Hello Waveforms (and Bono)

I bought some more William Orbit today, via a kind of roundabout route.

While everyone else recently has been arguing about whether they like Alexandra Burke, Jeff Buckley or Cohen's orginal "Hallelujah" I accidentally stumbled across Bono's version (which I discovered because some journalist was slagging it off somewhere!) While he was throwing around his snide comments, he posted the link to the Youtube file and I decided that I liked it better than all the others.

The reason that I particularly liked it was that it wasn't trying to be a cover. Bono was trying to do something different with the iconic song, to pay homage to the original rather than blindly copy it. Anyway I couldn't find it on the itunes store, and so had to get it on Amazon (on an album called "Tower of Song" which has some other tributes which may also be interesting). Because I could get free delivery if I also bought some other music, I decided to check out Hello Waveforms by Willliam Orbit. You can hear the preview on Williamorbit.com, and its very lovely. He has returned to an updated version of his Strange Cargo style, and there are loads of tracks that I'd be very happy to use to back prayers and liturgies. Its just lovely blissful chillout (although there are lyrics on some of the tracks so you can't use them all). I was surprised to hear him use Autotune on his vocalist's voice though. I thought he'd be averse to that sort of thing! Anyway check out "Hello Waveforms", you might like it!

Morphing Jesus

So many people recently have commented on how powerful they have found the morphing images of Christ. Here is the link to Jonny Baker's blog posting about it.

Here is the file itself

Jeff Cardoni

I've just been watching CSI Miami and I was struck by the music that they were playing as Alex leaves. Sometimes a track sticks out as being something special and it made my ears prick up. So I did a bit of searching around and discovered that the track was specially written by Jeff Cardoni, who has written quite a bit of music for CSI and other series. He has his own website (Jeffcardoni.com) and you can hear the piece "Farewell to Alex" on there. But he also has quite a few pieces available on the itunes store too.

Enjoy!

Sue

Moses Story.

This story is based on the old testament reading for this Sunday. Hopefully it speaks for itself....

Moses story.

I was a refugee really, and it was my own fault. Once upon a time I had had it all. I was adopted by the Pharaoh's daughter and lived in a palace, but my hot temper got me into trouble. I saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, and knowing that they were my own people, anger flared inside me, so I killed the bully, but of course you cannot hide crimes like that easily. They catch up with you, and so it was with me.

The Pharaoh tried to kill me, and suddenly I had to run for my life. I didn't really think or plan, I just ran off to the land of Midian. But, thankfully the people in Midian were kind to me, took me in, and let me live as one of their own. A priest there let me marry one of his daughters, and I made a new life for myself. I even forgot I'd ever lived as an Egyptian, and yet, that time I spent in that land, and the language of my youth, those years I thought were wasted, were to come in very useful later, but I didn't know that then.

So then I became a shepherd. I didn't have sheep of my own, I wasn't that rich, but I tended the flock of my father in Law Jethro the Midian Priest. He was a kind man, who looked after us well, but sometimes i did wonder if he only did this because of his daughter,. still, no matter, we were fed and housed and felt useful. Some people would say it was a bit of a come down, being reduced to overseeing sheep after being in the civil service, but I didn't care. The atmosphere was less opressive and I saw much less cruelty with only the occasional lion or bear to chase away.

But then came my big life changing event....The event which was so incredible that I know some people's eyebrows will shoot up when I tell it. For there I was, looking after the sheep, and frankly i was a little bored, because sheep don't really do much, apart from eat and walk around and go baa. I thought for a second I'd been daydreaming, so I pinched myself, but, no, that was not the case, I was really seeing what I was seeing.

It was a bush." So what" you may reply," there are plenty of bushes in the desert", maybe so, but this bush was on fire. Yes you might reply, well the hot sun can scorch bushes sometimes and they can combust if the atmosphere is dry.
OK, well in that case why are the leaves of this bush green and vibrant? In fact the bush seemed to be doing rather well even though it was on fire. I was truly very puzzled. It was a bizarre sort of phenomenon, but maybe if I went closer there would be a more obvious explanation as to why this was so.

So I walked closer, and then I heard the VOICE. It called me by name. The BUSH called me by name. Not just "Oy you, shepherd blokey" but "Moses" How could a bush possibly know my name? So I said , somewhat shakily "here I am" I didn't know what else to say really. I was here, I was scared but I hadn't run away...yet. And I was playing for time to see what the voice said next. And then the voice said "Come no closer. And take off your sandals, you are standing on holy ground."

So I did what the bush told me, and took off my sandals, and yes I could feel the holiness of that earth tingling beneath my feet as I stared at the bush, gently shaking and wondering who it was that was talking to me. It must be someone important. An angel perhaps.

And as the voice identified itself, I hid my head with shame and wonder, for it was GOD. THE God, the one TRUE God. THe God of our fathers Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob. Not any old wooden pretend God such as the ones the locals worshipped. Nope the real deal. And I was afraid to see his face for I might die of shock. Part of me felt like I should kneel or something, but I was rooted to the spot, so I just listened as the voice told me more.

"I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out becase of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering."

And I felt moved. Because all that time when the Israelites had been saying. Where is God, doesn't He know we are suffering, doesn't he care? It turned out, that all that long lonely time, he had been listening, and He did care, and he was concerned, was hatching rescue plans, and now and he was going to put them into action, to do something about it! I was thrilled to see what He was going to come up with. What stunningly huge armies he was going to send to beat up the baddies and rescue the innocent.

The voice promised that he would take the people to a land flowing with milk and honey, a land populated by many other tribes. But then came the scariest bit of this conversation. The voice told me to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites back.
erm ME. not an army of angels, not a human army or even a super human giant. Nope. Just me. One person verses the ruler of an empire. And then I really felt shaky.

For who Am I? I'm just one sad skint refugee. And so I asked that question. Who am I that I should be given this enormous task? Nobody special that's sure.
But God replied. "I will be with you. And as a sign I promise you will come and worship me on this mountain when its all over."
So I was not alone, but at that moment I certainly felt a little alone, for the company of this great and mighty being, was so awesome and amazing. yet I tried to reassure myself. For God actually said that this huge task was something that HE was going to do,not something that I was going to do. And so maybe I should just try to do what He said and not get in the way, not keep my sandals on and ruin his plans, but take them off and listen to His guiding voice.

But even so, I couldn't resist asking this deity its name. Me, moses, asking the creator of the universe what I should call him. I was a bit scared even phrasing the question, so I sort of did it cunningly. I created a scenario where the Israelites asked me what they should call God and asked God in a second hand sort of way. I thought he might be less angry about the rudeness then, for if you know someone's name, you have power over them. You call it out, and they will turn round!

But God was not angry. But then nor did he give a direct answer. He gave more of a description than a real name. He said "I am who I am", but he said so in the Hebrew language, which has no tenses, so he also said, I will be who I will be, and I was who I was. He just is, he just was, he just will be. A kind of constant rock in an ever changing world. And a God who reaches into our future as well as our past, who knows what's coming, and has it all planned already, like a reassuring peek at the last page of a novel that is only half read.

And then he said that this is his name forever and his title for all generations. So there it was, I had the most daunting task I had ever been given, one that seemed impossible. For surely I would be arrested and hanged as soon as I set foot in Egypt. But, I also had this promise, from none other than the Creator of the Universe, that I would get out of Egypt alive a promise given by someone who had been with me in that future, who was going to be with me in that future, and who KNEW that it would be so.

Transfiguration Hymn.

This new hymn looks suspiciously like my Epiphany Hymn, but I have tweaked the lyrics for the feast of the Transfiguration. Feel free to use if you wish. (the tune is "I vow to thee my country").

O Christ, You came from Heaven to Earth,
Infinity made small
Revealing Heaven's surprising plans,
You show God's face to all.
We offer You our gold,
That is we crown You as our king.
The incense of our worship, A fragrant offering.
And with myrrh we'll touch the wounded ones
With precious healing balm
Be your eyes and ears and healing hands
To comfort those who mourn.

We have looked for love and seen its face,
Within a loveless world,
And to those who hope for happiness
Your glory is revealed
For we saw Your face while searching,
And Your love grew in our lives
And we know tranfiguration
As clarity arrives.
Even now You guide the travellers,
Through dangerous dark lands.
Till the day we reach our Heavenly home
Held safe within Your hands

Christ You dived into our water
and you made our water pure
And You lived within our tangled lives
and made them so much more
For the hand of God has touched us,
Bringing Christ into this place
And there's hope for each culture,
Each nation, every race
For the Christ-Child grew
and showed us
The true face of the Divine
For we simply lived on water
Yet you turned it into wine.

Stones

I was going to say "This was the mediation we did on Sunday". Actually this isn't quite true, as I forgot to bring the script with me, but thankfully remembered most of it off by heart. But anyway this was the meditation we almost did on Sunday, when the lectionary had a lot of readings about rocks in it!


You might like to hold your stone, while we say the following meditation.
It is based on lots of incidents where stones appear throughout the bible. The stones that built the temple, David killing Goliath, the stoning of Stephen, the Spriritual temple mentioned in the first letter of Peter, the many mansions that Jesus tells us are in God's house. The cairn that was built when the Isreallites crosses the Jordan while God held back the water, and the stones that Jesus said would cry out if the people stopped shouting Hosanna as he rode into Jerusalem.


What can you do with a stone?`

You can do many different things.
You can throw your stones at a dangerous person
Your definition of dangerous
being someone you disagree with.
you can beat them till they cry
"Lord Jesus recieve my spirit"
And they lay their head down and die.

You can build them into a house,
A temple house for God
Carve pomegranates and angels, to decorate the borders.
And know that God will come and visit
The structure you have made.

You can stretch up your head,
And admire the cornerstone at the top
The one that holds al the others together
And know that someone once rejected it,
But now it has the highest place.

You can launch your stone within a slingshot
And kill a warrior and giant
But save a persecuted people.
But your stone would then be bloody
Even though you saved some lives.

You can lead a spiritually hungry people
Through a dry and dusty desert.
And when their mouths are parched with thirst
Strike a stone with your old staff
And watch clean water gushing out.

You can build a cairn,
To remember a great miracle
Like holding back the jordan river
For travellers to cross

You can build a house with many stones
And know that there is room
For everyone within its walls.
But that there is just one way in,
One door that's open wide.

You could march seven times around stone walls
And watch them tumble down.
So prisoners can be released
And evil rulers sacked.

You can give it to your child,
When they ask you for some bread.
But you know deep down you wouldn't
Because you want them to eat well
And grow up beautiful and strong.

You can put your ear next to your stone.
And listen for its song.
Knowing that if we stopped our praises
It would cry hosanna to the king.

Your stone can kill, your stone can build,
Your stone might sing, or might gush water.
The choice is yours.
What do you most want
To do with your stone?

More ambience and electronica

I quite often listen to "Groove Salad" internet radio when I've got writing to do. Malcolm does too, but lately he has got bored of the track listings (probably cos we use so many of them in services I suspect!) Anyway he has started listening to DI.com which is another internet radio station, which has some very nice ambient and electronica on it.

Anyway yesterday they were playing some reallly nice stuff my Mikael Fyrek, so, as usual I scribbled down the track name and did a websearch on it. Its always nice to find that the thing you were looking for is being given away for free by the artist.
Mikael Fyrek on Myspace.
The album - In riots of colour they spin
Enjoy!

Jesu Grant me this I Pray (the Good Friday mix).

Once again, it occurs to me that posting some lyrics might come in handy for someone, sometime.
We've remixed Jesu Grant me this I pray a couple of times, but this version was designed for a Good Friday service.


Jesu grant me this I pray.
Ever in Your heart to stay
Let me evermore abide
Hidden in your wounded side
Hidden in your wounded side

In Your tortured agony
You bring us eternity
Crushing evil, hate and pride
Showing us Your wounded side.
Showing us Your wounded side.

Crucified on Calvary’s hill
Let me love You deeper still.
Bring me home, yes be my guide.
To Your heart and wounded side.
To Your heart and wounded side.

Longing for Your paradise
Coming when the timing’s right
Sweet surroundings You provide
In Your heart and wounded side.
In Your heart and wounded side.

O sacred head (Sues words)

Yonks back I remixed O sacred head.
It occurs to me that this week is a good time to repost the lyrics. So here we are.
It starts fairly standard and then in verse 2 goes a bit different....
Free free to swipe.

And click on the link if you want to hear my version.
(its down at the bottom of the page once you get there so you'll have to scroll for a bit)

O sacred head surrounded
by crown of piercing thorns
O royal head so wounded
The object of our scorn
Deaths shadows rise before you
The glow of life decays
Yet angel choirs adore you
And tremble as they gaze

You saw our human sorrows
Abuse and pain and war,
And all our deadliest horrors
The hate lodged at our core.
I bow to You our mender,
For healing our disgrace.
For loving us like no other
To save the human race.

Your beauty, health and vigour
Are crushed, Your strength is gone
And in your tortured figure
I see death coming on,
In agony and dying
You bled to make us free
We long for transformation
Christ turn your face to me

What language shall I borrow
To thank you dearest friend
For all your tortured sorrow
Compassion without end!
Christ make me yours forever
And when at last I die
Embrace me then and show me
Yourself, Your love, Your life.

Liturgical Recipes

I was trying to write a talk for Palm Sunday today, and while researching a completely un-related piece of information, I discovered liturgical recipes! Apparently the thing to eat this Sunday is porrdige made of peas....and have some figs for dessert.
So now ya know!
Catholic Culture recipe site.
Some of the recipes look intriguing though.

I had curry tonight. Which probably wasn't liturgical at all (apart from being vegan which curries often are in our house). But it did taste very nice.

Epiphany (why waste a good tune!)

After remixing the tune of "I vow to thee my country" I was looking at the songs for the Transcendence service on Sunday, and realised that although "O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" is the sort of song people usually do at this time of year, it was going to be really tricky to do. (Its in 3 for a start. Have you ever tried writing dance music in 3? Its not impossible, just very very difficult)

Anyway, so I had a look at the words, and had a think about what the service is meant to be about (revelation of God to everyone, not just the "in crowd", and the baptism of Christ and the wedding at Cana thrown in for good measure) and I came up with this...

Feel free to use, project, stick on bits of paper etc...I'm sure you know the tune.

O Christ, You came from Heaven to Earth, infinity made small
Revealing Heaven's surprising plans, you show God's face to all.
We offer You our gold, that is we crown You as our king.
The incense of our worship, a fragrant offering.
And with myrrh we'll touch the wounded ones with precious healing balm
Be your eyes and ears and healing hands to comfort those who mourn.

We have looked for love and seen its face, within a loveless world,
And to those who hope for happiness a sign has been revealed
For we saw Your star while searching, and we found You in our lives
And Your legend took on flesh, Your reality arrives.
Even now You guide the tra-ve-llers, through dangerous dark lands.
Till the day we reach our Heavenly home held safe within Your hands.

Christ You dived into our water and you made our water pure
And You lived within our tangled lives and made them so much more
For the hand of God has touched us, bringing Christ into this place
And there's hope for each culture, each nation, every race
And the baby grows and show us the true face of the Divine
For we simply lived on water yet you turned it into wine.