stories, textbooks, and iambic pentameter

Whatever you read, chances are there's a genre you like and a genre you don't.

For me, I love a good story, especially if it's set in the past or the future. I have to admit, I also love reading textbooks that neatly arrange concepts in a logical way (Yes, yes I do!). These two facts are probably why studying theology (so much history, so many concepts) appeals to me so much. I even enjoy reading recipes, if not always making them.

But poetry's often escaped me. There's a few poets I like (ee cummings and Leonard Cohen for instance). However, as a whole there's not too much in iambic pentameter or other rhythms that floor me.

And as it does for many, this transfers into how I find myself reading the varios books and many genres of the Bible. Historical narrative? Good stuff. Letters? I can enjoy those. Even Leviticus, the ancient law code of the Hebrew peoples, is fascinating to me - both in how it mimics other law codes and shows significant moral progression (the value it places on women, for one). I LOVE that stuff. Wisdom literature? Bring it. Even the fairly-new genre of apocalypse found in Daniel and Revelation... I can sift through that and understand it as a genre and as a book.

But not being a poetry person, Psalms often falls right off my radar. And I know... how could it? So many people find Psalms amazing. But for some reason, this beautiful example of Hebrew poetry, by turns didactic and lyric, filled with beautiful craft and complex structure, metaphor and imagery... it often leaves me cold.

But as I've done a few times before, I gave it a go this past month. Generally I read in whole books - all of Ephesians, or all of Proverbs, etc. a few chapters at a time. I read five chapters a day on the way to work, and I gave it a break last week then finished it off today. I read it mostly in the NIV translation (a good balance of word-for-word and thought-for-thought translation), and partially in the Message which was undertaken as a paraphrase, though translated directly from Hebrew and Greek (and the bits of Aramaic scattered through some books).

And I find myself starting to get it. Not that it often elicits an emotional response, or that I really find myself studying the exact structure. I've done that in the past and appreciated the craft put into it. But I think I've let it speak to me a little more than in the past. And using the Message paraphrase allows me to break away from the familiar words and see it in different terms.. and it's been good. I've also been listening to Jess Cantelon, and many of his songs are based on the Psalms, which has been helpful as well.

Being able to finish with Psalm 146 was excellent, especially given some of the things I like. On the one hand, I see the need and value of building up concrete things and making good investments, building good cities and environments. As always though, investing in people will invariable give results that outlast any of those.

Hallelujah! O my soul, praise God!
All my life long I'll praise God, singing songs to my God as long as I live.


Don't put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life.
Mere humans don't have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them.
Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing!
God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it.

He always does what he says— he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry.
God frees prisoners— he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen.
God loves good people, protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked.

God's in charge—always. Zion's God is God for good! Hallelujah!

today was very interesting

today, i studied in this very cool non-profit coffee shop in Toronto for several hours.

and then, i had a couple hours left while Jarod's tattoo session was finished, and my brain was completely toast, so I visited my old church.

and i'm very glad i did.

of all the churches i've been to, Freedomize worship is my favorite. There's nowhere else I've found a combination that resonates quite so much with my spirit (and my tastes, let's be honest). The setting is uncrowded, friendly, deep, warm, rich. I felt close in worship today, both at Crossfire this morning, and at Freedomize tonight, and that's a rarity for me.

i'm most excited to hear some news though: among news of many people having babies and exciting new developments in their lives, I also found out, though I'm not clear on all the details yet:

- the church just signed all the papers and are moving to a new location downtown which they (at least partially?) own - on College near Bathurst. (sounds a bit familiar, eh?)

- they're renovating it with quality materials: it needs a lot of upgrading (still sounds pretty familiar to me...)

- they're having some work days next month to help get it ready (the familiarity continues...)

- the church that owned it before still meets there, apparently

- the artists in the congregation are doing a bunch of artistic-type stuff for the new building.

- one of their two new pastoral interns lives in downtown Hamilton. I met him and his wife tonight and we're going to connect this week sometime

- another couple from the church (that Jarod knows better than me) like Hamilton a LOT

- Since I'm in Toronto weekdays, I'm going to connect with Cyril (their current lead pastor) for coffee sometime this week and find out more.

it's amazing how much can change when you're away from somewhere for a while, and it's always great to go back and see what God is doing somewhere else.

I wasn't at all expecting/thinking of going there tonight, but I was really glad I got the chance to.

I'm hoping Jarod and I can put something towards their new building when we get the chance and maybe make it down next month to help. I'm pretty excited about it and I hope to have more details after this week about what's happening there.

God is great.

I've been playing a lot of Dustin Kensrue lately. I think I need to write a blog post later about just one of his songs, maybe more of them.

the last time i did dreadlocks

I've done dreadlocks as a hobby/sideline for about eight years now. I've got a website, a local store carries some little business cards of mine (they need a redesign), and I do a couple clients' hair a month - a little more in the summers. I just paid my taxes for it this year a few weeks ago.. fun fun fun.

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Sarah is a good friend of mine and also one of my clients -Sarah and her husband Sam graciously agreed to let me steal some photos of them and ruthlessly exploit them... bwahaha.
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I like this pic of Sarah somewhere along the lake:

This one's a promo shot (thanks to Cassandra Davidson for the photo)

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The clients I get are always interesting people, and more often than not quite talkative. From the chef who lives in the Muskokas to the boyfriend and girlfriend both getting dreadlocks at the same time to the intern at MTV to the junior high skateboarder, they've all got a story.

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Whenever I do dreadlocks, I tell clients to bring two things: snacks, and if they want, two or three movies to watch, But people usually just end up picking movies out of our collection. ( For some reason, everyone picks Nacho Libre or zombie movies. I like them too, but by now I've seen enough Jack Black and braaaiiinnss to last my entire life. Shaun of the Dead never gets old, though)

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Sometimes they do bring over their own DVDs to watch - like the BBC Planet Earth series one teenager brought last year. A lot of skateboarding/extreme sports/Jackass type stuff too.

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A few people are silent the whole time their dreadlocks are being done.

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But most people talk a lot, especially parents. (I try to ask people about themselves, which usually starts interesting conversations). (Which can be a relief for their kid or teenager, or acutely embarrassing). More often than not we get into some spiritual conversations, which is also extremely awesome.

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Last week, though, there was something completely different.

(not, sadly, And Now For Something Completely Different. I'd watch that any day.)

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A teenager came with his mom to get his hair done, and they brought CDs to listen to. One was by Bedouin Soundclash, and the other was the live Foo Fighters disc Skin and Bones.

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It was really nice to listen to music while working on someone's hair instead of seeing Jack Black in a luchador mask for the 1000th time.

And I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I have a few tracks by these guys on my iPod, but none of their live stuff. I think I might buy it this summer, along with the new U2 and mewithoutYou.

It was a good few hours, anyhow.

more than all of our scars

Abstract concepts are not at all my favorite thing

In one sense, principles that can be applied to many situations are great.

On the other hand, I'm a concrete, concrete thinker. I have a big imagination, but it's never about abstract concepts or words bandied about - even in imagination it's always about what possible concrete reality can happen - what something could look like, smell like, feel like, sound like.

you've seen that "time to get new people" commercial, right? if you haven't yet:

The boss asks what his employees have put together, and they confidently reply: "First, we're gonna raise the bar! Then we're gonna think outside the box! Think big, start small, hit the ground running-" ... and that's about the time the boss says "I need to get new people!"

in 2002, i was still in st. catharines, and a local worship leader did this CD.

there was a worship gathering of many churches called (appropriately enough) the gathering that i heard many of these songs in, and they stuck in my head.

because as good as abstract songs are... these ones brought the concrete reality of the gospel home for me in a way I hadn't experienced yet.

The same worship leader, along with a few others, now are at a great church called Southridge in that city.

and today i got to work, and there was a very tough situation that happened before I got there. When I arrived, I couldn't help if I stayed - it was just that kind of thing. So I ended up working at the FRWY today (another great church + cafe around the corner from my house), a place I love but rarely have time to visit.

at work, in my "corner office" (the corner of a large room containing 4 shared offices) I pray in a certain way. I turn my chair, put my feet up on the chair rail, stare at the wall, and talk (to God, unless I hear something funny coming from another part of the office). Yep, I tend to get distracted.

But today working at the FRWY, i just opened up a word file and wrote it out. and for today, that worked real well.

and as i did, this song came to mind (though i didn't post till i was done - successfully fightin' distraction!)

because the gospel is concrete reality, more real than the (slightly moist) shoes on my feet from walking through the rainy city, more real than the tragedy that befalls us each day, more real than any of the shadows that we encounter and think that this is "real life." life can be great, but this isn't all there is. that's only "further up and further in" to requote a Freedomize Toronto phrase quoting C.S. Lewis. (huh, four churches in one post... i didn't intend that at all. but neat. except that now I'm stuck: is that me being very spiritual or namedropping? (just kidding... it's neither).

the song:

we've gathered here today
for we are hungry for the truth
so needing to be changed
seeing how much we're loved by you
that you take us as we are
but love too much to leave us there
giving your very heart
lifting us up if we will dare

if we'll trust you... believe you... give up our lives to seek you.




the cross has made it known
your love is serious
and we are not alone
you are not far --- you're God with us!
the grave is empty now
you're bigger than death itself
more than all of our scars
your power is greater than raging hell

you bring...
freedom thoughts and freedom words
freedom dance and song
freedom life, a second birth
reconciliation
freedom choices, freedom prayers
freedom deeds and ways
die to self and all it's cares
changing now by grace

if we'll trust you... believe you... give up our lives to seek you.

as real as the concrete under my feet: