Lord of the Starfields

For many years, I have played on worship bands and led congregational music in the churches I have attended.  Currently, I am uninvolved in this ministry, as my family and I have recently moved to Mexico, and I have yet to be invited to join our new congregation's music ministry except on a one-off basis.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed and feeling somewhat impatient about this.  I have had to remind myself repeatedly that it is not in my time but in God's.  In the meantime I am reflecting heavily on my practice as a Christian musician and the role that I play in the congregation's communion with God.  Overtime some of these thoughts might make their way onto this blog, and I covet your feedback.  I have been encouraged to gather them in one spot, either to create an article or hand-book on church music, drawing on my experience in multiple denominations, cultures, and roles.

Doubtless you have heard this week about the enormous solar flares that lit up the northern hemisphere with amazing displays of Northen Lights.  Had I been in Edmonton, I would have driven out to the country with my family and my camera to enjoy this phenomenom, and spend some time marveling at the wonder of Creation and God's handi-work.  However, I am in Mexico, and the Auroras were not visible here. : (

Nonetheless, I have had time to ponder this and remember a great song by Canadian singer-songwriter, Bruce Cockburn.  I introduced this song to a congregation a few years ago, and took some flack from a few congregants, some who objected to the quazi-secular source (although Cockburn is a professing Christian, albeit very Liberal in his views), while a few others thought it sounded panthiest.  Most however, quite liked the song, and our worship band included it in our repetoire a some times since.  After having written it, Cockburn said in an interview that "I wanted to write something like a psalm".  Here is the song.  Take some time to ponder it, and the amazing greatness of God the Creator, the Ancient of Days, and the "Lord of the Starfields".

FYI, this is part of the "Cool Licks" portion of the Blog, as mentioned in the title.  Cheers!

Coatepec, the falls, The Fall

I live in a small city in Mexico called Coatepec, in the state of Veracruz.  Coatepec is a very picturesque location, with a near-perfect climate (at least for someone like me, who originally hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Coatepec is one of those parts of Mexico that makes me wonder why there aren't more expatriot Canadians and Americans here.  It has very little violence, a comfortable climate (as mentioned), cheap real estate, beautiful scenery, awesome coffee, great food, and is a short drive one one of the most culturally important cities in the country, Xalapa.

It has many beautiful towns around it, too.  The closest is Xico, renowned for its bread, Toritos, colonial architecture, and the Cascadas de Texolo.  Here are a couple pictures I took on my last visit to the cascadas.

As a Christian, places such as the Cascadas are a firm reminder of the awesome creativity of the Creator.  I often wonder how beautiful the world must have been when it was new.  It must have hurt God terribly to impose the consequence of sin on the world, and on humanity too.  His awesome creative work, marred, and ruined because of one simple, seemingly insignificant act of disobedience.  But I guess that is that point, that no disobedience is insignificant, and no sin small.   Each sin helped drive the nails through Jesus' hands.  Thank God it does not end on the cross.










One of the greatest hymns written in the past centuries, and still sug around the world, in many different languages is "How Great Thou Art" (click the link for some of the song's history).  Its lyrics in English say:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!




Amen.  
God bless you, dear readers, and I hope your travels bring you to Coatepec and the surrounding area.

Welcome

What will you find here?  You will find thoughts on life and death, thoughts about God and humanity's relationship with the Divine, you will find links to other bloggers and websites that pique my interest, and hopefully yours too.  And finally, you will from time to time find me waxing on about music, because there is probably nothing else in my life that I dig so consistently and fervently as good music.

Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to read this.  To get you started, here is a link to a news story that I read today, that as a foreigner living in Mexico, really troubled me.  It is in Spanish (sorry if you don't read Spanish), from one of the nation's leading newspapers:
www.eluniversal.com.mx%2Fnotas%2F825549.html&h=UAQE9FN3H