Thou shalt know him when he comes
not by any din of drums
nor his manners, nor his airs
nor by anything he wears

Thou shalt know him when he comes
not by his crown, nor by gown
but his coming known shall be
by the holy harmony which his coming makes in thee.

Thou shalt know him when he comes. Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV0vdS871jY

In the Ambrose Chamber Choir we have learned this song, and needless to say, I love it. Not only is it beautiful harmony and rhythm but the message when expressed through this medium never ceases to bring me into a place of contemplation in my mind. I'm so thankful to be in a place where we can sing something like this and where it holds so much meaning for us, both personally and corporately.

I think that there is something beautiful about the comfort that comes from knowing Christ, 'not by any din of drums'..'not his manners, nor his airs, nor by anything he wears'...'not by his crown, or by gown'. These things are all important things, but the fact is that we don't need any of that to know he is with us and to commune with him.

I don't like to talk much about theology because I often feel like I might be saying something heretical, since I am surrounded by theologians and pastors in training. But I know without a shadow of a doubt that when we turn to God and his son Christ, and when we invite his Holy Spirit into our lives, we can experience this 'holy harmony' which his coming will make in us.

Harmony within music is probably one of the most powerful tools. When two notes are harmonized it exponentially increases the meaning of that moment in the music. Add that to a melody and you will have means with which to express emotion, or another extra-musical idea.

Now, isn't it awesome to think that God is creating spiritual harmony within us? it is this spiritual harmony that assures us of his presence and his work in our lives, and it is this spiritual harmony that we are falling deeper into as we pursue him. One day when we go to be with him we will drown completely within it.

I will leave this post with a song that is quite different from the first. The new Underoath album is one full of images of struggle and being buried, drowning, etc. The final song of the album, "In Completion" holds a connection to our inadequacy and also to the fact that despite all our failure, when we choose to dive un-reservedly into his grace and purpose for us, he will drown us in his love and spiritual harmony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyVwHmRv51M

"In Completion" from their album "ø Disambiguation"

So follow me, to the empty ocean.
We can watch the city, descend behind the skyline
On our backs we float away
And forget about the way we used to be

Tonight I fail, but I never wanted to let you drown without me
Tonight we are the only ones to watch it fall apart

We slide into our place where I can watch you swim
Don't forget my hands still wrapped around your neck.
We fall deeper into the ground, this night never looked so hollow
I wanted to share this with you, with you.
I'll wait till it opens up again, sit here till the water reaches our necks
We finally get to watch them wash away the lies.

Tonight I fail, but I never wanted to let you drown without me,
Without me
Open your lungs, follow me down
Open your lungs, follow me down
I set this up, keep swimming, keep swimming
Oh God, I am emptier than you 

Eyes

I must confess before I begin writing that I did not come up with the idea of having a blog all on my own. I was inspired by a couple people who have written blogs that have helped me gain some insight into their lives.

That being said I do have more reason than that to begin spewing my thoughts and words onto a public piece of digital canvas. When the idea of having a blog came to my mind I remembered that we all see the world through different eyes, and that we all have the capability and compelling desire to share those views. But then I came to a dilemma, why should we share them? or more to the point, why should I share my views? The answer to this question is deeply connected with my faith, as it seems everything seems to circle back to at one point or another. Let me be clear here that by 'views' I do not mean opinions, I mean the ways in which the world impacts me, and more importantly those moments in which I learn and grow through a revelation of sorts.

Now on to my main point in this rant on views, which is the importance of encouragement. I am a firm believer in learning from those around us, I believe that even without meaning to impact someone we can speak into their lives in how we live or express ourselves. I know that is a simple concept at best, but one that struck me as very important.

Also to clear up any doubts you may have about my beliefs, I am a follower of my Lord Jesus Christ. I believe in a life of alignment and relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I do not believe in religion as a mechanism which can give us salvation, but I believe in the power and necessity of community as Christ's body on earth.

I hope that through reading these little (or big) glimpses into my life you can take away some new knowledge or viewpoint that can shape your own experience. I hope for a chance to share the love and grace that has been given to me, and I hope to talk to all of you as soon as I can =]

now to write the schoenberg paper I have been avoiding....