Who I am // pt. 1

I'm writing this in three parts because it has just gotten unwieldy for a single blog post. This is part 1, and the other two parts will follow in subsequent days. 

I've never lived in one place for very long. I can think of at least 8 different residences I had in 5 cities and 3 states before I graduated high school. Many folks have stories like this due to military life or some other vocation but I'm honestly not sure why this was our story. Because of this, I've always thought of myself as a sort of restless go-er, without the need to really put down deep roots or keep in touch with people. It wasn't until college and marriage that I started to think of people and places as things not to be simply discarded with a change of address like so many pieces of junk mail to a prior resident. 

Last weekend I did something I honestly never expected to do: I attended a high school reunion of sorts. Now, I didn't even graduate from this high school. From 8th grade until halfway through 11th grade I lived in Grantville, GA and attended West Georgia Christian Academy (WGCA) in LaGrange. At that point we moved again to Charleston, SC. WGCA has gone through much turmoil since I left in 2001 and is now called LaFayette Christian School, but it is in the same location and buildings after these 12 years, albeit having expanded significantly. Some of the staff who have been there for many years decided to organize an event they called ReConnect 2013, and they basically invited all former and present students and staff to attend. I wouldn't have been inclined to go, but one of the few people providentially back in my life from that era is Micah Vickery. We were close friends in high school, but didn't stay in touch when I moved away. At this point our lives have circled back on each twice, (3 times if you count the fact that we just discovered we were born like an hour away from each other in Oklahoma). Micah is an intern at Uptown Church where I serve as worship director, and I got pumped to go only because he was pumped to go.

So I jumped in the van with Micah, his lovely wife Blair and their two girls and we took a road trip to western GA. The whole experience was bizarre and surreal for me. I moved in January 2001 the day after the annual Madrigal Feast and performance in which I had a substantial role. For some period of time after that, I tried to hang on to my old world. I had a girlfriend from Georgia, and I remember making trips back for that relationship. But at some point she broke up with me and I think western Georgia just became another shadowy place from my past, another place from which I would maintain no lasting relationships. But Micah's family still lives in Lagrange, so this is home for him. It is fairly unavoidable for him to bump into people from his past by the nature of visiting his family and going to their church. So traveling with them, staying at his parents house, going to their church, and of course attending this school-wide reunion, all of this was my experience on this trip.

I was pretty apprehensive just before leaving. I had been pretty excited up until the day before, but then I got spooked thinking about the past. I remembered that I had old girlfriends who would probably be there. I remembered that people were in different places spiritually, and that some had rejected the faith entirely. I remembered that I wasn't nearly the "good Christian guy" I liked to think I was and many of these people knew that. I remembered that these people haven't been tracking with me and seeing how I've changed and who I am now. I remembered that the past is a mixture of good experiences and bad experiences and that all the experiences are tangled and flowing in and out of and around and through each other like the roads at the intersection of I-85 and I-285 northeast of Atlanta they call "Spaghetti Junction." I very nearly backed out, but Micah talked me back away from the ledge (or maybe back to the ledge), and Friday at noon, we hit the road.

Christological Hymn

I ran across this yesterday in some old files. This is a "hymn" I wrote as an assignment for a class in seminary.

Christological Hymn

Jeremy D. Goodwyne

He was,
                  before the world or time began,
            enjoying perfect relationship with the Father and the Spirit 
                  distinct in person,
                  same in being
                  without even a hint of discord
            When the Father spoke light, earth, sea, air, material into being,
                  The Son was that word
                        creating, creating, creating
                        the creative power of God
                        one with God
            All that was made
                                          was made by Him,
                                          through Him
                                          For Him.

            The angels of God enjoy an exalted state
                  But the Son of God has received the Father’s name.
                        To which none can compare
                              And He receives the worship of the angels.
                  At the sound of His name
                        Some have reviled Him
                        Some have adored Him
                        But all will one day confess His limitless Lordship.


He, born of flesh, became a man
                  and knew the fullness of that state.
            There was not a facet of humanity
                  with which he was not thoroughly acquainted

                        His heart beat,
                              blood flowed,
                              feet hurt,
                              hands worked,
                        He grew weary
                              frustrated
                              angry
                              sad
                        He was loved
                              rejected
                              cared for
                              abandoned
                        He faced the worst temptation, appealing to his nature, and rights

            But he knew no sin. Not once. Not even once.


Being human and without sin,
                        He assumed the office of High priest,
                  Unlike his priestly “forebears,”
                        He needs not atone for His own sins.
            Moses acted in a priestly office
                  But this he did as a type of the coming High Priest.
                  As great was the glory of Moses,
                        it was only a shadow
                                          an imitation
                  For Moses was the house,
                        And the Builder of the House receives the glory.


He was not of the tribe of Levi,
             but of the tribe of Judah
       He was not a son of Aaron,
             but was a son of David.

            But this did not disqualify Him from His priestly role,
                  for His precedent was established in that of Melchizedek
                        who was without Father
                                                           Mother
                                                                    Genealogy
                                                           Beginning
                                                   End
                  But Father Abraham recognized the priest of God
                        and offered to him his tithes.
            In this Order, our great High Priest is ordained
                  and because He does not die,
                        He is a priest forever.


For a sacrifice, our Great High Priest offered
                  the lamb
                        which takes away the sins of the world
                        namely, Himself.
            For the system with which our sins were atoned was inadequate.
                  the priests were themselves sinful and mortal
                  the sacrifices were themselves types and shadows

            But our Great High Priest became that which the whole system represented
                  a pure, spotless Lamb,
                  without blemish
                  a perfect representative of both humanity and divinity


This priest offered himself
                  the lamb
                        which takes away the sins of the world
            and His blood spoke a better word than the blood of Abel.
                  His are better promises
                            a better hope
                            a better country
                            a better life
                            a better possession

            His sacrifice finished, completed, fulfilled the Law
                  the old covenant
            And He inaugurated a better covenant
                  of which He is the Mediator

            His blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel
                  The blood of Able cries “Vengeance!”
                         but
                  The blood of Christ cries “Mercy!”


He does not leave His people to find their way,
                         but is their Shepherd
                         and His sheep know His voice

            He can not lose even one of His own
                         and will cross land and sea
                                     move heaven and earth
                                              to bring His lost back into His fold

            He gently leads His sheep across mountain and through valley
                            provides food and drink
                            gives them rest

            He asks much,
                            but all that He asks he provides

            He founds and perfects their faith
                            They keep their eyes on Him


He leads them Home.

©2012 JDGoodwyne

John Bunyan on Staying, or Fleeing

John Bunyan lived a tumultuous life. He spent 12 years in prison for preaching the gospel without a license in England. All he had to do to be released was to agree not to preach. He had a wife and children, a daughter who was blind, and could not provide for them because of his imprisonment. He was wrought with grief over the impossible place of having to choose between preaching Christ and providing for his dependents. This is what he wrote regarding the Christian's freedom to stay or flee danger:

"May we try to escape? Thou mayest do in this as it is in thy heart. If it is in thy heart to fly, fly: if it be in thy heart to stand, stand. Any thing but a denial of the truth. He that flies, has warrant to do so; he that stands, has warrant to do so. Yea, the same man may both fly and stand, as the call and working of God with his heart may be. Moses fled, Exodus 2:15; Moses stood, Hebrews 11:27. David fled, 1 Samuel 19:12; David stood, 1 Samuel 24:8. Jeremiah fled, Jeremiah 37:11-12; Jeremiah stood, Jeremiah 38:17. Christ withdrew himself, Luke 9:10; Christ stood, John 18:1-8. Paul fled, 2 Corinthians 11:33; Paul stood, Acts 20:22-23...

"There are few rules in this case. The man himself is best able to judge concerning his present strength, and what weight this or that argument has upon his heart to stand or fly.... Do not fly out of a slavish fear, but rather because flying is an ordinance from God, opening a door for the escape of some, which door is opened by God's providence, and the escape countenanced by God's Word. Matthew 10:23.... If, therefore, when thou hast fled, thou art taken, be not offended at God or man: not at God, for thou art his servant, thy life an thy all are his; not at man, for he is but God's rod, and is ordained, in this, to do thee good. Hast thou escaped? Laugh. Art thou taken? Laugh. I mean, be pleased which way soever things shall go, for that the scales are still in God's hand.

- John Bunyan, in Seasonable Counsels, or Advice to Sufferers, quoted in John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life.

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 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.