The Church of Teddy 10.4.09
I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.Psalm 40: 1-2
This morning I attended the U2 Eucharist at Holy Covenant United Methodist Church in Chicago, IL. A U2 Eucharist (a little history here) is a church service in which the music of U2 replaces hymns. Holy Covenant choose quite a few of my favorites to incorporate today, but “40″ really touched me this morning. It’s a song that I haven’t listened to in a while, but being a pretty big U2 fan was very familiar with. When thinking about a journey of faith, this song makes a lot of sense. Inspired by Psalm 40, the first passages (listed above) truly do speak to my most recent journey. A journey of faith, or a resurrection of a sleeping faith, and a journey back to church.
The U2 Eucharist was extremely inspiring today. Not only did I remember how much I love the music of U2, but I felt called to contribute more of my time toward causes that are dear and important to me. Bono seems to have become the face of philanthropy. Criticism has been plentifully directed at Bono over the years. Many see his endless face in the news as a sign of narcissim. Many feel he could be giving more money to his charities (Oprah has experienced the same criticisms). But you can not deny that Bono is attempting to bring justice to this world. Say what you want about his music or aspects of his character, but denying his contributions is silly. He inspires me to take part in global fights and to contribute in whatever ways I can in my home town. I have done, and intend to continue to do, those very things.
Many of you in my life have known that I’ve been going regularly to Holy Covenant, after years of not participating actively in a church of any kind. Holy Covenant is a place and a church that I now call home. I’ll be officially joining October 18th. It’s the first church I have joined as an adult and the first I’ve been actively involved in since the Catholic Church I was raised in. Having a community to call my own is something I didn’t realize I missed until it was felt again. I’m hoping that whatever your belief system, political views, gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, socio-economic background or location, you find a firm place to stand on.
PS: This post was a bit disjointed but i was anxious to get back in the game. Sorry for the hiatus…I hope to be better.
The Ditty 8.19.09
A day (or three weeks) late…I know.
I recently saw Jason Mraz live in concert (review to follow) and was thoroughly entertained. It was nice to hear most of his new album live and gave me a new appreciation for a few songs that I didn’t originally get into. One of them is, A Beautiful Mess, which he sings live in the video above. I really can’t stop listening to this one.
The Ditty 8.5.09
Last month one of my favorites, Chris Garneau, released a new album entitled El Radio. Having fell in love with his first album, Music For Tourists, I was cautiously optimistic with this release. If you’re a Garneau fan, you’ll love this album. He returns with the same delicate and whispery vocals combined with simple piano melodies that made his first album so great. He experiments with a few different instruments on this album and also includes a few tracks with some pep. I think he’s completely brilliant and also incredibly adorable. If you like his other stuff than definitely pick up El Radio. The above video is Hands on the Radio shot live in Austria.
Reasons I Haven’t Posted In A Month
1. I’ve been drunk
2. I’ve been too busy riding my bike and working on my rocking ass
3. Perfecting the art of bangin hair
4. I’ve been watching seasons 1 and 2 of Dexter
5. My membership to MLB TV gives me the ability to watch every Tigers game.
6. Danishes
7. I’m still hungover from my birthday
8. Sandwiches
9. Spending time with my CPAP machine, “big pappy”
10. I’m still trying to change my answers to the Facebook quiz “Which Harry Potter guy would you end up with?” so that the result is Seamus Finnigan and not Cedric Diggory.
11. Chris Garneau’s new album
12. I’ve been too busy negotiating Paula Abdul’s now-failed Idol contract.
13. Reading the slow gin fizz.
14. Researching hair products to further myself in the bangin hair campaign.
15. Eating Cherries.
The Ditty 7.8.09
If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting for Maxwell to come out with some new music for years. It’s been 8 years since he released Now, but Maxwell is back! Yesterday he released BLACKsummers’night, part one of a trilogy of albums set to be released over the next few years. I grabbed it right away and am definitely back in love with his smooth hotness. He’s lost a lot of hair, much to my dismay, but he’s still got it. Here’s a performance of his debut single, Pretty Wings, from the BET Awards. Check out the entire album, it’s fantastic!
From the Toolbox: Sarah Palin
Sigh. Apparently Governors aren’t supposed to have thick skin. Governor Palin could have walked away from the campaign and continued to govern her state instead of quitting. I understand the stress that last fall has caused, but this is politics and a leader needs to be tough. She isn’t a fighter, she’s a hypocritical coward. Hopefully she stops milking the media now…you know, the media that she hates so much.
Take off the fishing gear in an interview you tool.
The Church of Teddy 7.5.09
I’ve thought a lot about the word “freedom” and what it means to me. If i had a partner whom I loved and was committed to, would the state legally sanctioning my relationship make me free? Probably not, though I do long for the day when all relationships between loving adults are treated equally under the law (whatever they’re called). However, my personal freedom comes from my faith, my character, my family, my friends, the love I share and the love I receive. Not from the government.
Perhaps when talking about civil rights, I should make it clear that I do feel free in many ways. Maybe it’s just semantics, but I do love this song. When I’m at church, in prayer or reflection or with someone I love…I am free.
Soapboxing – Land of the Free
As we celebrate Independence Day in the United States, many of us lose the true meaning of this day in the glitz and glamour of hot dogs, fireworks and days off of work. This day celebrates the birth of a free nation dedicated to protecting the civil liberties of its citizens and to the advancement of freedom and democracy. A nation that doesn’t turn its back on citizens but takes care of the vulnerable, the sick and the poor.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Those words ring true for many Americans, past and present, whom have felt the protection of this great land. Yet right now, this great nation fails to protect many of its citizens. Our poor is still very poor and without ample resources to help them find housing and jobs. Our children, many raised in such poverty, are uninsured and unable to receive the proper medical attention needed to help them thrive. Our disabled and mentally-ill are struggling in underfunded social service agencies across this nation (side-note: if you’re in Illinois you are painfully aware of how devastating the lack of funding for these services can be).
Women in this country are still competing for employment equality and in many areas do not make an equivalent salary. We are 40 years past the civil rights movement, yet our schools and neighborhoods are still segregated in many areas of the country. This has led to an imbalance within the school system causing minorities to be put at an unfair disadvantage with regards to college and careers.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans-gender individuals are still brutally beaten, harassed and murdered on the streets of this free nation. These citizens lose jobs, housing and even the ability to serve their country because of their sexual or gender identity. These citizens have trouble protecting their families under legal systems that fail them daily (in most states). This great nation still treats the GLBT community as second-class citizens when it comes to basic civil liberties.
The tone of this blog may be seen by many as pessimistic and unhappy. I get it; why ruin a perfectly fun holiday by talking about how much we fail? The point is, a nation that is truly free offers that freedom to not just some of its citizens, but all of them. I wouldn’t be able to write this blog entry in many countries and would probably be arrested if I did. I understand and appreciate that. I am thankful for all that I have. We are a nation of progress and I truly love this country.
I love it so much, I want it to be better.
The Ditty 7.1.09
Just because I think everyone has been listening to MJ this week. This song, as you might know, is about a rat. I can’t help but think he sees himself in Ben. MJ’s life will always be controversial and I have no idea what to think about a lot of things he was involved in. However, I do know that we lost a tremendous artist last week and his music will prove timeless.
