Death: His Sting and Defeat (by David Bowden for Church Online)

For Father we are your worshipers Your unworthy dancers we are your priasers your passionate romancers And now we stand before you and say Worship is not what we sing but how we obey. Check this kid out:)

VAN MORRISON - I'LL BE YOUR LOVER TOO

you can't beat a classic. just have to keep sharing this with the universe.

Marcus Foster - I Was Broken // Mahogany Session

I stumbled into his album and I can't get out. I don't want to be saved out of it, either: bloody brilliant.

Separation Anxiety

I'm a bit traumatized after watching the special on the wolf vs. bison on Frozen Planet, BBC. That's not to say that it wasn't good, on the contrary, the documentary was spectacular on all fronts. The team caught all aspects of the hunt, powerful animals engaged with a savage intensity in the need to survive. A couple moments caught my attention that made me contemplate the spiritual aspects of the material display. In the first half, a pack of wolves are hunting a herd of bison, trying to separate one from the group. After great effort and divisions, a calf is caught by two wolves and the pack just rips into it while the adults stood frozen in the sidelines. I thought, this calf is done for sure but all the sudden, the herd charges the pack, and snatches the calf from the wolves. I admit I cheered. Still, I the wolves are hungry, they've got to continue or they die. New strategy, new scene, wolves charge another herd of bison and, instead of standing together, the herd bolts, allowing their unity to thin and spread out. The wolves attack the hind legs of a huge bison and hang on for dear life. Now this bison is huge and alternately charges and tramples the wolves in return. The herd doesn't stop this time, there is no rescue. What's crazy about this scene is that another bison that had been separated as well, charges in fear OVER the bison and wolves, finishing the wolves attack on their prey. The fear of the one bison was the final blow to the already injured fellow herd mate. The bison dies. Now what does this have to do with theology? Here, I see Paul's theology in the later section of Romans playing out the unity of the church. I admit that the evangelical disposition is too often to see the church as a means to get to know God personally, rather than identity. We look at fellow Christians as those who will help keep us on the straight and narrow, and to help us with our personal walk with God. And to a large extent, that's true: the Church does all of that. However, the personal benefits is not the purpose and function of the Church. The Church is dynamically a unified whole. If we don't work in God-blessed unity, then we are easily scattered in denomination, theology, and congregation. We might breath a sigh of relief that it wasn't our church, our denomination that was taken down by the enemy. Indeed, we might feel a Pharisaical righteousness, that God would protect His theologically purest members. God forbid such hubris and spirit of division in the Church. When one is vulnerable, we should always seek to save the weak, the ensnared rather than trampling over them in our frantic rush to have 'nothing to do with that' church, denomination or whatever. The church needs to embrace grace. Not to say that denominations are not needed (far from it!) but that whenever and wherever possible, we should reach out, minister, give aid and suffer when our brothers and sisters suffer an attack, either from within or without. Because they belong to US, and the church belongs to Jesus.

It's a long road, baby, running away.

I just watched a film that I shouldn’t have watched because it just seriously screwed up what little sense I have about fairytale endings and sex. Hollywood, you’re smarter than me, you’ve got me pegged, you know how to ‘get me,’ I admit it. Resentfully and not without embarrassment. I’ve been listening to The Summit Church (Durham, NC) sermons on itunes and one point that I thought was interesting was the relation that men have with love and pornography. Normally, I make the blanket assumption that ‘not feeling love, not feeling like you’re ‘in love’ is primarily a woman’s struggle. I just think guys don’t really love like women do, that is, highly emotional. Not that men DON’T love, just that it looks completely different, feels different. That’s what I’ve been told all my life and from observation & I have no reason to deny that as a legitimate analysis. But the sermon said get a man whose mind has been informed by pornography and you will see a man who cannot ‘feel’ love. Obviously, it’s not just an eye struggle. It’s not just a lust issue, it’s a love issue. Of course, women aren’t off the hook. The movies we watch –like the bloody criminal fantasy, Friends with Benefits, that’ll do some mind formations as well. Guys will go into instant lust just watching it and girls will go into instant dream world. Wow, that’s just great. Ugh. Kill the machine and take a walk under the stars. Oh, wait. It’s Scotland = it’s raining. Orion’s not out to guide me tonight. Duuuude.

Gotye- Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)- official film clip (HD)

I don't get into all of Gotye's music, it gets a bit out there, but I have to give them kuddos for creativity. Esp. the posted video--clever, simple and stark. The lyrics are rough and dramatic too, which, I must confess, I love. However, "Somebody that I used to know" kind of drives me crazy though. It's not just them, of course. I keep hearing songs about people who are over THE EX. Look, you don't go on about how you are over your ex if you're really over them. If you don't care, you don't ever think about them. If you do think about them when all is quiet and the stillness drowns out all the noise of the day, then you're still dealing. You're pissed off, you're hurt, you're in denial, whatever. I get that. But 'I don't care' rubs me the wrong way because these are lies that people tell themselves and others affirm as the truth. As if saying 'I'm over it' makes it so. Give me a break. Ok, ok--I know that the 'lie' is both a) a coping mechanism. But coping mechanisms are crap jobs in themselves. Best to avoid them. And b) maybe the obvious pain of the song makes a lie of the statement to drive the point that they still are hurting. But people hurt you and life hurts and that's the deal. You don't ever get over it but though God's grace, the 'it' no longer defines your life. Life is beautiful. Ok, I'm stepping down from my soap box.

Edinburgh Footloose Flashmob

I so want to do this. Like RIGHT NOW.