broken eikon

I know, I know. I need to listen to more music. But to be honest, I haven’t exhausted the bands I like yet. So I suppose Fiver Iron Frenzy, Sixpence, Zeppelin, and BNL will continue to get lyric time on my blog.

I love this song.

Despite our selfish selves
Despite all loss of hope
Despite our lack of faith
Despite our stony hearts
Despite the waning moon
Despite the ebbing tide
Of how we think this world should be

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye Heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

I learned today about a specific prayer called a collect (CALL-ect). The irony is that I prayed a collect for a class the night before without knowing it. The collect has 5 parts. Address, attribution, petition, purpose, and closing. It is actually a really beautiful way to write a prayer, if done with the right spirit. In fact, the phos hilaron that we sing occasionally at Eikon was originally a collect.

Here is a collect I have composed for wellness

Creator God,

you have created all of us in your image.

Make us whole in our hearts, minds, and spirits,

so that we may bring that same wholness to others;

In the name of Christ our Lord.

Most collects traditionally follow this pattern. Now to my question: Would you compose a collect, please? Follow the pattern, try to keep it on theme, and use the pattern (address – comma – attribution – period – petition – comma – purpose – semicolon – closing). It will be really cool to see what kinds of prayers grow out of focused creative spiritualness. Thanks!

So I think I might have a new favorite movie quote. I recently saw the Tom Cruise movie “Valkyrie” and I really liked it a lot. I normally don’t like war movies, but this one was different. It was set in Hitler’s Germany, during the height of WW2. Essentially, there were a group of Germans who felt like Hitler did not speak for them and so they desired to overthrow this “false face” of Germany and put it back to rights. I can’t help but feel a kinship to these folks.

As I see it, myself and many more find themselves in love with Creation, but thinking that the overall leadership of the world and the stories they tell us have misrepresented what Creation was intended to be. So I feel a bit like those freedom fighters, battling to show the world and their own people that Germany does not belong to Hitler. I want to show the world and even ourselves that the world does not belong to the Domination System (what the Bible calls Satan) of Technological, Therapeutic, Militaristic, Consumerism, but to its creator, and we will work to make it right again.

So here is the quote, which I will attempt to liberally overuse at every opportunity.

Tom Cruise’s character is interviewing a new intern, and the intern has heard some controversial statements about him. Very matter of factly, Cruise says,

I am involved in high treason with all means available to me. Can I count you in?

Cruise said it about the Nazis and Hitler. I say it about the Domination System and chaos, and I turn the question to you,

I am involved in high treason with all means available to me.

Can I count you in?

Dear Lord as I come to you today

Fill my heart and my whole being

with the wonder of your presence.

Help me Lord to be more conscious of your presence.

Teach me to recognise your presence in others.

Fill my heart with gratitude for the times

Your love has been shown to me through the care of others.

Amen.

Lord, may I never take the gift
of freedom for granted. You gave
me the great blessing of freedom of
spirit. Fill my spirit with Your peace and
Your joy.

Jesus you speak to me through your gospel

May I respond to your call today.

Teach me to recognise your hand at work in my daily living.

Amen.

Lord, as when we were slaves in Egypt,

As when we were in exile in Babylon,

As when we were waiting for your Spirit to return, when Jesus came among us,

As are we today.

Crying.

Frustrated.

In pain.

Now, as then, we pray for our slavery to give way to freedom.

Our exile to exodus.

Our  despair to hope.

You have rescued us. That is who we are.

A rescued people.

Rescue us again, as we rejoice and celebrate your coming.

Amen.