I'm finally bach

Forgive the corny pun ....

Well, it has been quite a while since regular postings! At long last, though, I am finally at that amazing point of being between the time when all the heavy assignments are due and the time to begin intense exam review ... in short, the eye of the storm. What better time to catch up on a few posts?

Hmm, what to write about?

Last week, in stark contrast to this week, was brutal - 16 hours a day jammed with homework, classes, preparation for Sunday, and work ... but there was one amazingly bright oasis, on Thursday night.

Thursday night, I went to Roy Thompson Hall (for the first time ever) to hear the TSO (for the first time ever) and Hermuth Rilling (Bach choral conductor extraordinaire) perform J.S. Bach's "St. John Passion" (which I heard for the first time ever) ... a stunning night.

First off, Roy Thompson Hall is incredible. An incredible mix of glass and silver and marble, it beautifully mixes a sense of the classic and romantic with sleek ultramodern. The ushers wear tuxedos. The water "bottles" are made of glass crystal. The "refreshment stand" (which in a Cineplex would sell popcorn and overpriced flat Coke), sold fancy snacks and wine. To be honest, I felt a bit out of place, but it was very cool nonetheless.

The Passion itself was excellent. It mixes a recitative narrative singing from the actual text in John's Gospel of Jesus' death with quiet instrumental music, every now and then breaking out into arias that provided meditations on what the text was saying. Bach also added verses from German hymns that he knew his hearers would be familiar with.

I love Bach's music, but I have to say it was his arrangement of the hymns that captivated me. Hearing a hundred voices in absolute four-part harmony singing through beautiful melodies and profound words ... there were a couple of hymns that brought tears to my eyes.

I also got to see a viola de gamba, which was pretty cool. My knowledge of instruments stinks, but to the best of my knowledge I think the viola de gamba is the earlier version of the cello - this one seemed more simple than the cellos. It had a fantastic sound, though, clear and crisp, similar to the cello yet different.

The soloists were very, very good ... there was one soprano that sang especially beautifully, probably because she was smiling as she sang. It made me think about how much it makes a difference if you do not just play or sing something - what is your attitude? your thoughts? who are you singing for? what are your emotions?

That was the fantastic part of the concert. It was musically extremely skillful, and beautifully composed and arranged, but these things were only ever what Bach intended them to be - a frame from which to display the words and message of the Gospel of John about the death of Jesus, and what that meant for the listeners. It was worship music, in a sense, written by a committed Christian, and performed (mostly) by people who don't believe a word of what they sing and play. Regardless, though, God used the St. John Passion to draw my gaze back to the cross, and encourage me through a tough week.

It made for a great Thursday night!

Having This Hope ...

The other day, I was working through some homework on I John (one of the projects of my second year of Greek is to compile an "exegetical notebook" in which I transcribe the Greek text, "phrase" it by breaking it down into smaller "thoughts," write grammatical notes on each word, with the final end of translating it into English) ... I had dreaded this project through the summer, but now that I'm into it I'm really loving it! Because it easily takes 20 minutes to completely finish each verse, I'm able to spend more time thinking and meditating on what the passage is saying ... its like devotions in the middle of homework!

I John seems absolutely packed full of fabulous truths. Every verse (literally!) is packed with meaning, and the beauty of the Bible is that you don't have to know the original Greek to understand what it's saying (unlike the Quran, which Muslims believe is composed in sacred Arabic, and which no translation could ever duplicate).

These verses really touched me:

"Behold what sort of love the Father has given out to us, that we might be called "children of God," as we are! On account of this, the world has not known us, because they did not comprehend Him. Beloved, we are children of God now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He has been revealed we shall be similar to Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And every person having this expectation (based on Him) purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Lately I have been struggling with the immense depth of my sin; I know and even want to do good, but I keep on choosing to follow after my own selfish desires. In fact, as I was working through these verses, I was struggling with the thoughts: "Will I do what I want? or what God wants? why? why can't I "take some time off of being holy" and pamper myself a bit?..."

These verses hit me hard.

First, the amazement of John as he reminds those whom he writes to about the depth of God's love. You can feel the humility, the amazement, the excitement of a man who marvels at the wonder that the Father could show this sort of love to people like us!

Then the reminder that we are NOW the children of God ... but there is more coming ... more love to be revealed ... what WE WILL BE has yet to appear. The following verses seem to say that the "what we will be" that John is talking about is our sinless state in heaven, of our becoming like Christ.
We KNOW that when we see Jesus face-to-face, we shall be "similar/like" Him ... BECAUSE we shall see Him as He is.

Do you see what John is saying? We will be like Him because we will be seeing Him as He is. In other words, seeing our Lord Jesus Christ in all His holiness and majesty and beauty and awesome glory ... this moves us to become like Him. And John is not necessarily talking about our "future glorification" in heaven, after we die, though that is certainly there. From the next verse, though, I think that John is wanting his readers to understand something more.

We will indeed be free of sin and completely pure when we see Jesus in heaven. But John tells us that we can become like Jesus on during our earthly lives, too ... we are able to look forward with hope and expectation to one day seeing Jesus as He truly is, and this hope and expectation causes us to "purify" ourselves in anticipation, because He is pure!

This is nothing new to most people, probably most who read this post. But it was profoundly powerful to remind me once again of precious truth.

I should not "try to be good" because of a sense of duty or debt. No, my obedience and holiness as a Christian should naturally flow from a hopeful vision of Jesus, in all his glory and majesty and beauty and purity, whom I will one day stand face-to-face with and talk "as a man talks with his friend." And even this hope and this Christ-centered vision do not come from me, but from the Holy Spirit. This is an amazing truth ... may we all see and anticipate Christ, and live our lives holy for that day when we meet Him!

Dear readers,

I have been writing this and my other blog rather consistently throughout the past few months of summer, even if my posts have been a bit sparse and far in between. Ah, well, that's summer.

Now I have but three more precious, precious weeks of summer before beginning the Fall semester as a second-year student. I am trying to take time for the next weeks to relax quite a bit more than I have been, and actually get rested and well-read before hitting Labor Day weekend.

Thus, I am temporarily suspending any more posts on either of my blogs until the cessation of the summer, to achieve the above goal.

See you at the start of the school year (in a cyber-metaphorical sort of way, of course)!

Andrew

Showcase: Artist #4

This is currently my favorite song by J.S. Bach, an awesome fugue with the unassuming title "Little" Fugue in G Minor. YouTube does not have a video that does this song true justice - this player is very good, but I find his rendition a tad fast. The magnificence of the song and the beauty of the instrument remedy that, however.

Showcase: Artist #3

Another one of the world's greatest guitarists, a Swedish "metallist" named Yngwie (pronounced "Ingwee" apparently) Malmsteen, was vastly influenced by classical music and especially Bach, which comes through in his playing. Despite having a stroke which forced him to relearn his guitar skills, Malmsteen remains a formidable guitarist. Here, he performs a fugue with an orchestra ... fantastic to watch.

Showcase: Artist #2

One of the world's most talented electric guitarists, Steve Vai, plays with an orchestra, "For the Love of God."

Showcase: Artist #1

Very cool Latin jazz piano and bass!

The Muse of Music Comes to Call

Giv has requested that both Clio and Euterpe be more equally represented on this blog. So here's some musical talent to feast on ...

Be amazed.

P.S. ... Er, speaking of Muses, I think the Muse of Supposedly Simple Technology isn't doling out much of her gifting in my direction. I'm still working on the YouTube links ...

To anyone interested, I am posting a series of some of my favorite books on my other blog.

This past Sunday night our C&Cs met with (most) of our parents to discuss the vast topic of courtship. I found the meeting very helpful ... it was encouraging to see all the vital areas that everyone agreed upon, to hear wise words from both the married and single, and it was instructive to hear the differences of opinion on the smaller details of some areas - each opinion being well-thought out, biblically informed, and empathetic as well as rational ... it is yet another reminder that courtship and relationships are not clear-cut story-book situations; it is largely an area of wisdom that differs in detail from person to person (details bound under general "set" principles that are clearly outlined in the Bible).

There are a couple recurring themes that stood out to me:

The Importance of Input:
Especially from godly parents. The input of both my parents has been one of the main sources of wisdom for me in this area. They provide a biblical perspective for me (often drawing my attention to verses such as Matt. 6:33 and Prov. 3:5-6); they listen to me; they counsel me in small details. I have been saved from some rather foolish choices because of conversations with them, and I trust that God is using them to help me to walk according to His will. I have generally found, in the area of "relationships" (for lack of a better word), if you don't think it's important enough to share with your parents ... it usually is. And if you simply do not want to tell your parents, it's even more important to seek them out.
Also important is the input of wise and godly people in the church. My parents are not infallible - their just wiser and more experienced than I am. Also, as our C&C meeting showed, often people approach the same situation in different ways, and each way makes a lot of sense! There is wisdom to be found in variety.
More and more, I feel my own inadequacy in this area, so I'm very grateful that God has blessed me with outstanding parents and many great people in my church and school, who He uses as a means of wisdom for me.

God is the First Initiator:
The fact is, before the man initiates and the woman responds, God has already been working in both their hearts. I think Scripture shows that God is the one who not only created romance, but continues to create it. Genesis 2:22 and Malachi 2:13-15 show that God brings the two together into one (with a portion of the Spirit - an interesting reflection of the Trinity in the One God). God, whose sovereign influence extends even to the leanings of our hearts (Exodus 10:1-2; Ps. 139) ... His influence extends to romance as well! God plans our romance; God carries out our romance. This is a marvelous thing to think about - if, before or during a courtship, you feel confused and unsure of God's will, know that He cares about your every need and desire and emotion, know that He is good and wise, know that He is sovereign. Know that He will guide the relationship either to marriage (regardless our blunders) or to a God-honoring decision against marriage (to that particular individual, that is) ... and He does this for our good (Rom. 8:28)!

Sometimes "matters of the heart" can be confusing, so these thoughts have often encouraged me. I hope they might do the same for you.

Many of you would have seen Tim Hortons commercials advertising the new "Strawberry Shortcake" ice capp, "perfect for a summer day" ... but in truth, this new ice capp leaves a lot to be desired in the "strawberry shortcake" part of the equation. But if the idea itself appeals to you, there is hope.

Have you ever wanted to taste the perfect strawberry ice capp? All it takes is some inside info, a fearless heart, a sweet tooth, and a thirsty person ...

1. Wait for a gap in the lineup, then inform your friendly local Tim Hortons employee that yours will be an unusual order. Be warned: this may lead to a straining-to-be-friendly local Tim Hortons employee; but don't worry - its our job to customize food, if desired, to your preferences, and its an almost certain guarantee that they'll have had stranger orders before.

2. Order one [fill in size] strawberry ice capp supreme, with chocolate milk instead of cream. This, so far, involves a portion of chocolate milk, injected with a couple drops of concentrated strawberry flavoring, then whipped into the ice capp java mix, and finally topped by imitation whip cream (whipped and sweetened oil, really). Make sure that your whipped oil is coming from the fridge and not from standing on a hot countertop. Usually, the employee will then put chocolate syrup drizzled on the top. Let them do this, then prepare for step 3.

3. Ask them to sprinkle shaved chocolate on top of the whipped cream/oil (the same kind that goes on mochas).

4. Then direct them to go into the back fridge with a spoon, and plop a healthy portion of the strawberry gelatin on the very top of the whipped cream/oil (the same gelatin that goes on strawberry tarts). This should be free (mostly because no one has ever imagined they would sell gelatin), but if they looked pained, offer to pay for the gelatin as you would a side order of cream cheese or an extra tea bag - 25 cents.

5. Your truly strawberry shortcake ice capp is ready to drink and be enjoyed.

6. Please, please, please order this drink on storefront, and not through drive-thru. The lineup of cars behind you as this is being prepared would be generally not in a good mood.

There you have it. Join me next time as I explain the art of constructing a chicken-bacon-ranch melt and a "cream cruller" for the perfect Tim Hortons lunch-time experience!

Spiderman III

Well, at long last, the followup to the Spidey vs Pirates ...

Spiderman III, in a nutshell, was a lot of fun to watch. It was ambitious: juggling, in essence, three villains (Sandman, Eddie-as-Venom, supersoldier Harry); Peter and MJ's strained relationship; Peter's hosting the alien lifeform; a "love triangle" between Harry and MJ and Peter; Harry's inner turmoil ... you certainly have to be paying attention if you want to keep track of all the different plot twists taking place in this story! But the producers manage to pull all these different points into a near-satisfactory ending, and part of the fun of seeing this movie is watching how they did this.

In a sense, one of the primary antagonists in this movie is Peter himself. From the almost the first ten minutes almost to three-quarters through the movie, Peter's world goes from idyllic to shambles, largely because of his own blunders and pride.
His pride in his own achievements (culminating in recieving the key to the city in a sprawling celebration) is the first thing to turn on him: his overinflated view of himself causes him to loose sight of the people whom he loves the mostly, namely MJ. His conversation with her throughout the first 20 minutes is characterized mostly by references to himself, and an unconscious lack of interest in her. This builds to a "Peter's Dumbest Moments" scene where he invites Gwen to "lay one of him" because the crowd would "love it" ... right in front of MJ. *Slaps head in exasperation* My thoughts were with the little girl somewhere in the crowd - "Don't do it, Spidey!" How clueless can you be? Not surprisingly, this leads to a rather heated tiff.
Sadly, Peter is "infected" by an alien lifeform, which "amplifies" his evil nature, as it were. This slides him down the slippery slope even further, until he gets to a "weird emo" stage (many thanks to my friend Steven for coining this perfect term for the "new" Peter), and does some pretty despicable things. He suddenly gets a new haircut, new clothes, and begins to think of himself as New York City's Sexiest Man. At this point, you're wishing that someone would run him over with a bicycle (after all, he's Spiderman; he could take it). But then he really gets to be a creep, bringing his new "girlfriend" deliberately to MJ's club and humiliating her ... by now, you're kind of hoping one of the bouncers would land a chair on his head. No such luck.
Some people would think I'm being hard on Peter, but after being the hero of two movies, I don't mind giving him a bit of a hard time in this one. Fortunately for him, by the end of the movie he has reverted to his old, nerdy, likeable self, to our great relief.

So much for Peter. But actually one of my favorite characters in this movie is Harry. Seeing his character begin hateful, then come into a temporary amnesia stage where he's genuinely a warm, caring friend, then back into his evil vengeance, finally redeeming himself in saving Peter's life ... it fluctuated a lot, but it worked! You rooted for Harry, even when he was trying to kill Spiderman. You enjoyed seeing him in his normal life, comfortably distant from his amnesia-shrouded vendetta. And if you're like me, you loved every second of screentime featuring his battle technology - a selfguided rocket-board, a katana-like sword, a very cool helmet ... its sad, I know ...
In a way, Harry is more of a hero than a villain. His character - with all its shades - transformed this movie from mere action-adventure into one with more than a hint of tragedy.

Sandman and Venom made for some pretty fantastic fight scenes. Adding the emotional element of Sandman as a hurting father confused his character, though ... its a bit of a stretch to think of the man who mourned his accidently killing Peter's uncle, and who loved and feared for his daughter, as the same one who rather heartlessly smashed policemen through windshields of cars and flung them into buildings (presumably killing them). And though its nice to see Peter forgiving him at the end, its a bit unresolving and unjust to see him drift away (literally) scot-free. You feel sorry for him and his daughter, but it doesn't really justify him robbing banks and killing innocents. Ah, well ... sometimes justice is compromised for a more heartwarming movie end.

Unfortunately, J.J. Jameson had remarkably little screentime, and not so good lines. He did provide some laughs, though, not as clever as in the past. Definitely the funniest point in the movie involved the French maitre d' - the moments where he's mistiming the "right" moment for Peter's springing the question are hilarious.

Well, this review is getting ponderous. Let me close in saying that this movie, though not perfect, was certainly entertaining and engaging. From spectacular graphics to interesting characters to funny moments to weird moments ... definitely a fun watch.

Book Review: Justinian's Flea

Well, unfortunately, what with work, cleaning my room, studying and practicing, drivers ed, and optometrist visits ... this week has allowed precious little time-space to devote to the second half of the double movie review. As I write now, I only have 20 minutes to punch out something meaningful here before I disappear into the Tim Hortons abyss for 8 long hours. Spiderman III will have to wait a couple more days if I want to do it any justice. This post will be a quick book review of Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe (by William Rosen, Jonathan Cape, 2007).

Bookstores these days have two main types of books in their History sections: 1) those written by professional and expert historians (examples being The Peloponnesian War, by Donald Kagan; The Spartans, by Paul Cartledge; and The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt). These volumes are top-notch quality, academic gems made available to the general public, condensing decades of intense study into accessable volumes. However, often a downside to these is that they are often a bit laborous ... they often rely on some previous knowledge on the part of the reader; they can get bogged down into intensely boring studies of pottery fragments; etc. Then are 2) those books written by "laymen," amateur historians (often journalists or professional writers). These books are very interesting: they are written by well-read people who love their topic of study and often do excellent research. While they usually fall short in fine details, they provide brilliant overviews of historical topics and periods. Justinian's Flea is one of these books.

The author has done great research to provide a very captivating and accurate portrayal of the fall of Rome, the rise of the Byzantine Empire, and the life and achievements of its best-known emperor - Justinian. There are fascinating chapters dealing with architecture (the building of the "Hagia Sophia"); theological controversies (interesting discussions detailing differences in doctrine that defined the Greek Orthodox movement), warfare (the exploits of the fantastic general Belisarius), etc. The section of the book dealing with bacteria and the plague were, I thought, some of the most interesting in the book. The author traces the characteristics of the lethal bacteria that created the bubonic plague, covering the ways in which the plague spread and what caused it to spring up into epidemics, and how it made its way into Constantinople. Once there, this plague killed hundreds of thousands ... here the author explains the effects of this plague on the immediate age and what effect it had on the forming of medieval Europe. Very good!

This book is well-written, sure to fascinate (aside from some sections that delve too deeply into archetectural principles, biology, and military tactics) ... if you are at all interested in the history of the late Roman Empire, Byzantium, the black plague, Belisarius, Justinian, Europe of the Middle Ages, or the interaction between Rome, Constantinople, Arabia and Persia, and China ... this is an amazing book to introduce you to this time and these topics.

Spidey vs Pirates I

I shall be continuing some musings on ancient warfare, but elsewhere.

In this post, I'm going to be a bit ambitious and seek to provide a short review on two movies, and compare them. These two movies are Spiderman III and Pirates of the Caribbean III.

Mandatory Warning: Spoilers ahead. But I imagine you'll read on anyway, right?...

First, Pirates. In a nutshell, one of the most disappointing movies I've seen. The first movie was clever and interesting; the sequel didn't really live up to the first, but had still managed to tell a decent story. The only thing even vaguely pleasant about the third movie were the sunny Caribbean beachlines.

The movie played like a pirate-version of a Greek myth. There were moments of pointless randomness (such as the Pearl run by a crew of Jacks ... even this had potential for far more humor than it had, but the producers added the macabre element of purely pointless shootings and stabbings, and ruined both the scene and the idea). There were a lot of "what in the world?!" moments (did Calypso really have to be in the movie at all? and why did she disintegrate into crabs instead of doing something a bit more spectacular, like calling down tornadoes? is there a point to killing off rather important characters right and left? and why on earth did they transform Will into an undead, inevitably brutal captain of a cursed ship? oooh, my head ...). There were moments of completely unneeded risque "humor."

The tone of the worst things about this movie were set in the very first scene ... hundreds of people hanged, culminating in the hanging of a small boy. From scene one, the directors broke one of the primary rules for movies which are supposed to be entertaining and humorous: never kill senselessly, and never kill children! Scenes depicting pointless killing are "appropriate" in movies like Schindler's List, where they are painted as horrible crimes and the mood of the movie is meant to be solemn and grim. The same kind of killing is not appropriate for a Pirates movie!
The world of the third Pirates is one in which good and evil do not exist, frankly (or else the message is that everyone's evil, but there are some evil people you can like, and others your supposed to hate ...). "Hero" characters murder senselessly and cruelly. Will's dad, who in one scene evokes sympathy, in another scene cuts down Norrington in cold blood. Sau Fang, who from the trailers and "hype" from the movie is apparently a "good" guy, coldbloodedly kills whoever he wants and attempts rape. Davy Jones is often painted as a "tragic" character who your supposed to both detest and pity. Will, who began in the first movie as one of the more noble characters, degenerates into a selfish, vengeful lout in this film, and ends up taking Davy Jones' place as the harvester of sailor's souls. Jack shoots and stabs "himself" without too much thought (seeing as its just hallucination, its not much of a crime, but its hard to laugh at someone being stabbed because he didn't tie a rope right). Will and Elizabeth are angry with each other most of the movie, then have a rather pathetically ridiculous wedding in the middle of a war zone - its not so much a warm "true love" moment as its a choreographed sword fight ending in a kiss. Ugh.

At the end of the movie, there really isn't any useful lesson learned, no action taken that seems admirable and noble, no redemptive characters ... just a group of bad guys that get gruesomely killed, and a group of "good" guys (and girl) that managed to survive the movie, usually by backstabbing (literally), lies, brute force, betraying others, and getting to the end regardless of the means.

This ain't no Christmas movie. It actually ain't much of a movie at all. I rarely go away from a theater utterly disappointed with a movie (The Fountain was another recent one), but Pirates managed to seize this (dis)honor.

The next post will deal with Spiderman, and in a more favorable light ...

And now for something completely different!

I have had an urge over the past few days to write about war.

Yes, war.

At this point, some of you are whooping, and others are raising eyebrows. So a few prefacing remarks may be i order ...

First, I will not be writing about the "War" that everyone else is fixated on, namely, the present Iraqi War. I'm sorry, I'm just not current enough.

Also, to those of you readers who don't have a clue why warfare would excite me enough to write a blog post about it ... and might even be wondering how stable such a person could be ... I apologize that this post and a few others will seem dry or a bit morbid. But hey, give it a chance ... you might find it interesting, too.

I mean, who hasn't at some point in their life (ok, maybe I'm grasping a bit far here) wondered if you threw a small regiment of Greek hoplites, a Chinese force centered around their famed crossbowmen, and a detachment of Crusader-era mounted knights, who would come out the victor? Or wondered why a group of 10,000 Macedonians under Alexander could defeat hundreds of thousands of Persians outside Babylon?

Oh, I see some fun posts coming up.

Don't worry ... for those of you who aren't catching the excitement, I'll also be posting about other things too. I'm just going to let loose for a bit in this particular area.

I'll give you some time to sharpen your swords and braid your hair ...

Laugh

"The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused."

"Start every day with a smile, and get it over with."

"Laughter is an instant vacation."

"Most smiles are started by another smile."

"Take time to laugh - it is the music of the soul."

"If you smile at someone ... they might smile back!"

"A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles."

"Smile - sunshine is good for your teeth."

"A smile confuses an approaching frown."

"It is worthier of man to rise in laughter above life than to bewail it. He is more worthy of the human race who laughs at it than he who sheds tears over it."

"Keep smiling ... it makes people wonder what you've been up to."

"If you would like to spoil the day for a grouch, give him a smile."

-------

"Laughter is a divine gift to the human who is humble."
C.S. Lewis

"Laugh, really laugh. Because funny stuff is happening all around you. (And sometimes because of you).
C.J. Mahaney

"A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed."
Prov. 15:13

"A joyful heart is good medicine ..."
Prov. 17:22

"We Are Simple People"

I've been pondering through one of the quotes that CJ gave at Na: "We are a simple people ..."

Now, God is certainly not calling us to be simpletons, that is, naive or not quite "all there." A rather ugly illustration that comes to mind is the wretched Mr. Skimpole in Charles Dicken's classic Bleak House, who takes perverse delight in demeaning himself as a profoundly naive man ("I am but a child in these matters ..."); sounds humble at first (though with him its more ridiculous), but in the end its just a clever excuse to indulge in leeching off of other people, hang around worthlessly and apathetically, and pretend to be unaware of basic morality. If I was like that, I'd punch myself in the nose.

On the other hand, there is a kind of childlike simplicity that seems to go hand in hand with a sense of the profound. I think of the apostle John, whose Gospel is the most theologically-laden of the four, yet who wrote in the most basic Greek (ideal for first-year Greek students!), in a way understandable to even children, and who constantly returned to the same things. If you want simple and profound, read the letters of John and Revelation! A modern-day example of simple and profound would be C.S. Lewis.

I really long for that kind of simplicity, the simplicity of a child who trusts his Father no matter what, the simplicity that is overwhelmed by awe at seeing a marvelous sunset, or listening to beautiful music, or catching a glimpse of the glory of God in His Word.

In the past little while, there have been a couple of situations where I've come to the Father with dreams that have been "cracked," or even "shattered." To be perfectly honest, I felt confused ... hurt ... and in the more deeply-felt of these two situations, it almost felt as if I'd been punched in the gut. Its sounds stupid (and it probably is), but thats how I felt. So I came to God and asked Him ... "Why?"

Answer?... Silence.

Do I have an answer yet? No. But ... in a way I do have an answer. God reminded me that He truly knows how I feel ... Jesus was a man, like me, and experienced the full range of emotion that I felt. Interestingly enough, I'm finding some of the most comforting verses on Jesus' emotions as a man in the Old Testament prophets (go figure!). God knows ... God cares ... God is wise ... God is good ... and God is in charge.

To paraphrase Dr. Bullmore from last year's Na: I can't see the full panoramic plan of God. I can just trust that He has one, and that it is good. I may never see His plan ... but I can see the hope that He has put in His Word.

Pray for me, that I would realize more and more that I am a simple person, and that this would only drive me closer and closer in communion and trust and prayer with my Father.

How was Barnabas Humble?

The more I read about the apostle Barnabas, the more I wish I could become like him.

I get to speak this Sunday, so I've been camping out for a while in Acts 11. Barnabas is a relatively minor character in this section, but he still captures my attention and respect.

Luke paints Barnabas as a "good man" (the only person in Acts that Luke says that about), full of the Holy Spirit, full of faith, generous, kind, thoughtful, trusting, forgiving, taking initiative in tough situations, seeing the potential in others, encouraging and exhorting; a joyful and humble man. He was a man of presence and authority - so much so that one city mistook him to be Zeus, the mighty king of the gods ... and anyone who has seen a Greek bust of Zeus knows that Barnabas must have had a considerable touch of authority, royalty, and wisdom beyond his years.

But I think what most impresses me about him is the way in which Barnabas was not only unafraid to see others outshine him, but he actually looked for ways to promote others.

Take Saul, later the great missionary Paul. Apparently Barnabas was, for all his leadership skills and grace-filled encouragement, not a good public speaker; perhaps not even very eloquent. There are no letters or sermons by him that we can read (though one was forged in his name long after his death). In contrast, Saul was brilliant in preaching and expositing the message of Jesus Christ throughout the Old Testament. Saul had a special charisma and intellectual skill, honed by years of training under the most famous Pharisee of the age.

Would Barnabas had felt threatened by Paul? I think so! Saul was going to be a lot more likely to be popular, because his was the face that everyone saw, his were the messages that amazed people with Christ. Just read Paul's letters ... this is not a boring man. This is a godly man of passion, steeped in Scripture, full of prayer, excited about the Gospel. Yeah, I think Barnabas probably realized that Saul would be a lot more popular than him.

And yet Barnabas sought out Saul, who was struggling in his home city, and invited him to come to Antioch, a thriving and impressionable young church.

Wow. That was an act of humility. That was selfless. That was caring for others above himself.

I like being good at what I do. In fact, I want to be the best in what I do. Sound ridiculous? Yep. It is. But I still have that little desire that sets goals and drives me towards them, disciplines me.

In the right context, this can be actually a God-honoring ambition and drive (not to be the best, but rather to do my very best for God's glory).

More often than not, though, this desire, if not met, gives way to jealousy. It shames me to say it, but there are times when I struggle with jealousy, seeing other people breezing past me and snatching that goal which I had so desired.

This is an arrogant and rotten sin, and extremely selfish. God, though, in His grace, is gradually allowing me to genuinely rejoice when other people do better than I do; when they get what I wanted; when they succeed where I failed. Its hard, sometimes. But it helps to keep in my mind's eye men like Barnabas, who rejoice when they are able to help other people become better and better, even if eventually they themselves must retreat into the shadows.

Hurrah for Barnabas, I say!

Andrew

He finally graduated ...

This made me laugh, as well as making me wish I could graduate with a bestselling author. Great class idea, Sam!

See anyone you recognize in the Covenant Life School graduating class photo?

And Sam, congratulations on the big graduation!
Is there any transcription/recording of the 10:31 awards? I found them very inspiring last year.

Slight Revision of Detail

For those of you who think that I'm a complete liar ... fear not! Its a lot simpler than that - I'm either woefully uninformed or pretty slow on the uptake ... or both. But rest assured I'm not a blatant liar.

In my last post, I mentioned Stephen had some new music. Those of you who would have checked would have instantly observed that Stephen, in fact, has no such new music on his old site.

Ah, notice that? Keyword = old site.

Yes, Stephen has another new site which he has recently created, called "The Breathing," which you can find by clicking this link.

I apologize for the mistake, and thank you for not posting nasty comments attacking my sanity.

Andrew

Na

Well, its taken me a while (a day of reflection for each day of the conference, it turns out), but here are some of varied highlights for me from New Attitude ...

- Spending some special times in the morning alone with God, sipping chocolate milk and eating semi-ripe tropical fruit while looking out onto an amazing sunrise ... I really enjoyed spending time reading some Psalms and Proverbs, talking to God about what I had read and the day ahead ... trying to process some of the things that I had learned the night before (thanks to a general sleep-deprivation, this was usually a task in itself).

- Watching, in a space of five minutes, Stephane talking with people sitting behind, in front of, and around us ... chatting and laughing like old friends. I don't know how he does it - is "magnetic personality" a thing you're born with?

- Spending time with some of my favorite people to spend time with - my good friends! You guys are pretty much the best college and careers group around ... you each are amazing examples of warmth; close-knit friendships; laughter; interesting conversation, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes profound; you care for each other in so many different ways; you each are passionate about God ... I could go on and on. It was amazing to spend some *intense* four days with you all.

- Seeing lots of old friends from Covenant Life who I haven't seen in a year!

- Seeing and listening to John Piper live - first time! Just about every book of his that I've read I have loved, so it was great to hear him in person. His second message was particularly helpful for me, showing me that God loves obedience which makes me more a debtor to grace than the day before. I have often thought of obedience as a "payback," a grateful response to what God has done. Instead, Piper pointed out that obedience that pleases God keeps utilizing the endless storehouses of grace which Jesus purchased for us when he died for us! Are my works - is my life - defined by a humble and sincere obedience which relies solely on the grace of God, each good thing that I do pointing not to me but to the riches of God's mercy and grace? Great message!

- Realizing that our C&C group has some pretty talented artists ...

- Watching godly men - Josh Harris, Eric Simmons, Mark Dever, Al Mohler, Bob and Devon Kauflin, John Piper, and especially CJ Mahaney ... the way they lived their message of cross-centeredness, their affectedness and passion for Christ.
It seems that whenever I hear, and especially see CJ, I learn so much from not just what he teaches but also from who he is, how he teaches, etc. Last year, for example, I was struck by CJ's emotion and gratefulness, sorrow and joy, as he preached a moving message on Isaiah 53. I went away from last years's conference wanting to emulate him in this regard - to spend more time at the foot of the cross, absorbing the truth of God's grace, listening in sorrow to the cries of Calvary and in joy to the triumph of the resurrection. This year, the same thing impacted me again ... and also other small things - his self-depreciating and sincere humor (not taking himself too seriously), his commitment to encouragement, his passion for the lost to hear the Good News ... In fact, these things characterize all the leadership there! I will never be a CJ, or a Josh Harris, or a Bob Kauflin, and certainly not an Al Mohler ... but I am thankful that God lets me see and hear and observe godly men like these, and for giving me a dad and a pastor like them, so that I can learn from them and try to imitate them (Philippians 3:17). They make a difference!

- The food ... such as the Pub, with its amazing British decor and the best crab-stuffed, molten-cheese-topped mushrooms I ever had ... late night pizza that never came ... fancy Italian dining ... and an indespensible pina colada at midnight on the road-trip.

- Watching the most one-sided poker game I have ever seen ...

- Enjoying an impromtu and very humorous panel discussion among Josh Harris, CJ Mahaney, Bob Kauflin, and Eric Simmons.

- Glimpsing some of the untold talent of our conference leaders for dancing.

- Bob Kauflin's prophetic songs.

There are a ton of other things I could mention ... but for sake of space (and sanity) I will stop here ("Hallejuah"s erupt throughout the readership).

Thanks for reading, and for those of you fellow Na-ers, thanks for the memories!

One last thing before I go. I believe my brother has posted some new songs on his purevolume page ...

More Pictures

Here are some pictures of a spectacular fort we visited, Fort De Soto.

It is situated in a sandbar/island paradise, with lush palm forests and amazing beaches.

It was used during the Spanish-American War in the turn of the century (1900s).

These mortar guns pictured fired 1,098 pound cannonballs 6 miles out to sea!

This is a picture of a smaller gun mounted on a turret, facing the gulf.

Probably useful for repelling amphibious assaults on the beach.

A very cool schematic of the gun.

Here is a downward view of a gun turret.

This is the upper rampart of the fort, facing the Gulf.

And this ... so cool. This is the fort, from the Gulf beach.

Any attackers would have no clue that massive mortars and a hundred soldiers

were fortified behind that false hill.

Ah, some of you have been very patient. At last we get to family and vacation pics!

Steven, this is to show your mom ....

So far, we have seen dolphins two days (see the dolphin fin above).

We have also seen a mother and baby shark swimming by this same pier.

The only thing yet to be seen are alligators (surprise!) and armadillos.

John - the Snorkler Extraordinaire

He has seen a lot of fish so far ...

Relaxing on a pier.

There you are, Avery. Us on a beach - 4 beaches this week, too.

Imagine the Kerr family sand-encrusted and sun-burned,

and I won't begrudge you an evil laugh.

There have been a couple of us who unfortunately failed to realize that 45-strength

suntan lotion works too well ... and only put it on our face and shoulders.

Hence, 80% of our body is burned, and the other 20% is ghost white.

No pictures, though ... that would be too embarrassing.

Anyhow ... NEXT!

An amazing pier/aquarium/mini-mall

Laura and the palm trees.

There you are. Pictures.

Hopefully, next on the blog-role will be a review of Spiderman III.

Have a fabulous weekend!

News Flash: Blog Birth

To all you blog-readers out there, we have another new addition to the Cosmos of the Bloggos: my brother, Stephen, and his new blog, "The Breathing."

Check it out here, or in the Links on the side-bar.

The Gift of Petition

Here's something to think and meditate on, and pray about ...

Yesterday in family devotions my dad pointed out something similar between Mark 10:36 and 10:51.
In the first case, James and John come to Jesus to ask for "high command" positions beside the Messiah in his new Kingdom that they thought he would soon establish on earth. Jesus asked them, "What do you want me to do for you?" ...
In the second case, a blind man comes to Jesus to ask him to have mercy on him and restore his sight. Jesus again asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" ...
In the first case, the request was denied. In the second, it was granted.

I won't go into the details of why one was denied and another granted, but it is interesting to see that even though the first request was quite selfish ... so, in a sense, was the second (again, in a sense). After all, the beggar didn't ask Jesus to "let your will be done" or "please make me holy like you" or "show me a glimpse of your glory" or anything "spiritual" like that ... no, he asked that he would have his sight restored. He didn't even piously add anything about "let me recover my sight, for God's glory," or "but your will be done." No, it was a plain-cut request asking for Jesus to meet a personal need.

Also interesting, in BOTH cases Jesus didn't just look at them and say, "Oh, grow up! Why on earth would you ask for that? No, no ... all you need is a healthy dose of humility and contentment." No ... in the first case, Jesus patiently pointed James and John to true greatness in humility. In the second case, Jesus restored the man's sight, and commented on his faith!

Why all this? Well, it brings to mind the words of Jesus time and time again throughout the Gospels and the Bible. "Ask, and you will receive." "How much more will the heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him?" "Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking." "You have not because you ask not."

Imagine coming before Jesus and him asking you, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Now, please understand, I am not advocating a health and wealth kind of prayer, claiming that all Christians deserve good things and money and cars and fame, blah blah blah. I am not saying that God gives you anything and everything you ask for ("God, I want my own private yacht"). I am not saying that we can somehow use God's invitation to prayer and His promises to "twist His arm" into giving us stuff. No, no.
I am saying that Jesus invites us as God's beloved children to come before him constantly, not only to worship Him, but also to petition Him for our needs and desires, and those of others. He sovereignly controls our entire lives, and yet He desires that we converse with Him and ask Him for things according to His purpose. He will not give us everything that we ask for, but when we pray according to His will, He does give us those things which most pleases Him to gift us with (see I John 5:15).

Pray! Talk with God! He is your Lord, and He is your loving Father. He is both awesome in power and kind and tenderly caring and interested in everything that concerns you!

It seems a bit selfish, but it is hard to escape the fact that Jesus said these words so many times! God is a generous God! If you doubt His generosity ... think about the cost of the cross.

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, with Him, graciously give us all things?"

So often we keep our hurts, cares, thoughts, desires all bottled up inside! Prayer is a marvelous gift, a personal communion and conversation and fellowship with God.

What a shame to waste such a precious gift and not pray!

On that note ... talk to God now. No time like the present.

Happy Mothers Day

My mom is a special blessing.
My mom exemplifies to me the verse in I Peter 4, which speaks of a woman with a gentle and quiet spirit, whom the Lord greatly values. My mom is exactly like that. She is gentle and kind, always showing my Dad and our family loyal love and compassion, caring for us and selflessly serving us day in and day out. She has a quiet spirit, and yet is firm and grounded in the Truth. She trusts God tremendously, and spends much time in private prayer or prayer with my Dad. She is a perfect compliment for my Dad - they have a very intimate, fun-filled, and loving friendship, talking with each other, walking together, praying together, hugging each other ... my mom and dad have one of the most exemplary marriages I have ever seen, and are a tremendous example to me.
My mom is very selfless in caring for her family. She sacrifices a vast amount of time, rest, money, emotion, and comfort to make sure that each of us in her family feel loved and cared for.
My mom is very intelligent - after all, she taught all the way to grade 12 calculus!... and yet for all her smarts she has an ever greater portion of wisdom, that God-given gift of wisdom for living life in a way that honors God.
Not only is she a terrific mom, but she is also one of my closest friends! I can talk with her and dad about things which I have never discussed with anyone else. I love going out every now and then with my mom alone to Starbucks, where we sip vanilla bean whatchamakalits or white hot chocolate and talk and laugh about everything from funny family stories, good books, weather, and animals we like to our hopes and fears about the future, love and relationships, and areas in our life which we would like to grow in holiness. In almost every conversation, though, I appreciate how my mom is able to speak wisdom into what we talk about and always take it back to God and what He said in His Words.

I love my mom very, very much, and I wish her a Happy Mother's Day!

Journey in Photos I

THE THREE DAY PILGRIMAGE

Here are some pictures from our trip to Florida:

This is one of my favorites. It pretty much speaks for itself.

Nice shot of Laura smiling ...


This is tremendously unflattering ... but my Mom swears that this is the
exact same face I always made when I had my picture taken at age 2.
Some things never change ...



Dad deep in thought. Trying to figure out how to open the hood.

Sometimes we got a bit bored waiting for our dinner.

Stephen did not pose for this.

Reading (duh).

My grandmother!

Ok, fabulous sign. Read carefully.

My grandfather doing an incredible "Nero" pose.

There you have it. More to come.

Photo credit to Stephen and Andrew Kerr. Hint to difference: one is a 7 mp camera, another is 2 mp ...

More to Come

I apologize for the slight inactivity on my part ... I'm getting into vacation mode. I will try to blog more frequently throughout my holiday, hopefully complete with pictures and such. Perhaps "Sounds of the Ocean Surf," too.

In the meantime, I've found that controversial blogs spark more comment traffic than anything else I can think of (check out Tim Challies' blog on homeschooling). And for those visiting for the first time in a while, definitely check out the new blogs of Emily and Avery ... and, AHEM, Steven .... (nudge, nudge, nudge ...)

Until then ...

History and Study and Books can be FUN!

As a great many of you would know, I am a history [take your pick: buff, lover, nerd, freak ... whatever would describe a semi-obsession]. History reminds me of a vast, magnificent book; different ages for different "chapters," with new characters and settings and plots every chapter. But this does not mean that each scene from history is disconnected - no, the entire span of history is intricately interconnected and flows subtly and wonderfully from one picture to the next. One individual influences a nation which influences a culture which influences history itself. This book is imaginatively and perfectly written by the supreme Author - God! And the end of the book of history is not yet written, though we catch glimpses of it in Revelation (in that Book through which God Himself made Himself known to the characters of His "drama").

It is said that theology (the study of God and His Word) is the "Queen of the Sciences" (thus meaning all the disciplines and studies we as humans can dedicate ourselves to), and that philosophy is its "handmaiden." Because God and His Word have complete authority above all else in this world, I completely agree with this first assessment; and because correct philosophy both flows from an accurate, Spirit-illuminated understanding of God and His Word and also is foundational in our understanding of all other areas of study, the second statement also seems true.
If theology is the foundation of study, and philosophy the pillars which uphold the other studies, then I might take this analogy even further (hopefully without slaughtering it) by saying that history acts as the walls or structure upon which all other studies are built. In short, theology informs philosophy which informs history which informs all other disciplines.
Why do I say this? Other studies (chemistry, astronomy, literature, music, mathematics) are inextricably set within the context of history. All of these "sciences" and "arts" have been developed from "infancy" to their current states over millennia. And even though it is certainly possible to, say, understand matrix mechanics or the Pythagorean theorem or the Scream or the doctrine of sovereign election or the Mass in B Minor without understanding their history ... it definitely helps, and tends to make the study that much more interesting!

I always find it helps me wonderfully to take a certain period of history (say, ancient Egypt) or a certain individual (say, Hannibal the Carthaginian [my, ahem, hero] or Bach) or even a literary piece (say the Histories of Herodotus or Far from the Madding Crowd) ... and begin with a short summary. Look at this time-clip of history, or person's life, or book-plot, from an "overall and overarching" perspective. Familiarize yourself with the basic facts. Don't, for example, begin a study of Alexander the Great by reading The Military Genius of Alexander: Macedonian Phalanx Techniques and Hellenistic Warfare (however wonderfully appealing this title seems)! Rather begin by reading a 30-page life of Alexander.
Once this intro has been finished, and you know the basic facts, take at least 2 or more "medium" (non-scholarly) books on that particular time/person/work, and try reading through them in say, three to four weeks (thus, in a month, you will have a very good, "conversive" understanding of what you're studying.
Only after this can you begin to "specialize" - that is, take a certain "mini-topic" of the "main" topic, and study this in-depth (*gasp*). I made this mistake when I began to study J.S. Bach ... I tried to read a very scholarly study on the Brandenburg Concertos before I even knew much about Bach himself! I realized the hard way that I must learn more about Bach the man and at the very least basic baroque music history and theory before I can begin to touch the "Brandenburg" book (I'm thinking in about 2-3 years ... *sigh*).
All of you, each of whom are very well-versed in certain areas above the average person, can testify to this! You can't read Kant without knowing basic philosophy. You can't decipher the intricacies of quantum mechanics before you understand classical physics. You don't study the first century Roman legions without knowing Roman history. And on and on and on.

Well, that was a long and slightly rambling post. Thanks for reading, if you endured so far!

A Possibility?

Well, here's one opinion to that question below ... I heard it recently, and it got me thinking. I'm still not sure whether its right or not ...

In a sense, Satan was telling the truth ... indeed, God said later that "man has become like us" (I love this verse too because it testifies within the first few chapters of the Bible about the Trinity). So, in some way, man became "like God" in knowing good and evil. In another real sense, Satan lied - man did not become nearer to God, but rather fell away from communion with Him!
So, what is knowing good and evil? It couldn't just mean "knowing" in an intellectual sense what good and evil is (because Adam and Eve both knew that it was wrong to eat from the tree). Could it mean "knowing" in the sense of experience? No, probably not, because how would God experience and participate in evil?
So ... perhaps "knowing" good and evil means knowing in the sense of determining good and evil. Just as God, from His very nature, knows and determines what exactly is evil and good, Adam and Eve aspired to that same position as "autonomous law-makers" ... they desired to determine for themselves what was good and evil, and not live under the determining of God in these matters.
End summary - it was an extreme arrogance, hungering for the power and authority to create their own "good and evil," that Satan tempted Adam and Eve with and they both grasped for.

As I said before, I'm not exactly sure if this is the right or only answer to the question below ... but its interesting to ponder. Any thoughts?

"Man has become like one of us ..."

Here's an interesting question for you readers ...

In Genesis 3:5, what did it mean for Satan to tell Eve, "God knows that when you eat of [the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil"? What does it mean to know good and evil, and how would Adam and Eve "be like God" in knowing good and evil? Was there a grain of truth in what Satan said, or was he deceiving Eve (or both)? How did God know good and evil in a way Adam and Eve originally didn't?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this!

Sanctity of Life

Remembering those of Virginia Tech,

as well as the hundreds of thousands dying daily in terrorist bombings,

from starvation and AIDS, victims of genocide, and of pointless murders and rage ...

-

"Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in His own image."

Genesis 9:6

-

"No man is an island.

And any man's death diminishes man."

John Donne

Deserving ... What?

Have you ever noticed how much our of rotten attitudes and sins (well, at least my rotten attitudes and sins) flow from a certain, subtle thought that often whispers in our head: "I deserve [fill in the blank]"? These days God has been mercifully but often painfully showing me my own "wretchedness" ... to use the words of Corinthians, that I am simply a jar of clay, holding a treasure, and my significance and identity is worthless if it is not tied to the glittering treasure which I hold. To think that I "deserve" anything is almost a joke ... but I too often think this anyway! When God closes a door that I was really hoping He would keep open, I frequently get rather irritated, thinking, "I deserved to be able to do that!" When God is "silent" when I passionately pray to Him, and when my prayer requests are answered with a "No" (with no explanation!) I will very often become discouraged and think, "What did I do or pray wrong to deserve this?" Sometimes I will very deliberately "drop my guard" and "permit" myself to go against what God would want, thinking, "Well, I've tried so hard to be good all week ... I deserve a break" (actually a good clue to cause of the second half of that sentence is the first).

You get the idea. The notion that I somehow deserve special treatment is one which time and again I use to permit or excuse sin. And yet when I read the Bible, I see a mirror-image of myself, deserving only the wrath of God - nothing else. I see someone who has received the undeserved grace of God, epitomized in the sacrifice of His Son for me, and my being adopted into His family as His son. THAT'S undeserved grace.
May God help me (and us all) to remember what we deserve and what we don't, and may His Spirit enable us to see Jesus Christ with "unveiled faces" to behold His glory and the glory of the Good News, to be transformed into His likeness.

Polar Opposites

The last couple of weeks I have been reading a biography of Muhammad, written by a French atheist in the 1960s (Maxime Rodinson). Overall, it is an engaging and fascinating read, though it is interesting to read an atheist attempting to define the legitimacy of Muhammad's revelations from Allah (mediated through the angel Gabriel) - he seems to think that "the Voice" which imparted "divine revelation" to Muhammad issued not from Allah (remember, author's atheist), but from Muhammad's subconscious. He mentions a few interesting incidents throughout the book in which Muhammad's revelations were uncannily convenient for the "Prophet" (revelations which subsequently enlarged Muhammad's land, prestige, or harem). This may or may not be very fair, as the author himself admits. While there are certainly instances in which any "outsider" would be immediately suspicious of the supposed qu'ranic verses which seemed to merely back up Muhammad's own opinions and desires, there are other times in which the "Prophet" received guidance from Allah that went directly against his own inclinations (especially early on). Of course, I personally disagree with the idea that Muhammad's subconscious was the only factor involved. And I certainly don't think God was sending Muhammad "revelations". Much like the "angel Moroni" that came to Joseph Smith (Mormonism), I think there were other forces at work. But this in neither here nor there for this blog posting ...

There was an incident I found quite in stark contrast with the example of Christ. Consider this story of one of Muhammad's disciples, captured by Bedouin, was sold to the people of Mecca (a city that at this time was a sworn enemy of Muhammad). In revenge for a recent battle between the two forces in which Muhammad won, the Meccans "crucified" (in Arab tradition, probably bound to a tree) this Muslim. There a young boy whose father had been recently slain by Muslims in the battle jabbed him with a spear. As he was dying, this man prayed to his god: "Allah" ... then pointing to the crowd of men, women, and children around him, "count them well. Kill them all, one by one, and let not one escape!" We don't know what Muhammad would have though of these exact words, but the "Prophet" did proclaim this man a martyr, and poets later praised him and his courage.

It strikes me, though, the stark contrast between this man and Jesus, who was nailed to a cross, scourged, and mocked, and yet who prayed to his God, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

There's a massive difference between the two men. One swore vengeance and called on God to be merciless. The other forgave and called on God to have mercy and save. And God listened to His Son.

Words That Bring Tears to Our Eyes

Have you ever noticed that some words are just more fun/funky to use?

For example ...

Brouhaha
("uproar")

Higgledy-Piggledy
(oh, this one was precious - after eulogizing the word "suffuse" [such a noble word ...], my prof goes right into saying, "Paul used a missionary strategy; he did not simply run around higgledy-piggledy!" I don't think I heard anything else for about five minutes ... means "confusion")

Bodkin
(technically, a sharp sword, but just fun to say in a Daffy Duck voice, "Odds, me bodkins.")

Kewl
(actually, its kinda stupid)

Accoutrement
(um, "gear, equipment" ... another Daffy Duck one ...)

Curmudgeon
(to "hit violently about the ears and head")

Esssse
(believe it or not, a real English word; plural of "ash," therefore "ashes". Pronounced "eshih" ... very, very cool ...)

Pilliwinks
(a thumbscrew for torturing people; "Bring out the pilliwinks, Quincy!")

Bumkin
(another Daffy. "Begone, bumkin!")

Any others that you can think of?

Thank You For ...

Last week I celebrated my 19th birthday. As a "birthday tradition," I began the day before spending more time than usual thanking God for the many blessings He has given to me, and then read a few Psalms that were prayers of dedication to the Lord. I found it uplifting to think on all the things that God has blessed us with!

Some of the blessings that came quickly to mind that morning were my friends. That very afternoon, they surprised me by taking me out to a Chinese lunch buffet. As we were together, I was struck again by how grateful I am, and how blessed I am, to have the friends that I do - friends that so often are examples in humility, in laughter, in unselfishness, in wisdom, in godliness.

My professor (and friend) Dr. Haykin wrote an excellent article on friendship, in which he quotes a James Newton as giving the foundations to a true friendship: "If we have God for our Friend, what need we to fear, Nothing, but without his Friendship we may be looked on as the most miserable of men." Upon this cornerstone of true friendship, an early church theologian, Gregory of Nazianzus, could say, "If anyone were to ask me, 'What is the best thing in life?', I would answer, 'Friends.'"

Praise God for His friendship to us, by choosing us and saving us through Jesus Christ, and sending His Holy Spirit to be our constant Helper, Seal, Guide, and Friend as we shine with the glory of Christ on earth. God is our Friend!
And thank you, God, for granting me such wonderful friends! They are gifts from You, representations of Your bountiful kindness.

And to those of you who are reading who are my friends (not too many reading, but everyone I know of who reads this blog is my friend!), thank you for the gift of your friendship. I do treasure it, and I hope that I can strive towards being as good a friend to each of you as you have been to me.

God is kind!

Andre

"Stars" on Stage

Ok, who can go to a Switchfoot concert and not blog about it?

As, then, you can guess, some friends and I went to Switchfoot and Copeland's concert in the bunker-like Kool Haus (the neighborhood looks like a back alley in Gotham City), their only performance in Toronto in their Great Canadian Tour. Brilliant, brilliant performance! Best concert I've been to.

First off, two friendly words of advice from a fellow-concert-goer. Regardless of the bitterly cold winds of February, never wear a heavy coat in the line going into the concert ... even if you'll be there for upwards of two hours. If you opt instead for a hoodie or its equivalent, you soar right by those poor souls who have to move into the almost-infinite line for coat-checks.
Sure, you spend the hours waiting outside shivering, desperately trying to locate feeling in all your digits (toes are the first to go). But cold can't kill you. Well ... maybe. And it can give you a nasty bronchial infection (as I have found out the hard way).
And it gets somewhat toasty when you've been in the place for three hours and you're pressed in on all sides, and everyone's jumping and singing off-key, and most people have no grasp of the novel concept of "deodorant."
But all this is a fair price to pay for staying in right at the very front of the concert! We were four feet from the fence separating us from the bands, and this brings all the benefits of the best of concert-going ... full-blast sound, an (almost) unobstructed view of the stage, and the opportunity to help the band singers body-surf (I finally found an advantage in having big hands ... when he was walking the fence and singing right over our heads, Jon picked my hand to lean on as he walked ... he had a nice ring around his finger, which I kept as a souvenir ... kidding!).

The second word of advice. If you choose the wise path of dressing light ... please, please pick reliable drivers to come and pick you up on time (still bitter, you say? nonsense!). Ours, ahem, were "clubbing" downtown as we slowly succumbed to hypothermia (actually, they were watching a movie and spent almost as much time in the cold as us, but thats beside the point).
On the bright side, we got to meet Jon Foreman in person when he came out in about a half hour and was signing autographs. We all got our tickets signed. That was pretty cool ... but not as cold as we were (ahahahaaa .... um, sorry, bad pun again ...)

Man, I thought I could keep this blog short. I haven't even talked about the concert!

I'll summarize: they played all their best stuff, in my opinion, starting with THE perfect opening head-banger, "Stars," and ending with THE perfect encore song, "Dare You to Move."
Got to hear the awesome live rendition of "Meant to Live," which is almost better than the CD, which is incredible.
"American Dream" became "Canadian Dream."
Found out they just had filmed a music video in Toronto (!!).
Had a body-surfer dropped on my head.
Watched helplessly as my friends Steven and Tim body-surfed straight over the front into the not-so-friendly arms of security (they were promptly deposited back into the roiling sea of bodies).
My friend Stephane had his first taste of alternative rock live concert and "moshing" ... incredible first taste, too.
I marveled that people below five feet did not just disappear without a trace during some of those crushing, jumping, pushing "high points."
Seeing Tim do his signature jump from the kick drum, and Jon with his tossed mic-stand and his acrobatics with a cymbal.
Watching Stephane converse with people he had never seen before like they were old friends, and not only identifying what background they were, but speaking to them in their language! ... I counted French, Arabic, Polish, Russian, and Hebrew. At that point, the rest of us were feeling antisocial and illiterate.

There are some snapshots. Wish I could rave on more, but a blog can only go on so long without getting dangerously tedious.

But you had to be there!