume that no breeze disperses, a taste undiminished by eating, a clinging together that no satiety will sunder. This is what I love when I love my God.

There Is A Silver Lining...

2005-01-27T09:24:00.000-05:00

The unthinkable is happening to me. Slowly but surely, little silver hairs are beginning to take over my head. Soon, my curly, brunette locks will be wiry and gray. This is quite disappointing and difficult to come to terms with. My first silver hair appeared over the summer. I was shocked! Surely it had surfaced as a result of the past semester. The fall semester proved to be even more stressful than the last, and sure enough more silver hairs appeared. I now have identified a total of five silver hairs on my head, and I don't expect this process to reverse itself. Now that I am over the shock and am at a point where I can at least talk about it, I have decided to view things positively. I will tell myself things like:

* At least they are silver and not gray!
* The "wiry" ones just blend in with my curls.
* 25 is the new 15!
* Someday I'll look like Emmylou Harris.

Keeping Up the Appearance of Evil

2005-01-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

It's really awkward to read a book titled HOMOSEXUALITY: The Use of Scientific Research in the Church's Moral Debate at the local "artsy" coffee shop. Yeah...

An Open Letter to Sufjan Stevens

2005-01-21T10:53:00.000-05:00

Dear Sufjan,

I would like to thank you for writing good music. Thank you for expressing "the overflow of your heart." Thank you for writing songs that are real, that are honest, that are transparent. Thank you for writing in a way that reflects Christ's forming in your heart. Thank you for creating, and thus acting in the image of God. Thank you for being concerned with beauty. Thank you for taking a part in the redemption of the arts. Thank you for playing the banjo.

Sincerely,
Laura Beth Atwood

"To Be Alone with You" by Sufjan Stevens

I'd swim across Lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes.
I'd give my body to back again
in the rest of room.
To be alone with You.

You gave you body to the lonely.
They took your clothes.
You gave up a wife and a family.
You gave your ghost
To be alone with me.

To be alone with me
You went upon a tree.
I've never met a man who loved me.

"Abraham" by Sufjan Stevens

Abraham, worth a righteous one.
Take up on the wood
Put it on your son.
Lake or Lamb.
There is none to harm.
When the angel came
You had raised your arm.

Abraham, put off on your son.
Take instead the ram,
Until Jesus comes.

A Lesson From Rahab

2005-01-20T23:58:00.000-05:00

If you take a glance through my library, it won’t take you long to see that I am not that into “women’s books.” It’s not that I don’t think they are valuable or have important things to say, it’s just that they all say basically the same thing over and over and over again. Last summer, I decided I would try to brush up on some women’s reading. So I got all the “Christian woman must-haves” – Passion and Purity, Lady in Waiting, Feminine Appeal, all that good stuff. I tried. I really tried to enjoy them, to let my soul be warmed. I just couldn’t stick with any of them.

Then I opened up a book called When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James. She had my attention from the beginning. She writes about the need for women to know theology, and attempts to correct the thinking that has crept into our churches that says, “Theology is for men.” It is true that women even resist learning theology for fear that this knowledge may not be “feminine” or that men may be intimidated by women knowing theology. Interesting… She also argues that women must know theology in order to be a helpmate in the truest sense of the word. How can a woman offer true comfort, true council, true love, etc. except through the knowledge of God’s Word and of the truths taught therein?

James discusses Rahab for a portion of the book, and what she says is profound. I believe if women (and men) really believed what James says about Rahab, they would experience so much freedom and security in their lives. Here’s what James writes:

“Rahab became a theologian with special expertise in grace. What a contrast her voice must have made among Israelites whose taste for God had gone flat. She understood the depths of her own sin, so she felt his mercy more strongly than those who took his grace for granted… If we learn anything from Rahab, it is that our own sins, failures, and mistakes cannot destroy God’s sovereign plan for us. In fact, he is at work in the midst of our self-destructive actions and the pain we bring upon ourselves to advance his good purposes for us. Rahab’s theology was forged by her dark and shameful past. God’s plan isn’t contingent on a sterling resume or flawless life, or none of us could ever hope to serve him. Not even our sins can obstruct his plans.”

This reminds me of something my pastor said in a sermon last year. He was talking about living in the bondage of guilt for past sins and said that we dare not live feeling guilty for our sins that have been confessed and repented of, because allowing guilt to creep into our lives is to say that what Jesus did on the cross was not sufficient enough to completely free us. How convicting! And James even goes further to say – learn from these sins – learn the depths of Gods mercy, the richest of His grace, the unworthiness of mankind to receive any favor from God, and stand in awe and humility before the God who chose to redeem souls.

Women, read this book and commit to knowing God’s word. Men, read this book, and commit to knowing God’s word and to encouraging all women in your life know theology.