Some lyricists are able to delicately transcend cohesive thoughts into imaginative worlds of abstraction. The latest such songwriter-talent to come across my ears is Joel Thibodeau, he is the man responsible for Sub Pop’s latest offering of neo-folk. He has a voice like a boy angel, but Death Vessel’s greatest strength is in the diversity of genre. Bluegrass, blues, rock, and folk scurry over Nothing is Precious Enough For Us with complete awareness of schizo-variety. And yet, the album does not spin into unfocused musical free-for-all. The result is an interesting and unique take on the indie-folk sound. One that has been growing on me heavily for the past month or so.

Joel’s appearance as Music Blog Guest is brief, but he is worth getting to know:

Dylan: Hi Joel. What’s your favorite CD today?

Joel: The Congos “Heart of the Congos”… because, for starters, the bass line on Congoman…

Dylan: I will listen to that. How about your best memory from Death Vessel’s last tour?

Joel: Discovering that some people enjoy eating cockscombs.

Dylan: I don’t know what that is, but it just might lead into my next question. What is a philosophical/theological thought you’d like to share with the ReleBlog?

Joel: Expect less in return.

Dylan: Thank you for that. What are you reading these days?

Joel: Brian Evenson’s “Dark Property”

Dylan: What are you wearing right now?

Joel: Boots, jeans, belt, t-shirt, watch and undergarments.

Dylan: Fascinating. Since conducting these interviews for the ReleBlog, I’ve deduced that most musicians don’t wear watches, nor do they mention undergarments.   Why are you making music?

Joel: Because no one asked me to.

Dylan: Before we go, what else would you like to add the interview?

Joel: I’ve moved to a new residence fifteen times during the past fifteen years.

——————————————————————————————–

Death Vessel is currently on a headlining tour of the United States. For an intimate little show of sincere musicianship, try to catch Joel if he’s in your town:

——————————————————————————————–

“Send me permanent ultra-marine,
scratching the surface from in-between
i love you’s”

As I mentioned in my blog, after I turned down the opportunity to pray (it sounds weird typing that), the DNC asked if I’d participate in a forum Thursday called “Faith in the ‘08 Election.” It was the final forum in the faith caucus seminars that had been going on all week. Faith issues were a major emphasis of this convention, and I was asked to come talk about younger Christians and the issues that matter to us. At the beginning of my session, Howard Dean came by to speak, emphasizing the Democratic’s party focus on faith in this election cycle.

My session included several Christian speakers, but also ones from other faiths, including Jewish and Muslim. I was the only non-minister, but I felt at home since several speakers emphasized being pro-life. They talked openly about being against abortion, and also defending innocent lives lost to systemic poverty, preventable disease, slavery and war. Hearing pro-life speakers at the DNC is definitely not something I expected.

After the session, I had the pleasure of hanging out for a while with Sarah Pullam from ChristianityToday.com and Steven Waldman from Beliefnet. We grabbed a sandwich before heading over to Invesco Field for Barack Obama’s acceptance speech extravaganza.

I had no idea what to expect, but out of sheer curiosity I knew I wanted to be there. And I’m glad I was. It’s a rare opportunity to experience something and while you’re in the middle of it know that you’re experiencing history. That happened while I was watching the morning news on Sept. 11, 2001, and while watching Barack Obama accept his party’s nomination in person. (In no way am I equating the two; I’m merely saying I had the same realization both times.)

There were 90,000 people there, and I heard people who had tickets were turned away. The scene was hilarious — a mixture of a football game (rabid fans decked out head-to-toe), a carnival and trade show. There was cheesy merchandise vendors everywhere, from the DNC “time for change” watch, to flip-flops with Obama’s head on them (I don’t know if they thought through the messaging on that one), your standard shirts and banners. And with all of the A-list music (will.i.am, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crowe, Michael McDonald), it kind of felt like I was back at Lollapalooza.

I was originally issued a ticket for the third level, but I happened to share a cab with some very nice senior DNC staffers who actually gave me a staff pass that allowed me access pretty much anywhere. I settled into section 100, which was a great seat.

While I was walking around looking for a hot dog, I actually ran into Dr. Joel Hunter and his wife. He was there giving the benediction. We talked for a few minutes, and it turns out he’s been catching as much or more flak as I had been about praying there, in spite of (or possibly because of) the fact he’s a self-professed pro-life Republican and was viewing his participation as a bridge-building effort. You’re scorned if you do, I guess, and scorned if you don’t.

Barack Obama’s speech was special. Whether or not you agree with his politics, the significance of him giving that speech on that stage on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic speech cannot be overstated. Whether or not he wins, it was good for America.

Obama’s personal story, which I learned a lot more about, is inspiring, and the entire event was a sight to behold. From a Christian perspective, Obama did raise some very important points on the biggest stage of his life — not only the expected education, healthcare, energy, etc. — but talking about the poor, preventing unnecessary war and proactively reducing the number of abortions.

When he closed his speech and his family joined him on stage, the crowd was deeply moved. An older African-American couple sitting next to me was openly weeping.

Dr. Hunter’s prayer to close the evening was profound. He didn’t just pray, he actually spoke to the crowd before and during the prayer. And yes, he worked protecting all life into the prayer. It was carefully crafted, God-focused, unifying and well received.

All in all, it was a very encouraging end to what was, for me, a very difficult week. I think it’s great that the Obama campaign is putting such an emphasis on faith and values, even though I’m fully aware of the political motivations, and I’m looking forward to a continued spotlight on those values and topics during the Republican convention next week. While it’s always tricky when politics and faith intertwine, we shouldn’t be deterred. Our generation of Christians can and should let the world know what we stand for, and challenge both parties to work together for the greater good. What I witnessed first-hand at the DNC was definitely a step in the right direction.

The following is a breakdown of my opinions on how music is strategically used in election years to connect with voters. This is not a critique of the artists, their art, or politics.  It’s just my thoughts on how music becomes a powerful tool in swaying the human psyche. The leaders on both sides of the aisle know this well, and put a lot of planning on how to use it to gain an edge.

-Jennifer Hudson was picked to sing the national anthem.  This is because she’s a.) an American Idol alum, and therefore b.) an African American artist with a lot of crossover appeal c.) an “average” celebrity with a more relatable lifestyle than the Pitt-Jolie posse, and finally she’s d.) “a self-made success” (with the help of the American Idol public). The DNC planners no doubt wanted us all to draw a parallel between her rise to obscurity to success with Obama’s similar story.

-Bon Jovi replaced Bruce Springsteen as the performer at the DNC last night.  This was a very deliberate move, since mainstream, white, middle aged, middle of the road Republicans relate much more to what’s on country radio than they do to Springsteen, who’s seen by many American’s as one of those celebrities with an “un-relatable lifestyle,” and can actually backfire on a candidate, much like being endorsed by George Clooney is arguably a risky move.  Americans tend to rail back against that kind of affiliation.  Yeah, Bon Jovi probably has just as much money as The Boss, but the band had a huge crossover hit that featured Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles. Since they share a playlist with Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney on most country stations, this makes them more “everyday American” to the eyes of white farmers & suburbanites.

-After Obama’s speech, the TV audience heard Brooks & Dunn’s “Only In America” as Obama & family waved to the crowd, confetti falling and fireworks exploding.  This song was a reaction to 9/11, and to those of us who listen to country radio, if even occasionally, it draws an immediate emotional connection back to the uber-patriotic days that followed 9/11. 

-John Legend & Will.I.Am’s “Yes We Can” was absolutely brilliant. If you missed it, the duo sang/spoke over clips of Obama’s best sound bytes to create an original song. Legend flooded the stadium with his platinum-smooth Gospel tinged vocals, while Will.I.Am basically served as hype man, repeating key phrases, and closing the song out with “register to vote for Barak Obama…change America.” 

-Legend honed his pipes growing up as a church singer, and was no doubt brought on board to cater to the audience who attend traditional black church services. (These congregations tend to be very conservative, both politically and theology.  In 2004, the urban black vote helped Bush win Ohio, in large part because the black churches were preaching against the pro-abortion John Kerry). 

-Will.I.Am was picked because he is a popular figure in MTV hip-hop with no controversies attached.  Nas, Jay-Z, The Game and a host of other “A list” rappers have intellingant songs packed full of content that Obama supporters could relate to (see Nas’ “Sly Fox” song, which disses Fox News), but these big names all come with excess gangster baggage.  Save his involvement in the train wreck of a song “My Humps,” Will is squeaky clean. 

-It’s also notable who we DIDN’T hear about playing at the DNC: Notable live band hip-hop newcomers Flobots played along Rage Against the Machine in an anti-war show at 11am yesterday.  The DNC has the good sense to realize that Rage is a polarizing band, and even loyal Democrats associate Zach De La Rocha & co. with either communist sympathies, or their support of Mexican revolutionaries trying to overthrow that nation’s government. Even MTV didn’t cover this one. 

-As a final note, Fall Out Boy is set to release a “political album” on November 4.  (Apparently F.O.B. doesn’t realize that 97% of their fan base is not only too young to vote, but isn’t even old enough to hold a drivers license).  Expect to see a lot of artists “cashing in” on the election this year.

tower, 25, can be heard on 89.7 Shine.FM in Chicago, and 101.7 FUSE FM in Saginaw, Michigan. If you’re up for a laugh, check out his thoughts on trying to find a weekend girlfriend. Despite what he just wrote, he still kind of likes Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree album.

His campaign has expressed a desire to have an ongoing dialogue with the Christian community, and I’ve gladly taken them up on that offer. I have regular conversations with his campaign staff about issues that are important to Christians, talking honestly about areas of disagreement and discussing ways we can work toward common goals. It’s a positive dialogue that, as a registered Republican, I have honestly been surprised by. Behind the scenes, Sen. Obama’s team has followed through on what they said they’d do—keep a wide range of Christian leaders involved as voices in the campaign. They have a staff of 10 solely focusing on faith issues.

A few weeks ago, I was asked if I’d be interested in possibly praying at the Democratic National Convention. Taken aback, but intrigued at the opportunity, I accepted. What better way to continue positive dialogue, show support for an emphasis on faith issues and pray in a forum where faith isn’t typically thought to be emphasized? To quote someone close to me—and meaning no disrespect whatsoever to Christian Democrats—it was a chance to bring “light in the darkness.” And hey, Jesus told us to pray, right?

They made clear they weren’t asking me to publicly endorse Sen. Obama. They also didn’t care that I was a pro-life Republican. I saw my participation as a tangible way to show that this generation of values voters doesn’t necessarily need to draw political battle lines the way previous generations have, and that we can work through areas of disagreement toward common goals—fighting systemic poverty; defending innocent lives lost to pre-emptive war, sex trafficking, torture, genocide, slavery and preventable disease; protecting the environment; and proactively working to reduce the number of abortions each year (not only through legislation, prevention and education, but by financial support for pregnant women and overhauling the adoption system—things are messed up when an abortion is $500 and an adoption is $25,000).

Then I found out the benediction was to be on the main stage, opening night of the DNC. Part of the national broadcast. Most people would jump at such an exposure opportunity, but it gave me serious pause.

Through RELEVANT I reach a demographic that has strong faith, morals and passion, but disagreements politically. It wouldn’t be wise for me to be seen as picking a political side, when I’ve consistently said both sides are right in some areas and wrong in some areas. (And truth be told, I haven’t yet made up my mind about who I’m going to vote for this November. There are a lot of specifics I’d like to hear the candidates talk about before my decision will be made.)

During this political process, my desire is to keep an open dialogue with both campaigns and talk about the issues that matter to my generation of Christians. If my praying on opening night at the DNC would be perceived as showing favoritism or incorrectly labeling me as endorsing one candidate over the other—rather than being the bridge-building gesture which I intended it to be—then I needed to rethink the decision.

So I brought that concern up to the DNC, and they graciously understood. They still desired to have someone participate who represented this new generation of Christian voters (which is awesome, by the way), and I thought, who better than Blue Like Jazz author Don Miller? I respect him immensely, and he’s a much better representative of our audience than I am. So, I gave him a ring and he was more than up for it. Likewise, the committee was thrilled to invite him to give the benediction in my place—a move I think will ultimately be much better for the DNC. Don Miller’s famous; I’m not.

The campaign and I still have positive dialogue, and I’m thankful for that. I’ve been invited to participate in a “Faith in the ‘08 Election” panel on Thursday afternoon at the DNC, which seems to be a perfect fit. It will allow me to continue a conversation about the values and issues we strongly believe in, and be involved in a much lower-profile, positive way behind the scenes. I want to make sure our generation of Christians has a place at the table, so to speak, and this will afford us that chance—even more so than if I was to give a prayer onstage. I would relish a similar opportunity at the RNC.

As an aside, in a “put your money where your mouth is” move, this week I changed my party affiliation from Republican to Independent. I want to vote because of my values and convictions, not party affiliations. To me, that’s an important part of being a thinking, values-minded Christian.

But not to be outdone, our old friend Spencer Fruhling (creator of the legendary “America: Canada’s Jorts” poster) sent us a McCain & Me! comic book this week (eerily reminiscent of the McGhee & Me cartoon)! Unbelievable, guys. You’re legends.

Senator Obama & Me
By Matthew McDaniel

McCain & Me
By Spencer Fruhling

Jon McLaughlin OK Now (no release date announced) The 25-year-old played coffee shops around the Midwest before getting picked up by a major record label.  Sadly, his 2007 effort Indiana fell on deaf ears to the radio community at large (Shine.FM played two songs from the album, both of which became very popular).  However, the video for Beautiful Disaster turned some heads.  For his latest project , Jon shows off songwriting skills that have grown by leaps and bounds.  While the songs are still centered on the piano, OK Now is heavy on sing-along hooks, and there are a few production elements that could have been lifted right from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. Ultimately, what makes this record stand out is McLaughlin’s ability to craft lyrics that bring the spotlight to the everyman, the same skill that put Bruce Springsteen on the map.  But where Springsteen told stories of blue collar characters dreaming of breaking free of New Jersey’s sprawling factory landscape, McLaughlin spins tales of a generation of former latch key kids whose worldviews have been shaped by TV dinners & Dawson’s Creek re-runs, introduced too soon to porn, drugs, and abuse, now trying to determine what kind of adults there are now supposed to become. The standout track “4 Years” is the post high school anthem  John Mayer couldn’t quite capture with his breakout single “No Such Thing.”

Michael Gungor Band Anciet Skies (Out September 9)-The worship four piece from Denver, Colorado couldn’t have picked a better season to release their debut.  With the election just months away, it’s a perfect time for MGB’s songs, which are heavily themed around justice, mercy, and compassion, to become spiritual anthems to younger Christians who are politically active in their faith like never before.  However, debuting in 2008 has its disadvantages, mainly that every CCM artist with a record deal has already tried their hand at the genre, resulting in a stack of worship albums that sound pretty much all sound the same.  What sets this band apart is the chilled out songwriting of the husband/wife vocal/songwriting team of Michael & Lisa Gungor, who originally penned the project for their home church, not a national audience.  This narrow focus helps Ancient Skies capture a unique tone that can only be described as Colorado folk (in the same way that Counting Crows somehow “sound” like the desert, and the influence of the mountains of the northwest can be heard in Death Cab for Cutie’s music), salted with hints of banjo, B3 organ, and finger-picked acoustic guitar. This will fit well in your playlist next to Derek Webb, Sara Groves, and the new Brandon Heath project (keep reading). 

House of Heroes In the Valley of the Dying Sun (September 23)-Just as the world faces the possibility that the Russia/Georgia conflict will lead to a Cold War encore, House of Heroes drops a project that’s oddly themed around WWII, the 1950’s arms race and sci-fi monsters, and somehow ties all that to the universal struggles of sin, love, destiny and ultimately, redemption.  To try to “define” these guys past that would be doing you a disservice.  Just know that this is one of the most musically progressive bands to come out in a long time, and give them a listen on their myspace page (a million people have already done the same).  The album runs a bit long by today’s standards (15 tracks), but there’s not one ounce of excess fat or filler to be found.  Well done.

Brandon Heath What if We (August 18)-Ok, so this album is already out. But to be fair to the title of the blog, I did get it ahead of time.  And to be fair as a critic, I need to tell you that I haven’t lived with the material as long as I normally do before I write about an album…but the power of “London,” “Wait and See,” and the hard-hitting single “Give Me Your Eyes” are enough to make me a believer in the whole project.  Very few singer-songwriters write memorable hooks that bring about radio success. Even more rare is a radio-friendly artist who has something deep to say .  Heath may be the only artist this year to achieve success on both sides of the coin.

 tower can be heard from weekdays from 2-6pm on 89.7 Shine.FM Chicago, and 6-10pm on 101.7 Fuse FM in Saginaw, Michigan, and can be read in SHORE Magazine in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. He’s had three root canals and a sprained ankle in the past three weeks, giving him lots of time to sit around and listen to good records and play Gears of War on XBOX 360.

For the last time (at least as an intern), I’m sitting here in the RELEVANT office typing up my thoughts, surrounded by fantastic works of art, literature and music. It’s quite easy to be thoughtful in a place like this. It’s been quite easy to be thoughtful all summer long, partly because of the creativity I’ve been surrounded by and partly because of the amazing things God has revealed to me.

I was sitting on the beach on Wednesday with Meredith (it was our last roadie hurrah), and I was reading over my journal from the summer. I journal all the time – writing down my prayers, thoughts and life experiences. I was floored by the constant state of revelation God put me in this summer. He totally blessed my time down here in the realm of learning new things about Him and myself.

I tried to narrow down the intense load of disclosures into the most potent things I’ve learned, but it was honestly hard. I wanted to memorize every word of my journal from the last two months, but that’s probably humanly impossible (I go on and on and on). As I’m sitting here now, though, I think I could at least try it for you guys out there in blog-land.

It all narrows down to trust and risk for me. First, there’s the trust. I read the story of Abraham and Isaac this summer and realized something for the first time. Abraham wasn’t excited about this test, but he really wasn’t worried. He trusted in God’s ability to fulfill His promises. God had promised Abraham a son, and He would provide that son, no matter what Abraham did. So, Abraham was willing to kill his only son because he knew that even death couldn’t void God’s promise. God could easily bring Isaac back from the dead. Ha! What a twist! What if we lived like that in our day-to-day life, trusting God that much? What would it be like?

Another story that floored me even more was about Jesus (as many of them are). Jesus is an almost-thirty-year-old carpenter. That wasn’t an anomaly in the Jewish culture, but Jesus knows He’s the Son of God. He knew He had the power to rise up and take control over all of the kingdoms of the world, and He wasn’t getting any younger. Satan tried to hand Jesus the world on a silver platter, but, instead of taking His life into His own hands, Jesus trusts God enough to be a poor carpenter for thirty YEARS. God then blessed His preparation time by having Him do ministry for two years – two years that would change history forever.

I’m graduating in December. I’m not going to be a college student anymore. And, I’m not going to lie; I want to change the world. I want to heal the brokenhearted and hold the suffering in my arms. I don’t know what’s coming after school, but I’m not scared anymore. Jesus trusted in God and lived a quiet life for thirty years. He waited thirty years to hear God say, “This is My Son.” I’ve learned over the summer that I can wait, too, if that’s what God wants. I don’t have to jump on a plane the second I graduate (although I totally would). All I have to do is live in His love. It’s easy. It will be fine. Actually, it will be world-changing, no matter what the activity I’m doing is.

So, I learned that God is worthy to trust. If He’s worthy to trust, then He’s also worthy to take risks for, right? How risky have I been this summer? Not as much as I would have liked to have been, but coming to a brand new city much bigger than anywhere I’ve ever lived, moving in with a family I’ve never met before and knowing absolutely no one until my first day at RELEVANT is pretty risky in my book. But, guess what.

This summer has been wonderful. It’s been hard at times, but it’s been wonderful. In the times when I didn’t know anyone super well yet, God was my absolute best friend. In the times when I was taking road trips with great friends to watch Disney fireworks and singing 90s Buzz Ballads with the interns on the way to the beach, God was who I thanked for these wonderful blessings.

Risk is hard, but we we’re not truly living without it. Belief can be tough, but unbelief cheats us. It cheats us of the Will of God – His beautiful, perfect, scary- as-all-get-out Will. Between living in a plastic bubble of safety and complacency and jumping off of a cliff into the realm of God’s Will, after this summer, I’ll take the cliff every time. He is worth it.

I never want to be cheated by unbelief again. I want to be risky. What about you?

In the eight weeks I have been a resident of Orlando, I have developed many incredible relationships that I plan to maintain long after I have departed the City Beautiful. Perhaps the most unexpected bond I have formed is with that of the public transportation system this city boasts. The Lynx bus, or the ‘Lynxie Cat’ as I affectionately refer to it [Meet the Parents, anyone?], has become a means by which to encounter God. I’ll explain.

Every Monday through Friday I have dutifully waited on the corner of Mills and Orange Avenue to be scooped up the Lynx and head off to work. Most days I wait alone at my stop, though on a few occasions other would-be passengers are present. About three weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised as I paid my dues and took a seat, only to be greeted by the most radiant faces I have ever seen. Sitting across the aisle from me were two glowing girls, sisters surrounded by an array of worn dolls and stuffed animals. They were grinning at me eagerly, and I responded with the same expression.

At the first stoplight, the girls took the opportunity to crawl over to where I was seated and climb into my lap. They introduced me to their toys, told me I was pretty, and asked whether or not I would be coming along on their downtown adventure. I explained that I was on my way to work, but I would have joined in the fun if I could. The little muffins asked their father to take our picture together, and before I knew it the man had out his camera phone and was doing his best to capture the moment. It was a wonderful sentiment, snapping shots with complete strangers.

We soon arrived at where I was to be dropped off, and I told the girls it was a pleasure to have met them. As I stood up to leave, they asked if they could have a hug, and I was all too delighted to oblige. Their father thanked me for being so kind, and I told him what complete treasures his daughters were. With a smile and a wave I departed the bus, realizing I had not asked for their names and would most likely never see that family again.

But for those brief minutes, I experienced love like I haven’t before. Pure, uninhibited love. Accepting, fearless love. It was like God wanted me to know what He meant when Jesus told us to become like the little children. We are called to love visibly, unconditionally. No questions asked. My Abba beckons me to love just as those girls had, to pour out love in tangible ways. We are to live in the redemptive power of the Spirit, to be overwhelmed by a love that is so undeserved. I was challenged by those young ladies to give more of myself away, to move on impulse and to let love reign over every part of my life.

God is love. And love is real. My hope is that you will claim that truth for yourself.  

- Meredith

The new books have been written and are now in the editing stages.

Of course, Pocket Guide to the Bible is already a published book and doesn’t require much editing at all. However, I do have the chance to change a few small things — mainly in the form of wording, minor edits, etc. — especially stuff that was in the original but that I don’t really like anymore.

(There were a few early critics of the book who didn’t appreciate the book’s flippancy and/or humor in my descriptions of certain biblical events or characters. Some of their critiques I chalked up to the fact that some reviewers are sticks-in-the-mud and just didn’t get it. Other critiques I took very seriously.)

So before version 2.0 of Pocket Guide to the Bible comes out, I’m going to change a few minor things. Here’s one of them.

On page 176, in the “Lists” chapter, I have a list of “Seven Biblical Suicides.” On number 6 in the list, about the suicide of King Saul’s armor-bearer, I use the made-up phrase “Cobained himself” to describe the armor bearer’s act of self-destruction. At the time, I was looking for a creative, culturally astute way to describe suicide without saying, yet again, “killed himself” or “committed suicide.” As I tried to think of famous people who had committed suicide, I settled on Kurt Cobain. His name was well-known, it was still culturally relevant, and it lended itself nicely to being turned into a verb.

At the time, I thought it was clever.

I was wrong. It was insensitive, not really that funny, and too cute by half. It’s still too soon to do that kind of thing. It might always be “too soon” to do that kind of thing, and I regret it.

So I’m taking the verb “Cobained” out of the next edition of Pocket Guide to the Bible.

But that might not be all, and here’s where I need your help. Many of you have read the book. If you’ve read PGTTB, this is your chance to personally contribute to the next edition. I want you to recommend any edits that fit within the following categories:

1) Any phrasing, words, or jokes that you think might have been inappropriate (like “Cobained” above)…

2) Any typos, mispellings, factual errors, or formatting errors…

3) Any jokes that, in your opinion, need to be removed or changed because they fall flat, don’t make sense, or are just stupid…

4) Any cultural references that worked in 2006-2007 but won’t be as funny in 2009.

We won’t be able to make any big changes like, say, adding a chapter or including a left-out biblical character to the “Who’s Who.” But any single-line changes in phrasing are entirely possible.

Disclaimer: There is no guarantee I will accept your edits, but I do want to know what you think and if you catch something good I want to make it worth your while. If you recommend edits to me and they end up making their way into the next edition of the book you will:

1) have the satisfaction of knowing you had a direct hand in the end product;
2) have my everlasting gratitude;
and…
3) be rewarded with a signed, free copy of either Pocket Guide to the Afterlife or Pocket Guide to Sainthood when they are released.

Seriously. I’ll make a list of people who recommended edits and note whether or not those edits make it into the book. The ones that do get a free gift next summer.

So, either email me (jb [at] jasonboyett [dot] com and put PGTTB Edits in the subject line) or leave a comment on this post at jasonboyett.com.

One more rule: This is a limited-time offer. Any edits have to be received by me, in comment or e-mail form, by next Friday, August 22. No exceptions.

Cool?

Since moving to Charlottesville, I’ve become a bike commuter. I love it. Last Tuesday, though, I didn’t love it so much. I was coming down Ridge, the main connection to downtown from my house, and I went to jump a curb. It didn’t work out so well. I laid the bike down, right there on the road, out in the open for all the neighbors to see. A couple guys who had a great view of the whole escapade from their front yard asked if I was okay. My pride took a ding, and my knee was thrashed pretty nicely - and I blew a tube on my back tire. Other than that, though, my bike and I were both still in one piece.

Rolling away, I was definitely embarrassed - but there was also a strange joy I found in the encounter. My encounter with the asphalt. And then my encounter with the neighbors who enjoyed the spectacle. Nothing opens the possibility for a human connection quite like looking like a doofus. I had hoped for ways to quickly meet my neighbors, to open up possibilities for friendship - and if you’re interested for tips I’m learning: a face plant on the sidewalk does the trick.

The moment seems like a metaphor for my life right now. In our new life and new city and new work, it is tempting (very tempting) to try to make stuff happen, to hold tight reigns on how we step into this new place. I am tempted to be fearful and anxious. But, truth is, I can’t control any of this. The whole idea of control is mostly an illusion anyway. I have to loosen my grip and watch and listen and wait and hope and work - knowing that God is the one who will open doors and build friendships - or not.

Some things will never come to be so long as we are in charge. Recently, I heard a friend pray this: “God, I feel small.” That sounds so good and alive and true. When we are small, when we are holding things loosely, when our faith is carefree and open and reckless enough to allow space for a little crash, a little chaos, a little mess - I think God has his best room to work.

{I reflect on this a little more and from a different angle on my personal blog}