Jesus Jones

remember that band? well, that's not what this post is about...

Town to town
Broadcast to each house
They drop your name
But no one knows your face
Billboards quoting things
you'd never say
You hang your head
and pray For Jesusland
~ Ben Folds, Jesusland

I have a pretty good feeling that the last name of Jesus is not Jones. For that matter, the closest thing I've ever seen to a surname of Jesus is "of Nazareth". But somehow the Christian community has gotten off track and we see Jesus as less of a revolutionary and more like our next-door-neighbor.

Billboards stating "Let's meet at my house Sunday before the game", "C'mon over and bring the kids", and other numerous phrases are attributed to God - our buddy, our pal. These messages are considered "inspirational". However, let a food chain use the same tactic to sell burritos and suddenly its offensive - such as when a Moe's franchise in Florida used a billboard stating "Welcome to Moe's! - God" (and, yes, I do find their food inspirational). A local pastor was quoted as saying "You just don't use God's name that way. It should not be taken lightly and casually. It is sacred. There are consequences to doing something like this. Judgment can come on these who use the Lord's name in such a vain fashion." More vain than God sitting on the couch, watching football and eating bean dip after singing the first, second and fourth verses of Just As I Am?

We seem to be patterning our lives after each other as Christians rather than after Christ. I know this is nothing new to anyone, but its really hitting me hard lately. Throwing a Super Bowl party without beer is considered a noble Christian achievement of hospitality. Inviting homeless people to dine with you in your home is simply eccentric. Using God to advertise proper church attendance is creative. Using God to peddle burritos is sacrelige. Good, clean-cut people obviously love Jesus. Hurting, smelly people are obviously living in Sin. Its all about "keeping up with the Joneses". As long as I walk the walk, and talk the talk... as long as I appear to be living a pure life... as long as I'm married with 2.5 kids who attend good, christian schools... as long as my life's picture looks good, I'm good. If I struggle with the Word of God... if I ask questions I shouldn't be asking... If I fail to follow the world's standards of success... if I waste my day having coffee and conversation with someone who doesn't love Jesus... If my life's picture looks messy, I'm messed up.

Jesus didn't worry about appearances. In fact, I think he made it a point not to fit into the stereotypical mode of what a God-follower should look like. Jesus came to show us that its not about appearances. He met with rich people and hores. He dined with popular people and paupers. He slept on the ground, and bathed in the river and touched dirty, smelly people. That's not why people followed Him. They followed Him because He genuinely loved people. He wasn't afraid to speak truth. He touched people who had never been touched and listened to people who had never been heard. He looked people in the eye and made time for them and made them feel at peace. Did he accept their invitations to parties? Yes. Did he engage in intellectual conversations? Yes. But he was the same person wherever He went - He didn't try to be something He wasn't.

People who don't know Jesus look to the Church to see who He is. Many are turned away, because they don't want to have any part in what they see. Too many people see the Body of Christ as a bunch of phonies. A bunch of people who get all dressed up to sit in big, comfy, air-conditioned sanctuaries on Sunday mornings (you get bonus points for Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights), maybe do some outreach once or twice a year, and avoid commiting any public sins (or at least the "biggies"). I understand this is a generalization, and I know many men who have served God and touched lives faithfully even in khakis. But the Church has got to focus less on what a "good christian family" looks like and more on what an Authentic Christian Life entails. I am convicting myself - how sacrificial is my life? How surrendered am I to God and to His purpose? Do I truly desire Him? Do I truly trust Him? I don't want to swing by His place on Sunday mornings - I want to depend on Him daily and shine His love to other people - the unlovable and the unloving. And even as I remove layers from my life, trying to get to the core of what its all about, I am seeing more and more how much farther I have to go.

I'm Intrigued...

Angelika and I attended a CD release party for the Boondogs at Gallery 26 in Hillcrest - $10 for a concert, art gallery, spanking new CD and New Belgium Beer! Just had to share. So I'm waiting in line for the bathroom, and on the door is a poster that Ho-Hum are playing a benefit concert at the Oyster Bar this Saturday, July 23, at 8:30pm to support Rod Bryan's run for Governor in 2006. Rod is an OBU grad (just learned that part), member of Ho-Hum, and owner of Anthro-Pop records. I think there's some interesting stuff on his site to chew on - I plan on spending more time checking it out, and maybe pitching in support. I know I'm you're crazy liberal friend - but you should check out some of the stuff he's suggesting, if nothing else but to challenge us in our own daily living activities. Until Next Time - Peace!

~ stress relief ~

this is what happens when you get me and Angelika together at Java with laptops, caffeine and too much time on our hands...

You Are 47% American

America: You don't love it or want to leave it. But you wouldn't mind giving it an extreme make over. On the 4th of July, you'll fly a freak flag instead... And give Uncle Sam a sucker punch!

How American Are You?

>

now read this:

Please go here and read my friend Rebekah's post. I sense the Spirit is really moving in a passionate way in our young adults group - truly bringing our depravity and Christ's power into light, and turning our eyes away from ourselves and onto Him and His mission. Pray that we would be faithful and consistent - that this would not be a passing phase but an igniting fire... not an emotional stirring but a disciplined growth. I am so grateful to be a part of this group of people who are not just a "church ministry" - a place to come and feel like you've done your duty - but people who truly love God, love other people, and are passionate about spiritual growth. I've been in places where people come, hear what is said, and leave. I've been in places where people come, feel awkward or rejected, and never return (or stay out of obligation, but always on the edges). I've spent years thinking I was being a good Christian because I believed the Bible, said the right words, and did nothing particularly bad (even though I thought I was doing such a good job). I have never felt so much accountability to be a true disciple - to go beyond being nice to being genuine, and beyond being servant-hearted to being sacrificial. And I have never been a part of a group of people so clearly seeking the will of God in their lives and their ministry, despite their own plans. Praise be to God, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

they're baaaaaccckk...

Just when I thought I was pulling away from T.V., I see things that suck me back in. I have already made amends with myself regarding Gilmore Girls and Lost... I know I am addicted to these shows and I figure if I could just watch those two (and even record and play back at a more convenient time), then I could give up the remote on all else. Except for maybe Clean Sweep and Clean House (hey, a girl's gotta stay organized). And of course I have to catch Extreme Home Makeover (its Gandhi with a toolbelt). And to get my news fix, I need to watch The Daily Show and Best Week Ever. But really, I can do without all that other stuff. Then I start seeing them... previews for new shows I just have to see (of course, I was just walking by the T.V. as someone else was watching... I was not sitting in front of it). And not even really crappy stuff with really crappy people (though I'm sure there is plenty of that). I'm talking Stella Comedy on Comedy Central (my boyfriend Michael Ian Black and his trusty sidekick Michael Showalter). I'm talking My Name is Earl on one of those regular channels with none other than Jason Lee (unibrow and all). I really think I need therapy... or a new VCR tape. Or a life. Naah...

~ risky journey ~

how does it feel
to be on your own
with no direction home
like a complete unknown
just like a rolling stone

This morning I finished reading Under the Overpass (I started reading the book Thursday evening, and was interrupted in between with work and dinner with friends... in other words, I couldn't put it down). Wow. I have done social outreach for over ten years now - I was not particulary amazed by the fact that these guys were willing to hang out with "the least of these". What grabbed me - what has been grabbing me a lot lately - is the embodiment of Christ these guys displayed: their willingness to truly die to self, and to allow Christ to shine through them into other lives; the ways that people's hearts were touched just by someone willing to spend time with them and treat them as the creation of God that they are; and the work of the Holy Spirit in spite of our best human efforts.

I think about friends of mine who are willing to embark on risky journies in their own lives: moving across country with no plan other than to build relationships and invest in the lives of others, spend time in a culture they are unfamiliar with in hopes of allowing the Spirit to work through their life, joining together in marriage and work to allow two independent lives to become one, staying put until God calls them elsewhere even if they truly want to run, stepping out in faith into a new career when there is comfort in the one they already have. I also think about my own career, and the fact that someone I don't even know commented on how much of a ministry I have where I am out. God swings doors wide open, and invites us to walk through and share our lives with those on the other side. I pray more and more that my desire in life would be less for personal comfort and more for investing in relationships... especially those that are akward and messy and take work (and those in which I am reminded of the beauty of ESL). The summary of the book presents the following questions:

What would I do during my day or in my life for God if I wasn't concerned with what I wear, what I eat, where I sleep, what I own, what people think of me, or what discomforts I face?

Those women who are in Bible Study with me (Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free) will appreciate the weight of this question for me. There are many lies I have believed about what I deserve and what will make me happy. This question challenges them all. I promised Angelika and Meredith at dinner that I would let them borrow this book when I'm done, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to give it a second read-through. There's some stuff I need to hear again... there's lots of stuff I need to process. But I do promise to pass it on soon - to as many people as will read it.

Oh, and Ramon... both guys are living in Portland now and at least one is at Imago Dei (figures!).

figures...

Your Brain is 60.00% Female, 40.00% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

I promise I didn't rig this...

Your Inner European is Irish!

Sprited and boisterous! You drink everyone under the table.

Who's Your Inner European?

thank goodness for birthday $$$...

So the new budget is tight, but luckily I have some birthday money coming to me this month. It is times like this that I morn for people who claim there is nothing to do in Little Rock. If everyone would just learn to be obsessed with music, life would be a lot more entertaining around here! I've included just a sampling of some of the acts scheduled in the next month or so, and there's a lot more where these came from...

Wednesday, April 6 Tim Reynolds @ Sticky Fingerz $15
Thursday, April 7 Chris Scruggs @ Sticky Fingerz $7
Friday, April 22 Old Crow Medicine Show @ Sticky Fingerz $10
Tuesday, April 26 Shooter Jennings @ Sticky Fingersz $10
Wednesday, April 27 Jimmy Eat World @ UCA $10/$20
Saturday, May7 Local Bands:Boondogs/Il Libertina/American Princes @ Juanitas $6
Monday, May 23 Flogging Molly @ Vinos $12

I know I'll be making OCMS, Shooter Jennings & Flogging Molly for certain. Let me know if you're interested!

it's the little things...

I was online checking out info on the Wakarusa festival, when I happened upon a picture of a little sign that made me happy...

In related news, Old Crow Medicine Show will be playing at Sticky Fingerz on Friday, April 22. Life is good.

New York is one big joke

...so I just got off the phone with Gretchen, and she witnessed a scene we decided would make a great joke intro:

It's St Patricks Day, and six priests walk into a bar...

Happy St Pattys!

the best part of breaking up...

Once upon a time there was a great little band called Uncle Tupelo. And it was good. A simple cover of an old Carter family song, No Depression, and a beautiful mysterious genre was ignited. Though the actual sound had emerged in the 60s, it was given a certain cult status with the birth of Uncle Tupelo. Is it Americana? Country-Punk? Alt-Country? Insurgent Country? Who cares my friend – it is damn good music. There are many bands who get thrown into this deep sea of hard to classify music, but there’s no doubt as to Uncle Tupelo’s influence.

Then, one day, a blessing in disguise. Uncle Tupelo was no more. Songwriters Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy parted ways, and a legend had ended. But legends never truly end, they just grow bigger. Some grow quietly, like Farrar’s band Son Volt and his subsequent solo career. Some explode, like Tweedy’s Wilco. Wilco has become a phenomenon, and has spawned numerous side projects and collaborations including Billy Bragg, Golden Smog, the Minus Five and the Autumn Defense.

Back in mid-February, I had the privilege of seeing my second Wilco live show at the Orpheum in Memphis. While I preferred the setting of my first show – the rooftop of the Gibson Guitar building in Memphis, Tweedy and the boys did not disappoint. And this Friday night at Sticky Fingerz I will partake in my second Son Volt concert. I saw Son Volt at Juanita’s back in ’99, and I’ve seen a Jay Farrar solo set there also (though I must confess, Jay solo when you’re really tired is a bad thing). Little Rock is the second stop on the tour for the newly reunited Son Volt, smack dab between Nashville and SXSW.

Elation.

Sometimes two is better than one. Uncle Tupelo was magic, but division of this powerful force created two decidedly different yet enticing delicacies. The best way I know to describe their differences is a road trip. Let’s say you were going to travel from Little Rock (a very good place to start) and head up to St Louis to get a feel for Uncle Tupelo’s old stomping ground. You’re going to take one of two routes, the back roads through the Ozarks or the freeway past Memphis. We’ll say Farrar is the Ozark route, slow and steady, not much change, laid back with lots of time to think. Tweedy on the other hand is the Interstate. Start with AM around Memphis and go ahead and keep traveling past St Louis to head on up to NYC – A Ghost is Born. I’ve taken both routes, and I like them. Though I spend more time singing along at the Wilco shows, and more time listening to Farrar (though I can’t help but belt out during Windfall), with both men I am aware that I am in the presence of true artistry. And it is good.

...from whom all blessings flow

Now to him who is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above
all that we ask or think,
according to the power that
works in us, to Him be glory in
the church by Christ Jesus to
all generations, forever and
ever. Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:20

Its official ~ I will begin a new career on Valentines Day 2005. I have accepted a position with my former employer, Arkansas CARES, as a Vocational Specialist. Its a mixed blessing, as I am so excited to return to social services, but I will dearly miss the people I have worked alongside for the past five years (though I've been assured that I will still be invited to Happy Hour and SkipBo Tournaments). I may not be writing much the next three weeks, as I prepare to make this transition ~ I will have a lot to do at my desk to get it ready for my replacement. Oh, and between their generous offer and my newly enhanced budgeting skills, I won't have to worry about taking on a part time job like I thought I might have to ~ more time for the people and stuff I love! Patience does pay off... now if He would just start working on that other request...

for the love of Rachel...

...I will play her silly little quiz!

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Kimberly
2. Kim Roth (last name apparently necessary)
3. Aunt Bobo

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. lrshine
2. arkychicky
3. kmroth28

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. hazel eyes (on the blue-green side of the spectrum)
2. creative mind (when I have space to use it)
3. perseverence

THREE THINGS YOU DISLIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. sloth
2. gluttony
3. envy

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. The O.C., twice removed (via my mom)
2. country club Irish-Catholic (via my dad)
3. Arkansas Bluegrass (via my stepdad)

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. the inevitable end of Gilmore Girls
2. normality
3. spinsterhood (perhaps resulting from first two fears)

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Journal
2. Cell phone
3. Coffee

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. hair clip (the height of hair fashion)
2. sparkle star earrings
3. scuffed up black boots I’ve owned for 8 years (…so I’m a little too frugal)

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR ARTISTS AT THE MOMENT:
1. I’m diggin’ Old Crow Medicine Show
2. I’ve been going back through my Cranberries catalogue lately
3. Saturday morning Bhangra on KABF

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
1. Actually completing a Master’s Paper
2. Maintaining an “emergency expense” account
3. Learning to actually play my pretty guitar (… in my “spare” time)

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP (love is a given):
1. comfort
2. creativity
3. connection

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: (you guess which is which)
1. I’ve met Nanci Griffith.
2. I’ve met Dolly Parton.
3. I’ve met Rachel Alford.

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. dark hair ~ curls are a plus
2. intelligent humor …wait, that’s not physical ~ ok, how about facial expressions made by intelligently humorous people? (see: John Stewart, Michael Ian Black, Luke Wison…)
3. smiley eyes

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO RIGHT NOW:
1. control the sewing machine
2. carry a tune in a bucket
3. get started

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. collage
2. blogging
3. lamenting

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. win a game show and pay off my debt
2. wave a wand and have my Master’s paper completed
3. make a wish and be in excellent physical condition

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. professional contest winner
2. hotel maid service (to prepare for my B&B career)
3. muse

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Ireland
2. Austria (but not on Air France)
3. Boston/NYC (and destinations in between)

THREE KID'S NAMES
1. Aubrey Snow ~ for a girl (my Grandfather’s name is Dwight Aubrey Snow)
2. Claire (yes, I know, that’s a fat girl’s name…)
3. Aidan (unfortunately it has joined the “top 10” list, so I guess I’ll have to shop for a new name *sigh*)

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
(*note* I would like to do these well before death is in the picture)
1. Marry a great guy… and eventually add children to the mix
2. Open a bed and breakfast/café/art studio
3. take time to develop a real talent

beauty defined...

Norah Jones covering an Old Crow Medicine Show song in order to benefit Tsunami victims. www.connect.com

~ Brave New World ~

Things we wouldn’t have believed in 1984, even if we had been told…

That this guy
Would become this guy

That this girl
Would become this girl

That this artist
Would inspire this artist

That this dude
Would be married by this dude

just imagine the possibilities the future holds...

beds are burning...

I've never considered myself a big Sarah McLachlan fan, although I think she makes pretty music. But this video definately holds a high place on my list of things that make me happy ~
http://www.worldonfire.ca/

~ an entire generation pumping gas ~

Today I feel like going home and eating ice cream.

And watching Fight Club.
You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive.

And dancing to Calibretto 13.
I don't like the lies you’re trying to make me believe. You call me a loser, lower my self esteem. Well I'm a child of God and I know he loves me. I won’t buy your lies and I won’t be deceived. I know that I am a child of the great I Am and I don't care what you might do, to hell with you…

But I will finish my day, and I will go home and eat a healthy meal with my family and watch the new episode of Lost, and then I will read a chapter or two toward my Master's paper, and I will talk with God and get a good night's sleep. And tomorrow I will try, try again.

(Andrea ~ if you read this, be encouraged ~ i feel your pain ~ and you are not your khakis...)

frugal*healthy*yummy recipe #1

~ spiced apple porridge ~

ingredients:
dry oats
generic is cheaper and usually has less sodium
small apple
don't waste your money on big ones for this recipe
sweetener
Going for low-cal? Splurge for Splenda. More concerned with frugal? Use generic sugar.
autumn spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves)
sometimes you can find these at the dollar store; mix together in an airtight container and scoop as needed into recipes, coffee, etc.…
skim milk
it's not really porridge without the milk/cream...

directions:
Peel and chop your apple.
Cook your desired amount of oats on the stovetop.
While the oats are still hot, stir in the chopped apple, sweetener, and spices to taste.
Pour mixture into breakfast bowl and add desired amount of milk.
Enjoy!

Notice that there is no butter necessary! And, you consume three of the major food groups in one sitting. If you don’t like artificial sweeteners but still don’t want the calories from sugar, try it without and see if the apples add enough natural sweetness for your taste.

Look at the Nations and Watch...

On the eve of the New Year, I have decided to simply post one of my favorite books of scripture. I was introduced to Habakkuk in college, and fell instantly in love. I am enamored with the truth that it is ok to ask God “Why?” and “How Long?” and anything else that plagues our hearts, and it is ok not to completely understand His answer, and it is ok to trust in Him regardless. I think this passage is especially meaningful in light of the wars, disasters, and disease we are confronting (should we choose to look) in our days. May you have a blessed 2005 in light of God’s grace and sovereignty.

Habakkuk (NIV)

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.

Habakkuk’s Complaint
How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

The Lord’s Answer
Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. They are feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour; they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them. Then they sweep past like the wind and go on – guilty men, whose own strength is their god.

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint
O Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O Lord, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

The Lord’s Answer
Then the Lord replied: Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright – but the righteous will live by his faith – indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, “Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?” Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies. You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed. The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in the.

Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, “Come to life!” Or to a lifeless stone, “Wake up!” Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

Habakkuk’s Prayer
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

Were you angry with the rivers, O Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode with your horses and your victorious chariots? You uncovered your bow; you called for many arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness; you stripped him from head to foot. Selah. With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept in my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.