Peter Goodwin Bailey

Salvation To The Lamb

2011-01-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

1. Poor sinner come, cast off thy fear,
And raise thy drooping head
Come, sing with all poor sinners here,
Jesus, who once was dead

2. Salvation sing no word more meet
To join to Jesus' name
Let every thankful tongue repeat "Salvation to the Lamb",
"Salvation to the Lamb"

3. Saints from the garden to the cross
Your conquering Lord pursue
Who, dearly to redeem your loss
Groaned, bled, and died for you

4. Now reigns victorious over death
The glorious great I am
Let every soul repeat with faith
Salvation to the Lamb. Salvation to the Lamb

5. When we incurred the wrath of God
Alas! What could be worse?
He came, and with His heart's own blood
Redeemed us from the curse

6. This Paschal Lamb, his blood can meet
And cleanse ye from each stain
Repeat, ye ransomed souls, repeat
"Salvation to the Lamb." "Salvation to the Lamb."
Tag: Salvation to the Lamb, Salvation to the Lamb

© 2005 Justin Smith Music.
Used by permission. All rights reserved

The West

2010-10-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Two of these photos have animals in them. See if you can find them.

The Illustrious Matt Horsley

2010-10-13T12:34:00.001-07:00

The Pre-Ceremony Ceremony

2010-09-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Independence Rock and Other Visual Tidbits

2010-09-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

August twenty-first my father and I got on I-80 and went west. Along the way we stopped at Independence Rock on the Oregon Trail, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. I will be posting photographs from all these destinations. Firstly, here in Independence Rock. Enjoy!

2009-10-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

(photos taken somewhere north of Albuquerque, NM on my 27th birthday)

"And, as with Judaism, we must remember that, though in many ways early Christianity appears to the post-Enlightenment world as a 'religion', within first-century categories it certainly did not. The early Christians were dubbed 'atheists'. They offered no animal sacrifices. What they did in their communal meetings bore some resemblances to non-Christian religious practices, but it was the differences that stuck out. The main thing that would have struck observers of early Christianity was not its 'religious' side, nor indeed its early doctrinal formulations, but its total way of life."

--N.T. Wright in The New Testament And The People Of God.

cone

2009-03-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Earl Creps drops the bomb

2009-03-12T14:02:00.001-07:00

Earl Creps: "What would your church look like if most of your income came from people under 25?"

I think it would look different. But should we as a Church even put our selves in a paradigm where the people with money decide the outcome of our faith community, our ministries? Surely Jesus leads his Church by his Spirit through the young and old, poor and rich.

Right?

(Earl Creps quote taken from the Neue Podcast 3/3/09. Neue is the ministry branch of Relevant)

not too shabby

2009-03-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

I took this with my phone--not too shabby.

2009-02-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

(Chiredzi Christian Children's Village, Chiredzi, Zimbabwe)

the morning that followed Lilith's repentance

2009-02-20T00:36:00.001-08:00

Morn, with the Spring in her arms, waited outside. Softly they stole in at the opened door, with a gentle wind in the skirts of their garments. It flowed and flowed about Lilith, rippling the unknown, upwaking sea of her life eternal; rippling and to ripple it, until at length she who had been but as a weed cast on the dry sandy shore to wither, should know herself an inlet of the everlasting ocean, henceforth to flow into her for ever, and ebb no more. She answered the morning wind with reviving breath, and began to listen. For in the skirts of the wind had come the rain--the soft rain that heals the mown, the many wounded grass--soothing it with the sweetness of all music, the hush that lives between music and silence. It bedewed the desert places around the cottage, and the sands of Lilith's heart heard it, and drank it in. When Mara returned to sit by her bed, her tears were flowing softer than the rain, and soon she was fast asleep.

Lilith, by George Macdonald

high

2009-02-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

(Photographs taken at Calvary of Albuquerque Skate Park.)

Of Wondrous Fire

2009-02-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

(Chiredzi Christian Children's Village, Chiredzi, Zimbabwe)

Of Wondrous Fire

(A Lamentation)

I grew strong branches,

Broad leaves, thick bark.

My shadow great and dark.

This sheltered my heartwood

From storm of wind and rain;

Protecting my innermost from stain.

Now Autumn falls on me weighty.

It comes with a subtle force

And strips my garment from its source.

I am now naked!

And the sunlight I desire:

Only a memory of wondrous fire.

Peter Goodwin Bailey

16 November 2006

They Long For a Story

2009-02-14T15:37:00.001-08:00

(Photograph taken somewhere in southern Zimbabwe. Lyrics inspired by the changing of seasons in Indiana.)

They Long For a Story

Weary are the corn stalks,

And longing to lie down.

The have stilled the clocks

Of Children in this town.

The leaves have sung night and day

And now, by some mystery,

They will be swept away

Where Summer can neither follow nor be.

They long for a bed-time story--

They want to hear grace.

They long for a bed-time story--

Before they leave this place.

Peter Goodwin Bailey

5 October 2003

Closer

2009-02-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

Closer

I laid miles over land.

And there between us

Dark and empty was spanned

So far as to break us.

But what cannot be overcome

Can only be shared by a few some.

Distance bares witness (to me and you)

That the fellowship of missing you

Has held and even carried you

To me closer than we ever knew.

Peter Goodwin Bailey

1 September 2003

27th birthday adventure

2009-01-29T21:18:00.001-08:00

Hear the good news!

2008-10-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

Hear the good news!

Who is in a position to condemn?

Only Christ, and Christ died for us,

Christ rose for us,

Christ reigns in power for us,

Christ prays for us.

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

The old life has gone; a new life has begun.

Know that you are forgiven, and be at peace.

Thanks be to God.

—based on Romans 8:34; 2 Corinthians 5:17

a holiday at the sea

2008-10-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

--C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

in Him we live and move and have our being

2008-10-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

I didn't even realize it at first. You can only measure these slow and gradual changes in hindsight. It is to bad that we often have to experience life apart from God to realize our need for Him. The life apart is usually a road that we choose believing it will take us where the lies tell us. But they are lies--false road signs and if we would just lift our eyes above the distraction we could see its true end.

This culture has told me ever since I can remember that I must be in romantic love--that I have to date and flirt and bla bla bla. I am to told to get married or be a failure. So satan whispers in my ear, "then... you will finally be satisfied." Don't get me wrong, I would thankful and blessed to be given His favor, a wife. But do I really believe that His grace is sufficient. I sing songs that say things like that all of the time. I even lead them! And I am only now beginning to live them.

Within the past two years He has done with my heart what I thought was impossible! He has pried my hands off idols and has revealed what is better--Himself. I believe that there is complete fulfilment in Him. Right now there is a liberation from these cultural laws and false road signs. And there is the joy of adventure in plumbing the depths of His sufficiency!

Let no foreigners who have bound themselves to the LORD say, "The Lord will surely exclude me from his people." And let no eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." For this is what the Lord says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant--to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever. And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and hold fast to my covenant--these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer."

--Isaiah 56.3-7a

In Him we live and move and have our being... He will provide for our every need. He will redeem us.

echo the story

2008-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Chew on this for a while: "Theological truths are better understood in oral cultures within the concrete example of a story rather than abstract principles present in literate teaching styles." I couldn't find a citation for this statement but I see in it some truth and it is rocking my teaching method!

My old literature professor, Dr. Starr, explained the concrete and abstract this way: Imagination is concrete while reason is abstract. When you imagine a chair you see, in your mind's eye, perhaps an old wooden chair with certain colors and look and feel--it creaks when you sit down on it. When you think of a chair in reason you describe the dimensions and materials--in your mind is a list of facts but no image. So, with imagination you see in your mind the concrete thing and with reason you think of the abstract principles.

I have always leaned more towards learner-centered methods than teacher-centered. So I never quite jived with some of the teaching tools I had been given. So I am quite excited to see in America, particularly the emergent movement, an emphasis on learner-centered methods such as participatory worship services and CBS.

CBS is short for Chronological Bible Storying--a sequential telling of Bible stories followed by a time of review and dialogue. For thousands of years story telling in ancient Hebrew culture was the key means of teaching spiritual truths and stimulating spiritual formation. I'm just now learning on how this is done but I gather that a key goal is for students to articulate *God's story and how they fit into that.

I would like to hear some feedback. Let me know what you think. Kelli, I'd like to know what you think with all of your teaching genius.

Also, check out the poll to the left.

____________________________

* Heilsgeschichte. German for Salvation History. God's historical and continuing redemptive work.

It is Christ or nothing for them.

2008-09-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

"We must, therefore, not be surprised if we find among the Christians some people who are still nasty. There is even, when you come to think it over, a reason why nasty people might be expected to turn to Christ in greater numbers than nice ones. That was what people objected to about Christ during His life on earth: He seemed to attract 'such awful people'. That is what People still object to and always will. Do you not see why? Christ said 'Blessed are the poor and 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom,' and no doubt He primarily meant the economically rich and economically poor. But do not His words also apply to another kind of riches and poverty? One of the dangers of having a lot of money is that you may be quite satisfied with the kinds of happiness money can give and so fail to realise your need for God. If everything seems to come simply by signing cheques, you may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God. Now quite plainly, natural gifts carry with them a similar danger. If you have sound nerves and intelligence and health and popularity and a good upbringing, you are likely to be quite satisfied with your character as it is. 'Why drag God into it?' you may ask. A certain level of good conduct comes fairly easily to you. You are not one of those wretched creatures who are always being tripped up by sex, or dipsomania, or nervousness, or bad temper. Everyone says you are a nice chap and (between ourselves) you agree with them. You are quite likely to believe that all this niceness is your own doing: and you may easily not feel the need for any better kind of goodness. Often people who have all these natural kinds of goodness cannot be brought to recognise their need fro Christ at all until, one day, the natural goodness lets them down and their self-satisfaction is shattered. In other words, it is hard for those who are 'rich' in this sense to enter the Kingdom.

"It is very different for the nasty people--the little, low, timid, warped, thin-blooded, lonely people, or the passionate, sensual, unbalanced people. If they make any attempt at goodness at all, they learn, in double quick time, that they need help. It is Christ or nothing for them. It is taking up the cross and following--or else despair. They are the lost sheep; He came specially to find them. They are in one very real and terrible sense) the 'poor': He blessed them. They are the 'awful set' He goes about with--and of course the Pharisees say still, as they said from the first, 'If there were anything in Christianity those people would not be Christians.'

--C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

what you read in the Bible when you were a child is true

2008-09-26T14:21:00.001-07:00

The longer I follow Jesus the more paradoxes I see. So much so that you may find me a mystic in a few years! As a Bible teacher I try to steer young people away from Sunday School Answers. What I mean is that I try to drive students to a deeper understanding of faith. So I generally don't accept answers such as: read the Bible, pray, go to Church. Anybody can recite such answers and have no understanding of spiritual things. But here lies the paradox: those answers are true.

I have this college education and all kinds of theology books on my shelves. I have an insatiable thirst to know more and more. And I am starting to see more and more that what all of my education is telling me is this: "what you read in the Bible when you were a child is true."

Why do we make things so complex and difficult. For instance, for years people have tried to explain how natural life came to be. By having to explain away the fossil record and certain species and organs they have made up an elaborate theory of evolution. But I look at how complex everything is--how our bodies are made for this atmosphere, how women where made for men and vice versa, how certain creatures are dependent on certain organs and other plants and animals, and heat death. I see that a complex answer (such as theoretical evolution) does not answer the complex question. The only reasonable answer to to such questions is a Creator. He's the only one that could have made everything work together at the same time to live so dependant on each other--a simple answer for a complex question.

I have recently come against situations that have baffled me. These situations have stood as giants against my little understanding. I have tried to search out equally complex solutions--I only find myself more confused and more frustrated. (What I am about to say will sound so simplistic and inferior, but its depth I cannot convey.) I am just now learning to give such situations to Jesus and to just be content in His presence. What else can I do? I am now finding over and over that He really is the answer to everything big, small, and mundane.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of every human being. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
--Ecclesiastes 12.12b-14

"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
--Psalm 46.10
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
--Matthew 11.29-30

A Muslim's First Prayer as a Christian

2008-09-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

O God, I am Mustafah the tailor

and I work at the shop of Mohamed Ali.

The whole day long I sit

and pull the needle and the thread through the cloth.

O God, you are the needle

and I am the thread.

I am attached to you and I follow you.

When the thread tries to slip away from the needle

it becomes tangled and must be cut

so that it can be put back in the right place.

O god, help me to follow you wherever you may lead me.

For I am only Mustafah the tailor,

and I work at the shop of Mohamed Ali

on the great square.

J. Carden, Morning, Noon and Night (London: Church Missionary Society), n.p.

feet

2008-09-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

I just now sat down at my computer to tell you about some awesome things that I experienced this past weekend. But I really don't know how to share them with you because I am still processing them. I have served and been served. I went out to minister and found myself ministered to.

I have learned over the years to follow Jesus--and not just figuratively--but to go where He is and minister to who He is ministering to. I have found both in the children's homes I visited in Zimbabwe and the children's home I visited yesterday that Jesus is there. I went with the Calvary senior high ministry to a children's home here in Albuquerque. We helped with cleaning, landscaping, and preparing for an auction they are having to raise money. And while doing such things I found fellowship with Jesus--a mystical union. I believe Paul said it best this way: "I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in His sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3. 10-11)

Tonight I met with the church with expectations of serving--serving coffee to be exact. I later realized that Jesus wanted to minister to me. I have been so overwhelmed with His love for me on the cross tonight. And during worship our shepherds wanted to show us there intentions in service to us by washing our feet. Now here is what I still don't understand: The idea is for the servant to be humble and sort of lift up the one being served. But as my feet were being washed I was overcome with humility before God--humility mixed with thanksgiving. It did indeed show me that our elders were there to serve, but it showed me so much more.

I encourage you to get involved in service and in turn find yourself being served by the greatest servant of all.

_______________________________________

a couple pics from the mesa you may enjoy...

a dream

2008-09-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I have these super epic and vivid dreams. The colors are so bright, the smells are so fresh--I feel like all of my senses are invested in the experience. Not only my physical senses, but my emotions and hopes and intelligence is wrapped up in it. In fact, now looking back on it, I suppose I have only had a few dreams like this ever.

I hadn't planned on writing it out. You might find it sappy. It won't make any sense to you. And there is no way I could convey its depth. But somebody once told me it was somehow profitable to write your dreams out. I don't remember why that is exactly but I've found that it is a good way to reflect. Anyway, take it or leave it, here it is:

I had some sort of life-draining job that owned my thoughts and time etc. I was terrible at it. I was inefficient and probably made my company no profit at all. We sold some product to farmers. I was on the phone making deals all day and night. One of the products we sold to a certain young man was defective. We had a few different conversations over the phone trying to get things squared away. My temper was running short and he was obviously annoyed. The next day he called everything was quite different. Out of the blue he apologized (as if he had anything to apologize for) for his annoyance and encouraged me with scripture. I was floored and felt like a fool. We then decided that it would be a good idea for me to drive out to his house to talk to him in person and look the product over.

The next day was dark and stormy, as most days had seemed to me. I drove out in the rain and mud. It was like one of those days where the sky has been grey all day and everything is cold and damp. There were no leaves on the trees and the landscape looked dead. I got to the farm and spoke with the man. As we spoke he became younger and younger until he looked about fifteen years old. He told about the farm--while it was an actual working farm it was also a sort of Christian camp that was busy year round. He himself lived and worked there while also involved in the camp. He introduced me to one of his bible teachers. She looked about my age and very beautiful and very plain at the same time. She told me about all of her responsibilities there at the camp. She had absolutely no time for herself. And I began to feel sorry for her and think that she was worse off than I. But it was quite the opposite. Her peace and calm joy put me at ease. And I found myself envying her. So I decided to resume business and get out of there. But as I did so, something very strange began to happen outside.

It was not a cold and damp evening anymore. But a bright and warm summer day. I forgot about everything and was drawn outside. I mentioned something about it to the boy and the young women--they were not surprised or taken aback like I was. Then I saw coming fast red clouds. They were like clouds on fire. They were pushing forward and through each other like a mushroom cloud. The extremities of this formation were black and shinny as if that part of the cloud had been seared and made hard. I rushed forward to see all of this. It was so terrible and beautiful--and both of these qualities became increasingly intense. The three of us lost our strength and fell to the ground as it shook beneath us. All three of us knew what was happening. I was terrified. I heard the young woman say, "I'm scared." Now nothing else seemed important to me for myself than the the most basic of virtues that make a good man: honesty, bravery, sacrifice, and so on. Not my appearance, my things, my ideals, or even my future existed in my mind any longer. I pulled her close to myself and told her, "I will hold you until you are safe with Jesus." She hid her face against my chest.

From this point on I cannot say for certain whether we were in heaven or on the farm. It looked like the farm--there was still farming to be done, camps were still in progress. I don't know if the heaven that Jesus brought was so much a change in location or a change in substance. Either way, everything was different, everything was beautiful. My two hosts, who had become my deepest friends showed me the land that the farm sat on. To look to the west was to see mountain ranges and rivers. To look to the east was to see plains, grass, forests, and crops. To the northwest there was a mesa that reminded me very much of New Mexico. Here the grass was greener and the sky was bluer. I sometimes wonder if my color blindness has dulled the vibrancy of the colors I see. I hope that in heaven I will see such colors in there true form. Anyway, that is the gist of my dream.

I spent most of my time writing about what lead up to the transformation. But the longest part of my dream was spent exploring the land with my two friends. I wish I could go back there.

Autumn

2008-09-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Autumn... I can't deny her any longer. I cannot say whether there are actual physical changes yet, but I can feel the spirit of Autumn on me now. I know because as I sat on our back porch I stared at the shadows as if I could see it. I listened to the wind through the trees and the children at the playground as if I could hear it--the sounds are sparse and distant. But in their emptiness is a world thicker than all their noise and images could offer. There are specific and vague memories and longings that accompany this season for me. I will share some of those specific memories with you because you are involved:

Riding my bike to night church in town with my parents.
Riding with my mom back from ICYC while listening to Rich Mullins.
Running full speed through corn fields at night with Kourtney and Steven.
Hanging out in Hunt's Park with Justin, Kendra, and Christa when all of the leaves are yellow.
The old church hayride. Kourtney and I where convinced that there where creatures in the fields and woods, so we would dare each other to jump of the wagon and get back on quickly.
That cold day Jacob talked Adam and me into floating down the creek in an old metal trough.
Driving my Camaro through the back roads while watching all of the farmers busy with harvest and seeing the certain colors that the fields take.
The thrill of Merchant Give-aways!
Looking at the tractor show with my dad at Scarecrow.
Wandering all over town with my friends during the fest.
The bonfire with First Church in Grayson.
Taking walks with Sarah around the campus.
Climbing to the top of the hill behind the campus just to pray during the sun set.
Building the biggest pile of leaves ever to jump in with Scotty.
Driving to the ends of the earth with Matt just to rock out.
Driving to Huntington WV and back alone while listening to Jars of Clay and Caedmon's Call.
Taking the Branch to the corn maze.

There are many more, but I won't bore you. But let me hear about some of your memories.

to boldly go where no man has gone before...

2008-08-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

In our house there is one bathroom that three of us use. So you have to jump in there whenever there is the chance. Well... this morning I had made a delicious cup of coffee. And about half way through my cup I realized that I needed to get in the shower while I had the chance so I wouldn't be late for Church. But if I got in the shower right then and left my coffee on the table it would get cold by the time I got out. I was left with a cruel choice: coffee/shower, shower/coffee. But why should I only have to do one at a time. It was then that I decided to embark on a peculiar new frontier. In our shower is a small window and window sill--and that is where I set my coffee. That's right--drinking my brew whilst showering! I like to think of myself an exhibitionist or multi-tasker.

all dialed in

2008-08-29T08:36:00.001-07:00

a mystery in my wilderness

2008-08-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went camping in the national forest near the Jemez Springs. There is much to tell--my mind is filled with so many images... And I cannot relate all of these stories now, but I will tell you of my most thrilling adventure:

Friday night I fell asleep under a silent and clear sky filled with stars bordered by Ponderosa pines. I woke to the warm sun and the noise of the endless activity of busy bees and singing birds. Daniel had brought a french press and Sumatra--brilliant. After warming up and laughing at who snored at night, who couldn't sleep, and whose feet froze, I grabbed my Bible and took off. I found a secluded spot in the shade of Ponderosas and Birches softened by the pine needles. While in New Mexico I've been trying to mimic my life after the Israelites in the wilderness: leaving slavery behind, learning to follow God, and awaiting His blessings. But I hadn't given much thought to Jesus' wilderness experience. (duh) As I read through Matthew four, something new dawned upon me (God's Spirit always gives illumination when we genuinely seek Him). Satan tempted Jesus with lesser things. He tempted Him with food... but what is better than food? ...the word of God. He tempted Him with vainglory... but what is better than the service of angels or a spectacle in the temple courtyard? ...all of creation bowing before Him. He tempted Him with empty promises and the worship of a hateful master. And what is better than this? ...sovereign dominion and the worship of the true and only God. Satan's offers were insignificant in light of what was already available to Jesus. And so I must admit a mystery in my wilderness. There is a sense of incompleteness, a longing for consummation. And yet at the same time, in Jesus there is everything I could ever need.

_______________________________________

Forbidden Pleasure

Quick! The black, sulphurous, never quenched,

Old festering fire begins to play

Once more within. Look! By brute force I have wrenched

Unmercifully my hands the other way.

Quick, Lord! On the rack thus, stretched tight,

Nerves clamouring as at nature's wrong.

Scorched to the quick, whipp'd raw--Lord, in this plight

You see, you see no man can suffer long.

Quick, Lord! Before new scorpions bring

New venom--ere fiends blow the fire

A second time--quick, show me that sweet thing

Which, 'spite of all, more deeply I desire.

--C.S. Lewis

love that healeth

2008-07-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

"Ah! my friends," thought I, "how I will tend you, and wait upon you, and haunt you with my love."

My floating chariot bore me over a great city. Its faint dull sound steamed up into the air--a sound--how composed?" How many hopeless cries," thought I, "and how many mad shouts go to make up the tumult, here so faint where I float in eternal peace, knowing that they will one day be stilled in the surrounding calm, and that despair dies into infinite hope, and the seeming impossible there, is the law here!

But, O pale-faced women, and gloomy-browed men, and forgotten children, how I will wait on you, and minister to you, and, putting my arms about you in the dark, think hope into your hearts, when you fancy no one is near! Soon as my senses have all come back, and have grown accustomed to this new blessed life, I will be among you with the love that healeth."

--Anodos in George MacDonald's Phantastes.

actors and spectators

2008-07-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Eugene O'Neill, the first great American playwright [1888-1953], spoke freely of his hopes and dreams for a new kind of American theater, one in which the audience might participate more vitally and fully. He hoped someday to write plays in which the audience could share as a congregation shares in the music and ritual of a church service. 'There must be some way that this can be brought about,' wrote O'Neill. 'As it is now, there is a too cold and cut division between the stage and the auditorium. The whole environment--stage and the auditorium, actors and spectators--should be emotionally charged. This can only happen when the audience actively participates in what is being said, seen, and done. But how? That is the problem. Still, there must be a way.'

Eric Miller in a paper on African folklore

I find this a great irony: while members of the Theatre are striving to break down the wall between stage and audience the members of the Church are trying to build it.

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours... Paul exhorts them to participation (and not just a select few pastors/elders, but the whole church): "When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up." --1 Corinthians 14. 26

Judge Reinhold

2008-07-23T21:33:00.001-07:00

Judge Reinhold came in for a coffee today.

bearing with the faults of others

2008-07-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

"Until God ordains otherwise, a man ought to bear patiently whatever he cannot correct in himself and others. Consider it better thus--perhaps to try your patience and to test you, for without such patience and trial your merits are of little account. Nevertheless, under such difficulties you should pray that God will consent to help you bear them calmly.

"If, after being admonished once or twice, a person does not amend, do not argue with him but commit the whole matter to God that His will and honor may be furthered in all His servants, for God knows well how to turn evil to good. Try to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.

"If you cannot make yourself what you would wish to be, how can you bend others to your will? We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask. We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.

"If all were perfect, what should we have to suffer from others for God's sake? But God has so ordained, that we may learn to bear with one another's burdens, for there is no man without fault, no man without burden, no man sufficient to himself nor wise enough. Hence we must support one another, console one another, mutually help, counsel, and advise, for the measure of every man's virtue is best revealed in time of adversity--adversity that does not weaken a man but rather shows what he is.

--Thomas a Kempis

small friend

2008-07-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Today while enjoying a cup of coffee on the front patio a small friend joined me to warm himself in the morning sun.

photography

2008-07-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

You can click here or at the link to right of the page named My Photography.

psalm 73

2008-07-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

...Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

lyric anticipation

2008-07-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

I woke up from a good sleep this morning. I followed my nose on the scent of freshly brewed coffee to the kitchen, grabbed a cup, and made my way to the front patio. I sat down and was struck by a few different observations that my senses made: there was a coolness in the air, the sky was overcast, and the earth was moist with the previous night's rain. Now the rain on the mulch and in the bushes in front of our house produced a very familiar smell. It reminded me of certain times and certain places. It reminded me of stepping out of my cabin at LRCA in the morning after a rain. It reminded me of walking through the woods in Indiana at night when the dew is thick on the ground. It reminded me of the trails in Corbin, Kentucky near the Cumberland Falls. And while all of this was rushing to my head, I also realized that I only had a few minutes to drink my coffee and get ready for Church. I didn't have time to sit and reminisce. This may have been what C.S. Lewis would call a pang of joy. I think it is expressed well in Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop with out a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

I was also taught by a professor of mine, Dr. Starr, to understand lyric anticipation--the longing for the beloved:

In color changing leaves,
And in remembered holiday eves.
By a friends side,
And by love not denied.
Written on ancient pages,
And written for slow and sages.
Through all life's pain,
And through all you remain.
For a moment I behold Your shadow,
And in a moment's flash...

Peter Goodwin Bailey

merry Christmas

2008-07-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

I closed tonight. So at about 12:20 am I walked out into the Starbucks parking lot exhausted and hungry. I got into my go-cart (Chevrolet Aveo). I looked over and saw my new black tniv thinline! I'm sure word has got out that my Jeep was stolen. Along with my Jeep was my Bible. So before work tonight I bought a new one. I had forgot about it while at work so it was like Christmas when I saw it in my go-cart! I love this translation. It's intended audience is English speaking 18-35 year olds. And I must say--they are right on. Now there are a few rumors about this translation. I won't say anything about that now other than: look into it yourself instead of believing whatever you hear.

This link will take you to a 25 minute video that explains what makes this translation different. If you've got a half hour, check it out. It's really interesting.

a new day

2008-07-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

This March night is cold and lonely.

I've searched long and hard

To find something within me not lowly.

But all that I have found is sad--scarred.

So it is for joy and surprise

That I am not alone--for despise!

This creation! exciting and never cold.

Each creature, each light in the expanse:

It is new and old, frail and bold.

For You this creation pants.

What is more? I in *Imago Dei!

All cold and lonely nights have become a new day!

Peter Goodwin Bailey, circa March 2003.

*Imago Dei. Latin for Image of God. When you recognize that you have the same nose or laugh as a family member you get a sense of belonging. As glorious as all creation is, it is in us that the resemblance is the strongest.

Gregory Peck

2008-07-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

I just learned today that Gregory Peck spent a good deal of his childhood in La Jolla. That is where I spent much of my time during the Elevate surf camp. See my polls on the right side of this page.

light up ahead

2008-06-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

photograph taken on La Jolla Beach, CA

take this heart of darkness
I give it up
and all the emptiness
you fill it up
the times that i feel nothing
you bring enough
so i can live for something
you lift me up!

and all these bad dreams
I wake up to the light
and when i can't see
I wake up to your eyes
wake me up

There's a light up ahead
There's a light up ahead
There's a light up ahead
There's a light up ahead
Wake me up

It gets so complicated
to live enough
turn into what you hated
you're breaking up
the times i feel like nothing
you bring enough
so i can live for something
you lift me up

and all these bad dreams
i wake up to the light
and when i can't see
i wake up to your eyes
wake me up
there's a light up ahead
there's a light up ahead
there's a light up ahead
there's a light up ahead

Further Seems Forever

Oh, The Blessings Of Fathers Pristine!

2008-06-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

But the words sound different.

Leaving my lips they

Have a child's idealistic bent.

Now, we as adults

Know as Adam knew

Our falleness--our faults.

We are ever askew!

The lens from which the world

Forces us to view, I cannot stomach.

It's sentences hard and furled.

And, always, before us is what we lack.

For I can only see now

As Grace allows me.

To me, new eyes He did endow!

It is with these I now see.

Had I chosen old eyes...

Darkness--spit--mud.

Why make trophy what we despise?

Leave the images horrid and haunted.

I see you now as a Father does,

As I also am seen--

LOVED, simply as He pleases.

Oh, the blessings of fathers pristine!

Peter Goodwin Bailey, 15 June 2008

Peace

2008-06-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

I alone last night

Took a road unknown

To flee from the fight.

This fight must I own?

There I watched the road

To the horizon.

There my soul was bowed

To capture what men...

To capture what men

Dare to comprehend.

I looked up and then

Saw blue without end.

On the midwest plains,

A cloudy mount' range!

To move there, what pains

The Lord to be strange?

To move these so large;

The battle that is

In me, He will charge,

"Disperse, peace be his!"

Peter Goodwin Bailey, (circa summer of 2003)

ekklesia

2008-05-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

Please respond to this quotation. What do you like, not like? What scares you, what seems good or wrong?

"I am going to make some observations now which no bible commentator, scholar or historian worth his alt would challenge. They pertain to the way in which churches in New Testament times were set up and organized according to the teachings and traditions passed on by the Apostles of Jesus and as revealed in their writings, the very New Testament itself. and I am simply going to describe what it was like when a group of believers met together as a church as revealed in the pages of scripture: and let me emphasize too, revealed so clearly that, as I have already mentioned, no scholar would in any way challenge it.

So let's go back in time to the midway point of the first century and see what church was like in New Testament times. And the immediate thing to say is that when you went to the coming together of the particular church you were part of you would have found yourself, without fail, going to someone's house. Numbers would therefore be small, and you would be part of as intimate number of people who knew you, and who you knew, very well. Extended family would be the idea that best described it, and the general tenor of the gathering would have been, at all points, that of intimate informality. When you thus came together with your brothers and sisters two things would have happened.

Firstly, though this is not meant to imply any set chronological order, there would be a time of sharing together during which all were free to take part as they felt the Lord was leading them to. From worshipful singing, to prayer and intercession, from bringing a teaching, to declaring a prophesy, from sharing a burden to speaking a word of knowledge or wisdom, all would be free to take part. No one led the proceedings from the front in any way: indeed, being in someone's lounge, and with everyone sitting face to face around the room as opposed to being in rows merely looking at the back of someone's neck, there is no front to lead from. All is spontaneous, free, unstructured and Spirit-led nature. The atmosphere is that of worshipful, reverent and casual joy.

Then secondly, everyone present would have eaten a meal together. In fact, you would together eat your main meal of the day. and part of this meal would have been a loaf of bread and a cup of wine that all shared in common, this reminding the assembled church that Jesus is the guest of honor and that, though an ordinary shared meal, this was also a very special shared meal--the Lord's Supper and Table. This, the covenant meal of individual believers gathered as a corporate church, would have been what bound you all together as an extended family of God in whatever area you were located.

There is something else you would most likely notice too, and it is that any leadership, such as existed, is very, very low-key indeed, and far more of a back seat affair than anything up front. Further, any such leadership would be seen purely as a functional matter, and would in no way be thought of as being a positional with official titles or the like. Moreover, it would also have been plural, and any idea of one man being in charge would have been foreign thought indeed to those gathered. Something else these men (for leaders were always men in the New Testament churches) would have had in common was that they all originated from that same church and were home grown guys, local lads who everyone in the church knew extremely well. As for names (there were no official titles) they were variously called elders, overseers or bishops (depending on which translation of the Bible you read) and pastors or shepherds (again, depending on translation), with each being synonymous terms for the same group of men. Those with various other ministries (apostles, prophets, teachers etc) might sometimes pass through in order to help out here and there as invited, but they would eventually move on to other places and the only ongoing leadership in the church would have been these local and home grown older brothers. They ensured that the format was always that of open and spontaneous free participation, and leading from the front was the last thing they wanted to do, and for the simple reason that they had been taught by the apostles that such was not the Lord's intention for them.

And that is what church gatherings were like whilst the teachings and traditions of the Apostles, as revealed to us in the New Testament, held sway. Further, and do please underline this in red ink, I repeat what I earlier said that no Bible commentator, scholar or historian worth his salt would question my description in any significant way. I have simply laid out what is there, as simple matters of fact, in the pages of the New Testament. We find in scripture only one prescribed way in which believers were taught to come together as churches and to do things--so how do we do things today when we come together as churches? In fact, how have believers been doing it for pretty much the whole of church history?"

--Beresford Job

branch Christmas 07

2008-05-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

"Vogue."

"I'm sooo hungry! After I finish off this chili, I'm going to eat this

bowl."

"I'm sooo hungry! After I finish off Kendra's arm, I'll

have some chili."

"Peek-a-boo!"

"Battle Royale!"

"heyyyyyy maaaaaaan..."

"Oh, come on guys! Can't I get a minute out of the media spotlight?!"

"I like softball!"

Jesus has cleared the way!

2008-05-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

So, friends, we can now--without hesitation--walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body.

So let's do it--full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

--Hebrews 10.19-25

photograph

2008-05-21T14:55:00.001-07:00

I'm so tired, I said what I came to say

I don't want to go again

But just lay here and dream the world away

You can Have all that I offered

But I'm keeping what I must

And it's not that I don't love you

No, it's time I do not trust

So take a photograph

If you're wanting this to last

Cause you can try the best you can

But God knows, it's about to end

Tomorrow will be wonderful

And its sweet promise is in sight

But right now I don't want to hear it

Cause I'm still down here tonight

So take a photograph

If you're wanting this to last

Cause you can try the best you can

But God knows, it's about to end

Sleep it comes so easy

And faith it fights so hard

So come to me please, Jesus

Before I waste another night, my Lord

And take that photograph

And throw it in the trash Cause I have tried the best I can

And thank God that's about to end

And I don't know where I'm going

But I know that you'll be there...

--Andrew Osenga

the year of the Lord's favor

2008-05-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to take to heart that which I quoted two posts ago--to extend the good news beyond the walls of the church building, to give to those who can do nothing to earn or repay. I met with a ministry called Zoe Bread. It has grown quite a bit in the past five years. There are Christians who come from many different expressions of faith and many expressions of paganism. But we all come to feed the homeless. We get the chance to pray with some, share the gospel with others, and show them all that Jesus did not forget about them. I was afraid that it would be an impersonal "drive-by" ministry, but it is not. I thought I would simply hand out food. But I've found that the two most important lessons I will have to learn is that I will have to be more sensitive to the Spirit's guiding, and that I will have to build relationships with the needy who come. I believe without these two aspects I'll be standing around wasting air! But I'm really looking forward to my involvement in this ministry. I feel already a closer fellowship with Jesus through involving myself where He is involved, through concerning myself with who He is concerned in.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mouning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called mighty oaks, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

--Isaiah 61.1-3

peace out from Old Town

2008-05-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Big Dipper

2008-05-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

At this time of the year

The Big Dipper empties out.

It empties out waves of glory

Unlike anything I've ever experienced.

So intense will be the pangs of beauty

Until I am fulfilled:

Caught up in that great ladle,

Then upright, at the end of this season,

Only to find that a new season has just begun.

--Peter Goodwin Bailey, (circa spring of 2001)

For more information concerning this writing, look for the Big Dipper this spring and read Lewis' The Weight of Glory.

I can't get this out of my head

2008-05-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

Injustice: Is Our Focus on Social Justice Out of Balance?

Jim Wallis: It's unfortunate we even have to ask that question. I've been fighting the false dichotomy between evangelism and social justice my whole life; it's even wrong to call for a balance between the two, because they are not two separate things. Christians in the global south talk about an integrated, holistic Gospel of the Kingdom of God. It changes personal lives; it brings social justice. It transforms individuals, communities, societies and even governments. God's aim is to make all things new.

The message to Christians today is very clear. Any gospel that isn't good news to poor people simply isn't the Gospel of Jesus Christ; any evangelism that doesn't include social justice ignores the perfectly integrated life and message of Jesus.

If we're not calling people into deeper levels of personal relationship with God, we're not taking the Gospel seriously. If we're not engaging the world, bringing empowerment to the marginalized and addressing the specific injustices of our time, we're also not taking the Gospel seriously. It's that simple.

Nancy Ortberg: ...Many churches I come in contact with have all kinds of programs for banquets, teas and Bible studies, which in and of themselves are not bad, but there is not an equal amount of serving the poor, getting our hands dirty and coming alongside people in need. The Church has to go to them. People started clamoring around Jesus initially because He was healing people, and when they got close enough, they began to hear His message: "The Kingdom of God is available right now."

--www.relevantmagazine.com

prayer & drop-outs

2008-04-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a guest, Josh, over to the house. Faith made lasagna. Kourtney made brownies! They were actually very good--I think I hear them calling from the kitchen right now. I made... nothing. But I did my fair share of eating. The reason for our fellowship was prayer. It was much like the men's prayer meeting in Wanatah with the exception of dinner.

Kourtney started our assembly with a quote from "Why Revival Tarries," by Leonard Ravenhill. I don't remember the exact quote but here is a sample from its pages:

Out of obscurity, Elijah came on to the Old Testament stage, a full-grown man. Queen Jezebel, that daughter of hell, had routed the priests of God and replaced them with groves to false deities. Darkness covered the land and gross darkness the people, and they were drinking iniquity like water. Every day the land, fouled with heathen temples and idolatrous rites, saw smoke curling from a thousand cruel alters.
All this was among a people who claimed Abraham as their father, and whose forebears had cried unto the Lord in their trouble and He had delivered them out of all their distresses. How the God of Glory had departed! the salt had lost its savour! the gold had become dim! But out of this measureless backsliding, God raised up a man--not a committee, not a sect, not an angel--but a MAN, and a man of like passions as we are! God "sought for a man," not to preach, but "to stand in the gap." As Abraham, so now Elijah "stood before the Lord." Therefore the blessed Holy Spirit could write the life of Elijah in two words: "He prayed." No man can do more than that for God or for men. If the Church today had as many agonizers as she has advisers, we would have revival in a year!

From there we directed our hearts, minds, and postures to God for direction in our lives. It was indeed a time of fervent prayer. To my surprise my peers and myself are still looking for some way to fit in. Fit into what? I don't know. But you can see it in our churches. I used to call it the "college drop-out." But it seems to extend well in to our twenties: twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven... And maybe we really never should fit into this alien and Silent Planet. So, while this concerns me I hope that our searching and restless hearts will drive us further into His heart. It would seem as though the harvest is plentiful.

geococcyx californianus

2008-04-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Geococcyx Californianus. That's right kids, the Roadrunner. I saw him a few days ago. I pulled out of my driveway and there he was. He was actually running alongside me on the road. These bad-boys can go seventeen miles per hour--awesome! He kept with me for about a block then took off through someone's yard (when I say "yard" don't think grass and flowers, think sand and rocks). I'm hoping to see more. I'll get an actual photo if I can.

the man of songs

2008-04-02T00:06:00.000-07:00

It took me long enough, but I finally decided to catch up on George MacDonald. MacDonald, a nineteenth century author, was a great influence on C.S. Lewis' writing and spiritual growth. I figure if he's good enough for Lewis, he's good enough for me. Actually he is quite brilliant and very prolific. Here's a taste--my first reading:

The Man Of Songs

"Thou wanderest in the land of dreams,
O man of many songs!
To thee what is, but looks and seems;
No realm to thee belongs!"

"Seest thou those mountains, faint and far,
O spirit caged and tame?"
Blue clouds like distant hills they are,
And like is not the same."

"Nay, nay; I know each mountain well,
Each cliff, and peak, and dome!
In that cloudland, in one high dell,
Nesteth my little home."

--George MacDonald

gnathograph

2008-03-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure what this contraption is... but I believe it captures what I was feeling while getting my teeth cleaned the other day. Usually a visit to the dentist is no big deal: they scrape and rinse, tell me to floss and use mouthwash. I agree to with a motivation that dies before I walk out the door. I get my teeth cleaned, they get paid--everyone is happy. Right? Not today. I have two cavities! I also have four wisdom teeth that need removed--bummer.

So I went in the next day to get one of those cavities filled. The other was in one of those wisdom teeth. Getting cavities filled is bad enough--I hate needles. Right before the syringe was about to enter my mouth I said, "wait!!!" The dentist and his assistant had a good laugh. I regained my composure and we continued. I'm sure this procedure is nothing compared to what is done to remove four teeth. I'm opposed to getting my teeth removed for two reasons:

1. The raw carnage involved.

2. The cost without dental insurance.

But I'm sure the benefits outweigh my grievances. I suppose I'll get them removed sometime... after I get insurance. Until then: floss and use mouthwash!

abq & top ten

2008-03-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

the second installment of the "abq &" series

Well, as it turns out I liked Albuquerque so much I decided to move there! Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Granted the decision was more involved than that. Still, this is more spontaneous than I've ever been. At making decisions of this scale I traditionally come at it this way: dream about it for an entire childhood, get a bachelor's degree to back it up, and then pray about it for at least six months. Needless to say, this is a bit different for me. And I am now challenged to really put my faith where my mouth is. This will certainly be an adventure!

Now, on to the top ten. I was inspired by Phil Keaggy's threefold inclusion in the 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitar Albums. His name appeared third, thirty seventh, and sixty eighth--go get 'em Phil! So I've been listening to a lot of worship albums recently and I've put together a list. I think you'll find it interesting since I have not included standard names such as Tomlin, Crowder, or Hillsong. Now that I've whet your appetite, let's begin:

10. Village Thrift: Circa 2005
Imagine grassrootsy college acoustic goes clubn'. It's part of the ETWC (enter the worship circle), so it has a solid grounding in the Psalms. Very different, very good.

9. Sean Feucht: Away
A little rock, a little acoustic, a little jazz, and a lot of awesome! It's possibly the most musically intelligent in my list. Sean focuses on the marriage of Jesus and the Church--at times maybe a little awkward but still good.

8. Glory Revealed
This is a project dedicated to an almost work-for-word retelling of scriptures--AWESOME. Acoustic with bluegrass influences.

7. Jars of Clay: Redemption Songs
It's Jars doing their acoustic thing with hymns. There's nothing else I can say.

6. Something Like Silas
A unique modern rock worship album. Schedule in a 45 minute block during the day, put this on and zone out... or zone in... whatever.

5. Bleach: (self-titled)
This album isn't marketed as a "worship album", but there's nothing else you can do when you listen to it! There are rock 'n' roll anthems of God's love and intimate love songs of surrender. This is a timeless album, please get it!

4. Shane and Shane: Psalms
Shane and Shane sing Psalms. Duh. But seriously, it's a transcendent album. I am reminded of God's all sufficient grace and love. I am re-focused and set straight again.

3. Glassbyrd: Open Wide This Window
I can't think of any rational reason why this album is on the list, but I just love it! It's acoustic and intimate but has electronic beats. It longs for a mature relationship with God.

2. ETWC: Second Circle
Again it's the Psalms--surprise, surprise. It's acoustic guitar, djembe, and Indian flavors. It addresses the great depth of our Divine relationship found in the Psalms... and not just the pretty parts. Songs like "Faithful" and "First Love" make me cry every time.

1. City On A Hill
This was probably my first worship album. So it holds some sentimental value with me. But the songs are very accessible and straight forward. The whole series conjures up liturgical feelings that communicate a greatness of God that demands reverence.

Enjoy!

abq & denver

2008-03-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Kourtney and Faith in Albuquerque. It was really quite a blessing. I was treated with such hospitality by Kourtney, Faith, the church and Faith's family in Denver. It must have been how Paul felt when traveling from city to city--being welcomed by and cared for by the early church. (if you're reading: thank you!)

Albuquerque is planted in quite a beautiful place. When flying in you see a single mountain range. As you pass over you see that the western side is marked by steep cliffs. It doesn't look real. It looks like a scaled down 'mountain' sitting on a table that could be circled with a toy train. I thought if I could just reach through my window of the 737 I could put my hand on that mountain. I could feel those rocks jutting out of the earth. And it is just west of these mountains that Albuquerque is found.

Faith was telling me something very interesting about how these mountains were named. Now I have a terrible memory and cannot remember the name or the details but I believe I got the gist of it. Supposedly when the sun goes down, rocks or plants of the mountains cast deceiving shadows--at twilight, things appear differently.

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight...
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your
word.

--Psalm 119.33-40

While I was there in Albuquerque on the other side of the mountains I feel like I was beginning to see things differently. I feel like the Spirit was prompting me to turn my eyes away from worthless things, meaningless pursuits--to cast off the grip that the American Dream has on me. Only God satisfies. Only in following Him is there satisfaction.

twenty six

2008-01-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

As a joke everyone will ask you if you feel any older on your birthday. The joke isn't so funny anymore. I can say of both my age and the joke: it's getting a little old. I do feel older! Thirty is closer than twenty. And just for kicks, add the nine months I was in my mother's womb: 26 years + 9 months = almost 27 years! It felt like only yesterday I was twenty five.

But seriously, these past couple years I tend to be more retrospective. Were have I been and where am I going? I look at my life now for what it is and wonder if it should be something else. Years ago I would have expected the twenty six year old Peter to have a wife, one child with one on the way, a modest farm house probably in Wanatah, and a large and super-spiritual youth ministry. Years ago I would have expected that... today I expect that and because it is not reality I make room for Satan to plant discontent. Man makes for a poor judge of man. According to myself I am a failure. I should heed God's words to Samuel:

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

--1 Samuel 16.7

What have I done with my life thus far? Have I loved? Have I hated? Have I done anything of eternal Kingdom worth? Where is my heart now? Let me quote the words of a cheesy but truthful CCM song:

Oh, I say the measure of a man
Is not how tall you stand,
How wealthy or intelligent you are
Oh, I've found the measure of a man
God knows and understands it
For He looks to the bottom of your heart
And what's in the heart defines
Yeah, what's in the heart defines
Yeah, what's in the heart defines
The measure of a man

--4 Him

I think what will be important this twenty sixth year is what was important when I was sixteen and what will be important when I'm ninety six--a heart for the Lord.

he began to seek the God of his father David

2008-01-24T22:56:00.000-08:00

Alright, so here's the reason for deleting my myspace account: There are so many sleazy advertisements. There are so many girls that try to display themselves publicly as sexy instead of beautiful. It honestly drags me down. I love the ease with which you can connect with friends on myspace but I really feel that it's an unhealthy compromise for me. I have found encouragement in the character of Josiah:

In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. Under his direction the altars of the baals were town down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them...

--2 Chronicles 34.3-4

I love how Josiah didn't allow any compromise. I love the passion with which he sought God. I hope that I can passionately lived as he lived some day.

The Windmill's Tale Of The Music Box

2007-08-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to Unwed Sailor's The Marionette And The Music Box. Track four is The Windmill's Tale Of The Music Box Floats Through The Air. Riding The Windmill. This is an excellent album that comes with an illustrated book to compliment the music.

I love this dreamy track in particular. The old grandfather-like windmill is telling the marionette of the Music Box and the tale catches the young marionette's imagination. I imagine the relationship like the one I long for in my heavenly Father. I stay up late with Him... and listen. He tells me of wonderful possibilities and ignites noble pursuits in me.

http://www.unwedsailor.com/