Chicken Vesuvio - from Cook's IllustratedServes 2 (or 1 if very depressed)
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded ½ inch thick
• Salt and Pepper
• 5 teaspoons olive oil
• 12 oz red potatoes (about 3), cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1. Put the garlic, oregano, rosemary and 1/8 tsp salt in one bowl. The chicken broth and the wine in another and the peas, butter and lemon juice in a third. (Mise en Place!!!)
2. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Working with 1 breast at a time, dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.
3. Heat 1 tbs oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the chicken in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping the breasts half way through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
4. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel then heat the remaining 2 tbs oil over medium- high heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occ until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, rosemary and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth and the wine, scraping up any brown bits. Nestle the chicken, along with any accumulated juice, into the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook until the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees. About 12 to 18 minutes…flipping half way through.
5. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Increase the heat to medium and continue to cook uncovered until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is thickened slightly – 5 to 7 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to the platter with the chicken. Off the heat, stir in the peas, butter and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and potatoes and serve.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Lime and Candied Jalapeno Cupcakes
This recipe started out as a random conversation at Game Night with my friend Paul. I then freely adapted a recipe from Betty Crocker to make this cupcakes. They are rather unique!
Cupcakes
1 box super moist lemon cake mix
1 box (4 serving size) lime-flavored Jello
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Zest of a lime
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 -2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
Frosting
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup candied Jalapenos (see note below)
1. Heat the oven to 350F. Place cupcake liners in 24 regular sized muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl mix together the lemon cake mix and the lime jello. Add the Lime zest, the 3 eggs, the water and the lime juice. Mix on low for about 30 seconds then on medium for about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups filling each one 2/3 full (approximately 3 tablespoons of batter)
4. Bake 19 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I recommend rotating the trays and switching racks halfway through the baking time.
5. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then put the cupcakes on wire racks. With a toothpick or wooden skewer, pierce the tops of the cupcakes in several places.
6. In a small bowl mix together the glaze ingredients until the glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread the glaze over the cupcakes and allow to cool completely (about 30 minutes)
7. Drain and rinse 1/4 cup of candied jalapenos (see note below). Place them in a food processor and blitz till chopped finely. Add the butter and the cream cheese and run until smooth.
8. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and then frost the cupcakes. Place a single candied jalapeno slice on top of each cupcake.
Notes
I used Buc-ee's Candied Jalapenos for this recipe. If you cannot find them there are various recipes to make them yourself on the web, but I cannot guarantee their efficacy.
I used 1/4 cup of jalapenos to just give the frosting a slight afterglow. Obviously you can add more if you wish a hotter cupcake.
I would normally make the cupcakes from scratch rather than use a box mix, but a) I was feeling lazy today and b) I was curious to see how the Lime Jello and Lemon Cake box mix adaptation worked.
So, the all important question, how do they taste? Like lime cupcakes with just a subtle hint of warmth, I'm probably not the best judge of this as a) I like things spicy and b) I have a dull sense of taste so my 'nicely spiced' is somebody else's 'holy crap this is hot!!!!!' Personally I think I should have increased the amount of candied jalapeno in the icing to at least 1/3 cup. I'll see what everyone else says at the party tonight.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Spiritual Whack-A-Mole
(Thoughts for Sunday's Contemplative Service)
The phrase Spiritual Whack-A-Mole just bubbled up into my consciousness last week. I am not sure what triggered it, but as I've sat with it more I've found a connection.
Whack-A-Mole is a fun game to play. Five moles pop up in random places and you hit them with the large foam mallet. The more you hit, the higher you score. As the game continues the moles appear more quickly and sometimes in multiple places at once making the act of whacking more difficult.
Spiritual Whack-A-Mole feels similar, except there are more moles. I can be enjoying a pleasant day when up pops the Mole of Pride. I whack him down only to be surprised by the Mole of Gluttony. I turn quickly as Greed, Sloth and Anger make an appearance. As I knock those moles down by wielding a memory verse or two, Envy and Lust appear almost out of my reach, and, as I pummel those down Pride and Anger make return appearances.
The game continues at a faster and faster pace until I eventually collapse overwhelmed and exhausted. The game stops for a while...until somehow I put in another dollar and the machine springs back to life.
Spiritual Whack-A-Mole is a game that I have played for a long time. My definition of spiritual maturity was based upon getting as high a score as possible in the game. To be spiritually mature was to be able to wield my mallet efficiently and pound as many moles as possible and so for years I wielded bible verses, prayer techniques, small group accountability, conferences, or whatever was the latest in thing.
Now don't misunderstand me. Scripture memorization, bible study, prayer techniques, small groups, accountability etc are all good things. It's not the mallet that's the problem, it's the game.
Over the last few years I've begun to approach Whack-A-Mole differently. Instead of just hitting whatever pops up, I've begun to open the cabinet of my life and take a look at the mechanism underneath. Instead of fighting the mechanism I've begun to dismantle it.
It's much harder work than simply raising a mallet.
I find it relatively easy to look at the mechanism behind Gluttony. I can examine my relationship with food and hopefully change the way I relate to that plate of pasta while at the same time visiting the gym. Some of the other moles are more difficult. Envy, Pride, Lust and Sarcasm for example. When I hit them with the mallet I get them out of my sight as quickly as possible. I can almost pretend they don't exist - out of sight, out of mind. However to look at the mechanism underneath I have to admit that those moles are a part of my life.
The Jesuit Theologian Walter Burghardt once described Contemplation as "a long, loving look at the real." I've begun to see that spiritual maturity is not about keeping score of the number of sins that I do or do not commit. It's about opening the cabinet of my life to see what's inside, and asking the Creator to help fix my broken mechanisms.
Whack-A-Mole is a fun game to play. Five moles pop up in random places and you hit them with the large foam mallet. The more you hit, the higher you score. As the game continues the moles appear more quickly and sometimes in multiple places at once making the act of whacking more difficult.
Spiritual Whack-A-Mole feels similar, except there are more moles. I can be enjoying a pleasant day when up pops the Mole of Pride. I whack him down only to be surprised by the Mole of Gluttony. I turn quickly as Greed, Sloth and Anger make an appearance. As I knock those moles down by wielding a memory verse or two, Envy and Lust appear almost out of my reach, and, as I pummel those down Pride and Anger make return appearances.
The game continues at a faster and faster pace until I eventually collapse overwhelmed and exhausted. The game stops for a while...until somehow I put in another dollar and the machine springs back to life.
Spiritual Whack-A-Mole is a game that I have played for a long time. My definition of spiritual maturity was based upon getting as high a score as possible in the game. To be spiritually mature was to be able to wield my mallet efficiently and pound as many moles as possible and so for years I wielded bible verses, prayer techniques, small group accountability, conferences, or whatever was the latest in thing.
Now don't misunderstand me. Scripture memorization, bible study, prayer techniques, small groups, accountability etc are all good things. It's not the mallet that's the problem, it's the game.
Over the last few years I've begun to approach Whack-A-Mole differently. Instead of just hitting whatever pops up, I've begun to open the cabinet of my life and take a look at the mechanism underneath. Instead of fighting the mechanism I've begun to dismantle it.
It's much harder work than simply raising a mallet.
I find it relatively easy to look at the mechanism behind Gluttony. I can examine my relationship with food and hopefully change the way I relate to that plate of pasta while at the same time visiting the gym. Some of the other moles are more difficult. Envy, Pride, Lust and Sarcasm for example. When I hit them with the mallet I get them out of my sight as quickly as possible. I can almost pretend they don't exist - out of sight, out of mind. However to look at the mechanism underneath I have to admit that those moles are a part of my life.
The Jesuit Theologian Walter Burghardt once described Contemplation as "a long, loving look at the real." I've begun to see that spiritual maturity is not about keeping score of the number of sins that I do or do not commit. It's about opening the cabinet of my life to see what's inside, and asking the Creator to help fix my broken mechanisms.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Quote of the Day
“I see that Christ is but little known by those who consider themselves his friends. These, loving themselves so much, seek in him their own comfort and satisfaction, and not his sufferings and death out of love for him.” (John of the Cross)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
He needs a recipe to make toast!
I've often heard the phrase 'He needs a recipe to make toast.' along with it's companion phrase 'When she boils water, she burns it.' as ways of insulting somebody's culinary prowess. Consequently the idea of posting any kind of recipe for toast is an odd one, so take what follows as a suggestion for a very specific purpose.
I am currently making Ricotta in the kitchen. See the recipe here.
I'm taking it to a party tonight (along with a Caprese Salad), and I wanted some little toast rounds to serve it upon.
So for the cost of a 99 cent baguette, I made these :)
Preheat the oven to 350F
Slice the baguette thinly
in a small bowl mix olive oil, garlic powder and Italian seasoning (and salt if the Italian seasoning doesn't already have it)
Brush each side of each slice with the olive oil mixture and place on a wire baking rack stood inside a rimmed baking sheet (covered in foil for easy clean up)
Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Then let cool.
These will be served tonight with the Ricotta.
Tasty and cheaper than purchasing pre-toasted slices ( I see them for sale at the store but have never yet seen anyone buy them!)
Yum
I am currently making Ricotta in the kitchen. See the recipe here.
I'm taking it to a party tonight (along with a Caprese Salad), and I wanted some little toast rounds to serve it upon.
So for the cost of a 99 cent baguette, I made these :)
Preheat the oven to 350F
Slice the baguette thinly
in a small bowl mix olive oil, garlic powder and Italian seasoning (and salt if the Italian seasoning doesn't already have it)
Brush each side of each slice with the olive oil mixture and place on a wire baking rack stood inside a rimmed baking sheet (covered in foil for easy clean up)
Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Then let cool.
These will be served tonight with the Ricotta.
Tasty and cheaper than purchasing pre-toasted slices ( I see them for sale at the store but have never yet seen anyone buy them!)
Yum
Thursday, August 18, 2011
God's Blog
by Paul Simms (The New yorker, 8/8/11)
UPDATE: Pretty pleased with what I’ve come up with in just six days. Going to take tomorrow off. Feel free to check out what I’ve done so far. Suggestions and criticism (constructive, please!) more than welcome. God out.
COMMENTS (24)
Not sure who this is for. Seems like a fix for a problem that didn’t exist. Liked it better when the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep.
_________________________________________________________
Going carbon-based for the life-forms seems a tad obvious, no?
_________________________________________________________
The creeping things that creepeth over the earth are gross.
_________________________________________________________
Not enough action. Needs more conflict. Maybe put in a whole bunch more people, limit the resources, and see if we can get some fights going. Give them different skin colors so they can tell each other apart.
_________________________________________________________
Disagree with the haters out there who have a problem with man having dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, the cattle of the earth, and so on. However, I do think it’s worth considering giving the fowl of the air dominion over the cattle of the earth, because it would be really funny to see, like, a wildebeest or whatever getting bossed around by a baby duck.
_________________________________________________________
The “herb yielding seed” is a hella fresh move. 4:20!
_________________________________________________________
Why are the creatures more or less symmetrical on a vertical axis but completely asymmetrical on a horizontal axis? It’s almost like You had a great idea but You didn’t have the balls to go all the way with it.
_________________________________________________________
The dodo should just have a sign on him that says, “Please kill me.” Ridiculous.
_________________________________________________________
Amoebas are too small to see. They should be at least the size of a plum.
_________________________________________________________
Beta version was better. I thought the Adam-Steve dynamic was much more compelling than the Adam-Eve work-around You finally settled on.
_________________________________________________________
I liked the old commenting format better, when you could get automatic alerts when someone replied to your comment. This new way, you have to click through three or four pages to see new comments, and they’re not even organized by threads. Until this is fixed, I’m afraid I won’t be checking in on Your creation.
_________________________________________________________
***SPOILER***
One of them is going to eat something off that tree You told them not to touch.
_________________________________________________________
Adam was obviously created somewhere else and then just put here. So, until I see some paperwork proving otherwise, I question the legitimacy of his dominion over any of this.
_________________________________________________________
Why do they have to poop? Seems like there could have been a more elegant/family-friendly solution to the food-waste-disposal problem.
_________________________________________________________
The lemon tree: very pretty. The lemon flower: sweet. But the fruit of the poor lemon? Impossible to eat. Is this a bug or a feature?
_________________________________________________________
Unfocussed. Seems like a mishmash at best. You’ve got creatures that can speak but aren’t smart (parrots). Then, You’ve got creatures that are smart but can’t speak (dolphins, dogs, houseflies). Then, You’ve got man, who is smart and can speak but who can’t fly, breathe underwater, or unhinge his jaws to swallow large prey in one gulp. If it’s supposed to be chaos, then mission accomplished. But it seems more like laziness and bad planning.
_________________________________________________________
If it’s not too late to make changes, in version 2.0 You should make water reflective, so the creatures have a way of seeing what they look like.
_________________________________________________________
S*H*O*E*S!!! Manolo Jimmy Choo Vuitton Prada +++ All sizes Great deals Free shipping! @@@ [www.shoezwarehouze.com]
_________________________________________________________
Penguins are retarded. Their wings don’t work and their legs are too short. I guess they’re supposed to be cute in a “I liek to eat teh fishes” way, but it’s such obvious pandering to the lowest common denominator.
_________________________________________________________
There’s imitation, and then there’s homage, and then there’s straight-up idea theft, which is what Your thing appears to be. Anyone who wants to check out the original should go to www.VishnuAndBrahma.com. (And check it out soon, because I think they’re about to go behind a paywall.)
_________________________________________________________
Putting boobs on the woman is sexist.
_________________________________________________________
Wow. Just wow. I don’t even know where to start. So the man and his buddy the rib-thing have dominion over everything. They’re going to get pretty unbearable really fast. What You need to do is make them think that there were other, bigger, scarier creatures around a long time before them. I suggest dinosaurs. No need to actually create dinosaurs—just create some weird-ass dinosaur bones and skeletons and bury them in random locations. Man will dig them up eventually and think, What the...?
_________________________________________________________
Epic fail.
_________________________________________________________
Meh.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Gathering Stones
In a meeting this morning I was discussing my ability to form judgements about people when I'm driving. I see somebody driving recklessly - speeding, lane changes, driving off road to avoid waiting in traffic, cutting across parking lots to avoid a red light, I judge them. 'Who do they think they are? Why is their time more important than mine? They are putting other people at risk!'.
I never do anything with my judgements, I'm not the kind of person who accelerates up behind somebody or flips them off or anything like that. The condemnation just simmers inside me until I eventually leave the car and the judgements behind.
After I had finished speaking I glanced at this icon out of the corner of my eye and turned to examine it.
I never do anything with my judgements, I'm not the kind of person who accelerates up behind somebody or flips them off or anything like that. The condemnation just simmers inside me until I eventually leave the car and the judgements behind.
After I had finished speaking I glanced at this icon out of the corner of my eye and turned to examine it.
I identified with the man in red. He's gathering stones, he may not be throwing them, but they are weighing him down. It gave me a picture of what my judgements are doing and how they hinder me.
Next week I am driving to West Texas. I talked with the group about how I was going to make a conscious decision to use any reckless drivers as a reminder for me to pray. To try and offer generous judgements - 'Maybe they are driving fast because they have to get to the hospital or a friend is in difficulty'.
I do not know all the story of the person in the pick up truck who is cutting across 5 lanes of traffic. Even if I did it may not justify their actions, but it does help explain them.
I will be generous, and allow my stones to fall unthrown...
...and in that generosity of judgement to somebody else, I am unburdened.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Baking Rainbow Cakes in a Jar
A friend posted this recipe on facebook on how to bake cakes in Mason Jars. I decided to give it a go and give them the full rainbow treatment that the recipe suggests.
As I knew the dying of the icing and the filling of the jars would be time consuming I opted to cut some corners by using box cake mix and ready made icing...I know this goes against everything I believe in, but sometimes you just gotta go for expediency over principles. I'm sure they would taste better if I had made my own cake batter, but the primary gimmick is the appearance here anyway.
The first challenge is working out how to split a large amount of cake batter into 6 equal portions.
Here's how I did it - a digital scale that you can zero will be your friend.
First lesson learned - The math would have been easier and more accurate if I had used Grams and Kilos rather than pounds and ounces. A gram is a smaller unit than an ounce so you get a more accurate reading...also, the smallest unit my scale would read is 1/8 oz. Working out what 11.6oz was (11 and 6 tenths) when you can only measure in 8ths was a challenge. I went with 11 and 5/8 to approximate.
Next I needed to color all 6 batters.
Gel food coloring is preferable to liquid as it won't change the consistency of your batter that much. I bought a pack of 4 colors - red, yellow, green and blue because I figured I could mix orange and purple to get the 6 colors I needed. As you can see from the picture this was only partially successful.
Orange was not difficult to mix, but I found getting the red an intense enough color took a lot of gel and I was concerned about having enough left to mix the purple. Little did I realize that mixing purple would be the bane of my existence!
Second Lesson Learned - I bought the 4 color pack to save money. I could have bought each of the colors already mixed in gel form. My red would have probably been more intense if I'd done this and my purple might have actually looked purple. If you are not confident in your color mixing skills buy them ready mixed.The colors looked muted after baking (see pics below) so the more intense they are at this stage the better.
The next stage is filling the jars with the 6 layers. I was concerned about how I could split the batter. evenly among the 6 containers so I resorted to math again.
The recipe said to fill the jars 3/4 full. Mine were slightly fuller than that and I had a little batter left over. I knew from the recipe that they would rise to a domed top and I would have to cut some off the top before icing so I wasn't too worried.
After 40 minutes in the oven I was greeted by this.
Third Lesson Learned - 3/4 means 3/4. My division of the batter was even, but it was still too much for the size of the jar. The tray of water that the glasses stands in catches any mess, but I did have some dribble down the side of the glasses and some batter wasted. I think if I'd been a little less liberal with my filling I might have stretched the recipe to fill 7 jars rather than 6. It's not a huge deal as I have to cut off the tops anyway, but an extra jar might have been nice.
The trimming of the cakes once they had cooled was a relatively simple affair. It's helpful to have someone else with you so that you don't gorge on all the spare cake yourself.
Icing them is a simple task.
Now all I have to do is put the lids on, stick some circular labels in the lids and maybe tie a few ribbons for added fun.
Fourth Lesson Learned - The leftover cake that I cut off goes really well with the leftover icing :)
As I knew the dying of the icing and the filling of the jars would be time consuming I opted to cut some corners by using box cake mix and ready made icing...I know this goes against everything I believe in, but sometimes you just gotta go for expediency over principles. I'm sure they would taste better if I had made my own cake batter, but the primary gimmick is the appearance here anyway.
The first challenge is working out how to split a large amount of cake batter into 6 equal portions.
Here's how I did it - a digital scale that you can zero will be your friend.
- Weigh your empty mixing bowl - mine was 1 lb 9oz
- Weigh your mixing bowl full of batter - 5 lb 15 oz
- Total weight of batter = 5lb 15oz minus 1 lb 9 oz = 4lbs 6oz
- Six equal portions of batter will be 4 lb 6 oz divided by 6 which is 11.6 oz
- Put your empty bowl on the scales and add 11.6 oz of batter...repeat until all 6 bowls are filled.
First lesson learned - The math would have been easier and more accurate if I had used Grams and Kilos rather than pounds and ounces. A gram is a smaller unit than an ounce so you get a more accurate reading...also, the smallest unit my scale would read is 1/8 oz. Working out what 11.6oz was (11 and 6 tenths) when you can only measure in 8ths was a challenge. I went with 11 and 5/8 to approximate.
Next I needed to color all 6 batters.
Gel food coloring is preferable to liquid as it won't change the consistency of your batter that much. I bought a pack of 4 colors - red, yellow, green and blue because I figured I could mix orange and purple to get the 6 colors I needed. As you can see from the picture this was only partially successful.
Orange was not difficult to mix, but I found getting the red an intense enough color took a lot of gel and I was concerned about having enough left to mix the purple. Little did I realize that mixing purple would be the bane of my existence!
Second Lesson Learned - I bought the 4 color pack to save money. I could have bought each of the colors already mixed in gel form. My red would have probably been more intense if I'd done this and my purple might have actually looked purple. If you are not confident in your color mixing skills buy them ready mixed.The colors looked muted after baking (see pics below) so the more intense they are at this stage the better.
The next stage is filling the jars with the 6 layers. I was concerned about how I could split the batter. evenly among the 6 containers so I resorted to math again.
- I have 11.6 oz of each color cake batter
- 11.6 divided by 6 is approximately 1 and 7/8 oz in each jar.
The recipe said to fill the jars 3/4 full. Mine were slightly fuller than that and I had a little batter left over. I knew from the recipe that they would rise to a domed top and I would have to cut some off the top before icing so I wasn't too worried.
After 40 minutes in the oven I was greeted by this.
Third Lesson Learned - 3/4 means 3/4. My division of the batter was even, but it was still too much for the size of the jar. The tray of water that the glasses stands in catches any mess, but I did have some dribble down the side of the glasses and some batter wasted. I think if I'd been a little less liberal with my filling I might have stretched the recipe to fill 7 jars rather than 6. It's not a huge deal as I have to cut off the tops anyway, but an extra jar might have been nice.
The trimming of the cakes once they had cooled was a relatively simple affair. It's helpful to have someone else with you so that you don't gorge on all the spare cake yourself.
Icing them is a simple task.
Now all I have to do is put the lids on, stick some circular labels in the lids and maybe tie a few ribbons for added fun.
Fourth Lesson Learned - The leftover cake that I cut off goes really well with the leftover icing :)
Monday, July 25, 2011
A 4 Chord Life?
We spoke about singing a New Song in the Contemplative Service yesterday. You can read what Jerry said at this link here. The whole post is worth a read, but here is one quote that caught my attention.
You don't have to find the pre-ordained notes to the score God has written. As God lives within you, inhabits you, energizes you, you are the score. Your moment-by-moment life is the pattern of notes, the harmony to the song you are given to sing and to be.
I hope you can sense, then, that your new song is not something to figure out, to wrestle with and struggle over as you try to come to whatever your song is. Usually we think about the "will of God" as something difficult to find, something that takes great effort to discern. Rather, in this view, your new song is something to live, something to be. It is your everyday, ordinary life lived with God for the good of the world.
Your very life is a new song, non-repeatable, creative, expansive and uniquely your own.
Don't try to sing someone else's song. Sing your song. Live your life
There are infinite ways to combine melody and harmony. The danger is that we get stuck in a rut. Always singing the same safe song that sounds just like every body elses. The Australian Comedy Trio Axis of Awesome demonstrate the occurrence of this with a medley of songs all using the same chord progression.
(If you are offended by some off color language then please don't watch)
I could spend my life singing and playing the same four chords. A life lived that way would be embraced with open arms by most people. It is controlled, non-threatening, middle of the road and very cookie-cutter. However if you strip away the words, all the songs start to sound the same.
That sounds like many people I know. Their lives are all slight variations of one another. They may all speak with their own voice, but everything that is said is the same. The fear of branching out into new harmonies keeps them locked in the same 4 chords cycling over and over again.
At the other extreme we have the fantastic work The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. Complex rhythmic Structures, creative use of harmonies and dissonance, unusual musical timbres all combine to make the composition of this piece one the seminal moments in music history. American composer Peter Schiekel said that ...The Rite of Spring had such a profound effect on composition that virtually all subsequent 20th century music could be said to be “The Rewrite of Spring”
Here is Michael Tilson Thomas discussing the work.
Michael Tilson Thomas talks about Stravinsky tapping into his unconscious in the creation of this piece. It is raw, passionate, violent, sensual and incredible.
In most works melodic phrases are quoted and developed, repeated and altered. Here, Stravinsky seems to continually throw out new phrases as if he is never afraid of becoming stale. There is rhythm and repetition, but just when you think you've grasped what is happening the who piece shifts once again.
4 chords stifle me...and Stravinsky scares me.
I want a life bursting with unique passion. A song that is mine and mine alone, but that means acknowledging the darkness as well as the light. It means confessing that there are times in my life where a curse word is a more honest truthful response than a Praise the Lord.
For me to sing my own unique song it means acknowledging that minor chords (sad chords as I was taught in Middle School) are necessary. Even the 4 chord progression quoted above contains one minor chord, but that chord always falls in the same place and is predictable.
My life isn't that predictable. Minor chords, dissonance and changes of tempo occur without warning. Sometimes it feels that multiple songs are all playing at the same time, conflicting melodies calling for my attention creating harmonic progressions that 4 chords could never cover.
It's scary, but I chose Stravinsky over Safety anytime.
You don't have to find the pre-ordained notes to the score God has written. As God lives within you, inhabits you, energizes you, you are the score. Your moment-by-moment life is the pattern of notes, the harmony to the song you are given to sing and to be.
I hope you can sense, then, that your new song is not something to figure out, to wrestle with and struggle over as you try to come to whatever your song is. Usually we think about the "will of God" as something difficult to find, something that takes great effort to discern. Rather, in this view, your new song is something to live, something to be. It is your everyday, ordinary life lived with God for the good of the world.
Your very life is a new song, non-repeatable, creative, expansive and uniquely your own.
Don't try to sing someone else's song. Sing your song. Live your life
There are infinite ways to combine melody and harmony. The danger is that we get stuck in a rut. Always singing the same safe song that sounds just like every body elses. The Australian Comedy Trio Axis of Awesome demonstrate the occurrence of this with a medley of songs all using the same chord progression.
(If you are offended by some off color language then please don't watch)
I could spend my life singing and playing the same four chords. A life lived that way would be embraced with open arms by most people. It is controlled, non-threatening, middle of the road and very cookie-cutter. However if you strip away the words, all the songs start to sound the same.
That sounds like many people I know. Their lives are all slight variations of one another. They may all speak with their own voice, but everything that is said is the same. The fear of branching out into new harmonies keeps them locked in the same 4 chords cycling over and over again.
At the other extreme we have the fantastic work The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. Complex rhythmic Structures, creative use of harmonies and dissonance, unusual musical timbres all combine to make the composition of this piece one the seminal moments in music history. American composer Peter Schiekel said that ...The Rite of Spring had such a profound effect on composition that virtually all subsequent 20th century music could be said to be “The Rewrite of Spring”
Here is Michael Tilson Thomas discussing the work.
Michael Tilson Thomas talks about Stravinsky tapping into his unconscious in the creation of this piece. It is raw, passionate, violent, sensual and incredible.
In most works melodic phrases are quoted and developed, repeated and altered. Here, Stravinsky seems to continually throw out new phrases as if he is never afraid of becoming stale. There is rhythm and repetition, but just when you think you've grasped what is happening the who piece shifts once again.
4 chords stifle me...and Stravinsky scares me.
I want a life bursting with unique passion. A song that is mine and mine alone, but that means acknowledging the darkness as well as the light. It means confessing that there are times in my life where a curse word is a more honest truthful response than a Praise the Lord.
For me to sing my own unique song it means acknowledging that minor chords (sad chords as I was taught in Middle School) are necessary. Even the 4 chord progression quoted above contains one minor chord, but that chord always falls in the same place and is predictable.
My life isn't that predictable. Minor chords, dissonance and changes of tempo occur without warning. Sometimes it feels that multiple songs are all playing at the same time, conflicting melodies calling for my attention creating harmonic progressions that 4 chords could never cover.
It's scary, but I chose Stravinsky over Safety anytime.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon
I'm not a big fish eater, but this was yummy!!!!
Make sure you have an oven proof, nonstick skillet though!
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 (6 oz) can of pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt (divided)
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick) See Note*
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Grated Orange Rind (optional)
Combine the first 4 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Set to one side.
Preheat oven to 400F
Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle both sides of salmon with remaining salt and pepper. Add fish to pan and cook for 3 minutes.
Turn fish over and then place the pan in the oven and bake at 400F for 3 minutes.
Remove from oven, brush sauce over each salmon fillet. Return to oven and cook for 1 minute more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Sprinkle with orange rind if desired.
I served it with Lemon Rice and Broccoli. Healthy and tasty :)
*I couldn't find salmon fillets so I just bought a piece about 1 1/2 lbs and cut it into pieces. I cooked them skin down first, then skin up.
To be honest 3 8oz servings looked a lot better than 4 6oz ones, but then again, I do eat alot :)
Make sure you have an oven proof, nonstick skillet though!
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 (6 oz) can of pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt (divided)
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick) See Note*
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Grated Orange Rind (optional)
Combine the first 4 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Set to one side.
Preheat oven to 400F
Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle both sides of salmon with remaining salt and pepper. Add fish to pan and cook for 3 minutes.
Turn fish over and then place the pan in the oven and bake at 400F for 3 minutes.
Remove from oven, brush sauce over each salmon fillet. Return to oven and cook for 1 minute more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Sprinkle with orange rind if desired.
I served it with Lemon Rice and Broccoli. Healthy and tasty :)
*I couldn't find salmon fillets so I just bought a piece about 1 1/2 lbs and cut it into pieces. I cooked them skin down first, then skin up.
To be honest 3 8oz servings looked a lot better than 4 6oz ones, but then again, I do eat alot :)
The monk who never judged anyone
This monk was lazy, careless, and lacking in his prayer life; but throughout all of his life, he did not judge anyone. While dying, he was happy. When the brethren asked him how is it that with so many sins, you die happy? He replied, “I now see angels who are showing me a letter with my numerous sins. I said to them, ‘Our Lord said: Judge not and you will not be judged (Lk. 6:37). I have never judged anyone, and I hope in the mercy of God that He will not judge me.’” And the angels tore up the paper. Upon hearing this, the monks were astonished and learned from it.
- St. Nikolai Velimirovich, Prologue
- St. Nikolai Velimirovich, Prologue
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Indulge Me?
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."
Matthew 19:27-29
(Random thoughts for the Contemplative Service)
However much I don't want it to be, I must confess that Peter's question is often my question. 'What's in it for me? What do I get?' When I do something good I start looking to God for my reward and when something bad happens I start looking back through my life trying to work out what I did wrong to cause the event to happen.
I reduce my spiritual life to My Action and God's Response. I perform action A (or avoid performing it) and then I wait for God to respond with B.
Actions like:
I have had a quiet time every day.
I avoided _________________
I gave money to the poor
I took Disciple Bible Study
I taught Disciple Bible Study
I went on a mission trip
I went on a silent retreat
I visited auntie Ethel even though she drives me crazy
I went to church while on vacation
I gave up meat for Lent
I work full time for You
I moved to another country for You
I made a pilgrimage to _______
All the things I've listed are good - prayer, fasting, study, pilgrimage, teaching, self discipline etc, but the danger is I think that I can manipulate God into blessing me by the way I live. I keep my end of the bargain then God must keep his.
I am also aware that I promote books, studies, retreats, worship services etc to other people in a similar way. If you read this book then God will bless you. If you go on this retreat you will grow spiritually. If you fast for Lent then you will encounter God in a new way.
I saw a number of cathedrals in Spain recently. At one of them we saw incredible gold and silver items for use in worship services. I overheard someone saying that they could see where all the money from the church selling Indulgences ended up. Johann Tetzel, a Dominican Preacher in the Middle Ages is reputed to have said 'As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from Purgatory springs.' If you give to the church your deceased friends will get relief from Purgatory.
I don't like this comparison. I can sit in judgement of Tetzel whilst being guilty of the same thing.
My Action. God's Response.
I decide what I want God to do in my life and then try and figure out how to manipulate God into doing it. I judge whether I should perform an action by what I will get out of it. Even my selfless actions have a level of selfishness in them. It's easy for me to get caught up in a spiral of despair around this. I question my motives for everything and end up doing nothing.
I'm glad Thomas Merton is there to help. He wrote in his book Thoughts in Solitude:
I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
What do you want? What is your desire? How can you please God today?
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."
Matthew 19:27-29
(Random thoughts for the Contemplative Service)
However much I don't want it to be, I must confess that Peter's question is often my question. 'What's in it for me? What do I get?' When I do something good I start looking to God for my reward and when something bad happens I start looking back through my life trying to work out what I did wrong to cause the event to happen.
I reduce my spiritual life to My Action and God's Response. I perform action A (or avoid performing it) and then I wait for God to respond with B.
Actions like:
I have had a quiet time every day.
I avoided _________________
I gave money to the poor
I took Disciple Bible Study
I taught Disciple Bible Study
I went on a mission trip
I went on a silent retreat
I visited auntie Ethel even though she drives me crazy
I went to church while on vacation
I gave up meat for Lent
I work full time for You
I moved to another country for You
I made a pilgrimage to _______
All the things I've listed are good - prayer, fasting, study, pilgrimage, teaching, self discipline etc, but the danger is I think that I can manipulate God into blessing me by the way I live. I keep my end of the bargain then God must keep his.
I am also aware that I promote books, studies, retreats, worship services etc to other people in a similar way. If you read this book then God will bless you. If you go on this retreat you will grow spiritually. If you fast for Lent then you will encounter God in a new way.
I saw a number of cathedrals in Spain recently. At one of them we saw incredible gold and silver items for use in worship services. I overheard someone saying that they could see where all the money from the church selling Indulgences ended up. Johann Tetzel, a Dominican Preacher in the Middle Ages is reputed to have said 'As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from Purgatory springs.' If you give to the church your deceased friends will get relief from Purgatory.
I don't like this comparison. I can sit in judgement of Tetzel whilst being guilty of the same thing.
My Action. God's Response.
I decide what I want God to do in my life and then try and figure out how to manipulate God into doing it. I judge whether I should perform an action by what I will get out of it. Even my selfless actions have a level of selfishness in them. It's easy for me to get caught up in a spiral of despair around this. I question my motives for everything and end up doing nothing.
I'm glad Thomas Merton is there to help. He wrote in his book Thoughts in Solitude:
I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
What do you want? What is your desire? How can you please God today?
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Luggage Advice?
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
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I remember the first time I packed to go live overseas. I was moving to Slovakia for a semester. As I was packing I carefully wrote out a list of every item that was in my suitcase and my hand luggage. I think I made 3 copies of that list. One was in my suitcase, one was in my hand luggage and one was given to my parents (I'm not sure why!). Every sock, every book was carefully catalogued in case of misfortune.
I'm one of those people who have a tendency to over pack for a trip. I want to make sure I have what I need to cover every eventuality, which is of course, impossible. I also find comfort in surrounding myself with familiar items when I am in a different country. When everything around is strange, my need for security increases.
Jesus' instructions here scare me.
No money, no spare clothing, no staff for protection.
When I think of my journey through life in the light of this command I reflect on the 'baggage' I carry. The money makes me think about the achievements I have earned - the things I use to bolster myself when I feel nervous, 'Remember Peter, you have a University degree, you can do this!'.
Clothing makes me think of the roles that I step into. The different ways I present myself to other people depending on who they are and the response I want to elicit from them. I notice it when someone asks me 'What do you do for a living?' My response varies according to the situation. 'I work for a church.' or 'I'm a musician.' Sometimes I'll be even more mysterious in my response 'I'm a composer' or 'I help people encounter God'. Each of these are true to varying degrees and generate very different responses. Each of them also minimizes what I do. I am more than the various roles I place myself in.
The command I struggle the most to identify with is the one to not take a staff. People used the staff to help them in their journey and to protect them. I wonder what I use to help my journey and to protect me? I know that I sometimes use humor as a way of deflecting situations where I feel uncomfortable. Humor can become a way for me to avoid emotions I don't like. I may think I am protecting myself, but I am also in danger of avoiding the very thing that may lead to growth.
What baggage are you carrying with you to ease your walk through life?
“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ~ Matthew 10: 7-13
I'm one of those people who have a tendency to over pack for a trip. I want to make sure I have what I need to cover every eventuality, which is of course, impossible. I also find comfort in surrounding myself with familiar items when I am in a different country. When everything around is strange, my need for security increases.
Jesus' instructions here scare me.
No money, no spare clothing, no staff for protection.
When I think of my journey through life in the light of this command I reflect on the 'baggage' I carry. The money makes me think about the achievements I have earned - the things I use to bolster myself when I feel nervous, 'Remember Peter, you have a University degree, you can do this!'.
Clothing makes me think of the roles that I step into. The different ways I present myself to other people depending on who they are and the response I want to elicit from them. I notice it when someone asks me 'What do you do for a living?' My response varies according to the situation. 'I work for a church.' or 'I'm a musician.' Sometimes I'll be even more mysterious in my response 'I'm a composer' or 'I help people encounter God'. Each of these are true to varying degrees and generate very different responses. Each of them also minimizes what I do. I am more than the various roles I place myself in.
The command I struggle the most to identify with is the one to not take a staff. People used the staff to help them in their journey and to protect them. I wonder what I use to help my journey and to protect me? I know that I sometimes use humor as a way of deflecting situations where I feel uncomfortable. Humor can become a way for me to avoid emotions I don't like. I may think I am protecting myself, but I am also in danger of avoiding the very thing that may lead to growth.
What baggage are you carrying with you to ease your walk through life?
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Making Ricotta - easy and delicious!
It may seem mad to be making Ricotta when you can buy it so cheaply, but this tasted so good and was a cinch to make. Thanks to Smitten Kitchen for the recipe.
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
You will also need a large saucepan/dutch oven. A candy thermometer. A colander, a bowl and some cheesecloth - all things I conveniently had lying around the kitchen.
Put the milk, cream and salt in the saucepan and heat the mixture to 190F stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. 190F is just below boiling.
Keep the Ricotta in the cheesecloth (the curds) and dispose of the stuff in the bowl (throw the whey away LOL)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
You will also need a large saucepan/dutch oven. A candy thermometer. A colander, a bowl and some cheesecloth - all things I conveniently had lying around the kitchen.
Put the milk, cream and salt in the saucepan and heat the mixture to 190F stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. 190F is just below boiling.
When it reaches 190F take it off the heat, add the lemon juice and give it a couple of slow stirs and then DO NOT TOUCH IT for 5 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth lined colander that you have placed over a large bowl to catch the whey. After about 2 hours it will look something like this.
Keep the Ricotta in the cheesecloth (the curds) and dispose of the stuff in the bowl (throw the whey away LOL)
You can eat the Ricotta immediately, but if you have any left put it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will firm up the colder it gets.
The recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups of Ricotta, and it tastes fantastic just lightly spread on some good bread.
You can make the Ricotta with 3 1/2 cups of milk and only 1/2 cup of cream. It will not taste quite so indulgent but still very yummy.
Thank you smitten kitchen!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Something different for the grill - Lebanese Beef Kebabs
These are quick to cook and really yummy. Recipe from Saveur Magazine.
1lb ground beef chuck
4 tbs finely chopped parsley (I normally blitz it in the food processor)
4 tablespoons finely chopped sun dried tomatoes (food processor again!)
4 Tablespoons Aleppo Pepper - if you can't find this see the note below.
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium yellow onion, grated and drained in a strainer (food processor again)
Kosher Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Wooden skewers that you have soaked in water
About the Aleppo Pepper. If you cannot find it or do not wish to purchase it then you can use the following substitution. Use 4 parts sweet paprika and 1 part Cayenne. For the above recipe that works out at approximately 3 1/2 Tablespoons of Sweet Paprika and 2 1/2 Teaspoons of Cayenne.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly together.
Form them into long sausage shapes around each wooden skewer. I normally cut the skewers in half so they are about 5 inches long, I find them easier to handle on the grill and the shorter ones less likely to disintegrate.
Place them on a hot grill for about 3-4 minutes a side depending on thickness.
Make sure the grill is hot and the grate oiled. Don't move them too quickly or they will stick and fall apart.
Yum!
1lb ground beef chuck
4 tbs finely chopped parsley (I normally blitz it in the food processor)
4 tablespoons finely chopped sun dried tomatoes (food processor again!)
4 Tablespoons Aleppo Pepper - if you can't find this see the note below.
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium yellow onion, grated and drained in a strainer (food processor again)
Kosher Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Wooden skewers that you have soaked in water
About the Aleppo Pepper. If you cannot find it or do not wish to purchase it then you can use the following substitution. Use 4 parts sweet paprika and 1 part Cayenne. For the above recipe that works out at approximately 3 1/2 Tablespoons of Sweet Paprika and 2 1/2 Teaspoons of Cayenne.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly together.
Form them into long sausage shapes around each wooden skewer. I normally cut the skewers in half so they are about 5 inches long, I find them easier to handle on the grill and the shorter ones less likely to disintegrate.
Place them on a hot grill for about 3-4 minutes a side depending on thickness.
Make sure the grill is hot and the grate oiled. Don't move them too quickly or they will stick and fall apart.
Yum!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday Poetry
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
from Dream Work by Mary Oliver
published by Atlantic Monthly Press
© Mary Oliver
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
from Dream Work by Mary Oliver
published by Atlantic Monthly Press
© Mary Oliver
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
May Games Played
This post is really late. I've found it hard to get motivated to post recently, I'm not really sure why, just the season I'm in I guess.
May had 17 plays of 14 different games.
Three games had the dubious honor of being played twice in May:
Condottiere - bidding to take control of regions in Renaissance Italy. Nothing really stands out for me about this game, though it was quick and slightly more devious than expected at first glance.
Letters from Whitechapel - one player has the dubious honor of playing Jack the Ripper, killing a different victim each night. The rest are policemen trying to hunt him down and stop him returning to his lair.
Here is a crazy video about the game
May had 17 plays of 14 different games.
Three games had the dubious honor of being played twice in May:
Condottiere - bidding to take control of regions in Renaissance Italy. Nothing really stands out for me about this game, though it was quick and slightly more devious than expected at first glance.
Letters from Whitechapel - one player has the dubious honor of playing Jack the Ripper, killing a different victim each night. The rest are policemen trying to hunt him down and stop him returning to his lair.
Here is a crazy video about the game
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game - a two person cooperative card game that I cannot see what all the fuss is about!
So, were there any games that did stick out this past month?
Blue Moon City - made it back to the table for the first time since I've been keeping records. It was nice to play it again and I hope I don't wait years before it returns to the table.
Dominant Species returned but still didn't get a full play. I find this game rather overwhelming, there is so much going on. I need to sit down with the rulebook myself and try and get a better feel for it.
May 2010 I played 33 boardgames. 17 for 2011 is rather disappointing, but partially the result of not hosting Memorial Day gaming this year.
Oh well - hopefully June's statistics will be better.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Perfection versus Morality
I had the privilege of listening to a discussion about Perfection, Wholeness and Morality today. I didn't contribute I just let the words soak in and then mulled them over during my evening run.
Matthew 5:48 says:
"Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect"
Or does it?
The word translated as perfect is the word Telios which can be better translated as Whole or Complete.
I think telios leads to morality, but morality does not always lead to telios. The church's definition of morality has changed a great deal over the centuries. We would consider a man who owns slaves as immoral, but that has not always been the church's view. As a child I knew Christians who considered going to the movies as immoral. We may laugh at their position now, but it makes me question what actions that we consider immoral now will be viewed as acceptable in the future.
There were times in my life when I was very concerned with pursuing morality. Anything immoral in my life was rejected. Locked away in a corner of my psyche and not touched for fear that it would contaminate the good.
By rejecting those parts of myself I lost the ability to be telios. The shadow side of myself can teach me many valuable lessons, but I have to be willing to embrace the immoral part and bring it into the light and listen. It took me time to realize that acknowledging and accepting the parts of myself that I labeled immoral was different from giving myself a license to act upon them.
By accepting that there are parts of my life that I would label immoral it allows me to speak to them and listen to them. They have become warning lights on the dashboard of my life. When I discover one is flashing, it is an indicator to stop, look deeper and examine what is going on in my life.
Morality is just a pale reflection of the beauty that is Wholeness.
Matthew 5:48 says:
"Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect"
Or does it?
The word translated as perfect is the word Telios which can be better translated as Whole or Complete.
I think telios leads to morality, but morality does not always lead to telios. The church's definition of morality has changed a great deal over the centuries. We would consider a man who owns slaves as immoral, but that has not always been the church's view. As a child I knew Christians who considered going to the movies as immoral. We may laugh at their position now, but it makes me question what actions that we consider immoral now will be viewed as acceptable in the future.
There were times in my life when I was very concerned with pursuing morality. Anything immoral in my life was rejected. Locked away in a corner of my psyche and not touched for fear that it would contaminate the good.
By rejecting those parts of myself I lost the ability to be telios. The shadow side of myself can teach me many valuable lessons, but I have to be willing to embrace the immoral part and bring it into the light and listen. It took me time to realize that acknowledging and accepting the parts of myself that I labeled immoral was different from giving myself a license to act upon them.
By accepting that there are parts of my life that I would label immoral it allows me to speak to them and listen to them. They have become warning lights on the dashboard of my life. When I discover one is flashing, it is an indicator to stop, look deeper and examine what is going on in my life.
Morality is just a pale reflection of the beauty that is Wholeness.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Fear of Running
I am not in shape...
Underlying that statement is the question "Who defines what in-shape is?" If I lived in a culture that worshiped fat I would be a demi-god. So let me rephrase:
I am not as fit and healthy as I would like to be, and that is in danger of impeding my day to day activities if I don't do something about it.
I have just started an exercise program called 'From Couch to 5K', it takes 20 minutes, 3 times a week. I went out on Tuesday evening for the first time. Steve came with me, and we jogged for 60 seconds then walked for 90 seconds, repeating that pattern 8 times.....I managed 7 times and then walked the rest of the way. It takes only 20 minutes to do, but I have a long recovery time afterwards.
This morning was my second session, and I was going out alone. I was sitting on the couch in my exercise gear ready to go and I felt a wave of emotion flood across me. 'I don't want to do this. I'm afraid'. The level of emotion was far stronger than the action warranted so I sat with myself a while to allow myself time to feel, and work out where this emotion was coming from.
I have exercise induced asthma.
As I sat on the couch I remembered a family vacation to Llandudno from when I was 14. My parents had let my brother and I go off by ourselves while they headed back to the hotel. We went to the Amusement Arcade by pier to play penny slots. They also had a large Bouncy Castle that we both played on.
Underlying that statement is the question "Who defines what in-shape is?" If I lived in a culture that worshiped fat I would be a demi-god. So let me rephrase:
I am not as fit and healthy as I would like to be, and that is in danger of impeding my day to day activities if I don't do something about it.
This morning was my second session, and I was going out alone. I was sitting on the couch in my exercise gear ready to go and I felt a wave of emotion flood across me. 'I don't want to do this. I'm afraid'. The level of emotion was far stronger than the action warranted so I sat with myself a while to allow myself time to feel, and work out where this emotion was coming from.
I have exercise induced asthma.
As I sat on the couch I remembered a family vacation to Llandudno from when I was 14. My parents had let my brother and I go off by ourselves while they headed back to the hotel. We went to the Amusement Arcade by pier to play penny slots. They also had a large Bouncy Castle that we both played on. It was during the walk back to the hotel that I knew I was in trouble. My breathing was getting faster, shallower and more labored, and my rescue inhaler was on the nightstand. My brother left me sitting on a patch of grass by the side of the road and ran back to the hotel to get my medication.
I remember Cross Country Running in High School, panting around at the back of the group for one lap and then going in earlier gasping for breath.
I remember as a child waking up in the middle of the night with an asthma attack so severe that the doctor was called to the house about 3am to inject me with adrenaline.
I have not had an asthma attack in years. I cannot remember my last attack. My medication works very well. I get short of breath, but that is because of my level of fitness and not my asthma.
Knowing I am safe and that running is ok didn't mean a thing when I was sitting on the couch this morning. The fear may have been unjustified, but it was real. I didn't have anyone else with me to go get help if something went wrong, I had no brother to 'run back to the hotel'.
I knew that God was with me, but he was with me in Llandudno too, but He didn't run back to the hotel, my brother did.....and yes I know I can say that my brother was being the Presence of God to me then, but I didn't have anyone to be that presence while I was running today.
Now I love a good theological conundrum as much as the next person, it's the kind of thing I can sit and think about for hours...but sitting and thinking is not getting me out of the door exercising. So I decided I needed to re-frame my jogging in a way that made it positive.
That's not easy for someone who once had a severe asthma attack while asleep!!!
I picked a subject for prayer and asked God to receive the sound of my foot hitting the sidewalk as a prayer of petition.
Exercise became Intercession.
Out the door I went, and like Tuesday I managed 7 repetitions of the pattern and then walked the rest of the way.
I'm hoping this gets easier...I'm hoping I can keep re-framing this activity as prayer. I'm hoping that if someone asks for prayer my first thought will be 'Where are my running shoes?'
Monday, May 23, 2011
God and Wham!
My brain woke up in an unusual state this morning (well probably every morning). I am reading How (Not) to Speak of God by Peter Rollins and when I went to bed last night I read this passage:
The term (idolatry) can be understood to refer to any attempt that would render the essence of God accessible, bringing God into either aesthetic visibility (in the form of a physical structure, such as a statue) or conceptual visibility (in the form of a concept, such as a theological system). Like an aesthetic idol (such as the Golden Calf in the book of Exodus), the conceptual idol refers to any system of thought which the individual or community takes to be a visible rendering of God. The only significant difference between the aesthetic idol ad the conceptual idol lies in the fact that the former reduces God to a physical object while the latter reduces God to an intellectual object. ~ Page 12
I slept with that passage rattling around in m brain, and woke this morning with that passage still processing, and along side it my brain was singing the following song:
Rhonda: Yeah, why don't you guys get married!
Adam: I don't even know if he's gay.
Rhonda: He's got like frosted hair.
Adam: George Michael has frosted hair and he's like totally straight.
But I digress :)
When the news that George Michael was gay filtered out to the general public I remember many girls who refused to believe it. They believed that if the right girl came along he could be reformed (and most of them cast themselves in the role of his savior). Their concept of George Michael had become an idol that the clung onto even in the midst of conflicting evidence.
Peter Rollins goes on to say:
Western theology has all too often reduced the beautifully varied and complex descriptions of God found in the bible to a singular reading that does violence to its vibrant nature. The bible itself is a dynamic text full of poetry, prose, history, law and myth all clashing together in a cacophony of voices. We are presented with a warrior God and a peacemaker, a God of territorial allegiance and a God who transcends all territorial divides, an unchanging God and a God who can be redirected, a God of peace and a God of war, a God who is always watching the world and a God who fails to notice the oppression against Israel in Egypt. ~ Page 13
It surprises me how often people talk with absolute certainty about Divine Mystery. My experience of God has gotten so much larger as I journey through life, and many conceptual idols have been smashed along the way. For a description of one of my recent idols being smashed read this post here.
So there it is, God and Wham combined in one blog post.
Proof of my insanity?
The term (idolatry) can be understood to refer to any attempt that would render the essence of God accessible, bringing God into either aesthetic visibility (in the form of a physical structure, such as a statue) or conceptual visibility (in the form of a concept, such as a theological system). Like an aesthetic idol (such as the Golden Calf in the book of Exodus), the conceptual idol refers to any system of thought which the individual or community takes to be a visible rendering of God. The only significant difference between the aesthetic idol ad the conceptual idol lies in the fact that the former reduces God to a physical object while the latter reduces God to an intellectual object. ~ Page 12
I slept with that passage rattling around in m brain, and woke this morning with that passage still processing, and along side it my brain was singing the following song:
I spent much of the day trying to forge a connection between these seemingly two unrelated topics.
The way I understand what Peter Rollins was saying is that we need to be careful about how we think about God. Our very belief about how we believe in God can become an idol that can distance us from God. We cling to our own particular concept of God even in the face of conflicting evidence.
Looking at this Wham video from 1984 it's hard to believe that anyone missed the fact that George Michael was Gay, but at the time the possibility never entered mine, or any of my friends brains. He dressed trendily and consequently many of the girls at my school were into him. The thought that he might be anything different to the image that we saw presented seemed impossible. Like the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo, we failed to see what was right before our eyes.
Incidentally this view of George Michael was wonderfully captured in the movie Adam & Steve. Adam sees Steve dancing onstage at a nightclub in 80s New York, his friend Rhonda tries to persuade him to go talk to him.
Rhonda: What's with that solid gold dancer with his ass in the air?
Adam: The dazzle dancer? Rhonda: Yeah, why don't you guys get married!
Adam: I don't even know if he's gay.
Rhonda: He's got like frosted hair.
Adam: George Michael has frosted hair and he's like totally straight.
But I digress :)
When the news that George Michael was gay filtered out to the general public I remember many girls who refused to believe it. They believed that if the right girl came along he could be reformed (and most of them cast themselves in the role of his savior). Their concept of George Michael had become an idol that the clung onto even in the midst of conflicting evidence.
Peter Rollins goes on to say:
Western theology has all too often reduced the beautifully varied and complex descriptions of God found in the bible to a singular reading that does violence to its vibrant nature. The bible itself is a dynamic text full of poetry, prose, history, law and myth all clashing together in a cacophony of voices. We are presented with a warrior God and a peacemaker, a God of territorial allegiance and a God who transcends all territorial divides, an unchanging God and a God who can be redirected, a God of peace and a God of war, a God who is always watching the world and a God who fails to notice the oppression against Israel in Egypt. ~ Page 13
It surprises me how often people talk with absolute certainty about Divine Mystery. My experience of God has gotten so much larger as I journey through life, and many conceptual idols have been smashed along the way. For a description of one of my recent idols being smashed read this post here.
So there it is, God and Wham combined in one blog post.
Proof of my insanity?
Friday, May 20, 2011
I'm a Cartoon :D
This is a pic of me from a few years ago, playing the boardame Einfach Genial!
And this is cartoon me playing the same game as drawn by my talented friend Brandon! Thanks a lot buddy!!!
Cuban Pork
Occasionally I like to do something really over the top in the kitchen just for the sheer fun of it.
Today I made Cuban pork
Make a marinade out of Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, Garlic, Cumin, Oregano, Salt and Pepper and smear it all over a pork shoulder and let it sit for 2 hours.
Make sure you put 1 inch slits all over the pork so that the marinade can penetrate.
Then roast in a slow oven for 6 hours, and then let rest for another hour before you can eat and enjoy.
I'm serving this with Black Beans that have simmered with a Ham Hock and various herbs and spices for 2 hours and also some rice.
The leftover pork will become Empanadas on Saturday and reappear with pasta on Sunday!!!!
Today I made Cuban pork
Make a marinade out of Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, Garlic, Cumin, Oregano, Salt and Pepper and smear it all over a pork shoulder and let it sit for 2 hours.
Then roast in a slow oven for 6 hours, and then let rest for another hour before you can eat and enjoy.
I'm serving this with Black Beans that have simmered with a Ham Hock and various herbs and spices for 2 hours and also some rice.
The leftover pork will become Empanadas on Saturday and reappear with pasta on Sunday!!!!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
An interesting story from 'How Not To Speak of God' by Peter Rollins
"It was one of the watershed events in my life, like your first car, your first day at university, or when you decide to like coffee or dislike Madonna. They were the decisions that, one way or another, started to define your life and your identity. For me, of course, the one that truly stands head and shoulders above all those mundanities was the day that I finally decided to inform my parents that I was straight.
It seemed so absurd not to tell them. I was an adult; I'd moved out years ago. Everyone close to me knew I was straight. And my sister swore up and down that my father had known for years.
I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but what I got was that reserved and quiet resignation and forced understanding which seems to be unique to people of my parents' generation. My mother, who has always disliked the term 'straight', kept using the word 'heterosexual', which made me feel a bit like a lab animal.
My father didn't let on whether he'd known or not, but his composed exterior did seem reasonably genuine. As with most other things, he was processing it all deep inside himself: "My son is a straight man. My son is attracted to women." We've always got on fine, and I do think that he didn't want to turn into the stereotypical disappointed dad.
Introducing them to Elizabeth was the next hurdle. This, of course, was like having to do the whole announcement all over again. This was when it all became real. I was inviting my parents into my whole 'heterosexual' world. Luckily, Liz is incredible, and once they'd met her, my parents enjoyed her very much as a person. After they'd left, Liz and I had a good laugh at my mother's studied usage of the word 'heterosexual'.
I should have known that the final hurdle would be big family get-togethers like Christmas. My mother has quietly made it known to me that she'd 'prefer' that Liz not come, the pretense being not upsetting my grandmother. It's not the first time that my mother has pulled this tactic out of the bag, by the way - make my grandma the villain. I just want to scream, 'Grandma knows!' She's known I was straight since I was 14! Never have I felt more accepted by anyone on earth than by her, and she's 85! Why do you think that I talk to her, Mother, and not to you? It's because she was the one who looked deep into a teenager's eyes and said, 'Well, don't you forget that God loves you , and I love you....Now go out there and meet some gorgeous girl!'
Thanks, grandma.
An anonymous story written by someone in the IKON community.
How (Not) To Speak of God by Peter Rollins
It seemed so absurd not to tell them. I was an adult; I'd moved out years ago. Everyone close to me knew I was straight. And my sister swore up and down that my father had known for years.
I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but what I got was that reserved and quiet resignation and forced understanding which seems to be unique to people of my parents' generation. My mother, who has always disliked the term 'straight', kept using the word 'heterosexual', which made me feel a bit like a lab animal.
My father didn't let on whether he'd known or not, but his composed exterior did seem reasonably genuine. As with most other things, he was processing it all deep inside himself: "My son is a straight man. My son is attracted to women." We've always got on fine, and I do think that he didn't want to turn into the stereotypical disappointed dad.
Introducing them to Elizabeth was the next hurdle. This, of course, was like having to do the whole announcement all over again. This was when it all became real. I was inviting my parents into my whole 'heterosexual' world. Luckily, Liz is incredible, and once they'd met her, my parents enjoyed her very much as a person. After they'd left, Liz and I had a good laugh at my mother's studied usage of the word 'heterosexual'.
I should have known that the final hurdle would be big family get-togethers like Christmas. My mother has quietly made it known to me that she'd 'prefer' that Liz not come, the pretense being not upsetting my grandmother. It's not the first time that my mother has pulled this tactic out of the bag, by the way - make my grandma the villain. I just want to scream, 'Grandma knows!' She's known I was straight since I was 14! Never have I felt more accepted by anyone on earth than by her, and she's 85! Why do you think that I talk to her, Mother, and not to you? It's because she was the one who looked deep into a teenager's eyes and said, 'Well, don't you forget that God loves you , and I love you....Now go out there and meet some gorgeous girl!'
Thanks, grandma.
An anonymous story written by someone in the IKON community.
How (Not) To Speak of God by Peter Rollins
Friday, May 06, 2011
April Board Games Played
This will be a very sparse post as I'm fighting a head cold and losing, but I wanted to get these listed before I forgot.
April had 18 plays of 13 different games...so which were the lucky ones that got played twice?
Black Friday - Buying and selling shares, interesting and challenging (and not quite as fiddly as it seems once you get a good understanding of the rules)
Enemy Chocolatier - I don't remember much about it...obviously it didn't make much of an impression.
For Sale - the classic filler game, fun and tension in real estate, and the game plays in 30 mins woohoo.
Prophecy - It's a modern version of the classic 'Talisman' game, but it still feels too long for what it is.
Telestrations - It's a drawing party game. Keeping score doesn't work, but you are guaranteed to laugh a lot.
Other games played?
Armorica, Bohnanza, Castle Panic, Coyote, London, Members Only, Piece of Cake and Shadows Over Camelot.
April had 18 plays of 13 different games...so which were the lucky ones that got played twice?
Black Friday - Buying and selling shares, interesting and challenging (and not quite as fiddly as it seems once you get a good understanding of the rules)
Enemy Chocolatier - I don't remember much about it...obviously it didn't make much of an impression.
For Sale - the classic filler game, fun and tension in real estate, and the game plays in 30 mins woohoo.
Prophecy - It's a modern version of the classic 'Talisman' game, but it still feels too long for what it is.
Telestrations - It's a drawing party game. Keeping score doesn't work, but you are guaranteed to laugh a lot.
Other games played?
Armorica, Bohnanza, Castle Panic, Coyote, London, Members Only, Piece of Cake and Shadows Over Camelot.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Who are you walking with?
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. Luke 24:13-16
There are so many interesting things I could pull from the story referred to as the Walk to Emmaus, maybe I'll write some follow up posts. The passage above is just the opening snippet.Two disciples, walking along the road, confused and saddened by the events of the last few days in Jerusalem, are joined by a third traveller who journeys with them. Luke lets us know the identity of the traveller as Jesus, but the two disciples do not know this, they are 'kept' from recognizing him.Many of the Gnostics believed Jesus was not fully human and could change his appearance at will, that is why he was not recognized. Medieval Artists who have depicted this part of the Emmaus narrative painted Jesus wearing a large floppy hat to explain the lack of recognition.
Other suggestions include God deliberately kept the disciples from recognizing Him, or maybe they were so focused on their own confusion over the events in Jerusalem that they were unable to see what was right before their eyes. Jesus listens to them, rebukes them, and explains their faulty thinking to them, but it's only when Jesus breaks the bread in front of them that his identity is revealed.
Who are the newcomers, the strangers in your life at the moment? Who is the unexpected traveller? Who are the people who challenge your view points and assumptions? Who could be Christ to you at this point in your journey?
Who are you journeying with? How can you be the unexpected voice of Jesus to them?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Scone (rhymes with Gone) or Scone (rhymes with Bone)
The U.K. may fight over how to pronounce Scone, but whether the 'O' is long or short we all know they taste great.
Here's the Scone recipe (with variations) that I am making to celebrate some minor wedding that is happening in London on friday :)
(I usually always include the glaze on top)
Cream Scones with Currants - from America's Test Kitchen
2 Cups unbleached all purpose flour (low protein such as Gold Medal, Pilsbury or Kroger - avoid King Arthur Brand)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/4 inch cubes)
1/2 cup currants
1 cup heavy cream
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 425F
2. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process to mix with 6 one second pulses.
3. Remove the cover and distribute the butter evenly over teh dery ingredients. Cover and process with about 12 one second pulses. Add the currants and give one more 1 second pulse to mix.
4. Turn the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the heavy cream using a rubber spatula until the dough begins to form.
5. Transfer the dough and all the dry flour to a countertop and knead by hand until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball.
6. Press the dough evenly into an 8 inch cake pan and then turn out onto the counterand cut into 8 wedges.
7. Place the wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake until the tops are light brown - 12 to 15 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Glazed Scones
After turning the dough out of the cake tin but before cutting them, brush the top with 1 tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cut into 8 wedges and proceed as above.
Cranberry Orange Scones
Follow the recipe as above adding 1 teaspoon of orange zest with the butter and substituting 3/4 cup dried cranberries for the currants.
Lemon-Blueberry Scones
Follow the recipe as above, adding 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest with the butter and substituting 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries instead of the currants. NOTE: Mix the dough by hand after adding the blueberries to stop the blade of the processor mashing them!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Color Wheel
I saw the world in black and white.
When that didn't work I moved to shades of grey,
Now I see even that is too monochromatic.
There is a world of color that I was terrified to let into my checkerboard existence,
And now my eyes have adjusted I cannot go back to that stifling false dichotomy.
When that didn't work I moved to shades of grey,
Now I see even that is too monochromatic.
There is a world of color that I was terrified to let into my checkerboard existence,
And now my eyes have adjusted I cannot go back to that stifling false dichotomy.
Friday, April 22, 2011
I Am Judas
Many years ago I wrote a musical about Judas. The musical asked questions about forgiveness, and whether Judas himself, if he had sought out Jesus, would have found forgiveness as Peter did, or are there limits to God's grace.
I believe Judas is in heaven.
When he saw what his act of betrayal had done, he threw the silver back at the Priests, aware that his actions would cause the death of an innocent man. Judas could not see past the cross to the empty tomb. None of the disciples could. But unlike Peter and the other disciples, Judas was unable to bear the shame of what he had done. His act of repentance had nobody to speak absolution to him, if only he had held out until sunday.
On Good Friday we remember a mysterious act that offered Forgiveness to the world. Each of us were forgiven 2000 years ago on a hill outside of Jerusalem - but for many of us, the weight of our shame feels heavier than the weight of God's Grace. All we can see is a cross, a death caused by our actions, rather than an empty tomb caused by God's grace.
We are no different to Judas...
...and God offers to all of us the chance to come home.
In the musical, Judas asks Jesus what he would have said to him if he had returned like Peter to ask forgiveness. It took me 9 months to write the lyrics of that song, and it is one of my lyrics that I am most proud of because it honestly states what I believe at a deep level.
Judas is hiding in all of us, and yet we are afraid to go looking for him because we are worried that he is unforgivable.
Listen to this song, and let its invitation call the 'Judas in you' out into the light.
Judas Come Home
Beyond the cross is and empty tomb!
I believe Judas is in heaven.
When he saw what his act of betrayal had done, he threw the silver back at the Priests, aware that his actions would cause the death of an innocent man. Judas could not see past the cross to the empty tomb. None of the disciples could. But unlike Peter and the other disciples, Judas was unable to bear the shame of what he had done. His act of repentance had nobody to speak absolution to him, if only he had held out until sunday.
On Good Friday we remember a mysterious act that offered Forgiveness to the world. Each of us were forgiven 2000 years ago on a hill outside of Jerusalem - but for many of us, the weight of our shame feels heavier than the weight of God's Grace. All we can see is a cross, a death caused by our actions, rather than an empty tomb caused by God's grace.
We are no different to Judas...
...and God offers to all of us the chance to come home.
In the musical, Judas asks Jesus what he would have said to him if he had returned like Peter to ask forgiveness. It took me 9 months to write the lyrics of that song, and it is one of my lyrics that I am most proud of because it honestly states what I believe at a deep level.
Judas is hiding in all of us, and yet we are afraid to go looking for him because we are worried that he is unforgivable.
Listen to this song, and let its invitation call the 'Judas in you' out into the light.
Judas Come Home
Beyond the cross is and empty tomb!
It Is Over Now
The lash that flayed Christ's back has been discarded now.
The crown of thorns rests on his head,
The purple robe is now stained red.
The hammer and the nails have served their purpose now.
The spear has cruelly pierced his side,
The mocking and the scorn subside.
It is over now
'Tis finished, the Messiah dies,
Cut off for sins, but not his own.
Accomplished is the sacrifice,
The great redeeming work is done.
It is over now.
Now every broken heart can learn to love again.
The Terrified can take a chance,
The Paralyzed can join the dance.
The Refugee is safely welcomed home again.
The Prejudiced abandons fear,
The Skeptic learns that God is near.
It is over now.
The reign of sin and death is o'er
And all may live from sin set free,
For Satan's lost his mortal power,
'Tis swallowed up in victory.
It is over now.
Words Peter Johns and Charles Wesley
From 'Tenebrae' by Peter Johns.
The crown of thorns rests on his head,
The purple robe is now stained red.
The hammer and the nails have served their purpose now.
The spear has cruelly pierced his side,
The mocking and the scorn subside.
It is over now
'Tis finished, the Messiah dies,
Cut off for sins, but not his own.
Accomplished is the sacrifice,
The great redeeming work is done.
It is over now.
Now every broken heart can learn to love again.
The Terrified can take a chance,
The Paralyzed can join the dance.
The Refugee is safely welcomed home again.
The Prejudiced abandons fear,
The Skeptic learns that God is near.
It is over now.
The reign of sin and death is o'er
And all may live from sin set free,
For Satan's lost his mortal power,
'Tis swallowed up in victory.
It is over now.
Words Peter Johns and Charles Wesley
From 'Tenebrae' by Peter Johns.
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