Saturday, November 14, 2009

i may stay late at the bar tonight, honey...i have to preach tomorrow

One Saturday night nearly ten years ago,
St.Scotso and I made the quick trip down to L.A. just to go to a bar,
even though I had to preach three times in the morning.

Maybe BECAUSE I had to preach in the morning.

I am so glad we went, as I am still in many senses living off what I picked up there.

No, I didn't say I picked up anyone there.
I picked up SOMETHING..
much like I did in 1983 in New Haven
(see my comment here)
and 1986 at the Wild Blue Bar in Fresno..

No, I never said we went there to drink or drug.

But drink we did.
In the Pentecosted Holy Spiritual sense...of course.
Like it was 9:00 in the morning, even..

The reason for the trip was The Violet Burning concert, in a bar/club about the size of our living room.

But when the band began with the devastating psalm, "Low," with such happy clappy lyrics as:


"I could die here tonight, and You wouldn't even notice "

somehow it felt like church.

Then came"Feel":

Don't let me die here naked
Knowing these lies..

Can I see the light?
Can I see the light?
I can't see the light"

That last line was bold.
CCM doesn't let us/say things like that.

Let alone the last time of this one:

Have I gone too far?
Can you reach me.
Have I gone too far?
I've gone to far,
"Underwater"

Way to tidy up loose ends, boys.
Might as well be at the Pink Floyd gig...except the house was filled with holy hope.

And you can dance to it.
Psalm 22 style.

I don't know if Michael, the worship leader...uh, singer...was truly feeling the "occasional atheism"
the lyrics presented that day...But he sure felt the liturgy.

Which is the only way to preach.

And only a Theist can be that honest and holy.

Even in he didn't even want to be there..
like all anointed pastors.

Even if he also does songs like this:





For more on the seminal album...sometimes banned from Christian bookstores... that these songs are from, see my amazon review here.

Listen all night, and see you tomorrow @church.
I'll be ready to preach.
Drunk and sober.

Or not.
--------------------

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