Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.


That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

God became human.
Yet God didn't just fashion a new body and then strut into town as a powerful and merciful conquerer, fixing all that was wrong.
God didn't choose to be born a prince or to a family of power.

God became weak and powerless...experienced the depths of humanity.
God became flesh as a baby born to unwed peasants far from home alongside animals.
Love became flesh: Jesus.

God did this for you, for me, for all who experience brokenness, for all who have experienced love or joy, for all who feel like the world is crazy, for all of humanity and all of creation...

And now we celebrate this unlikely birth.
Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ. All praise to God!

Have a very merry and joyful Christmas!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

U2charist and Yahweh video

So I've begun attempt planning a U2charist with some friends. I've been wanting to do this for a while...and some folks have been asking about it lately...

The idea is to pull together a full worship service, complete with communion, using the music of U2. The band has given blanket permission for their songs to be used in the special services so long as the message ties into the Millenium Development Goals (which is pretty easy) and any money collected goes to a charity that is doing something to help the MGDs along (such as Bread for the World, Lutheran World Relief, etc.)

One of the people who originated the idea has a cool U2charist resource blog, if anyone happens to read this and be interested in more information. (There are also resources HERE.)

Anyway, I found this video and wanted to share:



So I now have an interested guitarist and keyboardist...now I need to find a bassist and a drummer (or I suppose I can play kit for it)...

Monday, February 18, 2008

Dear Mr. President

I just saw a different version of this video on a friend's blog & had to share -- it's just so powerful!



Lyrics - "Dear Mr President" by Pink
Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let’s pretend we’re just two people and
You’re not better than me.
I’d like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We’re not dumb and we’re not blind.
They’re all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don’t know nothing ’bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You’d never take a walk with me.
Would you?