Tracy and I just registered and plan to be there this Sunday afternoon. Any of my blog friends planning on being there?
For those who waited until the last minute we just scored Courtyard By Marriot for 55 bucks a night on Priceline. Seriously, why would you go anywhere else for travel reservations?
A lot of headlines have been generated today about Kathy Griffin’s acceptance speech for the Emmy she won this past weekend. Apparently she had some off-color comments about Jesus in that speech.
The headlines have focused on E’s decision to edit out that part of her acceptance speech when it airs on their network this weekend.
None of these media outlets have brought up the most pertinent question of all: What is Kathy Griffin doing winning an Emmy?
What is the criteria for winning one of these awards anyway?
It reminds me of the furor back in the day when people were claiming that Milli Vanilli should return their Grammy’s when it came to light that they were just lip synching. I maintained then, as I do now, that Rob and Fab should have kept the awards.
The point to me was that any organization that is going to award such a talentless act is one that has no shred of credibility in the first place. Where does the greater fault lie? Milli Vanilli for being fake or the Grammys for not being able to find an act to laud that was in possession of some modicum of talent?
Sorry, I don’t know where this post came from.
This list was suggested to me as a potential Top 10 Tuesday. And I have to admit it has had me stumped ever since.
It’s not that I’m so cynical and jaded that I don’t think I can feel the list it’s just that there is an important hurdle that we have to clear in order to answer the question: What is the church?
Now the answer to that initial question is a lot broader for me that some. I don’t believe that the church refers only to those who worship at a Church of Christ.
So, with a more ecumenical understanding of the word “church” how do you answer that question? What have “we” gotten right? Is it even answerable in the ecumenical sense?
…a reporter from NPR will be here in about 2 hours to interview me. I wonder if he caught wind that I called NPR listeners one of the most dangerous cults in America?
This is good, though. As my mom always told me I have a face that was made for radio.
When I returned from vacation last night I finally was able to place my hands on the masterful new Michael McDermott CD Noise From Words. In case you haven’t picked up on it this is my vote for the album of the year. Greg and Jason agree.
Scratch that, it is an album for the ages. Buy it. Anywhere. iTunes, Emusic, your store. Entertainment Weekly only gave it a B but what do they know?
Buy it. If you don’t like it I’ll pay you back. This is his most stripped down, honest project yet.
The strength of Michael’s musicianship is always his deep and heartfelt lyrics. I’m planning a series on the theology of his music in the near future. But today I want to share a snippet of lyrics from each of the songs on this album. I wanted to include all the words to Broken and Long Way From Heaven but hopefully you will get the idea.
However, I have to include all the words to “I Shall Be Healed.” 99.99% of songwriters will never come close to a song of this magnitude, beauty and power. Nor will they creates such an arresting and desirable portrait of Jesus. Michael has done this before.
1. Mess of Things–The trouble with trouble is that it sometimes sticks/Plays tricks with your mind while it gets its kicks/And slowly there’s a momentum shift/And the weight becomes too great to lift/I woke up last night, I heard my mama scream/Saying boy you always make a mess of things/What will become babe, of you and me/If we keep on making a mess of things.
2. Still Ain’t Over You Yet–I’m wondering around, as lost as I’ve ever been/I don’t even think Jesus Christ knows the piss poor shape that I’m in…Most nights I wish that we never met/And most days I choke on my fear and regret/But I hate to admit, that I still ain’t over you yet.
3. Tread Lightly–This water ain’t holy, that bird ain’t a dove/When the road gets darkest/Tread lightly my love/When your heart gets heavy/With what you’ve been in fear of/When you need some surrender/Tread lightly my love.
4. The American in Me–Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong/Sometimes I go where I don’t belong/What’s liberty, the history books are stained/Sometimes I’m so ashamed/Of the American in me/Don’t mistake dissent for disloyalty/It’s the American in me.
5. A Kind of Love Song–I wish I could write you the kind of love song/That a better writer than I could pen/Cuz all I think about is all that went wrong/And the things I’d give my life to do again.
6. No Words–Paint me with rubies and rust, scars that you can’t cover up/You see the beauty is something so wrong/Here at the end of it all, where even angels can fall/If you grew wings, I swear you’d be gone/The night has come undone/And the world has just begun/There are no words, there are no words.
7. All My Love–Maybe all we are is all we are right now/I had to lose to find out what I want has/Been here all along/And before its gone, before its gone/I’ll give all my love.
8. Just a Little Blue–Soon a day will come/When we don’t have to run
9. Broken–Old hags and dime bags and lost so-co day drags/Pick yourself up off the floor/There’s bending and breaking, and the endless forsaking/This path that you’ve traveled before/Man, I know for certain, when God raised the curtain/I wasn’t prepared for this role/There’s knowing and learning and the one light a burning/In the cool dark night of the soul/The gypsy’s and magician’s said, “The God’s were all awoken/by the roar of the lost and broken.”
10. A Long Way From Heaven–The Lord He giveth and the Lord He take/I’ve broken laws that I couldn’t face/Between the colors of your love and hate/It’s a time to murder and a time to create/The din of despair and broken drunken tongues/Who are these people we’ve become/I feel it do you feel it too…happiness always eluding you?/I’ll weave you a liars blanket, snug/And show you what I’ve learned from love/Yeah, we’re a long, long, long way from Heaven.
11. My Father’s Son–My old man, I don’t understand/And neither does my mom/Sometimes I look at him and smile/Cuz I’m my father’s son
12. I Shall Be Healed
Everything here lately, everything more or less
Seems it’s slowly becoming such a beautiful mess
From the gates west of Eden, to the oceans leading out
Round here everybody is bleeding, or everybody’s filled with doubt
Then out on the horizon, they say the truth is revealed
Say the word, say the word, say the word
And I shall be healed
My Mother and My Father, they always believed
But me, I felt different, I always felt so deceived
I went looking uptown, looking downtown too
I even went to the west side I went looking for You
One day in South Carolina I saw You in a cotton field
Say the word, say the word, say the word
And I shall be healed
Many is the hour that I’ve seen go to waste
Is Your heart wilted like a flower?
How will I find You in this place?
I heard You were seen on Ashland
On Your way to Wicker Park
They say that You looked different
You were standing in the dark
You were there for just a minute
When they looked back You were gone
You were always like that
You loved to keep on keepin’ on
Then I stood at an altar, the weight had caused me to kneel
Say the word, say the word, say the word
And I shall be healed.
Almost Midnight and we are finally back from visiting the Left Coast. A great time had by all. Although I thought I didn’t bring my A-level sermon Tracy assured me it was passable.
So much to say but my bed beckons. And Chloe starts first grade in about 8 hours.
Good to be back. Hope to catch up on the world tomorrow.
This looks to be a crazy week for us. I probably won’t be posting as regularly as usual. Here is what is up in my world.
–Wednesday morning Cassie finally has her appointment with the Pediatric Rheumatologists in Dallas. Hopefully we will know something then.
–We fly out to the great state of California on Thursday. I hate to fly. I mean I really hate to fly. If God had intended us to soar through the air he would have given us wings not a big metal tube.
–We are hopeful that soon we will begin to know more about our future. It is stressful not knowing where you will be in the near future but to know that you won’t be where you are.
–Of the new pilots for the fall season that I have seen “Pushing Daisies” and “Chuck” both look to be promising.
–I have so much on my shelf to read but I’m committed to finishing my C.S. Lewis project. I’m already thinking of the author I want to tackle next.
–It is long past time to update my links. I’m thinking if you haven’t posted in the past 2 months then you will be moved exclusively to my Google Reader. Anybody want to be added? And can anybody explain why they still use Bloglines over Google?
–Looking for a good movie to rent? This is definitely worth checking out.
–Harlan Coben is hands down the best suspense writer out there today.
–And in case you didn’t know Josh Ritter and Rilo Kiley both release albums tomorrow. The Rilo Kiley album is streaming on myspace here. That is greatness.
It’s coming down to crunch time over on Kevin Bussey’s blog.
Vote for me here.
If I win this I win my division.
OK folks, you came through for me in round 1. Now I need your help against a very formidable opponent.
Now, in no way would I encourage you to vote more than once 
But, at least go and give me a nudge to make a respectable showing over at Kevin Bussey’s blog.
This will be the biggest SBC–COC showdown since the Hardeman–Bogard debate. Look that up if you need to.
