Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A More Beautiful Noise
A post from Mars Hill Advent celebration:
A man was heading home with his toddler child. They were returning from a long day of activity and busyness. Many things were weighing on the father’s mind. The vehicle was quiet, but the man’s mind was noisy with thought.
After some time, the child broke the heavy silence with a simple song.
Immediately upon recognizing what the child was singing, the man’s mind became clear and present. He at once realized that he was responsible for making this singing child. He’d created a creator and the sound of the child’s voice connected the man to the source of an immeasurable joy that could not be explained.
It occurred to the father–had he heard a master vocalist perform the same piece of music, flawlessly and with all the skill, tone, and dynamics of a Pavarotti, he would’ve been unmoved. A singer with an accurate execution, expertise, and emotional delivery could never have pleased him nearly as much as the soft, undeveloped voice of this youngster. The song sang “perfectly” would have lacked all its meaning.
This was because the tender little creature sang without pride or self-consciousness, thoughtfully and happily with focus and purity. It was not a performance, not intended for an audience. This child, whom the father loved, sang without being asked, without fear of judgment and with no concept or expectation of recognition or reward. Merely expressing a heart-filled wonder, the child sang for no reason other than it was what the child was
m o v e d
to do at that moment. For this reason, it was a resounding and powerful voice that resonated as flawless with the father.
Flawless. Even though the child had a weak vocabulary–many of the words were barely discernable–and conjoined with a tune, the child’s enunciation quickly worsened. From a technical standpoint the child got it all wrong: omitting words and singing others in the wrong order. The pitch was imprecise. The melody was broken. The tempo was unsteady. And it was the loveliest sound that had ever graced the father’s ears.
Any serious critic would’ve considered the song nothing but a noise fallen short of the mark, a cacophony of significant errors and artistic offenses, but it was genuine and true. And the father could not have imagined a more beautiful noise. The child sang with joy and the child’s joy was the father’s joy.
Week 3 posts
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(contributed by Adam Kenyon)
Hope it makes you enjoy your family and the small momnets like it did me!
A man was heading home with his toddler child. They were returning from a long day of activity and busyness. Many things were weighing on the father’s mind. The vehicle was quiet, but the man’s mind was noisy with thought.
After some time, the child broke the heavy silence with a simple song.
Immediately upon recognizing what the child was singing, the man’s mind became clear and present. He at once realized that he was responsible for making this singing child. He’d created a creator and the sound of the child’s voice connected the man to the source of an immeasurable joy that could not be explained.
It occurred to the father–had he heard a master vocalist perform the same piece of music, flawlessly and with all the skill, tone, and dynamics of a Pavarotti, he would’ve been unmoved. A singer with an accurate execution, expertise, and emotional delivery could never have pleased him nearly as much as the soft, undeveloped voice of this youngster. The song sang “perfectly” would have lacked all its meaning.
This was because the tender little creature sang without pride or self-consciousness, thoughtfully and happily with focus and purity. It was not a performance, not intended for an audience. This child, whom the father loved, sang without being asked, without fear of judgment and with no concept or expectation of recognition or reward. Merely expressing a heart-filled wonder, the child sang for no reason other than it was what the child was
m o v e d
to do at that moment. For this reason, it was a resounding and powerful voice that resonated as flawless with the father.
Flawless. Even though the child had a weak vocabulary–many of the words were barely discernable–and conjoined with a tune, the child’s enunciation quickly worsened. From a technical standpoint the child got it all wrong: omitting words and singing others in the wrong order. The pitch was imprecise. The melody was broken. The tempo was unsteady. And it was the loveliest sound that had ever graced the father’s ears.
Any serious critic would’ve considered the song nothing but a noise fallen short of the mark, a cacophony of significant errors and artistic offenses, but it was genuine and true. And the father could not have imagined a more beautiful noise. The child sang with joy and the child’s joy was the father’s joy.
Week 3 posts
-->
(contributed by Adam Kenyon)
Hope it makes you enjoy your family and the small momnets like it did me!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
craftsman
What a week!!!! I actually built a book case. This is only impressive if you know me and home projects. I am not exactly handy, but have learned to handle some house hold fix-it projects since owning our own home for a few years. Rachel painted it and we now have extra storage in our room. It isn't exactly a masterpiece or anything but I have to say I am proud of us for just tackling the whole thing! Then yesterday we went to Opryland for pics, even got the Bug w/ Santa(the surprised look not the all out crying one). We went to TGIFriday's for an amazing supper. Lily really like their cheesy mashed potatoes. She had them alllll over her!!! I picked her up to clen off the mashed taters only to find there was a whole nother mess in the back and now on my shirt!! Surprise! Rachel once said, when Lily had just arrived, you know we are paretns b/c we can't go anywhere w/o spit-up, milk or something all over us! Now add poop! In typical dad fashion I just wiped it all off and went on w/ the night! Craftsman and dad those are new titles I'll have to get used to.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Prayed and read through "the daily office" again today and this prayer just stuck in me as did this quote from Shane Claiborne:
And that’s when things get messy. When people begin moving beyond charity and toward justice and solidarity with the poor and oppressed, as Jesus did, they get in trouble. Once we are actually friends with the folks in struggle, we start to ask why people are poor, which is never as popular as giving to charity. One of my friends has a shirt marked with the words of late Catholic bishop Dom Helder Camara: “When I fed the hungry, they called me a saint. When I asked why people are hungry, they called me a communist.” Charity wins awards and applause but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for living out of love that disrupts the social order that calls forth a new world. People are not crucified for helping poor people. People are crucified for joining them.
God, help that I might begin to live out these!
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Prayed and read through "the daily office" again today and this prayer just stuck in me as did this quote from Shane Claiborne:
And that’s when things get messy. When people begin moving beyond charity and toward justice and solidarity with the poor and oppressed, as Jesus did, they get in trouble. Once we are actually friends with the folks in struggle, we start to ask why people are poor, which is never as popular as giving to charity. One of my friends has a shirt marked with the words of late Catholic bishop Dom Helder Camara: “When I fed the hungry, they called me a saint. When I asked why people are hungry, they called me a communist.” Charity wins awards and applause but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for living out of love that disrupts the social order that calls forth a new world. People are not crucified for helping poor people. People are crucified for joining them.
God, help that I might begin to live out these!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
one of those days!
Today has been one of those days that I wish i could repeat a lot! I got up and ran despite the 36 degree temps. Rachel worked from home all day which meant she, Lily and Ispent the whole morning just laughing and playing b/t Rach's constent beeper tones. I sware the place would fall apart if they couldn't get ahold of her in 2.5 seconds! Work was hard but rewarding. And to top it off i got to network w/ people like I once did to put projects together. Really cool peeps too!!! http://www.findingmoore.com/ and http://thomasanddita.blogspot.com/ Sometimes I really miss doing that kind of stuff. Makes me want to find an outlet for my passions, difficult road though. For now I will enjoy celebrating this day!!!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
proud
hard to figure out what exactly to title this but maybe "Proud" or "excited" could be it. Several years ago I was a youth pastor. One of the teens is now a youth pastor who I get to interact w/ some, more and more lately. I am so glad of that. He stayed at our house after returning from a mission's trip to Belize. He was one of eight youth pastors selected in the state to go. He has such a heart for God and he has tremendous thoughts on church, the poor and just overall life. I couldn't be prouder of him or his wife-she's great too. At one point I would have said I was glad to play a part in his life- now I am excited to say he plays a part in mine! Thanks Scottie, I am so proud of you!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
starting out
well I gues this is my attempt to actually begin to connect w/ peeps and start letting my thoughts out again through technical means. I must admit that in some ways and for some unknown reason to everyone else, and myself as well, I have avoided all the techy ways of community-myspace, facebook, etc. Then I decided today to give this a chance. I'll let a few of my friends in on it and we'll see what happens. At least I'll have a chance to chat on some of the issues I have rattling around in my head.
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