Billy the Bum...

So what does a blog title like this belong in a Passionate Spirituality blog for? Well it's been a new favorite, but the song has to be about thirty years old. Recently a fine song writer and singer from Milwaukee, put out a cover CD of one of my favorite artists, John Prine. John is one of the best writers, Hello in There can touch a nerve, but he'll never be known as a Christian song writer... maybe Christ helps us see through the eyes of people who don't always market themselves under that title. Again, this song really touched me. I some how missed really knowing John's Diamonds in the Rough LP, and when I heard Jeffrey cover this song it was like, NEW.. ;-) The last verse is really why it belongs in this blog.

God does like to hit you softly with the same message until you really say, you yeah... now I get it... First I run into the song from Jeffrey, then I run into the real vinyl LP from John at the Antique Center, and then I read this blog about the Pastor doing what Dave Woggen did at one of our NCD weekends. I do feel the passion burning to help people at our church, but we all need to understand that God's uses his two by four on our thick heads, and it still sometimes doesn't get through.



Billy The Bum

Billy the bum lived by the thumb
And sang of the hobo’s delight
He’d prove he could run
Twice as fast as the sun
By losing his shadow at night
Now he loved every girl
In this curly headed world
But no one will know it seems
For two twisted legs and a childhood disease
Left billy just a bum in his dreams

Chorus:
And he was just a gentle boy
A real florescent light
Cried pennies on sunday morning
Laughs nickels on saturday night
And your bullets they can’t harm him
Nor your knives tear him apart
Humiliation killed him
God bless his little heart

Now he lived all alone
In a run down home
Near the side of the old railroad track
Where the trains used to run
Carrying freight by the ton
And blow the whistle as billy’d wave back
But the children around billy’s home town
Seemed to have nothin’ better to do
Then run around his house
With their tongues from their mouth
And make fun of that cripped old fool

(repeat chorus)

Now some folks they wait
And some folks they pray
For jesus to rise up again
But none of these folks
In their holy cloaks
Ever took billy on as a friend
For pity’s a crime
And it ain’t worth a dime
To a person who’s really in need
Just treat ’em the same
As you would your own name
Next time that your heart starts to bleed

(repeat chorus)

So Much Grace

So I'm into trying to learn new techniques with both videos and slide shows, why? Well besides, why not... I do want to make a real cool one for my son's graduation and I made one in iMovie, why not one within iPhoto until I learn what I'm up to? Besides no good.. HA HA...

Last Saturday night ACTS covered So Much Grace during prelude of Saturday night's service, so I was thinking about putting pictures to our cover. So I emailed Allison of my intentions. My lucky day, I got permission from Allison Sattinger to use her So Much Grace as long as I kept it secular because really that was her inspiration and she really is far from wanting to be known as the genre of Christian music artist. The song came from when she had taken a hike in some beautiful mountain pass in Colorado and the song wrote itself; or at least that's what I remember the story from her blog. Simply this is a wonderful song... enjoy the images, most of them come from Allison or me... a few are free photos so I think I have my copy writes in order. ;-)

Dave

Little Brown Church in the Vale.

"Oh come" the song says, and Sue Heyman's parents did, and they were married there a long time ago. Recently, my bandmate in Saints and Sinners shared that news with us, and then the song and the website. I thought I would return the favor.









Part of the song:

The Church in the Wildwood

by Dr. William S. Pitts

There's a church in the valley by the wildwood,
No lovelier spot in the dale;
No place is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale.

Chorus

Oh, come, come, come, come,

Come to the church in the wildwood,

Oh, come to the church in the vale;

No spot is so dear to my childhood

As the little brown church in the vale.

The Website:

http://www.littlebrownchurch.org/

Part of the story:

The first settlers came to the Bradford area in 1848 and with an abundant water supply and virgin timber, the town grew. By 1855 the first members of the Puritan-Congregational Church had begun holding meetings. By 1856, Bradford had 500 residents and was the first town in this part of Iowa.

A young music teacher named William Pitts was traveling by stagecoach from Wisconsin to Iowa to visit his future wife. While waiting for the stagecoach horses to be changed, he walked down Cedar Street and saw the empty lot where the church now stands. Being a romantic young man, the thought came to him of what a charming setting the spot would make for a church. Returning home, he wrote the poem “Church in the Wildwood,” and later set it to music. He put it away in a drawer and forgot it. ... the rest...

Isn't church history wonderful, are you making it today for the next generation? I'm guessing that you are in ways you don't even consider.

They have enough

I received this great devotional from a friend I met thru MySpace. He actually got off of myspace for lent. Ha. The daily devotional comes from Luther Seminary.

Monday, 4/13/2009
The risen Christ creates abundance
Acts 4:32-35 (Click to view Bible text below.)

In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge peeks into the lives of the Cratchett family and is amazed by the joy he witnesses, despite the family's great poverty. The Ghost of Christmas Present responds to Scrooge saying simply, "They have enough." In a recent production of this play, the actor portraying the Ghost then turns directly to the audience and says, "It's a wonderful word: enough."

In the resurrection of Jesus there is enough for all. When death and fear no longer control us, we need not worry about how much we have (like Scrooge) and can instead share what we have been given (like the Cratchetts). Though it may seem strange to those "peeking in," the abundance of Jesus' love fills us to overflowing, until there is no longer a needy person among us.

Risen Jesus, in your resurrection there is enough for all. Fill us up with your joy and love so that we cannot help but share it with those around us. Amen
Zebulon Highben
Adjunct Faculty, Church Music, Luther Seminary
Master of Sacred Music, 2005

Acts 4:32-35 (NRSV)

32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.

33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.

35 They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

A new blog

Surprise... I've started yet another blog... this one will be strictly news and postings about the house concert series that I run called Bluff View Concerts. I just have been inkling to do this, and creating Allison's poster pushed me to jump at it. Allison is the author of So Much Grace that our ACTS band covers, and while that's probably the only song of hers that you would consider Christian... She's married to a good Lutheran who is showing her the way, but one of the things that is deep passion of hers... she exudes love. She jokingly called herself the Love Ninja because she would try to smile at everyone in her daily walk.

The Calling (post 2)

I am a creature of playing to learn things. Yes I resemble an 50 year old goof ball sometimes, but when you get my age you stop worrying a lot about what people think. The following video was an experiment to see how to blend messages on top of a video track. I'd like to still figure out how to slow things down and change transitions better, but I thought I still would share it.

Now the song is based on a new song in our hymnal, but the melody is an old melody in public domain. The new song "Praise the one who breaks the darkness" is also an incredible song; and how appropriate for the Easter season. I found this great blog about the hymn, and I can't wait to follow this blog a little more. ENJOY it by clicking here.

While the lyrics slowed down to blog post (Ha) are still in the blog, right here; I did repost them so you can scroll down and sign while I play two verses.

Now I have to tell you when that melody was planted in my head. I was early for Sunday School at 9:00ish and the first service was running late. So I sat in the hallway on one of the pew chairs removed for the bell choir. The sending song started and it was "Praise the one..." so I got our my guitar and played along. I always love to find which capo fret I can play the chords I like.... Capo 2 C was found quickly. Funny that would make it in my favorite key of D but I like C too. (TMI right) Ever after that the melody stuck until our NCD group started planning our service, and the Spirit took hold of me and said, "Write"....

Here's the video... Enjoy



For by grace we have been saved
Not by works, no one will boast.
We are God’s fine workmanship
Baptized in the Holy Ghost
All the gifts we have been blessed with
Are to share with one and all.
Now we all should heed his will
Look inside us and see our call

As we walk our daily journey
We bring with us all our gifts
Every trait we were endowed with
From our laughter to our wit
All the things that bring us pleasure
Were put right there from the start.
Now we all must heed our calling
Learn to share right from our heart

Daily tools which make our living
Are the ones the Lord approves
From every hammer , every keyboard
Bring a passion with Christ’s love
All the things that serve the Lord
At your fingertips each day
Now we all must heed our calling
Praise the Lord, whom we adore.

David Schipper © 2009 Rose Riversongs

Are all victims innocent?

Well...I have at least one right-wing "friend" who believes that there is no such thnng as an innocent victim. At least that seems to his postion most days.

And I certainly know that the position of the Calvinist is that God has created the vast majority of human beings to suffer in this word and the next.

Me?

I believe that while we are all "sinners" - that is we fail to live up to the standards God has set for "us" - there are more of "us" who are innocent than "we'd" be able to comprehend.

Are All Victims Innocent?

Excerpt from Isaiah 42:3
"A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench: he will faithfully bring forth justice."

Reflection by Donna Schaper

An email came in announcing that a sheriff in Tennessee had raided a puppy mill and saved 250 "innocent" puppies from being sold or killed if they were not sold. I was to write the sheriff and congratulate him about his salvation of innocence. All I could think of was to wonder what a guilty puppy might look like. Is there such a thing?

Going back to Isaiah, is there a way for a human being to be responsible for being broken? Are all victims innocent or are some also guilty?

Bad habits surely steer some toward bruises and breaks. Spiritual laziness can result in our brighter lights going dim. Silence in the face of malicious gossip, or racial slurs, or hate speech on the radio, can result in serious damage to real people, especially those already poor. There is such a thing as responsibility. Sins of commission as well as sins of omission come to mind.

Thank God, therefore, that no matter the sources of our bruises and our breaks, we will not be quenched. God intends justice, no matter what, anyway, anyhow.

Prayer
We give you thanks, O God, for your fidelity to justice and pray that you will change us from those who burn dimly to those who are on fire with our own fidelities. Amen.

About the Author
Donna Schaper is Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church, New York, New York, and the author of Living Well While Doing Good.

Blog written by Pastor Ninure

Love 'til you Love it away...

"What can you do with your days but work & hope
Let your dreams bind your work to your play
What can you do with each moment of your life
But love til you've loved it away
Love til you've loved it away"

These beautiful passionate words were written by Bob Franke for a wedding, and it's been a favorite song of mine for a long time. Here is a link for the whole song. This song truly speaks to living your passion. If you can not tie your dreams with your daily job, then do it in the other hours. Those dreams are not mere wishes... they are passions that have been placed in your being as a gift. Use them and you will find love and happiness.

I tagged the song with the Wabash Cannonball in a medley that goes back over thirty years to when I heard Art Theime do it up in folk festival in the U.P. He was a routine artist over at the Golden Ring Folklore Center in my hometown of Manitowoc.

Here it is in the key of D... the key that is the easiest on my paltry voice.