Musings Archive: October 2004

:: The Exquisite Pain of Missing You ::
 
Every now and then, something so much better than you deserve happens.  more

Posted by Dwight Ozard   (10/6/2004 10:42:22 AM | link)

:: Some days, the world is full of hope ::
 
Just returned to suburban, "mainline" Philly after spending a couple of days at The Contemporary Music Center on Martha's Vineyard, a very groovy semester-long baptism in the Music Industry run for students from the Union of Christian Colleges and Universities by Warren Pettit, he of Greenville College fame, and Tom Willett, easily among my favorite people in the world and ex of so many very cool things it's hard to count. But if you've got a Sam/Leslie Phillips disc in your collection, or one by the Choir, or one of the records by Tonio K that anyone has heard, or if you're a Mark Heard fan, you in one way or the other owe Willett your thanks.

Anyway, I was there "lecturing" (and those quotation marks are HUGE) on Christian Music and Social Change, using the vastly outdated essay "The Seven Deadly Sins of Contemporary Christian Music" as a springboard, and while it took a bit out of me to get there (I had to have an emergency blood transfusion just last Thursday, for example), we managed an amazing time together. Sure, I'll pay for it physically for the next couple of days (just standing for as long as I did was stupid), I'm so emotionally and spiritually charged up from the visit I couldn't possibly care less.

First, it was GOOD to see Tom. He enlivens me, fills me with hope, makes me happy to know anyone who is so committed to making the world safe for good phrasing or an exciting chord change, all against the backdrop of belief in a God who is given to special care for the "least the last and the lost." His hugs, even, are mammoth and happy--you can sense the delight he feels in hearing a new song surge from his fingertips.

To Tom Willett! Cheers!

Second and last--I was able to spend time with 34 kids who are committed to being great musicians and faithful ones at that. They were exciting and stirring and funny and accessable and full of absolute delight.

To the students! Cheers to you too!

Posted by Dwight Ozard   (10/6/2004 8:24:28 AM | link)

:: The Answer, My Friend.... ::
 
Both of them have spin machines trying to clutter the realm of the Spirit with lies, spin, static, tilt o' the head questions and other various forms of innuendo, and both of them went into the debate cluttering up the head and heart with enough pre-event prejudice to make objectivity near impossible.

One question, however:
Why is that whenever there's a major address, action (like going to war or calling up reservists), or a debate, stories start appearing in major right-of-center dailies and networks, as well as the endless email routes and the alleged "Christian" and denominational radio and TV networks, stations and wire services, about how George W. gets up early to read the Bible and Oswald Chambers or prays with strangers?

Doesn't anyone in the Christian Right remember the words of Jesus about acts of righteousness and prayer in public????

Are we all that stupid, that "dupe-able"?

Do we really believe that just because W gets up early, witnesses to strangers, prays with visitors or listens to Christian music, he's qualified to run the country or that it's suddenly ok to violate millenia of Christian teaching and launch a pre-emptive war?

Are we fools?

Perhaps. But despite all of that, maybe if we pay close attention somebody might find something truly good or worthy of prolongued reflection in the transcript of last night's debate.

A boy can dream.  more

Posted by Dwight Ozard   (10/1/2004 10:32:28 AM | link)

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