Melted Wings' Wax

Link to Yeasayer - Tightrope

This week I've been spending a lot of time in Ecclesiastes, realizing just how much relevant wisdom is in the book which I bypass every day. It is a universal truth that we search for fulfillment in everything that we do, trying to fill a need with our every action. The book deals with this, and the verdict which the author gives is harsh.

Ecclesiastes 1:2,13,14 -
"'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.'"

"I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on the human race! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

There is no doubt that we often seek fulfillment in the wrong places, and that in these cases we are left feeling empty. There is something which we are always seeking, always craving - but we can never seem to look in the right place. This sentiment is echoed through all of humanity - and I found it today, in music. The song "Tightrope" [link at top of post] is sparse on lyrics yet incredibly heavy on emotion. I believe the lyrics really speak for most of the world with a few key verses -

"So I think I can solve all the problems by myself
Nevermind, nevermind, nevermind, nevermind, nevermind

And you think you can solve all your problems by yourself
Nevermind, nevermind, nevermind, nevermind, nevermind

Give it, give it, give it, give it - until you just can't give no more"

We are always striving to do work in our flesh. Correct our own problems. Heal our own wounds. Patch up our own damaged goods.

How long can we continue living that life? That meaningless life can never sustain us - like chasing after the wind.

Reading the the book of Ecclesiastes this week has certainly impressed on me the futility which composes the bulk of our lives. However this statement isn't sorrowful, but incredibly uplifting. Once we are no longer bound by this world the fears and failures no longer hold the same weight they once did. It is then that we can turn to God and find true fulfillment - He is the only thing which can fill our hearts and restore the wholeness which we so crave.

- The Lord

Something different - the structure of a molecule. Luciferin is a biochrome substrate rarely found in the world. This particular version of the molecule can be found only in an insect which is both a marvel and a mystery - the firefly. The substrate, when oxidized and used by a particular enzyme, is able to emit light and create bioluminescence. The light is uniquely "cold" as well as incredibly efficient - losing very little energy compared to our forms of light.

The firefly is a beautiful work of creation found in many different environments, and a testament to the fact that God has His hand in all things. The chemical formula above, depicted as art, is just that. A work of art. This world is a beautiful creation, from the light which the firefly produces to the actual base chemicals which create the light. The world is an amazing thing at all levels, and it is always clearly evident that the hand behind it all is masterful and magnificent.

As Psalm 139 proclaims, we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

- John Martin

This apocalyptic bit of art has always been a favorite of mine. I love how the angel is portrayed - majestic and monolithic - yet completely incorporeal. That is a fantastic description of the otherworldly God we worship, and part of what makes Him so fantastic. What He requires of us is so benign, but sometimes so difficult to grasp. Faith is an amazing thing.

However - there is much more power to the Lord God Almighty.

Revelation 10:1-3 -
"Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. And in his hand was a small scroll[a] that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered."

He is one deserving of worship.

- William Blake

Eternal one. Perfect one. Architect of all. Father and Lover of every creation.

Proverbs 8:27-31 -
"When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men."

Another year comes, and He is still - and always will be - the definitive Master.

- Rembrandt

I love Paul. There is something about his character that I absolutely admire. This picture of him, drawn by Rembrandt who identified with and respected Paul, best represents his life for me. Here he is, towards the end of his life. Old. Wise.

In jail.

His surroundings are sparse, with a table for writing and the guards sword behind his head - likely the one which will later behead him. However, his eyes aren't on that. They're downcast, not in depression but meditation, with a pen in his hand and volumes written and left to write.

Paul never gave up. He was a servant - a slave to God. He gave his life for Him, not only in death but in every day he was alive. Spreading the message mattered most. Teaching and counseling those who had received it did as well. With those ideals in mind, he lived his life to the fullest, and left an unforgettable body of work behind.

Link to The Welcome Wagon - Sold! To the Nice Rich Man

Back to my occasional posts on music, I come with a new song from the debut album of The Welcome Wagon. The band is actually an outlet of Reverend Thomas Vito Aiuto and his wife, who run the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in New York. The band plays live mostly at various Seminaries, often stopping mid-set for a pie giveaway (seriously).

The album, produced by the orchestrally renowned Sufjan Stevens' has plenty of flourish, and the Reverend even throws in a guitar solo during the main chorus. Despite the big sound, the band started in the humble setting of the couple's living room. What started as a method of worship and spending time together has expanded into something much bigger.

What I find interesting about the band is that it is so different from what I am used to hearing. The full album - which will include Presbyterian hymns - is set in a genre which we don't usually associate with Christian worship. I love it when people branch out and do new things, while keeping the message central. I find it interesting to see a practicing Reverend embark in a genre that is such a departure. God can be glorified in so many ways, and there are so many different expressions of it. It is always great to hear something new, fresh, and purely enjoyable.

[Edit - Image hosting website has been having trouble, pictures may be down]








- VA

Words cannot begin to describe and pictures will never do it justice. Going to Guatemala and spending time with the people in Panimaquin was an eye-opening and life changing experience that will not be forgotten. The villagers were amazing and hospitable, but it was their hearts that I wish I could capture and describe. The innocence, vibrancy, and love which poured out of them all - day in and day out - is an incredible and beautiful thing which I wish to be a part of for the rest of my life. I know that I will never be able to explain it in words, and the best alternative is to show the faces of those whom I now have gotten to know, love, and care for. These are a few of the many who I met, and who touched me at a level which I could never have imagined.