Well, I did it again. I played guitar in church. I WAS able to play "Heavenly Day." That was gratifying. As I played the song I thought of my mother who played piano in church as a young woman. I thought of the time when I said to my Mom when I was four years old, "It's great to be here." And she replied, "Where is that?" I said, "On Earth, Mom. On Earth." "Heavenly Day" is a song about the joy of being on Earth. It is about looking at the trees sway on a sunny day and being thankful for every blissful moment. Times of bliss are sacred in a way because our lives on Earth are so short and the questions so many. What a beautiful experience is life, so fragile, so special. That's what the song means to me. I had a terrible dream that my mother died and I played the song at her funeral/memorial service.
Even though I played " Heavenly Day" for the prelude music I was able to play another song during the service. It's a song that my semi professional guitar playing friend from out east plays in church. "This Little Light of Mine" was fun to share and got a good response. As my friend Mike says, just go out there and do it and you will be craving more. He's right. I've played three songs in church now and it is somewhat addicting. Call it a positive addiction(thanks William Glasser). You may be asking why I even play in church, because I doubt so much of the illogical thinking of religion. I would answer that by saying that I'm playing with my heart not my head. Some would argue the heart is more important.
Other notes.....Thanks Will and Iris for the plug for my blog on your show(#86) this week. The show was very interesting and I urge everyone who reads this blog to check out their ideas. (see Will and Iris on favorite blogs to your right.)
Oh on the theme of the wonderfully awesome summer weather,
The Summer Day
(by Mary Oliver)
(by Mary Oliver)
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—the one who has flung herself out of the grass,the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall downinto the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
What do plan to your precious life?
4 comments:
As a reasonably devout Roman Catholic and prospective astrophysicist living in what I feel is becoming an increasingly polarized world, I find your writing to be refreshing and insightful. I read your first post in its entirety and I am impressed by the way you think about faith and science. Here is what I told a man who tried to mix faith and science, they can't.
Using one to prove or disprove the other is like trying to magnetize a tyrannosaur. It can't be done and more likely than not it will make the involved parties very unhappy. I have my faith, but I don't need science to prove to me that I believe in God. I also believe in the power of science, but I don't need my religion to tell me that the microwave background radiation is a relic of the creation of the universe (or that the universe was created by anything other than natural processes).
I once attended a lecture given by the once head astronomer of the Vatican. Both a priest and astrophysicist, his love of both science and his faith was undeniable. At the end of the talk he entertained questions from the audience, both from atheists and fervant fundamentalist christians. A member of the audience asked whether or not God was even needed for the science behind the creation of the universe. The priest replied, "No."
Hey, I am finally responding to the comment you left on my blog. Here is (with a minor edit) what I wrote. I have enjoyed reading your blog...
Thank you for reading!
Yes, I do like the Oaks (there is some bias here, as they are friends of friends and they once gave me a very nice breakfast). I have not purchased the new CD, (I intend to), though I have listened to it online. It strikes as less smooth and a bit more tribal than "Our Fathers..." I like their first album more, but I applaud their continued efforts. All in all, I like stories, and I like that their songs tell stories.
As you can see, I do not return to my blog as often as I would like (apologies for not responding until now). I blame the buy season at work. But I did take some time to read some of your blog entrees. Also interesting. What do you mean by "help them define in precise terms where their priorities lie"?
June 21, 2008 11:47 PM
I'll say it again, there must be a gene which triggers belief or non- belief.
There is absolutely no evidence of a god-concept - it is all speculation and human-constructed, myth and desire for the unknown to be real.
And you, despite any secular words to the contrary, are a believer.
Bill,
I appreciate your objective thought. A gene for belief or non belief? It may not be that simple.
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