new-york-city – Page 3

August 24, 2009

You’ve Been Activated

Have you seen the movie Eagle Eye? Two seemingly random people are thrown together by a mysterious voice that keeps calling them with instructions. They end up working this wildly elaborate plot in supposed service to their country. I won’t ruin the ending for you (and it’s not relevant to my point).

The thing that caught my attention is the when the voice calls them for the first time. She gives them a directive and then says, “You’ve been activated.”

They are unsuspecting, normal people whose services are needed because they are in the right place at the right time.

I think God calls on us in the same way sometimes. We are going about our daily routines and “bam,” we’re called into service.

“You’ve been activated”

Last week I was heading to work when I got on the subway at the normal time and normal place. An older gentleman sat down and began to talk to me. Now, if you are familiar with NYC subways, you realize that no one talks to each other…usually ever…especially in the morning. The thing about this man is that he wasn’t annoying. He was 73 and he had chronic pain in his back. He was on his way to physical therapy in Jersey City where the doctors do not have any other options for him except live with the pain. He kept saying “I just don’t know what else I can do.”

Almost immediately I knew that God said, “You’ve been activated.” I thought, “Lord, You don’t want me to pray for this man on the quiet train, do You???”

It got even better when the man explained that he had seen a preacher on TV the night before talking about healing and he had called, but couldn’t decide whether to go…he wanted to know if I believed things like that could happen. First, I thought about how the Lord has a sense of humor. I told him I knew God could heal Him and give him a miracle. I have seen it myself.

I still didn’t know if I should pray for him on the train, but it turned out he just needed someone to tell him he should go to the church. Sometimes God just needs us to give people a prod.

You just never know when you’ll be activated. But, rest assured, God has activated others for you and He will use you if you are willing. If you and me are paying attention.

Do you have an “activation” story?

August 14, 2009March 9, 2015

One of those days

Wednesday was not a great day. Nothing bad happened. It just wasn’t good. Have you ever had one of those days?

I stayed home from work to wait on the exterminator (another long story…) who never came. I tried to record a new song for the YouTube Sessions on keyboard and I just couldn’t get a good take. At about ten o’clock I decided to pack the recording stuff up (it’s New York – there no room for a dedicated studio) and try again another day. I must’ve spent five hours or so working on that song. Nothing to show for it. I wanted to write a blog – no dice. I even wanted to go for a run…didn’t happen.

It’s been a long time since I tried so many different things and nothing worked out. But I guess it’s just one of those days.

One of those days

One of those days

One of those days

No matter how you say it (write it…whatever!) it just doesn’t give you any more satisfaction.

But just before midnight as I was packing up the gear to shove into my closet I stumbled onto something. I put a vinyl copy of James Taylor’s Sweet Baby James on the turntable and I just enjoyed it.

Didn’t sing along. Didn’t play along. Just enjoyed.

So I did accomplish something after all on one of those days. Something I could have done all day long: Listen to the sounds of some really great songs.

July 22, 2009

Mirrors Everywhere

Olivia and I lived in Boston for three years. We loved it: the city, our schools, the culture, all of it. One of the most famous buildings in Boston (and the tallest in New England) is the John Hancock tower in Copley Square. The architects said they could not improve on the beauty of the surroundings, including the amazing Trinity Church. So they built a building with mirrors so more of theat beauty could be reflected.

I must admit that it is striking. But as I was walking through New York recently I noticed that so much of the new construction is made of mirrors. There’s even an old, pre-war building close to Columbus Circle that is being renovated and covered in – you guessed it – mirrors. I got to thinking, “What if all the buildings are covered in mirrors?” “Would there be anything left to reflect?”

I find this as a songwriter sometimes. I get so busy observing and commenting on life that it seems like I’m not living it. I think the same goes for journalists, painters, photographers, etc. There must be something beautiful, something meaningful to convey in our work for it to have meaning.

So, calling all creators: mirrors can be effective, but only if they have something to reflect.

June 17, 2009March 10, 2015

Hate to Stop the Music

I know I run the risk of sounding like Madonna (thanks, Norah!) Rihanna with a title like this (I think her’s was “Please Don’t Stop the Music”). But I’m forging ahead anyway – you can’t copyright a title :).

A couple weeks ago I was coming into work and, like a lot of New Yorkers, I had my earphones in taking in some tunes. (At a minimum, most New Yorkers are listening to an iPod and reading a book. There are many variations on this.) As I got in the elevator I noticed the woman beside me was taking out her earphones as I was. There was actually a sense of disappointment in the air; like someone had injected a little reality. She laughed a little when I remarked at how lame it was to stop the music – especially when it’s good.

I saw a commercial lately that illustrated just this. The ad shows a young guy with tattoos and earrings rocking out to some headbanger tunes right up until he sits at his desk, removes the earphones, and the image changes to him as conservative businessman in a suit.

Something about music takes us out of reality and into an amazing universe created by the artist. I believe this is a good thing.

Last summer Olivia and I drove to New York City from Nashville several times (15-16 hours). The last time we made the trip, we bought the Sara Bareilles album, Little Voice, and played it relentlessly: there and back and while we were driving around the City. I can’t tell you how crazy it is for one of those songs to come up on shuffle now and be taken back exactly to how I felt on that trip. If I close my eyes I am in the car driving over the Queensboro bridge in our Honda Fit with the windows rolled down.

How does music do that? More importantly, how can I make music that affects people like that?

Does music do this for you?

June 13, 2009

Justice, Obama, and the Harlem River

I know there are lots of different people with different views that read this blog. I have my friends from the Church who, by and large, are conservative. I have my music friends who are mostly liberal. I even know some who cherry pick from one side or the other. If you know me, you know that I lean conservative and this is mostly on social issues. I’ve lived in overwhelmingly liberal communities a lot, so I’ve learned to just keep quiet and nod when politics comes up. This is a shame, but I know as soon as I express my support for certain positions that I will not just get a disagreement from some liberal friends, but a moral judgment that could threaten their opinion of me as a person. The same goes for select conservative brethren. If, by some chance, I happen to feel that the Left has some insight on a particular issue (I can’t think of one now:) then I am lambasted as not holding to the straight and narrow.

So it is with this disclaimer that I offer you the following words…

A few months ago I was taking a walk along the Harlem River in Manhattan. If you don’t know the geography of New York City, there are several rivers/bodies of water that meet here: Hudson, Harlem, East, Long Island Sound, and, of course, the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve been taking walks and spending time praying as I explore the City and this particular day I felt God say “Pray for justice.” Now, there are those that pray for justice all the time and it is burden on their hearts. Let’s just say it’s not one of my regular prayer topics. So I began to pray in the Spirit for justice; justice in the City, in the Nation, and justice in the lives of my friends and family. As I finished, the Lord began to speak to me. He said that the election of Obama as president is a river of justice for African-Americans. Just as the Harlem River cuts through the rocky land, justice cut through the rock of hard hearts that brought oppression to an entire race and is now bringing about righteousness.

You have to believe me when I say I wasn’t really pursuing this revelation. It was if the Lord wanted to reveal it to me for some reason I’m still not aware of. I am just overwhelmed that He would choose to speak to me at all.

Considering my views and the fact I voted for John McCain, I began to ask God how this could be with Obama’s positions, particularly on abortion. What about justice for the millions of unborn babies that never see life? He answered that I, as a human, could not see justice the way He sees it. We tend to only focus on one thing, one issue at the detriment to all the rest. He can bring about His purpose in as many streams as I could imagine and beyond. He showed me that there was justice coming related to abortion and it would be a wide, mighty river (think of the Mississippi). And not just for abortion and racial injustice, but for all the wrongs that require His ability to make them right. The streams of righteousness are flowing strongly through all the Earth.

The thing all of these “rivers of justice” have in common is that they flow to one place: the ocean. Remember that I said that in New York City many rivers/bodies of water flow into the Atlantic? When I saw that they were metaphors for justice, I asked the Lord if the ocean was a place of judgment or mercy. He conveyed that it could be either. The atrocities committed are more than deserving of judgment, but because of Jesus, because of His sacrifice, the rivers flow together into an ocean of mercy. This mercy stretches as far as we can see like the horizon line on the water that just keeps going. The rivers flow into Him – the true ocean of mercy.

May 12, 2009

Update

It’s been forever…I know!! Lots going on here in NYC. Just following the Lord and doing a lot of waiting and listening. I’ve been reminded lately of a great word from “My Utmost for His Highest” where Oswald Chambers talks about the “glorious uncertainty” of being in the Lord. I am not certain of what today will bring, but I am certain of Him. I am still searching for that place He has for me to lead worship, but I’m more content everyday just doing what He has set before me and waiting for Him to move how He wills and surprise me. I did get a great new long term temp job at the NFL in their charities department. It’s cool to come through the doors and see the original Vince Lombardi trophy in the the reception area. I’m thankful God has given me something to do while I’m waiting :).

Been writing a ton and just enjoying the city. I’m excited to see what’s coming up in this “glorious uncertainty.”