On The Things I Learn

Nyssa, myself, and some friends, have tried over the past year to “do” community & gospel living. We were going to hold a handful of cool (kingdom of God style) events and meet regularly in between. We have ended up with a one-off service event, a few great ideas which didn't happen, and a few brunches and meetings.

It was an interesting experiment, and in the end I have two conclusions.
A. Even though I often consider this to be over-hyped, there is probably something to be said for actually living together.
B. Graduate student people are transient/fragmented; Improvisation makes for funny skits, and may find some resonance in faith life. But I bet it helps to be a planned and mature doer of God's work.

On the other hand, it was a great experience as we did not have a lot riding on our experiment, and in the end I would think we are better friends/people because of it.

These days I like this verse:

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

-C.D.Clements

On the Intersection of Jazz and Soup.

Perhaps you have heard the story of stone soup, and perhaps you even enjoy the recipe described in the story. Over the past year or so, I have undertook to make many batches of the stuff. The great thing about it, is that so many “stone soup” recipes differ from one another; I have discovered that there is little consensus on how this soup is to be made.

All things considered*, it seems that making stone soup simply requires one to mix together healthy portions of different vegetables, add broth, perhaps a clove of garlic, and then boil for ½ hour. The end result is much like a Phish song: the loose structure is there, and you more or less know what you are getting into. However the moments of inspiration, and subtleties therein, can take the soup [or song] to wondrous new levels!
(With regard to soup: generally less killer grooves)

As Trey himself might say: improvisation enables the one to obtain a end result they would never have reached otherwise.

Here is to an apple core, worms galore, and a can of some corrosive.



*Or Reconsidered
-C.D. Clements