Forgiven fingers rhythm
Faltering hands are given

To a worthwhile work
as an unstained palette's clerk.

Forgiven fingers rhythm
Faltering hands are given

Strength to hold a truth
lifted by holyness proved...

Holyness Proved. ?

Holyness is a concept, scratch that, a truth I find hard to handle. Not because it is hot but because it can find itself awkward in my hands. Like something that has too many ridges on it. You know it will fit neatly somewhere but you just havent worked out where yet. So it remains, tossed and turned. And too often put down so you can hold onto something else. But it has a place. Omnipresently so. It will touch everything you touch necessarily and in result beautifully.

I think the difficulty is that here my hands are set before my holyness. Holyness is not to be grafted on like a new vine. Holyness is the root and main body around which our hands must be grafted. It must establish itself purely first.

And is this not true of new life?

What do we institute?

From Mars Hill...

Although this is a bit late i really wanted to get it up here.

On my last Sunday in the States, while in Seattle, I got the chance to go to Mars Hill Church. Mars Hill is a place I have heard much about as I'm sure some of you who will read this have heard. Both positive and negative things. Certainly it has a controversial reputation and Mark Driscoll, the head teaching pastor and man behind the beginnings of Mars Hill is no exception to this truth as a very orthodox and matter of fact preacher. Two things that aren't always the most popular attitudes to have in our current culture.

But Mars Hill sees itself as a Church that 'lives for Jesus as a city within the city—knowing culture, loving people, and seeing lives transformed to live for Jesus'. Something that the church as a whole is striving to do at this time around the world. But Mars Hill has a reputation as a place that is really making progress in this area. Reaching a side of society that has been notoriously difficult to reach. That part of society that finds itself labeled 'alternative'. That part of society that has to a large extent rejected pop culture. That part of society that likes to look at itself as more discerned, more gritty. Whether it is, is another matter but it is a part of society that I think i would normally associate myself with.

So to get to go to Mars Hill was exciting to me and in a sense I went expecting much but at the same time wondering how much I could expect as I had seen so many churches and ministries profess a 'knowing of culture' and a relevance to it but in reality still be far removed from it.

But in a sense Mars Hill blew me away. Well as far as an analytical, thoughtful Scot can be. I was seriously challenged. Mars Hill has been the first time that I have stepped into a church shaped for it being truly contemporary and relevant to its culture, to the culture I associate myself with, and actually having my expectations and hopes largely fulfilled. This church's aim at being a contemporary church for once actually held meaning for me. I saw the underground being reached. The place I feel I have come from actually found levels of common ground here and my 'contemporaries' are the ones being reached. For once for me the cries of 'contemporary' and 'relevant' held weight.

I want to be careful not to overstate this or in any way say that churches like Hillsong do not hold any truth in their 'contemporary' shouts. For they do but I feel, and have always felt that Hillsong and others are still deeply embedded in the 'christianyness' that many in our society increasingly don't get, and appeal only to a pop culture which alienates those that are labeled under the 'alternative' sub-culture. The part of society that considers itself grittier and more discerning, even if these adjectives do hold delusion in them.

I do not say this devaluing the work of Hillsong and others because it is clear to me that they are producing great fruit and bringing many to, and growing many in, Christ. Reaching a diverse and important demographic. But the demographic that I have identified as the 'underground' is a demographic that is too often missed by these churches. Mars Hill is the first church I have seen to hit this demographic that i have longed to see the church hit.

And the most important thing is that all this is founded in strong evangelical, biblical teaching. Not wishy,washy, society pleasing pap! It has been too long since my writing hand has been worked so hard in a church service and maybe I find that the most exciting thing. Here is a church firmly grounded on the word and that brings weight and power.

There is no doubt that there are things in Mars Hill that i will not agree with and things that do not relate or hit me but I am excited to see the work of this church multiply and touch my demographic. Here I see many of me coming to, and being strengthened in Faith and Christ.

This is both interesting and exciting.

Washington's touch

My hands are open for the the weight of glory has forced them free. By grace they are filled and in love they wait peacefully...

Questionable things

I wonder why journeying is so peaceful to me? I seldomly get itchy when I travel even when I'm delayed by some silly thing or some ridiculous amount of time. What can I do? But take it all in? So that is what I do. I take it all in. Just watching, just thinking. What I do not remember but at the time it seemed of enough importance to ponder. 

And I wonder why the world going by is of such importance to me and I wonder what that means about me? Than I can sit for hours in silence watching the mountains break out and up, watching the little lights, the world's veins cutting through like the scores of a knife, or the winding waterways bringing some irregularity to the uniformed patch-worked fields. And why do slip roads off the highways turn this way or that? Where are these people going? Is that water or ice? Who paints these lines?

Why are these things so important that my mind feels so at liberty to explore and discover. These are questionable things yet they are so natural to me that they make me. They are my understanding and knowledge. My muse to provide my musings.

Why do words seem like work. Writing and reading so challenging while the sound of music in my ears and visions in my eyes are so effortless and easily pondered? Is it simply Lazyness? Or is their valid and important reasoning for these senses being at the forefront of my mind. 

These are questionable things. 

Then the question is 'for what reason'? 'Why'? Are these questions pondered for the sake of questioning? Or do I seek answers? Am I too willing to float on by as I journey on, taking it all in?

...

Let us journey...