Ed Harcourt: Metaphorically Yours

Oh yes there's more. Jens Lekman, a Swede, is coming our way on the 18th of March to perform at Happy. The MP3s that he provides suggest he should been seen live. Think Nick Drake, Beck, Belle and Sebastian and Todd Rundgren. He will be going solo without all the horns and arrangements but still I am sure it will be a performance to see! MP3 here and here and here.

Stress + tiredness = no emotional self control

Oh they can be funny, ol' Belle and Sebastian: Meat and Potatoes

I AM going to see David Pajo on the 9th of March at Bodega having purchased the first ticket today at Slowboat for $26. I dig his solo album, Pajo, recorded on his laptop.

Today I participated in the best sermon for some while. It was written and delivered by one Rev Goris. The text was Matthew 11:1-11 and the sermon was entitled "It happens to the best of people". The scene opens with Jesus beginning his ministry after assembling and instructing His 12 disciples. John the Baptist who is now in jail sends word to Jesus via his own disciples asking Him whether in fact He was the Messiah. Jesus sends them back having witnessed His ministry: "the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” They go off and Jesus then reminds the crowds that John is a great prophet, even the greatest, sent to prepare the way for the Messiah.
After previously announcing that Jesus was the Christ (John 3:22-36) he begins to doubt. One possible explanation of this doubting can be found in his expectation of the Messiah’s work. In Matthew 3 John called the crowds to repent for the kingdom was at hand. He was the messenger sent before the Messiah to make “ready the way of the LORD” (Isaiah 40:3). Latter on in the chapter he warns of the judgement to come. The Messiah was going to bring this judgment with Him (vs. 12). This is inline with the prophecy of Malachi. The messenger and new Elijah, now identified as John, was to make way for the LORD who was going to come with judgement fires upon the unfaithful and with healing for the faithful (Malachi 3-4) . Jesus hadn’t yet done so and John saw the unfaithful still all around him. Jesus then reminds John that the Messiah had another part to His ministry by referring to His description in Isaiah 61:1. God graciously allowed Israel a time for repentance and to recognise Jesus as their long sort after Saviour before He did finally fulfil His other role as Judge, cumulating in the final destruction of the Jerusalem and the temple in AD70. These were some thoughts I had that seem to put more of the puzzle pieces together.
This was not, however, the point Rev Goris was driving at. John, the forerunner of the Messiah, was imprisoned by Herod. John must have wondered why God was working in this way and began to wonder if ministry had failed. He was no longer sure that Jesus was the Messiah. In response to John’s doubting, Jesus points him back to the Scriptures. John had to be reminded of the big picture. He had a short ministry before Jesus to prepare His way. Once Jesus began His ministry, it was even John who said that Jesus must increase and he decrease (John 3:30). He was the best man not the bridegroom. When the great Light to the world came, his lamp faded away to the background. His job was done, his “joy…has been made full.” But when he faced the fear of death under Herod his faith was temporally shaken.
We too must turn the scriptures and like Habakkuk wrestle with God in prayer when we suffer doubts in our lives. ‘Why do I suffer this and that and why must people die in such and such,’ are some of the many questions we have of God. Rather than focusing on the doubts we must remember to call on God and turn to His word. God has a plan which He is unfolding even in and through our own lives. By remembering this then, He may strengthen our faith so that we may respond like Habakkuk when he sung:

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”

Habakkuk 3:17-18

I love patterns; I love predictability. I will often try to avoid doing things when the result is unknown. I will ask the price of something when I am almost certain I already know what it is. I will avoid asking about ticket prices when I don't know what they are. I guess I fear having to make a decision on the spot when presented with information on seconds earlier.

Today we had the unveiling ceremony at my Pop's grave. The pastor recalled a few traits of Pop:
- Pop's consistency. He was always there thru thick and thin.
- Pop's authenticity. He was always real and straight up.
- Pop's unselfishness. He always looked out for others.
To this day Nana and Pop are two of the greatest Christians I have ever known.

I also recalled what Pop said to me when we said our last goodbye:
-keep living my life for Jesus
-keep setting a good example for my siblings and cousins
-make sure I look after Mum and Dad

I sure hope I can do him proud.

My MP3 player was dying. He repeatedly declared "No disc! No disc!..." even when I had placed the compact disc in there myself. I put my ear to his chest. I could here the laser giving it its all but the spindle refused to spin. No spinning means no data reading and hence the claim "no disc". He had served me well over the past three years. Days of hours had been spent in each others company and now it might be time to part ways. But first I would see if I could carry out my first spindle transplant from an even older CD player. I was able to get into the MP3 player but I couldn't achieve access into the donor. I studied the spindle. All the connections were good. I observed that the spindle wasn't able to move freely when spun manually. After a little time I found two little screws hanging out underneath the spinner piece that clasps the CD of choice. They were loose; to many drops I guess. Upon tightening and reassembling and to my delight he could finally recognise that we had company.

Its time to take some responsibility for my future. I must resist apathy to our government's decisions as one Aaron has reminded me here and in person. I can't expect common sense to reign if generations are brought up believing discipline cannot be applied. Check out here for a brief and helpful toolkit available to enable ordinary folk to make their feelings known about the Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill. But don't copy and paste anything for a letter; make it your own or it will be worthless.

Do listen to Belle and Sebastian's new album "The Life Pursuit" here http://www.radio-indie-pop.com/radio.html

Split Enz must tour New Zealand or else I will have to shed a tear. I have only experience their music live once whilst still in the womb and in 1992 I was apparently too young to see them. So please do tour NZ this year!