I've started an additional blog. One with an easier URL:
ryandmackey.blogspot.com
My focus is similar as to here. My title is "Community, Arts, Theology, Worship..."
My friend, Jacob Kaufman, urged me to start a new one and to keep it up as a means of professional development. It's been good. (I feel accountable! :) ) I focus a lot on what I'm reading for work and ministry.
There's been a lot of blog talk in my building lately. Students starting them, what they're about, why they should or shouldn't have one. Good times.
Feeling the desire to read, walk, drink some coffee, pray, and/or record some music. We'll see what happens...
Friday, October 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
"Taking Ownership"
I've realized as I've watched younger or less-experience musicians there is a marked difference between playing an instrument and having ownership of it. What do I mean by this?
If you play an instrument and only know how to put it together and produce a sound with it, you know how to play it. If you know how to change your strings, pads, heads, lugs, etc., make minor repairs and adjustments, you have ownership - you can make corrections and, therefore, can be proactive with regards to the life and quality of your instrument.
My wife and I have been learning the same thing with regards to our house. We are learning we need to do more than just live in (play) it: we need to be able to do the things that would allow us to make our corrective mark on it.
I much prefer to call our house a "home," however to me this connotes ownership, the leaving of one's proactive, corrective mark (although I will continue to call it a "home" because it feels better!).
The same may be said of the Christian life. It is not enough to merely exist as Christians, going through each day as if it were the next in a cycle of laborious chores or tasks to accomplish. We must be proactive in our faith, taking responsibility and ownership for our development, not remaining complacent or content to rest on the laurels of past glories or the faith of others.
We must take up our cross as commanded by Christ ("...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23), and heed St. Paul's words to "...press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:14)
Let us pursue ownership of all that to which God has called us, for His glory and the furthering of the kingdom.
If you play an instrument and only know how to put it together and produce a sound with it, you know how to play it. If you know how to change your strings, pads, heads, lugs, etc., make minor repairs and adjustments, you have ownership - you can make corrections and, therefore, can be proactive with regards to the life and quality of your instrument.
My wife and I have been learning the same thing with regards to our house. We are learning we need to do more than just live in (play) it: we need to be able to do the things that would allow us to make our corrective mark on it.
I much prefer to call our house a "home," however to me this connotes ownership, the leaving of one's proactive, corrective mark (although I will continue to call it a "home" because it feels better!).
The same may be said of the Christian life. It is not enough to merely exist as Christians, going through each day as if it were the next in a cycle of laborious chores or tasks to accomplish. We must be proactive in our faith, taking responsibility and ownership for our development, not remaining complacent or content to rest on the laurels of past glories or the faith of others.
We must take up our cross as commanded by Christ ("...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23), and heed St. Paul's words to "...press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:14)
Let us pursue ownership of all that to which God has called us, for His glory and the furthering of the kingdom.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
"Were They Ignoring Me?"
This past Tuesday morning was absolutely beautiful in Central Kansas, so I decided to venture out on our front porch/stoop with a cup of coffee and a piece of biscotti for a few minutes to commune with God through nature.
As I sat there enjoying my Starbucks-influenced "communion," several vehicles passed by. I looked at each one, seeing who was driving, what kind of vehicle, color, etc. and I noticed something odd: not one person looked at me.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be prideful. However in our neck of town to see someone sitting out on their stoop around 8:15a on a Tuesday is a little unusual. Adding to the matter I was wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt sitting in front of our red front door. I figured some combination of these factors should have prompted at least a casual glance. But, no - every person drove right on by.
For their own safety I'm glad they didn't look, I mean, who wants to be the reason for an accident? Not me! However I did wonder: Did they see me? Were they ignoring me?
Then I felt the Lord say, "Now you know how I feel many times."
As Christians we can get trapped in tunnel vision and ignore God sitting/standing/laying on the side of the road as we go off to do "the work of the Lord."
May we take time to glance for God...
As I sat there enjoying my Starbucks-influenced "communion," several vehicles passed by. I looked at each one, seeing who was driving, what kind of vehicle, color, etc. and I noticed something odd: not one person looked at me.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be prideful. However in our neck of town to see someone sitting out on their stoop around 8:15a on a Tuesday is a little unusual. Adding to the matter I was wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt sitting in front of our red front door. I figured some combination of these factors should have prompted at least a casual glance. But, no - every person drove right on by.
For their own safety I'm glad they didn't look, I mean, who wants to be the reason for an accident? Not me! However I did wonder: Did they see me? Were they ignoring me?
Then I felt the Lord say, "Now you know how I feel many times."
As Christians we can get trapped in tunnel vision and ignore God sitting/standing/laying on the side of the road as we go off to do "the work of the Lord."
May we take time to glance for God...
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Becoming the father...
As is my late-evening custom, I was perusing through my books the other day looking for something to read. I felt in the mood for a rousing romp through a book on liturgy, when I felt inexplicably drawn to Henri Nouwen's "The Return of the Prodigal Son."In the text Fr. Nouwen examines various elements of the painting by Rembrandt, which is based on Jesus' parable in Luke 15. He opens the eyes of the reader to the situations and ideologies of the younger son, the elder son, and the father. Feeling led by the Holy Spirit, I read the final chapter: "Becoming the Father." In this chapter, Nouwen offers a very gentle, yet direct, instruction to his readers: become the father.
What is meant by "become the father?" Simply put, it is to become the conduit, the extention of God. In becoming the father, we move from the floor with the younger son, begging for forgiveness, and extend our hands in love with the f/Father.
Nouwen goes on to say it is wonderful to receive grace from people, yet he exclaims how much better it is to be the one extending grace; how it is wonderful to be held and comforted, knowing you are loved, and how much greater it is to be the one holding, comforting, loving.
This requires maturity and a desire to mature even further. It requires faith, courage, and a reliance on God. Furthermore, it requires an attitude of unselfishness and generosity.
We have an opportunity to be the hands, feet, and voice of the Triune God to the world, to extend freely the love, mercy, and forgiveness that was extended to us.
"Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us." (Luke 11:3-4a)
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4)
"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." (John 20:23)
Become the father today.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Is it 2010 already?/Friends
Wow - time flies when you don't post...at all! :)
I'm going to try this blogging thing again. Maybe I'll get 10 before the year is over!
I've decided to let this blog be however it is to be, discussing which ever topic I feel led to.
Today, I'm thinking about friends (not to be confused with Friends, the university from which I obtained my Master's degree or the popular sitcom that ran on NBC from 1994-2004).
Friends come in many shapes and sizes, and from many walks of life. Some friends you see every (or almost every) day; some once in a blue moon (which just happened last month, Dec. 31, 2009). Regardless, I am amazed a the number of people I can call my "friend."
Friends can be a relative (my wife is my best friend), a schoolmate (Caleb & Family, Dustin), an "adopted relative" (the Easts), someone who used to be the friend of a friend (my co-worker, Jacob), and so on.
Friends have no qualifiers. I have friends with whom I could (note the word "could") get into a knockdown, drag-out fight with because we don't agree on everything, especially the "important things." It wouldn't be worth it.
A number of years ago I told someone, "God didn't put me down here to make enemies," and that's how I still feel. It's odd to talk about a loving God, and being one of His followers, and express hatred toward others.
I thank God for my friends...
I'm going to try this blogging thing again. Maybe I'll get 10 before the year is over!
I've decided to let this blog be however it is to be, discussing which ever topic I feel led to.
Today, I'm thinking about friends (not to be confused with Friends, the university from which I obtained my Master's degree or the popular sitcom that ran on NBC from 1994-2004).
Friends come in many shapes and sizes, and from many walks of life. Some friends you see every (or almost every) day; some once in a blue moon (which just happened last month, Dec. 31, 2009). Regardless, I am amazed a the number of people I can call my "friend."
Friends can be a relative (my wife is my best friend), a schoolmate (Caleb & Family, Dustin), an "adopted relative" (the Easts), someone who used to be the friend of a friend (my co-worker, Jacob), and so on.
Friends have no qualifiers. I have friends with whom I could (note the word "could") get into a knockdown, drag-out fight with because we don't agree on everything, especially the "important things." It wouldn't be worth it.
A number of years ago I told someone, "God didn't put me down here to make enemies," and that's how I still feel. It's odd to talk about a loving God, and being one of His followers, and express hatred toward others.
I thank God for my friends...
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