A little news

It seems to be getting a little too long between posts. We are closer to getting the Internet back on. Not much else has been happening, I went to a fiends 21st on Saturday last – it was a themed party, I went as a Jester [sorry no photos]. It was great to catch up with people that I haven’t seen for a while, and didn’t expect to see there either. Paul, on of the guys from my Beach Mission team was there – it was great to hear how he was going.

Sunday, had lunch with my brother, Nathan and Jasmin from my old church, good to chat, and play a board game, until I had to head on back to Sydney. Eventful Sunday afternoon trip back too, the train was running 70 minutes behind time, so I just managed to get to church before the Sermon.

The sermon was from Joshua 5-6 [One of those ones the Pastor would prefer not to preach]. We learnt that the battle of Jericho was God’s fight. It’s kind of unsettling to think of God as judge, but He is. Perhaps what should grab us is not that God destroys some, but He choses to spare anyone. God has appointed a day when all souls will be called to account before Him. The question isn’t is God on our side, but are we on His – and following on from that; what does it mean to be on God’s side; what does our allegiance look like?

Work’s also quite busy at the moment ~ we ran about like headless chooks for most of Friday trying to ensure that we did get a tender off, which with the UNSW Email Server taking the day off proved to be difficult.

The rest of the week is pretty usual – Bible Study tomorrow night, in which we’ll be looking at the final few chapters of The Revelation of John, then a dinner with the Netball team on Thursday. The weekend will be busy again too – heading out to Luna Park on Saturday, then down to Wollongong, for a housewarming, after which I’ll head back for church on Sunday.

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So, was also going to talk about those songs. Will begin with Lee Ann Womack’s I Hope You Dance. I only chanced upon it as my sister gave the single to me for my 23rd birthday. I think what I loved about this song was the lyric, which is such a beautiful message from one to another: Its message is simply make the most of who you are, take the chances you have.

If you get a choice to sit it out or dance/I hope you dance

The Ground Beneath Her Feet was written by Salman Rushdie, which has only recently totally grabbed me: I was driving home from a friends place, and heard the song for the first time, rendering me speechless:

For what I worshipped stole my love away, It was the ground beneath her feet

How to Disappear Completely is different in that it is not the words alone, but the atmosphere created as the words combine with the music that really grabbed me. Kid A took a few listens to get into, but now, I’d consider it as much a masterpiece as Ok Computer.

I still remember the first time I heard The Metre. I was working at the University of New South Wales, in the School of Social Science and Policy, I was listening to the Denton breakfast show, and it was September 2001. Along with a poem that Andrew Denton read [which I’ll try and find], the words really spoke to me at that time– if you measure the world by the mark that you make, welcome to the saving grace.

I bought Afterglow earlier this year; it was the first I’d actually heard of Sarah McLachlan. Sarah does have a beaut voice – but the video clip for World on Fire was brilliantly done. It’s not your typical video – with great special effects, or soft-porn (as too many are these days), the video makes a point. Watch the clip, and let me know what you think.

The world's on fire it's more then I can handle
I'll tap into the water try and bring my share
Try to bring more, more then I can handle
Bring it to the table, Bring what I am able

Hearts are worn in these dark ages
Youre not alone in these stories pages
The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying
And I'll try to hold it in, Yeah I'll try to hold it in

I watch the heavens but I find no calling
Something I can do to change what's coming
Stay close to me while the sky's falling
I don't wanna be left alone don't wanna be alone

Hearts break hearts mend love still hurts
Visions clash planes crash still theres talk of
saving souls still colds closing in on us

We part the veil on our killer sun
Stray from the straight line on this short run
The more we take the less we become
The fortune of one man means less for some

Finally, I want to post these snippets from Miserere: Wretched wretched me, but I toast life! […] I am the saint who betrayed you / now I’m the beggar who owes you […] I live in the soul of the world, lost in the depths of life.

Anyway, enough from me! Please let me know what songs or lines from songs that touch you, at the moment...