so......

2 papers down, 1 test to go...

Then I'm out for the weekend.

Then perhaps an update....

peace out,
hersch

Just a brief suggestion...

In my attempt to not study, I decided to go to Joseph-Beth Booksellers and find some sort of distraction from pyschological theories and economic structures of historic Jerusalem. I'm not sure what to call what I have found.

Night by Elie Wiesel.

This book is one man's memoir from surviving the Holocaust.

Let me share a brief passage from the original Yiddish version, changed in it's translation.

"And now scarcely ten years after Buchenwald, I realize that the world forgets quickly. Today, Germany is a sovereign state. the German Army has been resuscitated. Ilse Koch, the notorious sadistic monster of Buchenwald, was allowed to have children and live happily ever after...War criminals stroll through the streets of Hamburg and Munich. The past seems to have been erased, relegated to oblivion.

Today there are anti-semites in Germany, France, and even the United States who tell the world that the 'story' of six million assasinated Jews is nothing but a hoax, and many people not knowing any better, may well believe them, if not today then tomorrow or the day after...

I am not so naive as to believe that this slim volume will change the course of history or shake the conscience of the world.

Books no longer have the power they once did.

Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow.(emphasis added)"

My brief suggestion is this: Read this book. That is all. Be forewarned that it is not for the faint of heart.

As for me, I should probably get to work--though it feels strangly unimportant tonight.

peace out,
hersch

Im out....

Not forever, but I have 2 papers due next week and two tests so I will be out of the office until all that is done.

Until then, I will leave you with my favorite T.V. show...




So close Michael, so close.

peace out,
hersch

I'm sure what he's doing is fine...

I just thought this headline was hilairous. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060919/ap_en_mu/people_diddy

changes come...

So I realized I liked my old template better. So I changed it. Deal.

peace out,
hersch

hmmm....

Shaker Town of Pleasant Hill, near Mt. Zion UMC


So one of the guys down the hall invited me to church with him today. It was Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. Awesomeness.

First, this church is out in the middle of nowhere, which in eastern Kentucky terms means Heaven. The church is a small white country church with no running water on top of a hill surrounded by rolling green pastures, old stone walls, and horses. It must have been built by someone who liked Norman Rockwell.

The church service itself was very traditional. We did liturgy and sang only hymns. What was funny though is that this congregation isn't an old, stuck-in-its-ways congregation. It is alive. There are all sorts of people there, but mostly college and seminary students. In a church that has no running water and seats maybe 75, there were about 100 people, mostly students. They were not only worshipping, but they also had a very apparent bonded community. These were people who cared about each other. They were a church family. Not just because they all attended on sundays together either. They invest in each other's lives through small groups, through community service projects like adopt a highway, a trip to Zimbabwe, and one guy even stood up and said his roof was leaking and he needed help fixing it and more than 10 guys volunteered. Wow.

And they also made my friend Joe and I feel welcome. Both of us intend to go back. Why? Because we felt loved.
(Suddenly, music starts playing. It is an organ. It is playing the familiar hymn, "We Are One In the Spirit.")

So there are two pastors, working for free. One is a professor at the seminary and one at the college. They do it because they want to help people come to Christ. That HAS to be another factor of why this church is doing so well.(That they do it for Christ, not that they do it for free. They do it for free because they get paid for their professorships(word?))

We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

So I have been invited to another church by another friend and will go with them this week, but I think perhaps Mt. Zion may be the place for me. We shall see.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
By our Love,
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

That's all.

peace out,
hersch

thoughts from Chapel...

In my life I have sown seeds of lust, laziness, bitterness, and loneliness. I have planted these seeds from my youth through the present. I continue to reap the consequences because I have failed to pull up these "weeds" by the roots. Perhaps I have failed to allow God to pull them.

So how do I do that?

How does one pull roots of lust from their life? Or bitterness? Or any of those?

I have this beautiful picture in my head. I am my Grandfather's garden. The time has come again for him to plant all his favorite vegetables; tomatoes, corn, lettuce, peppers, etc. But first he must ready the ground. He gets out his old beat up tiller and cranks it up. He takes the machine and begins to rip through my hard soil. The blades break up the ground and rip through all the grass and weeds that have grown in throughout the year. The blades tear through the roots left there from years gone by to clear the way for the new life about to spring forth. He plants row after row of vegetables.

Day after day, week after week he comes and cleans each row of unwanted weeds by pulling them up, root and all. By the end of the season, he is left with only the best vegetables for eating.

How does my relationship with God become more like that?




My soul is in need of tilling.

peace out,
hersch

***UPDATED VIDEO!!!***There's no Sufjan me...is there any Sufjan you?

For the people without taste, it's pronounced soof-yawn.

Last night I had the oppurtunity to go watch Sufjan Stevens at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with my good freind Jessica.

The concert opened with the band, My Brightest Diamond. To be honest, the first song was pretty sketchy and I thought it was probably a good time to go find something to drink, but Jessica said to give them another shot and they turned out to be really really good. Not what I was expecting at all. I don't know how to describe it other than Enya meets Byork meets Over the Rhine. Really mellow, atmospheric stuff. Really good.

In between sets, we noticed some bald headed guy a few rows in front of us talking to some people and enjoying the concert as well.


Derek Webb. Watch your toes, I'm dropping names.

Finally Sufjan and the Illinoismakers came out. They were wearing jeans, a jacket from a High School marching band, and wings. Thats right. Wings.

What can I say about the music that no one has said before. The man is a genius. Freaking genius.

It was a good little day trip. It was good to hang out with friends who I haven't seen in a while.

Here's a little taste of the show from last night. Sorry it's not longer, maybe someday I could put a whole song.
That's all for now.

peace out,
hersch

yep...

I think...

I'm pretty sure I am done with the whole MEGACHURCH thing...I mean...come on...

I tried it. I went expecting that I probably wouldn't like it and that that was probably a bad attitude to have, so I resolved to at least pray to the Holy Spirit to help me worship in spite of my poor attitude.

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but during the morning service, something just felt off. Something was missing. As I was walking out to my car after church was over, it hit me what it was. Jesus.

Was He even mentioned? He had to have been right? Nope.

I did learn how to be a good father and how cool this church is that had pizza for 900 college students. AWESOME DUDE!

So I tried it again tonight. A different praise band, different speaker, different attitude. I was totally determined to dislike this church now. I just couldn't dislike it without giving it it's fair shot.

Was Jesus there this time? Well, I think they tried to hide Him again behind yet another sermon about being a father.(Is that really supposed to be my number one goal--to be a good father?)(do I have any kids even?) Jesus did make Himself known though, He had to try really hard but He broke through. Thank Him for that-I almost walked out.

Now I am probably being a little too hard and I have been a little lonely this week so I am extra cynical. I think I can see why people DO like megachurches though. It's like McDonalds. You drive up, go in and you order your dose of family friendly sermon, 3.5 songs semi-related to following Jesus(but cool enough to not say His name), then you leave and have no commitment to make. I mean, who would notice you in a crowd of 8000 people. No one to hassel you about helping out at a dinner, or to work at VBS, or whatever.

I'm sorry. This is too cynical, but perhaps a little true? Maybe. Jesus can and does work through these churches. I'm not saying He doesn't. I am saying that I don't think my place is there. That's just me.

peace out,
hersch

so...

I spent about half and hour writing this really long and deep post about the ocean and God and life. Then somehow, blogger lost it.

So now you get this. A quote from the funniest character on T.V. since Kramer on Seinfeld: Dwight Schrute from The Office.

Dwight: I'm a deer hunter. I go all the time with my dad. One thing about deer, they have very good vision. One thing about me...I am better at hiding than they are at vision.

I love Dwight so plan on a random quote from him from time to time.

That's all.

peace out,
hersch

procrastination=my desintation....

Is it a bad sign that I am procrastinating on homework on the first day of classes? Yikes.

I mean, I only have to read 200 pages by next Tuesday. No biggie.

In the meantime, I have become enthralled with the work of Howard Shore and James Horner on the scores of Lord of the Rings and Braveheart respectivly. Amazing music.

I like listening to this type of music while I am reading because it doesn't have any of those catchy "lyrics" to distract me. Though sometimes I have caught myself in Minas Tirith or Stirling. Not horrible places to be.

So I said I would update more frequently if I got bored. I should have put bored and/or procrastination.

Anyways.

peace out,
hersch

on the verge...

So seminary starts tomorrow...

So much stuff to think about.
"How will I pay for this?"
"How can anyone know God's will for sure?"
"Does God even have a specific plan?"
"How many stupid questions can I put in this little section?"

Seriously. It is a bit overhwelming to be where I am. I am surrounded by giants. Some of my peers(as if I could call these people peers) have given up everything to follow God here. They have left their families back in Africa or East Asia or whereever else you want to name---all in pursuit of God's will for thier lives.

And yet God has brought me here as well. Wow. I don't know what else I can say besides that at this point.

I am so thankful.

I guess you could call this a resurgence of wHizzle dIzzle? Don't expect it to be updated as much as previously updated. Unless I am bored. Which I doubt. I have 17 books for 3 classes. Does anyone know CPR?

Anyways, thats it for now folks.

peace out,
hersch