I've been listening to a lot of Radiohead and Sigur-Ros lately, so when I spun Cool Hand Luke's The Fires Of Life in my car yesterday and this morning, I was probably prepared.
Part of me hates mellow music. I like to rock. But I'm beginning to see a little more clearly the scope and beauty of Cool Hand Luke's music with repeated listens. Comparisons to the previous two bands mentioned will abound with this new release, but that's to be expected in this musical territory. They take droplets of sounds, like methodically played notes on the piano that have room to resonate and breathe, and create both vibe and atmosphere that seem to sizzle and shake like the central nervous system's organized synapse firing. It's almost a biomedical hypnotic feeling, but more organic than sterile or machine-like. Very beautiful. There's one song, "I'm Not Ready," (I think) that most embodies this sound and also carries the strong and stark utterance of "STAND UP AND SPEND YOURSELF FOR JESUS!" Wow. Strong record. We have a writer working on a story of the band in our next (July/Aug) issue, a brilliant writer by the name of Chris Estey. I hope he gets in their heads and we get some inkling as to what they're thinking when they create this stuff.
Working on updating the website and a mass emailing today, as well as trying to put a dent in my "VIP 2 Do" folder in outlook, where I stash important things to do that I put off during busy times like deadline. I've got 629 items left to finish! sigh.
PDL today has shifted gears to "Purpose #3 : You Were Created to Become Like Christ."
I like the reminder that the power of the Holy Spirit released in your life is often in "quiet, unassuming ways that you aren't even aware of or can't feel." This is likely the predominant work of the Spirit, more so than the spectacular and loud miracles, like deliverance and healing.
Wow, the conclusion of the chapter has some strong words: "Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like Himself before He takes us to Heaven."
The memory verse for today is from 2 Corinthians 3:18b (a letter Paul sent to a church that was full of sexual carnality, a church that wouldn't dare tell a man who was sleeping with his step-mom to stop...until Paul instructed them to in what many consider the second letter -- 1 Corinthians...):
"As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more."
-#81 (I would've had 7 points to my name in two plays if I just would've covered that back closer on Mojave's Middle Screen play. I was coached to sniff it out perfectly, but I held back from the back a couple yards, thinking, 'The quarterback will never throw it to him if I'm draped all over him.' Then when the ball came all I had time to do was swat it down instead of picking it and running 20 yards into the endzone. I wonder to this day if the coach would've sent in the second string kicker to kick the PAT as I was celebrating the TD and possibly getting back to the PAT huddle in time. I would have handed the ball back and sprinted over to the bench to grab that black kicking tee, cuz I dreamed of "owning" all 7 points -- the 6 and the extra point, too. Now we'll never know. sigh)
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at April 16, 2004 09:49 AM