Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
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Sycamore Blues
Sycamore Blues Story Lectionary 29 January 2017 Adam and Eve Hide from God (Genesis 3) Rehoboam Overtaxes the People (1 Kings 12) Psalm 15: Those Who Dwell with the Lord Do Not Overcharge Others Psalm 19: The Lord Refreshes the Soul Psalm 139: There is No Hiding from God Proverbs…
What Goes Around Comes Around
Will you indulge me with a few more weeks of music that includes the banjo? I have been listening to an interview that Krista Tippett conducted with Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn in November 2016. Many parts of their conversation are worthy jumping-off points for my random musings, and for developing an interesting musical playlist.
A palindrome is a word, phrase, or in this case, a musical line that is the same when said or played from front to back or back to front. Palindromes in music are wonderful puzzles – some more successful than others! As with all puzzles of this type, the success of the solution depends, in large part, on its elegance. Great creative work is often inspired by seemingly insurmountable boundaries. For a piece of music to be a successful palindrome, it must not only meet the technical criteria, but it has to sound good as well. There should be a tune, harmony, and counterpoint (rhythmic structure) that makes sense. read more…
Our Kids
Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis
By Robert Putnam
ISBN 978-1-4767-6990-5 (pbk)
Published 2015
Review by Douglas Balzer
Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam works to tackle the question surrounding the future of the American Dream. Our political and economic climates raise the issue of what prospects the generations to come have to enjoy the benefits of being born American. Being born in America gives children much greater opportunities in comparison to the majority of the world in general. Still, there are social distinctions that render availability to those advantages as more readily available to some than to others. The complexity of the various levels of American society are staggering. Children can be born to whole families or single parent families, absent fathers or mothers. A vast spectrum exists amongst American social strata that suggests that the gap between privileged, advantaged, and disadvantaged are present. read more…
Litany of Life: Faith Seeking Understanding
Litany of Life: Faith Seeking Understanding Lectionary 29 January 2017 4th Sunday After Epiphany Micah 6:1-8 Psalm 15 I Corinthians 1:18-31 Matthew 5:1-12 Text to Life Human history is full of proverbs, maxims, old saws, nuggets of wisdom which have later been exposed as annoying pebbles of disinformation stuck to…
Investigate microphones –preaching tip for 29 January 2017
No matter what size congregation you have, for people who are hard of hearing, getting the message is always a challenge. Make sure to investigate various types of mics. Some people prefer hand helds; others, lapel mics. Others have mics arranged throughout the speaking area. If you are doing an…
Pastor’s Prayer –29 January 2017
God of compassion,
your love for humanity was revealed in Jesus,
whose earthly life began in the poverty of a stable
and ended in the pain and isolation of the cross:
we hold before you those who are homeless and cold
especially in this bitter weather.
Draw near and comfort them in spirit
and bless those who work to provide them
with shelter, food and friendship.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
–The Church of England
Thinking Machines
We are not thinking machines. We are feeling machines that think.”
― Descartes Error. Antonio Damasio
The Touchy Task of Making Robots Seem Human—But Not Too Human
Summary: “Sundar and his team study people’s reception of social robots, and found that robots that appear too human—not in a creepy, uncanny-valley sort of way, but in their abilities—inevitably encourage unrealistic expectations.”
Read more at https://goo.gl/4OtUfa
Digitally mined from www.wired.com
Giving robots ‘personhood’ is actually about making corporations accountable
Summary: “It sounds like science fiction and that’s because it is: any engineer will tell you we’re a long way from seeing robot marches for civil rights. So what’s going on here?” read more…
Off the Beaten Path
A child named after three of Europe’s most interesting 20th century composers is almost set up to fail. If that child choses the banjo as their instrument of choice, we would probably shake our heads and walk away. But Béla Anton Leos Fleck has succeeded in amazing ways. Fleck has become one of the most sought after musicians of this generation, in genres as varied as bluegrass, jazz fusion, and classical orchestral.
One of the main reasons that Fleck has developed such a following, and been successful in so many arenas, is because of his ability to bring together a diverse group of fellow musicians and inspire them to create something interesting. Over the years, he has collaborated with amazing musicians from around the globe and across the musical spectrum, each encounter inspiring new ideas and integrating new influences. He has modeled the openness and curiosity that is necessary for creativity to thrive. His personal skill creates space for the skills of others, as they weave together the magic, each collaboration taking shape independently. read more…
Present Your Sentness
Present Your Sentness Lectionary 22 January 2017 Third Sunday After Epiphany Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, 4-9 I Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 Text to Life There are two ways to look at the church. One way is to say we are individuals who are bound together in a faith community. A…
Don’t Stop Praying!
Don’t Stop Praying! Story Lectionary 22 January 2017 From Enoch Who Walked With God to Noah Who Walked With God (Genesis 5-8) Jacob Wrestles with God (Genesis 32:24-28) David Teaches God’s People to Seek the Lord Always (1 Chronicles 16) Psalm 35: Plead My Cause O Lord Psalm 42: My…