Posts tagged ‘Carrie Newcomer’
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, y’all.
(Turn your volume up a bit for this one.)
(Freely downloadable on Carrie’s website)
Five for Friday… Secular songs that relate to faith
So here’s the deal… I used to listen to CCM music* all the time. Between my first and second years in college, I had a pretty profound, faith-changing experience. As a result, I became more passionate about Jesus, and also more conservative. I got rid of much of my “worldly” music, and listened almost exclusively to CCM: Petra, Steven Curtis Chapman, Rich Mullins**, Susan Ashton… you get the idea. Over time, I’ve remained passionate about Jesus, but I began to find much of the “acceptable” Christian music to be theologically shallow and musically thin. I stopped listening to Christian radio, because of the hit and miss quality of the songs. And I started noticing when the so-called “secular” music world produced songs that related to my faith.
* “CCM”, if you don’t know the acronym, is Contemporary Christian Music. So technically, I should say “CCM” and not “CCM music”. Glad we got that out of the way.
** I still like Rich Mullins, but he’s the exception rather than the rule. And unfortunately, the world lost a good person a few years ago when he died.
And that brings us to today’s “Five for Friday”. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to something that Bono wrote and said to Ordinary Spouse, “Why can’t the ‘Christian musicians’ write songs like this?” So today, I’ve chosen five secular songs that reflect or challenge my faith.
There’s a catch. I could choose music by U2 or Carrie Newcomer – musicians that clearly don’t draw distinctions between faith and life – but that would be too easy. So these five come from others. Enjoy!
1) The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I’d figured out
I have to learn again—
I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter
But everything changes and my friends seem to scatter
But I think it’s about… forgiveness…
Yep – forgiveness. Reconciliation. That’s basically what Jesus came to teach us: how to be reconciled to God and to each other.
2) Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie
Song lyrics don’t get any more powerful or challenging than this:
Love’s such an old-fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night…
3) Jubilee by Mary Chapin Carpenter
A song about receiving grace (in the language of the Old Testament).
4) Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins
Every time I hear this, I think Matthew 25.
5) One of Us by Joan Osborne
The scandal of the incarnation:
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus
trying to make his way home.
Here we are all in one place…
I got to go to a Carrie Newcomer concert last night! It was awesome.
The trip was really a spur-of-the-moment decision (almost). I was on-call for work, but the concert was free and was as close as Carrie would be performing for a long time. So I decided to go, even though I had to go alone.
Here are a few photos from the evening:
Today, I was thinking about writing a few blog entries reflecting on the intersection of music and theology in my life. Such a series would necessarily include a number of Carrie’s songs. I don’t know if I’ll get around to adding more songs, but I thought I could at least throw out a short reflection on the song that she did as an encore last night. This is at the very core of what I believe.
Betty’s Diner by Carrie Newcomer
This song is about the mish-mash of souls that pass through a joint known as Betty’s Diner. It reminds me of one of the places I might have seen when I lived on Long Island. Miranda is the waitress at the diner, and she knows how to feed the body and soul at the same time. She sees people dreaming of the future, mourning the death of a spouse, fighting addiction, falling in love… basically, the stuff of life.
Here we are all in one place
The wants and wounds of the human race
Despair and hope sit face to face
When you come in from the cold
Let her fill your cup with something kind
Eggs and toast like bread and wine
She’s heard it all so she don’t mind
Every time I hear this song, I think that it might be a picture of what Church should look like. There is so much wrapped up in those words: love, community, and becoming the body of Christ to one another. I think that I like it, because it reminds me of my creed:
I believe in love, lived in the context of community.
Maybe it really is just that simple: could I pour you another cup of coffee?
Names
You saw to my center,
Past every imposter,
And you whispered my True Name.- “My True Name” by Carrie Newcomer
My name is ‘Derek’. It’s possible that this is a bit of a revelation for some readers – I’ve been a bit cautious with personal information on this blog. Likewise, I really hadn’t alluded to this blog from within my Facebook account. But I decided a few weeks ago to begin doing away with my split personality. One of my friends even wished me a “Happy Internet Persona Integration Day!”
Nevertheless, I’m going to leave it at that for now – just ‘Derek’. I suppose, however, that some of my other “names” are over on the right sidebar. Husband. Dad. Et cetera, et cetera. And this brings us to the inspiration for this particular blog: a song by Carrie Newcomer entitled “My True Name” (from the album of the same title). In her song, Carrie equates someone’s name with the deepest truth about who that person is. Each of us – to varying degrees – has a variety of names attached to us. You might say that we wear them as a type of clothing. Some of these names we choose for ourselves. Some of them are placed on us by others. Maybe the clothing fits. Or maybe we’re really trying to squeeze into someone else’s clothing. But, says Carrie, “there is a name that is the essence and combination of all I am. Whenever that name is known or spoken, it is the finest of gifts.”
Carrie ends her song with these lines…
And if you see me standing on the banks of Lake Griffy
Throwing white bits of paper to the wind
I’m just throwing the shards of all my calling cards,
And I’m speaking My True Name
I think that’s lovely, partly because I recognize part of my “true name” in those lines. I’d begin to re-write it like this: “If you see me sittin’ quiet beside some Jacob’s Creek tributary / throwing rocks into the stream…” My favorite places are part of my true name. Other parts of it include the color blue, tapioca pudding, my family and community, my moods, love, compassion, anger, humility, pride, and impatience. Some parts of my name I don’t speak to you. Some parts, I don’t speak to myself. Ultimately, as Richard Rohr indicates in The Naked Now, there is only One who truly knows my name. My name is “God’s image of [me], which includes and loves both the good and the bad”. I must learn to listen for my name.
It turns out that Carrie talks about names on her most recent album, as well. But this time around, she’s talking about the name of God…
I do not know its name though it’s ever entwining, but I believe it must look like an old man shining…
I do not know its name no matter how I try, but I think it must taste like peaches eaten by the roadside…
I do not know its name, elusive and subtle, but I believe it must sound like that man singing in the shuttle…
I do not know its name, swimmer or watcher, but I believe that there is always something moving beneath the water…
“I Do Not Know Its Name” by Carrie Newcomer
If these lyrics aren’t quite clear, consider these lines that she offers from the opening of the Tao Te Ching (translated): “The Tao that can be expressed is not the Everlasting Tao… The Name that can be named is not the Everlasting Name.” In other words, the god that you are able to describe is not the true God.
During Advent this year, I’ve had some related thoughts. Some of our names for God likely include Omnipotent or Omniscient or Omnipresent. But if I confess that my best understanding of God comes from observing the life of Jesus, then I may need to rethink how I understand those names. After all, what does it mean to claim that a newborn baby is omnipotent? What does it mean for an omniscient God to ask, “Who touched me?” And what does it mean when someone says to the omnipresent God, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died”? (Luke 2, Mark 5, or John 11)
To be clear, I’m not saying that I don’t believe God to be omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent. I think that I do believe that. Then again, those are terms that I use to describe God (not God’s own self-description), and maybe they just aren’t applicable. It’s like I’m asking, “What’s two plus two?” and then coming up with the answer, “Red.” My answers just don’t make sense with my questions.
For example, consider the scene in the garden, just before Jesus is arrested. He rebukes his disciples for trying to defend him by saying, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26) The obvious answer is, “Of course, you could!” He is Jesus, after all. But think again. What would happen if he did appeal for legions of angels? Wouldn’t he then be acting in a way that was opposed to his Father’s will and was antithetical to who he claimed to be? So he could ask, and yet he won’t. In fact, in some sense he couldn’t.
To my understanding, Jewish people do not speak (or even write) the name of God. It is a way of showing reverence, of keeping the commandment to not use God’s name in vain. I would like to affirm that deep respect. And with great humility, I would suggest that Advent invites us to take the risk of learning God’s name and even trying to speak it. As last week’s lectionary reading indicated, one of God’s names is ‘Emmanuel’. God is with us. God wants to be known and says, “Come follow me.” Learn my name. Never mind that you probably won’t succeed. Follow and learn anyway.
At the very least, you may discover your own true name.
Now playing… August 14, 2010
Nothing. Nothing is playing.
Actually, it’s not quite that bad. But nothing is playing in our van, because something fried the CD player. The control panel doesn’t acknowledge the existence of the CD player any more. You can push any of the buttons – nothing happens. And there’s a little problem…
It has a six CD changer…
With six CDs inside.
Therefore, this post is not about what is playing, but rather what would be playing if I could get my new CD out of the CD player.
I have previously gushed about Carrie Newcomer’s music. She stops, takes a look around, sees what others miss, and writes a story about it. Her latest album, “Before & After”, is no different. On it, we hear about ghost trains, pebbles in streams, Indiana county fairs (with reference to the MCC Relief Sale!), and coyote-dog mixed breeds. We also learn that a group of rhinoceros is called a “crash”.
However, what I really love about her lyrics is the way in which they shed new light on what is holy:
- Before and After - Moments that initially seemed to hold little significance become the markers that define our lives
- I Do Not Know Its Name – Ultimately, our attempts to name God always fail
- If Not Now – The will to live well in the time that we have
- Do No Harm – What if we really believed that the Peaceable Kingdom could exist here and now?
As usual, the folk melodies and arrangements are beautiful and well-suited to her message. So take a little jaunt to her website – www.carrienewcomer.com – and listen to some samples. Or enjoy the video below.
Miracles still happen every shining now and then
If not now, if not now, tell me when
Over the river and through the woods…
Well, here we are at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We traveled early this morning, instead of trying to fight Thanksgiving Eve traffic last night. And just what does a three hour trip from the Chicago ‘burbs to north-central Indiana look like? Here’s my view from the driver’s seat…
“Who wants to see my proboscis?” (Oldest Daughter, just out of the driveway)
“I’m sure glad we’re travelling this morning instead of last night.” (Me to Ordinary Spouse, as we made two effortless left turns where I’d normally encounter great volumes of traffic during my morning commute)
Six minutes into the trip, we get on the “fast road” (the general nickname for limited access road, which in this case is I-55). This is the signal for the girls to request a DVD. In goes Fraggle Rock.
About fifteen minutes later, we’re onto I-355 and crossing the “blue light bridge” over the Des Plaines River. McMansions overlook the valley on the south side. I spout opinions… “If I had half a million dollars to buy a house, I’d get something with more character than these boxes.”
Shortly thereafter, I remember my blog… “If I could live blog this trip, I would.” Instead, I ask ordinary spouse if she has paper and pencil. She anticipates my next request and writes, “My ordinary assistant will hand write the whole thing.” I comment that “ordinary assistant” will probably get replaced by “smart-alecky assistant” when the notes make it into print.
“Could you give me blana?” (Youngest Daughter woke up five minutes before we left and didn’t have breakfast. Now she wants a banana.)
All along, I’m sipping coffee. I’ve got a great thermos. Too great. The coffee is scalding hot nearly all the way.
Ordinary Spouse is cleaning out her purse. She finds a diaper.
From I-355 to I-80. The opening bars of U2′s “Zoo Station” (from the album, “Achtung Baby”) are playing as we’re exiting from one to the other. Makes for a nice transition.
We see a white flag with a red border and a blue star. Ordinary Spouse speculates that it’s a Czech flag. Turns out that it’s a flag displayed by the family of a member of the armed services serving in a dangerous location. We learned something new.
Shortly after getting on I-80, an alert Ordinary Spouse kept me from rear-ending another car. The road was nearly empty and there was no one in my lane, so I reached for my coffee. At the same moment, a car in the left lane braked and pulled into my lane. Then they proceeded to the right lane and accelerated again. Not sure what that was about.
We cruise through the IPASS lane when I-294 merges with I-80. It occurs to us that we have no idea how much toll we’re actually paying.
The billboards along the interstate near the Illinois-Indiana border are really classy. (“Gamble 30 minutes and get a free buffet” or “All of the liquor; none of the clothes”.) Ordinary Spouse comments on the first one. “Sounds like a gamble to me.”
We’ve removed Fraggle Rock, which didn’t seem to be a big hit. It’s been replaced by the Laurie Birkner Band. “This is like a rock star for kids,” says Middle Daughter.
Rain, rain, rain.
Onto the Indiana Turnpike (I-80/I-90). We immediately stop at a rest area. Coffee’s coming through.
We debate the spelling of “niece”. I comment on the weird spelling of “weird”.
We see a flock sheep walking in formation. Then we see a sheep dog calmly standing and calling to them. No running involved. Impressive.
We reached the end of “Achtung Baby”. I spout more opinions: what makes an album more than the sum of the parts, and why “Achtung Baby” is one of those albums.
We pass the pond with the big musical instruments. Time to exit the Turnpike. On to the bypass around South Bend. Ordinary Spouse phones her parents and tries to make them believe we still have two hours to go. Actually, we only have about 45 minutes – we’ll be just in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
Michael Card’s “Starkindler” is now playing.
Ordinary Spouse and I discuss Richard Rohr and right brain/left brain duality.
Off of the bypass and on to US-33 toward Goshen.
In Goshen, we spot a couple running from their house to their car, carrying a turkey. They didn’t cover the bird. It’s raining.
And then, 150 miles and two and a half hours later, we’ve made it.
Thanks to God for every blessing in our lives. May the thanks we give today continue throughout the year.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Five for Friday… musicians
I decided that “Five for Friday” sounds cooler than just “Five”, so I’ve renamed my little series and decided to list my favorite musicians for today’s blog. I’ll go in chronological order, since I tend to rotate through my favorites (at least my favorite four).
1) U2 – Early in my high school years, when I was young and impressionable, I was very impressed by my oldest cousin who was in college and introduced me to music by the boys from Dublin. The Joshua Tree had just been released, and I received that album as a Christmas present. My cousin copied two other albums for me, and soon I was my school’s most devoted U2 fan.
2) Indigo Girls- One of my close high school friends made a mix of IG songs for me during our senior year. During that same year, they released their third album, and I became hooked. During my conservative college years, I distanced myself from both U2 and the Indigo Girls, but I’ve grown to like both of them again.
3) Rich Mullins- During an undergraduate research experience after the summer of my first year at Goshen College, some new friends from another midwest school shared Rich’s music with me. It has been said that Rich was the “uneasy conscience of Christian music”, a man who was never comfortable with his popularity. I appreciated the authenticity of his faith.
4) Andy Peterson or Caedmon’s Call – It’s a tough choice, so I get to put down two. I started listening to both during grad school. Andy is another singer/songwriter with some of the same honest and insightful lyrics that Rich Mullins had. Ditto on Caedmon’s Call, but they’re a group (that I happened to have playing on the stereo today during my commute). These two don’t quite make the top tier with the other four listed here (I haven’t heard their newer music, and I don’t know what they’ve been doing lately), but I needed something to fill this spot. (And I don’t care that five is now six.)
5) Carrie Newcomer- Carrie actually attended Goshen College, too. I discovered her music at the end of my time in grad school. She has a knack for seeing the holy in the ordinary. Perhaps the musical equivalent of Anne Lamott.
This week in the garden… 24 August 2009
Morning Glory – these are volunteers. Not sure where they came from.
Black-Eyed Susan
Anemone – finally in bloom!
Red Admiral
Queen Anne’s Lace
Buttercup – these seem to bloom all season.
Black-Eyed Susan – a reminder that there is life and death. Reminded me of the chorus of a Carrie Newcomer song:
Leaves don’t drop; they just let go
And make a space for seeds to grow
And every season brings a change
A tree is what a seed contains
To die to live is life’s refrain…
Thin places
From the Celtic spiritual tradition (of which I make no pretense of expertise), we receive the concept of “thin places”. This is the idea that as we pass through this world, we perceive places where the spiritual and the physical come into close proximity.
