Play That Funky Muzak

I work outside my home a few nights a week. Like so many other places, my workplace uses a Muzak satellite radio music system. Lately, I was sure I heard a Sufjan Stevens song on the Muzak program! Yes, indeed it was. I think that is weirdly wonderful to hear a a rather obscure, alternative artist with Christian references in the lyrics. The song is Chicago if you’re curious.
I’m linking an interesting past article about Muzak from the New Yorker. It has become much more than the bland elevator music it was synonymous with in the past.

I have been tuned onto a few interesting music choices through the Muzak radio. A very trippy, groovy song called Shut Your Eyes by Snow Patrol, and a song that I personally think is reminiscent in sound and style to Keith Green, called Stuck In The Middle by Mika. I had never heard of Snow Patrol or Mika, but have listened their songs for quite some time now at work. I would think about looking for them, then get busy or distracted (two words that seem to characterize my life frequently nowadays). Later, I would forget exact lyrics to help in a google search when I got curious again and finally remembered to look. So recently I frantically scratched a line or two of lyrics on a piece of paper while working. I finally nailed down who sings the songs I’ve been curious about! I love music, and I sing out loud.

Caleb's Spirit

In Numbers 14:24, God says this regarding Caleb:
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
It’s a fairly familiar story. The children of Israel sent out 12 spies to check out the promised land. Ten of the spies came back with an “evil report” and two of them, Joshua and Caleb, had a positive report. All agreed it was a desirable land. All agreed there was a strong enemy presence there, but Joshua and Caleb were the only ones with the faith and the backbone to realize that God could deliver the enemy into their hands. They realized where God had brought them from and all He did for them up until then in that journey. I was struck when reading this passage the other day, by the words whereby God described Caleb: “he had another spirit with him.” Another translation says he had a “different attitude.” Still another says “because he has faith in me.” What made Caleb (and Joshua, too) different from everyone else? Faith. Obedience. They believed God. They were willing and wanting to do what He said.

Lord, please give me a spirit like Caleb.

A Shocking Mediocrity

Somebody, somewhere asked the question to a group of ministry wives, “What is the most shocking thing you’ve had to deal with in ministry?” There was a variety of shocking answers - affairs, embezzlement, incest in the congregation, disgruntled church members grinding axes, people being rude, all sorts of horrible and difficult things. But one person (not me) wrote the following:

"The most shocking thing for me is the bursting of the idealistic bubble I used to have about ministry. No matter how much the Bible speaks of being persecuted and having trials, I guess I never really believed it would happen to me. I mean, wouldn't people see how much we loved Jesus and catch onto the vision to spread it to others? Isn't that what the church is all about? And any trials we encountered would be because Satan was trying to thwart our efforts on God's behalf, right? What has shocked me most is that the vast majority of the people I know have no desire to grow and no desire to share the good news of the gospel. And that 8 years into ministry I'm not fighting spiritual battles in the heavenly realms, I'm battling mediocrity. That's what has shocked me the most."

I can echo those words. May God help us.

Why the name?

ec·cle·si·as·tic –noun
a member of the clergy or 'other person' in religious orders. (hahahe- I'm the other person in this clergy family.)

ecclesiastic 1483, from L.L. ecclesiasticus, from Gk. ekklesiastikos "of the (ancient Athenian) assembly," later, "of the church," from ekklesiastes "speaker in an assembly or church, preacher," from ekkalein "to call out."

ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal –adjective
of or pertaining to the church or the clergy; churchly; clerical; not secular.

bo·he·mi·an
n. A person with artistic or literary interests who disregards conventional standards of behavior. (usually lowercase) a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices. Usually lowercase) pertaining to or characteristic of the unconventional life of a bohemian . Prone to living a wandering or vagabond life, as a Gypsy.

So there you have it. I'm not an avant-garde artist who is totally unconventional and out there, but I am not exactly like any other pastor’s wives around here. I’m a little bit different. I’m churchy for an artist, I’m arty and a little weird for a minister’s wife.

The First One

Well, I finally did it, into the blogosphere. Did I really type that, how corny of me? I don’t know if I will have anything noteworthy to say. Perhaps this will be cathartic, Lord knows I need more catharsis. That is written partially with my tongue in my cheek, because too much self-evaluation is, well, selfish, me-focused. But there is something I should be dealing with, and Lord knows, the blockage has to be cleared. If I’m healthy, I can get the focus off of me and onto what I ought to be doing: Loving God and Neighbor and putting that love in action - serving, creating, caring, living, doing. And once upon a time, before the thing* I was a girl who loved to create, write and journal. So anyway, this song by Sixpence None the Richer is sort of a reflection of where my head and heart is at right now:
I’m Waiting
so I'm waiting by a phone for the blessed ring
like a holy grail for a fisher king
time is ticking down like a metronome
rhythm for my brain and its ceaseless games
I never seem to play them to the beat I hear
though my heart beat is a beat that beats so near
so we had a talk last night about the heavy blow
that you dealt in fright you're back against the wall
it was a puzzle piece important to the whole
that I may not find to place within that hole
I never seem to put them in the gaps I see
like a puzzle where the pieces lost to me
Chorus
so I'm changing who I am 'cause what I am's not good
and I know you love me now
but I don't see why you should
and I don't see why you should
no, I don't see why you should

so I drift into the air like a moth to light
down the boulevard to the coffee shop
in the land of sorrow in the land of wait
I fear is bearing down on this lonely town
I never seem to write them down as good as Him
like I somewhere lost the keys that let me in
Chorus so I'm changing who I am
'cause what I am's not good
and I know You love me now
but I don't see why You should
so I'm changing who I am
'cause what I am's not good
and I know You love me now
but I don't see why You should
and I don't see why You should
no, I don't see why you should
song link