Art/Literature/Poetry

NPM: Walt Whitman - "A Clear Midnight"

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"A Clear Midnight" by Walt Whitman

This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless,
Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson
     done,
Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the
     themes thou lovest best,
Night, sleep, death and the stars.

Music Monday 4.12.10

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Review of Melanie Penn: Wake Up Love coming this week. Our whole family is really enjoying it. Christianity Today digs it. Watch her sing "Ordinary Day" below. I've provided some of the lyrics.

It's me when you catch the fragrance of spring
When tall trees sway
It's me in the cold winter sting
In the alleyway
I am the sigh
While all creation groans and waits

You can hear me speak
If you're listenin'
I will always be
And I have always been
You can hear me blowin'
Although you don't know
Where I'm comin' from
Or where I go

Doug Burr is a new name for me, and that's a shame because his music is outstanding. His new song "Red, Red" can be downloaded free. Here's "Should've Known"...

NPM: Billy Collins Interview

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Billy-collins Listen to this interview of Billy Collins by Christy Tennant of International Arts Mission (IAM). You should subscribe to the IAM podcast. One of the best things on the arts from a perspective of faith out there.

Also check out the most touching Billy Collins poem (to me) "The Lanyard." It's something I like to point to each April in remembrance of my Mom, who died of cancer in April of 2007.

NPM: Wendell Berry

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Teach me work that honors Thy work,
the true economies of goods and words,
to make my arts compatible
with the songs of the local birds.

Teach me patience beyond work
and, beyond patience, the blest
Sabbath of Thy unresting love
which lights all things and gives rest.

NPM: Job Confesses & Repents

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Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”

(Job 42:1-6, ESV)

Michael Spencer: 1956-2010

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128989091_44448341efI found the Internet Monk website of Michael Spencer years ago. His words about Jesus and His Church, spirituality and truth have been deeply encouraging and helpful in my discipleship and as I work as a pastor. We soon connected and I had the privilege of speaking at his school in 2006 and my family enjoyed the Spencers & the whole experience. Michael Spencer died today in the presence of his family in his home in Oneida, Kentucky. I have this picture with Michael (left) and Matthew Smith (center) from our time there. The photo below is the bridge I took from the home we stayed in to the the school where iMonk served.

I thought it would be fitting during National Poetry Month and the day after Easter to give you a poem from Michael's wife, Denise, posted in 2007.

For Holy Week - Denise Day Spencer

THREE-FOLD TORMENT

Let me share with you His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

– Stations of the Cross, St. Ann Roman Catholic Mission

He stumbles ‘neath the load.
It is not heavy, yet it crushes.
Merely a mangle of thorns
Woven as a crude crown.
Thorns that boldly dare to mock their Maker.

He stretches out His hands,
Ready to embrace, but not fondly.
Only the ore of iron
Hammered into soiled spikes.
Iron dares to agonize its Author.

He writhes upon the tree.
Alone, and utterly forsaken.
Simply a structure of wood
Fashioned as a cruel cross.
Splintered wood now dares murder its Master.

He gazes on the crowd.
Mankind, pinnacle of creation.
One whispered word could destroy
Thorn, iron, wood, mad men.
Yet the Savior dares to speak:
“Forgiven.”

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NPM: Joanna Newsom Song

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"On A Good Day" by Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me. Song with lyrics below.

Hey hey hey the end is near
On a good day you can see the end from here
But I won't turn back now though the way is clear
I will stay for the remainder

I saw a life and I called it mine
I saw it drawn so sweet and fine
And I had begun to fill in all the lines
Right down to what we'd name her

Our nature does not change by will
In the Winter 'round the ruined mill
The creek is lying flat and still
It is water though it's frozen

So, across the years and miles and through
On a good day you can feel my love for you
Will you leave me be so that we can stay true
To the path that you have chosen?

NPM: John Donne for Easter

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If you are suffering this Easter, read and be encouraged.

Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness by John Donne (via)

Since I am coming to that Holy room,
   Where, with Thy choir of saints for evermore,
I shall be made Thy music; as I come
   I tune the instrument here at the door,
   And what I must do then, think here before;

Whilst my physicians by their love are grown
   Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie
Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown
   That this is my south-west discovery,
   Per fretum febris, by these straits to die;

I joy, that in these straits I see my west;
   For, though those currents yield return to none,
What shall my west hurt me? As west and east
   In all flat maps—and I am one—are one,
   So death doth touch the resurrection.   

Is the Pacific sea my home? Or are
   The eastern riches? Is Jerusalem?
Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar?
   All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them
   Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem.

We think that Paradise and Calvary,
   Christ's cross and Adam's tree, stood in one place;
Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;
   As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
   May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.

So, in His purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord;
   By these His thorns, give me His other crown;
And as to others' souls I preach'd Thy word,
   Be this my text, my sermon to mine own,
   "Therefore that He may raise, the Lord throws down."

NPM: Billy Collins - The Golden Years

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Billy Collins is my favorite contemporary poet. He is accessible, humorous and often slyly profound. Here one of his for day 1 of National Poetry Month.

The Golden Years by Billy Collins

All I do these drawn-out days
is sit in my kitchen at Pheasant Ridge
where there are no pheasants to be seen
and last time I looked, no ridge.

I could drive over to Quail Falls
and spend the day there playing bridge,
but the lack of a falls and the absence of quail
would only remind me of Pheasant Ridge.

I know a widow at Fox Run
and another with a condo at Smokey Ledge.
One of them smokes, and neither can run,
so I’ll stick to the pledge I made to Midge.

Who frightened the fox and bulldozed the ledge?
I ask in my kitchen at Pheasant Ridge.

Poetry Is Good For You

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Npm_2010_poster_540 As National Poetry Month (NPM) begins today here's what you'll find at Reformissionary. 

I hope to get up a new poem every day. May miss a few, but will make an effort.

I hope to help you find some new voices in poetry and music (the most popular poetic medium of our day). I like to find new poets: whether they are young or old poets, alive or dead poets. Let me know if you have a poet that should be on my radar.

I'll try to get up videos of poets reading their poems or talking about the value and art of poetry. 

I also help to find an essay or two on writing poetry and/or enjoying poetry.

Maybe I'll find something new and unexpected to post. Maybe I'll write a poem or two. Maybe I interview the greatest poet ever, whoever that is.

Take in at least a little poetry this NPM. Poetry is good for you. As a communicator I realize poetry can teach us conciseness in language, new angles in seeing the world and our experience of he world, a richness of description, etc. As a human I realize poetry makes me slow down and sip rather than gulp like I do most things. Information consumption has found a corrective in the slow ingestion of poetry, meditation on words and forms.

Coming Attractions 3.11.10

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Coming-attractions >< Starting to read Introverts in the Church by Adam McHugh soon. So much good buzz out there on this book. I've needed a book like this for years, and now it's here. From the introduction...

My hope is that, through this book, God will begin or continue a process of healing introverts--helping them find freedom in their identities and confidence to live their faith in ways that feel natural and life-giving, the way that God intended.

>< I'm still working on a review for Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic by Chris Castaldo. I really like it. If you are doing outreach to Catholics or have Catholic family and/or friends (that's pretty much all of us), I recommend this book. 

>< Phriday is for Photos tomorrow. Some of the photos from the photography project for 5th grade art are up at the school and I snapped a couple of pics. Proud of these kids. 

>< The last few days have been an explosion in good, new music. Looking forward to a few great recommendations on Monday.

>< New Lots-o-Links post middle of next week or so.

>< I'm planning to put a post up next week on resources I've been using to study and understand Catholicism. 

>< Getting a lot of ideas for posts on both evangelism and discipleship. Hope to start getting to those next week.

>< April is coming up fast, which means National Poetry Month comes once again to Reformissionary. Can't wait!

Lots-o-Links 2.25.10

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Dave Kraft: What Makes A Leader? series

Hudson Taylor on Evangelism...

Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success.” (via)

GCM Collective (Gospel Community Mission) launches on Monday...

It is a gospel community that lives out the mission of God together, as family, in a specific area and to a particular people group by declaring and demonstrating the gospel in tangible forms. God is moving to create thousands of new gospel communities on mission around the world. Be a part of this movement.

Did I Get Married Too Young?

When my very smart and relatively young girlfriend (she was then 20) first told her father she was thinking of marrying me, he refused to even hear of it. "How much college debt does he have?" he demanded. "What's the rush? Why not wait until your career and finances are established? How do you know he's the one?"

Brent Thomas sees Rob Bell's Drops Like Stars

Just because someone says something very well, that doesn’t mean someone says something very right.

Acts 29 Theology Workbook

Tim Keller: The Big Issues Facing the Church & How Should Churches and Leaders Be Preparing To Address These Big Issues Facing the Church?

Joel Virgo: Pray with Perspective series

Francis Chan: Public Passion vs Private Devotion

Last summer I came to a shocking realization that I had to share with my wife: If Jesus had a church in Simi Valley, mine would be bigger. People would leave His church to attend mine because I call for an easier commitment. I know better how to cater to people’s desires so they stick around. Jesus was never really good at that. He was the one who said, “He who loves father or mother … son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. 10:37 NIV) I’m much more popular than Jesus.

Having come to that conclusion, I came back to the church with resolve to call people to the same commitment Christ called them to. I knew that people would leave, and they have. I found comfort in that because, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26 NIV) Over time though, the conviction can fade, and it gets tiresome seeing people leave. There is a constant pull to try to keep people around rather than truly lead the faithful who remain. When my church was started, I used to tell my wife that I didn’t care if we only had ten people, as long as they really loved God and desired to worship Him with all of their hearts. Where is that conviction now?

Lots-o-Links 2.17.10

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A Beautiful Idea: Artists Changing the World is a beautiful idea

Bill Streger: What is Ash Wednesday?

Dave Kraft: What Makes a Leader? --> See the vision

A leader is, first and foremost, somebody with followers. If nobody is following, you are not leading, no matter what outstanding leadership qualities you might possess. Many years ago, my daughter, Anna, had a sign on her bike that read: "Lead, follow, or get out of my way," and the way she rode that bike, I believe she meant it. People are more than willing to follow someone who knows where they are going.

John Piper: How I almost quit

The church is looking for a vision for the future—and I do not have it. The one vision that the staff zeroed in on during our retreat Monday and Tuesday of this week (namely, building a sanctuary) is so unattractive to me today that I do not see how I could provide the leadership and inspiration for it.

Joel Virgo: Prevailing Prayer

Arthur Wallis once said, “A move of God will last as long as the Spirit of prayer that inspired it.” You can tell when this happens. It’s when prayer is used as a last resort, as a spare wheel, but it’s meant to be the steering wheel.

Bob Thune: Outline of John Owen's Mortification of Sin

Rob Bell at Out of Ur on the dangers of video preaching

Video is not church. You put images and music on a screen, and people will listen. But it's also dangerous. You're playing with fire. I think video technology deserves to be scrutinized heavily.