The Crew Have Killed Their Captain

David Bazan is a bit of a rock star – he used to be a big hit as a Christian singer, and now self-identifies as agnostic. His lyrics are painfully real. I particularly love this verse of his, from “In Stitches” –

photo from Chicago Reader

I might as well admit it
Like I’ve even got a choice
The crew have killed the captain
But they still can hear his voice
A shadow on the water
A whisper in the wind
On long walks my with daughter
Who is lately full of questions
About you
About you

and this –

Wait just a minute
You expect me to believe
That all this misbehaving
Grew from one enchanted tree?
And helpless to fight it
We should all be satisfied
With this magical explanation
For why the living die
And why it’s hard to be
Hard to be, hard to be
A decent human being?

“The curse of a godless man can sound more pleasant in God’s ears than the Hallelujah of the pious” – Martin Luther

What is your Life’s Purpose?

I did this internet meme thing on facebook, in which you put your iTunes on shuffle in order to answer Magic 8 ball questions. Here is one which I looked up today:

Q. What is your Life’s Purpose?

A. Villemann Og Magnhild, Putumayo

Villemann gjekk seg te storan å,

Hei fagraste lindelauvi alle

Der han ville gullharpa slå

For de runerne de lyster han å vinne

Villemann gjenge for straumen å stå,

Mesterleg kunne han gullharpa slå

Han leika med lente, han leika med list,

Og fugelen tagna på grønande kvist

Han leika med lente, han leika med gny,

Han leika Magnhild av nykkens arm

Men då steig trolli upp or djupaste sjø,

Det gjalla i berg og det runga i sky

Då slo han si harpe til bonns i sin harm,

Og utvinner krafti av trollenes arm

and the translation is:

Villemann went to the river

To the most beautiful of all linden

This is where he wanted to play the gold harp

Because the runes didn’t augur well

Villeman went to stand up against the torrent

He could play the gold harp brilliantly

He played it gently, he played it clever

The bird calmed down on the green tree

He played it gently, he played it loud

He played Magnhild free out of the arms of the troll

Then the troll rose up from the depth of the lake

It rumbled in the mountains and crashed in the clouds

He hit the harp with all of his concentrated strength

And took away the troll’s strength and power

–

That’s what happens when you try to cross bridges. But how about if you just want to build them?

Song of Song of Song

for the director of Music. A Psalm of Judith. Music by Ebone Ingram, Lyrics by Judith Huang. Sung by Ebone Ingram.

I will praise you with so many hands that grow
they will form the tree, the tree of life!
I will praise you with so many songs I know
they will form the hymn of starry lights!
I will praise you with so many thoughts that snow
they will form the mountains of my life!

O my heart is singing singing singing!
Can you tell my heart is singing singing?
O my heart is winging winging winging!
Can you tell my heart is taking winging? –

O my LORD you are the beauteous mountain
O my LORD I am the mustard seed
How I even know to move a mountain
Is knowledge that I will never need

O my LORD you are a king, a sheep
O my LORD by my dear side you bleat
O my LORD I can be yours again
O my LORD if only you would keep!

O my LOVE you are the psalmister
O my LOVE you are the director
O my LOVE you are my conductor
O my LOVE selah! selah! selah!

O my LIFE you are the last act then
O my LIFE you may be the last man
In my whole life who matters any more
For you have taken what no other can

And you have taken for yourself the seed
And you have turned it to a raining tree
And you have taken for yourself the tune
And you have turned it into symphony –

Angels, hear my song oh hear my song!
Angels, you will join in now along!
Angels, will you come with me and join
the everlasting reaching line –

O my Christ! My dreadful chevalier –
Will you come and dwell within me here –
O my Ghost! My floating messenger –
Will you come and whisper in my ear –
O Father! O my faceless deathless father –
Will you come and comfort this your daughter –
Will you hold her, kiss her, dance now with her –
Give her away now, give and give her –
For kingdom glory honor you’ve bestowed her –
Which she must pass along or it destroys her –

It is too much weight, this lightened dust
It is too much joy, this heart has burst
It is too much gifting, ah my dear
I have come to sit still standing here
Bring me down, alight me gently now –
Let me drink with grace the melting snow –

Let me drink with grace the melting snow.

Click here to hear