Be Here Now – As Tall As Lions

How many days are your afraid
of turning off?
You’d be amazed how easy
it’s been to sleepwalk.
I’m in a state where I can’t tell what’s right from wrong
I’m making a face
that I’ve been holding for far too long.

I’m on the cross
There’s nothing to hide when all is lost.
I’m on thecross
A truth or a lie, which could be worse?

How many days until
I can see that I’m just find?
I try and I try but I jsut need al ittle time
I havn’t slept in one month
Things just don’t seem okay
And every time the sun’s up
It’s a new yesterday

Drill the pressure right out of my head.
Maybe I’m scared.
Maybe I am
Weak and paranoid
When I speak white noise
Pours out from my voice.
Every time I move my lips, it tears
Your little ears to bits
I’m frozen all the time, a deer in headlights
I’ll get to the point
You can’t depend on love or truth
To get your through

Do you want me to explain?
Are you broken at the bone?
Do you try and rearrange
a better life,
a bigger home?
So turn off the lights
or at least unplug the phone
I’m a threat when I’m left alone
How many days
are you afraid of turning off?
Do you feel like letting go?

It’s been a good life, I’ll be sad to see it go

Your Place in the Ground – Wilderness of Tekoa

Where’d you learn to fake it
And where’d you learn to take it
And where’d you learn to break it

‘Cause I’ve seen your faces
And I’ve seen you play dead
When will you get enough
Cause I’ve had enough
I’ve had enough

When you fall down, you bring them down
You followed the loss of sound
Right to your place in the ground
Don’t follow, follow him down

Don’t let go, your daddy will be home soon
While your mom is making love in the other room
And I don’t know if I can hold on

Why is love such a backwards disease
It plagues my heart with thoughts,
And with images I dont want to see
Please don’t leave me now.

A Serious Man

“Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you.”  – – Rashi

It is not often that a film will begin with the words of a famous Jewish rabbi, but such was the beginning of the Cohen brothers latest film A Serious Man.  I recently had the opportunity to view the film (unfortunately it is a limited release film), and found it to be quite engaging on a number of levels.  The story revolves around one man’s life and his struggles to understand the undeserved suffering that he experiences day after day.  For a full synopsis as well as reviews of the movie click here.  Cathleen Falsani has also written a fine piece offering her perspective on the Cohen brothers most recent endeavor and it can be read here.  A basic understanding of Judaism and contemporary practices is recommended for viewers.   Knowledge of the Hebrew language would be beneficial as well, however one can find a glossary of key terms for the film here.

Personally, I can relate to many of the feelings and emotions that Larry Gopnik experiences, though certainly not all of them.  Part of the appeal to me of this movie is that it deals with life as reality, not hiding any of the messiness or turmoil.  The reality of Larry’s responses and reactions to his suffering are true to life.  To be sure, this film could be analyzed in much more detail, but I will leave you to ponder the question posed by a rabbi in the film to Larry’s son at his Bar mitzvah, “When the truth is found to be lies, and all the joy within you dies…Then what?”

Book of the Week

This week I started using Sam Hamilton-Poore‘s Earth Gospel: A Guide to Prayer for God’s Creation (Upper Room Books, 2009).  The book functions as a day-by-day, week-by-week prayer guide and it is littered with prayers, scripture passages, hymns, reflections and blessings centered around God and creation.  The introduction lays out the structure of the book and some possible methods for reading and using it.  A word from the introduction regarding prayer is in order here, “Prayer and action are not two separate matters for Christians; how we live is informed and shaped by how we pray and how we pray is informed and shaped by how we live.” (Introduction, p.10)  Not only is this book a daily prayer guide, it serves as a de-centering text.  It seeks to de-center our anthropocentric misconceptions about God, creation, and our relationship with both.  This book will serve as an important theo-centering reminder for all who partake of it; centering the reader not only on God, but what is important to God – – creation.

Set me free, O God,

from my empire-prison

of human self-importance.

Help me to serve you and your creation

with energy intelligence, imagination, and love.

– – from Week One, Friday, Midday – Prayer (Earth Gospel, p. 45)

Book of the Week

In the following, I hope to begin a trend of highlighting at least one book that I am currently reading or have read recently.  This week, I recommend Peter Rollins‘ The Orthodox Heretic: and Other Impossible Tales.  Rollins has gathered a collection of potential parables, ranging from original works to contemporary appropriations of biblical parables, as well as parables from other traditions.  Along with each tale Rollins offers a short “commentary,” to aid the reader in discerning some of the possibilities for interpretation and incarnation.  A word of caution to the reader/hearer; these words may move you to action and hence turn these impossible tales into parables.  These are stories that hold the potential to empower the hearer.  But “hearing” the tale is not enough, as Pete articulates, “The parable is heard only when it changes one’s social standing to the current reality, not one’s mere reflection upon it.” (Rollins, Intro., xii)  So as I see it, this book can provide some stories for thoughtful reflection about the nature of one’s role in society, or it may function in a parabolic manner leading to a conflicted incarnation of the challenges raised and act as the catalyst for change in the audience’s milieu.

EntertheBible.org

Luther Seminary recently launched an interactive online Bible reference guide.  Centered around the NRSV, the site includes outlines of all the canonical books as well as theological overviews, definitions for key people, places, and terms, maps and videos.  The site allows for the creation of a free personal account to keep notes and track progress that provides seamless prolonged use of its resources.  The scholarship is courtesy of the Luther Seminary faculty; past and present.  Take a look around and enjoy this helpful new website.

A Well-Timed Homily

I would encourage all who are interested and able to check out the video of today’s chapel service at Luther Seminary (click here).  Today’s message was courtesy of  Tom Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching, Candler School of Theology, Emory University.  The text of his sermon was John 2.1-11, and his homily was entitled, “Learning to Tell Time.”  I do not feel compelled to comment further at the moment, as I believe this timely message speaks for itself.

Matthew 4.1-11

This evening I was audience to the gospel preached. The message came via Otis Moss Jr. This particular pericope from Matthew 4 recounts the “Temptation of Jesus.”  Moss contended that all who respond to the call of God must spend some time in the wilderness.  During that time, one must decide what to do with one’s life.  He suggested that may in fact be what Jesus considered during his own wilderness experience; what shape or form was his ministry going to take?  Was he going to live the life of a Pharisee, Sadducee, Herodian or an Essene?  There is a particularly deep resonance with this message and my own life.  I had never considered the wilderness experience as a necessary component of the life of faith.  However, such naivety only exists until said wilderness is entered.  My initial response to the wilderness experience is simply, “HOW LONG?!”  Never mind the question, “What will I do with my life?” I want to know how long I will be in the wilderness!  The 40 days and nights of the story are certainly not true to all instances of individual life experiences.  While Moss did not address the question of the length of the wilderness experience, he did go on to speak about Jesus’ condition during that time.  The tempter came to Jesus, presumably at what he thought was his weakest hour, when in fact, Moss suggests, it was his strongest hour.  Jesus was strongest while in the midst of fasting and praying.  And therein lies the answer to my quandary; how long?  Until I am strengthened through prayer and fasting; until that time, I am helpless in the wilderness.  It should be noted, however, that praying and fasting will not gain one exit from the wilderness, but rather the strength to continue and face the trials therein.  Just prior to Jesus’ own wilderness excursion, he was baptized.  Immediately following the wilderness, at least in Matthew’s account, he begins his ministry.  So now the time has come, to fast and pray, to be tested and tempted, to prepare and discern the way through and out of the wilderness experience; all the while remaining ever mindful that the cross lies on the other side.