Saturday, January 29, 2011

Snow, Predawn

The town, draped in white;
So quiet and still
You can hear the sound of snow falling

No traffic on the road
Or tiniest breeze;
Not even a predawn chorus of birds calling

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Twittelator Tweets • My Theme Songs

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 11:18 PM
♬ 'Lord of the Starfields' - Bruce Cockburn ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qsaff
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26855743550394368

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 11:17 PM
♬ 'All The Ways I Want You' - Bruce Cockburn ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qsa9q
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26855616953712640

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 11:16 PM
♬ 'She Blinded Me With Science' - Thomas Dolby ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qsa26
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26855410480709632

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 11:16 PM
I've been listening to my "Theme Songs of My Life" playlist ♬ 'The Joker' - Steve Miller Band ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qs9yw
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26855319413985282

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 11:15 PM
♬ 'Deepest Part of Me' - Dougie MacLean ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qs9on
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26855043311341569

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 11:15 PM
♬ 'The Boys Of Summer' - Don Henley ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qs9n1
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26855000663658497

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 11:06 PM
♬ 'Someone I Used To Love' - Bruce Cockburn ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qs7cc
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26852908695822336

Michael R. Martin (@CedarEden):
1/16/11 10:57 PM
♬ 'The Coldest Night Of The Year' - Bruce Cockburn ♪ http://twitpic.com/3qs4ke
https://twitter.com/CedarEden/status/26850457485844480

Collected Thoughts on Snow & Cold

Virgin white, a gentle snow drifts lazily onto Main Street, hazy highlight against sky cast purple-orange in the lamplight of this tiny city

New and falling snow brighten the day prematurely
An extra-stellar luminance that lifts the spirit an hour before sunrise

It is a magical time of day as the sky lightens
As muted walls of shadow become a tree line
Dark against slightly less dark

All is naught but shades of blue
Azure, ceil, cerulean
Denim, iceberg, indigo
Iris, palatinate, periwinkle

Persian, powder, prussian, royal
Sapphire, teal and aquamarine

It's a brutally cold day. The cold has settled in my sinuses like snow after an avalanche. Sometimes the sun shines teasing the senses but now it's true grey sharp nature blows through me like an ice sword

The moon casts an arctic cold blue glow across a field of new-fallen snow

My Farewell and Hello

As i led my last service at the United Methodist Church in Saranac Lake, the scriptures gave me strength and led me to know I was on the right path. I have been suffering by ignoring my call and holding back. That is done.
________
Isaiah 49:3-5

He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring me glory."
I replied, "But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the LORD's hand;
I will trust God for my reward."
And now the LORD speaks—
the one who formed me in my mother's womb to be his servant,
who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The LORD has honored me,
and my God has given me strength.

Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Psalm 40:1-4
I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9
I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
_______

My Farewell

"After 10 years as voluntary praise service music minister for the First United Methodist Church in Saranac Lake - and at a time when I'm told there would only continue to be a Praise Service if it is run voluntarily and entirely unsupported by the Church - I have decided to accept a position as Music Minister at a non-denominational service held every Sunday 10AM at St. Joseph's Addiction Treatment & Recovery Center in Saranac Lake. St. Joe's was founded by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and is Roman Catholic. The service, however, is non-denominational and INCLUSIVE, under the Roman Catholic Womanpriests initiative (http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/). The worship is being led by ordained Christopher Courtwright-Cox and is offered for St. Joseph in-patients and open to the outside public.

I welcome this position as an opportunity to pursue my calling in music and ministry in an open, supportive environment. I've served as guest minister at St. Josephs on several occasions, so I know the power of the Holy Spirit moving in a room of souls crying out for a greater closeness with God. It is regrettable that for most of the years I served the First UMC, the Praise Service was rarely treated as a legitimate part of this Church's ministry. Nevertheless, I took my role seriously, spent many hours each week preparing for each service, and maintained a high standard as a UMC CERTIFIED LAY SPEAKER. While some may think that certification is just a title, it represents a certain level of discipline and study undertaken by the individual, as well as a vote of confidence by one's home church and peers.

I value the friendships I have made, and the experience gained while serving. I wish you all well. I hope that you will take the time to come check out our service one Sunday. Perhaps, too, I will be back as a guest musician or minister at YOUR church some time in the future. And, lastly, this might be an opportunity for this Methodist Church to examine its priorities and actually develop a coordinated worship plan. I'd be happy to participate in such an effort."

Sunday, January 09, 2011

We shall (can) all prophesy

Acts 2:17-18 (AMP)
And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [*telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (^divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [^divinely suggested] dreams. Yes, and on My menservants also and on My maidservants in those days I will pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy [*telling forth the divine counsels and ^predicting future events pertaining especially to God's kingdom].

*G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon
^Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon

Blue day

Virgin white, a gentle snow drifts lazily onto Main Street, hazy highlight against sky cast purple-orange in the lamplight of this tiny city

New and falling snow brighten the day prematurely
An extra-stellar luminance that lifts the spirit an hour before sunrise

It is a magical time of day as the sky lightens
As muted walls of shadow become a tree line
Dark against slightly less dark

All is naught but shades of blue
Azure, ceil, cerulean
Denim, iceberg, indigo
Iris, palatinate, periwinkle
Persian, powder, prussian, royal
Sapphire, teal and aquamarine