Fiona Apple/Coldplay

Last night, Heather and I sat in the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, and watched the best concert either of us have ever witnessed in our lives. Fiona of course did her best Janis Joplin impression, dancing about in a style that can at best be described as the Elaine dance in fast forward. Sadly, I think most of her music fell on deaf ears, as concert goers arrived late and the ones who did witness her short setlist didn’t fully appreciate her passion. I admit, I am not a Fiona Apple enthusiast, but I did appreciate her vigor and her verbose songs consisting of heartache and vindication.

But, to Coldplay I must turn my homage. The theatrics of the whole thing were in and of themselves spectacular alone. Behind the stage was a huge screen with an array of images, but often displayed video captions of Chris Martin on piano and the other members playing their respective instruments. During the song “The Scientist”, the image on the screen zoomed slowly from outer space into the molecules that exist in a human body. During the song “Yellow”, several yellow balls were dropped from the rafters onto the floor crowd, each eventually exploding and spreading gold confetti everywhere! Like Fiona, Coldplay played and sang with a passion that I have seen outmatched only by The Dave Matthews Band. These guys seem to really enjoy each other’s presence and appreciate the music that each one contributes. I also appreciated the fact that they chose to sing Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” after singing “Til Kingdom Come” (a song originally written for Cash). After the encore, they chose to sing three of my favorite songs of theirs: Swallowed in the Sea, In My Place, and Fix You! Needless to say, it was a great night and it was the best concert I have ever witnessed.

I realize this is less of a review and more of a celebration of a great band, but you know what, I don’t care! Have a good day, enjoy the beautiful weather (if you live in Oklahoma!).

Definitions Redux

***This is my new blog, my old blog danielsharples.blogspot.com will now be functioning as a book/music/film/overall culture review. I hope that my readers will continue to visit my old site and give thoughts in response to my posts.***

Here is the post that I started with on my first blog, I have been doing some “re-thinking” as us Rivendell folk like to say and I have decided to make some changes in my approach and understanding of my purpose in writing. So here is the new version. Enjoy:

Just what exactly do I mean by “Pilgrim Ramblings”? Webster’s Dictionary defines the word pilgrim as : traveler, especially one who is on a sacred journey. I like to keep this image in my head that somehow I myself am on a sacred journey, and this journal (blog) is part of that and my hope is that ideas and new thoughts can spring up from the well of discussion on God and theological subjects that take place here. I like to think of this as the “sacred” part of the journey. But also what is bound to follow are my own and others “ramblings”. Webster’s defines ramble as: leisurely stroll – or to wander aimlessly. This is significant to me because I can tend to ramble and thus wander about aimlessly in conversation and in life. So implied in all of this is tension, a tension of being missional, participating in the kingdom of God and being satisfied in God’s glory, while at the same time expressing my finititude in understanding this world that God has created. This blog represents that and will continue to do so. I am on a journey and I have goals, but at times I have the tendency to walk about without direction, even when it is thrown directly in my face. I think most people resonate with this tension, and the purpose of my blog is not to shy away from it but articulate the struggle.

I look forward to your thoughts….

More Breaking News (with Significant Changes!)

Hello All.

News: I am moving my blog to a new place, pilgrimramblings.wordpress.com. However, I will keep this blog and use it as a cultural review consisting of reviews of films, books, and music and other events that occur locally, nationally, and globally. I hope you will keep checking this site and will keep giving input, because that is really why I do this, for I enjoy the conversation that occurs and the comments that many of you leave. Thanks for visiting and hanging around, listening to me and my irrelevant thoughts.

My new blog, will be functioning on the same premise as this one used to and will consist of thoughts on God, life, and human understanding. I hope we can continue the conversation over there as well. Thanks again.

Welcome to the Pilgrimage

“But, following Jesus is a process: it takes time; some surge forward quickly while others hang back and struggle. That’s part of what it means to respond to following Jesus. We do not expect anyone to “get perfected” all at once, so we need to admit right up front in the discipleship summons of Jesus that the call to “go and sin no more” is not followed perfectly by anyone — and Jesus knows this. He offers his hand to help, he offers his hand to point the way, but the hand that guides is next to the hand that helps when we fall.”

- Scot McKnight, in www.jesuscreed.org

 

Breaking News!

Mi hermana (my sister) is now blogging from Mexico. You can check it out hear at ambersharples.blogspot.com

Quotes from the Psych Unit

For those of you who do not know, I work at a hospital in Tulsa in the Child/Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit. Here are some quotes that I heard today…

“Hey, I’ll eat your heart.”

“Hmmmm, blood milk, my favorite!”

“Buck you, Mr. Daniel!”

Pics

Well
Here are some pictures from the Minneapolis trip I went on with some of my friends. In this picture (from left to right): Charley, Lee, Steve, Jim, John (with fork in nose), Jeff, and Jimmy. We all attended John Piper’s Pastors Conference. It was a good conference but what made it special was the conversations that we had in our group throughout the week.

One night, a few of us went to the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Boston Celtics game. Here is a shot of NBA all star Kevin Garnett shooting a free throw while fellow all star Paul Pierce looks on:

Here is a pic I took from our hotel room on the 19th floor of the Hilton. I couldn’t help but stare at all the people walking on the sidewalks and pretending to smash them with my thumb and index finger like I was a giant.

Here is a balcony shot of the Solomons Porch gathering. This was their first time to meet at the new church building, however it was also their annual church meeting so we left halfway through because it was a little boring. The highlight of the night was the fact that I sat on a couch instead of a pew.

Here is Charley and Steve playing checkers at Caribou Coffee (which is just like Starbucks). The place didn’t have actual checkers so we had to gather pocket change.

Well I hope you enjoyed these pics. I have more and may add more at a later time. Take care

Indictment of “Religious Consumerism”

Here is a quote from Richard Horsley on American consumer-capitalism:

“Perhaps the most obvious way in which the religious function of advertising can be discerned, it skillfully plants a sense of inadequacy, insecurity, sin, guilt, or shame, for which it then presents the remedy (redemption, salvation, relief, absolution) in the acquisition of certain products. In consumer capitalism one gains salvation by the acquisition of products.”

Religion and Empire, pg. 118.

An interesting gospel huh?