John Donne

I've just been informed that today is the day in the Anglican liturgical calendar normally assigned to the feast of John Donne, the great English poet. But since Easter fell so early this year, everything is a bit out of whack. Still, in honor of Donne, here's one of his more powerful sonnets, courtesy of John Stamper:

Holy Sonnet XIV

Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for you
As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town, to another due,
Labour to admit you, but O, to no end.
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy ;
Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

Love & Passivity in "Bobby"

Below is a clip from "Bobby" (2006), written and directed by Emilio Estevez, whose illustrious writing/directing credits include the classic "Men at Work" (1990, and not coincidentally the last film he wrote/directed).

The entire film takes place in Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel on the day on which RFK was assassinated. It is actually quite a good movie and deals with pertinent and timely issues, including race, war, marriage, poverty, addiction, etc... In some ways, it feels like what "Crash" (2004) tried and, in my opinion, failed to be and do.

There's a lot in the clip, but what is most interesting to me (wait for it - it really gets going around the 2-minute mark) is the way in which it portrays how love & passivity, as opposed to anger and aggression, are the keys to life and anything that could be termed "progress," both individually and collectively. Laurence Fishburne plays a very Jesus-like figure, a man who has clearly "been around the block" a few times, who is acquainted with sorrows & grief, who has walked the path of anger and been "killed" by it. He has come to understand that substantive change only occurs in an environment where grace and freedom reign and that any attempt to, in his words, "force it" or "push someone into a corner" will only lead to the opposite of what is desired. In other words, anger and aggression only arouse rebellion, while love gives birth to love, and this holds true for those who are at the "bottom" as well as the "top". At the end of the clip, we see this idea depicted in a powerful, uncomfortable way as Fishburne's character graciously, passively allows himself to be humiliated by those in power over him.

As a final thought, this clip may contain a compelling response to the Nietzschian contention of Robert Zemeckis' "Beowulf" (2007) that Christianity killed heroism, aka masculinity. More on that later (perhaps:)...

rj

WSJ - What would Martin Luther Do?

"Issues, Etc," the nationally syndicated radio program of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) has been shut down! Dubbed "talk radio for the thinking Christian", the show, which is based in St. Louis and boasts a wide podcast following, has been canceled, its website terminated, and its hosts killed. Actually, that last part isn't true, but the way this thing happened is pretty outrageous. The Wall Street Journal (of all places!) reports:

"The program was in all likelihood a pawn in a larger battle for the soul of the Missouri Synod. The church is divided between, one the one hand, traditional Lutherans known for their emphasis on sacraments, liturgical worship and the church's historic confessions and, on the other, those who have embraced pop-culture Christianity and a market driven approach to church growth.

[One of the many signers of a petition to keep the show] said, "Seriously, this has been like waking up in the hospital after surgery only to find that the wrong limb has been amputated and no one will admit who the surgeon was."

A grassroots movement has already sprung up to get "Issues, Etc" back on the air and reverse the decision of the denomination's leadership. It would appear that although the LCMS wants to move beyond "their grandfather's church," members are asking if they can have their grandfather's church back! Even facebook.com is being used as a forum with several group calling for the shows reinstatement. One group is called, "Bring back KFUO's Issues, Etc. WE WANT TO HEAR THE GOSPEL!" Needless to say, we here at Mockingbird sympathize.

To read the full article, click here.

Kerouac, Take Three

A final collection of Jack quotes, courtesy of my father:

“Forgive everyone for your own sins”

“Okay I know”

“May I wear Your cross in this world as it is?
No matter what happens, may I wear your cross?”

"Pay increases for prosecutors. Now there's your story --"

“The Book of Pure Truth consists of a bunch of mirrors bound in a volume.”

“The tool said to the fool: ‘Work me!’”

"Wake up Scribe! Pharisee!
OW OH ALL
OFFICIAL SEMINARY"

March Playlist

Last music-related post for a while, I promise:

1. Blast Off! – Rivers Cuomo
2. Distant Dreamer – Duffy
3. Nothing To Hide – Tommy James
4. Waving Flags – British Sea Power
5. Cancel Everything – Ron Wood
6. Idle Hands – The Gutter Twins
7. Last Train To London - ELO
8. Killing The Blues – Robert Plant and Alison Kraus
9. I Walk A Thin Line – Fleetwood Mac
10. The Ghost At Number One - Jellyfish
11. Streetwalker – Michael Jackson
12. On A Day Like This – Elbow
13. Stalker – Turin Brakes
14. Six Feet Under – Jon Auer
15. Tailspin – The Jayhawks
16. The Mountain – Levon Helm
17. L.A. Freeway – Guy Clark
18. I Don’t Want To Do It – George Harrison
19. Time Is Gone – Duvall
20. Twilight – ELO

Beach Boys Post #1

January was a big month for Beach Boys fanatics like myself. It was announced that drummer Dennis Wilson's brilliant and long out-of-print solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, would finally be reissued this May! This is a huge development, the full Gospel implications of which will be explored at a later date. For now, enjoy this clip of Dennis singing with the Boys in 1970 (no Full House comments, please!):



And by way of introduction to the genius of Brian Wilson, here he is at his peak:



Catch a wave!

Pedro The Lion On Songwriting

David Bazan is a rare breed. As the songwriter behind Pedro the Lion, he pulled off something extraordinary, singing songs of devastating honesty from a distinctly Christian point of view. Bazan's songs, to quote Dylan, don't "turn a blind eye to the dark side of human nature"; they are deeply cynical and deeply hopeful. The band attracted more of a secular audience than a sacred one, though neither really knew what to make of them.

Bazan's getting ready to release his first full-length solo record, and I couldn't be more excited. I loved his debut EP, Fewer Moving Pieces, especially the song that took aim at Pitchfork. To coincide with the new record, he wrote an interesting little article about songwriting for the April issue of Paste:

"I grew up in church. For the first 15 years of my life or more, I was singing church tunes every Sunday and Wednesday. By the time I got to high school, I had learned all the songs and was playing along on the guitar. And it's clear to me that this intimate knowledge of church songs influenced what kind of a songwriter I am.

When I first started realizing this fact I was paralyzed with horror and I wanted to hide all the stuff I was embarrassed by. But I just had to say to myself, 'Dude, you are who you are, and you have to be cool with it and own it.' I mean, until I was 14, I was only allowed to listen to Christian music. For me, the purpose of music back then was much different that it is now. What I understood about music, from the culture that I grew up in, was that its purpose was to tell people about religion, to 'spread the good news.' So it was pretty utilitarian. Officially, no music existed for its own sake. It existed for the sake of proselytizing. Part of the reason why my lyrics are so literal and concrete is because of this situation in my childhood.

As I was developing as a songwriter, I had a lot of conflict with this idea. Even in the early years of Pedro The Lion, I was struggling, trying to understand the purpose of music. But it's also the reason why I gravitated towards bands like Fugazi or U2, who - for lack of a better term - had something to say. That appealed to me because that's what I understood about music. Then, From there I slowly learned how to get excited about music for its own sake, and not as a tool for some other end."

CONFERENCE UPDATE

We are so excited for the upcoming Life and Ministry Conference! It's hard to believe that it is less than two weeks away (April 3-5th). Dave and I wanted to give you a quick update on a key change to the program.

As many of you know, our scheduled keynote speaker for the conference was Dr. Steven Paulson of Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN. Late last week Dr. Paulson called us with the unfortunate news that his wife was very ill, and that as a result he would not be able to join us in New York. He was very sad to have to miss the conference and wanted us to know how much he was looking forward to the gathering. Please remember Steven and his wife Crystal in your prayers over the next few weeks, and let's hope for a quick recovery.

But there's good news as well: Dr. Paulson graciously asked his friend and colleague, Dr. Mark Mattes, to fill in for him as keynote speaker, and Dr. Mattes agreed! He and Dr. Paulson have worked together on many projects over the years and could not be more "on the same page". In fact, when we were initially brainstorming about the conference, we thought it would only be worth doing if we could get either Dr. Paulson or Dr. Mattes to speak! Seriously.

Dave and I see this as a major answer to prayer and hope you share our excitement. Here is some more info on our new speaker:

Mark Mattes chairs the Departments of Philosophy and Religion at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to this call, he served parishes in Gardner, Illinois and Antigo, Wisconsin. He has authored "The Role of Justification in Contemporary Theology", co-authored "Imaging the Journey", co-translated "Theology The Lutheran Way" by Oswald Bayer, and co-edited the collected papers of Gerhard Forde, "A More Radical Gospel" and "The Preached God". In addition, he has published numerous essays and reviews for peer-reviewed journals.

All other details of the conference remain unchanged.

One more thing: If you haven't registered yet, please do so asap! We need to know how much space we'll need, how much food/coffee to order, etc. Even if you're only planning on coming for a portion of the conference, please drop us a line. Details on how to register are still up on our delightfully lo-tech website, www.mockingbirdnyc.com.

See you there!

"It is finished."

Today I stumbled across the article Nailed to cross, I feel all my sins washed away. It is about a Good Friday rite practiced in the Philippines where people will actually have themselves nailed to a cross. This is done apparently in remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus, but interestingly enough none of those interviewed mentioned that. Rather, their focus was on the healing of their child or the atonement of their sins.

The irony of this act is that it completely negates what Jesus did. These terribly misguided people think that nailing themselves to a cross or being beaten with bamboo rods will actually atone for their sins. This "rite" implies that they can pay for their sins on their own.

Initially, this act appears to take sin very seriously, but actually it does not understand the gravity of sin at all. Jesus was not simply beaten and nailed to a cross and then let go . . . He died. No act of penance can ever be enough to atone for our sin, "for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

It is easy to read this article and dismiss this act as fanatical. We can look at them and say, "They are just crazy people." However, while we may not take it to this extreme, I bet most of us have similar thoughts. "I can make up for my flaws and mistakes by feeding the poor, or donating to charity, or swearing less, or going to church more." The list is endless.

Today we remember that we do not have to do anything to atone for our sins. We do not have to be nailed to a cross, we do not have to be beaten or whipped, we don't have to be better people, and above all we do not have to die. Jesus did all of this for us.

Why we call this Friday, "Good."

It is likely that the name Good Friday comes from the old English, "God's Friday." However, I like Johnny Hart's explanation from his famous cartoon strip, B.C.

More from The Khrusty Brothers

As you might be able to tell, I am very into The Khrusty Brothers right now. Their lyrics provide a level of permission to listeners to be right where they are, and we can always use a little more permission to be ourselves. It can be scary to admit what we cover up with all of our effort. Still there is some kind of release when that permission comes. . . something begins to break.

Here are some lyrics from "Captain Purdue" that always seem to do the job:

Watching one more year go by

wondering when I'm gonna cry

I am half a football field

From the place my heart will yield

I'm sick of sinking down

In my tight black evening gown

It's a lost cause everyday

And I'm faking it all the way

I Don't Want To Think About It

Jady's recent post about humanity's denial of death made me think of a song by The Khrusty Brothers entitled Just Opened Up. It is a sympathetic voice to what Jady discussed in his post.

The last time I was breathin'
I was scared
I never knew what people felt
I never cared

Now the world just opens up
Like a basement or a coffee cup
Like a thermos on a boy scout trip
That your dad spilled when he lost his grip

Every time I think about it
I don’t want to be
Sad, cause bein’ sad’s too real
And real is like a small insect
It’s a never-ending pain in your neck
And you wish that real would just go away

The last time I saw Henry
I was drunk
I hadn’t showered for a week
Man, I stunk

But Henry he just opened up
After one insincere hey what’s up
And spilled his guts
I guess he couldn’t see that

Every time I think about it
I don't want to be
Sad, cause bein' sad's too real
And real is like a small insect
It's a never-ending pain in your neck
And you wish that real would just go away

Blessed are the Cheese Makers

The article in this morning's NYTimes entitled Leaving Behind the Trucker Hat stands at the intersection of fashion, culture, and eco-political activism. It is also a perfect example of how quickly something that may have started out as a genuinely good idea--(relatively) freely chosen--can become codified. Like the first person who may have appreciated the Carhart jacket simply for its aesthetic value rather than its functionality, maybe there were some people who genuinely felt like City Life needed to be offset by "getting back to nature." That freedom, like wearing a "Trucker Hat" without irony, is gone.

The Billyburg scene has changed, said Annaliese Griffin, who contributes to a blog called Grocery Guy. “Having a cool cheese in your fridge has taken the place of knowing what the cool band is, or even of playing in that band,” she said. “Our rock stars are ricotta makers.”



See also: Bobos in Paradise

Yet Another Reason To Love The Balkans

Things like this happen!

Five Best ELO Albums

I'm embarrassed to admit that until quite recently, the only Electric Light Orchestra song I knew was "Mr Blue Sky", a.k.a. the song from that VW commercial a couple years ago. Boy, was I missing out! They have got to be one of the most underrated bands of all time. After some serious thought, I've decided that their five best records are:

1. Eldorado
2. Out Of The Blue
3. Time [Their 1981 concept album about time travel which has aged(!) surprisingly well... My current obsession.]
4. Discovery
5. A New World Record

Do yourself a favor!

Some More Quotes From Emily Dickinson

"The etiquette of the admonition is questionable." - Letter #502

"How few suggestions germinate!" – Letter #888

“Life’s empty Pack is heaviest” – Poem #1562

Eliot Spitzer and the "Peter Principle"

A good friend of Mockingbird, The Rev. Alex Large, just sent me an email regarding the recent news surrounding New York Governor Spitzer. It just had to be shared with everyone.

This is from an article in the NYTimes about comments on blogs regarding Spitzer's downfall:

"That any governor would be snared in a prostitution ring is stunning enough, many commenters suggested, but Governor Spitzer, the very man who built himself up to be the epitome of the fearless, incorruptible lawman, who pledged to bring ethics reform to Albany as the self-described Steamroller?

"This breaks my heart," said one commenter, identified as Tom K., on the Times Web site. "I had hopes for Spitzer to finally break the long chain of corruption in politics. Why is it so hard for people to just be good?"

Another commenter, identified as Tom Conroy, had this to say: "Spitzer's governorship, thus far, has been a case book example of the 'Peter Principle' at work. A hitherto successful public servant has stumbled badly, perhaps irrevocably, by rising above the limit of his own competence."

Woody Allen interviews Billy Graham

I can't believe this happened! Much to the credit of both men...

Part 1:



Part 2:

The Wire

I've heard it said that we're living through a golden age of television. That the rise of cable and the dvd has freed the medium from age-old network constraints and catapulted it into a new world of creative possibility. If that's true, then The Wire is the crown jewel.

The series wraps up this Sunday, and many people are already predicting that it will go down as a defining moment of American culture, pop or otherwise. I agree. I don't think I've ever come across a show that succeeds so wildly on so many different levels - which is a quite a thing to say, considering the show's staggering ambitions. Over its five years on HBO, The Wire has touched on EVERYTHING: crime, education, money, race, family, politics, relationships, America, the list goes on. Though they've spared us any explicit commentary on religion, if you read between the lines, that's all there too. The human condition has never been rendered so completely or powerfully on the small screen. Period.

There's much, much more to say but for now, hear this: if you haven't watched The Wire, you need to. You may not be a fan of police dramas, but that doesn't matter (neither am I). True, it's not for the faint of heart - those with an aversion to violence, drugs, vulgarity, etc should probably stay away - but know that you are missing something important. And should you decide to get on board, do yourself a favor and start from the beginning.

Here are some quotes from the man behind the curtain, David Simon:

"The Wire made the argument, from its first season, that the modern world is becoming increasingly indifferent to individual catharsis and individual dignity, and human beings are worth less. Every day, human beings are worth less."
---------------
"In much of television, and in a good deal of our stage drama, individuals are often portrayed as rising above institutions to achieve catharsis. In this drama, the institutions always prove larger, and those characters with hubris enough to challenge the postmodern construct of American empire are invariably mocked, marginalized, or crushed. Greek tragedy for the new millennium, so to speak."
---------------
Interviewer: You have been pessimistic in public comments you've made about the possibility of political and social change. Do you think change is possible?

Simon: No, I don't.
---------------
Interviewer: Would you describe The Wire as a cynical show?

Simon: It's cynical about institutions, and about their capacity for serving the needs of the individual. But in its treatment of the actual characters, be they longshoremen or mid-level drug dealers or police detectives, I don't think it's cynical at all. I think there's a great deal of humanist affection.
---------------
"Well, here’s a secret that I learned with Homicide and have held to: if you write something that is so credible that the insider will stay with you, then the outsider will follow as well.

Most smart people cannot watch most TV, because it has generally been a condescending medium, explaining everything immediately, offering no ambiguities, and using dialogue that simplifies and mitigates against the idiosyncratic ways in which people in different worlds actually communicate. It eventually requires that characters from different places talk the same way as the viewer. This, of course, sucks."

Comic Relief

A couple of clever blogs, which you probably already know about. Still:

Garfield Minus Garfield

Stuff White People Like

Lucian Freud

I finally got around to seeing the MoMA exhibit of the etchings of Lucian Freud. I had been hearing about him for some time - my wife considers him to be one of the greatest living painters - but up until yesterday, I'd sadly never had the opportunity to view his work up close. I'm still recovering.


A grandson of Sigmund Freud, Lucian has spent most of his life in England, where he continues to reside. Though he is most well known as a portrait artist, in particular for his "naked portraits", the exhibit focused on his etchings. The curator of the exhibit described Freud's work in this way:

"Often awkward and anything but idealizing, Freud's portraits are based on a frank scrutiny of his subjects and intense reflection on their human nature. Their uneasy presence extends from his 'horror of the idyllic' and his belief that art should be true to life - and therefore disturbing. He has said, 'I think of truthfulness as revealing and intrusive, rather than rhyming and soothing.'"

In other words, the man does not have an optimistic view of the world. It shows. He is interested in our defects, the scars and sweat of life, the bloody, animal side of things. His subjects often look diseased (which perhaps they are, in the Dorian Gray sense), reminiscent of the work of Egon Schiele. I couldn't stay in the gallery all that long.



Still, there is real beauty here. I don't just mean that Freud is a master of his craft, which he clearly is. I mean that there's something beautiful that happens when the real truth about ourselves is 'brought to light', that although exposure can bring shame, it can also bring freedom. And compassion. And forgiveness. Then again, maybe I shouldn't play art critic.

The exhibit runs until March 10th. Here are two self-portraits:

Top Ten Reasons You're A Couch Potato

This morning, as I pondered going for a run, I came across an article entitled Top Ten Reasons You're a Couch Potato on msn.com. I thought, "What an uplifting sounding article, and what perfect timing." Most of it was stuff that I've already heard before, but a couple lines stood out, and I thought they were worth sharing with everyone:)

Researchers from Florida State University have found that self-control isn't an unlimited resource. The more self-control you exert, the less you have left.

So does this mean if I don't exert any self-control, then I will have a lot of self-control?

I haven't gone running yet.

New Favorite Bible Verse

"My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent." 1 Corinthians 4:4a

Eating Is So Not Cool

All of us can relate to the fear of being "uncool" our high school days. I certainly remember the dull hum in the back of my mind grow louder as I walked into school each day: "Does my hair look stupid?" "I knew I should have worn my other shoes!" "Are my jeans pegged the right way?" (I guess that was more junior high). There seemed to be infinite opportunities to get it wrong. It's easy to laugh now, but when you're going through it there's nothing funny about it. You'd do anything to avoid being thought of as uncool.

Today's New York Times article, Free Lunch Isn't Cool, So Some Students Go Hungry, shows just how potent this judgment can be. It highlights the newest trend sweeping our nation's high schools: kids who can't afford to pay for their meals would rather starve than look poor. They avoid the subsidized meal line at all costs because, in their minds, having the label of being a poor kid and, consequently, an uncool kid is far worse than going hungry. Does this remind anyone else of The Incredible Shrinking Bride?

The power of judgment never ceases to amaze me. It accounts for so much fascinating behavior (and great journalism!). Knowing we can't/won't meet the standards set before us causes a person to run in the other direction, regardless of the outcome. Just thinking back to any one of the many awkward experiences in high school stirs up painful emotions. Judgment hurts.

At almost 30, little has changed. I may worry about different things today, like being perceived as successful rather than cool (although I always want to be cool), but the pressure is exactly the same. It is a universal experience. Whether you're Michael Jackson and dealing with the pressure of being the King of Pop or you're someone like me completely on the other end of the spectrum, judgment is a reality. Of course, the good news is,

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17