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September 29, 2007
It's Time For a Little Hoosiers
If you have never watched Hoosiers and never really got this, and understood why it is my favorite poem of mine, well, perhaps this will help, though I really feel compelled to add a "buyer beware" when sending people to Youtube anymore, as the content of some of their videos seem to be getting worse and worse, and increasingly unhelpful in the hard enough battle for purity.
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September 25, 2007
On Its Way, Like Grey at the Temples...
...only the opposite.
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Two From Rich. No, Make That Three
You really must hear these on Rich's album Brother's Keeper, but the lyrics work pretty well alone, too.
Cry the Name
I cannot hide this longing that grows
In this temple of silence and stars
But a thief in the night stole in and broke
Every chain that had bound up my heart
I cannot cling to shadows again
So here on this altar tonight
I lay every dream I've ever dreamt
To burn in the fire He lights
I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
'Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls
I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
'Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls
Every breath I've ever breathed
Was sent as a gift from on high
And with all that is left of all that is me
Up to the Heavens I cry
The Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
'Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls
I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
'Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls
The Breaks
Here is my heart take what you want
'Cause I have no use for it anyway
Well of all the stupid things I've ever said
This could be the worst may be the best
But those are the breaks
These are the bruises
And if I can't give myself away I'm the only one who loses
And I don't want to lose this
It is the sea that makes the sailor
And the land that shapes the sea
And I do not know yet what I am made of
Or all I may someday be
And it is the wood that makes a carpenter
It's the very tools of his trade
And it is love that makes a lover
And a cross that makes a saint
Here is my song, listen if you will
But I have no heart for it anymore
I just have half a mind to cut it loose
And if it sails off into the blue
Then I'll just let it soar
And the sky is better keeping
And I won't be any poorer
For giving it its freedom
And here's one for freedom
It is the sea that makes the sailor
And the land that shapes the sea
And I do not know yet what I am made of
Or all I may someday be
It is the wood that makes a carpenter
It's the very tools of his trade
And it is love that makes a lover
And a cross that makes a saint
And a brilliant, but difficult, bonus from The Jesus Record
Hard to Get
You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away
Well I memorized every word You said
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get
You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know
Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
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September 24, 2007
Mmm, Stella!
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September 23, 2007
When it Sparkles in the Cup
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September 22, 2007
One Ceiling, Two Kinds of Light
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September 18, 2007
Still Lifing: Afternoon Light
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September 16, 2007
Images of the Day: In Reverse Order, With Commentary
Prison Tat
Sometimes when I need it, usually just after a period of confession in church, I will ink a little cross on my hand as a sort of reminder of where I've just been and what got me out of there.
Still Life, Pre Marinara
Some tomatoes and bell peppers from Indiana from a visiting couple at church and homegrown Rosemary and Chinese Basil from kind house church hosts.
Backstage
God's flowers, which display their beauty with such ease and without affectation, even in their modest aspects are glorious.
Posted by jackdas at 10:22 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Sweet Dreams
It only takes the tearing open of a packet of Sweet Dreams, as I did just moments ago, and I am instantly transported back nearly 20 years to the upper peninsula of Michigan and InterVarsity's Cedar Campus. I am an undergraduate, and the pine trees and close fellowhip and worship remind me and my brother of our boarding school. And my heart sings.
It is also a time characterized by the enthusiasm and hopefulness of youth, of catching a vision for the coming school year, of bringing Christ to the campus. It is idealistic and big. We work hard like corporate managers, filling up pages and pages with vision statements and plans and pinning up each sheet as we complete it on the wall around the room.
It is a remarkable picture to me now. Somehow, my life did not go down that path, of being immersed in full time ministry just out of college with InterVarsity or elsewhere. I think if I had been asked I would have strongly considered staff. But nobody did. Instead, it meandered through indecision and false starts, both educationally and personally.
Now, I am more interested in ministry occurring through the Church than the paraChurch. In fact, theologically, I believe that should be the ideal, but still I see a place for the paraChurch when the Church is not doing its job, and that certainly is often enough.
Still regardless of where I may work, whether in the church or a paraChurch ministry or in secular employment, I want to have that sense of expectancy again, of wanting God to act, even while being afraid that he actually might show up, of working hard in context of friends. Yes, that may be what the scent of chamomile, hibiscus, peppermint leaves, rose blossoms, spearmint leaves, spice, and orange blossoms may really be doing, piercing my soul with a sense of expectancy, long remembered, needing to be refreshed.
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September 15, 2007
Dog ::: Man ::: Beer ::: Man ::: Wine
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September 14, 2007
flower ::: vase ::: steeple ::: mall
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September 13, 2007
Old Blogs Never Die...
...they just stay the same...and stay the same...and stay the same, and never get updated. Sometimes this seems to happen with single folk's blogs when they get a significant other or get married. Perhaps it is that some of their reasons or needs to blog have been fulfilled to a degree, which is both somewhat sad and natural. Perhaps it is also simply a matter of time. Perhaps such blogs can turn a corner and become something new which they had never before. Though, I would like to believe that a blog, like one's character, which though admittedly can be somewhat different in different contexts, would stay more or less the same in its emphases and themes no matter what one's life looked like at the time. But, perhaps that is unrealistic.
Well, my blog has been dormant for a while, too, and not, alas, because I have significanized another nor in turn been significanized by another, unless that other is a seminary. But nonetheless that is the reason why there have been fewer posts on here for a while. So, I thought I would write a brief reflection on some of the changes I am going through at the very least.
For those of you who do not know, I have begun a Master's of Divinity degree at Covenant Theological Seminary, which has nothing to do with making fluffy fudge or anything like, but which is the degree which pastors need to get in my denomination. So, do I want to be a pastor? Well, no, not in the short term, though I have my suspicions that somewhere down the road, sometime in the future.... In the meantime, though, I want to get a degree so that I might teach and write more meaningfully and knowledgeably from a Christian perspective on issues of faith and culture. Yeah, it's kind of amorphous, but that is all I know for now.
Seminary is hard. I am not sure what I was expecting, but learning Greek, in and of itself, is a monumental challenge, and then I have three other classes as well. Moreover, I am learning not to be lazy and not to procrastinate, which are habits that are so hard to unlearn. In addition to the study, I am working 21 hours here and teaching a Mythology class on Monday nights. So, I am legitimately busy.
Still, I really have nothing to complain about. There are people with far busier schedules than mine, some of whom also have families for whom to care. And also all my needs are being met so well.
And, you know what, aside from the busy-ness there is a sense that the restlessness and discontent that has characterized my life for a while has significantly diminished. I know it is early, and my cautious side says to wait before I make any bold pronouncements, but I am not going to listen to that cautious side just now and say that I am thankful that I have a sense that I am currently doing what I am meant to be doing. And that feels pretty good. I have not and will not arrive at perfection of effort or achievement, but it feels good to have a renewed zeal, no perhaps even a totally new zeal, to do my school work and career work well and with care.
And, so, what does that mean for The Dassler Effect and its Facebook mirror? Well, I may not post as often, but I am not going to let it go quietly into the night. Some day soon, I know, my camera will whisper in my ear "Hey, did you see those leaves against the sky" or a line of verse will trip across my mind, or, yes, something interesting might pop out of my studies, and, well, I will do my darndest to listen to those significant others as well and share the love.
Posted by jackdas at 11:37 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 10, 2007
La Vita Est "Bella"
I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to this film. I have not properly seen the trailer as I am at work nor have I read all of this article, but I have read enough to be very excited.
Addendum
Here is the trailer. I could not readily find on the movie site.
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September 02, 2007
Quotable
I think the following quote is pretty good in describing part of the relationship between art and life and some of thepotentially unpredictable aspects of depression, or at the very least it is very well written. It is taken from this good article on the recent suicide attempt by Owen Wilson, that I saw via Jeffrey Overstreet's movie and arts blog.
"Art is always informed by life, but one doesn't automatically predict the other. Depression is a implacably private thing, a fog comprised of biography, present-tense experience and body chemistry. It's as unpredictable as the elements and as unknowable as God. It's an abyss that you fall into, and you either die there or climb out. "
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