Philip Yancey on Ecclesiastes

The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility. Humility is endless.
~T.S. Eliot

Yancey wonders how exactly this book made it into the Bible. Placed back to back with Proverbs, the book of how to live life in wisdom, it almost seems like Ecclesiastes is there to mock. But the form is possibly a tactic used by other philosophical writers and authors. Draw the reader in by denouncing everything that is apparently a part of God's rule. Love wisdom?---no, whether you love it or reject it the results are the same etc. And then, just as the paths of hedonism are lived out the writer has you trapped, and he states, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man," (12:13).

There are moments of spiritual transcendence. "Drippings of grace," C. S. Lewis called them. Points in time whether it be in love, sex, beauty, music or what have you that an unexplainable joy and yearning is experienced. G. K. Chesterson writes before his commitment to Christ:

There had come into my mind a vague and vast impression that in some way all good was a remnant to be stored and held sacred out of some primordial ruin. Man had saved his good as Crusoe saved his goods: he had saved them from a wreck. All this I felt and the age gave me no encouragement to feel it. And all this time I had not thought of Christian theology.

But God's gifts cannot be the thing sought after or they will fail to satisfy. Wine will turn into alcoholism, says Yancey, and so on. We must acknowledge that we cannot perceive or understand God's ways fully and learn to submit to them. Yancey adds however that he does not feel Ecclesiastes is just a form of reverse apologetics. It is a reminder of the limits of being human. It sets forth the pitfalls of a life without God at the center whether pagan or Christian. The fall of Solomon's kingdom came just after its greatest wealth and reign. It is a depiction of the "city of man" v. the "city of God," the kingdom of this world v. the kingdom of heaven.

"Beautiful." (can u name what movie this is from?)

So, looks like we will be playing at the song writer's contest this Friday. Anyone who reads this keep us in prayer...for the people we'll have the opportunity to minister to. I hope that the song offers hope and strength and peace...all things lacking in the day to day grind. I want to go in humility and grace. Thanks Father for the chance to go outside the church. Thanks to Keifer and Jaymz for the sacrifice of their time.

I Love Pictures!

Who is this stud? Why it's my nephew. Right now his hobbies consist of farting a lot, drinking milk, and gazing lovestruck at the ceiling fan.

My other roommate, Leigh. We're sweet but deadly when need be. So hey, come on over, drop on by. We got yo back.

"Ooh Yah...we're at war...war w/ racism, w/ terroism but mostly w/ ourselves."

So I guess this is me in a good mood trying to look mean. What would Scully say? Watch out for little green men.



As the doctor was late in showing up for the delivery...my bro Aaron had the opportunity to test out his dream of becoming the next Doogie.

His skills pertain mainly to football hence the stance. Perhaps he will implement it into the medical field. They say video games are great hand eye coordination for surgery. Hey...you're on the right track brotha!

My kitty cat...um...Jack (AKA Colonel O'Neill, Stargate SG-1).

Frenchie to some...Mimi to others...Beloved to the One. My bro Keifer and wild sista with the newest edition, Noah.

Welcome to My World
The girls and guys next door...

Hi guys! Me and Taylor chilling above.

If ya see us on the street...beware. We don't mess around. We are thugs in search of truth. We break it down, if ya know what I mean. Break it down like Dylan at the foot of Jesus, in the kitchen with orange rolls and Bridget Jones playing the fool that everyone is but won't admit to be.

Love all you guys...you make my world beautiful.

Whoa...whatta night. First of all I didn't sleep very well and then I had a stream of dreams I didn't care to write down. Every worse case scenario and I woke up feeling so relieved. They seemed to be God inspired. Perhaps they're the cleansing dreams Scott spoke of. I wouldn't mind something more pleasant tonight. Anyway...here's something I've been working on. May be subject to change and I will add a bridge. It's quite simple but there's something about the chords I love.

Verse1:
I think it's time
to break the dam
and send water
through the land.
So we can play
free again
all you children.

Verse2:
I think it's time
to break defenses
and receive the truth
you've been fighting.
So we can be
free again
all you children.

Chorus:
Be the song over me
and You will be the song I sing.
We will run
yes we will run
just like a raging river.

Just A Quicky

The John Mark show is at some place in Charlotte called Avondale. I'll get directions soon and doors open at 7:00pm (Nov. 12th).

If everything works out...that is, work scheduling and song submission...I'll be "performing" the Hell and Back song (though I titled it The Winter for simplicity's sake) at a songwriter's contest in Charlottesville or somewhere near there. Just to see what the Lord will do! Could be great fun, so I'm hoping everything works out. It's in the Lord's hands. Just need to remember he has great, big hands!---and skillful, and tender.

I thought I liked this Kanye West song Jesus Walk. Still like some parts but I think it was better hearing it on the big screen w/ a war movie for visuals. It's like "Jesus walk with me cause I can feel the Devil's trying to break me."

Why Yes, Another Post!

What can I say?---these "hands of destiny" have a lot to get down today. Don't know where this one will go. It's up in the air but maybe a melody will come soon.

Verse 1:
I smell it in the air, everywhere, leaves are falling
in shade and light but things don’t always fall apart.
If you’ve got a little of your Dad tucked away
in your heart it’s enough to know He knows you.
And you are brave enough to see
He’s got good mysteries hidden for you
just around a corner.

Verse 2:
If I rest under a tree, let Your shade down and
fall on me. I’ll lean back before it gets too cold.
Give me Your arms, wrap them around, cause I’m not strong
and I’m not warm but if I know You, You are.
So this is where I need to see
You’ve already been here long before today
waiting for me to come.

Chorus:
Save me, and save you,
those who wait.
We will not be shamed,
we will not be shamed. (repeat)

Bridge:
He will open the mouths of those
who forgot how to speak.
He will wrestle till they’re free
you who forgot how to breathe.

A Canto on Addiction

Just a little something I wrote for a Shea movie. But I thought I'd post it case ya'll wanted to check it out too. The form is a little messed up cause of gay blogger.

The Art of Tourniquets

A song plays like a snake, slipping in and out of my ear, around my neck and down my
shirt. There isn’t time to pet these words. But I feel its seducing whisper a few layers of skin away from the beat. Just sleep…
Those silly Gypsy girls move their hips and I know they’re caught in the coil. A dusty
floor, sand everywhere but it’s not a beautiful desert. We threw our trash, our words and our filthy passions down hours ago. Now they’re just maggot skeletons that pretend to be memories worth remembering. December…
Another minute slides by without intent, following its brother out the window where time
goes when it’s forgotten. To a hole in the ground, then under earth that smothers and burns time to cold bodies. Who sets the clock…
I tap the plastic, run a finger over the black measurements, one line for every scar. Some
are buried and scream more cause they never told some kind of peace. I put a tourniquet on each, render hurt chants speechless and throw them into an ocean of blood and poison. They’ll squirm forever…
Come up for breath, drink another and back down again. I’m not talking drinks here but
an underwater world of chemical design. Manufactured by six handed men. Their scalpel eyes see what you need. Not men at all…
So this is where I left my dreams, at the bottom with the bottom feeders. And now
they’ve withered, food for scavengers. I can’t look when it’s that summer I was so happy now just fragments of words and flashes of the sun on a watery grave. Could I leave a lily for regret, at least could I do that? There’s no going back...
I know this is it, what I am made to be. Alone, alone like a voice of hope in a forest
falling beneath snow. I’ll wrap myself tighter in this dark room, pull the blinds,
blow out the candles, watch the TV shutter in and out of black. Just sleep…
And I dream there is a man waiting for me by the subway entrance. He isn’t homeless
but he isn’t Wall Street. He knows my name as if we’re best friends, says he can take me up town and feed a little bread into this lifeless frame. I’m not so sure, what’s the use. Well I suppose anything’s better than stale cigarettes. I notice something else. His voice is clear and free, which I’ve never been. Free that is, just a slave. I’ll go as long as these legs will take me. Boy, you’ll walk over mountains if you just stay close.

The Greatness of Knowing Him


I think these passages in Philippians will be inspiration for the next thing I write. I was listening to Upton's version of Psalm 23 again this morning. And as I sang the words "you make a table before my enemies/surely goodness and mercy cover me" I began to cry...not b/c of Upton's dynamic voice or piano sensitivity. But because I knew those words to be true in my own life and because I knew God in that way. So that's what our life is suppose to be all about. Knowing Him. Everything we struggle with or rejoice in is suppose to draw us closer to Him. Paul writes:

I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with Him. (Philippians 3:7-9).

Paul goes on to say that it's not as though he has laid hold of it yet...completely. He presses on toward the goal, forgetting what's behind. It's true, in this world you will have suffering. But we can know Christ in a way that the rest of His created order cannot. We can share in His sufferings and share in His resurrection. And it's not about the suffering it's about His faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy, His intimacy, His peace, His justice through it all; that which we would not know if we ran to our makeshift comforts and lovers.

Enlist Now!

Well it's funny when the Lord answers you immediately concerning a prayer. Funny because He is the Man, the all knowing, the ultimate of wise oracles, and sometimes it takes decades to get an answer and sometimes it takes a few hours. Maybe I don't know what I was really asking for. So I prayed yesterday "make me a part of your army." Something to that effect. I may have prayed that before but it seemed to be the Spirit's proddings yesterday in that I wasn't in any kind of mood to say that. Then, I had this dream:

I was driving in a car toward my old high school. But instead of going in, I stopped briefly and then thought to myself, "I'm done with this school" and drove away. At some point I got out of my car to head over to my "job." I had gotten a position as a blacksmith. However, instead of working I passed by the smithy where there were two people at work. I got back in a car but this time there was a man sitting in the passanger's side. He was sort of gruff looking, bigger, and I had the impression that he was some kind of general. He told me were not at a level yet where we could joke with eachother, as I turned on some sort of Irish music. There was ice on the road and I avoided slamming into the back of another car. Finally, I came to a building where there were more upper ranked military officials and then people of the lower standings also. Somehow I ended up saying I would enlist and go to war.

I can't say it's the most uplifting of dreams but there is certainly something of encouragement there. I'm no longer studying in school or making my weapon. It's now time to volunteer for these coming days. And I think the battle always begins on the personal homefront. He trains your hands for battle. And then He enlarges your territory and gives you the inexperienced to help train up. It's encouraging cause I guess I am walking in wisdom afterall. Thanx Abba! Thanx angelic army warring with me!

The Shadow of His Wings

Mims said once that if we are not seeing or sensing the Lord it might be because you are hidden in the shadow of His wings. I think that is a beautiful way to view the Lord...too close to see Him...seemingly lost in darkness but all the time hidden in His shade. I've been playing around with this song all weekend (the one in the previous post). It's pretty simple. More Psalm-like I think. I decided to add a bridge. Hey Bodgy...let's meet at pops sometime soon and run through ashes (if you want).

Bridge:
(C)
Don't fear and
(G)
Be strong for
(Am)
the Lord He is near
(E)
to us (repeat)

(Back into chorus)
(Am)
Abba
(C)
Abba
(F) (Em)
I know You have not left (repeat)