Facebook Sean Lumsden: why i'm thankful for mr rogers.: "i am thankful for mr rogers.
those of you who know me know that my 2 biggest influences are c.s. lewis and t.d. jakes.
many of you don't know that the third is m.r. rogers.
the beauty of mr rogers is he took seriously the sacred space between a child and a adult. he never talked down to them...he always looked at their fears as they did.
and answered them head on by telling them that they had inner stregnth to handle the scary emotions in a healthy way.
bottom line, God started him doing puppet shows in sunday school...and as he stayed faithful to the next little step ahead of him, he transformed public television, brought joan rivers to tears and comforted generations of kids who grew up in tension and fear.
all by taking as sacred the space between a caring adult and a child.
i am thankful for mr rogers and ever other person who knows that children are not the future...they are the present.
mr rogers: a force.
plus he allowed john costa to play the most incendiary jazz piano EVER because he felt children needed to be exposed to good music.
if you don't believe me... watch this clip: i warn you- you may never listen to piano the same again...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUI2GpXX3gI
sean"
4.27.2009
more postings
Hey,
just posted the second part of 4 in the depression series. I know i started thinking that i could do this in three...but i was feverish... i couldn't talk about how to handle specifice emotions before i talked about the expectations that fuel our emotions.
i also posted the message "Moses and Joshua" that was renamed "keep your hands up" that was venacularly renamed "pray like aretha not like brittany."
so pick a name, any name... at the very least it has been discussed.
also, the message "Suffering Servant/ Crucifixion" hasn't gotten much attention...but that was the message where i make the point that "Jesus didn't die for you."
Enjoy- sean
just posted the second part of 4 in the depression series. I know i started thinking that i could do this in three...but i was feverish... i couldn't talk about how to handle specifice emotions before i talked about the expectations that fuel our emotions.
i also posted the message "Moses and Joshua" that was renamed "keep your hands up" that was venacularly renamed "pray like aretha not like brittany."
so pick a name, any name... at the very least it has been discussed.
also, the message "Suffering Servant/ Crucifixion" hasn't gotten much attention...but that was the message where i make the point that "Jesus didn't die for you."
Enjoy- sean
4.19.2009
4.07.2009
both sides now
Megan just posted the lyrics to "both sides now" to her blog.
http://megannotkasey.blogspot.com/
Also attached is the youtube clip of joni performing the '03 arrangement live.
The only better performance of that is when she did it on her album "standards" and she has Wayne Shorter on soprano sax instead of the "miles" muted trumpet at the end.
If you do watch this clip (and i dare you not to tear up), note the strings ambivalence in the first verse. She is taking her note and singing with out any connection w/ what is happening in the accompaniment. The background music never connects w/ her until she goes into the first chorus. BRILLIANT! STINKING BRILLIANT DARING ARRANGEMENT!! Key means little, minor seconds mean nothing dissonance comes and goes...she's singing about clouds, and we are hearing what it sounds like to be IN A CLOUD. BRILLIANT!!!
Here's my question... what is the best verse (four lines) of the song and why...i have my thoughts but I'd love to hear yours...
i keep coming back to...is this the best marriage of music, melody and lyric of my lifetime? if not WHAT? lets leave it at those three issues...arrengement will be saved for a different discussion.
i can think of one that clearly gives it a run for its money...but i will give it further thought.
sean
http://megannotkasey.blogspot.com/
Also attached is the youtube clip of joni performing the '03 arrangement live.
The only better performance of that is when she did it on her album "standards" and she has Wayne Shorter on soprano sax instead of the "miles" muted trumpet at the end.
If you do watch this clip (and i dare you not to tear up), note the strings ambivalence in the first verse. She is taking her note and singing with out any connection w/ what is happening in the accompaniment. The background music never connects w/ her until she goes into the first chorus. BRILLIANT! STINKING BRILLIANT DARING ARRANGEMENT!! Key means little, minor seconds mean nothing dissonance comes and goes...she's singing about clouds, and we are hearing what it sounds like to be IN A CLOUD. BRILLIANT!!!
Here's my question... what is the best verse (four lines) of the song and why...i have my thoughts but I'd love to hear yours...
i keep coming back to...is this the best marriage of music, melody and lyric of my lifetime? if not WHAT? lets leave it at those three issues...arrengement will be saved for a different discussion.
i can think of one that clearly gives it a run for its money...but i will give it further thought.
sean
4.03.2009
quick follow up
I've just finished working on my message for Sunday where i tell everyone that Jesus didn't die for you...
He died for God.
Part of my proof is in Rom 3.26 where Paul tells of how God used the death of Jesus to ensure that God was "just and justifier."
Jesus' death allowed God to be just and fulfill the curse of the broken covenant with Israel through the Law (Ex 24)...and bring mankind to justice for the sin that ravaged all of humanity.
BUT because God took the punishment upon Himself (as the person Jesus who was fully God) He enabled Himself to be the justifier.
Just AND Justifier.
Is good...does good.
Because Jesus died for God, we can have open access to all that God has in store for those who love Him.
Is good...does good.
even i can't complicate that...and i can complicate anything.
that is what brings us back to worship day after day.
"You are good and Your mercies endure forever..."
oops...i tipped my hat.
More later
sean
He died for God.
Part of my proof is in Rom 3.26 where Paul tells of how God used the death of Jesus to ensure that God was "just and justifier."
Jesus' death allowed God to be just and fulfill the curse of the broken covenant with Israel through the Law (Ex 24)...and bring mankind to justice for the sin that ravaged all of humanity.
BUT because God took the punishment upon Himself (as the person Jesus who was fully God) He enabled Himself to be the justifier.
Just AND Justifier.
Is good...does good.
Because Jesus died for God, we can have open access to all that God has in store for those who love Him.
Is good...does good.
even i can't complicate that...and i can complicate anything.
that is what brings us back to worship day after day.
"You are good and Your mercies endure forever..."
oops...i tipped my hat.
More later
sean
3.27.2009
Worship in eternity and Eden.
The Bible tells us that Lucifer was the worship leader in heaven. Before our world began, before we had the potential of singing praise to God, Lucifer stood before God and orchestrated the heavenly hosts in songs of praise and worship.
Yet at some point, this angel of light felt the worship directed to God would be better directed to him.
Somehow, he was able to convince 1/3 of the angels to follow him to rule and reign over a small planet, circulating a third rate star in an unremarkable part of the universe.
And so it began.
Lucifer’s name would change to Satan, the devil, the accuser, the serpent…and his goal was to stop any of these bi-nature bipeds from joining the remaining angels in heaven in articulating worship to the God he despised.
After earth was created, his first victory came when he popped the duel questions.
“Did God really say that?”
“What good thing is He hiding?
Underlying those questions was “is God Good…does He do good.”
If the enemy could get mankind to doubt the very goodness of God’s nature and dealings, and then act accordingly it would be game, set, and match. Never again would he have to hear the worship of the Creator come into his created ears.
All the theology, debates, anger, confusion and frustration surrounding religion and Christianity come down to this:
Is God Good…does He do good?
What will you do with that information?
So what happens when their offspring approach God in worship?
That’s next….
3.13.2009
Forgiveness Myths
The most terrifying 4 letters in the Bible are "as we."
Jesus prayed "forgive our sins AS WE forgive those who have sinned against us." i know what i need to be forgiven for...but what of those who have hurt me...
A few people have asked me to publish my acronym about the myths about forgiveness.... well here it is.
F.A.M.P. " i fent my fids to fummer famp." ...you're welcome.
Forgiveness is not:
Forgetting: Only God forgets. You may have heard "forgive and forget" but i think it should be said "forgive and obsess less." I know i am wrestling w/ unforgiveness because i have all these wonderful discussions in my head where i say all these funny cutting things, and the person i am angry at says nothing.
You won't forget most of the big offenses you live through. The devil won't let you. BUT you can obsess less today than you did a year ago...or a month ago. Celebrate those moments! Those moments where you have to be reminded of the offence mean you are working towards truly forgiving a person.
Approval: Forgiving someone does not mean you approve of what the
y did. In fact, part of the forgiveness process means confronting the reality that what someone did to you was evil...not just annoying, but evil. You're forgiving them means that what they did was wrong, but you're forgiveness starts God on making it right.
Remember, as long as you forgive, you win. Unforgiveness is like drinking poision and waiting for the other person to die.
Moment: Forgiveness is not a one time event. Frequently, truly forgiving will be a process...and sometimes a lengthy one. The best thing you can do is to praise God for the strength to have survived the offence, and just pray "Lord thank you that i have faith enough to forgive ____ as you have forgiven me." Being able to turn these moments from feeling angry to feeling thankful is one of the best skills you can learn.
Permission: Forgiving someone is not permission to let them do the same thing again. The power to forgive is deeply linked to the power to discern. After you forgive someone, you have the discernment to know when pigs are being offered pearls....or pearls are being tossed to pigs...something like that.
Forgiveness is the heart of God. He refuses to let anyone bear His name who won't forgive. The cross is the great equalizer... the sin committed against me are nailed to the same cross alongside the sins i have committed against others.
Bottom line: forgiveness is releasing God to be the judge...and not me.
Jesus prayed "forgive our sins AS WE forgive those who have sinned against us." i know what i need to be forgiven for...but what of those who have hurt me...
A few people have asked me to publish my acronym about the myths about forgiveness.... well here it is.
F.A.M.P. " i fent my fids to fummer famp." ...you're welcome.
Forgiveness is not:
Forgetting: Only God forgets. You may have heard "forgive and forget" but i think it should be said "forgive and obsess less." I know i am wrestling w/ unforgiveness because i have all these wonderful discussions in my head where i say all these funny cutting things, and the person i am angry at says nothing.
You won't forget most of the big offenses you live through. The devil won't let you. BUT you can obsess less today than you did a year ago...or a month ago. Celebrate those moments! Those moments where you have to be reminded of the offence mean you are working towards truly forgiving a person.
Approval: Forgiving someone does not mean you approve of what the
y did. In fact, part of the forgiveness process means confronting the reality that what someone did to you was evil...not just annoying, but evil. You're forgiving them means that what they did was wrong, but you're forgiveness starts God on making it right.
Remember, as long as you forgive, you win. Unforgiveness is like drinking poision and waiting for the other person to die.
Moment: Forgiveness is not a one time event. Frequently, truly forgiving will be a process...and sometimes a lengthy one. The best thing you can do is to praise God for the strength to have survived the offence, and just pray "Lord thank you that i have faith enough to forgive ____ as you have forgiven me." Being able to turn these moments from feeling angry to feeling thankful is one of the best skills you can learn.
Permission: Forgiving someone is not permission to let them do the same thing again. The power to forgive is deeply linked to the power to discern. After you forgive someone, you have the discernment to know when pigs are being offered pearls....or pearls are being tossed to pigs...something like that.
Forgiveness is the heart of God. He refuses to let anyone bear His name who won't forgive. The cross is the great equalizer... the sin committed against me are nailed to the same cross alongside the sins i have committed against others.
Bottom line: forgiveness is releasing God to be the judge...and not me.
3.11.2009
Obama, West Wing, and preaching
Below is a great Monday Morning Memo by Roy H. Williams...aka the Wizzard of Ads. Mondaymorningmemo.com
Some of you know that i intend to write a book w/ the working title "what commercial writers can teach preachers." The main concept is that the world is being changed 30 seconds at a time as opposed to 30 minutes at a time.
This will be the start of one of the chapters... the edited article is below with my thoughts after that... because i need just one more outlet.
The MondayMorningMemo© of Roy H. Williams, the Wizard of Ads®
The Monday Morning Memo for February 16, 2009
Let Me Tell You a Story...Magic Words to Penetrate the Filter,Erase Suspicion and Lower the Guard
Our bodies contain approximately 100 million sensory receptors that allow us to see, hear, taste, touch and smell physical reality. But the brain contains 10 thousand billion synapses. This means we’re roughly 100,000 times better equipped to experience a world that does not exist, than a world that does.
The first step in persuasion is to entice your target to imagine doing the thing you want them to do.
Four and a half years ago in the summer of 2004, a screenwriter named Eli Attie began creating a persona for a new fictional character that would appear on The West Wing.Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) would be a young congressman, new to Washington, a working-class member of an ethnic minority.
Prior to running for public office, our fictional character Santos had been a community organizer in a major city (Houston.) Screenwriter Eli Attie admitted to The Guardian, a British newspaper, that he was inspired in 2004 by a young Illinois politician – not yet even a US senator – by the name of Barack Obama, a community organizer from Chicago.
As a result of Attie’s attraction to Obama, the 2006 television season showed us a glittering, fictional candidate for the presidency, a happily married, young minority male with 2 children who would run against a moderate Republican opponent from a western state.
The imaginary Republican senator, Arnie Vinick (played by Alan Alda,) was unpopular with his conservative base due to his moderate views. His principal opponent in the fictional Republican primary was the Rev. Don Butler, a Christian preacher. Keep in mind these West Wingepisodes aired 18 months before the nomination battle between John McCain and Mike Huckabee.
But wait, it gets weirder.
Ten years ago, Aaron Sorkin admitted that he based The West Wing’sJosh Lyman on Rahm Emanuel, who served in Bill Clinton’s White House. Both Lyman and Emanuel are Jewish. Both are brilliant. Both mail dead fish to opponents who make them angry.
In the 2006 season of The West Wing, seasoned White House staffer Josh Lyman serves as campaign manager for the long-shot, minority candidate. When his candidate wins, Lyman is named Chief of Staff.
Two years laterRahm Emanuel, the real Josh Lyman,will become Barack Obama's Chief of Staff.Was it all a plot?
Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just an example of how we tend to act out the things we’ve seen in our mind.
Roy H. Williams
In my mind, preaching is helping people make the WORD become flesh. So how does creating fiction relate to preaching?
What i love about Roy's article is that a good preacher- like a good commercial- has the audience envisioning themselves in the story-passage-applications offered. Preachers lose and potentially insult their people by assuming that any application is separated from their real life.
Like a Lexus commercial running during Spongebob.
If you are preaching about compassion, let them see look of gratitude from the single mom you are handing a bag of food to. If you are encouraging people to pray, paint a specific enough picture that they can see themselves in the picture. Their world, their concerns, their obstacles. Don't just tell them to pray for their kids, let them feel your heart praying for your kids. Or better yet, let them feel God's heart for their kids.
Remember, too many generalities are like spraying teflon on their spirit.
Your creativity in creating a "fictional" example that rings true, will enable your listeners to turn fiction into reality.
West Wing did that w/ the Presidency, preachers can do that with Godliness.
and THAT is a tough sell...
Some of you know that i intend to write a book w/ the working title "what commercial writers can teach preachers." The main concept is that the world is being changed 30 seconds at a time as opposed to 30 minutes at a time.
This will be the start of one of the chapters... the edited article is below with my thoughts after that... because i need just one more outlet.
The MondayMorningMemo© of Roy H. Williams, the Wizard of Ads®
The Monday Morning Memo for February 16, 2009
Let Me Tell You a Story...Magic Words to Penetrate the Filter,Erase Suspicion and Lower the Guard
Our bodies contain approximately 100 million sensory receptors that allow us to see, hear, taste, touch and smell physical reality. But the brain contains 10 thousand billion synapses. This means we’re roughly 100,000 times better equipped to experience a world that does not exist, than a world that does.
The first step in persuasion is to entice your target to imagine doing the thing you want them to do.
Four and a half years ago in the summer of 2004, a screenwriter named Eli Attie began creating a persona for a new fictional character that would appear on The West Wing.Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) would be a young congressman, new to Washington, a working-class member of an ethnic minority.
Prior to running for public office, our fictional character Santos had been a community organizer in a major city (Houston.) Screenwriter Eli Attie admitted to The Guardian, a British newspaper, that he was inspired in 2004 by a young Illinois politician – not yet even a US senator – by the name of Barack Obama, a community organizer from Chicago.
As a result of Attie’s attraction to Obama, the 2006 television season showed us a glittering, fictional candidate for the presidency, a happily married, young minority male with 2 children who would run against a moderate Republican opponent from a western state.
The imaginary Republican senator, Arnie Vinick (played by Alan Alda,) was unpopular with his conservative base due to his moderate views. His principal opponent in the fictional Republican primary was the Rev. Don Butler, a Christian preacher. Keep in mind these West Wingepisodes aired 18 months before the nomination battle between John McCain and Mike Huckabee.
But wait, it gets weirder.
Ten years ago, Aaron Sorkin admitted that he based The West Wing’sJosh Lyman on Rahm Emanuel, who served in Bill Clinton’s White House. Both Lyman and Emanuel are Jewish. Both are brilliant. Both mail dead fish to opponents who make them angry.
In the 2006 season of The West Wing, seasoned White House staffer Josh Lyman serves as campaign manager for the long-shot, minority candidate. When his candidate wins, Lyman is named Chief of Staff.
Two years laterRahm Emanuel, the real Josh Lyman,will become Barack Obama's Chief of Staff.Was it all a plot?
Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just an example of how we tend to act out the things we’ve seen in our mind.
Roy H. Williams
In my mind, preaching is helping people make the WORD become flesh. So how does creating fiction relate to preaching?
What i love about Roy's article is that a good preacher- like a good commercial- has the audience envisioning themselves in the story-passage-applications offered. Preachers lose and potentially insult their people by assuming that any application is separated from their real life.
Like a Lexus commercial running during Spongebob.
If you are preaching about compassion, let them see look of gratitude from the single mom you are handing a bag of food to. If you are encouraging people to pray, paint a specific enough picture that they can see themselves in the picture. Their world, their concerns, their obstacles. Don't just tell them to pray for their kids, let them feel your heart praying for your kids. Or better yet, let them feel God's heart for their kids.
Remember, too many generalities are like spraying teflon on their spirit.
Your creativity in creating a "fictional" example that rings true, will enable your listeners to turn fiction into reality.
West Wing did that w/ the Presidency, preachers can do that with Godliness.
and THAT is a tough sell...
2.19.2009
Becky Brosnan's memorial service
When i was approached to perform the memorial service, i was happy to help. Becky's best friend had started attending our church, and another woman in our church was trying to help Becky and her two kids.
i felt a level of security since i could walk into this volitile situation with a level of detachment and be a voice of calm to one of Spokane's biggest stories of the year.
Turns out, Lynne and I had some history with this couple.
We both attended Valley Foursquare and had children with cleft pallette issues.
Below are the comments i prepared for the memorial. I mainly went from the heart, but these were the concepts i was trying to convey.
Please note, these are raw notes and not punctuated w/ the queen's english in mind. Sorry John.
How do we go on when we an evil act encroaches upon us.
How do we go on when our sense of safety and our peace of mind get shattered.
What do we do? where do we go? how do we cope? …when questions scream louder than answers.
Most funerals I officiate are a result of someone dying because of a natural cause. Maybe too early, often after a long illness, sometimes because of a problem in the way their body functions.
Natural causes in a fallen world.
Becky Brosnan was taken too early not because of a natural cause, but because of man’s fallen nature.
Yet, for the rest of humanity, for all of history; murder and violent death were far more common. In fact, humanity’s first family, Adam and Eve, had to live with the same questions we face today.
And all of these questions revolve around one question…or one accusation…
Why?
And i ask you to reflect…what are you looking for today? An answer or comfort?
The best an answer can give is to fill in a blank in our fallen, imperfect minds about our fallen imperfect world.
And having an answer never comforts, because a spoken answer will never quell the unspoken pain.
Instead i would hope to introduce us to the answerer who becomes our comforter.
We look to the Bible in times like this because we find comfort in words from people who used language to articulate what the heart could not.
David, who saw more death and killing than we ever will, stated that there is a valley, in the Shadow of death…and that valley is one we walk through…and that we can fear no evil because God’s presence is near to those in grief.
Paul, who was a mass murderer before his conversion stated “Death where is your victory grave where is your sting?” And proclaimed that “Death will be swallowed up in Christ’s victory”… as well as stating emphatically, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
John, the last living apostle, watched all the other apostles get killed for their faith. Upon his final message, he painted a picture of heaven where the glory of God shown like the sun. Where believers of all ages reunite and tell the stories of God’s faithfulness in a world of faithlessness. Ultimately, John writes that: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
And Jesus, the only individual who was truly perfect… The only man who helped everyone He came in contact with. ..The only human who could say “I and the Father are one” and “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” Said “ in my Father’s house there are many mansions, and if I go, and prepare a place for you, i will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you will be also.”
Jesus, who took upon Himself all the worst man could offer did so to say to say to His creation: yes I see and have experienced the worst injustice man could inflict to show you that God the Father, enters into and shares the grief and pain you experience.
Yet, through all of this, one concept arises: eternity.
Man only sees time as going forward. God, from the perspective of eternity, sees that everything we experience on earth is but a blip in the face of eternity in heaven… with Him, with our loved ones, and because of Becky’s confession of and practice of being a follower of Christ, with Becky.
Even though nothing said will help us speed up the long grieving process, i hope and pray that to help start the process…we can all reflect that
1. Life is fragile. While this was an act of evil impulse, any of us, could also have our life ended by an act of carelessness, or inattention, or …natural causes.
2. Love is vital. Just as man can choose to destroy, man can also choose to love. Everyone of us has people in our life that need to know of our love for them and their importance to us.
3. Christ is essential. Every philosophy has its interpretation of death and whatever tasks are required to appease its interpretation of God. Yet Jesus who was the Christ, simply pointed to Himself… I am the way, I am the truth…I am the life…no one comes to the Father but me.
Becky knew Jesus and after her attack, opened her eyes in the presence of God in heaven.
We, though, must start the process of grieving and healing. Supporting one another, leaning on one another, and praying for one another.
800 wds 5 min
In conclusion, remember, that each one of us was once in our mother’s womb. During that time, our minds were functional and experienced, thoughts and feelings. During that time, we thought food just came into a tube, and that existence was warm, and easy. We even had loving voices speaking words of love and anticipation over us. Some voices we liked so much we would respond with an enthusiastic kick of appreciation. During that time we could not anticipate what lied outside our existence. No matter how much those nice voices told us about our home, brothers, dogs and family members, we had no frame of reference to fathom any of those things.
So I believe it is with eternity in heaven. All of our descriptions and explanations can not even touch the reality of what Jesus has prepared for those who love Him.
To answer the questions I opened with…How do we go on?
We go on. One small step at a time we move forward. For Becky, for her kids, for her friends…and for ourselves.
While our hearts grieve in sadness for Becky, we can know that her suffering in this life is over.
Because the only way we truly overcome death and suffering…is by living in the only place where death and suffering can not touch us…heaven.
Let us pray.
i felt a level of security since i could walk into this volitile situation with a level of detachment and be a voice of calm to one of Spokane's biggest stories of the year.
Turns out, Lynne and I had some history with this couple.
We both attended Valley Foursquare and had children with cleft pallette issues.
Below are the comments i prepared for the memorial. I mainly went from the heart, but these were the concepts i was trying to convey.
Please note, these are raw notes and not punctuated w/ the queen's english in mind. Sorry John.
How do we go on when we an evil act encroaches upon us.
How do we go on when our sense of safety and our peace of mind get shattered.
What do we do? where do we go? how do we cope? …when questions scream louder than answers.
Most funerals I officiate are a result of someone dying because of a natural cause. Maybe too early, often after a long illness, sometimes because of a problem in the way their body functions.
Natural causes in a fallen world.
Becky Brosnan was taken too early not because of a natural cause, but because of man’s fallen nature.
Yet, for the rest of humanity, for all of history; murder and violent death were far more common. In fact, humanity’s first family, Adam and Eve, had to live with the same questions we face today.
And all of these questions revolve around one question…or one accusation…
Why?
And i ask you to reflect…what are you looking for today? An answer or comfort?
The best an answer can give is to fill in a blank in our fallen, imperfect minds about our fallen imperfect world.
And having an answer never comforts, because a spoken answer will never quell the unspoken pain.
Instead i would hope to introduce us to the answerer who becomes our comforter.
We look to the Bible in times like this because we find comfort in words from people who used language to articulate what the heart could not.
David, who saw more death and killing than we ever will, stated that there is a valley, in the Shadow of death…and that valley is one we walk through…and that we can fear no evil because God’s presence is near to those in grief.
Paul, who was a mass murderer before his conversion stated “Death where is your victory grave where is your sting?” And proclaimed that “Death will be swallowed up in Christ’s victory”… as well as stating emphatically, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
John, the last living apostle, watched all the other apostles get killed for their faith. Upon his final message, he painted a picture of heaven where the glory of God shown like the sun. Where believers of all ages reunite and tell the stories of God’s faithfulness in a world of faithlessness. Ultimately, John writes that: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
And Jesus, the only individual who was truly perfect… The only man who helped everyone He came in contact with. ..The only human who could say “I and the Father are one” and “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” Said “ in my Father’s house there are many mansions, and if I go, and prepare a place for you, i will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you will be also.”
Jesus, who took upon Himself all the worst man could offer did so to say to say to His creation: yes I see and have experienced the worst injustice man could inflict to show you that God the Father, enters into and shares the grief and pain you experience.
Yet, through all of this, one concept arises: eternity.
Man only sees time as going forward. God, from the perspective of eternity, sees that everything we experience on earth is but a blip in the face of eternity in heaven… with Him, with our loved ones, and because of Becky’s confession of and practice of being a follower of Christ, with Becky.
Even though nothing said will help us speed up the long grieving process, i hope and pray that to help start the process…we can all reflect that
1. Life is fragile. While this was an act of evil impulse, any of us, could also have our life ended by an act of carelessness, or inattention, or …natural causes.
2. Love is vital. Just as man can choose to destroy, man can also choose to love. Everyone of us has people in our life that need to know of our love for them and their importance to us.
3. Christ is essential. Every philosophy has its interpretation of death and whatever tasks are required to appease its interpretation of God. Yet Jesus who was the Christ, simply pointed to Himself… I am the way, I am the truth…I am the life…no one comes to the Father but me.
Becky knew Jesus and after her attack, opened her eyes in the presence of God in heaven.
We, though, must start the process of grieving and healing. Supporting one another, leaning on one another, and praying for one another.
800 wds 5 min
In conclusion, remember, that each one of us was once in our mother’s womb. During that time, our minds were functional and experienced, thoughts and feelings. During that time, we thought food just came into a tube, and that existence was warm, and easy. We even had loving voices speaking words of love and anticipation over us. Some voices we liked so much we would respond with an enthusiastic kick of appreciation. During that time we could not anticipate what lied outside our existence. No matter how much those nice voices told us about our home, brothers, dogs and family members, we had no frame of reference to fathom any of those things.
So I believe it is with eternity in heaven. All of our descriptions and explanations can not even touch the reality of what Jesus has prepared for those who love Him.
To answer the questions I opened with…How do we go on?
We go on. One small step at a time we move forward. For Becky, for her kids, for her friends…and for ourselves.
While our hearts grieve in sadness for Becky, we can know that her suffering in this life is over.
Because the only way we truly overcome death and suffering…is by living in the only place where death and suffering can not touch us…heaven.
Let us pray.
2.06.2009
Walking the dog music thoughts...
So today i was walking Sessie...the dog of my heart, and my mp3 player had some interesting offerings...
First was "they all laughed" by Louis and Ella. The absolute effortless joy that came from these two icons was palatable. And i think that if our planet gets invaded by hostile beings, our best defense from certain annihilation is just to play Louis and Ella...
The Nearness of You
Lets Call the whole thing off
Baby, it's cold outside
it doesn't matter...these other worldly beings would listen to those two and say...ok...maybe we should let them survive.
Next came the greatest unknown musician of our lifetime.
We've all heard him...frequently... yet have no clue who he is...
Give up?
Johnny Costa was Mr. Rodgers piano player. His version "Don't do nothing 'till you hear from me" was four of the most intense minutes imaginable. His theme and variations thereof never stopped. And each verse gets bigger and slightly more outside. Then, at the point where human physicality and western twelve tonealty hit the breaking point, he restates the theme, lets us catch our breath, and the song ends.
Every song is like this...and every song was a one take.
After his death, the producer said that he just sat down and said off the top of his head what song he was going to play. After playing the songs...he would look at the producers and ask if that take was ok.
The prodcuer, knowing he was standing in celestial glory, would eek out "yea...that was great." And he'd go on to the next song.
The thing that hit me that time (as opposed to the hundreds of times I'd heard that before) was that i was not just listing to the most technically proficiant musical hands but the most facile musical mind.
He just heard and thought better than anyone. Ever. And his hands kept up.
The next song was Whitesnake...not so transendant.
My dog was happy...so that's all that matters.
First was "they all laughed" by Louis and Ella. The absolute effortless joy that came from these two icons was palatable. And i think that if our planet gets invaded by hostile beings, our best defense from certain annihilation is just to play Louis and Ella...
The Nearness of You
Lets Call the whole thing off
Baby, it's cold outside
it doesn't matter...these other worldly beings would listen to those two and say...ok...maybe we should let them survive.
Next came the greatest unknown musician of our lifetime.
We've all heard him...frequently... yet have no clue who he is...
Give up?
Johnny Costa was Mr. Rodgers piano player. His version "Don't do nothing 'till you hear from me" was four of the most intense minutes imaginable. His theme and variations thereof never stopped. And each verse gets bigger and slightly more outside. Then, at the point where human physicality and western twelve tonealty hit the breaking point, he restates the theme, lets us catch our breath, and the song ends.
Every song is like this...and every song was a one take.
After his death, the producer said that he just sat down and said off the top of his head what song he was going to play. After playing the songs...he would look at the producers and ask if that take was ok.
The prodcuer, knowing he was standing in celestial glory, would eek out "yea...that was great." And he'd go on to the next song.
The thing that hit me that time (as opposed to the hundreds of times I'd heard that before) was that i was not just listing to the most technically proficiant musical hands but the most facile musical mind.
He just heard and thought better than anyone. Ever. And his hands kept up.
The next song was Whitesnake...not so transendant.
My dog was happy...so that's all that matters.
1.30.2009
25 things
So this is from my facebook page...
1. i believe CAPITOL LETTERS… are overrated. three dots (…) and the dash (–) underrated.
2. the best advice for preachers is being written by commercial writers…not other preachers… book to follow.
3. if i could wait tables for 40 hrs a week i’d make 70k a year.
4. my baby is an 1986 ibanez musician bass. of the 12 basses and 7 guitars i’ve owned, the best were my ibanez jem and original steinberger bass… i still own the jem.
5. copywriter english exists to make people rich…not uphold rules.
6. i serve the best church on the planet…with the best worship team. i have helped start 9 churches including this one.
7. i am working on legato leads on the electric, slap and tap combo on acoustic, black gospel on piano and 3 finger double thump on bass.
8. youth pastoring is the most impotant job on the planet…everything else is a demotion. better pay- yes- but a demotion. jack hayford or obama could give me their job tomorrow and i would still strive to be a youth pastor.
9. i travelled half way across the country to dallas to see td jakes. he had just had emergency back surgery and wasn’t there. i was very disappointed….but asked to take over living hope that next week…that helped. coincidence?
10. i sing “addicted to love” at every karaoke,.. i dream of singing the part of roger in “rent” someday…i would move heaven and hell to play piano for idina menzel, christy nockels, robyn feinni (who now has a new last name) or kristen chenowith. or ann wilson. or Aretha. duh. (Aretha gets capitalized.)
11. in my 18 years since college (i graduated at 7) , i have concurrently held at least 2 jobs (or been at 2 churches) for 15 or those years.
12. lynne and i have been married since ‘92. our entire courtship and engagement was long distance…(she stays with me because of my cooking regardless of what you may have heard)… she is the most fascinating person i have ever met and i am constantly amazed by her. our boys are charming and brilliant like their mom.
13. i stink at golf but i love it…i am good at tennis but get an ulcer while doing it.
14.if i say something funny, woody allen said it first. if i say something profound cs lewis, td jakes or tommy tenny said it first. i may plagiarize, but only from creative people.
15. or yolanda adams. or audra mcdonald.
16. if i could have 1 disc (not 10, but 1…this is the big boy game) on an island it would be dream theater live in budakon...1 book: screwtape letters, 1 restaurant: mediterranean kitchen in bellevue, 1 musical: the color rent Jesus les miz Christ company superstar purple.
17. my first dream job was becoming a singing waiter… i’ve also managed a restaurant, pioneered a church, sold skies (i don’t ski) been a telephone solicitor, waiter, financial planner (lost money…savor that irony) , advertising account manager, waiter, copywriter, worship pastor, youth pastor, wrote a book on waiting tables ( waiting on tables, waiting on life…what waiting while waiting teaches...coming to a store near you soon), and now pastoring again. while writing commercials. and occasionally waiting tables…specialization is for insects.
18. my reoccurring nightmare is going to a party in new york that is attended by sting, paul simon, and woody allen. the first problem is i don’t know who to talk to first, and THEN having to confess that i don’t know all of paul simon’s songs when we go jam….you know, during his harmonically challenging days…post art, pre graceland.
20. i don’t count well
21. my high school friends know me as a drummer, my college friends know me as a bass player, my early church-career people know me as a piano player, and my current church-people know me as a guitar playing piano player who doesn’t play the drums.
22. i subscribe to: esquire (7 years), tennis, golf, golf tips, time, gq, golf digest, kiplingers personal finance, bon appétit… and i read all of lynne’s new yorker’s.
23. favorite high school memory: lightning bugs (thanks cheryl and renee wherever you are). favorite college memory: playing bass for a 150 voice black gospel choir in downtown la 3 days before the riots. favorite early career memory: jacob’s ladder prayer times. favorite mid career memory: valley and summit youth groups prayer times. favorite current career memories: living hope prayer nights playing w/ the team. OH! and getting married and seeing my children born. duh.
24. is this good news to anyone but me???
25. the prayers of my mom and grandma are why i am not addicted, and divorced. my youth pastor taught me how to pray for an hour at 16, and becky terribassi taught me how to journal while at apu and the rest is history.
25. i vacillate between thinking steve vai, john petitucci, shawn lane, kerry livgren, stephen soundheim, or jaco are the greatest musical minds of our time. shout out to my musicos…
25. i hate to brag…but i have the best friends on the planet. 2 of my best friends are revitalizing
churches en masse in seattle…my youth students and crew were phenomenal…reconnecting w/ high school and college friends has been fun, invigorating and…dare i say… healing…i would pick my relatives as friends…i have amazing brothers and sister…and all in law’s that go with that…lynne and i have no “couple friends” that have divorced…going back to being a waiter helped save my marriage (w/ my wife’s career of course) as well as energized my commercial writing…i have a worship team that doesn’t need me... 3 great jobs, 2 awesome boys 1 captivating wife and a partridge… God has restored the years.
31. (can i get a calculator?) prof reading is not my strong soot.
27. my biggest sadness is i have 9 nieces that don’t live in spokane.
41. speaking of spokane… i could never live in a city w/ traffic again ( spokane has none) or high house prices ( spokane’s as cheap as it gets)…but it’s not home. home is walking on lake washington in kirkland…pushing strollers…watching the sun go down after church. only 3 or so of you got that…but know…God did something amazing even if we didn’t fully appreciate it. i did…almost… i do now.
44. where’s that calculator???
45. i should be working on sunday’s message.
1. i believe CAPITOL LETTERS… are overrated. three dots (…) and the dash (–) underrated.
2. the best advice for preachers is being written by commercial writers…not other preachers… book to follow.
3. if i could wait tables for 40 hrs a week i’d make 70k a year.
4. my baby is an 1986 ibanez musician bass. of the 12 basses and 7 guitars i’ve owned, the best were my ibanez jem and original steinberger bass… i still own the jem.
5. copywriter english exists to make people rich…not uphold rules.
6. i serve the best church on the planet…with the best worship team. i have helped start 9 churches including this one.
7. i am working on legato leads on the electric, slap and tap combo on acoustic, black gospel on piano and 3 finger double thump on bass.
8. youth pastoring is the most impotant job on the planet…everything else is a demotion. better pay- yes- but a demotion. jack hayford or obama could give me their job tomorrow and i would still strive to be a youth pastor.
9. i travelled half way across the country to dallas to see td jakes. he had just had emergency back surgery and wasn’t there. i was very disappointed….but asked to take over living hope that next week…that helped. coincidence?
10. i sing “addicted to love” at every karaoke,.. i dream of singing the part of roger in “rent” someday…i would move heaven and hell to play piano for idina menzel, christy nockels, robyn feinni (who now has a new last name) or kristen chenowith. or ann wilson. or Aretha. duh. (Aretha gets capitalized.)
11. in my 18 years since college (i graduated at 7) , i have concurrently held at least 2 jobs (or been at 2 churches) for 15 or those years.
12. lynne and i have been married since ‘92. our entire courtship and engagement was long distance…(she stays with me because of my cooking regardless of what you may have heard)… she is the most fascinating person i have ever met and i am constantly amazed by her. our boys are charming and brilliant like their mom.
13. i stink at golf but i love it…i am good at tennis but get an ulcer while doing it.
14.if i say something funny, woody allen said it first. if i say something profound cs lewis, td jakes or tommy tenny said it first. i may plagiarize, but only from creative people.
15. or yolanda adams. or audra mcdonald.
16. if i could have 1 disc (not 10, but 1…this is the big boy game) on an island it would be dream theater live in budakon...1 book: screwtape letters, 1 restaurant: mediterranean kitchen in bellevue, 1 musical: the color rent Jesus les miz Christ company superstar purple.
17. my first dream job was becoming a singing waiter… i’ve also managed a restaurant, pioneered a church, sold skies (i don’t ski) been a telephone solicitor, waiter, financial planner (lost money…savor that irony) , advertising account manager, waiter, copywriter, worship pastor, youth pastor, wrote a book on waiting tables ( waiting on tables, waiting on life…what waiting while waiting teaches...coming to a store near you soon), and now pastoring again. while writing commercials. and occasionally waiting tables…specialization is for insects.
18. my reoccurring nightmare is going to a party in new york that is attended by sting, paul simon, and woody allen. the first problem is i don’t know who to talk to first, and THEN having to confess that i don’t know all of paul simon’s songs when we go jam….you know, during his harmonically challenging days…post art, pre graceland.
20. i don’t count well
21. my high school friends know me as a drummer, my college friends know me as a bass player, my early church-career people know me as a piano player, and my current church-people know me as a guitar playing piano player who doesn’t play the drums.
22. i subscribe to: esquire (7 years), tennis, golf, golf tips, time, gq, golf digest, kiplingers personal finance, bon appétit… and i read all of lynne’s new yorker’s.
23. favorite high school memory: lightning bugs (thanks cheryl and renee wherever you are). favorite college memory: playing bass for a 150 voice black gospel choir in downtown la 3 days before the riots. favorite early career memory: jacob’s ladder prayer times. favorite mid career memory: valley and summit youth groups prayer times. favorite current career memories: living hope prayer nights playing w/ the team. OH! and getting married and seeing my children born. duh.
24. is this good news to anyone but me???
25. the prayers of my mom and grandma are why i am not addicted, and divorced. my youth pastor taught me how to pray for an hour at 16, and becky terribassi taught me how to journal while at apu and the rest is history.
25. i vacillate between thinking steve vai, john petitucci, shawn lane, kerry livgren, stephen soundheim, or jaco are the greatest musical minds of our time. shout out to my musicos…
25. i hate to brag…but i have the best friends on the planet. 2 of my best friends are revitalizing
churches en masse in seattle…my youth students and crew were phenomenal…reconnecting w/ high school and college friends has been fun, invigorating and…dare i say… healing…i would pick my relatives as friends…i have amazing brothers and sister…and all in law’s that go with that…lynne and i have no “couple friends” that have divorced…going back to being a waiter helped save my marriage (w/ my wife’s career of course) as well as energized my commercial writing…i have a worship team that doesn’t need me... 3 great jobs, 2 awesome boys 1 captivating wife and a partridge… God has restored the years.
31. (can i get a calculator?) prof reading is not my strong soot.
27. my biggest sadness is i have 9 nieces that don’t live in spokane.
41. speaking of spokane… i could never live in a city w/ traffic again ( spokane has none) or high house prices ( spokane’s as cheap as it gets)…but it’s not home. home is walking on lake washington in kirkland…pushing strollers…watching the sun go down after church. only 3 or so of you got that…but know…God did something amazing even if we didn’t fully appreciate it. i did…almost… i do now.
44. where’s that calculator???
45. i should be working on sunday’s message.
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