Sunday, September 30, 2007

Silver lining

I feel like crap today. Which is really annoying, because it means I can't drive out to worship. However, if there was ever a day to need to stay at home on the couch...

FOX has football
NBC has President's Cup (golf)
CBS has football
ABC has NASCAR
FSN Ohio has Cubs (with Cincinnati announcers, unfortunately)
FSN Midwest has Cardinals-Pirates
FX has Top Gun

If only it wasn't sunny and gorgeous....

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Ho-ly Cow

Cubs win! Cubs win! Ho-ly Cow!

In spite of our best efforts, the Cubs have managed to win the NL Central. It has more to do with the futility of the Brewers than with the prowess of the Cubs, but when you're a Cubs fan, you take what you can get.

"We're singing now Go Cubs go, go Cubs go
Hey Chicago what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today
Go Cubs go, go Cubs go
Hey Chicago what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today."

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I need solace

The Cubs started the week with a 3.5 game lead in the central, this being the last week of the season.

Pending a huge, miraculous comeback by the suddenly atrocious Cardinals in the ninth, the Cubs lead is down to 2 games.

Still, a really strong lead, you might argue? I need to highlight one more piece of relevant information:

THESE ARE THE CUBS!!!!!!!

So please, send prayers, send solace to me (and all Cubs fans), and if possible, send a power-hitting bat and/or a shut-down starting pitcher.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

High-Impact Worship

Who knew church was so physically taxing? I actually got hurt...

We were worshipping/jamming a little at the end of our time, and the djembe playing next to me got up and left. Well, being the good little percussionist I dream that I am, I went ahead and picked up the djembe to filling in--I know enough music that I can wing it and make that work... Anyway, shortly thereafter, our little worhsip/jam session with piano and guitar and 2 djembes turns into a dance/worship/jam session with just us two djembes. And it continued....and continued...probably for about eight minutes or so. And, of course, since it was just the two of us guys drumming (is that the right verb for playing a djembe???), we can't exactly sit out or relax or rest. So, the beat was pumping, there was dancing and praising, ... , and my right thumb (the part of my two hands that I use to accent or "hit" a beat) is very sore. Right at the base of the thumb. So, no snapping for a couple days for Shawn (seriously, where my middle finger "lands" is right where it's sore). Clearly, I have no percussion technique. :)

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Dangerously Pure

At church today, at one point a little clip was played. It was taken from some kind of prophetic word that was originally posted on a prayer wall in the middle east. Someone copied it from there and brought it back to the US, where it's been made into skits and songs and all kinds of stuff like that. It even remained anonymous for a long time before the author finally came forward.

Anyway, during that pice we were listening to, a little phrase popped out and struck me. Dangerously Pure. I really like that, and yet....what does it mean? How can purity be dangerous? To what is it dangerous? Is it kind of like the metaphor about light versus darkness, and light cutting through the darkness, and the darkness can't stand it or stand against it? Can purity be such a powerful force that, for instance, me being so pure that it infects people I'm around? Purity, in it's truest sense, is not weak. We Christians are not trying to "protect" our purity in the sense that it's fragile and if we move the wrong way it will break. But can it be aggressive to the point of being dangerous? Interesting to think about, I think.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

This is for you, bum

So, for those of you who have heard me do it, or heard the Ray Steven's version of "In the Mood" chicken-style, we got onto that topic today on the carride back from church today. We had lots of branches on the "chicken" theme, like maybe "bawk"-ing is a prayer language (can you imagine laying hands on someone and then clucking like a chicken). Eventually, we got to the topic of chicken praise. In particular, what type of music would chickens "sing" to? My feeling is lots of hymns, in a very serious, somber mood, with the very occasional crazy song (think Sister Act). Thoughts?

And by thoughts, I mean other than the "you have completely lost it" variety...