sojourn stories...

moby...a voice crying in the wilderness

Moby graces the cover of Relevant Magazine. It is an excellent article, containing some bold statements by Moby.  Regardless of your view of Relevant Magazine or Moby, for that matter, this interview is worth reading.  Also see Adele's synopsis, as she has met moby and adds an interesting viewpoint.

that's it that's all..

 

(image courtesy of http://cleave.blogs.com/photos/the_dooce_album/img_0063_2_dooce.html)

That's It, That' s All.

This is the title to a song by one of my favorite musical artists, shane hines  He is much more than a musician, he is an artist with music and lyrics, timing and performing, subtlety, nuance and raw, gritty honesty, supported by true talent.  This unreleased song is the only overtly christian song in his repertoire, and yet i meet g-d in almost all of shane's music and always when i get the privilege of watching him perform  (see 2/13 post  "thoughts i own"). The lyrics follow and you can download it @ That's It , That's All- mp3 .

Today,  I taught on shame and contempt.  contempt is the acid we pour on our souls and on others to destroy and deaden, to silence and deflect, to flee from the knowing and loving eyes of G-d., to harden and seal off any feeling of pain or sorrow, or longing or desire...  Contempt shreds the dignity and beauty of the one G-d  has made.  This morning, I played this song to communicate the posture of contempt far more than my words ever could... 

That is how i feel tonight...there is so much to say, that there is nothing to say...and so in between and behind my unspoken/unwritten words, i hope you can hear far more than i feel capable of communicating just now...

That's it That's all

by Shane Hines

Mercy came by my place and she asked to come in

I said I’m not buying after all its only sin

And it’s as beautiful as you are

I still refuse to give in

And you don’t owe me a letter

You don’t owe me a call

In fact it might be a whole lot better

If you don’t try at all

So please stop coming round and let me fall

So I can finally give in and say

that's it, that's all

Grace followed me all day

And tho’ she’s hard to recognize

I felt her getting closer

And I slipped in the alley to hide

And it’s as beautiful as you are

I just can’t meet you in your eyes

But you don’t owe me a letter

you don’t owe me a call

In fact it might be whole a lot better

If you don’t try at all

So please stop coming round and let me fall

So I can finally give in and say

that's it, that's all…that's it, that's all

I just ran into Jesus

And he asked me to be friends

I said I don’t need any

But please try back again

And as beautiful as you are

I’m having trouble believing

And it’s as beautiful as you are

There’s no such thing as real friends

But G-d please help me

help me believe him

You don’t owe me a letter

You don’t owe me a call

In fact it might a whole lot better

If you don’t try at all

So please stop coming round just let me fall

So I can finally give in and say

that's it, that's all…that's it, that's all…that's it, that's all...

wrestling, susie 

thoughts i own...church in a bar!

  I just got back from hearing one of my favorite musician, Shane Hines, play at IOTA, in Arlington, VA.  and play he did... Shane was not only musically brilliant, but he seemed effortless in his craft.  His music is technically sound, with creative depth and unexpected shifts that draw me into his songs...then there are his lyrics,...lyrics that are subtle and profound, at times,  piercing and raw, at others...lyrics that  envelope me and transport me to places of rest, reflection and at times, even leave me a wreck, as i am impacted by his truth-telling.

Church for me happened tonight...in a crowded and smoky bar~ with dear friends and my husband, listening to Shane bend acoustic notes into electric guitar sounds...church happened while I marveled as Shane layered loops, thereby reconstructing the complexity of life in the harmonies of his songs...Church happened as i enjoyed watching people encounter Shane's offering an extravagant gift of just being a talented musician, and doing it well...

"Thoughts I Own," is the title to one of the Shane's songs from his Blues for Balalaika that speaks to me..."and it's so scary, these thoughts i own..."  is a line from the song.   Over the years, that line has reverberated in my head, until i began to admit that there were thoughts i didn't want to own...thoughts that frightened me, shamed me, brought out the worst in me- the controlled, plastic, dutiful christian me...ugh

Thoughts i own, has become a keyphrase for those things that i don't want to face; thus must surrender and write about them in my journal.  these are the spaces where i need God the most, to be with me, to help me face truth, and to heal.

Shane Hines' music reminds me of these this...church happens...i just need to be present and be willing to own the thoughts that church can be relevant, powerful and even misunderstood, when it happens in a bar...

Visit Shane to learn more and check out this link for wash post review and free downloads... http://mp3.washingtonpost.com/bands/shane_hines.shtml