Time and Confusion

Time is flying by, my life is going faster than ever, this semester is already half-over...

Robot Dentist

Okay, so a quick recap of a local band I love. A SOUP NAMED STEW. I was there to see their first show. I cheered them to victory at the LSU Battle of the Bands last autumn. I know all the band members. I am a fan. Why am I a fan?

Well, as one spectator put it, the music makes you laugh so much, your mouth hurts. Lead vocalist David Loti professes that they have spawned a new genre, "Humorcore." He is right. It is pop punk that does everything from poke fun at "emo" music to singing the praises of penguins. They've achieved huge success in the local Baton Rouge music scene and will be soon releasing their first album, "Yes, No, Maybe."

I usually don't endorse that Silliness christened "Myspace", but you must visit ASNS's "myspace" and listen to a few of the tracks from the forthcoming album: "You've Got To Work With What You've Got," "She Broke Up With Me," "The Monkey Song,"...

...and if nothing else, please, PLEASE, I beg you, do your self a favor and listen to "Robot Dentist." It is one of the most fun songs I've ever heard. Just wait till mid-song, when....oh, well you'll have to listen to find out.

ASNS Music.

Going Public

A snippet off Cody Berry and I's cover of Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To", off our forthcoming debut album, "Songs With Which to Blow Your Eardrums Into Many Miniscule Pieces."

Hilarity

So, a little while ago, eating with some friends at Highland Cafeteria, someone said something mildly amusing, and I laughed uproariously for 5 minutes. It was great. I couldn't stop. I almost fell over laughing, while walking to work.

"Don't Judge Me"

Pastor Randy filled in for Pastor Lee at First New Testament this Sunday, and the message was amazing. Ironically, his message centered around what I posted on my blog the day before, about judgment beginning at the house of God.

One point worth mentioning to you all is his explication of Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Time and time again, this one verse is used out of context to suggest that Christians should never make judgment calls about other people. This is absurd. We make judgment calls every day: the type of clothing we like, the shows we will and won't watch, the food we consider tasteful and the food we consider nasty...

And no one tells us, "Hey, you're being judgmental!" While it's true that judging another's soul is a different affair, we are not commanded to judge another's soul: only God can do that. But if taken to the extreme (and out of context), this verse can be misappropriated. If this were the only verse in the Bible that speaks about judgment, then, yes, I would conclude that I am never to make a judgment call about another person's lifestyle. But the Bible has many other things to say, which explain this verse. If you read on through Matthew 7:5, you see that God is not saying, "Don't confront anyone else about their sin," but more along the lines of "Excuse me, Knucklehead , stop worrying about the fact that your brother lost his temper, when you're the one cursing at your family every night."...

MATTHEW 7:1-5

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

John 7:24 actually commands us to judge! "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

God indeed wants us to judge each other righteously, but only if it is out of the right motive and if we have prepared ourselves.
1. "The right motive" = concern for the soul of another person. Not correcting someone because it makes you feel better about yourself.
2. ""Having prepared ourselves" - "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (II Cor. 7:1) In other words, make sure you are right with God, before you go about trying to get someone else right with God. You don't have to be perfect, but you have to be submitted.

If we fail to righteously judge, we fail to hold each other accountable. And without holding each other accountable to love God and each other, of what use is the church? Without the tender nurturing of the community bringing correction, of what good are we to each other...and furthermore, to the world?

Remember: you can dress it up how you want to, but the truth is never sexy.

Spiritual Rebirth in New Orleans

Well, apparently someone got the message. Gloria a Dios.

Let's pray that God sweeps this city with a wave of repentance and subsequent revival.

Of course, as the one minister in the article points out, let us who call on the name of Jesus get our hearts right first and foremost, for "judgment begins at the house of God," as I Peter 4:17 says.

Pastors Pray for Spiritual Rebirth

Geocaching

Geocaching, according to the official geocaching site, is "an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache."

I went geocaching with a group of friends for the fist time last night. Basically, you go to this website, where people have listed caches they have hidden all around the globe. You get the Global Positioning Satellite coordinates off the website and program your GPS unit (if you have one, which hopefully someone in your group has). Then you use whatever clues are given on the web site and go get in your car, drive there and dig around till you find it. It may be a drinking thermos in the hollow of a tree, a container of mints magnetized to the underside of a bridge, an ammunition can hidden in the woods...or a variety of other containers. Inside is a collection of various objects ranging from toy action figures to flashlights to Air Force insignia. The rule is that when you find a cache, you take one item, and leave one item inside as well. You also sign the logbook inside and date it.

I cannot tell you how thrilling this "game" is. It's more than likely that wherever you live, other people have played this game, and there are treasures hidden around your city/town, waiting for you to uncover. You won't find a million dollars (probably not anyhow), but you will experience the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline of finding things you never knew were hidden all around you.

Happy hunting.

I know I'll be doing it again soon, myself.

What's Wrong With the World?

Derek Jackson preached about the fundamental depravity of mankind Thursday night. Saccharine enough.
It gets better. He went on to quote the scripture where Jesus confronts the Pharisees, as He was known to do countless times, and tell them that it is not what a man EATS or TAKES IN to his body that defiles him, but what comes OUT of a man defiles him. The human heart itself is flawed and without cleansing, will cause sin to flow from our lives.
Furthermore, he quoted a famous guy (either G.K. Chesterton or Schaefer, can't remember which)'s response to the question, "What's wrong with the world?" Many people will blame a political party, X-rated movies, the war with Iraq, the school system, world leaders, etc. This man reply to "what's wrong with the world?" was ... "I am."
The problem starts with me. Wow, that hit home. I read an interesting article in my sociology book about how Americans thought there was something fundamentally flawed with the German ethnic group after World War II. How could so many Germans have WILLINGLY complied with Hitler's orders to murder the Jews?! Surely, in America, the average citizen would have disobeyed such orders, if such a crisis had arisen. A sociologist performed an experiment in which around 80% of people willingly gave a man (or thought they were giving a man) an electric shock, just because they were told to by an authoritative figure in the contrived experiment.

The point is that there is no depth to which you and I are "simply unable" to arrive at, without the mercy and restraining power of the Holy Spirit upon our flesh...and specifically, our human heart.

Also stirred up in me has been this whole idea of Christ as our integration point. Jesus should be our number one priority, right?! WRONG!! Jesus should be our ALL IN ALL, our everything, the only reason for our existence.

As I was sitting in the service last night stressed out about homework, Jesus visited me with peace and conviction. He explained to me that it is wrong when ministers tell people, "Involve Jesus in your daily activities this week." No no no! Jesus wants to be the driving force behind these activities! This is what He meant when he said to do all to the glory of God. Everything is geared toward loving Him..."Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Eccl. 9:10).

One other thing. Psalm 139. I talked to someone recently about the nature of self-image problems. I am discovering that pride and self-condemnation are "twin" sins. Pride results from boosting our egos and crediting ourselves for the good in us. Self-flagellation results from denying the good God has placed within us, saying in essence, "God you screwed up when you made me...you didn't do a good enough job." So, either way, with pride or self-condemnation, you are focused on yourself and not God...you need to get your identity inline. Define yourself as Christ does, not your friends, the media, pop culture, etc...

Yeah, I'm stirred up right now...

Find the Irony in this Statement

I saw this on a lamp post today:

"This statement is false."

More Pictures to Burden My Poor Blog With

But I have to add these because Amanda takes much better pictures of us together than I do. And keep in mind what the St. Valentine's Day card I gave her said: "Our relationship is pretty unusual. ... You're pretty, and I'm unusual!"

Anne Boleyn?

Apparently I will also being Anberlin live at the House of Blues in March, as they'll be in New Orleans. My friend, Lauren Shaw gave me a copy of Never Take Friendship Personal , their sophomore release. All I can say for now is that it is one of the best modern rock albums I've ever heard. I liked this band when I heard Blueprints for the Black Market. When NTFP came out, I've adored songs like "Paperthin Hymn" and "Time and Confusion" ever since, listening to them off PureVolume until now, having heard the all of the CD, I must take a minute to review the album.
Anberlin's Never Take Friendship Personal is, as the title suggests, a statement of the inadequacy of human relationships. There are moments of ecstasy and depression on this album of highs and lows. No human relationship is free of scrutiny on this modern rock wonder: past lovers, lovers wanting to reunite, a commited couple with marital intentions, infatuation, parasitic friendships, the death of one's grandmother, the end of a dating relationship, lust and adultery, and overly-dependent friends. Overall, it can come across at first as a pessimistic album, with the title track (and opening track) coldly questioning, "If you can't hold yourself together, why should I hold you now?" However, the album is ever-upbeat, creating the whole "having a great time being miserable" effect. Even so, there are moments of great positivity and hope on the album. The basic idea explored is that there are indeed wonderful moments in human relationships, but that they are, ultimately, unfulfilling. In other words, having someone love and appreciate you as a person is great, but if you don't already love and appreciate yourself, a lover/friend/relative will never complete you as a person.

1. Never Take Friendship Personal - A growling guitar rhythm opens the album, where the vocalist almost screams at times about an apparently over-dependent friend who is milking him dry. "The greatest tragedy," singer Steven Christian laments, "is not your death, but a life without reason...a life without purpose." In other words, this song states that friendships can easily go from a mutually-enhancing thing where both people benefit to a situation where a person loses sight of his/her own reason for living. One of the "heaviest" songs on the album, the blistering guitar riffs will get stuck in your head pretty fast...

2. Paperthin Hymn - Here, the singer sings about the death of his grandmother. He sings of just wanting to have one more chance to put his arms in the fragile hands of his grandmother and missing the opportunity to drive her around town, call her on Sunday morning, etc. He turns from singing to his lost loved one in the second verse to admonishing the listener that "August evenings bring solemn warnings to kiss the ones you love goodnight / You never know what temporal days may bring / Laugh and love, live free and sing / When life is in dischord / Praise ye the Lord". The emotion of this song is unmatched in any modern "emo" band. It is genuine and hearfelt. The guitar riff is so weird and unique that it makes it one of the best available in modern rock. Ironically, the singer laments that "complaints of violins become my only friends."

3. Stationary Stationery - In this gleeful-sounding pop number, the singer somewhat bitterly asks an ex-girlfriend how she is doing, even broaching the subject of how her new boyfriend is treating her. He seems to have not been able to break free of desiring her, yet he tells her that he is moving on. Musically, this is the ugly duckling of the album. The song is catchy, but it's a bit too pop/radio-friendly and predictable to be on such a great album. It ends up being the most "feel-good" on the album, though, giving it great radio potential (why didn't they use this as a radio single?).

4. (The Symphony of) Blasé - The album slows down to provide the softest track on the album. It is a beautiful yet tragic rock ballad about the end of a romance. "This is our last goodnight / Say what you will / Say all that you can / This is our last goodbye / This is where love ends". The singer's voice is not angry or pained, but ironically very fragile and soft, adding to the tension of this sad, yet beautiful song.

5. A Day Late - A catchy punk-sounding track in which two people are now in commited relationships look back, wondering what it would have been like if they had decided to pursue each other "back then."

6. The Runaways - A slightly more angry-sounding long with a big electronic-rock sounding opening. "You only stayed to break my heart / I can tell it by the way you run away, Runaway Girl". About two people who admit their original intentions for entering the relationship were flawed. It appears that the speaker's perception is that they were either A) infatuated with each other or B) tired of being single so just dated from being "in love with love."

7. Time and Confusion - Based on personal experience, I'm a little biased when I say that this is the song I listen to most of this album. Overall, it's not as catchy musically, yet it adds some new vocal elements and inventive drumming that is a welcome change. This is the most positive song on the album. It's about two people in a long-distance relationship. The singer's perspective is that hardship they've faced together has made their commitment stronger than ever: "We fell on hard times / This isn't the ideal / We're miles from home / Doing the best that we can, best that we can / I won't do this without you/ I won't do this without you so take heart / Cause you know that you have mine".

8. The Feel Good Drag - Possibly my album favorite. Also the angriest and most depressing. The verses are almost whispered and the chorus is scream-sung. It is a song about lust and adultery, about lies and deception, about the modern tragedy of "Everyone in this town seeing somebody else." The singer seems equally angry at A) The woman who lured him into an illicit relationship B) himself for giving into temptation. "This was over before / Before it ever began / Your lips / Your lies / Your lust / Like the Devil's in your hands".

9. Audrey, Start the Revolution! - A fast-paced rocker about two people who were together in the past, made mistakes, broke up, and now are ready to get back together. Again, one of the more hopeful songs on the record. The singer is caught between two opinions: a hope that everything will work out this time and a fear of setting himself for disappointment. "If this isn't love / This is the closest I've ever been / Do you think we have a chance?". A fun one to sing along to.

10. A Heavy-Hearted Work of Staggering Genius - Aside from the pretentious title, this instrumental track is pretty good. It's also got a stingy track length of less than 2 minutes. Really, it serves as an opening to what may be the best song Anberlin has done to date...

11. Dance, Dance Christa Päffgen - Rock ballad extraordinaire! Victory for modern rock! 7 minutes long! Opened by a bass line, filled with inventive guitar work, varying vocal styles in one song, incredibly vivid lyrics...amazing! The singer here has his eyes on a special girl and feels like she's the only one he could ever imagine himself with. Yet it's not clear whether or not he perceives this as a mere infatuation, whether or not the love is requited by the girl, or even if the two have met. At least, he has seen her on the dance floor and is overcome with such things as her beauty, mysteriousness, pretty eyes, etc. The song's meaning is ambiguous. It's unclear whether Steven C. wrote the song with the intention of A) warning against throwing caution to the wind when thinking that you love someone or B) encouraging the listener that anything is possible, "you'll never know until you try" sort of thing, if you're in love, don't be bashful, go for it type thing. (I've read several other more professional reviews, which support different sides, but I personally think (B) is the correct interpretation). It contains what is my favorite lyric from the album: "Don't need no drug / You're my chemical / Now I'm dependent / Swear I'm clinical / Addicted to those glances / Taking chances tonight / I need a fix / In those heroin eyes".

The message is that relationships sometimes are wonderful, and sometimes are draining. You have to work at them, and even then, they are not the be-all end-all that we crack them up to be. This suggests a latent spirituality of the record, with a reference to "the Lord" and "God", hinting at what Stephen Christian finds as his alternative to broken, unfulfilling human relationships.
I mainly have reviewed the lyrical content of the CD, and enjoyed the album richly because of its relationships emphasis. However, if that is a deterrant to you, calm down. I hardly touched at all on the musical ingenuity of this album, because I don't know where to start. Plain and simple, it rocks. The guitars are likable and catchy. This is rock n' roll for the masses of modern youth. I liked "Paperthin Hymn" so much I listened to it alone for about a year before I listened to much else on the CD. Never Take Friendship Personal is artistic in every sense of the word...and Anberlin is a band name that won't be going away for quite some time.

I Just Have To Say

...that I am overjoyed to have my car back.

'Tis the Season, Eh?

So, I already was aware of the sophomore year being the Year of Relationships ... my friends and I (many of whom, including myself) have been single our whole lives, finally becoming attached.

It went to an entirely different level when I realized that in one evening, not only were my girlfriend and I dining with my parents, but 3 other friends of mine were doing the "meet the parents" thing on the same day.

The Maiden Voyage of the Bean's Digital Camera