Of beer runs and church signs

I guess I'm in a smart-ass mood this morning.

In this post I talk about the disadvantages of sending the Federal Government on a beer run.

In this other post I evaluate a church sign near my new residence.

Bono: 'I don't go to church for the view'

In the March 19 edition of Rolling Stone, the second-to-last paragraph of the cover story on U2 starts out with a discussion of the song "Moment of Surrender" from the new album:

"Moment of Surrender" tells the tale of a lost soul, borrowing an Alcoholics Anonymous term for the moment an addict admits helplessness. "The character in the song is a junkie, so that's where I got it," says Bono, who has written about heroin addiction before, most famously on "Bad" from The Unforgettable Fire. "I've been surrounded a lot in my personal life by addiction -- in the last few years, in particular," Bono says. "I know a lot of people -- not least the bass player in the band -- who has had to deal with their demons in courageous ways." (In the Nineties -- around the time he was engaged to Naomi Campbell -- [bass player Adam] Clayton grappled with alcoholism, and went to AA himself.) "And maybe there's a part of me that thinks, 'Wow, I'm just an inch away'," Bono continues. "There's no doubt about the fact that I have a wild streak and I'd be very capable of setting fire to myself. So, you know, I don't go to church for the view."

Blessing of the Beasts in Albuquerque

Mark Goodman, our former rector at Trinity Episcopal here in Myrtle Beach (and a treasured friend of mine), is now dean of the Cathedral Church of Saint John in downtown Albuquerque, N.M. Here is KOAT-TV's video clip of the pet blessing service Mark held today in honor of Saint Francis.
http://www.koat.com/video/17627147/

Arcade Fire's prophetic insight

Art plays a prophetic role in our time as much as it has in any other. Whether out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, or from the mouth of an ass, or from the conviction of the faithful, a true insight is chipped from God’s truth. Insight, presented poetically, is what I see in the song “Intervention” by the Canadian band Arcade Fire. The song describes a substantial part of my church experience, as well as the experiences of many others. Here are a few lines from the song:

Working for the Church while
your life falls apart.
Singin’ hallelujah with the fear in your heart.
Every spark of friendship and love
will die without a home.
Here the soldier groan, “We’ll go at it alone.”

(See www.arcadefire.com and www.neonbible.com.)

-Colin Burch