American Literature

[jimkenney12]

I watched this movie while flying from Cyprus to Dubai. A core idea in this movie is that fine writing does not sell well while writing that seems like junk can sell very well. While driving home today from a short trip to Montreal, I realized that fine writing appeals to the intellect and can generate great images and beauty. "Trash" writing connects to the gut, feels real.

Churches like tbe United Church provide an abundance of sound, well written or produced messages, resources, and so on. What we share often has lots of meaning for us. People outside of our circle often do not have any connection to their gut, experiences that feel real to them.

While Mystic often blames a lack of spiritual experiences in our churches, I wonder if what draws many people to evangelical and pentecostal churches is having experiences that feel real.

 

[Luce NDs]

Is it all in the imaginary and impossible mind ... a mental journey? When approaching the pearly gates have a reasonable story as the truth will not cut it ... thus we clam up ... hard-shells exist??? For what qualification of delegation?

Did I speak of delegation of duty ... as associated to the principle responsibility for authority? I couldn't have done that as an underlying loser ... humility, or nemesis? Thus the writ must be blasted ...

 

[paradox3]

Is it the emotional aspect of these experiences which feel "real"? The community connection can be powerful as well.

 

[paradox3]

I have been pondering the emotional connection I have to traditional elements of worship. Church architecture. Familiar words to old hymns. Confession, assurance of pardon and communion liturgies.

The emotional and nostalgic reaction to these things is not faith. Yet it is intertwined with faith.

 

[Luce NDs]

Is it the emotional aspect of these experiences which feel "real"? The community connection can be powerful as well.

Such is the dark unseen connective ... Black Network? You cannot observe directly ... the neural thing ... thus psychotic ... entanglement thesis? Its hugely awesome ... loaded with silken threads ... some gold some silver ... glowing and reflective ...

 

[Mendalla]

Churches like tbe United Church provide an abundance of sound, well written or produced messages, resources, and so on. What we share often has lots of meaning for us. People outside of our circle often do not have any connection to their gut, experiences that feel real to them.

While Mystic often blames a lack of spiritual experiences in our churches, I wonder if what draws many people to evangelical and pentecostal churches is having experiences that feel real.

Is it the emotional aspect of these experiences which feel "real"? The community connection can be powerful as well.

Exactly this. Something with an emotional punch draws a lot of people in more than simple ritual or intellectual content. The problem becomes how to balance the two, that is how do you properly educate the congregation but also stir their hearts to recognize the emotional ramifications? Evangelicals excel at this, and mainstream and liberal churches need to learn more from them whether or not they like the actual teachings.

From my own standpoint, when I talk about incorporating findings of science into my UU services, I don't focus on the facts or theories. I explore the emotional ramifications, how the ideas can stir us or build our connection with Nature. Finnish symphonic rockers Nightwish kind of illustrate my approach from a musical standpoint. Nightwish is currently my favourite band and that's not just because they produce well-written, well-played music (they do, some of them are among the best musicians working in metal today) but because they take the emotional resonances from their own experience of life and nature and build those resonances into the songs. In a recent "make of" vlog about their new single "Perfume of the Timeless" (see the Floor Jansen thread for the music video of the song), songwriter Tuomas Holopainen talks about "thinking of evolution as poetry", which carries far more power than just a bunch of facts about how life evolves. Carl Sagan (one of Tuomas' idols, he has actually used Sagan's writing in his work and has written a song called "Sagan") was a master at this, of course, which is why Cosmos and Pale Blue Dot rate as scripture for me in a way.

So to go back to the conundrum of the liberal church, how do you take intellectual liberal theology and get people to think of it as poetry? That's really the challenge here. Stimulating minds is simply not enough. You need to stimulate hearts as well. Even bodies, arguably. Look at how much clapping, arm raising, even dancing, you see in some churches. I know some liberals reject this (I fought that battle in UU'ism at times), thinking that being intellectual and thinking about things rationally is what matters, but that's not reality for most of us. I'm a pretty intellectual guy but I listen to Nightwish because the beauty of their music literally has me in tears at times. They make me feel more connected to the world than any number of Scientific American papers, even if the latter provide knowledge that helps understand what I am connecting to.

 

[Mendalla]

The chorus of the new song, which is about how we are the end of a long chain of love and life going back generations to before there were even humans:

We are their heir, dust on their palm
We are because of a million loves
We're the perfume of the timeless
Last sighs on a dеath bed
Time set for a curious ghost.

 

[Waterfall]

Exactly this. Something with an emotional punch draws a lot of people in more than simple ritual or intellectual content. The problem becomes how to balance the two, that is how do you properly educate the congregation but also stir their hearts to recognize the emotional ramifications? Evangelicals excel at this, and mainstream and liberal churches need to learn more from them whether or not they like the actual teachings.

From my own standpoint, when I talk about incorporating findings of science into my UU services, I don't focus on the facts or theories. I explore the emotional ramifications, how the ideas can stir us or build our connection with Nature. Finnish symphonic rockers Nightwish kind of illustrate my approach from a musical standpoint. Nightwish is currently my favourite band and that's not just because they produce well-written, well-played music (they do, some of them are among the best musicians working in metal today) but because they take the emotional resonances from their own experience of life and nature and build those resonances into the songs. In a recent "make of" vlog about their new single "Perfume of the Timeless" (see the Floor Jansen thread for the music video of the song), songwriter Tuomas Holopainen talks about "thinking of evolution as poetry", which carries far more power than just a bunch of facts about how life evolves. Carl Sagan (one of Tuomas' idols, he has actually used Sagan's writing in his work and has written a song called "Sagan") was a master at this, of course, which is why Cosmos and Pale Blue Dot rate as scripture for me in a way.

So to go back to the conundrum of the liberal church, how do you take intellectual liberal theology and get people to think of it as poetry? That's really the challenge here. Stimulating minds is simply not enough. You need to stimulate hearts as well. Even bodies, arguably. Look at how much clapping, arm raising, even dancing, you see in some churches. I know some liberals reject this (I fought that battle in UU'ism at times), thinking that being intellectual and thinking about things rationally is what matters, but that's not reality for most of us. I'm a pretty intellectual guy but I listen to Nightwish because the beauty of their music literally has me in tears at times. They make me feel more connected to the world than any number of Scientific American papers, even if the latter provide knowledge that helps understand what I am connecting to.

I like this...too bad it takes more of the younger generation to affect the change IMO....and they'd rather start from scratch....least resistance I think.

 

[jimkenney12]

Some of my favourite hymns do this for me. I was there to hear your bornin' cry usually has me on the edge of tears. Walk with me We are marching, draw the circle wide; Go make a difference- these also connect with me. Most of the songs by Common Cup Company help me feel connected.

 

[Mendalla]

Some of my favourite hymns do this for me. I was there to hear your bornin' cry usually has me on the edge of tears. Walk with me We are marching, draw the circle wide; Go make a difference- these also connect with me. Most of the songs by Common Cup Company help me feel connected.

There is some pretty solid, emotional music in the mainstream tradition. It would be nice if churches upped their game on how they do music, though. Pumping it out on an organ or piano at a stately, leisurely pace doesn't really cut it, even for many of my generation. Plodding music is not going to inspire.

 

[jimkenney12]

Tne music person at a nearby pastoral charge to where I was serving in Saskatchewan even made Amazing Grace rock. Too many play too slowly for me.

 

[BetteTheRed]

Ooh, our music director/pianist can really rock a tune.

 

[Luce NDs]

Recall those nodes ...

 

[Mendalla]

Ooh, our music director/pianist can really rock a tune.

When I joined the UU fellowship, the music director was a local pianist with a background in jazz. Some great playing happened. Even had a jazz band in the service one Sunday. Spirits (well, mine at least) were moved.

 

[BetteTheRed]

We have a historic 1903 (might be 05) Heintzmann grand. Sounds pretty nice in the right hands.

 

[BetteTheRed]

And Janet has jazz hands.

 

[Luce NDs]

Ja' Zes is just a word alteration to provide enhanced knowledge as enlightenment ... har Monai?

Mortals despise heaps of words ... thus they MS the immortal abstract! Infinite narrative ... only the story goes on ... especially about how Heis Torah is spun ...