#A most excellent Psalm

[thegreenleavesofspring]

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

[thewordfortheday]

Psalm 16:6 ‘The lines have fallen to me in the best places, yes, I have a most excellent heritage.’

As you are still in the beginning of the year, remember that each day is an opportunity for you to recognize that God has good things in store for you. You have a great inheritance that the Lord has prepared for you. There are still so many things that the Lord wants to show and do for you as you walk in obedience and do His will. Start rejoicing and be thankful, for all that He will do for you.

PRAYER: Lord, You have been so good to me and I have seen Your mercy and kindness towards me. Help me to walk pleasing in your sight. Thank You for the most excellent heritage I have in You, my God. In Jesus' Name Amen.

[albertfinch]

Praying The Psalms - December 14, 2023

In Jesus, I take refuge and behold His face. (Psalm 11:1,7)

The Word of the Lord is as pure as silver tried in a furnace seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

I trust in Your loving kindness, my heart rejoices in Your salvation. (Psalm 13:5)

I sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13:7)

I dwell on Your holy hill, Lord Jesus, and abide in Your tent, since You are my righteousness and I carry Your Word in my heart.  (Psalm 15:1,2)

LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. (Psalm 16:5)

The purpose you have given me is a pleasant calling, I have a most excellent heritage. (Psalm 16:6)

I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. (Psalm 16:7)

I know Jesus is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is dwelling in me. (Psalm 16:8)

Praise the Lord!  Great is my Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.  (Psalm 147:1,5)

      Why pray the Psalm scriptures out loud? 

It is hard to think about something other than what you are talking about.  Praying out loud the scriptures solves the problem of the wandering mind.  -- spoken words speak to the soul and have the power of raising thoughts in the soul. The Psalm scriptures speak of God in the Highest manner which most fully expresses the power and presence of God.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[pebbles-five]

[D↓A]

Dear Alexa the most massive collective of knowledge in the world.

May I pretty please know how long to boil tea leaves, your excellence...

My leige, my beloved, very cool and um... cool... pink man

You have forgotten to list your titles but I do not want to elongate this any further.

Experts disagree on an exact length of time, but it is between two and five "Karmical Sin" Psalms. Though often religious folk disagree on an exact or approximate timeframe and simply let them boil until it "feels right".

[girlactionfigure]

The Jewish Bollywood Star: Esther Abraham

She was India's first female film producer

Esther Abraham was a Jewish Bollywood superstar and the first female film producer in India. She was a proud observant Jew even while shaping modern Indian culture.

Esther was born in Calcutta in 1916 to an Orthodox Jewish family. The Abrahams were Baghdadi Jews who had emigrated from Iraq in the 19th century. In school Esther excelled academically and athletically. She was a talented hockey player with a roomful of trophies. Esther was also an artist who attended Cambridge University after high school and majored in art.

After university, Esther became a kindergarten teacher at a Jewish school in Calcutta, but she yearned to be a performer. Her first job in the entertainment industry was as a dancer for a silent movie theater. Esther’s job was to entertain the audience during a pause in the film while the reel were changed.

Many members of Esther’s family were talented musicians and performers. She went to visit an actress cousin in Bombay who was appearing in a theater production. The director noticed tall, beautiful Esther and gave her a screen test.

Esther did so well on the test that she soon appeared in her first movie, Bhikaran, in 1936. Around this time she was given the screen name Pramila. Audiences fell in love with Pramila and she quickly became one of the most famous actresses in India. She also worked as a model and appeared on many magazine covers. In 1947, at age 31, Esther won the first Miss India contest – while pregnant with her fifth child.

At that time in India, the movie industry was controlled by a handful of extremely wealthy producers who exploited their actors and crew members and paid them only a measly salary. Esther Abraham decided to change that. She defied the studio system by becoming the first female producer of Bollywood feature films. Esther formed her own production company, Silver Productions, and produced sixteen feature films. She treated her cast and crew with respect and paid them well.

Esther starred in 30 films. In addition to being an actress and producer, she did her own stunts and worked as a stunt double for other performers. Esther also designed her own costumes and jewelry for every production.

Famous for her enchantingly beautiful eyes, audiences didn’t know that her eyesight was very poor and she did dance moves by counting the steps. Audiences also were likely unaware that she was Jewish – and probably wouldn’t have cared. Unlike so many countries with Jewish communities, India has no history of antisemitism.

Esther’s daughter Naqi Jahan was crowned Miss India in 1967, and they are the only mother and daughter who both won the title. Her son Haidar Ali is a successful Indian actor and screenwriter. Haidar described his mother: “A woman who was gifted by God with internal power and strength… she magnetized power…. One the home front she kept us together [clenching his fist] like this.”

Esther Abraham appeared in her last film in 2005, at age 90, playing a grandmother in the movie Thaang. She died a few months after its release. Until the end of her long life, Esther remained a practicing Jew. Her funeral was at the Maghen David synagogue, and her son Maurice read Psalms in Hebrew. Esther was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Mumbai.

For entertaining audiences for seventy years, and for being the first female film producer in India, we honor Esther Abraham, aka Pramila, as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[reddy-reads]

moon day books (books for 7/20/24)

Moon Day* is coming up, and that sounds like as good an excuse as any for talking about some books

Here's my list, rationale is below the jump

The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal

by Becky Chambers, Record of a Spaceborn Few (or The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. Or Psalm for the Wild-Built)

The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett

So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin

Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries series

*Moon Day is the anniversary of the first Moon Landing, July 20 :) I'm aware it's not really a holiday but I love the idea

The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal This is a really excellent series. It's an alternative history of space travel. It has lots of women, and there are characters of colors (although they're thus far limited to the supporting cast). They're exciting, emotional, and gripping. I loved these books.

SUMMARY: A meteor decimates the U.S. government and paves the way for a climate cataclysm that will eventually render the earth inhospitable to humanity. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated timeline in the earth’s efforts to colonize space, as well as an unprecedented opportunity for a much larger share of humanity to take part. One of these new entrants in the space race is Elma York, whose experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too—aside from some pesky barriers like thousands of years of history and a host of expectations about the proper place of the fairer sex. And yet, Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions may not stand a chance.

2. One of Becky Chamber's books, probably Record of a Spaceborn Few or perhaps the Galaxy, and the Ground Within.

These are both standalone set in the same series. Record of a Spaceborn Few follows multiple characters whose lives intersect but are not especially intertwined. All these characters live on or are visiting the Human Fleet, which is the uh the… vessels that humans left the Earth on, as we jettisoned ourselves into space? I mentioned this one a little while back in conjunction with the waves hands Ship of Theseus and museology thing. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within like… doesn't have humans in it? It's basically a book-long bottle episodes, and it has themes of what is the significance art, what does it mean to negotiate one's identity as an individual and with respect to one's group identity. (By this I mostly mean like. the characters are all nonhuman alien species, and several of them negotiate their relationship between being a "typical" whatever vs being themselves.) One thing I love about Becky Chambers's books is that the aliens actually feel alien to me. They don't just feel like a different kind of human, they feel like they have meaningfully different biology and this affects their worldview.

Also on my Becky Chambers thoughts is her book Psalm for the Wild Built. I love how she spins the setting, presenting a very rosy concept of how humans could renegotiate our use of the planet we live on. One of the appeals of the Lady Astronaut series (above) is the realism. For the Psalm for the Wild Built, it's kind of the opposite; I love the… almost courage of imagining "what if we collectively did do better? What might that look like?" In a world where cynicism seems like a pragmatic form of self-protection, this sort of imagining almost seems brave.

3. For a slightly off the wall book idea, how about Sir Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero?

I love this book, it's a relatively quick read due to its format. The art is gorgeous. The story is wry and warm in that special Discworld way, and altitude is a factor in the story :) So that's the moon connection.

Cohen the Barbarian. He's been a legend in his own lifetime. He can remember the good old days of high adventure, when being a Hero meant one didn't have to worry about aching backs and lawyers and civilization. But these days, he can't always remember just where he put his teeth… So now, with his ancient (yet still trusty) sword and new walking stick in hand, Cohen gathers a group of his old -- very old -- friends to embark on one final quest. He's going to climb the highest mountain of Discworld and meet the gods. It's time the Last Hero in the world returns what the first hero stole. Trouble is, that'll mean the end of the world, if no one stops him in time.

4. As a YA lover, I have to include a shout-out for So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane. This is the first of the Young Wizards series, which I love, and the characters (and I believe Ms Duane) LOVE the moon. It's really heartwarming, it reminds me of those videos of the astronaut talking about what going to the moon means to him.

Nita Callahan is at the end of her rope because of the bullies who've been hounding her at school… until she discovers a mysterious library book that promises her the chance to become a wizard. But she has no idea of the difference that taking the Wizard's Oath is going to make in her life. Shortly, in company with fellow beginner-wizard Kit Rodriguez, Nita's catapulted into what will be the adventure of a lifetime—if she and Kit can both live through it. For every wizard's career starts with an Ordeal in which he or she must challenge the one power in the universe that hates wizardry more than anything else: the Lone Power that invented death and turned it loose in the worlds. Plunged into a dark and deadly alternate New York full of the Lone One's creatures, Kit and Nita must venture into the very heart of darkness to find the stolen, legendary Book of Night with Moon. Only with the dangerous power of the wizardly Book do they have a chance to save not just their own lives, but their world…

5. Not to be cheeky, but if that's too wholesome, perhaps The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin will hit the spot? :D

This is the way the world ends. Again. Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries. Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

6. Final one. Why not use Moon Day as an excuse to reread Martha Well's Murderbot Diaries books? (Paper-thin excuse: MB's favorite TV show is… sanctuary moon!)

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

[I said I wasn't going to add Andy Weir's The Martian because it's a gimme, but I'm a liar! I also love The Martian. Yes I know it's on Mars, not the moon, but! Humans! In! Spaaaaace!]

If you made it this far, what do you think? What books does "moon day" make you think of? Which books are on YOUR list?

[thecatholicbozo]

"The most devout King David danced before the ark of God with all his might (2 Kings 6:14), commemorating the benefits bestowed in times past on the fathers. He made musical instruments of sundry kinds; he published psalms, and appointed them to be sung with joy; he himself likewise often sang them, playing upon his harp, inspired with the grace of the Holy Ghost. He taught the people of Israel to praise God with their whole heart, and to join their voices in blessing and magnifying Him every day.

If such great devotion was then used, and such remembrance of the praise of God before the Ark of the Covenant, how great ought to be the reverence and devotion which I and all Christian people should have in the presence of this Sacrament, and in receiving the most excellent Body of Christ!"

-Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

4 Popular Lies about Singleness

by Elizabeth Woodson

Many unmarried people in the church struggle to accept the label “single,” since churches can treat singles as second-class citizens. This treatment rests on wrong teaching about singleness. Simply put, the church can idolize marriage and make it the ultimate goal for maturity in Christ, relegating singles—no matter how old—to perpetual immaturity until they find someone to marry.

Confusing marriage with maturity has always been wrong, but it was easy when marriage was a cultural norm for the American church. At the turn of the century a large majority of the general population was married; in the 1970s the marriage rate had dropped to 70 percent; and by 2014 it had dropped to 50 percent. The inescapable reality is that countless congregations include singles of all ages. The church needs to learn how to love singles better—and the first step is repairing broken theology.

While this list isn’t exhaustive, here are four major lies that contribute to an unbalanced theology of singleness. By correcting these misguided interpretations of Scripture, we’ll be better equipped to love and serve the unmarried people in our congregations.

𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝟏: 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 = 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’” (Gen. 2:18).

Outside the companionship of animals and God, Adam was functionally alone. By default, he was also single. God declared that being on mission alone is problematic, and so he gave Adam a wife to help him.

We tend to approach Genesis 2:18 as a prescriptive text, concluding that God’s solution for lack of companionship is marriage. Yet if this is true, what does it imply about being single? It would mean God doesn’t think singleness is good. But if that were true, why were some of the major characters in Scripture single, including John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul?

To understand this text we need to widen our lens. I believe Genesis 2:18 is a descriptive text from which we can extract the prescriptive truth that living outside of community isn’t good. God created us to live in the context of relationships, and those relationships look different for different people. For some of us, community will take the form of a spouse and kids. For others, it will look like a good network of friends and extended family members. For all of us, it will mean belonging to a local church.

𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝟐: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels” (Prov. 31:10).

I’m particularly sensitive about the messages we send single women regarding their value and significance in God’s kingdom. One phrase I’ve heard consistently is that a woman’s greatest fulfillment comes from being a wife and a mother. And for many of us, Proverbs 31 is the passage that springs to mind when we ponder what it means to be the epitome of a godly woman.

Yes, the Proverbs 31 woman is an example of spiritual maturity, but not simply because she was managing her home and providing for her family. It was because she embodied godly character.

Temporary life roles—like wife or mother—aren’t the ultimate markers of godliness. We should most strongly accent the godly character that will help a believer glorify God in any season of life. There is nothing special you need to be successful in marriage that you don’t need in singleness. No matter our marital status, we still need to confess and forgive, communicate well, and die to self every day. Let’s encourage singles to place their value not in what is temporary, but in what is ultimate: godliness.

𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝟑: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐝 “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4).

Context is crucial here. When we don’t read Scripture in context, we can make God responsible for promises he never made. David wrote Psalm 37 to remind God’s discouraged people that God would bring justice and bless their faithfulness. David wasn’t giving a blanket guarantee that whatever they desired God would grant, simply because the desire was good.

Sometimes people conscript this verse to teach about marriage, leaving many singles angry and bitter toward a God who never promised them marriage in the first place. The truth is, not all godly people get married. We need to embrace this, preach this, and celebrate this! God’s best for many will include a life without a spouse and biological children. These people will know him more deeply, serve him more powerfully, and experience greater joy than they could as a married person. Not because singleness is better, but because marriage wasn’t part of God’s perfect will for their life.

No matter how deeply we desire it, Scripture never guarantees marriage. But it does teach us to “not be anxious for anything, but with prayer, supplication, and with thanksgiving make [our] requests known to God and the peace of God will guard [our] hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).

Scripture also teaches that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isa. 55:9). We can ask God for whatever we desire—but he reserves the right to decide what’s best for us. And his “best” is never a consolation prize.

𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝟒: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 = 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 One common perception of marriage is that it’s near-perfect bliss. Social media, movies, TV shows, and books communicate that all our “single problems” will be solved when Prince Charming swoops in on his white horse and rescues us. In reality, marriage is two deeply broken people joining their deeply broken lives to become one. Wherever we’ve believed one of these lies, our theology of singleness needs to be revised. We need to dethrone our idol of marriage and learn to define our identity the way God does. He views singleness and marriage as equally blessed gifts to be stewarded for his glory (1 Cor. 7:7). Do we share his vision?

[jzlily333]

🌺06/25LiveWell活岀美好🌺

The most beautiful melody God has placed in your heart is praise.​​

Praise the LORD! For it is good and beautiful to sing praises to our God; words of praise are fitting (Psalm 147: 1).

06/25 Bible verses

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11: 1)

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

06/25Good words of wisdom

1. In the real world, people are becoming more and more hypocritical. Many people go out wearing masks pretending to be someone else without being  true to themselves. The word "friend" becomes increasingly abstract.

2. If you don’t want to do something, you will find an excuse; if you really want to do something, you will definitely find a way. Excellent people are always looking for ways to solve problems.

Poetry: Bottomless Love

https://youtu.be/H4MeSR_ilyY?si=RSQHEgftVC81QUk4

🌺06/25活出美好🌺

上帝放在你心中最美的旋律，就是讚美。     

你們要讚美耶和華！因歌頌我們的上帝為善為美；讚美的話是合宜的 (詩篇147: 1)。

06/25圣经金句

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  (Hebrews 11: 1)     

信就是所望之事的實底，是未見之事的確據 (希伯來書11: 1)。

06/25金玉良言

1. 在現實社會裡，人越来越虚偽，許多人帶著面紗出門，做著並不真實的自己。“朋友”這詞變得越來越抽象。

2. 不想做某事，就會找到藉口；很想做某事，一定會找到方法。職場卓越者都是一直找方法解決問題。

詩歌：深不見底的愛 

https://youtu.be/H4MeSR_ilyY?si=RSQHEgftVC81QUk4

[soaringeaglesingingjoy]

Pursue what matters most

In the book of Romans, Paul begs Christians to give their entire lives over to God because God sacrificed everything for them. Jesus gave up His life so that we could experience His unending love and grace. We cheapen His gifts if we refuse to align our lives with the way Jesus lived.

But we give our lives to God by making Him the one thing we pursue above anything else.

So here are 5 steps you can practice—right now—to help you put God first.

Give thanks

“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.”

Psalms 75:1 ESV

Right now, take a moment to thank God for what He’s already done for you. Reflect on His faithfulness, and recount the stories you have seen and heard of His wonderful power.

Spend 5 minutes in silence

“Abide in me, and I in you.”

John 15:4 ESV

Abiding in Jesus starts with stillness. So right now, pause, take a deep breath, and give anything concerning you over to God. Spend 5 minutes centering your heart on the One who matters most.

Remember Whose you are

“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

God loves you. The price He paid for you cost Him everything. So remind yourself of Whose you are, and reflect on some of the things God says about you.

Meditate on God’s Word

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Psalms 119:97 ESV

One of the best ways to find out how Jesus wants you to live is by spending time in Scripture. As you do, ask God to speak to you through His Word about what His will is.

Focus on what is excellent

“…If there is any excellence … think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8 ESV

You have been given the mind of Christ. If you’re not sure what you should think about, try asking yourself: What is praiseworthy? What thoughts and actions would honor God?

Make a list of whatever comes to mind, and pursue those things.

By practicing these steps every day, you can create habits that will help you pursue intimacy with God every day, and put Him first above everything else.

[walkswithmyfather]

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” —Hebrews 10:19‭-‬23 (NLT)

“A God You Can Count On” By In Touch Ministries:

“Through all the changes and instabilities of life, God is a rock that never wavers.”

“People come and go, and each season turns into the next; continual change is normal in our life. Thankfully, this is not the case with God, who is “the same yesterday and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We can completely depend on the Lord’s steadfastness because He is:

• Omniscient. Our Father knows what is happening for every person at every moment (Proverbs 15:3). His knowledge is complete—no circumstance is hidden from Him; there is no motive or thought process that He does not discern.

• Omnipotent. God has power over all things; nothing is outside His control. No authority in heaven or on earth can thwart His purposes (Job 42:2).

• Omnipresent. There’s no person, place, or thing in all of creation that’s outside of the Lord’s presence (Psalm 139:7-12). All space and time are within His sight.

In addition to these excellent traits, God always speaks the truth (Titus 1:2). We can fully trust the reliability of His Word and His responses to our prayers.

Because God’s character is not affected by time, place, people, or circumstances, He is more trustworthy than even the closest human friend. When our plans have failed and people have disappointed us, He is always there, steady as a rock. For all our days, God is the One we can count on.”

[dustedmagazine]

The Smile — Cutouts (XL)

For anyone invested in Radiohead and their side-projects, it’s gratifying to discover that The Smile’s third album, Cutouts, is superior to January’s Wall of Eyes. Is it better than their debut, A Light For Attracting Attention, my favorite album of 2022? I don’t know yet, but I do know that there’s a lot to love about Cutouts, and it’s certainly a more substantive release than its title might suggest — that these are the cutting room–floor tracks from the Wall of Eyes sessions. Far from it: overall, this is a more colorful and dynamic record.

Right from the pre-release singles, Cutouts felt expansive and varied. “Don’t Get Me Started” seemed like a weird choice of single, but in the context of the album it shines. The song could be interpreted as a riposte to critics of the fact that Thom Yorke hasn’t spoken out against the atrocities in Palestine: “I’m not the killer / Don’t get me started.” Or, on a more superficial level, it’s a spacey, deconstructed synth-rock song about being judged. “The Slip,” the flipside to “Don’t Get Me Started,” features thick synth tones and bright, catchy guitar work from Jonny Greenwood. “Zero Sum” repurposes the stuttering guitar sounds from “Thin Thing” and “Under Our Pillows” to surprisingly funky effect. (A reminder, too, that Yorke was once in a band with Flea.) And “Foreign Spies” opens the album with epic and emotive synths that seem to draw inspiration from side B of Bowie’s Low.

The majority of the other songs have been performed live on The Smile’s recent tour dates, most notably “Colours Fly,” with its droning Middle Eastern–sounding guitar lines, and the narcotic sway of “Bodies Laughing,” here rendered in a more muted palette, with nylon-string guitar, akin to “Wall of Eyes.” “Eyes and Mouth” dates back to The Smile’s earliest live performances, its breakneck guitar lines ricocheting in the left channel as jazzy piano chords hold down the tune. The real surprise is “No Words,” the penultimate track, which acts like A Light For Attracting Attention’s “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings,” injecting some late energy into the tracklist.

Lyrically, there are lots of 1984-style allusions to the power of language as both conveyor and manipulator of truth: “Yes is not a real yes” (“Instant Psalm”); “You can change your mind / I won’t be surprised” (“Colours Fly”); “Only saying words / Then turning them around… Always changing the definition” (“Eyes and Mouth”). The music both echoes these themes with its sinuous, ambiguous qualities, and hurtles onward relentless, propelled by some inventive and powerful drumming from Tom Skinner.

What’s most apparent about Cutouts is that even though it’s the conclusion of a prolific three-album run that commenced as many years ago, it doesn’t feel like a band running out of ideas. It’s just the last of this batch of songs that they happen to have come out with. And it’s excellent.

Tim Clarke 

[dragondroid]

Christianity is fascist. It didn't ally with fascism, it didn't become fascist, it always was fundamentally a fascist movement (Note that I'll be looking at specifically Evangelical Christianity as that's what I grew up in and am most familiar with; however, I'm interested to see how people raised in other Christian sects' experiences compare).

Specifically, if we look at Umberto Eco's excellent essay Ur-Fascism, which lays out a framework for understanding fascist principles, we see a lot of interesting parallels with Christian ideology and Biblical excerpts:

- Cult of Tradition: The Bible is explicitly stated to be all the wisdom that is needed (2 Timothy 3:15, Psalm 19:7) by mankind. In Eco's words, "There can be no advancement of learning [inside fascism]... The Truth has already been spelled out one and for all, and all we can do is continue to interpret its obscure message." Christian doctrine is heavily built upon interpretation and re-interpretation of the Bible; even Christians that try to be progressive focus on re-interpreting problematic passages or attempting to give them context, as opposed to acknowledging that modern knowledge and sensibilities have made those passages obsolete. Admitting that modern knowledge has surpassed that within the Bible casts doubt on its status as divine and "perfect," which leads us to...

Rejection of Modernity- The Bible very explicitly says that modern, human-found understanding is inferior to primordial, divine wisdom (Colossians 2:8). Christian rhetoric frequently emphasizes the unknowability of God, framing attempts to understand him and his creation as futile. Many Christian sects deliberately work to create a distinction between "worldly," or human, and "godly" things. Throughout Genesis, we see stories like Adam and Eve and the Tower of Babel, and in the New Testament we see frequent metaphors regarding sheep. The subtext is clear- Learning and building humanity up is folly, and the ideal state of humanity is that of placid, blissful ignorance.

Disagreement is Treason- Churches are not places of equal discourse. The reason so many schisms exist within Christianity is that disagreeing viewpoints are fundamentally not allowed; those with disagreeing viewpoints must be converted to the "right" path or condemned and suppressed. If someone makes a valid point that opposes yours, it's not cause to reconsider your own stance, it's demons trying to tempt you away from the Righteous Path.

Obsession with a plot- What else would you call demons? An invisible, pure-evil race of trickster demigods who pull the strings behind the scenes, and whose sole purpose is making bad things happen- demons could he anywhere, even in your own thoughts, trying to tempt you from righteousness.

Enemy is both strong and weak- This is rampant throughout Christian rhetoric. Demons are both powerful enough to orchestrate the suffering of the world, yet weak enough to be steamrolled by God on Judgement Day. Christians have almighty power on their side, yet somehow seem to always be persecuted (according to them, at least). The Secular World is out to get you, but they're not powerful enough to just get rid of churches.

-Life is Permanent Warfare and the need for a Final Battle- Christian rhetoric commonly focuses on life as a noble struggle against sin, temptation, and Satan, a neverending battle between God's followers and the machinations of demons, until eventually God swoops in and crushes Satan in Armageddon as foretold in the Book of Revelation. Metaphors like the "Armor of God" and children's songs like "The Lord's Army" are probably the two most blatant signifiers of this.

-Everyone is Educated to Be a Hero- I've talked about this at length before, but Christianity idolizes martyrdom, painting it as a valorous ideal. One common story for Evangelical children is about a child in a school shooting who is asked if she believes in Jesus, and when she says 'yes,' she's shot. We were meant to see the girl as brave and a role model to look up to; some of us even had to act out saying we believed in Jesus while an adult pretended to hold a gun to our heads. Death is seen as a goal, where you finally get to go to heaven and leave behind a rotten, painful Earth.

I'd also like to point out that most of these are found in all Christian sects I've been in- the specific examples I gave draw on my own experiences, but the fascistic aspects of Christianity are as widespread as they are insidious.

Ultimately, this is because Christianity serves the same purpose in its followers as fascism does; it takes a frightening, morally-grey, complex world and flattens it into a simple, black-and-white, easy-to-digest world of pure good and pure evil, where all of your problems can be blamed on one group, and all of the answers are already there in the hands of the leader. No building to new heights, no searching for answers to the world's mysteries.

Just a man reading a 2,000-year-old-book, forever.

[albertfinch]

September 5, 2024 - Exhortation

Psalm 16:3 - "As for the saints (great, majestic, nobles, chiefs, holy ones, set apart ones) who are on the earth, 'They are the excellent ones in whom is all My delight.'"

Feelings lie! Go with what is already written about you because it's written in concrete. You cannot lose this time. You are too important to the whole scheme of things. It's not just about your destiny -- you are a part of the whole; you are a part of God's Big Plan.

The fulfillment of YOUR highest destiny starts NOW!

So stand up! Roar! Shake yourself from the dust that has choked you for so long; loose yourself -- oh captive child of the Most High!

Now you will take the Promised Land. Yes, Pharaoh has been hot on your trail and the Red Sea has been in your way, but God LOVES to let things get to the point of impossible before He steps in because then He can show His power best. Watch and see what He is about to do FOR YOU!

You are His superhero, reserved for this time in history! Why? Because you have what it takes to take the territory and WIN! Sit tall in a dignified place. Sit beside Him in His throne. It's time for you to co-reign, co-rule and co-create! Look up, because your recovery, your "cashing in time," your "pay off" day has come (see Luke 21:28)!

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[psalmonesermons]

Aiming for excellence in our service to the Lord Why serve with excellence? Question: What is your definition of excellence and what does it mean to be excellent? Dictionary definition: noun. 1. the fact or condition of excelling; superiority; surpassing goodness, merit, etc. 2. something in which a person or thing excels; with particular virtue 3. excellency Q. Does God require excellence from his children? What do you think? Q. Why should we serve God with excellence? A. The first and foremost reason is that our God is the most excellent God. Psalm 8:1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] your name in all the earth! who has set your glory above the heavens. The Lord our God has an excellent name, and He is worthy of our absolute best. The excellency of God in scripture Job 37:23 [Touching] the Almighty, we cannot find him out: [he is] excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. Psalm 36:7 How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness Is your offering/service acceptable? Q: why does it matter what we offer to God in terms of our ministry? Answer: All through the old testament God made it clear that whatever was offered to him in sacrifice should be without spot or blemish. The book of Leviticus has dozens of sacrifices specified but all without blemish. Q: What kind of sacrifice/ministry does God want? Lev 19:2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. Jesus’ excellence of ministry In the New Testament, Jesus (the Lamb without blemish) will present his Church Ephesians 2:5 That he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Jesus offers only excellent ministry to his Father. We should emulate Jesus. Amen Implications for us - Anything that we give to God whether spiritual... https://www.instagram.com/p/CoAyq3toGDU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[honorhearted]

Like some sylph that only existed in dream, Beth slipped away from Ben's tent when the morning hour was at its darkest. She does not want his honour stained nor her own called into question. His Excellency has the eyes of eagles and hears almost all that happens through camp, however innocent those things might be. But before she does, she takes a moment to leave a bundle in the spot where she'd lain beside him. A new shirt sewn by hand. A replacement for his that has seen better days, and which she firmly intends to thieve away when she leaves. Almost snowy white, it isn't marred by musket ball nor his blood. Neither his tears nor daily wear. A new journal and quill for ease of convenience to make his maps and notes, a confessional of sorts. A book of psalms that he may keep God before him always; their beliefs might conflict in practice and there are things she knows she must needs repent at her earliest convenience, but she knows the Almighty is still woven through Ben, whatever doubts he might have. And if the matter is dire? He can use the pages as wadding. The final gift she leaves him is slightly more indulgent, something sweet for his nature and nourishment. A pepper cake to break his fast upon that will pair with his morning tea. She'd baked it the day before when the women gathered to make meals for the soldiers, each bit of ingredient bartered for or paid a king's wage outright. She leans down to brush a kiss across his slumbering brow.

@brooklynislandgirl

Upon waking, the first thing Benjamin was stricken by was how cold his bed felt without Beth's presence -- without her, pressed there beside him, their limbs entangled in the fervor of never wishing to part. Disappointed, his palm skimmed across the empty space, then he nudged his face down into the bedding with a forlorn sort of insistence, hoping for her scent -- a scant hint that their night hadn't been a figment of his imagination. And dream, he did. Often and vividly.

Upon further inspection, Benjamin realized there was a small bundle perched near the edge of his bed. Eyes opening more fully, he rose with groggy protest, then pulled the mystery items into his lap.

He first discovered the shirt. Though perhaps simple to some, new garments of any kind were a rarity in camp, and running his fingers along the fabric -- all hand-sewn, from what he could tell -- with a certain reverence, the corner of his mouth quirked and his heart danced in his chest. Beth was the type who wanted for nothing, and yet was painfully empathetic and in touch with those around her; with what they needed, and why.

Brushing his fingertips over the pepper cake (an unexpected and rare surprise, indeed), Benjamin found himself grinning as he realized he would have to hide this treat from Caleb. Or perhaps he would even share it, were he to fall prey to a spell of generosity.

The journal, quill, and book of psalms proved in equal measure how much she paid attention; not just what was visible to the eye, but what laid within his very heart and soul. Despite Benjamin's greatest attempts to cover his heart, to bury it and keep it well-hidden from pain and adversity, Beth had wielded a spade and tended to that dead earth until it swelled and burst into bloom. He could never hide from her -- not even if he tried.

Moved to the point dizziness, Benjamin took his new journal and quill and set to work on writing a fervent thank you. With a slightly unsteady hand, he wrote:

Little Bird,

I know neither of us are keen on outright appreciation, but I felt compelled to write you regardless. W.ar has stolen many delights from my grasp, and yet I can at least take comfort in the fact it hasn't robbed me of you.

These gifts, though absolutely nothing I would otherwise demand, give me a certain pleasure because I know they come from your heart. Allow me to return the favor by giving you mine. I am a man of few words, but I pray that the 'three most important' will suffice.

Most Humbly and Devotedly Yours,

B.T.

P.S. Perhaps later this evening, you would do me the honor of sharing this pepper cake? In fact, I feel compelled to demand it. There is no greater gift than being in your presence.

Reading and re-reading his clumsy attempts at affection, Benjamin lightly tugged his loosened ribbon from his hair, then fastened the parchment closed with a bow. He'd be certain to drop this letter off before anyone became wise.