If I have faltered more or less,
In my great task of happiness,
If I have moved among my race,
And showed no shining morning face,
If books and my food and summer rain,
Knock on my quiet heart in vain,
Lord, Thy most pointed pleasure take,
And stab my spirit broad awake.
-Robert Louis Stevenson
Monday, July 10, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Celestial Seasonings Surprise
Who could have known that Colorado of all places would be the home of one of the biggest tea companies around? I've never been much of a Celestial Seasonings drinker because I'm somewhat of a tea snob and go straight for my Yorkshire Gold imported from England.
But after the lovely trip up to Boulder to their plant on Monday, I might be at least a little swayed. In fact, I'll even give the herbal teas a try. I'm going to try them anyway if only because I love the whimsical artwork, the delightful quotes and the fact that the company was begun by four college kids looking to make a delicious, heatlh tea. That tea turned into the "Sleepytime" Blend so beloved of so many people.
I love stories like that, especially when they're carried out in such creative, colorful ways. Anyway, I was delightfully surprised. If any of you wonderful people ever visit, I shall take you up to see this rather fascinating little place.
And as a plus, we'll drive back home through the mountains.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Artists and Easter
I have been in a whirlwind of thought lately, especially regarding God's grace and beauty as being tangible in our lives because of His incarnation. With Easter hovering round the corner, I want to know what redemption looks like as it is lived out in ordinary lives. But I have also been thinking about resurrection reality as regards the heart of artistry and creation.
Eucharisto's latest post was incredible. (Now there is a spirit-filled artist) And it set me thinking about the validity of being called specifically as an artist. There seems to be a sense that you can be creative on the side, (do music/art/writing/whatever) but keep your day gig and do something productive with your life.
But isn't a faith-kindled imagination and commitment to make God's spirit known through crreation a worthy enough life pursuit for God's kingdom? What else is the imagining of stories, the capturing of color and light but an attempt to picture God's beauty in a tangible way. Great artistry is born of, as Eucharisto said, looking into the void and then seeing the light that lives beyond it. Art is a picturing of that eternal, hopeful light and I think it has incredible power for the drawing of hearts to God.
We need to see that creation is still possible, it's a universal yearning. Here on earth, we are all trapped in the chains of a void reality, and I think we begin to forget the possibility of grace and redemption. Even Christians begin to fall into a gridded, legalistic spirituality that is void of grace, miracles, beauty. In our sort of dungeon reality, the dank shadows begin to close in on us, forcing themselves upon our minds as the only ultimate reality.
But it is the artists, the dreamers who run forward in the shadows with kindled eyes and urgent voices to proclaim that God's light cannot be comprehended or overcome. They gather people into groups around the small struggling fires of faith, singing the ancient songs and re-telling the oldest tales of wonder, scribbling on the sandy prison floor until the real world leaps to life in the hearts and minds of the captives.
Artists are in many ways, the stewards of tangible grace, of touchable goodness. Through their Christ-enchanted pens and paintbrushes and music they speak creation into the void again. They picture beauty, they present mercy in color to the world. And their creation speaks to the yearning that keeps watch in our souls, desiring redemption, hoping for new creation.
So I've decided not to worry about whether or not I'm practical or productive in a worldly sense, as long as I am redemptively creative. I want Christ to live in me in such a way that my very life is a work of art, a new creation that speaks of His grace. May the risen Christ will be present in me in all His beauty.
Happy Easter!
Eucharisto's latest post was incredible. (Now there is a spirit-filled artist) And it set me thinking about the validity of being called specifically as an artist. There seems to be a sense that you can be creative on the side, (do music/art/writing/whatever) but keep your day gig and do something productive with your life.
But isn't a faith-kindled imagination and commitment to make God's spirit known through crreation a worthy enough life pursuit for God's kingdom? What else is the imagining of stories, the capturing of color and light but an attempt to picture God's beauty in a tangible way. Great artistry is born of, as Eucharisto said, looking into the void and then seeing the light that lives beyond it. Art is a picturing of that eternal, hopeful light and I think it has incredible power for the drawing of hearts to God.
We need to see that creation is still possible, it's a universal yearning. Here on earth, we are all trapped in the chains of a void reality, and I think we begin to forget the possibility of grace and redemption. Even Christians begin to fall into a gridded, legalistic spirituality that is void of grace, miracles, beauty. In our sort of dungeon reality, the dank shadows begin to close in on us, forcing themselves upon our minds as the only ultimate reality.
But it is the artists, the dreamers who run forward in the shadows with kindled eyes and urgent voices to proclaim that God's light cannot be comprehended or overcome. They gather people into groups around the small struggling fires of faith, singing the ancient songs and re-telling the oldest tales of wonder, scribbling on the sandy prison floor until the real world leaps to life in the hearts and minds of the captives.
Artists are in many ways, the stewards of tangible grace, of touchable goodness. Through their Christ-enchanted pens and paintbrushes and music they speak creation into the void again. They picture beauty, they present mercy in color to the world. And their creation speaks to the yearning that keeps watch in our souls, desiring redemption, hoping for new creation.
So I've decided not to worry about whether or not I'm practical or productive in a worldly sense, as long as I am redemptively creative. I want Christ to live in me in such a way that my very life is a work of art, a new creation that speaks of His grace. May the risen Christ will be present in me in all His beauty.
Happy Easter!
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Moonlit Dawn
I awoke this morning to a strange and beautiful dawn. The Sabbath came in with a rich blue morning light shot through with the burnished gold of a lingering full moon. Such a sight, such a wondering sight it was to see the full moon resting on the mountain top as the world grew soft with daylight.
Ah Father, that moon hung like a sign in the dawn sky. What are You telling us? That You are here? That mystery and enchantment cluster close about us and great wonders drop miraculously into our skies if we would but have the heart to see? Oh Moon-Maker, my giver of morning treasure. Thank you for waking me. Know that I have seen. I am awake, body and soul this mysterious blue morning.
My book last night said that humankind is innured to the glory of creation round him. But for me I couldn't agree less. Father, this world of yours, this earth and sky trembling with storms, this rolling land of trees and bright mountains and moons like signs of war or glory in the morning sky, how could I be blind to them? Thank You, oh thank You for this picture, this moment of glorious sight. I know in my heart beyond any doubt that I live daily in a reality of sacred mystery. I can't always see it though with these searching eyes. But this blue and gold dawn brought it near, heartbeat, heartsong near.
I am so glad.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
More specifically...
In response to the comment on my last post, I suppose I should give a little more background to my thoughts on this matter. First of all, I don't intend to criticize the many inspired teachers and professors (among whom are some of my greatest heroes) who are giving their best to education. Nor do I have any judgement for the wonderful students (my best friends being among them) who are faithfully pursuing an education at their respective schools. There are, of course, many excellent colleges teaching subjects that I could never hope to comprehend.
However, this study (no matter how faulty it may be, and there is some truth in it) merely confirms a cultural trend that I have observed and studied in the last few years, and it deeply concerns me. As a culture, and as generation of students, we are reading less and less. Dana Gioia, the head of the NEA initiated a study of "literary reading" in our culture, and his findings were alarming. Literary reading is in dramatic decline with fewer than half of American adults now reading literature, according his survey. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America reports drops in all groups studied, with the steepest rate of decline - 28 percent - occurring in the youngest age groups. And those age groups include college students.
So, whether or not that study of reading comprehension in students is entirely accurate, there is an in depth, far-reaching study that would suggest it holds some truth. And frankly, I think this is something that needs immediate attention. I don't criticize the schools, but I ask what needs to be done to mend this. We are living in an age of media and entertainment which has no doubt contributed to the decline of good, old-fashioned reading. It is understandable that our attention is turning more and more to TV, movies, media, internet. But the ability to read is basic to a well-lived, purposeful life, especially if you desire to have any influence or lead in any capacity whatsoever. Dr. Jeff Meyers (Professor of Communication at Bryan College and founder of the summit worldview program at that campus) is always saying to his students;
"if you want to be a leader, you have to be a reader."
This is a vital skill. The ability to read and fully comprehend what you have just read is how you understand and implement the complex ideas that can change the way you live. Reading forms your perception of reality, opens doors of thought and possiblity that are simply closed otherwise. Reading is necessary to the formation of great minds and souls.
And education obviously has a lot to do with it. Without judging colleges or schools, it has to be said that something is going wrong somewhere. I don't have a cemented argument or plan yet, but I think that these trends and findings should deeply concern anyone interested in a healthy future. In the words of Dana Gioia:
"America can no longer take active and engaged literacy for granted. As more Americans lose this capability, our nation becomes less informed, active, and independent minded. These are not qualities that a free, innovative, or productive society can afford to lose."
I agree.
However, this study (no matter how faulty it may be, and there is some truth in it) merely confirms a cultural trend that I have observed and studied in the last few years, and it deeply concerns me. As a culture, and as generation of students, we are reading less and less. Dana Gioia, the head of the NEA initiated a study of "literary reading" in our culture, and his findings were alarming. Literary reading is in dramatic decline with fewer than half of American adults now reading literature, according his survey. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America reports drops in all groups studied, with the steepest rate of decline - 28 percent - occurring in the youngest age groups. And those age groups include college students.
So, whether or not that study of reading comprehension in students is entirely accurate, there is an in depth, far-reaching study that would suggest it holds some truth. And frankly, I think this is something that needs immediate attention. I don't criticize the schools, but I ask what needs to be done to mend this. We are living in an age of media and entertainment which has no doubt contributed to the decline of good, old-fashioned reading. It is understandable that our attention is turning more and more to TV, movies, media, internet. But the ability to read is basic to a well-lived, purposeful life, especially if you desire to have any influence or lead in any capacity whatsoever. Dr. Jeff Meyers (Professor of Communication at Bryan College and founder of the summit worldview program at that campus) is always saying to his students;
"if you want to be a leader, you have to be a reader."
This is a vital skill. The ability to read and fully comprehend what you have just read is how you understand and implement the complex ideas that can change the way you live. Reading forms your perception of reality, opens doors of thought and possiblity that are simply closed otherwise. Reading is necessary to the formation of great minds and souls.
And education obviously has a lot to do with it. Without judging colleges or schools, it has to be said that something is going wrong somewhere. I don't have a cemented argument or plan yet, but I think that these trends and findings should deeply concern anyone interested in a healthy future. In the words of Dana Gioia:
"America can no longer take active and engaged literacy for granted. As more Americans lose this capability, our nation becomes less informed, active, and independent minded. These are not qualities that a free, innovative, or productive society can afford to lose."
I agree.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
What is the world coming to?
There is a new study out last week that says that 50% of all students at four-year colleges and 75% of students at technical/2-year schools lack the basic reading comprehension necessary to understand a credit card offer. Or a newspaper editorial.
What is the world coming to?
What does this mean for our generation?
And with Professor Digory (of Narnia fame) I say, "what are they teaching the children at those schools?"
What is the world coming to?
What does this mean for our generation?
And with Professor Digory (of Narnia fame) I say, "what are they teaching the children at those schools?"
Monday, January 09, 2006
And Yet Again
How many times does one have to restart in order to become regular at writing? I'm not even going to explain myself this time. I'm just glad I'm here with enough free thought to want to write. There has to be a little bit of margin in life if you're going to write because you have to have owned your thoughts. It seems to me lately that everyone else owns my thoughts: work, family, all the busy things in life demanding immediate attention. So, in a bold and daring move of recovery, I'm taking them back! I'll recapture the castle of my time and thought and begin here.
I am reading a book that will probably go on my list of "books that define my life", you know, the kind that you would almost be tempted to grab if there was a fire. (Even if I could buy a new copy, all the times I've underlined and made notes would be lost.) It's Eugene Peterson's new book Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places. It is magnificent. The title comes from Gerard Manley Hopkins captivating poem, and the phrase comes from the last stanza:
I say more, the just man justices;
Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is;
Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs and lovely in eyes not his,
To the Father, through the features of men's faces.
That title was well chosen because that phrase captures the heart of the book; Christ, the God who became incarnate into our world, the Spirit who dwells inside of us, plays in all places, in all parts of our lives, making every breath and every minute something sacred. Peterson says he wanted to write a book about "spiritual theology", that is, our knowledge of God (theology) incarnated into lives that are full of His spirit (spirituality). I have loved how he has begun, taking stories from the life of Christ and noting the interchangeable use of the words "spirit" and "breath", both are apparently the same word in Greek. His conclusion is that when we are truly living in Christ, we "breathe God", every minute of every day. So now, he is going to show how that happens in Creation, History and Community.
This book (and most of Eugene Peterson's writing) is a marvellous ballance intellect and captivating creativity. It is prose, but sometimes he gets carried away with his ideas and his writing comes near to poetry. I think this book could, as Anne of Green Gables says, mark an "epoch in my life", if only because it calls me back so strongly to the glory of God lived out all around me.
I am reading a book that will probably go on my list of "books that define my life", you know, the kind that you would almost be tempted to grab if there was a fire. (Even if I could buy a new copy, all the times I've underlined and made notes would be lost.) It's Eugene Peterson's new book Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places. It is magnificent. The title comes from Gerard Manley Hopkins captivating poem, and the phrase comes from the last stanza:
I say more, the just man justices;
Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is;
Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs and lovely in eyes not his,
To the Father, through the features of men's faces.
That title was well chosen because that phrase captures the heart of the book; Christ, the God who became incarnate into our world, the Spirit who dwells inside of us, plays in all places, in all parts of our lives, making every breath and every minute something sacred. Peterson says he wanted to write a book about "spiritual theology", that is, our knowledge of God (theology) incarnated into lives that are full of His spirit (spirituality). I have loved how he has begun, taking stories from the life of Christ and noting the interchangeable use of the words "spirit" and "breath", both are apparently the same word in Greek. His conclusion is that when we are truly living in Christ, we "breathe God", every minute of every day. So now, he is going to show how that happens in Creation, History and Community.
This book (and most of Eugene Peterson's writing) is a marvellous ballance intellect and captivating creativity. It is prose, but sometimes he gets carried away with his ideas and his writing comes near to poetry. I think this book could, as Anne of Green Gables says, mark an "epoch in my life", if only because it calls me back so strongly to the glory of God lived out all around me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
