Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Cool Change

The way this works is you put your iPod on shuffle and see what comes up. I did edit a bit because there were some that I thought, in the context, were somewhat inappropriate. The answers that came up are pretty funny if you don't take them too seriously!

1.IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Why Walk When You Can Fly -- Mary Chapin Carpenter
(Hee hee; never satisfied.)

2.WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Try to Make It True -- Quarterflash
(Honest! :) )

3.WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Introit for Sexagesima Sunday -- Choir of the Vienna Hofburgkapelle
(...)

4.WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
The Mysterious "J" -- Laurie Anderson
(Ooo, mystery.)

5.WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Example #22 -- Laurie Anderson
(...)

6.WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Flashback -- Imagination
(Yeah, I am older than a lot of my friends.)

7.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
The Child Grew from Oratorio on the Life of Christ -- Brian Crosby
(...)

8.WHAT IS 2+2?
Kammersymphonie No. 1, Movt. 4 -- Schoenberg
(Movement 4, okay...)

9.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Quia ergo femina mortem instruxit -- Hildegard von Bingen
(Woah.)

10.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Fall on Me -- R.E.M.
(Hee hee... that would be one way to get to know each other.)

11.WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The End of my Pirate Days -- Mary Chapin Carpenter
(Oh yeah, I used to be quite the pirate.)

12.WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Sechs Stuecke F. Orch. Op. 6 -- Anton Webern
(Six Pieces for Orchestra?)

13.WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Straight Lines -- Suzanne Vega
(...)

14.WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Lute Concerto in D. R. 93 Movt. 2: Largo -- Vivaldi
(Largo -- They think I'm slow?)

15.WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
The Memory of Trees -- Enya
(I've always thought Enya songs made good soundtracks, but I don't know about my wedding.)

16.WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Season of Hollow Soul -- k.d. lang
(Freaky.)

17.WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Coming Up Close -- 'Til Tuesday
(Ha!)

18.WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair) -- Scott McKenzie
(Yeah, I used to be a hippie as well as a pirate.)

19.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Think of Laura -- Christopher Cross
(Funny, I don't really have a friend named Laura, but if I did this would be perfect!)

20.WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Glasspiece #2 (Facades) -- Philip Glass
(I hate facades, apparently.)

21.HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Die schoene Musi! from Der Rosenkavalier -- R. Strauss
(Does this mean the Muses are gonna get me?)

22.WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Not Sorry -- The Cranberries
(No regrets either, apparently.)

23.WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
All I Can Do -- The Carpenters
(Oh yeah, I laugh at everything...)

24.WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Ill Ciel! mio padre! from Aida -- Verdi
(My father... ouch.)

25.WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
She Loves Me -- Stephen Duffy
(Sounds like a yes!)

26.WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
I Dreamed I Had to Take a Test... -- Laurie Anderson
(Ha ha! It's even funnier considering that the full line is "I dreamed I had to take a test in a Dairy Queen on another planet.")

27.DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
The Pirate of Penance -- Joni Mitchell
(Whoever that is.)

28.IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Funny Way of Laughing -- Burl Ives
(Again, ouch.)

29.WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Piano Concerto #2 in F Minor Op. 21 - Maestoso -- Chopin
(Piano hurts? Well, practicing it is kind of tedious sometimes.)

30.WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Cool Change -- Little River Band

Monday, December 15, 2008

Christmas irony

I was asked to prepare some brief remarks for a church service in which members of my choir spoke and performed today. Hopefully it won't seem too self-indulgent if I post a somewhat expanded version of my talk here.

At this Christmas season, as I've reflected on the story of the birth of Jesus, I've noticed that there are many ironies in the story. For example, although Jesus is very important, He was born in Bethlehem, a relatively small, inconsequential town:
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;... (Micah 5:2)

Another irony is that, apparently, this same prophecy of Christ's birth was used by Herod to discover the location of Jesus' birth. He subsequently issued an order for all children two years old and under to be killed in an attempt to eliminate the perceived threat to his power (Matthew 2:16). Apparently, the words of the prophet were good enough for Herod to use to get information, but Herod didn't have enough respect for the words of the prophet to welcome the Messiah of which Micah prophesied.

Another ironic thing surrounding the birth of Christ is that, while He is the most important King that has ever been born in the world, the first people to learn of his birth were humble shepherds (Luke 2:8-11). The great Jehovah condescended to be born in humble circumstances (1 Nephi 11:16).

Indeed, He came unto his own, and His own received Him not (3 Nephi 9:16).

The sense of irony that I feel when I reflect on things like these is, I guess, caused by an inconsistency with my sense of justice. The injustice is that there is a mismatch between what Jesus deserved and what He got.

It is perhaps the greatest irony or injustice that Jesus, One who truly did not deserve to suffer for sin, suffered to pay the price for all our sins and took upon Himself all our suffering:
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

But justice is done. While Jesus was mistreated, disrespected, and eventually crucified by many who did not see Him for the Messiah that He is, He now reigns in heaven, and will return again in His glory.

There is another application of justice, one that is more troubling to me. It is the reality that I have sinned, and that I deserve to suffer for my sins. It is not possible for us to be redeemed on our own merits:
And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins... (Alma 22:14)
Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer. (1 Nephi 10:6)

Without the intercession of Christ, justice would mean condemnation for me and all sinners. So as much as my sense of justice is offended by ironies like the ones I've mentioned above, when pondering my own sins, I hope that there is some way that mercy can be done also.

And it is possible. Both justice and mercy are satisfied through the sacrifice of our Great Redeemer. He paid the price required by justice and extends to us His mercy.
...and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their words, according to the law and justice. For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own... (Alma 42:23-24)

Through the sacrifice of Jesus, justice is done, and mercy also. I know that Jesus is the Savior. I hope that you also find enjoyment in pondering the ironies of Christmas as I have at this time of year. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.