Sixty-four Squares

I have few past times that I call loves.

I enjoy music and playing it on my guitar, banjo and the likes.
I enjoy my studies and reading a good theological text once and a while.

But these are not necessarily things that I love. They are not loves.

Musicals I love.

And recently I have found my soul being called to a past love: Chess

I learned to play chess with my Grandpa. Before he died he lived with us and we used to, when I was younger, play a game or two once everyday or two. He taught me to love chess.

But I'll admit I stopped playing chess for many years.




However, the allure of sixty-four squares called to me and I returned to my first love: Chess.

Check and Mate.

Patman the King

Quoting is fun

So I had my interview with Andy Crouch a few weeks back and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his book and talking about it.

(I did not enjoy transcription from audio to magazine)

He had some great things to offer the discussion we were having in the Canon25 and for today's blog post let me quote one for you:

"I believe that God is in the business of changing the world but I think that’s God’s business. My business is not to change the world but to create culture. It’s a different thing, because culture is always created locally. When you talk about the world it is so grand and inevitably abstract. Whereas my calling is to figure out what I can do today in my home town, with the networks of people I am connected to and that’s only a couple hundred people that I could actually collaborate to do something with. That’s where I am responsible to do something."

-Andy Crouch

Read his book Culture Making. Its well worth the read.

Patman the well... read.

With Christmas comes song...

It is important each year to have a deep and passionate love affair with a Christmas song.

Sounds provocative I know...

I typically blog once a year about the Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas.
I do this for a few reasons:

1) Its great
2) It happens to coincide with paper writing and frankly blogging beats paper writing and Christmas beats exams
3) I am not nearly interesting enough to maintain an original or new blog idea every day let alone year.
4) Its led to a personal tradition that I wish to inspire others toward

Each year, typically through Sufjan, I pick out a classic hymn, or song dedicated to Jesus' birth and make it the Christmas Song of the Year. I meditate, sing and enjoy the richness of its meaning and allow the music I hear every year one more chance to impact me.

Previous winners include:
2006 - Lo How a Rose Err Blooming
2007 - O Come O Come Emmanuel
2008 - Oh Holy Night

The best thing about this practice is that it slow but surely is building a compilation of Christmas songs that I have let touch my soul and continue to reach me each year.

This year I have gone away from the Sufjan list...
I present "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From Heaven’s all gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

There is a richness to Christmas hymns.

Patman the Rich

Today

Blessing of Manwich on this fine Manwichfest.

Patman the stuffed (with Manwich)

ps photos coming soon.

Distractions 2009 #1

Ok so I was working on a paper and then I wasn't because I was surfing the internet...

Found this...

Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.

Officially distracted...

Patman the calmed.

Interview

I am excited and nervous. Have you ever interviewed someone? I haven't. Tomorrow I am going to interview someone. I may very well have jumped into the deep end.

A year ago or so I first encountered a book called "Culture Making" by Andy Crouch. I was caught up in its ideas and its potential. I started to read it in December and I finished it recently. And tomorrow I am going to sit down with Andy Crouch and ask him a few questions. All for the sake of that beloved project Canon25.

Have you ever thought what you might ask someone who you really enjoyed reading? I'm looking forward to meeting the man and intrigued at the prospect of an interview.

I'm just hoping my interview skills are going to bring about good discussion.

Patman the Reporter.