It was just a couple of hours ago that I was watching “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” with my four-year-old daughter and I realized another way to answer a question that a friend asked me months ago. In reference to a quote from Brennan Manning (“To be alive is to be broken; to be broken is to stand in need of grace,”) he asked, “What does it mean to be broken?”

Part of the answer is at least hinted at by the process of Scrooge facing his past, present, and future demons, but, realizing he deserves nothing more than death, but, then realizing that he’s been given a second chance which he takes advantage of, humbly looking beyond himself and recognizing the needs of others.

Being broken is when we come face to face with the stark reality that we are self-centered, self-righteous, damned people. It is when we realize that all that we have that is good has been given to us and, in a knee-jerk, natural, and instinctual response, we desire nothing more than to be able to give to and serve others.

The shipwrecked at the stable are the poor in spirit who feel lost in the cosmos, adrift on an open sea, clinging with a life-and-death grip to one solitary plank. Finally they are washed ashore and make their way to the stable, stripped of the old spirit of possessiveness in regard to anything…They have been saved, rescued, delivered from the waters of death, set free for a new shot at life. At the stable in a blinding moment of truth, they make the stunning discovery that Jesus is the plank of salvation they have been clinging to without knowing it! All the time they were battered by wind and rain, buffeted by raging seas, they were being held even when they didn’t know who was holding them. Their exposure to spiritual, emotional, and physical deprivation has weaned them from themselves and made them reexamine all they once thought important. The shipwrecked come to the stable seeking not to possess, but to be possessed, wanting not peace or a religious high, but Jesus Christ.
~Brennan Manning, Devotionals for Ragamuffins, Pp.357

I wish you a broken Christmas.
I wish you a broken Christmas.
I wish you a broken Christmas,
and a broken new year.

Originally posted 12/1/07

It was just a couple of hours ago that I was watching “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” with my four-year-old daughter and I realized another way to answer a question that a friend asked me months ago. In reference to a quote from Brennan Manning (“To be alive is to be broken; to be broken is to stand in need of grace,”) he asked, “What does it mean to be broken?”

Part of the answer is at least hinted at by the process of Scrooge facing his past, present, and future demons, but, realizing he deserves nothing more than death, but, then realizing that he’s been given a second chance which he takes advantage of, humbly looking beyond himself and recognizing the needs of others.

Being broken is when we come face to face with the stark reality that we are self-centered, self-righteous, damned people. It is when we realize that all that we have that is good has been given to us and, in a knee-jerk, natural, and instinctual response, we desire nothing more than to be able to give to and serve others.

The shipwrecked at the stable are the poor in spirit who feel lost in the cosmos, adrift on an open sea, clinging with a life-and-death grip to one solitary plank. Finally they are washed ashore and make their way to the stable, stripped of the old spirit of possessiveness in regard to anything…They have been saved, rescued, delivered from the waters of death, set free for a new shot at life. At the stable in a blinding moment of truth, they make the stunning discovery that Jesus is the plank of salvation they have been clinging to without knowing it! All the time they were battered by wind and rain, buffeted by raging seas, they were being held even when they didn’t know who was holding them. Their exposure to spiritual, emotional, and physical deprivation has weaned them from themselves and made them reexamine all they once thought important. The shipwrecked come to the stable seeking not to possess, but to be possessed, wanting not peace or a religious high, but Jesus Christ.
~Brennan Manning, Devotionals for Ragamuffins, Pp.357

I wish you a broken Christmas.
I wish you a broken Christmas.
I wish you a broken Christmas,
and a broken new year.

Originally posted 12/1/07

Because Christmas day was a day that was rightfully focused on family as I grew up, I have bright and beautiful memories of my family driving around on Christmas Eve admiring Christmas light displays and the way their colorful lights reflected off of the most-often snow-covered ground in rural upstate New York. Because my parents both prefer country music, the local country radio station 98.1 WHWK, and their 24-hours of straight Christmas music that started annually on Christmas Eve at 6 PM, was usually the soundtrack on such drives. OLD TIME CHRISTMAS by Randy Travis is an album that was brand new around the time that I was in ninth grade and by the time I was in college and only had a couple of Christmas albums that actually belonged to me alone, OLD TIME CHRISTMAS was one of them. It is as thoroughly traditional, conservative country as one can get and, by comparison, certainly fits into a different genre than what populates country airwaves in 2009. But, that is one reason that I like it so much. A few of the tracks such as “White Christmas Makes Me Blue,” and “Oh, What A Silent Night,” neatly wear what many expect a country song to include: loss and misery. However, tracks such as “Meet Me Under The Misletoe,” and “How Do I Wrap My Heart Up For Christmas,” take an entirely different direction with an upbeat tempo and celebratory attitude, while still maintaining the context of Randy Travis’s reserved, country demeanor. Versions of traditional Christmas favorites such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” and “The Christmas Song,” all please, but, my favorite tracks are the title track and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” With the former Travis sings about memories of a nostalgic country family Christmas setting which has a lot in common with the finer points of my own memories and moves me in a way that most Christmas songs don’t. His version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” is simply a beautiful rendition of the classic hymn. I can remember the first time I was really taken in by the beautiful simplicity of his version in 1994 and I haven’t found another version that is better since. As with many other vocalists who have such richly distinctive voices (e.g., Dwight Yoakam, Michael Stipe, Kevin Max), Travis and his undeniably country style are not for everybody. But, for those willing to take a listen and give this album a fair shake during the holiday season they may be surprised at just how wonderful OLD TIME CHRISTMAS is.

Other recommendations for the holidays:

HOLY NIGHT by Kevin Max

COME ON CHRISTMAS by Dwight Yoakam

You see into even the deepest caverns

There is no shadow dark enough to hide

The sins and scars I feverishly planted

Or the emotive regret that rises inside

I have nothing to give you my dear Abba

There is no ground on which I can stand

But to plead that this fear can be soothed

By your grace-bearing merciful hand

From Devotions For Ragamuffins, by Brennan Manning, Pp.327

God does not condemn but forgives. The sinner is accepted even before he repents. Forgiveness is granted to him, he need only accept the gift. This is real amnesty – gratis. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the love story of God with us. It begins with unconditional forgiveness: the sole condition is trusting faith. Christianity happens when men and women experience the unwavering trust and reckless confidence that come from knowing the God of Jesus. There is no reason for being wary, scrupulous, cautious, or afraid with this God. As John writes in his first letter: “In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

Light sighted at the end of reflection
Though through ten thousand panes redirected
Retains the source despite imperfection
Like the moon’s grand mystery dissected
Failures and flaws of human condition
Symptoms of glory not yet realized
Are waning gasps of Satan’s attrition
Steadfast humility not idealized
Amidst rhetoric of self-proclaimed wise
Diminutive hope before rising tide
Study your reflection instead of the skies
Forget not who you are – Who lives inside
When near defeat access hope unreserved
Reflect His light clear in action and word

My family and I continue to be impressed with The Jesus Storybook Bible (written by Sally Lloyd-Jones/illustrated by Jago) as we read a selection from it each evening before putting my daughter to bed. Recently I’ve even sent a couple copies to friends. Unlike what is the case with many Christian products, this bible contains a high quality of story-writing that is only matched by the quality of illustration on every page. Less generic than they are tastefully-whimsical and aesthetically appealing, Jago’s illustrations sync perfectly with the dynamic flow of the writing to communicate the dramatic and very relevant truth of God’s grace.

I posted a review of The Jesus Storybook Bible some time ago, but, recently I came across an interview with author Sally Lloyd-Jones that I thought was worth passing along. I encourage you, even if you don’t have kids (but, especially if you do!) to purchase a copy of this book. It has affected my wife and I significantly and my daughter loves it, too.

UPDATE: There is apparently a new deluxe edition of the book being released in October. The deluxe addition will include the book and an audio version on CD. From Amazon.com: “This beautiful deluxe edition of the Moonbeam Award Gold Medal Winner is a storybook Bible to treasure. It includes the narrative on three CDs so children can read along. Experience all the emotion and drama as award-winning actor David Suchet’s narration brings this storybook Bible to life.”

How were they to know that he formerly was a florist?

Page from Genesis ripped out dropped from extended hand

Held out from the highest height of the interstate overpass

A psalm floating down between concrete banked air currents

He stood steadfast alongside and above gridlock stopped traffic

Verse about the narrow road settling on the pavement

Captive audience rapt in the frustration of their own wiles below

Two things He said were most important above all landing in print

Just out of reach of drivers and passengers trapped in seat belts

With pages from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John falling in order

Doors unlocking in sync with mass unbuckling on the beltway

Citizens stepping out of their varied cars, trucks, and vans

To walk unified forward like sheep called by their shepherd

But the bible belt preacher stayed still in his car

With his fat face growing redder by the second

With fury boiling over the audacity of the florist and the Way

He let what were once factory-bound holy pages now torn out

Fall so freely like feathers from a dove

Onto the war cracked concrete of a broken city

I’m learning that one of the advantages of growing older is experience. At this particular time it is the more difficult experiences that I’ve been through in my life that provide me with the most comfort now. Specifically, it is the knowledge that at various points in my life I have suffered deeply, but, despite that fact, those events are in my past as is the suffering that I endured. In addition, the trials that I’ve dealt with have helped me to better appreciate, than I would have before, the blessings that I have now.

If one takes time to look around them they’ll see family, friends, and acquaintances dealing with difficult situations. Why not take a moment to offer them the hope that the future can be brighter despite current circumstances?

Sometimes just a little well-grounded encouragement can make a world of difference to the person suffering. But, of course, the key is that you give encouragement that is rooted in real Hope. Without that anything you say really will just be empty words.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

I’ve claimed to be a devout Christian before. The height of my claim came in high school when, for a few months, at least, I was set on the decision to attend a Seventh-Day Adventist college and major in Theology to become a pastor. For the most part, my spiritual life has been hit and miss since then.

The past couple years, however, brought about a growing acceptance of the concept of God’s grace. Essentially, there is nothing that I could do, or have ever done, to earn God’s love and acceptance. This realization has brought me closer to him than I’ve ever been or ever could become by learning to quote from the many writings of Ellen G. White or by refraining from doing the wrong thing on the sabbath (two big emphases of the Adventist church). Both of my hands are empty and free to serve now that I set my score card down.

My realization of the profound consequences of Grace on my personal life, has developed a greater appreciation of the events that the Christian Easter season celebrates. I grew up, as many kids do, coming out to the living room on Easter Sunday to find an Easter basket full of candy, treats, and usually a toy. The Peeps were my favorite. This was before they became available for every other holiday. I’m talking about the marshmallow, sugar-coated, yellow, pink, and purple chicks and bunnies. I still love them!

Sure, I was familiar with something related to Jesus being resurrected (or something like that), but, that was all on the periphery. My main focus when I was a kid was the candy, the oversized rabbit that stands on two legs at the mall, and egg hunts. Even in my mid-twenties I didn’t grasp the significance of “Good Friday,” as many people called it.

Last night I participated in a Thursday evening communion service in which we focused on commemorating Christ’s last supper with his disciples in the upper room. I’ve been focusing on this event in my personal readings over the past week as well. To me, this is where the truest character of Jesus is revealed. From the revelation that John the disciple reclined at the table with his head resting on the chest of Jesus, to the fact that the Messiah disrobed, wrapped his clothing around his waist, and washed each of his followers’ feet.

Though he knew he was about to suffer the greatest pain known to man, Christ spent this evening breaking bread with his betrayer, and providing food, wisdom, and comfort to his disciples. On the eve of the day when He would experience the greatest mental, physical and spiritual struggle to touch mankind, Jesus provided rest to his disciples and served even those who would, later that night, betray and deny him.

The next day he was unjustly executed. Three days later, on resurrection Sunday, he served all mankind by tying the knot of grace that binds, to Him, those who accept his generous invitation to eat with Him in His kingdom.

The hope and peace of my life rests on these events.

“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” John 13:23

“3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” John 13:3-5

The Ravensongs 101 project shouldn’t be viewed in the same terms as a regular music release, but, as a conversation between art and listener. It is expected that some initially drawn to this release on the basis of Kevin Max’s past association with dc Talk may not fully appreciate this project for what it is. Poetry, not often intended to be bite size or sugar-coated, works best when an honest give-and-take dialogue of questions and interpretations exists between the reader (in this case the listener) and the poem itself. Concepts related to divinity, guilt, romance, pleasures of the flesh, conflict and hope are communicated less as sermons and more as confessions and open-ended questions. The name of the project is appropriate because, overall, the listening experience provided by this release is one blanketed with shadows and layers of complexity that reveal new details and nuances with every repeated listen. That being said, the full audio affect is best appreciated while listening alone in a room with dimmed lights or none at all. This isn’t one to play for the kids on the way to daycare. The project is notable mainly because of Max’s masterful control of his voice as an instrument that, while demanding the listener’s attention to the integrity of each poem, works in tandem with Adrian Belew’s (King Crimson – has worked with Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Talking Heads) instrumentation to create an audio experience that hooks the listener without relying on the traditional structural format of a song. The rhythmic variations of Belew’s instrumentation serve to enhance, to a higher level, the dynamic between tone, meter, and concept Kevin Max consistently and articulately injects into his poetry. With each track built on the framework of Max’s poems instead of some formulaic framework that guarantees a shot at pop stardom, this project serves as another testament to Kevin Max’s intent to produce artwork with integrity at all costs.

It is available through iTunes and Amazon