Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Refrain

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Refrain

See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

Refrain

Source: http://www.cyberhymnal.org

Music: Gloria (Barnes), French carol melody; arranged by Edwin S. Barnes

This Is My Father's World

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

Words: Malt­bie D. Bab­cock, 1901

Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun

“Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Thy precious time misspent, redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem,
Improve thy talent with due care;
For the great day thyself prepare.

By influence of the Light divine
Let thy own light to others shine.
Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways
In ardent love, and cheerful praise.

In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King.

All praise to Thee, Who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless light partake.

Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of Thee.

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

I would not wake nor rise again
And Heaven itself I would disdain,
Wert Thou not there to be enjoyed,
And I in hymns to be employed.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.“

Source: Cyberhymnal

O How I Love Jesus

There is a Name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest Name on earth.

Refrain

O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me!

It tells me of a Savior’s love,
Who died to set me free;
It tells me of His precious blood,
The sinner’s perfect plea.

Refrain

It tells me of a Father’s smile
Beaming upon His child;
It cheers me through this little while,
Through desert, waste, and wild.

Refrain

It tells me what my Father hath
In store for every day,
And though I tread a darksome path,
Yields sunshine all the way.

Refrain

It tells of One whose loving heart
Can feel my deepest woe;
Who in each sorrow bears
A part that none can bear below.

Refrain

It bids my trembling heart rejoice.
It dries each rising tear.
It tells me, in a “still small voice,”
To trust and never fear.

Refrain

Jesus, the Name I love so well,
The Name I love to hear:
No saint on earth its worth can tell,
No heart conceive how dear.

Refrain

This Name shall shed its fragrance still
Along this thorny road,
Shall sweetly smooth the rugged hill
That leads me up to God.

Refrain

And there with all the blood-bought throng,
From sin and sorrow free,
I’ll sing the new eternal song
Of Jesus’ love for me.

Refrain

Source: Cyberhymnal.org
Words: Fred­er­ick Whit­field, 1855.
Music: 19th Cen­tu­ry Amer­i­can mel­o­dy

Lethargistic

I am. I’m not sure what the deal is but lately I’ve just felt kinda blah…….. Nothing specific is wrong – many good things are happening in fact. But I’ve been feeling… out of sync. There are a few things I’ve been in limbo about so that is probably part of it. Perhaps some of this lethargy will lift once those become clear(er).

I feel as though I’m in that infamous 8 minute lull in conversation – you know – the one where everyone gets quiet for no apart reason. That’s life right now. I’ve been drinking too much caffeine, generally eating poorly, exercising not so much, and watching entirely too much TV. I feel yucky.

To be clear – I don’t think this is a bad thing. I don’t have the sense that something is “wrong” – although I could certainly stand to exercise and eat better. I’m pretty sure there are not any major “issues” at hand to be confronted. Just life. I must admit however, I’m looking forward to being past this.

In some ways it feels nice. Its kinda like the early morning quiet when everyone else in the house is asleep and you feel that you have the world to yourself. It is in those moments (and the protracted one that I’m in at present) that interesting things happen in your head…. old dysfunctions and new fetishes as well as former dreams and tentative hopes. It is nice to just “veg”. At the same time it is weird to be so un-focused. I feel such a bizarre apathy – not an uncaring apathy, as if I just don’t care about anything so why do it. Rather, it is a waiting apathy – there are many things to do and a good chunk of them are things that are awaiting other things outside of my control.

And the waiting continues….

For Your Consideration

No, not the movie – though I want to see it – but a new blog that I happened upon. Brad Wright commented on a post of mine down below and I clicked ye ‘ole “homepage” link and it brought me here: Bradley Wright’s Web Log

Here’s how Brad describes himself – “I am an associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut. My research interests vary somewhat, converging mostly on the social psychology of Christianity. I am married and have two sons. Hobbies include photography, hang gliding, landscaping, and eating ice cream (listed in ascending order of competence).”

He’s got some good thoughts on Mark Driscoll, Ted Haggard, and pastor’s morality and the church’s response. Not to mention the fact that he’s a sociologist – which I think is just plain cool.

Why MACCS?

Recently I got to thinking about how odd it may appear that an IT guy is pursuing a seminary degree. What does a Master of Arts degree in Cross-cultural Studies, concentrating on contemporary culture/postmodernity, have to do with being an IT Specialist and Teacher at a private, Christian, K-12 school? Great question, glad you asked. I find a wonderful synergy (resonance, if you will) between a cross-cultural degree and information technology and teaching.

Here’s how Fuller describes the degree; “The Master of Arts in Cross-cultural Studies (M.A. CCS) program is designed to prepare students with less than three years of cross-cultural ministry experience for service in multicultural situations. Combining the resources of the School of Intercultural Studies (formerly World Mission) and the School of Theology, this degree program provides special preparation for future cross-cultural workers and other professionals who hope to share their faith and lives in a multicultural world.”

I chose this degree because I am convinced that as followers of Jesus in a postmodern world we live cross-culturally. As a technologist and teacher I work at the intersection of dramatic cultural change initiated by electronic media. We live in the tension between these seismic shifts and at the self-same time firmly rest in the presence of Christ. There is an increasing need in our contemporary cultural milieu for cultural interpretation, evaluation, and instigation. As a Christian and, even more as a Christian teacher, I find I have a great responsibility for stewarding and mentoring emerging generations. Our students – this emerging generation – must learn how to interpret and evaluate the electronic media (TV, internet, email, networking technologies, and more) that saturate their lives in our pluralistic world. With the advent of internet technology the “multicultural situations” are but a mouse click or a channel-surf away. I believe that while technical proficiency is a must for my job (which I am actively seeking), I am also compelled to operate as a missionary living in a new world with cultural challenges at every turn. I believe our students need this cross-cultural perspective or they will be hopeless lost in a world of too many choices and too many idols vying for their allegiance.

Even more, I believe we have a call as Christians in a post-literate age to instigate. We instigate the Kingdom of God. Obviously not in full, that is yet to come. But as followers of a Galilean carpenter who proclaimed the Kingdom of God was at hand, we do the same. The Kingdom of God is at hand when we make discerning decisions about our use of technology – when we, for example, use email and the internet to connect people in ministries who need support and resources or when we fast from TV so as to center on Christ more.

So, in sum, I find my pursuit of a MACCS to be marvelously complimentary to technical computer prowess and life-giving, Christ-honoring teaching.

Ashwood House Church :: Enacting the Kingdom

I love our house church. Of course, its not hard when your 3 year old gets excited each week about her friends – Liz, Maria, Brennan, and John coming over. We eat well, sing passionately, prayer earnestly, and share our lives in ever increasing ways. We have an “official” name – Ashwood House Church.

This was not simply a geographic choice. It IS a geographic name – our house, where we meet, is on Ashwood Dr. But it is not simply because of that. I’ll make an attempt at the etymology of our name:

I like the idea of a geographic name because it situates us in space and time – a rare gift in our virtual, post-enlightenment world. But I didn’t like the idea of being called Pleasant Ridge (our neighborhood) House Church, as if there is only one. Someday I’d love for there to be multiple Pleasant Ridge house churches. Several folks voiced the desire for something natural, organic and the fact that we are on Ashwood seemed relevant. Thus ensued a conversation about Ash wood, Ash tress, and Asher from the Bible. It seems that “Asher”, one of Jacob’s 12 sons, means “happy” (reference). Ash trees and wood have a rich mythological and spiritual symbolism – certainly not necessarily “Christian”, but neither were Christmas trees or Advent wreaths (reference). As a wood it is “hard, tough and very strong but elastic” (reference). All of these meanings seem to point somewhere. Several of our group are involved The Revolution – more on that another time – and tossed in the name “Talitha Koum” (reference), these are Jesus’ words to the little girl who was dead in Mark 5, “little girl, get up”. By which we hear a prophetic call to the slumbering church. Then Liz brought in the idea of “Cambium” – the growing edge and cell-dividing factory in a tree (reference). All this combines …. resonates …. synergizes to a leaning… a forward movement, a strong, but flexible growing edge, a place of good food, a table fellowship and place of hospitality. We circled back around and landed on Ashwood House Church – which for us encompasses all of that meaning and more.

This past month our house church did a group art project. We made a collage about what it means for us to “enact the Kingdom” in our world. I think you can click on the picture for a closer look. We’ve got some beautifully creative folk in our midst! I love it!

The Basement is Finished!

Who Am I

So from time to time someone will ask me, “What are you up to?” or “What do you do?” And I have to stop and think. I find that whatever I say I feel that it is deficient, lacking, and generally shallow in all relevant ways. What do I do? Let’s sample:

- I am the IT Specialist and Teacher at Cincinnati Christian Schools
- I am a Pastor of Vineyard Central
- I am a House Church Leader
- I am a Husband
- I am a Daddy

I’m all those things and more (son, brother, nephew, grandson, neighbor). Another way to conceive of such things is to ask, “Where is my primary mission?” I guess this is more to the point.

My identity – the Who Am I question – is a bigger question. Ultimately my identity ought to reside firmly in Christ. My belovedness of God is primary. It is. Though I fully admit I don’t live that way all the time. I don’t rest in my belovedness, instead I squirm in my anxiety and addiction to self.

At the same time, my identity exists in the relationships I have. I read a quote by Bishop Desmond Tutu that was something like, “I am who we are” (I think it was in Phyllis Tickle’s “Prayer is a Place”). I find this deeply compelling. It resonates like a clear bell in my soul. Nor does this contradict my fundamental identity in Christ. My own one-ness in Christ – really my one-ness in the Trinity – means that I am likewise in one-ness with my brothers and sisters. My inherent relationality extends both to the Trinity and to humanity.

My mission – my doing that flows from my being – that seems more ambiguous. Is my primary place of call/ministry/mission at home (certainly arguable), our neighborhood, my work (school), the Vineyard Central network, our house church, or other….? Does it matter? I really don’t know. In some ways I could argue that each of these places are primary places of ministry.

I continue to long for (and work for) an integrated life. A life where the spheres of my world overlap considerably. I want this to happen more and more. I feel like I need a guiding metaphor for my life. Something that pulls in the pieces. I don’t want to imply that I’m living a horribly fragmented life – I think its manageable and doable as is – but it could get better. I’m looking for something that ties life together. I’ve played with the idea of “missionary” or “pastor” or “teacher”, but somehow all those seem lacking somehow. I need something bigger. I’m still wondering, looking, and pondering….