Friend Ana and sister Laura are all over her, should I be concerned?
She is worth a mention- British Kate Nash *language warning possibly… I know some of it needs it. Listen to Foundations. I’m contemplating getting the CD.
She reminds me of Regina Spektor (Which I have to be in the right mood to listen to), but not. I love the frankness of it all. And yes, it is a bit weird. But weird is good. Mostly…
What song did you walk down the aisle to?
It took us a very long time to decide (or maybe it was my fault) but this was our ‘yes we’ll use it unless we find something else that’s ‘perfect’. Ha. It was just right and no we didn’t find anything else – I was not disappointed, I think I kind of wanted it to be this underneath everything.
What song did you walk out to?
It was imperative that U2 featured somewhere in the day and you might as well watch it with the amusing video clip. It was just a fun song to walk out with and did hold some meaning for things we believe and agree with.
What song did you sing during the service, and why?
We went fairly traditional here, with a hymn (shock horror). We were originally going to have two songs, one hymn – because Geoff loves it, and one probably more modern familiar. The second didn’t happen because we couldn’t find one we wanted and came to the conclusion that we’d keep things shorter but just going with the one. We had friends help out with the music and Robyn lead a beautifully upbeat – How Great Thou Art, skipping the woods glades verse. If I could’ve had one more hymn (and really one is enough) I would’ve liked Be Thou My Vision… but then my parents used that, so I’m not sure.
What about the music through the signing of the registry?
My little sister Hannah and her boy Dan and another mate, Steve sang an adapted version of a My Friend the Chocolate Cake song. Geoff and I actually didn’t know the song very well at all. More Heart Than Me is actually on their Myspace page at the moment. Hannah sang a ‘more cheerful’ version and they interchanged a few shes with he’s to fit us. It was fantastic – I heard more of it during their practice than on the day.
What an odd post…
Without totally squashing the post prior to this one, there are some issues in settling into tackling living as a Christian in suburbia.
It’s easy to get comfortable. It’s easy to get involved somewhere and think we’re doing our bit. Or to shell out cash to alleviate our guilt and compassion.
I’m not sure how to determine what is a satisfactory level of service or giving. We may have to keep searching and stretching ourselves and taking further risks. I’m inclined to think that it leans well to the later. with our dependence on Jesus our strength – lots of balance and with less selfish emphasis on burnout.
“Much of what I had done before along the lines of service was guilt induced. When I would hear a horrific story, I would want to respond quickly, write a check, and be done with it. But I have met many incredible people who are responding with their lives, and that has exposed something in me. I have been given a lot of joy in life, but I’ve also missed something. All of my life I have been grooming my faith, but have missed something about the purpose of that grooming. If I understand scripture at all, I have to know that to enter into the suffering of the poor and the oppressed is to know Christ and his suffering.â€
– Sara Groves
How do you find out how to do that in a society where it isn’t always blatantly obvious? Yes there are clear levels of poverty and homeless in Australia, but I feel kind of confused for the incredibly ignored ‘rich’. It is untrue to say that the rich have perfect lives. Where to enter that suffering?
Jesus hung out with tax collectors, right?
The quote that inspired me is from a post over at Radical Womanhood, the rest is really worth reading.
I didn’t like the CD at first. Far too pop. Now it’s sneakily grown on me and now and I can’t get away from it. Brooke Fraser – Albertine. Let me lump some lyrics at you.
If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary
Then of course I’ll feel nude when to where I’m destined I’m comparedSpeak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for meAm I lost or just less found,
On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me,
Is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?`Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth
Of who I was born to becomeFor we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath
So we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live
I was made to love
I was made to know youHope is coming for me
I was having a conversation with a friend recently about her mum’s thoughts on being a Christian in middle class suburbia and how both natural and difficult it is. (Some of these are my extended thoughts).
The Church and Christian events such as conferences are exceptional at preaching the ‘go get out there’. There is nothing acclaimed what-so-ever about living to your fullest from your house in the suburbs in your everyday job. We uphold these ‘Christian’ Heroes as those who have gone long and far and done big things.
I am not saying that there aren’t individuals that should wind up as overseas missionaries – because I grew up in a household where that was precisely the case and it’s something that has deeply influenced who I am now. There is a need for cross cultural mission. And it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.
Likewise, we shout the praise of working in a church, as a pastor, youth pastor, as someone who runs some enormous ministry. And we jump on the assumption that many church ‘attendees’ are just that. Attendees on Sunday. And many of them are.
I would like the encouragement put there for the majority of Christian suburbia. To actually be effective right where they are.
Yes I help lead a youth group. A very strangely small youth group for the size of our church, but it’s not the role that I love. Geoff tells me that I fluctuate a lot in how much I like leading youth. There is usually several times a year I swear not to be involved any more and hate rocking up on Friday nights. But I love, I love the kids I’ve gotten to know. I love seeing their growth and maturity. It’s so much more important.
Oh just be interested in people. Just love Jesus and what he’s on about.
What more is there to being a Christian? The collective claim positives on fame, but individuals don’t give a rats at position really.
And position is so far from the point, church is sometimes a scary place.
Take risks at home.
“Writing is but thinking on paper; and if you have any thoughts at all, you may commit them to writing” (Harvey Newcomb)
This is about the state of life, Terry Pratchett, music, WordPress and a theory.
I do not think I have experienced being this settled for a very long time. Life feels really good on a whole number of levels and on okay levels. Settled isn’t always good but this kind I think it is.
There has got to be something distinctly wrong with the levels of stress that happen in preparation for a wedding/marriage. Infact the whole boyfriend-girlfriend, near-fiance, fiance thing isn’t really the greatest. Despite sitting on a high for good parts of it and it being really, really fun – a spot of massive learning. There’s all this unspoken emphasis and pressure on self, sexuality, time, friendships and more.
Farewell oh carefree days of being too-young-a-teenager to care. Suddenly, I may have a marriage and a husband to think about and that’s not no work, but pffffffffh all this planning, stress, unrecognised pressure is gone. I have my head back, my brain back, and a good lot of self freedom along with someone who makes me incredibly happy by just existing.
I’ve always thought I was a pragmatic person. Our friends Beth and Brian have this theory where when two people become married the one-ness contributes in a few amusing ways. Things even out. Such as, Bec is more funny now she’s married to Geoff. Which of course is the compliment to Geoff, and not to me. The sideswipe compliment. We use it on just about anything regardless. Geoff is more attractive, I am taller. On the pragmatic thing though. I really like how Geoff has a way of looking at things especially regarding people, his observations and understandings of situations go far beyond where I would ever even arrive. It’s shocked into me this realisation that I miss an awful lot. I hope it wears off onto me.
The other things I’m really enjoying at the moment are simple;
Terry Pratchet books – which I always avoided in the past because his fans are fanatical and I wasn’t sure. Sure the volume of characters means that you cannot go near the books when you’ve got much else on, but my they’re funny. My delight was only extended while sitting on the train reading, a girl sat down next me and pulled one out. Spread the amusement. It’s somewhat global.
Lately I’ve been discovering a whole lot more about coding through the need to butcher and expand WordPress templates. Sure it means you’re up to your elbows in a mash of CSS, HTML and the dreaded PHP, but it’s beautifully satisfying when you get something to work. I like to expand my repertoire where it’s useful. It’s fun, it spits out something visual and when that visual matches what you’re after it is fantastic.
On Thursday night Jess and I went to a Justin Grounds gig. I bought the tickets for Geoff who loves his stuff, however work was a moron and kept him there. It was really good to spend time with Jess. We got to Northcote (across the city) on time. The supporting act started a bit later than we realised and Grounds later still. We found a chocolate/coffee/restaurant place. Cocoinc. Ordered tentatively. Enjoyed ourselves and were ready to be hit by the cost when it rounded out to a $2.50 coffee and a $4.00 gourmet hot-chocolate. I enjoyed that coffee oh-so much more, and it was good coffee. Perhaps I should move to Northcote? It’s too a strange part of Melbourne really.
At about 8:40pm we walked back to the venue and caught the tail end of the supporting act Osh-10. I’m kind of glad we weren’t there earlier as conversation seemed more important. They were okay. Jazz and ethereal based, just vocals and bass but their songs sounded fairly uniform. Perhaps it’s just not my thing. The girl’s face looked strikingly like my cousin-in-law.
Justin Grounds was fantastic as ever. His recordings do work for his music – but he is still better live. I have seen him play at informal gigs before, it’s still somewhat magical when you have a whole room of people sitting silent because it’s just so beautiful. I confess at one I nearly cried. There is something when music brings to the surface the gut of who Jesus is without even mentioning him by name.
