There is probably no Christian to whom God has not given the uplifting experience of genuine Christian community at least once in his life. But in this world such experiences can be no more than a gracious extra beyond the daily bread of Christian community life. We have no claim upon such experiences, and we do not live with other Christians for the sake of acquiring them. It is not the experience of Christian brotherhood, but solid and certain faith in brotherhood that holds us together. That God has acted and wants to act upon us all, this we see in faith as God's greatest gift, this makes us glad and happy, but it also makes us ready to forego all such experiences when God at times does not grant them. We are bound together by faith, not by experience.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "Life Together"

you are not alone in your suffering...

O Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you.

Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!

For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those who go down to the pit: I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.

You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.

Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves.

You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow.

Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you.

Do you work wonders for the dead?

Do the departed rise up to praise you?

Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

O Lord, why do you cast my soul away?

Why do you hide your face from me?

Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.

Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me.

They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together.

You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.

-Psalm 88

The darkness of men is sometimes deep, but never black beyond redemption. Even the most desperate of cries has a voice and is not ignored by the Almighty. He not only knows the depth of affliction, He has become affliction for our sake. This is our only hope.

Listen

marathon over

Slideshow

Last wedding of the year I think. This one was fun to photograph :)

new music?

Been working on recording some new stuff for a while, but I'm just about out of steam...

Four and a half songs done at the moment, three more I can start on, but lacking much motivation. What should I do? I would like to put together a nice CD package to mail out, but 4 songs seems like not enough to warrant the effort and money.

Should I just release what I have online in MP3? What format is easiest for you to listen to? It's not professional quality or anything, but I have sunk a good amount of time and energy into it. I really hate promoting myself.

Could really just use some encouragement, if anyone still reads this...