It had been some 30 years.
Joseph Martin played piano for my Youth Choir at Parkway Baptist Church of Plantation, Florida.
As I said in my former post, I knew him to be an extraordinary musician, who, if he wanted to, would go far.
He wanted to.
Yesterday, after a series of emails and phone calls, we were able to see each other.
He was in concert at the Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Bradenton, Florida.
We were able to spend the afternoon together, remembering old times and people who had been in our lives.
Joe is one of the most personable people on earth, even more so now than I had remembered him to have been.
And then the concert.
WOW!
Joe has a stage presence that rivals that of any performer I have ever seen. He was witty, well paced and so very talented.
As I had told him earlier, the difference between being a good, or even above average performer is threefold: 1) talent - which is God given; 2) confidence - which comes with knowledge of one's craft; and 3) energy - not to be confused with loudness.
Joe excelled in all three.
The first thing that caused my heart to jump and my attention to be grabbed was his very unique use of the glissando (the sliding of the finger or fingers up or down the keyboard)
Joe's glissando was dynamic, meaning that it could change in volume or speed as it was being played.
For many pianists, the glissando is nothing more than an embellishment for the purpose of showing off. Quite often, the artist does not time it out well enough, and has to either change the rhythmic pattern of the song or simply "jump" to where he is going without finishing the glissando.
For Joe Martin, however, the glissando itself became a part of the structure of the piece.
Once he had my attention, I began to focus on his various other techniques.
Whether he was playing an expressive adagio (slow and emotional) or an il più presto (as fast as possible), he was superlative in its treatment.
Joe's enthusiam for his work was evident on both the traditional "high-church" selections and the gospel and hymn treatment pieces.
In one song, "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho," one could hear the trumpets as the Israelites marched around the city, even though there were no trumpeters hiding in the piano (as far as I could tell). And when the "walls came-a-tumblin down," you could feel them fall, crashing to the earth.
Enough, already!
Suffice to say it was a joyous day.
As I told his lovely wife, Sue, even if nothing else of significance happen this year, it is already the best year of my life.
Thank you, Lord, for having allowed me to have had a part in Joe's life, and for the honor he brings me by having reached for, and acheived his ever expanding potential.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
CALM DOWN?
Here is what John McCain said:
"I do hope that at some point we would just calm down a little bit and see if there's areas we can agree on," McCain said at a news conference in a Phoenix airport hangar before he flew here.
Johnny, there are undoubtedly areas we can agree on.
That, as you know if you are half a smart as your angry, condescending attitude seems to project you to be, is not the point.
The point is that we DISAGREE on some areas that are supremely important to conservatives.
You do not have permission to redefine what conservatism is, thank you very much.
You are NOT a conservative, no matter what you say or how angrily you say it.
Like most liberals, you believe something is true because you say it is true, whether or not it is really true.
You never have been, are not now and never will be my choice as a republican nominee.
You have stolen the meaning of republicanism in your pompus, inane way, and I don't appreciate it one bit.
Were we to meet face-to-face, I would tell you so, as politely as I know how, that you are a fraud.
You will no doubt retaliate, should that ever come to pass, but so be it.
That you have garnered so many delegates and votes in the primaries is a testament in your unique ability to fake people out, to lie, to cheat and to pretend to be something that your record screams that you are not.
If you go on to win the nomination, as it looks like you will, you will have given us a choice between a very liberal candidate and an extremely liberal candidate.
Some choice.
"I do hope that at some point we would just calm down a little bit and see if there's areas we can agree on," McCain said at a news conference in a Phoenix airport hangar before he flew here.
Johnny, there are undoubtedly areas we can agree on.
That, as you know if you are half a smart as your angry, condescending attitude seems to project you to be, is not the point.
The point is that we DISAGREE on some areas that are supremely important to conservatives.
You do not have permission to redefine what conservatism is, thank you very much.
You are NOT a conservative, no matter what you say or how angrily you say it.
Like most liberals, you believe something is true because you say it is true, whether or not it is really true.
You never have been, are not now and never will be my choice as a republican nominee.
You have stolen the meaning of republicanism in your pompus, inane way, and I don't appreciate it one bit.
Were we to meet face-to-face, I would tell you so, as politely as I know how, that you are a fraud.
You will no doubt retaliate, should that ever come to pass, but so be it.
That you have garnered so many delegates and votes in the primaries is a testament in your unique ability to fake people out, to lie, to cheat and to pretend to be something that your record screams that you are not.
If you go on to win the nomination, as it looks like you will, you will have given us a choice between a very liberal candidate and an extremely liberal candidate.
Some choice.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
COMING SOON
TO A USA NEAR YOU!
Unless there is a spectacular come-back, which will only happen if Huckaby drops out of the race, we now know we can look forward to:
1. Higher taxes
2. Continued abortion on demand
3. Everybody paying for everybody else's health care.
4. Further government intrusion into an educational system the government managed to distroy.
5. A greater loss of privacy than even Bush accomplished.
6. Fewer freedoms than we had under England, pre-Revolution.
7. Liberal Supreme Court judges.
8. More "reaching out accross the aisle" to those we conservative don't want to work with, whose ideas we want to defeat.
9. An increase in the number of successful attacks from extremists, including an increase in the loss of American lives ON OUR OWN SOIL!
Unless there is a spectacular come-back, which will only happen if Huckaby drops out of the race, we now know we can look forward to:
1. Higher taxes
2. Continued abortion on demand
3. Everybody paying for everybody else's health care.
4. Further government intrusion into an educational system the government managed to distroy.
5. A greater loss of privacy than even Bush accomplished.
6. Fewer freedoms than we had under England, pre-Revolution.
7. Liberal Supreme Court judges.
8. More "reaching out accross the aisle" to those we conservative don't want to work with, whose ideas we want to defeat.
9. An increase in the number of successful attacks from extremists, including an increase in the loss of American lives ON OUR OWN SOIL!
Monday, February 04, 2008
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
As time got short, the Giants got going.
In the end, they won, and are now SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!
Here's what happened:
The Patriot's offensive line provided the Giant's defense an opportunity to enable the Giants offense to have an opportunity to win.
So it goes.
In the end, they won, and are now SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!
Here's what happened:
The Patriot's offensive line provided the Giant's defense an opportunity to enable the Giants offense to have an opportunity to win.
So it goes.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
JOB CONTINUES
GOD ENTERS THE SCENE
Chapter 38
God sets the rules: I will ask the questions; you will answer me.
Don’t mess with God. He’s bigger than you are
Learn the art of listening to Him…you’ll learn from it.
Both Job and Elihu had obscured the truth with their theories and ideas (v2)
There is an air of Holy Sarcasm in His questions and His statements.
Where were you…?; Who…?; Have you…?
You have lived so many years (v21)
Chapter 39
The questions continue
There are some descriptions of how He has designed the world.
The Psalmist and the Apostle, Paul, both tell us that the evidence of God’s handiwork is all around us.
The universe
DNA molecules
The interaction of living cells
Poisonous frogs
Chapter 40
God turns to Job and demands an answer to all of His questions.
Job is awed, humbled and embarrassed before God.
In God’s presence, we are all vile, filthy sinners.
Until we recognize that, we cannot be saved
The wretchedness of sin is beyond our understanding.
If we think our actions can please God, we just don’t understand how great, perfect and mighty
He is.
God again asserts His awesomeness as the Creator of all.
IV. Chapter 41 – The Behemoth and the Leviathan
If anybody tells you what they are, watch out for them...they'll lie to you about other things, too.
Chapter 38
God sets the rules: I will ask the questions; you will answer me.
Don’t mess with God. He’s bigger than you are
Learn the art of listening to Him…you’ll learn from it.
Both Job and Elihu had obscured the truth with their theories and ideas (v2)
There is an air of Holy Sarcasm in His questions and His statements.
Where were you…?; Who…?; Have you…?
You have lived so many years (v21)
Chapter 39
The questions continue
There are some descriptions of how He has designed the world.
The Psalmist and the Apostle, Paul, both tell us that the evidence of God’s handiwork is all around us.
The universe
DNA molecules
The interaction of living cells
Poisonous frogs
Chapter 40
God turns to Job and demands an answer to all of His questions.
Job is awed, humbled and embarrassed before God.
In God’s presence, we are all vile, filthy sinners.
Until we recognize that, we cannot be saved
The wretchedness of sin is beyond our understanding.
If we think our actions can please God, we just don’t understand how great, perfect and mighty
He is.
God again asserts His awesomeness as the Creator of all.
IV. Chapter 41 – The Behemoth and the Leviathan
If anybody tells you what they are, watch out for them...they'll lie to you about other things, too.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
I OBJECTives
This is Superbowl weekend.
So, I am going to write about football.
But don't dispair!
This is not so much for the sports enthusiast as it is for you.
Trust me.
(Or not)
Question: What is the object of football?
"Duh!" I hear you say, "To score points."
If you think points are the point, you have missed the point.
The ultimate objective of football is for the team to win the Superbowl trophy and the players to win a ring.
Each team has an owner, a bunch of administrators, a slew of coaches, one head coach and a bevy of players.
There is a rule book and folks whose job it is to help the teams follow the rules (referees).
In the spring, the teams begin the process of planning, coordinating, evaluating and practicing that they hope will gain the prize.
Then, after a few pre-season games, the real season begins.
In order to obtain the objective, teams must play a series of games, culminating, after a series of play-offs, in the all-important Superbowl.
Only two teams make it.
Each game starts with a kick-off by one team, which gives posession of the ball to the other team.
The team with the ball in their posession, receives instructions from the coach through the quarterback about what "play" to run.
This plan of action is communicated to the team members in a group meeting called the "huddle."
The idea is to advance the ball down the field in a series of up to four plays.
Each time the team advances ten yards, it is awarded four more plays.
This continues until the team either does not advance ten yards in four plays or it reaches the goal line and scores.
There are five ways to score points in football:
1. Crossing the goal line with the ball (worth six points);
2. Kicking the ball between the uprights after crossing the goal line (worth 1 point);
3. Carrying or sucessfully passing the ball over the goal line after the initial crossing thereof (worth 2 points-and called, "going for two)";
4. Kicking the ball between the uprights because the team couldn't quite make it to the goal line, (worth 3 points);
and
5. Catching the opponent behind his own goal line (worth 2 points)
At the end, the team with the most points wins the game.
So it works like this:
Make Action Plans: The Pre-Season practices and Game Huddles
Execute the Action Plans: Run the Plays
Reach the Goals: Score Points
Reach the Objective: Win the Superbowl by doing a better job than any of the other teams.
I like all of this because it is somewhat analogos to our mission as The Church.
We need to know our Objective, often articulated as a Mission Statement.
There is a Rule Book/Owner's Manual (The Bible), that also serves to reveal to us truth about the owner, and His plan for us to reach the Objective)
We must set goals to reach the Objective (quantitative values, never philosophical statements).
We must make plans to reach those goals.
We must work the plans.
We must have an assortment of leaders to guide us in making and working the plans (pastors, deacns and committee members, perhaps?).
We have an Owner who really knows it all, and who bought us with a price, His Son, Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.
While this may seem a bit sterile, when it is done under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and according to the Owner's Manual, it is anything but.
In football, nobody knows how the final game, the Superbowl, will turn out.
But if you read the back of our Rule Book, you discover something really exciting:
So, I am going to write about football.
But don't dispair!
This is not so much for the sports enthusiast as it is for you.
Trust me.
(Or not)
Question: What is the object of football?
"Duh!" I hear you say, "To score points."
If you think points are the point, you have missed the point.
The ultimate objective of football is for the team to win the Superbowl trophy and the players to win a ring.
Each team has an owner, a bunch of administrators, a slew of coaches, one head coach and a bevy of players.
There is a rule book and folks whose job it is to help the teams follow the rules (referees).
In the spring, the teams begin the process of planning, coordinating, evaluating and practicing that they hope will gain the prize.
Then, after a few pre-season games, the real season begins.
In order to obtain the objective, teams must play a series of games, culminating, after a series of play-offs, in the all-important Superbowl.
Only two teams make it.
Each game starts with a kick-off by one team, which gives posession of the ball to the other team.
The team with the ball in their posession, receives instructions from the coach through the quarterback about what "play" to run.
This plan of action is communicated to the team members in a group meeting called the "huddle."
The idea is to advance the ball down the field in a series of up to four plays.
Each time the team advances ten yards, it is awarded four more plays.
This continues until the team either does not advance ten yards in four plays or it reaches the goal line and scores.
There are five ways to score points in football:
1. Crossing the goal line with the ball (worth six points);
2. Kicking the ball between the uprights after crossing the goal line (worth 1 point);
3. Carrying or sucessfully passing the ball over the goal line after the initial crossing thereof (worth 2 points-and called, "going for two)";
4. Kicking the ball between the uprights because the team couldn't quite make it to the goal line, (worth 3 points);
and
5. Catching the opponent behind his own goal line (worth 2 points)
At the end, the team with the most points wins the game.
So it works like this:
Make Action Plans: The Pre-Season practices and Game Huddles
Execute the Action Plans: Run the Plays
Reach the Goals: Score Points
Reach the Objective: Win the Superbowl by doing a better job than any of the other teams.
I like all of this because it is somewhat analogos to our mission as The Church.
We need to know our Objective, often articulated as a Mission Statement.
There is a Rule Book/Owner's Manual (The Bible), that also serves to reveal to us truth about the owner, and His plan for us to reach the Objective)
We must set goals to reach the Objective (quantitative values, never philosophical statements).
We must make plans to reach those goals.
We must work the plans.
We must have an assortment of leaders to guide us in making and working the plans (pastors, deacns and committee members, perhaps?).
We have an Owner who really knows it all, and who bought us with a price, His Son, Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.
While this may seem a bit sterile, when it is done under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and according to the Owner's Manual, it is anything but.
In football, nobody knows how the final game, the Superbowl, will turn out.
But if you read the back of our Rule Book, you discover something really exciting:
WE WIN!!!
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