Wednesday, February 24, 2010

communion.

"In the beginning, was the word."

"And the word was with God."

"And the word WAS God."

If this is true I need the word.

Scratch that.

I need words.

Strachan once said "words have more power than atom bombs."

I pray to Word he was right.

Cause I'm getting in a B-2 Bomber and flying around the world.

I've found a better way to end wars.

You can be my co-pilot, cause I don't think I can do this alone.

We're gonna drop words like bombs.

Drop 'em over Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur, Palestine, Israel, North Korea, South Korea, the United states.

Tell Mom and Dad not to wait up, this may take a while.

We're gonna send shock-waves around the world.

They'll knock down dictators like dominoes.

Bring 'em to they're knees.

Let's hope they know what to do once they're on 'em.

Our speeches will spread like wildfire.

Burnin' up backwards ideologies soaked in a century's worth of oil.

We're gonna blaze new trails -- they'll all lead home.

And when it's all said and done, we're still gonna need our words.

We're always gonna need our Word.

And we're gonna knead our words.

Knead them into dough.

But not the kind we're used to.
You can't buy politicians with this kind of dough.
This kind rises.

And raises too.

Raises spirits, raises questions, raises men from the dead.

That's right I'm talking about making bread.

Baking bread.

Breaking bread.
We've been using the same ingredients for two millenia now.

It'll come hot out of the oven smellin' fresh,
Like a new idea.

The way only revolution can.
And we'll all sit down around the table and he'll say,
"Take."

"Eat."

"This is my body broken for you."

Amen.


Sunday, February 7, 2010

you say tuh-may-toe, i say tuh-ma-toe.

i have recently been thinking about the concept of worship. merriam-webster defines worship as "reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power." although this is a rather dry definition, i think it covers all the bases. i'm not as interested in what worship is though, as how one should worship. generally speaking, there are two schools of thought about this. the first is the traditionalist viewpoint. traditionalists see worship as going to church on sunday, or sabbath on saturday, or the mosque, etc. as the only true way to worship. for them worship is somewhat ritualized and best done when led by some knowledgeable religious figure. the second school of thought is that worship can happen anywhere, at anytime, with or without a learned religious figure, with a 1,000 people or just one. this is my school. class of '86. i don't think worship means being in a certain place, or reciting a particular crede, or anything like that. if i had it my way worship would be getting together with friends to enjoy their company along with food and drink. if human beings are God's most prized creation, then to enjoy one another and lift up one another seems like an appropriate way to worship God. this is not to say that traditional worship is useless. it certainly is not. however, i believe it has become for some the "right" way to worship. which is wrong. there are certainly wrong ways to worship, and wrong things to worship, but there is no one "right" way. so if you don't see me in church on sunday, don't worry. i'm probably enjoying food with friends, or partaking in a spontaneous late-night tennis game, or watching meteors streak naked through a crowd of stars, whatever happens to remind me of just how expansive and impressive God's creation truly is.

Friday, February 5, 2010

old ray did it again.

i heard this song again today for the first time in a while. actually heard it. the lyrics. the guitar. the way his voice aches with regret. it's just a beautifully written and performed song. this song cut me open and revealed something i've always struggled with. love. how to give it. how to receive it. i often treat love like a transaction. a contract. which is all wrong. i guess i still don't know what love means either. i'll get it eventually. in the meantime, bear with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VBVqE-UtHw&feature=related

ray lamontagne is just so honest. it's refreshing.

Monday, January 4, 2010

oak barrel

we love like wine
pignot noir
white zinfandel
a merlot --
aquired tastes

stored in a barrel
crafted from oak
strong, proud
we tell ourselves it gets better with age
we'll all drink from that oak barrel someday
but our good intentions...lost
from barrel to bottle
to cob-webbed cellar
and that's where it stays
locked away
for years
in the dark
fermenting
aging
getting old
collecting dust
wasting
when it should be tasted
should be drank
should be drunk
we should be drunk

some of us need more than others
so drink up
drink it like water
like your life depends on it
because it does
this one's zero proof
lucky for me, that's all the proof i need.