WORD FM: The Richness of Relationships

On Friday, July 10th, at 5:10 I will be on the John and Kathy show (101.5 Word FM). We will be talking about the richness of relationships (as in human contact, human service, the human family, etc) in a world that presses us to make power, prestige, possessions, and experience or main priorities. 

The subject for this show came to me after hearing Shannon Tanner sing the Trace Adkins Song, Your Gonna Miss This while I was on Vacation in Hilton Head Island, SC. All of us grown men sat there crying and I thought, "Yup, this is what it is all about. We just need to store up our treasures in heaven by investing in the people we love and the people we live with and around. That is what makes life rich."

Tune in Live by clicking HERE

ASA Anglican Spirituality in America

My father-in;law is an Anglican Bishop (Martyn Minns). It's funny because there will be times when I say to Catherine (his daughter), "Oh, I will just call Martyn about..." and she will say, "Oh, he is in Nigeria. You can't get in touch with him. He will be back..." Nigeria is like Ohio in the new Millenium and as the Episcopal Church goes the way of the Unitarians who fled from Christianity two centuries ago, I think we will begin to see more and more from our brother and sisters in Africa and Asia.  This week, I put a video Mash-up together using a new artist that I heard on 91.3 WYEP. Her name is ASA and her music is beautiful spiritual and provocative. Here are two songs that are getting a lot of coverage. Oh and I posted my new video mash-up as well. I dedicate it to three warriors of Anglicanism in our generation- Archbishop Peter Akinola, Archbishop Robert Duncan, and Bishop Martyn Minns.

Mavasio-Like Tom Waits and Smooth Jazz

Alright, I have been listening to a lot of Malvasio lately. He has a great vocal quality and interprets songs in an incredibly creative way. From Bert B to Amy Winehouse.

Check out his version of Mad World by Tears for fears

Bent

Jay Slocum

I live in a bent world.
I live in a land were everything is crooked.

But, it is not that simple.
For, I can tell that this world was not always bent.
It is as if the trees are crying out.
They are screaming to be unbent.
Every rotting stump.
Every fallen branch.

And yet my people keep telling me that this world is not bent.
They say that the world was meant to be this way.

Well, I know this is not true.
I will tell you that I have seen the clouds ripped open.
I have seen the clouds fall away and I have seen the sun shine through to cast light on all things.
And in seeing this, I have turned from the shadows of the cave that I once lived in.

I have seen little babies wrap their tiny fingers around their daddies hands, and without speaking, but, with deep longing in little eyes they say,
“Daddy, I was not made for this bent world. I was made to be loved by you.”

I have seen weddings where eyes have met, with a hope so strong, so new, so brilliant that no one could imagine that this bond could be broken.

I have seen people, both young and old, pulled down into the waters, blessed waters, and brought back up, cleansed and as new as the light of morning.

I have seen old broken drunks, come wrestling with the fumes that are seeping from their bones.
I have seen them turn to the light.
I have seen them embrace the real world.
The world that refuses to believe in the bent as normal.

These instances I hold so deeply in my hands, in my heart, in my head.
I cannot escape them. They are just as powerful as all of the tragedies:
the Columbines, the Jeffrey Domers, the natural born killers, the crack addict next door.
But, the news papers cannot see these events, these amazing events. Events of healing, miraculous appearences. It is not turning water to wine. But, it is just as miraculous. Maybe more so, that God could act in the ordinary things; in addictions, in cleansings, in hand holding.

I believe that this world is bent, but we were not made for a bent world. Oh, how i wish that you could see what I see.

Miriam lulls me

A man holds his boys hand, and does not let go…

Amazing Covers of Bruce Springsteen

Woody Guthry had a profound impact on a generation. He was an American legend. Johnny Cash had a profound impact on a generation. He too is an American legend. Bruce Springsteen has and continues to impact this generation.

Recently, a number of artists covered some of the great songs that Bruce has created over the past 35 plus years. The effort is called hanging out on E Street. Enjoy the legend.

againstme.net
Tom Gabel from Against Me! covers "Reason to Believe"



matkearney.com
Mat Kearney covers “Atlantic City”
"He reminds me of a Johnny Cash or someone who can just continue to do what he does it just resonates with people"



Bouncing Souls cover “Growin Up”
bouncingsouls.com
"He helped you dream your dream. You've been down those actual roads he's talking about."




theavettbrothers.com
The Avett Brothers cover "Glory Days"



gaslightanthem.com
The Gaslight Anthem "Backstreets"
"And there was just this guy with this leather jacket that kind of looked like my dad..."



Ted Leo covers “Dancin’ in the Dark”
tedleo.com
"It's really, really fun for me to be able to play the covers, the songs of other people that have moved me so much over the years."



julianahatfield.com
"Juliana Hatfield performs "Cover Me""



peteyorn.com
Pete Yorn covers "Your Own Worst Enemy"

U2: No Line on the Horizon- A Vertical Release

Few albums these days are worth a total purchase. NLOTH is an exception.
This clearly reflects Bono's maturity as a song writer and U2 maturity as a band. The album overall will make you a better person for listening to it and though Bono might flip you the bird if you try to pin him down on his Christianity the album is incredibly vertical in it scope. Perhaps the no line on the horizon demands that we look up. That, it seems is where Bono is looking. To the heavens, that is.
Rather than droll on about "texture" and "genre" and "tonality" and blah blah blah. I would recommend just getting the album. Here are, however, some samples of the deep lyrics that we have come to expect from U2.


No Line on the Horizon
Bono sings, "I know a girl with a hole in her heart/ She said infinity is a great place to start/ Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh." St. Augustine says, (and everyone after him) "Our hearts are restless until we rest in the infinite."

Magnificent
Bono sings, "I was born/ I was born to sing for you/ I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up/ And sing whatever song you wanted me to/ I give you back my voice/ From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise…/ Only love, only love can leave such a mark/ But only love, only love can heal such a scar/ Justified till we die, you and I will magnify/ The Magnificent/ Magnificent"

Moment of Surrender
Bono sings, "I was speeding off the subway/ Through the stations of the cross/ Every eye looking every other way/ Counting down till the pain will stop"

Unknown Caller
Bono sings, "Cease to speak that I may speak." Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Bono sings, "3:33 when the numbers fell off the clock face/ Go, shout it out, rise up/ Oh, ohhh." Psalm 33:3 says, "Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy."

I know I'll Go Crazy
Bono sings, "Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?" 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Richard Foster- The Spiritual Disciplines

If you want to get into good shape, really good shape you need a exercise regime. Maybe you need to hire a personal trainer. Want to go far in your career or field of expertise? You are going to need to get extra training, read up on the best practices in your field, and be intentional about staying on top of your game.

What about your soul. For centuries Christians have invested in training up spiritual warriors by working what we call, The Spiritual Disciplines. One of the best introductions into the disciplines is the concise book by Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline. I read this book cover to cover for about three years running twenty years ago and still return to it for insights and honing. If you need a course of focus this Lent, or just want to hone your soul, try Foster's book. The Celebration of Discipline.

Here is a quick list of the disciplines mentioned in Foster's book

Inner Disciplines
The Discipline of Meditation
The Discipline of Prayer
The Discipline of Fasting
The Discipline of Study

Outer Disciplines
The Discipline of Simplicity
The Discipline of Solitude
The Discipline of Submission
a valuable but often-abused discipline.
The Discipline of Service

Corporate Disciplines
The Discipline of Confession
The Discipline of Worship
The Discipline of Guidance
The Discipline of Celebration

George Herbert-- You the Man!

He was probably the Bob Dylan of his era- Geroge Herbert that is. Who is Herbert? Well, he is one of the Anglican Divines. Yeah, but was is that, or who are they? They were a group of English religious writers and thinkers from the 16th and 17th century. Herbert left a government career to become a country pastor. He also wrote amazing poetry and his book, The Temple is filled with some pretty powerful verse.

Here is my favorite George Herbert Poem

Confession

From The Temple (1633), by George Herbert:

O What a cunning guestIs this same grief! within my heart I made

Closets; and in them many a chest;

And, like a master in my trade,

In those chests, boxes;

in each box, a till:

Yet grief knows all, and enters when he will.

No screw, no piercer can

Into a piece of timber work and wind,

As Gods afflictions into man,

When he a torture hath designed.

They are too subtle for the subtlest hearts;

And fall, like rheumes, (seep like glue into) upon the tendrest parts.

We are the earth; and they,

Like moles within us, heave, and cast about:

And till they foot and clutch their prey,

They never cool, much less give out.

No smith can make such locks but they have keys:

Closets are halls to them;

and hearts, highways.

Only an open breast

Doth shut them out, so that they cannot enter;

Or, if they enter, cannot rest,

But quickly seek some new adventure.

Smooth open hearts no fastening have;

but fiction

Doth give a hold and handle to affliction.

Wherefore my faults and sins,

Lord, I acknowledge;

take thy plagues away:

For since confession pardon wins,

I challenge here the brightest day,

The clearest diamond: let them do their best,

They shall be thick and cloudy to my breast.

Please Listen to What Josh is Saying

It just doesn't stop with Josh...

Superbowl 2009 Most Ads

For the first time that I know of all the Superbowl Ads are available the day after the Superbowl. Hulu is the future.

There were 62 major slots shown world-wide and several more locally (not listed).

I have ranked my top picks under "Most" Categories. The winner is Most Refreshing which goes to Pepsi: Refresh Anthem.

At $3,000,000.00 for 30 seconds or $100,000 a second (that's a 30 year career in a very good paying job), you would imagine that companies would put a huge effort into convincing us that we should invest in who they think we should be (heroes, kings queens or slobs). Some did, some did not.

Note: I just found out that a pro-life commercial was banned by NBC. In the name of freedom, here it is.


1. Most- Refreshing
Pepsi: Refresh Anthem


2. Most- Romantic
Budweiser: Clydesdale Circus


3. Most- Happy
Coke- Heist


4. Most- We Can Build a Better Worldish
GE- Wind energy


GE- Scarecrow


5. Most- Eschatological
H and R Block- Death and Taxes


6. Most- Talionic Justice
Doritos: Power of the Crunch


Doritos: Crystal Ball


7. Most- Purpose Driven Lifeish
Budweiser: Clydesdales Generation


8. Most- Hysterically Funny
Careerbuilder.com


9. Most- Scary Futurish
Alec Baldwin Hulu


10. Most- Manly
Pepsi Max: I'm Good (Full Version)


11. Most- Where Are Your Manners?
Cheetos- Chester the Cheetah


12. Most- Pittsburgh
Coke Zero- Mean Troy


13. Most-Peer Pressure
Bud Light: Swedish


14. Most-Evolutionary
Castrol Grease Monkeys


15. Most-30 Year Anniversary
Bridgestone: Taters


16. Most-Competitive
Budweiser: Clydesdales Stick


17. Most- I Have What It Takes
Cars.com: David Abernathy


18. Most- Ctrl Z
Bud Light: Drinkability


19. Most- Don’t Sleep On The Couch
Teleflora: Talking Flowers


20. Most- I Walked On The-Moon
Bridgestone-Hot Item


21. Most- Hopeful
Kellogs- Plant a Seed


22. Most- Annoying
Pepsi-Pepsuber


23. Most- Not Applicable to the Web
Vizio

24. Most- Depressing
Hyundai- Contract


25. Most- Didn’t Make the Cut
Taco Bell- Overated
GoDaddy- Enhanced
Bud Light- Lime
cashforgold.com- Here’s Money
NFL: Super Ad, Usama Young
NFL Network: Football Season Never Ends
Monster- Need a New Job?
Denny’s- Thugs
Coke Classic- Avatar
Overstock.com- Bling and Boozer
Universal Studio Parks- Inner Hero
Priceline.com: Negotiator
NBC: Heroes Football
Toyota: Killer Heat
Sprint: Roadies
Sobe: Lizard Lake 2D
Sobe: Lizard Lake 3D
Cheetos: Chester the Cheetah
Monster: Director of Fandemonuim
E*Trade: Talking Baby
Hyundai: Angry Bosses
Gatorade: Tiger
Pedigree: Crazy Pets
Godaddy.com: Shower
Toyota: Faces
Audi: Chase
Transformers 2- Trailer
Race To With Mountain- Trailer
Monsters vs. Aliens: Trailer
Up: Trailer
Star Trek: Trailer
Land of the Lost Movie: Trailer
Year One: Trailer
Fast and Furious: Trailer
Angels and Demons: Trailer
NBC: LMAO
Bud Light: Meeting