Bag of Randomness

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  • I wonder how many women have made the same mistake.
  • I got an email from Microsoft yesterday thanking me for using Hotmail for ten years – yesterday was the anniversary date.
  • Since I was at a church event on Monday night, I missed House, but watched it last night on the old DVR.  Unfortunately I found out about Kutner’s suicide before I saw the episode.  Not that I’m condoning suicide, but I have to hand it to the show for bringing something totally unexpected and very dramatic.  Even visiting the online memorial and reading the notes the characters left behind was interesting.  And if 13 needs a shoulder to cry on, well, come on over, baby.
  • In case you are wondering, the actor isn’t dead, just the character.  The actor, Kal Penn, is actually leaving the show to work in the Obama administration in the White House Office of Public Liaison focusing on youth, arts and Asian-American communities.  I have to admit, at first I had a big question mark above my head, but then found out he actually taught at Pennsylvania University’s Asian American Studies Program – so he’s more knowledgeable about that subject then I first thought.
  • I like it that our local Fox news station starts the news an hour earlier than the other local networks since I can get my local news and still catch The Daily Show. What I can’t stand about our local Fox news is a segment they call the News Edge.  Basically they report on a story, and provide their very biased opinions.  Just like the mother ship, “We report, you decide.”  Yeah, righhhhht.
  • It was interesting hearing our soldiers in Iraq respond to Obama when he said that Iraq must start to secure/protect itself.
  • I need to fix some water sprinklers – perhaps that’s a project I’ll partake this weekend; as well as stain the front door, touch up paint, and clean clean clean.
  • Is this your luggage?
  • Something else need to add to the list of things I learned since I left the Baptist church . . . Maundy Thursday.  I’ll be participating in my first Maundy Thursday worship service this Thursday of all days.
  • Speaking of church, I mentioned the other day that my pastor asked for my thoughts on the new U2 album for a series of sermons he’s working on for this summer.  After the jump you can read a small part of our exchange.
  • I’ve never been much of a Christina Ricci fan.
  • If you’re one that likes to upload a photo and toy around with it to make it funny, you might like this website.
  • A website dedicated to people named Matt.
  • I saw the new Eminem video.  The song is OK, but the video is creative and funny, and he even makes fun of Tony Romo.  I would link to it, but not sure how appropriate it is, so I’ll let you find it on YouTube yourself.
  • A blog that tries to make you feel old. I think it’s intended for those of us they grew up in the 80’s.
  • I think Sharon Alfonsi of ABC news is a real talent.  CBS should have never let her go.  Damn you Katie Couric.
  • Bacon

Keith,

I hope you had a good time last night…basketball or not.

What a thoughtful response, I really appreciate it, and I promise it will be fodder in the upcoming series some time in the summer perhaps.  I’ll chat with you again, me thinks.

No seafood, I hear you.

Joy,

dale

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Hackberry Creek Church

A Ministry of The Presbyterian Church USA

—SHARING JESUS CHRIST WITH OTHERS AND GROWING AS HIS DISCIPLES—

From: Keith W. Geeding
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 6:52 PM
To: hackberrycreekchurch.com
Subject: RE: A theological review of the new U2 record

Hello Dale –

So we hear you are a gourmet chef, which makes my wife very anxious to come over for dinner at the conclusion of Stepping Stones.  Just know I’m not a fan of seafood. 😉

Now on to U2 . . .

The way I look at the music of U2 is much like the Psalms, that there can be more than one interpretation, especially at different parts in one’s life.

At this point in my life, the song  I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight is one that I really connect with.

Let’s take a look at the beginning of the first chorus:

A change of heart comes slow

It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me, or are you doubting
We’re gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight

The society we live in today expects everything in an instant.  From quick to fix meals, to on-demand movies, to the ability to lose ten pounds in a week, to learning a foreign language in just months, to quick to find answers at our fingertips when we use the power of the almighty Google.  It’s even gotten to the point where people debate religion, politics, or sports alliances thinking they can convert the opposing party in just one conversation.  But those first two lines tell me love is patient.  For the person that wants to change his or her heart, he or she must understand that a change of heart comes slow.  And the same goes for the person who prays for someone else to change and see the faith.

“It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain . . . As you start out the climb” – Change is not easy, but you have to . . . start.  Climbing isn’t easy, it’s not fast, and it takes strength and endurance – both of which takes a lot of time, patience, and preparation.

“Do you believe me, or are you doubting . . . We’re gonna make it all the way to the light” – There something beautiful in cheering on and supporting a friend or loved one, telling him or her that you believe he or she can finish the journey that was started.  This is also represented in the second chorus, especially in the last two lines:

It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain
As we start out the climb
Listen for me, I’ll be shouting
Shouting to the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light

That last line is pretty deep, as it’s a nod to an old U2 song called God Part II that uses a line from a Bruce Cockburn song, “he’s gonna kick the darkness . . .Till it bleeds daylight.”

I also like the message of hope, and the call for adults to listen to the youth of the world in these lines:

Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won’t listen to your boys and girls
Cos the sweetest melody is the one we haven’t heard
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?

As you can see, I can go on and on about this song, but to keep this message short enough that it still garners your attention, I’ll just also add how much I like how the song ends, “Oh oh . . . Slowly now . . Oh oh.”  Once again, setting the tone that patience must be a focus.

And to end, I want to include a message from my pastor friend in NY that I told you about.

For me, Magnificent is such a great worship from the Reformed tradition.  “Justified till we die, you and I will magnify The Magnificent” is like a very concise, beautiful Reformed message.  We’re justified by God’s grace and will, in fellowship, worship Him because of this great gift.”

Also tell your friend to think about the line “it’s not a hill, it’s a mountain, as we start out the climb” from I’ll Go Crazy…  That’s an idea Bono got from a Eugene Peterson book on the Christian life called A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.  The book is about the Psalms of Ascent (Psalm 120-134), which the Israelites sang on their way up the mountain to Jerusalem, to go to the great feasts.  Bono has said in an interview that their next album, which is already mostly recorded, is going to be called Songs of Ascent, and will be “hymns and sufi songs.”  So I recommend reading that Peterson book (I’m reading it now) to get into the mind of Bono and his idea of living the Christian life, as we climb the mountain on our way to the “Jerusalem” (i.e. the Cross, or salvation).

Thanks for asking my thoughts, Dale.  I hardly ever turn down an opportunity to talk U2.

Grace,

Keither

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4 Responses to Bag of Randomness

  1. kim says:

    You may call it Penn, UPenn, Pennsylvania, the Vocational Ivy, the Jewish Ivy, or by its full name, the University of Pennsylvania. But it is NOT Pennsylvania University – makes us sound like OU or something.

    I noticed his course was cross-listed with Cinema Studies AKA Monday night at the movies. I took a course on David Lean's movies – very good but much more work than I was looking for in my "easy" electives.

  2. sister says:

    ***sigh*** I'm just starting the 4th season of House that I've downloaded… I wanted to watch things in order until I catch up to the current episodes… and now I know Kutner died. Darn you!

  3. Melissa says:

    okay…the underwear woman….maybe she wore those on purpose considering the color of her dress and all.

    maundy thursday…a wonderful service…will they have foot washing at yours? that's an "odd" first experience…and i love the tenebrae service on good friday.

    lent…holy week…a whole new experience when you truly absorb it all.

  4. Melissa says:

    Funny thing about the picture is that she's in Wal-Mart, home of the smiley face rollback price guy….

Comments are closed.