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In Bloom

  by Kyndra

Our lovely rose bushes have grown into full bloom this week. The fragrance is sweet and heavenly - my favorite in the whole world. The dogs and I enjoyed the scenery and fragrant air this morning on the porch (with a delicious cup of fresh coffee of course). 

Babel - the Lord scattered them

Sitting in IBC's worship service, listening to Barry preach it ... just read some of Genesis 11 and some of the story of the Tower of Babel.  I actually hadn't gone to look up this passage since seeing the film, Babel.  Reading it just now made a lot of sense in thinking of the film!!

But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building.  The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

nothing profound from me, just the thought and realization of a great connection between this passage and the film.  It's inspiring to see our art display the heart the scripture. 

(oh yeah, and Barry's rockin' it!) :
"the greatest sin in the human race is that we seek our joy and blessing in things other than the one true God..."

Lectionary, visual liturgy

Irving Bible Church has been teaching (mostly) the Lectionary on recent Sundays, and that has been really fresh to me.  I'm trying to get more in the habit of the daily readings and prayers and interactions ... more on that to come.
But our friend Barry Jones (of the "truth we see" blog) gave a great sermon tonight on Luke 6.  He had many great points, and two things really stuck out to me:

• He was clear, open, and honest about the difficulty of preaching on Jesus' words to the affluent.  It really is not easy in our society, and Barry was up-front about that.  He used it to mention a challenging but, hopefully, very GOOD aspect of the Lectionary - the fact that we will sometimes end up preaching and teaching the texts that we might not otherwise choose for ourselves.  What a great exercise in humility, faith, reliance, and truth! 
  
  • Teaching kids at IBC, I wonder what it would be like to be faced with this for them.  In what ways would I be challenged to lead differently?  And, in what ways would the "teaching" we do be seen as more of a faith exercise rather than a "this is the truth, you kids better learn it" kind of thing?  What I mean is, would it end up being a closer reality to preaching the Word, planting seeds, and letting God harvest what He may, when he may??        I'm interested.
• Secondly, Barry did a great thing in his teaching from Jesus' words in Luke 6.  He outlined for us, later in the book of Luke, where Jesus has encounters with people and brings up a challenge to their affluence or a blessing of the poor. 
  
  • In reading the Bible terms, this was a good technique.  I really appreciated being able to trace this certain "theme" through Luke - this felt fresh and new and uniquely meaningful.  In this way, I felt engaged in the story that Luke is telling in his gospel account.  I think this is a way to read the Bible that certainly sheds new light on many different things.  I think this will be a theme for me to come - an exercise I want to continue to try.

And, finally, in Lectionary terms - Russ mentioned a site, born out of Ecclesia in Houston, that releases videos that match the Sunday Lectionary topics.  Though I'm just getting into the Lectionary, it's good to discover people engaging it in creative, relevant ways that they can grapple with and share with others.
The site is: TheWorkOfThePeople, and they released the video, Perfectly Fitted, as "visual liturgy" for this week's Lectionary.  After hearing Barry tonight, and thinking on Jesus' words to the rich and the poor, it is very encouraging.  Take a look and worship.

Good things; I thought I'd share.  We should do more of this. 

another U2 video

Okay, I did one post with the "Window in the Skies" video. 

HERE's another more incredible version!!

I'm not even the biggest U2 fan around, but this was so great.

a cool Window in the Skies

I'm sure you've heard, and perhaps seen this ... but (of course) they've done it again.
Great song.  Great video.

technorati tags: U2, WINDOW IN THE SKIES, MUSIC

Year in Review: 2006

Well friends, I mentioned just a few links to some "best of" lists from 2006, and before we get too far into 2007, let me throw out my picks for best books, music, and movies I came across this year!  (links provided to my own other posts, pics, etc.)

----------------------------------------------------------

The Greatness of 2006

Books I read:

Models of Revelation - Avery Dulles (for school)
Crunchy Cons - Rod Dreher
Stumbling on Happiness - Daniel Gilbert
Christian Theology - Alister McGrath (for school)
The Secret Message of Jesus - Brian McLaren
To Own a Dragon - Donald Miller
The Millennieum Matrix - Rex Miller
Barack O'Bama - Dreams from my Father - audio
Don't Get Too Comfortable - David Rakoff - audio

Best books I read:

*Linked - Albert Laszlo Barabasi
*Nathan Coulter - Wendell Berry
*Remembering - Wendell Berry
*The Way of Ignorance - Wendell Berry
*The Irresistible Revolution - Shane Claiborne
*How Not to Speak of God - Peter Rollins
*Walden - Henry D. Thoreau (again & in community)
*All the Kings Men - Robert Penn Warren

Music I dug:  (specifically released this year!)

Fewer Moving Parts EP, David Bazan
Halos & Lassos, Half-handed Cloud
Both Sides of the Gun, Ben Harper
Sing-alongs & Lullabies: Curious George, Jack Johnson & friends
The Avalanche, Sufjan Stevens
Songs for Christmas, Sufjan Stevens

Best live shows:

*Sigur Ros, Bass Performance Hall (FRONT ROW!!!)
Sufjan Stevens, Paramount Theater- Austin
Jeremy Enigk, Gypsy Tea Room

 

The Best "Movie-Films" I saw:  (specifically released this year!)

-Brick
-Cars
-Half-Nelson
-Little Miss Sunshine
-Stranger Than Fiction
-Thank you for Smoking

There you have it!  Some thoughts on 2006.  Let me know what I got wrong, what you'd change, or things I just missed out and need to check out THIS year!  :)

technorati tags: YEAR IN REVIEW, BEST OF 2006, BOOKS, MUSIC, MOVIES