Thursday, August 24, 2006

Andrew Peterson in Augusta. (Kansas, that is.)

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If you’ve been around since my SquareSpace blog, or been around me when the subject of music comes up, you’ve probably heard me rave about Andrew Peterson. He’s one of our family’s favorite musical artists—Christian or otherwise. His lyrics range from the wry (e.g., songs about nacho cheese and his brother’s bad luck) to the profound. Here’s a sample that manages to be both; it’s an “Easter egg” on “Clear to Venus” (I think), called “The Land of the Free.” (a.k.a. Heaven.) The words are addressed to a poor child in South America:

well I’m weary of the spoils of my ambition
and I’m shackled by the comfort of my couch.
well I wish I had the courage to deny these of myself
and start to store my treasure in the clouds.
cause this is not my home; I do not belong
where the antelope and the buffalo roam.

and I’m just a little jealous
of the nothing that you have.
you’re unfettered by the wealth of
of a world that we pretend is gonna last.
they say God blessed us with plenty;
I say you’re blessed with poverty -
cause you never stop to wonder
whether earth is just a little better than
the land of the free.

You can see more of his music and listen to some of it here. Check out his journal, too.

Anyway, he’s headed back for these parts next month—September 7 to be exact, at the First Baptist Church of Augusta. For tickets or more info, you can call them at 775-5466. Don’t miss it; we’ll see you there!

P.S. The photo of the cool door you see on the homepage of Daily Beggar is one I originally spied on AP’s online journal; it’s a door in the church C.S. Lewis attended. I emailed Andrew and asked where he got it, and if I could use it. Right away, he answered that he’d shot the photo, and sent me two copies. So he’s a nice guy, too!

Posted by Jana on 08/24 at 07:23 PM
Christian music. • (2) Comments • (91) Trackbacks • Permalink

Saturday, August 19, 2006

The Holy Spirit

Inspired by the musings and questions in the August 7 posting over at The Todd Blog, I’m going to share a little of what I’ve learned about the Holy Spirit.

The best explanation/clarification I’ve ever heard of the Spirit’s role in the trinity is this: One of His primary jobs is to reveal Jesus, and to help us understand, remember and live out His word. It’s also important to note that the Spirit is not about calling attention to Himself. The Holy Spirit is like a spotlight trained on Jesus. If you’re sitting in an auditorium, your attention is focused on the performers on the stage—not the spotlights that illuminate it. Likewise, the HS just wants to shine light on Jesus. Therefore, any ministry that focuses most of its attention on the Spirit is not authentic. (I first learned this ananlogy in BSF, and have also seen it in What Every Christian Ought to Know, by Adrian Rogers. [a book I would only recommend w/ caveats.])

Although I can’t remember or track down the source now, I also remember hearing that where the Spirit is call “the Comforter,” a more accurate translation might be “the Strengthener.” This is certainly borne out in Scripture.

Speaking of Scripture… rather than take my thoughts or any author’s thoughts, why not study for yourself? Though this is by no means a comprehensive list, I did a keyword search on Bible Gateway in the NT for “Spirit,” and came up w/ several pertinent passages. Go to it!

John 7:38 & 39.
John 14:16-18
John 15:26
Acts 1:8
Acts 15:28
(Really, the whole book of Acts. Someone has suggested that rather than “The Acts of the Apostles” a more accurate title might be “The Acts of the Holy Spirit.”)
Romans 8:9-16
1 Corinth. 2:9-16
1 Corinth. 12:4-13
Galatians 5:16-26
1 John 4:1

By the way, since part of the Spirit’s job is to illuminate the Word—ask Him for help.

Happy learning!


P.S. Bible Gateway is a great Bible study resource. Give it a try!

Posted by Jana on 08/19 at 02:23 AM
My musings on faith. • (0) Comments • (11527) Trackbacks • Permalink
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