There has been a ton of great new music recently (Josh Ritter, Band of Horses, Everest) including the new album High Violet from the National. On this album there is a song called “Runaway” that has captured my spiritual side for the last week and won’t let it go. The song plays out as an internal conversation happening within someone who realizes their limitations in the face of what looks to be a lengthy struggle. But even though he knows what is coming there is still a sense of commitment and hope that gives him the strength to go through with it. The music itself is one long build… there is no chorus or “hook” that you would expect from a pop song, but instead a landscape the mirrors the repetitive and meditative sentiments of the singer. There is no resolution offered musically or lyrically just the lingering feelings of this doubtful yet hopeful person about to start a troubled journey.
As I begin to wrap my head around the transitions facing my life, this song has captured a glimpse of where I stand spiritually. Though I have my doubts about myself and all the uncertainty that swirls around me, I am still ready to go through with it because I have faith in what is to come. Here is a video of the band performing the song, I hope it means something to you:
Paste Magazine recently released what they think to be the 40 best cartoon characters of all time. I’m not going to argue with the list even though it does provide for some great conversation. I was a little surprised to see a lot of recent cartoon characters make the list and even place above such classics as Goofy and Sylvester J. Pussycat but what really made me happy was to see Larry the Cucumber at #30. As a church worker and someone who has seen all the Veggie Tale cartoons a couple times over I actually got excited to see Larry show up on a list that honored both Ned Flanders and Cartman. This is what Paste had to say about our favorite animated cucumber:
“After all the cultural good that Christianity gave us over the last two Millennia, the second half of the 20th century wasn’t exactly a high-water mark. But in the 1990s, Veggie Tales became the exceptional piece of genius pop culture in the typical Christian bookstore. And Larry the Cucumber was the biggest reason why. Don’t believe me? Watch the video below.”
While “I love my lips” is certainly one of Larry’s greatest hits, these next two are my favorites of the silly songs collection. Enjoy!
Hey everyone, here is a list of some great events coming up this May!
May 16th: Annual Kids Musical
This year the musical is all about creation and our call to take care of what God has given us. We are rehearsing every Wednesday at Middle School CHAOS from 4-5:30. This is always one of the highlights of the year and this one is shaping up to be no different.
May 30th: Youth Sunday @ 11am
This will be the first ever Youth Sunday at WPC and I would love for all students (6th-12th grade) to come help lead worship and celebrate my last day at church. We have already started planning what the service is going to look like but we would love to get you involved in what is going to be an amazing morning.
May 30th: Where The Wild Things Are @ 12:30
After the Youth Sunday service we will be showing the movie “Where The Wild Things Are” in Hoffman Hall. This was my favorite film of last year and I will be leading the discussion one the themes and perspective the film offers.
If you would like to be involved in any of the things we have going on please call Steve at the church, 310-474-4535.
Tibetan artist Gade has come out with a new collection showing the influence of western culture on his home land by combining traditional Budhist art with familiar western images. He says “In most people’s minds, Tibet is an ancient, mysterious and exotic place. The notion of ‘Tibet’ is a conundrum. When outsiders actually visit Tibet, especially Lhasa, they get culture shock when they see all the pop culture, fast food, rock music, Coke and beer, brand name clothing, Hollywood movies, the nightlife scene, etc. I think Lhasa ought to be renamed Lhasa Vegas.” (found via Popped Culture).
Dear god, I’m trying hard to reach you
Dear god, I see your face in all I do
Sometimes it’s so hard to believe in
Good god I know you have your reasons
Dear god, I wish that I could touch you
How strange sometimes I feel I almost do
And then I’m back behind the glass again
Oh god what keeps you out it keeps me in
Today is Maundy Thursday where we celebrate the last supper Jesus hadwith his disciples before his crucifixion and resurrection. I found myself on a google rabbit hole searching images and representations of the last supper and came up with some beautiful, contemporary and even some parodies of the meal we rememer tonight. Here are some of my favorites.
There was a conference a couple weeks ago down in Claremont entitled “Theology after Google” where people got together to discuss the influence of technology on religion/theology and how new technologies and networks can be used for transformational ministry. If you want to know more about the conference, google it! My friend Barry gave a lecture on what it means to be human in our techno-driven culture and how that influences how we approach and interact with the sacred. I’ve included the video of his talk if you are interested (If you have an extra 20 minutes I would highly recommend watching it because it touches on a lot of really interesting issues facing spirituality). There are a couple things he mentions that really got me thinking:
The Techno-Self: The way we define and create the self is constantly being reformed and shaped by the tools we use. The technologies that we employ on a daily basis change the way we are in the world and thus change who we are. As we find more and more identity through our technologies (not just computers and cell phones but social networking, media consumption, transportation, work habits, etc.) it changes how we approach the sacred and demands a rethinking of our relationship to the divine. I’m not saying the new way to God is through blogging our prayers, but I think he raises a great question about how we are expected to function in one paradigm in our daily lives and then switch to another, more structured, paradigm in our spiritual life. One of the challenges (if not the biggest challenge) facing the church is how to embrace network thinking and the thechnologized self of contemporary culture. I believe one of the starting points is to let go of our desire to master a knowledge of the sacred and begin to live into the stories of the divine that are happening through us and around us.
My favorite line of Barry’s talk is how we need to “give up the struggle for mastery and enter into the sheer delight of living.” For too long I think the church has been focused on authority issues regarding God/God’s will and apologetics instead of participating in the life of God. If we can give up the notion that God fits into our enlightenment thinking and instead embrace the mystery of God we might be able to find new ways of sacred expression and spirituality.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on these issues as well as anything else that may come to mind after hearing what Barry has to say.
Hey everyone, this Sunday after church we are going to continue our Lenten movie series with “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” . Afterwards I’m leading the discussion on the symbolism (particularly baptism) in the film as well as how it wrestles with the idea of redemption. I hope you can join us.
There has been a ton of great new music recently (Josh Ritter, Band of Horses, Everest) including the new album High Violet from the National. On this album there is a song called “Runaway” that has captured my spiritual side for the last week and won’t let it go. The song plays out as an internal conversation happening within someone who realizes their limitations in the face of what looks to be a lengthy struggle. But even though he knows what is coming there is still a sense of commitment and hope that gives him the strength to go through with it. The music itself is one long build… there is no chorus or “hook” that you would expect from a pop song, but instead a landscape the mirrors the repetitive and meditative sentiments of the singer. There is no resolution offered musically or lyrically just the lingering feelings of this doubtful yet hopeful person about to start a troubled journey.
May 30th: Youth Sunday @ 11am
May 30th: Where The Wild Things Are @ 12:30
There was a conference a couple weeks ago down in Claremont entitled “Theology after Google” where people got together to discuss the influence of technology on religion/theology and how new technologies and networks can be used for transformational ministry. If you want to know more about the conference, google it! My friend Barry gave a lecture on what it means to be human in our techno-driven culture and how that influences how we approach and interact with the sacred. I’ve included the video of his talk if you are interested (If you have an extra 20 minutes I would highly recommend watching it because it touches on a lot of really interesting issues facing spirituality). There are a couple things he mentions that really got me thinking:
Hey everyone, this Sunday after church we are going to continue our Lenten movie series with “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” . Afterwards I’m leading the discussion on the symbolism (particularly baptism) in the film as well as how it wrestles with the idea of redemption. I hope you can join us.