Social Media Postings
5/4/16
The music of Assisi's New Wine Phase One of Two is on its way to being professionally composed. I often think about the teachable phrase, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!". As with anything huge that is beyond one's comprehension, one must have patience, endurance, and vision.
In doing this project, I have sometimes considered why am I doing this? Is it not just easier to live a normal life, do a good job in the managing of the engineering firm I am at, not always be striving, looking for and at more? I knew a long time ago that I did not seek to be standard or normal. I knew I was not satisfied with what was so often the status quo. Why would I invest my time to sit down and write a screenplay? What would I pick one historical figure and invest so much of my time in bringing his story to life? There are literally millions of historical figures I could have picked besides him. I realize in many ways though that the answer to that is not applicable to just that situation, but also why have I spent a substantial amount of my reading time engrossed in World War II and the stories behind it. As a Christian, why have I performed the vast majority of my mission trips in Central and Eastern Europe? Why have I founded a not for profit that centers around the continual improvement of the city? I could go on and on...
I realize it is not about the person, era, geographic region or personal interest, What is the common denominator in some of these endeavors I have undertaken has been the leading of the Spirit of God. I don't have to know exactly why I undertake a project. I do need to know though that I belong to and in the project in which I am engaged, and that I am willing not to do other things while engaged there. Francis of Assisi was a very important man in history and Christendom. However Jan Hus, Martin Luther, Johann Sebastian Bach, William Wilberforce, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were as well as countless others. Honestly, to this day I don't fully understand why I have written a screenplay, stage play and 25 songs that revolve around the life of a 13th century man who went on to living a very ascetic life while also filled with such joy in the journey of doing so.
I will say though that maybe you have wondered why you have taken some of the routes you have as you have gone through your life. You might question why you did something or what the purpose was behind that effort you expended. You may never know the answer while you walk the earth. It may be one of those things saved for eternity. However the depth of who you are and the breadth of your perspective on life would be different had your work been different or had you not expended the energy on the things that you did.
Are we given and committed to pursuing the life God has given to us as an opportunity for unlimited discoveries and adventures regardless of where that might take us? Psalm 16:11 - "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
3-15-16
The Theology of Simple Things
As I consider the simplicity which came to represent Francis upon his conversion to become a follower of God, I am struck by several ideas which can present a conflict with that simplicity. First, it is Grand monuments which appeal to our sense of accomplishment. I will be the first to admit that I love cities and the grand architecture which characterizes them. From the cities of the US and Europe I have spent time in, there are numerous examples that appeal to my eyes in places such as Boston, Chicago, London, Paris, Barcelona, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Ljubljana and most assuredly Prague. For those who have not had the privilege of visiting Prague, it is literally a magnificent masterpiece of cultural architecture on many different levels. The city is literally a museum of a millennia of history. It avoided the wholesale destruction of so many European cities in World War II, escaping with about 100 buildings being destroyed and 200 heavily damaged. Going from the macro of a city to the micro of an individual building, I will mention St. Francis Basilica in Assisi which I have visited twice, 2009 and 2012. It is a super monument for a building to house the spirit of a very humble follower of Christ. It is a grand and architecturally beautiful structure filled with evocative paintings of his ministry. For a man who turned his back on grandeur, the basilica is an iconic building which helped to firmly plant Assisi’s place on the pilgrimage and tourist circuit. The European continent has seen dozens of conflicts during the past 100 years, some of the most devastating being the Thirty Years War in the 1600’s, and definitely both World Wars 1 and 2. The Basilica was heavily damaged in a 1997 earthquake. What would have happened had the entire building collapsed in rubble and the frescoes burned to powder?
Second, I will lay the classic Mediterranean table. The past few decades, many have flocked to the Mediterranean diet as a panacea for optimal health. Filling one’s plate with the most choice olives, cheeses, meats and fish, supplemented with the sweetest of grapes and savory vegetables, and of course enjoyed with an excellent vintage of wine, is a fine Italian meal. Francis of course was much more austere in his eating habits. I must say that I don’t fancy pouring ashes over my arugula. That being said though, Francis and his most devoted followers lived a lifestyle that fed the most important spirit and not the ever expanding flesh. “Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, than a fattened ox served with hatred” Proverbs 15:17.
Third, do we desire to dwell with kings or the common man on earth? Francis did go to the Pope at that time to seek his blessing on the order he was establishing for his friars. However, the immediate change that occurred happened far more in the common men and women of Assisi, as well as those in the surrounding areas of Italy, who were attracted by the strength of Francis’ testimony and character, than it did in the upper strata of the church or social order. The radical order became acceptable to the broader community when there was enough of a critical mass to it.
The rich hues of the material world do clamor for our desires and consumption. The subtle outward hues of the spiritual world meanwhile are easy to ignore if one’s spirit is not attuned to the picture that they frame.
3-5-16
In the process of working on Assisi's New Wine, I have considered different aspects of Francis' life. One way that I would sum up Francis of Assisi's life was that his Yes definitely meant YES and his No meant NO, a way that we are commanded to communicate in Scripture. A strong decisive person who has an inward assurance of where he is going, can be a magnet for many due to the strength of character that he exudes. Someone who denies himself the pleasures of today for the opportunities of tomorrow has a higher purpose he is seeking to achieve. There is a character message inside him whose voice speaks with greater volume than many of the words he might say. Francis definitely did not play to the world. Playing to the world will lead to one continually adapting his positions based upon what is popular at the moment. Francis knew God and played to Him, and so therefore was driven in the things that he did regardless of the size of the human crowd around him.
Years ago I read a book that mentioned a 19th Century Scottish minister who may have also been involved in farming as well. He would get up every morning and spend 4-5 hours each day in Scripture and prayer. Some of his parishioners and others in the town asked how he got everything done being as he had great responsibilities, with spending all of that time with God each day. His reply back to them was that there was no way he could accomplish everything he had to do without spending that time each day. Francis of Assisi recognized that and wrote in The Principles, SSF, that "The brothers and sisters must guard with jealous watchfulness the times of private prayer. They must remember that corporate worship is not a substitute for the quiet communion of the individual soul with God". Francis, following the model of Jesus (Mark 6:46, John 17 are two examples among many.), would frequently get up early or be up late, praying. I have sometimes wondered how many life-giving, life-transforming endeavors could be birthed through more time and attention to prayer and contemplation.
My wife and I like to drink wine with our dinner. During our years of marriage, we have visited a number of wineries in Texas, Colorado, California, Italy, and the Czech Republic. The two of us are by no means connoisseurs. We simply know what we like, usually a merlot, tempranillo, or sangiovese, and always full bodied. I gave thought to the title of my project, Assisi's New Wine. I asked the question of myself, "Is new wine or old wine better?" For a little fun I googled and came to the website winefolly.com, where I read the article "Young Wine May Be Better Than Old Wine". The article discusses how young red wines have more antioxidants than older red wines, and how condensed tannin is highest in young wines. Jesus was fresh wine and fresh life, poured upon the ground in Israel, against the religious and cultural sensitivities of His day. People who encountered Him could choose to partake of the full-bodied flavor of what He offered, or they could stick with their tried and true lives. In so many ways, Francis was fresh life poured onto the hillsides of early 13th Century Central Italy. The people that he met had a choice to either continue drinking the old wine that was being scooped each day from the same old barrels maintained by the secular and sacred orders of the day, or to take the risk and drink from a new, untested barrel. The men and women who accompanied Francis chose the wild abandonment of the latter, and their lives were never the same due to their choice.
https://www.kickstarter.com/pro…/1726899025/assisis-new-wine
Reading an article today on the website of the University of Notre Dame's Jacques Maritain Center, I was impressed by several statements made about the life of Francis of Assisi. Many of you know I am in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign entitled Assisi's New Wine. The article mentioned the 19th Century German historian Gorres referring to Francis as one of the Troubadours, and making the statement that without St. Francis at the beginning of the 13th century, there would have been no Dante at the end.
Greatest of Centuries 16
The Renaissance is often thought of as a movement which originated about the middle of the Fifteenth Century. Careful students sometimes trace its origin back somewhat further. In recent years it has come to be realized, however, that the great intellectual development which came during the century…
WWW3.ND.EDU
I thought I would include the following quote by Francis of Assisi because it shows that if he could have such a great impact on men and women of his day and the centuries beyond, thousands of men and women completely sold out to the purposes of God, regardless of their state of imperfection, reflecting his life, could have an unimaginable impact upon society.
"I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone". - Francis of Assisi
Many of us consider how we can create an endeavor that will manage to outlast us in terms of its enduring effect on others. One of the hymns sung by multiple generations of church goers has been "All Creatures of Our God and King", originally written by Francis of Assisi around 1225, but not published for almost 400 years. That is the one work included in my musical "Assisi's New Wine" not written by me. It very clearly depicts the nature of Francis however, so I have been compelled to include it. I have posted a link to the lyrics of his hymn below.
All Creatures of Our God and King
Words: Francis of Assisi, 1225. Music: 17th Century German.
CYBERHYMNAL.ORG
The day that my videographers filmed me for Assisi's New Wine Kickstarter project, one of them asked me what aspect of St. Francis resonated with me the most. Sometimes when you have been so enmeshed in a project over a long period of time all of the facts and thoughts of the subject matter can run together. In giving more thought to my answer though I would have to say that his single mindedness of purpose in pursuing what he felt God called him to challenges me the most. I have strong ideals and convictions that have driven me through some of the paths I have taken. My shortfall at times has been having too many passions and consequently not always remembering I Corinthians 9:24-25 - "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives The prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable".
For Assisi's New Wine tonight, I thought I would look at how artists have depicted Francis of Assisi. Much as I have enjoyed the spirit of Assisi both times I have been there, I have seen that Francis is to Assisi as Mozart is to Salzburg. There are many opportunities to purchase kitsch souvenirs that can hang on your rearview mirror or go into your mouth. I wanted to avoid the inevitable painting with a halo drawn around the head. What my eye settled on was the bucolic scene of Francis, framed by a dog and horse, while cradling a cat. That picture immediately made me think of Philippians 4:5 - "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near". Even in his fierce commitment to his calling, Francis often exhibited a gentleness, both to people and to animals. He trusted God that his needs would be met, so he was free to display an uncommon courtesy to others which served to deepen his testimony. I have included the link to the painting here: http://www.stfrancispetmedals.com/images/stfrancis.jpg
STFRANCISPETMEDALS.COM
5/4/16
The music of Assisi's New Wine Phase One of Two is on its way to being professionally composed. I often think about the teachable phrase, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!". As with anything huge that is beyond one's comprehension, one must have patience, endurance, and vision.
In doing this project, I have sometimes considered why am I doing this? Is it not just easier to live a normal life, do a good job in the managing of the engineering firm I am at, not always be striving, looking for and at more? I knew a long time ago that I did not seek to be standard or normal. I knew I was not satisfied with what was so often the status quo. Why would I invest my time to sit down and write a screenplay? What would I pick one historical figure and invest so much of my time in bringing his story to life? There are literally millions of historical figures I could have picked besides him. I realize in many ways though that the answer to that is not applicable to just that situation, but also why have I spent a substantial amount of my reading time engrossed in World War II and the stories behind it. As a Christian, why have I performed the vast majority of my mission trips in Central and Eastern Europe? Why have I founded a not for profit that centers around the continual improvement of the city? I could go on and on...
I realize it is not about the person, era, geographic region or personal interest, What is the common denominator in some of these endeavors I have undertaken has been the leading of the Spirit of God. I don't have to know exactly why I undertake a project. I do need to know though that I belong to and in the project in which I am engaged, and that I am willing not to do other things while engaged there. Francis of Assisi was a very important man in history and Christendom. However Jan Hus, Martin Luther, Johann Sebastian Bach, William Wilberforce, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were as well as countless others. Honestly, to this day I don't fully understand why I have written a screenplay, stage play and 25 songs that revolve around the life of a 13th century man who went on to living a very ascetic life while also filled with such joy in the journey of doing so.
I will say though that maybe you have wondered why you have taken some of the routes you have as you have gone through your life. You might question why you did something or what the purpose was behind that effort you expended. You may never know the answer while you walk the earth. It may be one of those things saved for eternity. However the depth of who you are and the breadth of your perspective on life would be different had your work been different or had you not expended the energy on the things that you did.
Are we given and committed to pursuing the life God has given to us as an opportunity for unlimited discoveries and adventures regardless of where that might take us? Psalm 16:11 - "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
3-15-16
The Theology of Simple Things
As I consider the simplicity which came to represent Francis upon his conversion to become a follower of God, I am struck by several ideas which can present a conflict with that simplicity. First, it is Grand monuments which appeal to our sense of accomplishment. I will be the first to admit that I love cities and the grand architecture which characterizes them. From the cities of the US and Europe I have spent time in, there are numerous examples that appeal to my eyes in places such as Boston, Chicago, London, Paris, Barcelona, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Ljubljana and most assuredly Prague. For those who have not had the privilege of visiting Prague, it is literally a magnificent masterpiece of cultural architecture on many different levels. The city is literally a museum of a millennia of history. It avoided the wholesale destruction of so many European cities in World War II, escaping with about 100 buildings being destroyed and 200 heavily damaged. Going from the macro of a city to the micro of an individual building, I will mention St. Francis Basilica in Assisi which I have visited twice, 2009 and 2012. It is a super monument for a building to house the spirit of a very humble follower of Christ. It is a grand and architecturally beautiful structure filled with evocative paintings of his ministry. For a man who turned his back on grandeur, the basilica is an iconic building which helped to firmly plant Assisi’s place on the pilgrimage and tourist circuit. The European continent has seen dozens of conflicts during the past 100 years, some of the most devastating being the Thirty Years War in the 1600’s, and definitely both World Wars 1 and 2. The Basilica was heavily damaged in a 1997 earthquake. What would have happened had the entire building collapsed in rubble and the frescoes burned to powder?
Second, I will lay the classic Mediterranean table. The past few decades, many have flocked to the Mediterranean diet as a panacea for optimal health. Filling one’s plate with the most choice olives, cheeses, meats and fish, supplemented with the sweetest of grapes and savory vegetables, and of course enjoyed with an excellent vintage of wine, is a fine Italian meal. Francis of course was much more austere in his eating habits. I must say that I don’t fancy pouring ashes over my arugula. That being said though, Francis and his most devoted followers lived a lifestyle that fed the most important spirit and not the ever expanding flesh. “Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, than a fattened ox served with hatred” Proverbs 15:17.
Third, do we desire to dwell with kings or the common man on earth? Francis did go to the Pope at that time to seek his blessing on the order he was establishing for his friars. However, the immediate change that occurred happened far more in the common men and women of Assisi, as well as those in the surrounding areas of Italy, who were attracted by the strength of Francis’ testimony and character, than it did in the upper strata of the church or social order. The radical order became acceptable to the broader community when there was enough of a critical mass to it.
The rich hues of the material world do clamor for our desires and consumption. The subtle outward hues of the spiritual world meanwhile are easy to ignore if one’s spirit is not attuned to the picture that they frame.
3-5-16
In the process of working on Assisi's New Wine, I have considered different aspects of Francis' life. One way that I would sum up Francis of Assisi's life was that his Yes definitely meant YES and his No meant NO, a way that we are commanded to communicate in Scripture. A strong decisive person who has an inward assurance of where he is going, can be a magnet for many due to the strength of character that he exudes. Someone who denies himself the pleasures of today for the opportunities of tomorrow has a higher purpose he is seeking to achieve. There is a character message inside him whose voice speaks with greater volume than many of the words he might say. Francis definitely did not play to the world. Playing to the world will lead to one continually adapting his positions based upon what is popular at the moment. Francis knew God and played to Him, and so therefore was driven in the things that he did regardless of the size of the human crowd around him.
Years ago I read a book that mentioned a 19th Century Scottish minister who may have also been involved in farming as well. He would get up every morning and spend 4-5 hours each day in Scripture and prayer. Some of his parishioners and others in the town asked how he got everything done being as he had great responsibilities, with spending all of that time with God each day. His reply back to them was that there was no way he could accomplish everything he had to do without spending that time each day. Francis of Assisi recognized that and wrote in The Principles, SSF, that "The brothers and sisters must guard with jealous watchfulness the times of private prayer. They must remember that corporate worship is not a substitute for the quiet communion of the individual soul with God". Francis, following the model of Jesus (Mark 6:46, John 17 are two examples among many.), would frequently get up early or be up late, praying. I have sometimes wondered how many life-giving, life-transforming endeavors could be birthed through more time and attention to prayer and contemplation.
My wife and I like to drink wine with our dinner. During our years of marriage, we have visited a number of wineries in Texas, Colorado, California, Italy, and the Czech Republic. The two of us are by no means connoisseurs. We simply know what we like, usually a merlot, tempranillo, or sangiovese, and always full bodied. I gave thought to the title of my project, Assisi's New Wine. I asked the question of myself, "Is new wine or old wine better?" For a little fun I googled and came to the website winefolly.com, where I read the article "Young Wine May Be Better Than Old Wine". The article discusses how young red wines have more antioxidants than older red wines, and how condensed tannin is highest in young wines. Jesus was fresh wine and fresh life, poured upon the ground in Israel, against the religious and cultural sensitivities of His day. People who encountered Him could choose to partake of the full-bodied flavor of what He offered, or they could stick with their tried and true lives. In so many ways, Francis was fresh life poured onto the hillsides of early 13th Century Central Italy. The people that he met had a choice to either continue drinking the old wine that was being scooped each day from the same old barrels maintained by the secular and sacred orders of the day, or to take the risk and drink from a new, untested barrel. The men and women who accompanied Francis chose the wild abandonment of the latter, and their lives were never the same due to their choice.
https://www.kickstarter.com/pro…/1726899025/assisis-new-wine
Reading an article today on the website of the University of Notre Dame's Jacques Maritain Center, I was impressed by several statements made about the life of Francis of Assisi. Many of you know I am in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign entitled Assisi's New Wine. The article mentioned the 19th Century German historian Gorres referring to Francis as one of the Troubadours, and making the statement that without St. Francis at the beginning of the 13th century, there would have been no Dante at the end.
Greatest of Centuries 16
The Renaissance is often thought of as a movement which originated about the middle of the Fifteenth Century. Careful students sometimes trace its origin back somewhat further. In recent years it has come to be realized, however, that the great intellectual development which came during the century…
WWW3.ND.EDU
I thought I would include the following quote by Francis of Assisi because it shows that if he could have such a great impact on men and women of his day and the centuries beyond, thousands of men and women completely sold out to the purposes of God, regardless of their state of imperfection, reflecting his life, could have an unimaginable impact upon society.
"I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone". - Francis of Assisi
Many of us consider how we can create an endeavor that will manage to outlast us in terms of its enduring effect on others. One of the hymns sung by multiple generations of church goers has been "All Creatures of Our God and King", originally written by Francis of Assisi around 1225, but not published for almost 400 years. That is the one work included in my musical "Assisi's New Wine" not written by me. It very clearly depicts the nature of Francis however, so I have been compelled to include it. I have posted a link to the lyrics of his hymn below.
All Creatures of Our God and King
Words: Francis of Assisi, 1225. Music: 17th Century German.
CYBERHYMNAL.ORG
The day that my videographers filmed me for Assisi's New Wine Kickstarter project, one of them asked me what aspect of St. Francis resonated with me the most. Sometimes when you have been so enmeshed in a project over a long period of time all of the facts and thoughts of the subject matter can run together. In giving more thought to my answer though I would have to say that his single mindedness of purpose in pursuing what he felt God called him to challenges me the most. I have strong ideals and convictions that have driven me through some of the paths I have taken. My shortfall at times has been having too many passions and consequently not always remembering I Corinthians 9:24-25 - "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives The prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable".
For Assisi's New Wine tonight, I thought I would look at how artists have depicted Francis of Assisi. Much as I have enjoyed the spirit of Assisi both times I have been there, I have seen that Francis is to Assisi as Mozart is to Salzburg. There are many opportunities to purchase kitsch souvenirs that can hang on your rearview mirror or go into your mouth. I wanted to avoid the inevitable painting with a halo drawn around the head. What my eye settled on was the bucolic scene of Francis, framed by a dog and horse, while cradling a cat. That picture immediately made me think of Philippians 4:5 - "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near". Even in his fierce commitment to his calling, Francis often exhibited a gentleness, both to people and to animals. He trusted God that his needs would be met, so he was free to display an uncommon courtesy to others which served to deepen his testimony. I have included the link to the painting here: http://www.stfrancispetmedals.com/images/stfrancis.jpg
STFRANCISPETMEDALS.COM