"The Wedding Song"
This past Saturday evening I officiated my 150th wedding.
At the bride’s request, I did something I hadn't done at the previous 149: performed a song. The song was "The Wedding Song", by Noel Paul Stookey.
(The video posted below is from the Thursday before the wedding, when I sang the song at Munger during our Thursday evening service as a way to practice.)
The bride helped us start Munger 11 years ago and the groom was a widower from our church with 3 boys. Their wedding was an occasion I had been praying for literally for years.
God is so good.
Happy Memorial Day, everyone.
Saturday Song: "When the Ship Comes In"
Every Saturday for the next few weeks, I’ll be posting a favorite song. Video below.
This week’s is about the Day of Judgment:
“When the Ship Comes In,” by Bob Dylan.
(Be sure to watch to the end, when an unexpected visitor lets herself into my fancy recording studio. Apparently, she needed to tell me “sumpin.”)
I’m sure I’d heard this song before, but it was actually Tom Wright—of all people—who recently turned me onto it when he played a version of it on his podcast. (I’ve included the link to his version below as well.)
I particularly love the ending:
And they'll raise their hands sayin'
"We'll meet all your demands"
But we'll shout from the bow "Your days are numbered!"
And like Pharaoh's tribe they'll be drownded in the tide
And like Goliath they'll be conquered!
When the Ship Comes In
—Bob Dylan
Oh the time will come up when the wind will stop
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'
Like the stillness in the wind 'fore the hurricane begins
The hour that the ship comes in
Oh the seas will split and the ship will hit
And the sand on the shoreline will be shakin'
And the tide will sound and the waves will pound
And the mornin' will be breakin'!
Oh the fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path
And the seagulls, they'll be smilin'
And the rocks on the sand will proudly stand
The hour that the ship comes in
And the words that are used for to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they're spoken'
For the chains of the sea will have busted in the night
And be buried on the bottom of the ocean
Oh a song will lift as the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts onto the shoreline
And the sun will respect every face on the deck
The hour that the ship comes in
And the sands will roll out a carpet of gold
For your weary toes to be a touchin'
And the ship's wise men will remind you once again
That the whole wide world is watchin'!
Of the foes will rise with the sleep still in their eyes
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And they'll know that it's for real
The hour that the ship comes in
And they'll raise their hands sayin'
"We'll meet all your demands"
But we'll shout from the bow "Your days are numbered!"
And like Pharaoh's tribe they'll be drownded in the tide
And like Goliath they'll be conquered!
Saturday Song: "Holy Is His Name"
Every Saturday for the next few weeks I’m going to be playing and posting a song that means a lot to me. This week’s song is “Holy Is His Name,” by John Michael Talbot. The video is below, followed by some brief remarks on why this song matters to me.
When the Angel Gabriel tells Mary she is going to be pregnant with Israel’s Messiah, she sings this song. The music is from John Michael Talbot, but the words are from Mary herself, as given to us in Luke’s Gospel.
I sing this song every year during our Lessons and Carols service after Christmas; I think its power comes from the way Mary so perfectly understands what the coming of the Messiah means to God’s people:
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance
And remembered the meek and the lowly.
It’s not Christmastime, but I think we could all use a bit of Christmas cheer right now.
May this song bless you as much as it blesses me.
Holy Is His Name, by John Michael Talbot
Verse 1:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit exalts in God my Savior.
For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness,
and my name will be forever exalted.
For the mighty God has done great things for me,
and his mercy will reach from age to age.
Chorus:
And holy, holy, holy is his name.
Verse 2:
He has mercy in every generation.
He has revealed his power and his glory.
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance,
and has lifted up the meek and the lowly.
He has come to help his servant Israel;
he remembers his promise to our fathers.
If The House Burns Down Tonight
Can you imagine what it must be like to hear police pounding on your door at 3 in the morning telling you that if you don't leave immediately you will be burned alive? You grab--what?--your kids, jump in the car, and drive away as fast as you can.That happened to Jon Foreman of the band Switchfoot a few years ago, and he wrote a song about it?called "If?The House Burns Down Tonight"[the link has since been taken down]:
A few months back, a fire was raging through our home-town of San Diego. And when an unstoppable fire is barrelling down towards your part of town, you realize just how small you really are. The smoke blocks out the sun, the ash is falling from the sky, and your lungs begin to burn. So you run through the house and make a quick grab of the stuff you can carry, make sure that your family is safe in the car, and you make your escape.
It's a bracing thought: what if everything you had was about to burn?
Compared to the ones you love, what is ownership? What is property? Stuff? Possessions? In moments of life and death, these obsessions are meaningless. Think about what you would save from the fire. What would you fight for? Or maybe the real question is who- who would you risk your life for? And what about your things, all of that stuff that you paid so much for?? In the crucible of the fire, it becomes crystal clear: you let the rest burn.
I love that: the thought that everything is about to burn makes it clear what really matters--those are the things you'd be willing to fight for or risk your life for.What are those things for you today? Friends--all the rest: it doesn't matter.Let the rest burn.*
Crank up the volume, put down your windows, and drive: this is a great song.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV5oqs8RC-I[/embed]
Ashes from the flamesThe truth is what remainsThe truth is what you saveFrom the fireAnd you fight for what you loveDon't matter if it hurtsYou find out what it's worthAnd you let the rest burnThe sunset burns like gasolineTouch me and make sure that I'm not dreamingI see her face and my heart skips beatsBut I still get the feeling that we're half asleep andThere's a spark in the corner of my baby's eyeLike a distant star that won't burn quietAnd I might not know what I want from this lifeBut I know I want more than the starting lineSo give me the fireI can hear the motor running down the interstateAnd all the distractions fade awayAnd if the house burns down tonightI got everything I need with you by my sideI see the smoke piling up in the rear view mirrorYeah but I ain't ever seen it any clearerIf the house burns down tonightI got everything I need when I got you by my sideAnd let the rest burnAnd let the rest burnAnd let the rest burnI've given too much of my heart awayMy soul‘s holding on like a house dividedLike a match it burns down like a masqueradeAnd I had to let it go when the fire ignitedOne heart, two hands, your life is all you hold(your life is all you hold)To hold, hold tight and let the bitter goYeah let it go, and give me the fireThe smoke tries choking the pacific sunWe rocket down the road like we're shot out of gunsAnd if the house burns down tonightI got everything I need with you by my sideHolding you and the wheel and it occurs to meWe're driving down the edge of eternityAnd if the house burns down tonightI got everything I need when I got you by my sideAnd let the rest burnAnd let the rest burnPut your hand in mine andPut your heart in drivingWe got everything we need yeahWe got everything we need yeahLeft it all behind usWhat we need will find usWe got everything we need yeahWe got everything we need yeahCan you hear that motor runningCan you hear that motor runningThere ain‘t no stopping us nowThere ain‘t no slowing us downCan you hear that motor runningCan you hear that motor run, run, runAnd all those lies that mattered most to meWere draining me dry making a ghost of meAnd if the house burns down tonightI got everything I need, everything I needThere‘s a fire coming that we all will go throughYou possess your possessions or they possess youAnd if the house burns down tonightI got everything I need when I got you by my sideAnd let the rest burnAshes from the flames, the truth is what remains
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Best of 2015
The editors at www.andrewforrest.org (best blog on the internet?)?have been working long hours and our fingers to the bone to get our 1st annual best-of list together. Yes, we didn't make it by 12/31, but it's not too late to look back at 2015, right?
Best Book I Read in 2015
The Amazon description calls Kristin?Lavransdatter?"the turbulent historical masterpiece of Norway's literary master." I agree that it's a masterpiece (though certainly an overlooked one): Sigrid Undset's 1100 page historical novel is a book that will stay with me for years to come. It's about the life of the title character in 14th century medieval Norway, and I can honestly say I've never read anything like it. Highly recommended.
Best Movie(s) I Saw in 2015
Here's what?I wrote in April about the brutal war thriller?'71:
Walking down the stairs of the theater afterwards, I realized that I?d been keeping my entire body rigid and tense throughout the movie?it‘s that kind of film. It‘s really well done: terrifying, honest, brutal, and resists the urge to clean-up everything at it‘s end. Highly recommended, though not for the faint of heart."
Thinking back on it 9 months later, I stand by that assessment. '71 is one of the best movies of the year.
Meanwhile, on the complete other end of the movie spectrum....
On the complete other end of the spectrum, the British claymation film?Shaun the Sheep: the Movie?is also one of my favorite movies of the year. It's wordless, really funny, and touching and sweet as well. Recommended.
Best Reason Not to Visit Seattle
Kathryn Shultz wrote a long article in?The New Yorker's July 20 issue called "The Really Big One,"?about how the Pacific Northwest is overdue for a massive earthquake. One of the memorable quotations from the piece comes from the region's FEMA director when he says (and subsequently stands by his remarks): "Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast. Her follow-up piece 8 days later addressing some FAQ's won't make you feel any better.
I'll stay in Texas, thank you.
Best App
My wife and I made a decision to never share pictures of our son on social media. However, our extended family is far-flung and lives on 3 different continents, and sharing pictures is an important way to feel closer. Enter?Togethera, a photo sharing app that allows you to create closed groups. We've been using it since the summer and love it.
Best Sermon
That's like asking me to choose which one of my kids is the best. The answer is obvious: I like them all, except the ugly ones.
Best Everyday Carry Accessories
I never leave the house without the following in my pants pockets:
- a pocket notebook (which I keep in my back pocket);
- my space pen;
- and my trusty ole?pocketknife.
Best State Fair
Too easy:?The State Fair of Texas, fool! (September 30 will be here before you know it....)
Finally: Best Hanukkah Song
I know, I know: with so many to choose from, how do you narrow it down to just one? But, this year's winner (which, being held hostage by our house's resident kindergartner, we played on repeat in our household 1,000 times in the month of December) is Jewish reggae?rapper Matisyahu's 2012 single "Happy Hanukkah." The video ain't my favorite, but I defy you not to be happy with the audio turned way up.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1QRSl6hUZw[/embed]My favorite part is the "Lion of Juuuuudah" part of the refrain.
Auld Lang Syne
2015 was a great year; here's to an ever better 2016.
(To ensure you have a great 2016, click?here‘to subscribe to my blog updates, delivered right to your inbox 3 days a week.)
Some New Music for You to Check Out
How could you not take to a guy like this? Meet David Crowder, in his own words:
I was born half Baptist (the East Texas, King James carrying, pipe organ, hymnal singing, Southern, type Baptist) and half Pentecostal (the Holy Ghost, jumpin? and shoutin?, hand-waving, prophecying, Southern, type Pentecostal). Later, I was born again.
Crowder Math
I've been a fan of David Crowder's music for over a decade; nobody sounds like him. Here's my summary of his unique style:Texas gospel rockabilly+Electronic dance beats+simple, piercing lyrics
= David Crowder
Hee Haw, Aqua Net, and Olivia Newton John
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUwXo0jgORI[/embed]David on his musical influences:
The son of an insurance salesman and a social worker, fructifying in the piney woods of Texarkana, I was as muddled as the name of my town. We drove a light blue Ford Thunderbird; not the old, classic kind, but a brand new one that had a sticker on it. The one with the electric windows and mirrors and the headlamp covers that flipped open when you turned on the headlights and an in-dash eight-track player. My dad and mom both used Aqua Net hair spray. He parted it on the right side and always carried a comb. She got permanents and had curlers that heated up every Saturday night while we all watched The Lawrence Welk Show and Hee-Haw. The eight-tracks in rotation were Elvis, Willie Nelson, Olivia Newton John, and Bill Gaither. Everything I‘ve ever done musically can be traced back to there that Ford Thunderbird, those sounds, the view out of those windows, and my brother punching me in the arm on the way to Sunday morning Church. That is all metaphor and all true.
After 6 albums, the David Crowder* Band broke up in 2012. But, David has kept making music under the name Crowder? and released his first solo album, Neon Steeple, in May 2014.
Neon Steeple
Like previous David Crowder albums,?Neon Steeple has a story to tell from start to finish. Although there are a few standout songs that work well on their own, the best way to listen to the album is in one sitting, beginning to end.Here's David describing his work on the album:
Neon Steeple is a collection of songs and sounds looking forward to the past and counting the present as sacred. It is a longing for belonging, a search for home. It is a collection of choruses that believe that this is not all there is. There is more, there must be. It is the sound of the Appalachians and Ibiza. Folk music and EDM. The music of the People. Folktronica. Digital and Analog. The Ones and Zeros and the Handshake. The Banjo and the 808.
Four Year-Old Dance Party, etc.
Neon Steeple is a beautiful album that tells a beautiful story in an unsentimental and creative way. It's also a lot of fun.The song My Beloved? is a favorite of a four year-old in my household. (The video is embedded above, but the album track is a much better version.) It‘s a clap-your-hands-stomp-your-feet happy hoedown.One of my favorite tracks is Come As You Are? (embedded below) that is an invitation to the weak, weary, broken-down to lay down their burdens and shame.[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE6QXWFL6jY[/embed]Another standout track is the southern throw-down Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains). It‘s an aggressive, growling song.But to pick out those three tracks is to give the impression that the rest aren‘t worth hearing, an impression I don‘t want to give.?I Am? is another favorite of mine; I love the ambiguity in the central hook:
"I am holding onto you;In the middle of the storm,I am holding on...I am."
Who's holding whom? That's the question, isn't it?Another great track is the duet with Emmylou Harris (?My Sweet Lord?): just achingly beautiful.
?Blind is the fool, I see that now;I broke the rules, and let ya down.I walked alone; now I have run dry:I need my sweet Lord to help tonight.
The entire album is really strong: I recommend it.
"Making Dead People Alive"
As much as I appreciate David Crowder the musician, I think I appreciate David Crowder the writer and theologian even more:
Neon Steeple is both a critique and a hope. The meta-narrative of scripture is about innocence lost, it is about displacement, about things not being right and a search for belonging and home and forgiveness and reconciliation, the tension of death and life, what it means to be alive. The story is not about making bad people good, it is about making dead people alive. The story sold is rarely that.What if we started believing??
What if indeed?