Jerusalem, My Happy Home

I wanted to start throwing some demos up of songs I've written or arranged. This is a hymn text that I arranged a bit. The tune is basically the same except for a new melody for a repeated chorus, and then of course the chords are entirely different than the original. It is unclear who the original author of the text is, claims ranging from James Montgomery to St. Augustine. But the text is an excellent ode to the promised land. The text is very reminiscent of "On Jordan's Stormy Banks." Enjoy!

Jerusalem, My Happy Home by jdgoodwyne

the goose is getting fat

remember that song? christmas is coming. this time of year is my most favorite. but the greatest beginning part of this time of year, that so perfectly ushers in the advent season, is so overlooked. the turkey. thanksgiving is so special. there's something about gathering together for a gigantic meal with loved ones that makes me ooze thankfulness. my heart wells up at the sight of a thanksgiving dinner spread, hearing football in the background and all things pumpkin, cinnamon and spice. it's the mark of even greater times to be had all december month long. in my family, 3 celebrated november birthdays is even more added fun! jeremy and i decided that when we got married, we would put good use to our fine china. so we christened it with a thanksgiving feast in our first home.

a cornucopia graced the table at jeremy's request

 

our china anxiously awaiting to be doused in turkey, dressing and lots of gravy

 

we had about 14 of our closest friends over to share.

so as much as i love seeing the beautiful christmas decorations coming up in all the store windows and malls, i love even more the approaching best food of the year holiday that is thanksgiving.

yes, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

Hood Party

Biddleville had its third annual block party tonight. We get a permit and block off the 2200 block of Roslyn Ave, and everyone comes. This year we had a chili cook-off and a bake-off. There must have been between 15 and 20 different kinds of chili including white bean chicken chili, something called Swamp Sauce, a Chocolate Chili (actual chili with chocolate. Not like a 'dessert pizza.'), american chili, and salsa chili. The bake off included espresso cookies, cakes, jam cookies, pumpkin chocolate bread pudding (ours) and chocolate kalhua cake (shannon's, our arch-rival). Shannon won, and while her cake was very good, I think there were some shady back room deals and promises being made by the venerable children's director. I'll get you next year, Arendt!

What a fantastic community to live in. There must have been around 50 or so people there, and such a diverse group. There was a large group of white folks from Uptown Church, but there were many folks from other churches, a bunch of folks from no churches, a bunch of black folks, a bunch of homosexuals, a ton of kids, marrieds, singles, elders, youngins, poor, well off, bankers and gang bangers. It's so incredible to see how people with so little on common can come together over a meal. It makes me appreciate so much the subversive nature of the Eucharistic feast. This is a table at which all are sons (in the inheritistic, not gender sense), and all eat as one body the body of the Lord, and drink as one body his blood. There is no male or female, Jew or Greek, slave or free. There is counter-cultural relativizing that happens at baptism, and which is lived out in our meal sharing. Jamey Smith has been talking about that in his book "Desiring the Kingdom" which I've been reading.

I get a little bound up when someone says there will be "refreshments" at a church function. It feels so sterile. Like just pop in a pill or something discreet to "freshen up" and get back to the real business at hand, something spiritual or cognitive. Let's sit down together and sup. I want to see and hear you chewing. I want to break a chunk of bread from the same loaf as you. I want drink wine from the same chalice as you. I want the smells of good food to become a part of what we consider fellowship. I want to take creation into my body turning it into myself with my true family, the Church of God, the bride of Christ. It's messy and earthy and it sometimes smells. It's a hood party. And I love it.

Ekklēsia - Called Out

Week after week, for millennia and around the globe, a peculiar people is gathered by a call to worship-- a call that, in a sense, goes out before the service even begins, but that is then formally declared in the opening of the service in the "call to worship," often from the Psalms...

 The rather mundane fact that people show up is, however, an indicator of something fundamental: that a people has gathered in response to a call. "Whenever we gather for public worship," [Michael] Horton declares, "it is because we have been summoned. That is what 'church' mean: ekklēsia, 'called out.' It is not a voluntary society of those whose chief concern is to share, to build community, to enjoy fellowship, to have moral instruction for their children. Rather, it is a society of those who have been chosen, redeemed, called, justified, and are being sanctified until one day they will be glorified." The very fact that we gather says something, implicitly trains our imagination in a way. "Gathering indicates that Christians are called from the world, from their homes, from their families, to be constituted into a community capable of praising God... The church is constituted as a new people who have been gathered from the nations to remind the world that we are in fact one people. Gathering, therefore, is an eschatological act as it is the foretaste of the unity of the communion of the saints."

- James K. A. Smith in Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview and Cultural Formation

referenced:
Michael Horton, A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God-Centered Worship
Stanley Hauerwas, In Good Company: The Church as Polis

Fall-ing upon us

I love the fall. I really, really love the fall. Julie and I have cooked hotdogs and roasted marshmallows over a fire in the back yard two nights in a row. I could do this every night, I think.
We're going camping with some folks up at Crowder's Mountain next weekend. What a great spot. You hike just about a mile in, and there are some sites off the hiking trail. There is a fire pit, a picnic table, and two tent pads per site. But no electricity or cars or anything. So it's got a semi-wild feel, but more casual. Central NC isn't exactly mountainous, there are just these two isolated mountains 30 minutes from Charlotte. And from what I hear, the leaves should be just about perfect when we go.
My folks got me some Columbia hiking boots for my birthday, (thanks ma and pa!) so I'm very excited about those. I don't think I've ever hiked in legit shoes before.
What else, what else...
I'm chest-deep in Christmas preparations. Children's Choir began three weeks ago, and adult choir begins tomorrow night. I've got fantastic help this year, though. Kristin Macurda and Ashley Abbott are wrangling the kids, I couldn't be more thankful. That's two brilliant minds and excellent musicians.
Last year, we used Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella, but I got ragged for the year following, so that one probably won't make the cut this year. However, I'm tempted to include Good King Wenceslas, just out of spite. What a weird text. But I thought Bring a Torch was a standard.
Julie was a huge help tonight, suggesting songs. I've got a lot of work to do, but I couldn't have asked for a better mate.
Well, I'm testing out blogging by email, so I'm going cut this off. Until next time.

On A Crucifix

See

Here at last

is

Love

-Dunstan Thompson

Brief Update

Hello GoodWyrds! Sorry it's been so long, but I don't want to cross the month-since-post mark. Things have been nutty for us around the Goodwyne household, but all very good and better. The dogter is well, sleeping 16 hours a day. Man and wife are very well, trying to steer clear of the obnoxious weather which threatens us and our comrades at every turn. But the good Lord has kept us in His care, directing our paths, and we are healthy and safe. We were able to visit our good Mums for mother's day. Unfortunately, on the way back, the radiator in Julie's 4-Runner cracked. Crappy. But providentially, we were like 2 miles from Julie's parents' house when it happened. So we didn't end up stranded on the interstate 100 miles from anyone in the heat. Praise God for that.

Anyway, that's a brief update. More to come!

there's something sweet about the south

it's slow. it simmers. it makes you say, ahhhh. not in the blazing heat of mid-summer, of course. but that's what lemonade, sweet tea, (dr. pepper!) and front porch shade sittin' is for. as a south carolina native, i'm biased of my homeland. there's nothing better than inhaling the sweet scent of carolina air if you've been away from it. it's enveloping and comfy. it smells like home.

 

 

 

aahhhhhh.

there's a first time for everything

i've been able to resist jeremy's requests of keeping up with a blog for quite awhile now. i don't see myself as very digitally savvy, nor have i an interest in all things twitter, flickr, buzz, blogger and the like. i don't want to be so arrogant as to think that the world has any interest in what my life is like, my opinions on certain things, what sorts of things i'm interested in, etc. but for those of you who are good at keeping up with people this particular way, i figured i'd give it a try for you, and for my persistent and very awesome digitally hipster husband.  i guess this is, however, a better option than the traditional yearly christmas letter. no offense to those who keep up with those traditional yearly christmas letters, of course. i admire your diligence and consistency. we'll see how this goes!

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time are the periods of time in the liturgical calendar following Easter and Pentecost, outside of the narrative of the life of Christ.

Ordinary Time is also a band which I find extremely impressive. From their website:

Ordinary Time is an independent folk acoustic trio rooted in the Christian tradition. Comprised of Ben Keyes (guitar, piano, mandolin), Peter La Grand (guitar, banjo, dobro), and Jill McFadden (guitar, violin), Ordinary Time presents extraordinarily rich vocal harmonies, skillful instrumentation, and thought-provoking lyrics. The band's oeuvre seamlessly weaves the hymns of generations past with their own new songs-- often indistinguishably-- producing a sound that ranges from bluegrass-tinged Americana to sacred hard hymn arrangements. The band has released three records and tours semi-annually.

Grounded in tradition, innovative in expression, and mature in musicianship, Ordinary Time offers an important and unique voice, gifting us with enduring tunes for the journey of faith.

I first stumbled across them looking for liturgical music for the season of Advent, and discovered their album In the Town of David. It wrecked me pretty good. We did several of these songs for Advent last year, and their setting of the Nunc Dmittis, "Simeon's Song" is excellent. I've been listening to their album Until He Comes, and really feasting on the song "Following."

To Follow?

Your burdens are light,

but your blessings are heavy,

almost too weighty to bear

There's a hook in this meal,

to receive is to follow,

and you won't always say where.

What fool would dare follow you?

The idea of the burdens of Christ being light, but his blessings heavy is so powerful to me. And the very reality of the weight of the Lord's supper is so strong. It is a blessing, a means of grace, an actuality, the very real presence of Christ, and to receive it is to follow Christ wherever that may be. And if that is not a scary thought, than perhaps we don't understand it. It may mean scorn, ridicule, social suicide, or even physical torment or death. It certainly means the constant process of sanctification, the burning away of impurities, the putting to death of the old man. Such are the blessings of Christ.

It may be worth it, but it's still heavy.

The Proprietors

Julie, wife of Jeremy since 2007. She is new to the world of blogging, and unlike some of us, doesn't get swept away in every little technological/social media enterprise. She likes to cook, she has excellent taste in movies, and is an interior designer. She loves the beach, old Charlestonian style, and antique furniture.

Jeremy, husband of Julie since 2007. He is older to the world of blogging, though never particularly good at it, and he does get swept away in every little technological/social media enterprise. He likes all the same things as his wife. Also, he is a musician, and probably likes the mountains more than the beach. He recently shed the beard.

Like a vinaigrette

I love vinaigrettes. I love that there are so many different kinds, that they are never plain, and that they tend to be very robust and flavorful. But mostly I think that they are fun to watch when you mix them together, because simply sitting in a shared space, never being shaken up, they separate out. But shaking them up is a very different thing indeed.

Julie and I have decided to embark on a new journey of digital journaling for the benefit of those who know and love us. And those who do know us know how very different and complementary the two of us are. We both recently took the DISC test, and it turns out we really are basically diametric opposites in every category. I thank God for that. This will be an interesting intersection of two very different personalities types who have joined each other's stories, and here reflect that concoction.

So we are like a vinaigrette. Neither oil nor vinegar are very fun to drink on their own, but together they make a make a robust, flavorful, and beautiful marriage.

Unknown Artists and the Glory of God

Art lost its basic creative drive the moment it was separated from worship. It severed an umbilical cord and now lives its own sterile life, generating and degenerating itself. In former days the artist remained unknown and his work was to the glory of God.

-Ingmar Bergman (quoted by Gregory Wolfe in Image Journal)