Meditation

Over my four years at college, I became familiar and increasingly fond of the contemplative tradition.  I had the privilege to be taught about practices ancient and new, as well as to participate in current debates about contemplative thought and spirituality.  The contemplative tradition is too vast and rich to outline here, but this timeline is a fairly decent introduction to the history of spirituality and contemplative thought.  One of the more practical and extremely beneficial things I learned from studying this tradition was the practice of meditation.

Real quick: meditation is often a tough word for many people, myself included.  So perhaps a few clarifying statements are in order.  First, meditation is often thought of as being a strictly Eastern practice.  While the Eastern tradition is rich with meditation practices (some of which are heavily borrowed from even in our Christian tradition), it is not limited to just those religions or traditions.  In fact, if you check out the timeline mentioned above, you will see that the Christian tradition is rich with meditation practice back even to the Biblical period.  Second, the goal of meditation is not always "nothingness" or "total disconnection."  Again, there are certain traditions in which that is the primary focus/goal, but that does not encompass the fullness and richness of a meditative lifestyle.  I would even go so far as to say that Christian meditation practice is indeed the opposite of "emptiness" - it actually cultivates the heart, mind, and soul for compassion, peace, patience, worship, and life to its fullest in the fullness of Christ.  Finally, meditation used to bring images of people in robes sitting in the lotus position in rooms full of candles to my mind.  Once again, those practices do exist in this diverse world, but that does not restrict meditation practice to such an environment.  There are meditation practices that can be done for hours in the solitude of ones own room, and there are practices that can be done in the short moments you are sitting at a stoplight (and those practices are oftentimes designed to be done that way!).

What it comes down to is that we have become disconnected from this and many other traditions of Christianity.  I hope to have cleared up a few things in the paragraph above, because all too often people place meditation within Buddhism and leave it at that.  But if we can educate ourselves on the subject, I firmly believe that it will open up our hearts to the Spirit in a lot of new and exciting ways.  I am a firm believer that we cannot know where we are going unless we know where we have been, and I find it very unfortunate that this part of our rich Christian heritage has been left out of many communities of faith.  Not everyone may have room in their prayer life or their personality for meditation, but I at least believe in letting people have the option.  So here is an example meditation and a few resources to get you started:

Counting Your Breaths:  Sit with your back straight and hands relaxed in your lap.  If you are sitting in a chair, place both feet flat on the floor.  Close your eyes and allow yourself to slow down.  If a thought comes into your mind, do not try and blot it out, but simply let it come in and let it go out, as if it were a scrolling marquee at the bottom of a television screen.  Take in a deep breath, letting the air reach deep into the belly and expanding the diaphragm, and then let it out.  That is breath one.  Keep a mental note of which breath you are on, and if you get distracted and forget, start over at one.  You might be surprised how hard it is to get to ten!  What this does is help center your mind and allow you to focus on simply being present.  I would also recommend reading/meditating on two verses for this practice as well: Genesis 2:7 and Matthew 6:25-34.  We are reminded of the breath of God entering our nostrils and giving us life, as well as to be present here today.  We are not to be anxious, for the Lord provides us with all we need to live today.

Resources:

"The Sacred Art of Lovingkindess," Rabbi Rami Shapiro

"What Christians Can Learn From Buddhists About Suffering," Gordon Peerman

"Always We Begin Again," John McQuiston II

"Soul Making," Alan Jones

Other contemplative authors such as: Thomas Merton, Thomas Moore, Frederick Buechner, or Marjorie Thompson

I am highly interested in starting a meditation group.  Something that would meet maybe once a month for an hour or two.  We would have handouts on contemplative and meditative thought and practice, time for discussions, and most importantly a time of meditation.  If anyone is interested please let me know and we can try and get this started.  Like I said, I highly recommend this to any and everyone.  There will certainly be more posts about meditation in the future, as this was already longer than I intended and there is just so much more to say.  Happy meditating!

Sunburn - The Light of His Glory

I want to say a big, big, big thank you to everyone who came out to the show at Tate St. Coffee last night.  Joe Next Door and I really appreciated all the support from those who made the trek out to Greensboro, as well as from those who wanted to be there but could not.  I know I had a blast, Joe Next Door had a blast, and we hope you did too.  Local people make local artists possible.

Also, to those who might be visiting the blog for the first time, take a look at the very first post on here if you have a moment.  It offers a sort of "vision statement" for the blog and the music at the bottom of the page.

Last night I played the song Sunburn, which is on the CD, but is a rarity for me in a live set.  It is one of the more cryptic and personal songs that I have written.  Because of that, I wanted to post the lyrics so that it might make a little more sense, and hopefully bring the deeper meaning to the surface.

Sunburn

I found you there in the farthest reaches of my consciousness

Searching for God knows what

You reached out to me like I was a beggar in the gutter

You came at me like a punch to the gut

You said, "My love will sting like a sunburn."

"I won't offer much in return..."

"But I will love you just the same.  I will love you just the same."

You took me down all the darkest roadways and alleys

Showed me things I had never seen

And as a mime, I could say that I hate you

But I think you know just what I mean

"My love will sting like a sunburn."

"I won't offer much in return..."

"But I will love you just the same.  I will love you just the same."

Let your love shine down, let me see the love I know

Let your love shine down, let me see and let me know, that..

Your love will sting like a sunburn

"I won't offer much in return..."

"But I will love you just the same."

"And my love will hurt like a rug-burn."

"But we live and we learn...

and I will love you just the same.  I will love you just the same."

"I will love you just the same."

I found you there in the farthest reaches of my consciousness

Searching for God knows what...

The very beginning stages of this song were inspired by a sermon I once heard, in which the pastor likened God's love to getting hugged while you're sunburned; there is pain, but through love.  In a similar way, God takes us in His embrace, and we feel the effects of sin sizzling on our skin in the Light of His Glory.  Another great image to describe this type of occurrence is in C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treadder, when Aslan "un-dragons" Eustace (coincidentally mentioned in the sermon this morning!).  So this song is about God taking me on an introspective journey into my impure mind and broken heart.  The chorus is a conversation that ensues after being shown my brokenness between God and myself.  He says to me, "My love will sting like a sunburn," suggesting somewhat the cost of love and discipline.  My response is grateful but afraid (after seeing my condition) that I will not receive this amazing love, "I won't offer much in return..."  Then the true joy comes with His response, 

"But I will love you just the same."

That is the best news we could ever hope to hear.  No matter what has been done, or left undone, His blood covers all, and His steadfast love endures forever.  Each word is purposeful, and I could ramble on and on explaining each detail, but I fear that would actually do more harm than good.  So I hope this illuminates the song a little more, but more so I pray that we can constantly remind one another of this simple yet essential truth.  

Thanks again to all those who came and listened, talked, got a CD or card, and let me share my songs - I am forever grateful.

...there your heart will be also.

At my church we are moving through a sermon series on the Seven Deadly Sins. This coming week is on greed, or avarice. The image is Punishment of the Avaricious and the Prodigal, a woodcut by Gustave Doré (1890). Doré has a series of images that were done to accompany Dante's Inferno, which can be viewed here if you're interested. The scene depicted by Doré caught my attention for several reasons. First, all of the men look like they are in a great deal of pain, or at the very least exerting most of their energy. Second, the destination is not in the frame, which suggests to me that there is a possibility that there isn't one. Third, I thought they were pushing boulders, until I saw the central figure's burden has a rip in it that is dropping coins. And finally, none of their faces are fully visible. Their hidden countenances made it a lot easier for me to see my own on their weary and burdened bodies.

In a time when the economy is at the worst it has been in my lifetime, and occurring when I am fresh out of college and supposed to be entering the "real world," it has been quite easy for me to spend most of my days worrying about storing up treasures for my future on this planet. I openly admit, and feel that I am in good company, that I have a very real fear of the future and not having money. When we live in a world where we are told constantly by every form of media possible that money can buy happiness, it's hard not to notice the thinness of your wallet. So my solution is to try and accumulate as much as possible, and to hoard and make it last as long as possible. Part of me knows I have enough for essentials and the means to survive, but the other part of me wants to be certain that I will not be empty. But judging by the look of Doré's nine men, not even money will provide happiness and fullness of life. Perhaps Doré wanted to suggest in his depiction of greed that money can easily be mistaken for mere stone, and in the end will be worth just as much. Perhaps Doré wanted the viewer to notice that these men have no faces because their identity is more accurately displayed by their possessions. Where is our identity found? Where is our security found? What are we laboring for, and for whose glory?

²²Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁶Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? --Luke 12:22-26

This passage is quite easy to read, and fairly simple to comprehend, yet I have the hardest time living it. My anxiety and fear of the future gets out of control easily, and I put my full weight on my own strength and understanding, leaving me face down on the floor. The Lord truly is the provider, sustainer, and fulfiller of all things. Luke 12 is a great place to be reminded of that. Just as Doré's men provide each other with company in their pursuit of storing up riches, so too do we need each other to support us in the pursuit of His face, all the while seeking to store up treasure in the Eternal Places. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34).

This story has both humbled and encouraged me. As I leave you with this, I hope it does the same.

Around the end of the nineteenth century, a tourist from the United States visited the famous Polish rabbi Hafez Hayyim. He was astonished to see that the rabbi's home was just a simple room filled with books. The only furniture was a table and a bench.

"Rabbi, where is your furniture?" asked the tourist.

"Where is yours?" replied Hafez.

"Mine? But I'm only a visitor here."

"So am I," said the rabbi.

(Taken from The Spirituality of Imperfection by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham, New York: Bantam Books, 1992, p. 34)

There are two I's in ministry...

I have been reading The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen this summer, and came across this quote:

 

"The Christian leader, minister or priest, is not one who reveals God to his people - who gives something he has to those who have nothing - but one who helps those who are searching to discover reality as the source of their existence.  In this sense we can say that the Christian leader leads man to confession, in the classic sense of the word: to the basic affirmation that man is man and God is God, and that without God, man cannot be called man.  In this context pastoral conversation is not merely a skillful use of conversational techniques to manipulate people into the Kingdom of God, but a deep human encounter in which a man is willing to put his own faith and doubt, his own hope and despair, his own light and darkness at the disposal of others who want to find a way through their confusion and touch the solid core of life."

 

I have a hard time recalling the exact location of Bible verses, my recall of the nuances in various Christian doctrines is not top notch, and I often find myself sympathizing with the pains and struggles of those around me rather than knowing what to say to help them through.  My first instinct, then, is to say that I am not cut out for ministry.  But over the last few years, and furthered now by Nouwen, my definition of ministry has been greatly expanded.  If I can simply be present with someone, simply listen and engage them in where they are, then ministry is happening.  I was with a friend recently, and all I did was be present and be myself, and by the end of the night I felt as though my soul had been nurtured, and my friend felt the same.  My hope is that the music I write works in a similar fashion.  I pray that people might listen and say, "Wow, I know that feeling..."  At that point, ministry is happening, and two souls are meeting together in the embrace of the Spirit.  There is a saying in a couple Eastern traditions that goes something like this:

"The divine in me meets the divine in you."

In other words, wherever two or more are gathered, there He is also.  Any moment can be ministry.  And the exciting thing is, it will probably be just as much ministry to your soul as it is to those present with you.

TONIGHT'S SHOW CANCELLED!!!

Attention all! As you can see on the right side of your screen, tonight's show has been cancelled due to some mix-up in details. But have no fear, this just means that next week is going to be twice as awesome...so twice as many people should show up for twice the fun! Sorry for any inconveniences.

Also, look for a new post coming soon...

Tension and Transition

IMPORTANT INFO:

1. Two shows have been added which can be viewed on the right hand side of your screen. I am opening for a great band made up of even greater guys. I got a chance to hear Joe Next Door at their EP release show last Saturday and they rocked the house. Be sure to check out their website here! I'll be starting at 8:00pm sharp on both dates so get there a little early. And if that isn't enough reason to come out and have a great time, you'll be able to support local businesses Maya Art Gallery and Tate Street Coffee as well. It is sure to be a night of music and fun so I hope to see you there!
   
2. The music you hear is provided by BandBox, a service dedicated to making music as available as possible with as little stress as possible. Soon, (which roughly translated means I have no idea when), the music will be available for download, so keep your eyes- and ears - open!
   

In other news...

My words are few at the present moment. But there are two words that have been persistent through the verbal drought: "tension" and "transition." And how often those words come hand in hand. For most of us the tension is in the transition of government, workplace, and/or family. For me specifically, I have found a lot of tension in the transition from college to home. Yet in most transitions, the tension comes not only from the difficulty of change in itself, but from the positives and negatives that lay on either side of us. Behind us are the joys of familiar places and sorrows of past mistakes, while in front of us are the excitement of new possibilities and the fear of uncharted territory. It's what Parker Palmer might call "standing in the gap." Perhaps it's what the Puritans meant by the "valley of vision." It is what I have come to know as the present. For where we are going cannot be the same place as where we stand. But we should take heart in knowing that the tension in transition means at least we are moving, and indeed should pray it is always so. I don't have a remedy for the pain, nor knowledge of what we'll face tomorrow. I have only a few encouraging words:

"It's true what they say, that we're all sinners. But one day we'll be made new. With His love shining down and His grace all around, wrapping His arms around you. Take heart and rise again, until then."

--From "Until Then" (listen below)

"Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

--Psalm 61:1-2

Always We Begin Again

Welcome to my official website!

It may not be apparent, but this site is many years in the making.  For nearly eight years I have been struggling to discern what direction my music needed to take.  After starting down many different avenues, multiple red lights have directed me here.  Or should I say us...

"Us" is appropriate on many levels.  1) My girlfriend, Hazel, is as much a part of this as I am.  We have become increasingly convinced over the last two years that our forces were meant to be combined in creating a multimedia ministry through music and visual art.  Everything from album art to font choice (Hazel's specialty) has been done on purpose and is meant to point towards the greater goal.  Which brings us to the next level of us...

2) It is not just about the music, art, or thoughts that we share, but it is more about the dialogue and shared struggles that I hope result from the music and writing.  The goal of my music is not to advance me in the entertainment world as a musician or an artist, but to be a catalyst for conversations and reflection between individuals and within communities.  If we aren't talking and meeting together, then what are we doing?  I am but a participant in this; one member of a complex body.

3) Most importantly, all of this has only been possible by the grace and sovereignty of God.  If it were left completely up to me, to us, the result would be empty at best.  As we all participate in the human experience, it is imperative for us to constantly seek after the face of God.  He is truly the Artist.  But it is not enough to simply expect that we could sit idly by while He does everything.  We are expected to be active participants in our own lives.  

The hope is that this would be a plethora of music, art, poignant postings, and mindless musings collected in a humble effort to stumble along in this sacred journey.  We will laugh, we will cry, it will be better than Cats.  There will be lyrics posted, art displayed, humorous thoughts, and religious reflections that we hope will supplement the music and lyrics.  And that is just the beginning...

In the spirit of the Benedictine Rule: "Always we begin again..." (Also the title of a great little book by John McQuiston that I highly recommend.)

Lap bars down. Arms in the air. Let's enjoy the ride.