This is a portion of a good artilce that I was reading by Dan Wilt. I found it on the vineyard music website. It hit pretty hard when he mentions the pride that comes with being "cutting edge" and "relevant". He talks about how we get disconnected from our history in the pursuit of these things. I'll stop talking and let you read it.
taken from "Thoughts on Advent Worship" by Dan Wilt
".....Further limiting us, tradition, liturgy, familiarity and predictability are often used as derogatory terms in contemporary movements like the Vineyard. Our penchant for the relevant (which to us means innovative and new) and the recent (which to us means cutting edge and the “latest”) can breed in us a subtle pride that cuts off both us, and our congregations, from the riches of our common musical and creative heritage as part of the Church trans-historic and trans-generational. In other words, tradition can either be marked by dead orthodoxy, or by a vibrant, spiritual, common language of the heart for those gathering to worship. Tradition can connect us, and give our congregation more ways, rich ways, to participate together in worship. "
man, did I need to hear that.
This little story might just turn me into a serious vegetarian. Seriously! Ok, maybe..... It goes like this: Dana, Olson and I went out to dinner last night before my rehearsal to get a little family time in the day- While waiting for dinner I drew Olson trucks, planes, faces, more trucks, and a helicopter on the paper table cloth. After our food came Olson continued to eat the bread and bits of salad. Being the good father that I think I should be I put a small bit of chicken on my fork and offered it to him. Keep in mind, Olson is 2. He talks a lot, listens even more and remembers everything. I held the fork towards his mouth and said, "Olson, would you like a bite of chicken? It's really good?". He looked at the fork, then looked at me then looked at the fork and said, "Chicken," (short pause) "that's a bird". With that statement made he went back to eating green beans and bread. Dana and I nearly dropped off our chairs in the middle of Macaroni Grill from trying to contain our laughter. At the same time the absurdity of eating a bird hit me too. Olson was right, "that's a bird". I don't know if we'll ever eat chicken the same way again. Kids are cool.
We watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" last night with Jason, Carrie, John and Laura. We tried to watch "A Christmas Story" but for some reason it wouldn't play in our DVD player. So, "Christmas Vacation was the next best option. It was almost therapeutic to sit back and watch someone else's disfunctional family. Clark Grizwald, Uncle Eddie, Snots the dog are like family to me because we watch them every year. We also try to watch "When Harry Met Sally" every Valentines Day, maybe for the same reason. Just to see how our marriage is less disfunctional than Harry's on-then-off, then on-then-off again-on again relationship with Sally. Dana and I have never talked about this part of watching these movies but I have to think in some way it makes us feel better about our traditions and family communication. All this on top of working at a church... During Christmas.... Makes for one messed up "family Christmas".
Just re-strung my acoustic guitar (froggy bottom K) and fixed the end pin jack. It kept coming lose at all the wrong times and I've been putting of fixing it. It's great to have it done so I don't have to worry about it falling off in the middle of "Blessed Be Your Name". Tomorrow I'm going to Nashville to lead worship for some kind of corporate event with Casey Corum and Sheri Keller. It's been a while since I've seen those two so I'm pretty excited to get some time to hang. I've also just installed Panther (mac OS X) and I'm reveling in the glory.... You might be thinking, "That's so sad" but don't be. I'm really pleased with it! There are a lot of us who get excited about a new operating system. Ok, maybe a few. Thanks dougie. Anyway, I wish I had something more profound to say but at this point "I got nothin". My mother seems to be recovering well from the chemo but no news yet on how the cancer has been effected. I so appreciate your continued prayers and intercessions. Thanks for the kind and encouraging words.
Bingo Update- For those of you who expressed interest in Bingo next week (dougie) I have not so good news. I'm going to be in Nashville Tuesday night and won't be able to attend. I'm bummed. (Big sigh) So, my thought is this.... maybe we can catch it the following week?
John, Laura, Dana, Olson and I jumped in our Subaru this morning at around 10:00 determined to take in the American Christmas tradition of "hunting and gathering" a Christmas tree. Ok, hunting and gathering is hardly an American tradition that ever takes place outside a mall.... but for us it was a big morning. We drove up north (to Liberty Township) to a tree farm with the intentions of cutting down an innocent tree that we could stick in our living room for a few weeks. It was 34 degrees, wet and muddy, Boy Scout troop 34? was handing out chocolate milk and cookies for a "donation" and Olson was a bit sickly. We picked up our hand saw (I was really hoping for a chainsaw) and our tree sled and set out to find the perfect conifer. We walked around dozens of rows of trees, tripping over the stumps of the trees that we're mostly likely much nicer than the remnant we had to choose from. I'll say this; Charlie Brown would have felt at home at this place. All that to say.... We got back in the car after about 45 minutes of searching for the right tree empty handed. On the way back we stopped at a landscaping place and picked out much nicer trees for less money and they even strapped them to our car for us. I felt good about this part of the trip because I didn't have to return empty handed. All I had to do was point to a tree, swipe my credit card and tell the guy with the chainsaw (that I wanted) how much to cut off the end. It was simple, fast and cheap. Much like Christmas tends to be.... ouch.
We're currently in the process of making new traditions for our family. Any ideas?
Bingo. B-I-N-G-O. Go ahead, say it out loud once. It's probably been a long time since you've said it, let alone played it. Last night it was "Tuesday Night Bingo" down at R.P. McMurphy's Pub in Hyde Park. John Willis invited me to join him and some guys for 2$ pints and bingo. Yeah, B-I-N-G-O. Say it out loud again- it's alright it you are beginning to feel liberated. I'm feeling it too! As I used a pink crayon to scribble over "B-19" and "O-22" I found myself totally forgetting about myself for a while. I wasn't interested in winning (loads of fantastic, cheap prizes), although I could have used a pair of new leg warmers.... Mine are getting old. I wasn't even interested in bingo now that I think about it. I was sitting with a few friends in a small smoky room eating peanuts and listening to rock ballads from the early 90's. I'm sure for some that this sounds like hell on earth but I assure you, it's just a bar on a Tuesday. Bingo Tuesday that is. I needed to laugh and that's what I did. After every round I lost I crumpled up my bingo card and threw it at the winner as hard as I could. For all the effort of throwing I never seemed to get the person to notice. I think I've been throwing my losing cards at the people who are winning for the past few weeks. I'm not talking about bingo anymore. I think I may have hit a few of them too. I don't think they noticed. Anyway, anyone up for bingo next Tuesday night?
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has responded to my last post- I was talking with dougie about the bizarre feeling of community I felt as a result of reading those responses. Who ever thought that people would be brought together by such a wicked tool of the devil called.... the internet. Do you smell that? yeah, that's right. It's sarcasm. Simply said, "thanks".
Recently I'm wondering if the psalmists every went back and looked at what they had written and thought, "what was I thinking? Do i really believe this?". I led worship last night and sang a song that I wrote 2 years ago. It talks confidently about God's perfect peace in times of great struggle. "I will trust in You, in Your perfect peace, I will hope in You, I will rest in You, in Your perfect peace......" are the lyrics I wrote. This afternoon as I held my mother's melting hand in the hospital I started to reconsider my words. As I looked at her face swollen from chemotherapy and red from fever I was grasping for that "perfect peace" that I sang so passionately about the night before. I just couldn't seem to find it. Then out of nowhere, with her eyes closed she began to pray: "Dwell in the midst of us, father come dwell in this place". "In this place?", "In this hellish situation?", "With poison running into your veins?", With cancer eating your body?", I wanted to say. Somehow she has found the peace that I can only sing about. I left the hospital feeling like a weakling of a son and a mouse of a believer. I know I'm not a weak son. I also know I'm at least a hamster of a believer. She is a lioness in her faith and it inspires me. If you have a moment please pray for my mother, Gaile. thanks.
