We could have sat--resting in a spot of
Unease.  No, we followed your lead and fore-
saw the opportunity for complete
Repudiation of all that marshaled
Us in passion. What do we have left now?
What exchange has been made? False hope in a
Life managed and forged by blind and cruel
Circumstances that happen to crest and
Fall on airy whims discernible to
None but to the most delusionary
Among us.  No reason to rage against
These ones. Yet, which sorrow is greater, or
Is it that it happens to fall on times
Of unending suspension.  I must then
Simply trust that the affection and cold
Attachment you have developed to this
Presumed hope is lead by steady feet and
A ready beat. Back here in this seat of
Apprehension, flanked by a bench of fit
Disquiet, the agitation holds yet
Enough reserved peace to arrest all fear.

We have been wandering.
Sneaking peeks at a past we 
Believed we could have had.
Through graffitied concrete walls we try
To glimpse into gaps, picking at
Loose mortar to open the cracks.
What can we find?
An expected jewel that may
Work to recover forgotten
Visions? All striving for our
Former glory--these have passed
To the exclusion of learned
Vanities.  That the passing time
Is fragile, reflecting how long
We've attempted to conjure
The heights from which we
See that we stand above
All perishable creation.
What questions should be asked?
Where is our resting place?
When should our striving be
Crowned? Then, we find
All our eyes have been searching
not for surety, but that
We continue to move. Our
Tired journeys find their aim
In a series of departures from
Our own gain.

Open up the walls with the sound of stark
Sublimity. Just when the space fills in, and the
One thing seen--a most solitary place--
Is cast behind, does the mind race and
Soak in all places where one can be and
All that can surround. Now, wait! Stand there still.
What is pushing back in resistance?
What is softening the space that had been
Steadily stiffening? And what can replace the
Desire for one to simply know that all
Fervency is valued? The cure comes when
Sovereignty is recognized through beauty.
When what can only be felt through an
Overflow of radiance is nearly tangible,
The Presence that is felt, yet unconquered by dust.

Demand distress, no longer satisfied
With comfort empty of cost. There, now with
Quivering tongue hidden from view, cleaved in
Resilient repose—no longer subject
To orderly prose, but leaving silence
Like a chasm, gaping outwards. There was
Once clear structure and intent. Fluid
Machination constructing image and sound—
But, all has been torn beyond the bedrock.
Like the ocean bluff, scoured and dashed by
Moving waters. Distress—what was counted
Too unseemly and frenetic beyond
All comprehension and desire now
Is reckoned as created. A change in
Quality has been imparted. Chaotic
Waters still reside, battering and shaping
All countries beyond recorded boundaries.
I can imagine a definite
Expectation of what days may come. All
Swirling and moving too swift for cognition.
Yet, from the face of this water, renewal
Lies beneath filling stress, satisfying a longing of eternity.

Twitter Sketch

Yes, I am a geek and I love Mythbusters and this video got me excited for the upcoming new season. What really got my attention in this video is Adam Savage discussing his interactions with fans on Twitter and how a few ideas for the show was spawned by Twitter. Adam talks about how he doesn't really frequent the official Mythbusters message boards mainly because of the overall negative atmosphere there. While he doesn't deny that disagreements pop up on Twitter, he mentions that the dialogue on Twitter tends to be more civil. While people might moan that Twitter is making people dumber for limiting thoughts to only 140 characters, this constraint can also foster a different kind of cognitive challenge that seems to have other social implications.

One of the beauties of literature is the poem. Not the sappy, clichéd permutations of "Roses are red . . .", but real literature (Think Frost, Milton, Coleridge). The challenge is to pack a meaningful idea in an incredibly compact form. Classically, literature has its own versions of limits--the haiku, sonnet and ode. In a way, these are no different from the 140 character limit on Twitter. The cognitive obstacle is to pack in what you want to communicate in this short space. Yes, text acronyms and abbreviations can give you more room to play with, but the challenge remains the same. In a bizarre way, Twitter is our contemporary version of poetry, if only for the cognitive work involved in both forms. (Perhaps you shouldn't think about that for too long--I know I don't want to!) Again, there is still a lot of garbage on Twitter. Just because you can pack in your thought in a short space doesn't mean that that thought had any real importance to communicate. Deciding what to communicate in the first place is the majority of the battle.

The unintended side-effect is how this limited space doesn't allow for people to turn their opinions into long, drawn out diatribes. If you really want to carry out an argument on Twitter, you have to choose carefully what you want to say to have most impact. There is simply no room to ramble. Perhaps this is what contributes to Adam's perspective that Twitter leads to more civil debates. With most things in life, it comes down to balance. Of course anyone can post anything on Twitter and engage what they want to write with any amount of animosity or with the kindest of spirits.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It happened today, October 2nd . . .

1950-Peanuts first published
1959-Twilight Zone premiered on CBS

Happy Birthday to . . .

Richard III-1452
Mohandas Gandhi-1869
Groucho Marx-1890

Album Review-Dream Theater "Black Clouds and Silver Lingings"

Since I was fortunate enough to get my pre-ordered copy of Dream Theater’s new album Black Clouds and Silver Linings a day earlier, I can write a review of it the day it’s released. Once again, Hugh Syme has masterfully executed the artwork on the album. His touch for the photorealistic and surreal is a wonderful fit for Dream Theater (don’t forget how many Rush albums he has worked on also—keep that in mind later). The production is one of the best, not only for Dream Theater, but for many recent releases. The draconian over-compression and rampant clipping found on their last album is far far away! Instead, engineer Paul Northfield (who has worked extensively with Rush also—hmm, interesting . . .) has done an outstanding mix, placing the drums a bit further back without losing its power and taking care not to allow the guitar and key leads to overpower the rest of the band. I recommend listening to the cd on a good pair of headphones or quality speaker setup with a good subwoofer—this is where the bass really comes through—you can really feel it thundering as the title of the album suggests. Again, technically, this album just sound superb, every facet of the band can be heard clearly without shortchanging a single lead or solo.

This is a testament to the quality of musicianship more than anything else. Notably, guitarist John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess on keys, continuum, iPhone, and whatever electronic device that emits sound he can get his hands on, offer their usual feast of notes and riffs, but have really made an effort to use their make their offerings work more cohesively with rest of the song structures. That really is the rallying cry of this whole album—the band, who had let their hair down and had some fun the last album, has returned with an album, that while not short on epic and extended compositions (the average song lasts 12 minutes), has made a focused effort on creating songs that are structured better and do not wander aimlessly. James LaBrie has seemed to found a new level of comfort with his vocal range as well as his limitations and come through with stellar performances throughout without sounding overly cheesy. Drummer Mike Portnoy excels once again. The problem with him is that since he is so consistently good, he only stands out if he delivers a sub-par performance. John Myung has dialed in his bass with the best tone he has ever had. It is big, crisp and still has enough punchiness. Myung has also given some of his tastiest bass lines to this album.

The first track, “A Nightmare to Remember”, is epic Dream Theater at their best. The opener is replete with one of the most soaring vocal lines in the chorus. Though there are very heavy and intense moments that can fit comfortably among the riffs of Train of Thought, during the softer moments, much of Petrucci’s guitar tones are reminiscent of the Awake days. And no Dream Theater epic is finished without a guitar and synth duel, but both Petrucci and Rudess know when enough is enough and move quickly to the meat and potatoes of the composition. The only disappointing point comes toward the end when Portnoy adds his own take on the aggressive growling vocals found in extreme metal—it comes off a bit too cheesy and takes a bit of the luster away from an otherwise great opening number

The first single of the album, “A Rite of Passage” takes a few listens to get into. If anything, it tries too hard to be big and epic, but then it falls into another catchy and rather commercial sounding chorus—seemingly a token single that will probably play well to the rest of Roadrunner Records metallic fan base. There are moments that if you didn’t hear the distinctive vocals of LaBrie, you would have thought some of the riffs and melodies come from a power metal band such as Blind Guardian, especially a riff that comes after the chorus that sounds much like one found in Blind Guardian’s “Another Stranger Me”.

Like many other reviewers have said, “Wither” is a welcome breath of air in the midst of the heavy and quicker-paced duo of beginning songs. Its vocal lines during the verses seem a bit too reminiscent of “The Ministry of Lost Souls” on their previous album. That being said, this is still one of the best ballads that Dream Theater has composed—blending the best of the string synth arrangements and supporting key work of Rudess and a stunning guitar solo that in the beginning echoes a bit of a Queen-esque run.

Much like the overtures on Six Degrees of Separation and Scenes from a Memory, “The Shattered Fortress” recaps much of the musical and lyrical motifs from the rest of Portnoy’s AA chronicle from the previous four albums. By itself, this song seems a bit thrown together, but seen as a capstone to a suite of songs, this works pretty well—a fun listen.

Following a rather somber, yet exquisite opening two minutes, “The Best of Times” is carried by an energetic riff totally inspired by Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio”. After a warm, nostalgic elegy to Portnoy’s late father, the song drifts into a quiet expression of sorrow. This song also bears the strong reflective tone of Rush’s “Red Barchetta”.

The album’s closer, “The Count of Tuscany”, bookends the album with yet another epic. It launches with an opening that again evokes the feeling of “Pull Me Under”, with a guitar tone that echoes those of Awake, as well as Rush’s “Xanadu” (which in turn reminds me of Dream Theater’s own “Trial of Tears” in a weird way). With so many connections to Rush, this album perhaps has more ties to classical prog rock than many might concede. “The Count” is filled with many of the tasty prog-metal twists and turns that has become a landmark of Dream Theater. It is the dominating chorus that is the most commercial sounding than anything else on the album that one would be accustomed hearing from a band like P.O.D. or the like. Oh, and the story of someone being enticed to check out some vintage wine in a creepy cellar only to be walled in by an eccentric aristocrat is absolutely inspired from Poe’s story “The Cask of Amontillado”!!

It is sometimes unfair to compare bands with substantial discographies based on their previous landmark albums. Good band change, they evolve, adding elements while hopefully losing ones that can date their music. Black Clouds and Silver Linings recalls the heaviness and brooding qualities of previous albums, such as Awake and Train of Thought. This offering lies somewhere in the middle, calling back the tight songwriting skills of Awake, while employing the heavy, metallic virtuoso music of Train of Thought. There are stunning, soaring, anthemic choruses throughout this album that hasn’t been heard from Dream Theater in quite a while. The subdued, supportive keyboard work of Rudess, again is a return to what made Dream Theater initially popular in progressive circles without losing his characteristic intricate and ornate leads. There are a few places don’t quite work, such as Portnoy’s attempt at aggressive vocals that falls short and the few melodies and choruses that sound a bit too polished and commercial, yet this is a triumphant return of a more focused and ever evolving Dream Theater.

Just Tweeting Away

Nothing makes the way we live stand out more than when other differing cultures adapt and utilize the same products, media and technology that we use on a daily basis. It has been hard to ignore what has been happening in Iran in the past week. As a people and country that has had its full share of turmoil and transformations, the people of Iran finally have a chance to taste a morsel that has fallen off the table of freedom and democracy. I can’t imagine seeing lines outside polling places of people waiting to vote in the first place. It would be an entirely surreal experience to see a political contest conclude in such turmoil over its own legitimacy. This makes the controversy of the election of 2000 seem like a minor sandbox squabble. We are indeed spoiled, yet immensely blessed to witness the peaceable transfer of major nation-wide power every four to eight years. How would we in the US respond if we felt the entire election was an entire sham? Would we be willing to band together in the face of an oppressive regime? Or even stand in the freezing cold as thousands did during the Orange Revolution in Ukraine?

It is amazing how the people of Iran are using text messaging and Twitter. This rapid form of communication has mobilized such a coordinated effort of those opposing the rigged election. Not only do these Tweets spread the word of what rallies and demonstrations are happening around the country, but also what events are staged by the government to trap dissenters. In contrast, most users in the western world find that they must let everyone know every single detail of their daily existence from what exactly they are consuming at 2:28 AM to what they found picking their noses. This isn’t to say that these things aren’t interesting or of any importance, but rather that these are things that don’t have to be shared all the time with a wide public audience. There is a distinct narcissism that comes with one thinking that they are of such great magnitude that every soul must know all these things about them. This level of instant communication is not something that should be immediately demonized. On the contrary, when used it the right way, these things are extremely useful. It comes down to the motivation behind what we post. Is it really to elevate one’s self? Hopefully we take a good look at how the people in Iran are using the same technology as we do. The only difference is the grave seriousness of what they are communicating.

U2-No Line on the Horizon

There will always be tons of buzz generated whenever U2 does anything, let alone release their first album since 2004 (It has been five years already?!). When I saw that the whole album was streaming up on Myspace, I was tempted to see if all the hype was real. I am glad I waited to actually drive to the store, buy the CD and wrestle with the packaging. The first single, "Get On Your Boots" was already starting to get a bit tiring, but CD quality blew away anything I heard previously streamed online, revealing lots of nuance.

Starting in 2000 with All That You Can't Leave Behind, through How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, up to No Line on the Horizon, it's amazing how each album sounds different, yet remain unmistakably U2. Off the bat, No Line on the Horizon has more in common with All That You Can't Leave Behind with its slower pace. After trying to fit as many "U2-ish" arena songs into the last album, No Line on the Horizon is much more roomy, but don't take that as simple. There is lots of nuance in this album, most from the drumming of the band's rock Larry Mullen Jr. Though the tempo has slowed on this album, it doesn't mean the music is softer. Melodies and rythyms are allowed to expand, fill up space an envelope the room. Just when you think they are going to build up into a huge anthemic chorus, U2 tempers the pace before returning. It's an album that requires one to stop, sit down and just listen.

No Line on the Horizon might not be as good as U2's most recent albums, but it's guaranteed to be another hit. It's apparent they are pacing themselves so they don't jump the shark (yet again) on their latest resurgance. I'm sure as they tour, they will pour new life into these songs and have people wishing that what they just heard live was what on the album.

Chinese and Philosphical Buffet

You know when you step into a Chinese buffet that you will be overwhelmed with a sampling of culinary delights, but less expected is experiencing a wave of talk about religion, culture and society. On the table next to me were four guys trying to squeeze their heaped plates of fried rice and sesame chicken between stacks of several thick books covering a generous sampling of archeology, religion, astronomy, philosophy and Christianity. I couldn't help but try to listen in on what these seemingly inquisitive minds were conversing about. Soon, it became apparent that half of that group were questioning Christianity's place within the intellectual realms of truth, while the other two were attempting to answer and defend the veracity of the Bible and Christ's teachings.

The one thing that really stood out about the two guys defending that their "un-religion" that gives them as much inspiration and spiritual fortitude to handle life is how important science is in informing them about truth. Obviously, to them, scientific inquiry was truth that left no room in questioning its own hallowed halls. I think they hit the nail on the head. Science has become its own religion. The questions and criticisms of blindly followed religions that they were railing against Christianity could easily be leveled against science itself.

What realy got me thinking critically about science was when I started learning more and more about theoretical world of quantum physics that went beyond Newtonian physics. As one dives beyond the sub-atomic level, all the known rules of how matter behaves can be thrown out the window. In this seemingly chaotic world, it becomes apparent how much we don't know about the world. In fact, it may question much of what we do know of how the world works. What this shows me is that once we as humans start thinking we know so much about the universe, it gets all broken apart. It becomes quite clear that science isn't truth itself, but a lens with which we can observe what is around us and make some understanding of it all.

The more and more science is broken down and you get into the minute facets of physics and the material universe, the more you inevitable start talking about philosophy. The more one tries to accumilate fact upon fact against one skeptical of Christianity, the more the dicussion breaks down because it's like using the same stones to build opposing fortresses against each other. When the dicussion takes these facts and applies the mortar of philosophical questions of what these facts really mean to our daily lives, these stones or facts become construction, building a bridge between opposing sides.

An Out-of-Body Reading Experience

The other day I was sitting in Starbucks and glimpsed a copy of newspaper out of the corner of my eye. The two people sitting at the table next to me were speaking way too loud and I couldn't concentrate on the book I had brought to read. (That's a topic for another day . . .) Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a newspaper and start leafing through the pages. Let me just say that newspapers are rather awkward to read when you don't have a nice, big table to lay the thing and you must hold it up at a comfortable level to read an article from top to bottom, or I am just a bit clumsy with the most mundane things.

As I started to read this newspaper in my usual way, something odd leaped out at me--I was extremely aware of how I was reading. I didn't just read articles on each successive page I turned. I found myself quickly flipping through the whole thing, glancing at each page and taking in each headline. I might have read a paragraph or two of an article, but didn't read the entire thing. Then, I went back and read the articles that really caught my attention. All this time, I'm thinking, 'Gee, I must look so weird flipping back and forth through this newspaper as if I have ADD or something'. Now, I was wondering if I'm just plain eccentric, or if there is a reason why I read this way.

Oddly, this whole experience made me realize that reading this way let me pay more attention to articles that I really want to read since I kind of 'previewed' the rest of the paper. I think this is a reason why I like to read reviews--whether its music, movies, etc. There is just so much information and stimuli that hits us from all over our society and culture that we need some kind of way to filter through everything and just focus on what is meaningful to us. At the same time, this kind of 'previewing' also allows someone to expose himself to a variety of different viewpoints and experiences without going crazy trying to find out everything about so many different subjects.

. . . and God saw that it was good

Even though it was almost a full year ago, you may remember that we got an extra day in February since it's a Leap Year, but did you know before the end of 2008 we will get a "Leap Second"? When I first saw this article, I thought this is a bit ridiculous. I can understand that the calendar we use day to day isn't the most precise that we need to add a day to February every four years, but we seriously that off that we need to correct our time by one second?!? Apparently, even though we have extremely accurate atomic clocks, the earth's rotation is just so ever imprecise that every so often, we need to adjust how we measure time to remain in sync with our position in the universe.

What I think is amazing is how we look to science to measure everything in the universe and can see how God has designed everything so well. I find it even more amazing when I read articles like this that mess with our concept of how we have everything so figured out. Having all these studies, archeological findings, experiments and hard evidence to prove that everything in the Bible is true is not crucial to my belief in Jesus. Yet the more concrete facts I learn , I can feel my faith decrease ever so slightly. If someone is given libraries upon libraries of irrefutable information about something that isn't tangible (for a silly example, like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster), the less faith it takes to believe in something. With tons of evidence, one is left with absolutely no choice but to concede belief--the free will to believe is taken away by force.

Things, like this "Leap Second" just remind me how awesome and great God really is. Like it says in Isaiah 55:9, God's ways and thoughts are much higher than ours. Whenever we think we have God all figured out and are ready to put Him on our shelf because we think we have contained to what we can understand, He throws us for a loop and we have to wrestle with facts and events that baffle our brains. To me, it doesn't matter what kind of new research comes out that may discredit how God perfectly created the universe, my personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the biggest evidence to my faith. So what if that according to our understanding the world isn't as perfect mathematically as we think it should be, God's math is far more perfect than our math!

Mourning the Soul of Music

Here's my chance to sound like an old grumpy man-despite my real age. Right now, I'm going to complain that the 'scene' wasn't what it used to be when I was younger. I am going to complain about how the music I grew up on has now vanished, replaced with mostly garbage and that nobody cares about the music anymore. But, more than that, I'm really heartsick that the simple art of listening to music is lost. I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to turning on some music to fill the silence when working on something else, yet, I relish the times I get to sit down, put on a pair of headphones and just close my eyes and do nothing else but listen to music. Better yet, I love listening to music live. I don't really need alot of lights, video and spectacle when a musician I really enjoy is performing.

Music is that important to me. It is something that can be consumed on its own--it is that rich. It is more than a condiment for daily life. It really is what gives me hope, and as Tim Robbins' character in "The Shawshank Redemption" puts it, music is something that can't be taken away since it resides within the human soul. So, when I see the absolute lack of respect for a musician pouring his guts performing, I get upset. When I see people give away something that can't be forcibly taken by others, I get depressed--dejected that some have no problem wasting such a valuable part of being a human.

Perhaps it is just the consequence of living in the age of the iPod, where music is available anything a battery is fully charged. There is no need to listen intently, savoring every moment because it is so fleeting, so hard to retrieve later on. I love to live as though music can be retained. The best part of listening to something I truly love is afterwards, when the music is so fresh in my mind it lasts for hours. This is really raw, concentrated emotion, the very framework of our souls that is left over after listening to music. Being able to listen to music anywhere and anytime is an untold curse. We can no longer enjoy an entire meal because the individual ingrediants have been left out. Yet, this is what we devour--empty representations of something valuable--hollow pieces of food, gaining no satisfaction, but getting all the taste. Missing the substance of what we are consuming, we go back for more. More taste, more sensation, yet never having our fill. The gluttony of sensuality--obese on what we can experience, but we are too distracted by the next thing to realize how truly emaciated and cadaverous we really are.

Jesus and Black Metal

I'm going to put myself right out in the open here, I love metal and I LOVE Jesus! To some, these two passions don't belong together--I can see why. On one hand you have baby Jesus, meek and mild, in swaddling clothes, sleeping in a manger, with cows and sheep in the background singing 'O, Holy Night' softly and on the hand, you have a bunch of long-haired guys, usually growling, banging away on drums, playing chaotic music that sounds like random noise. People in church have kind of accepted having generic rock bands play Christian music, but metal still needs to stay far away--with all those un-Godly people who still need to be saved by watching 'Facing the Giants'. Call me crazy, but I have feeling that Jesus loves all people, regardless of what kind of music they like. There has always been a pull in my heart to use metal centered around Jesus and excellent music to reach those who don't want anything to do with Christians or Jesus. I've had countless conversations with metal-heads who are blown away that I like metal, don't compromise my faith in Christ, but still love them and don't shove a cookie-cutter version of Christianity down there throats. To me, this is showing them who Christ is all about.

I came across this story about a Christian metal band in Ecuador that has been experiencing alot of abuse for being Christ-followers. Take some time, read it, understand that Jesus used the language, customs and the experiences of the people He was ministering to so that He could bring them Good News. Also, take some time and pray for all those who are still lost and need Jesus in their lives and those willing to take risks to be ambassadors for Christ.

Good day folks,

There have been a few incidents this year concerning threats and assaults toward a few black metal evangelistic bands in South America, happening in Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador. My friend Abraham who is playing in Golgotha just told me that recently, the band played at a 400 person show in Quito. Apparently, for some time, Golgotha had been receiving threats from a group of black metallers who are part of a quasi-militant self-professed satanic cult group that actively speaks against Christian metal of all styles and has been doing so for a long time. When Golgotha took to the stage, the antagonists began to blaspheme. Golgotha played an excellent set and some of the crowd began to headbang and enjoy the music. A few people in the crowd became aggravated at the fact that others were enjoying Golgotha's music (both Christians and non-Christians at the concert.) and tried to persuade them to stop. Their inability to do so caused a few to pick up bottles and rocks and throw them at the stage. A couple of the band members were hit but not badly. The band did end up speaking to the crowd and some became very angry at the message, and didn't let the band finish the set successfully. Nobody was seriously hurt.

http://forums.firestream.net/showthread.php?t=27099

In Christ, Josh

String Theory--Jason Truby

Better late than never . . .

I was ecstatic to finally find this 2004 album on Ebay! This instrumental-acoustic guitar album by ex-Living Sacrfice and ex-POD guitarist Jason Truby is a must get. These 24 songs, ranging in length from under 30-seconds to about 4 minutes, truly reveal a sincerely heartfelt, gifted and skilled guitarist. The liner notes of the CD give little insights to the creation or message of each song (including what kind of guitar he uses in the song itself-he uses over 14 different ones!). This is an absolutely beautiful and rich album that allows a musical glimpse into the soul of an extremely sincere artist.

Faith We Can Understand

We live in such a bi-polar society. There are cynics that question every big event reported by the media and come up with alternate theories in an attempt to reveal the truth that is being covered up. At the same time, there are a few of us that actually believe that aliens built the pyramids for humans, ohhh, and that they came down to earth to seed the planet with the human species. I don't believe, however, that most people are illogical or simply crazy (Well, maybe except those looking at the skies waiting for our Martian mommies to bring us back home). Most people look at a body of evidence and interpret the facts in the most reasonable and logical way that their brains allow. In the majority of cases, nothing is believed unless it is scientifically proven or lines up with clear logic.

My question is what role does faith play in our hearts and minds? I look in Hebrews 11 and see that it is with faith that "we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible". That's tough. Faith always seems passive--that I allow myself to believe something without seeing any convincing piece of evidence. So, do we walk around, believing anything that looks spiritual or must there be a strong collection of facts and data that confirm the existence of God? How is faith itself the way we understand things that don't make any rational sense?

Beyond What We Can See

• Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.

• Reality, in fact, is always something you couldn't have guessed. That's one of the reasons I believe Christianity. It's a religion you couldn't have guessed.

• If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

Perhaps you can find a running theme in these quotes from CS Lewis. There is something within us as humans that draw us away from the everyday reality we experience. It's said in Ecclesiasties this way, that God has put "eternity" into our hearts. As much as I know that Christ's teachings are immediately applicable to any situation in our daily life, there is something about having an intimate relationship with Jesus that is simply transcendent--the more time I spend with Him, the farther I am lifted from ordinary life. Now, this doesn't mean that I can now escape the realities of being human. Yet, I find comfort that living isn't bound by my own reason, that I can truly live without having to figure out all the philosophical meanings of life (even though I personally love thinking about these things on occasion). It is awesome that God has given us the ability to imagine and to create such amazing things through our Art. If you needed any evidence that humans are really the daughters and sons of God, just consider this single attribute.

Both Lewis and JRR Tolkien held the personal belief that main story of the Gospel--that God came down in the form of man, was crucified for our sins and rose again on the third day with the promise of His return--was truth, but also a true myth. If you think back to many myths from the Greeks and Romans, this story resembles these pagan myths in some ways, but, especially to Tolkien, what set the Gospel apart was that it is the only true myth or fairy story because it has to be lived out in our daily lives.

True Worship

Worship. That word alone brings up so many different definitions, connotations, actions and emotions to so many different Christians. Being in as many contemporary worship services as I have in my lifetime, certain trends and patterns begin to emerge. The most glaring thing is how focused many contemporary worship songs is on the worshiper instead of the One being worshipped. Now, this doesn't neglect the fact that several times in our relationship with Jesus, expressing our devotion and service to Him is important, but there is a point that worship has gotten so over-defined that our focus has been lost. Pick up any one of the several books on worship and you might find the distinction between "praise" and "worship", "hymns" and "spiritual songs", yet the question remains--Who exactly are you worshipping?

This past week alone, I have experienced at least three different worship services. I am still blown away how the whole atmosphere of the room changes when the lyrics of worship songs relate directly to God, compared to when the lyrics are requiring God to do something for the one singing or lamenting the state of the worshiper. When one is praising the Creator of the universe, our own lives seem pretty small in comparison. But, that's when I feel free--that there is a whole reality beyond me and the limited life I am living.

I've always heard that worship is really a "lifestyle". It never sunk deep until I read Psalms 132:

Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
Until I find a place for the LORD,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.

Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.
Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place

Imagine that, you can make God comfortable through your worship! That's what it is all about!