Doesn't this sound about right?
North's Law of Folk Music: "The winners write the history textbooks, and the losers write the folk songs."
From this article which I found here .
20020730
Oh, and an audio version of that song is at www.mp3.com/neac. It was an album we did a while back. Some explanation from the liner notes:
This CD began as a project of the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard School of Justice. It grew out of desire to give a voice to those in our community and our society who would normally be left unheard. We offer these songs as a reflection of our community; we are from different social, racial and economic backgrounds, but Jesus brings us together, Jesus makes us one. And through this, Jesus demonstrates to us his kingdom. He whispers to us that we should listen to the small voices, the ones being drowned out by the noisy processions led by the priests of a thousand other gods. He shows us that those with no fixed address have a lot in common with Him, and so, we want to get to know these people, the princes and princesses of the kingdom.
Jesus, we are driven by your whisperings, and we thank you for this rooftop.
This CD began as a project of the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard School of Justice. It grew out of desire to give a voice to those in our community and our society who would normally be left unheard. We offer these songs as a reflection of our community; we are from different social, racial and economic backgrounds, but Jesus brings us together, Jesus makes us one. And through this, Jesus demonstrates to us his kingdom. He whispers to us that we should listen to the small voices, the ones being drowned out by the noisy processions led by the priests of a thousand other gods. He shows us that those with no fixed address have a lot in common with Him, and so, we want to get to know these people, the princes and princesses of the kingdom.
Jesus, we are driven by your whisperings, and we thank you for this rooftop.
It's amazing how a song can bring such an emotional response in a person. Here's a song that does that for me, again and again. It's called Prodigal Daughter by Andrew Smith. And I feel like I should of written this one. It expresses my heart so closely.
Prodigal Daughter
Andrew Smith
I see her wander �round
Princess without her crown
Stumbling and falling down
beneath her burden
She�s floating through my town
A bride without a gown
Passing her heart around
to numb the hurting
She�s scared of coming home
She�s been so long alone
She sat upon her throne until it crumbled
And now she�s got to choose
She�s nothing left to lose
She�s battered and she�s bruised
and feeling humbled
and saying her prayers to anyone
Who is her brother?
Who is her keeper?
Where is her lover?
Can anyone reach her?
A cup of cold water
in the name of the father
I�m sending a letter
to the prodigal daughter
Now where is the reward
for all the ones who mourn
for those who suffer scorn
and have no father
Maybe the blessed are cursed
Maybe the last are first
Maybe the ones who thirst
will find the water
Her lover sees inside
He sees with lover�s eyes
He sees a radiant bride
with passion burning
Everything upside-down
Her rags become a gown
Her scars become a crown
at the returning
and I�ll sing my song for you baby
� 1997 Remnant Records
Prodigal Daughter
Andrew Smith
I see her wander �round
Princess without her crown
Stumbling and falling down
beneath her burden
She�s floating through my town
A bride without a gown
Passing her heart around
to numb the hurting
She�s scared of coming home
She�s been so long alone
She sat upon her throne until it crumbled
And now she�s got to choose
She�s nothing left to lose
She�s battered and she�s bruised
and feeling humbled
and saying her prayers to anyone
Who is her brother?
Who is her keeper?
Where is her lover?
Can anyone reach her?
A cup of cold water
in the name of the father
I�m sending a letter
to the prodigal daughter
Now where is the reward
for all the ones who mourn
for those who suffer scorn
and have no father
Maybe the blessed are cursed
Maybe the last are first
Maybe the ones who thirst
will find the water
Her lover sees inside
He sees with lover�s eyes
He sees a radiant bride
with passion burning
Everything upside-down
Her rags become a gown
Her scars become a crown
at the returning
and I�ll sing my song for you baby
� 1997 Remnant Records
20020729
20020728
And more good stuff from Tom Sine (conversation at ginkworld also).
... I am very concerned that a number of American evangelical Christians not only fail to question the assumptions underlying faith and culture issues but our political and economic views as well. We are seeing a growing reliance on nationalism, political and military power and the pursuit of empire to set the world right. I am concerned that so few American believers are questioning the assumptions underlying this new effort to shape the global future. I believe that we need to ask questions like: �are the aspirations of empire and the goals of the kingdom synonymous?� If American believers are open to discussing these important questions from a biblical view point I suggest we begin by seeking the view point of Christians in other countries. I would urge that we ask our friends in other countries how they view the most urgent political and economic issues in our world and how they believe scripture calls us to respond to these issues.... and really listen.
... I am very concerned that a number of American evangelical Christians not only fail to question the assumptions underlying faith and culture issues but our political and economic views as well. We are seeing a growing reliance on nationalism, political and military power and the pursuit of empire to set the world right. I am concerned that so few American believers are questioning the assumptions underlying this new effort to shape the global future. I believe that we need to ask questions like: �are the aspirations of empire and the goals of the kingdom synonymous?� If American believers are open to discussing these important questions from a biblical view point I suggest we begin by seeking the view point of Christians in other countries. I would urge that we ask our friends in other countries how they view the most urgent political and economic issues in our world and how they believe scripture calls us to respond to these issues.... and really listen.
This is just a good thing to be reminded of:
...that the essential thing is "to count conversations more than conversions." If we are always trying to convert people, we'll shortchange conversations -- with all their questions and twists and turns and ups and downs -- and as a result, conversions won't happen. But if we focus on asking good questions and keeping conversations going, conversions naturally occur. At least, that's how it seems to me. Sometimes it's just best to ask questions, like "Tell me about your belief in God," and then just to listen, listen, listen. We may preach more effectively by asking questions and listening than by anything else....
From a conversation with Brian McLaren at ginkworld.
...that the essential thing is "to count conversations more than conversions." If we are always trying to convert people, we'll shortchange conversations -- with all their questions and twists and turns and ups and downs -- and as a result, conversions won't happen. But if we focus on asking good questions and keeping conversations going, conversions naturally occur. At least, that's how it seems to me. Sometimes it's just best to ask questions, like "Tell me about your belief in God," and then just to listen, listen, listen. We may preach more effectively by asking questions and listening than by anything else....
From a conversation with Brian McLaren at ginkworld.
An email today alerted me to the fact that I have never explained the reason for the nickname "Fatblueman" here. Here is the response I sent...
Here is the Fatblueman. My sister painted this little icon for me when I was in Japan. At the time my wife and I were totally isolated from anything "church" so we were quickly learning what it was to be followers of Christ rather than only church-goers. At the time, I realized about myself and my society that we are "fat" and "blue", overfed to the point of immobility, and bored to tears. But deep inside there somewhere was the spark of Love that leads us to live with passion.
My sister thought, sheesh, that was a lot of meaning for a sketch that took her 10 minutes to create.
Anyway, I named the first little demo I did "Reflections from Deep Inside a Fat Blue Man". And the name kinda stuck.
20020726
I am going to the airport to pick up a girl that a friend in Japan is sending over for a holiday. It should be a fun week. i get to practice my nihongo (hotondo wasurechotta) and show her around the place. And with all the Asians in the house, it should be a nutritionally brilliant week of kimchi, miso soup, tonkatsu, etc. I know that mot much about me looks Asian but I am pretty sure that my stomach is oriental.
I have never been in a place where the variety of food is so broad as when we were in Japan and Korea. My Asian friends love to serve you some strange mystery food, and then tell you what it is after you have eaten it. I regularly ate salty plums (oh it burns!), sea cucumber (looks like snot), and cow's tongue (who's tasting who here..). But the one that took the cake was at a bar-b-q. Of course I was supposed to eat it first (they said if they told me what it was, I wouldn't try it). Not one to back down from an adventure, I ground it on down. It was kind of a bony, intenstiny texture. What was it? Shikku, they told me. Quick check of the electronic dictionary: cow's uterus. Yeesh. Talk about nothing going to waste. I didn't eat that one twice.
So when we bring them here I try to do the same, shock them with something strange that we eat. But you know what? We don't really eat anything that they don't already have in some kind of similar form. One time I reached way back into my Mennonite heritage to find a food (that I love) that I thought would make them flinch. Cracklings, it's called. Pig fat basically. But they didn't even mind that. My family was more disgusted than my Japanese friends were.
I have never been in a place where the variety of food is so broad as when we were in Japan and Korea. My Asian friends love to serve you some strange mystery food, and then tell you what it is after you have eaten it. I regularly ate salty plums (oh it burns!), sea cucumber (looks like snot), and cow's tongue (who's tasting who here..). But the one that took the cake was at a bar-b-q. Of course I was supposed to eat it first (they said if they told me what it was, I wouldn't try it). Not one to back down from an adventure, I ground it on down. It was kind of a bony, intenstiny texture. What was it? Shikku, they told me. Quick check of the electronic dictionary: cow's uterus. Yeesh. Talk about nothing going to waste. I didn't eat that one twice.
So when we bring them here I try to do the same, shock them with something strange that we eat. But you know what? We don't really eat anything that they don't already have in some kind of similar form. One time I reached way back into my Mennonite heritage to find a food (that I love) that I thought would make them flinch. Cracklings, it's called. Pig fat basically. But they didn't even mind that. My family was more disgusted than my Japanese friends were.
20020725
An article like the one I read in the previous post drives me further toward a sort of theological minimalism. There are a few things I consider vital and they pretty much revolve around Christ's Love changing us into being active "Love-ers". Beyond that, I am pretty happy to leave a lot of things in the grey. In fact, it seems that being too concerned with the stuff beyond that usually leads us away from the mission of knowing and revealing the Love of God. If theology becomes disconnected from a life lived, has it any value?
Do you think all that is ok?
Do you think all that is ok?
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