153 FISH

153 is my favourite number.

I understand that that is a strange statement for a lot of people to hear.  It is strange because they think that I just pulled it out of the air, and maybe I’m trying to be funny or something.  Then it’s kind of awkward, because hey, that’s not funny.

I don’t know enough about numerology to appreciate or express all of the unique qualities of this fabulous number, but let me just give you a few examples that might help to explain why even someone with my limited understanding would choose this number to be a favourite.

• It is a triangle number.  The 17^th to be exact    1 + 2 + 3... + 17 = 153
• It is the sum of the first 5 factorials    1! + 2! + 3! + 4! + 5! = 153
• It is a hexagonal number,( the 9^th)
• It is a truncated triangle number, (meaning that 1, 15, and 153 are all triangle numbers)
• It is divisible by the sum of its own digits    153 / (1 + 5 + 3) = 17
• The sum of its digits is a perfect square    1 + 5 + 3 = 9 = 3²
• The sum of its divisors is also a perfect square       1 + 3 + 9 + 17 + 51 = 81 = 9²

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  “Enough already!  These are all extremely rare qualities, how is this possible?!  This number is incredible!”  No?  Ok, well then perhaps you would be willing to do an experiment:

·         Pick any number that is divisible by 3.  (You can tell if a number is divisible by 3 if you add up all of the digits, and the sum is divisible by 3)

o   For example, I’ll pick... 81

·         Separate it into its individual digits

o   8; 1

·         Cube each one, and add them together

o   8³ + 1³ = 512 + 1 = 513

·         Repeat steps 2 and 3

o   5³ + 1³ + 3³ = 153

o   1³ + 5³+ 3³ = 153

If you’ve done it right, you will end up at 153.  EVERY TIME.  And as if that's not enough, the term used to describe our little experiment?  The Trinity function!  If that doesn't blow your mind a little bit, then we probably wouldn't be very good friends. 

 

Alright, I think I’ve gotten my nerd on enough for one day; but let me just tell you what got me asking questions about this number in the first place.  John 21:11, “So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them.  And although there were so many, the net was not torn.” 

Sometimes even the things that seem like the smallest details can be full of meaning and mystery.  Why did they stop to count the fish?  Why did they write that number down and record it in the pages of Scripture?  Surely saying, “there was an unusually large number of fish”, or, "wow, what a catch!", or, "who knew all the fish in the sea would be gathered on the other side of the boat?", would have sufficed.  What is it about this number that the Holy Spirit wanted it in that passage?  What else is he telling us?

There are many more interesting qualities about the number 153 that I haven’t brought up here, but I hope that this post has whet your appetite a little bit for this passage of Scripture, this incredible number, and the little details that so often get overlooked.  Thanks for reading.

Electronic Drums

So, I had an opportunity yesterday to play on an electronic drum kit, and I thought I would take a minute to talk about it.  I’ve played electronic kits before, but yesterday was a real jam, as opposed to just messing around, which of course makes it a vastly different experience.  And for the record, this was a pretty good kit – so it’s not like I took a couple of whacks on a kids toy from Wal-Mart, and now I want to rant about it.  When we were done practicing, the owner of the kit – Dave Stroeve, (affectionately known as Super Dave, because he is awesome), asked me what I thought of it.  So, for all of those who consistently wonder; here is why I don’t play an electronic drum kit:

• First of all – and this is really the biggest issue for me – there is very little dynamic with an electronic drum kit.  By dynamic – I mostly mean volume control.   With an acoustic kit, the harder I hit it, the louder the sound; but an electronic kit has a ceiling, and it’s a pretty low one.  If the spectrum of what I can do on an acoustic kit is on a scale from 1 – 100; the electronic kit captures from about 10 – 50.  In other words, it doesn’t pick up the really light things like ghost notes, and accents; and when I’m trying to build to 70 or 80, it’s still stuck at 50 and there’s nothing I can do about it.  I feel like this is a vital component of my playing, and it’s an aspect that I really enjoy.
• It doesn’t catch everything.  Now, I’ve already mentioned that it doesn’t catch the lightest touches, so I’m not talking about that.  (Side note – this is controlled with the “threshold” setting, but even on the lowest threshold setting there are things that are missed).  My point here is that it’s simply not fast enough.  If I want to do a roll, I want to be able to hear every hit; and the technology is just not there yet.
• The feel of the cymbals.  Props to the work that has been done to make the snare and toms feel like they’re real, but there’s a long way to go on the cymbals. 
• The sound.  I realize that there is an extremely wide range of sounds that can come from an electronic kit, but at the end of the day, the digital kit just doesn’t sound as good or as full as genuine maple or birch. 

All that being said, I am not opposed to electronic drums.  I just think that we need to take them for what they are.  Just as an electronic keyboard won’t replace a grand piano – electronic drums won’t replace my Yamaha Birch Custom’s.  But they do have an application, and I think that they have much to offer.  A few advantages:

• Volume control.  If you are playing for eight people in a living room, electronic drums could be very useful for you.  You can play without fear of drowning out the other instruments or the vocals, or causing permanent damage to your listener’s eardrums.   For this reason, they could also be very useful for practicing at home, especially for people who are just starting out on the drums. 
• Compact and low maintenance.  This is great for practicing and for beginners.  Learning how to set up your drums and tune them takes time.  Electronic drums are basically good to go right out of the box... or bag, or case, or whatever they come in; and they take up a minimal amount of room in your valuable jam space.
• The wide range of sounds.  Again, if we think of the comparison between a keyboard and a piano, the reverse is also true.  An acoustic drum kit can’t perform all the functions of an electronic kit.  The sounds and effects that you have at your fingertips are amazing.  So much so that I think an electronic kit could actually be a great addition to a band that had an acoustic kit.

Conclusion - electronic drums should not be thought of as a replacement for acoustic drums, but rather as an entirely different (albeit closely related) musical instrument.  If we are trying to use them to completely replace acoustic drums, they will always be a failure; but if we can appreciate them for what they are, then I think we might be pleasantly surprised at the potential that they have.  I, for one, would like to spend some more time learning how to play on an electronic kit; and I would be especially happy to do so in conjunction with an acoustic kit.  I think that to play alongside an acoustic kit would relieve me of the ‘duty’ to supply the main beat and free me up to explore the potential of a new instrument.  

Why Proselytize?

Why Proselytize?

“For freedom Christ has set us free.”  (Galatians 5:1)

I was listening to the radio the other day, and there happened to be a short interview in which they were talking about the idea of mutually embracing freedom and religion.  I really only caught a minute of it, but the crux of it seemed to be that it should be possible in this age to hold fast to your spiritual beliefs without compromising your own freedom, or anyone else’s.

It got me thinking about some undertones that are present in our society.  Our generation seems to be very concerned about our ‘freedom’.  To the extent that it is highly offensive, or even considered wrong to share your beliefs with others or try to convert them to your belief system – because this somehow infringes on someone else’s freedom.   I have several problems with this. 

First of all, I’m not convinced that those advocating for ‘freedom’ always understand what it is.  In a lecture last year, (by Ms. Rachael Harder), I heard how our generation defines freedom.  Something along the lines of - being able to do what I want to do.   It was soon pointed out that this is dangerously close to the definition of narcissism – but that’s probably another discussion.  Surely, even freedom must have limits.  Most of us would agree that we believe in freedom of speech.  Most of us would also agree that a person should not be allowed to continually utter death threats; campaign for racial discrimination; or scream profanities from a street corner.  So where do we cross the line?  When does it become ok to take away a person’s right to free speech?  Is talking about religious beliefs really on par with screaming profanity or uttering death threats? 

It seems possible to me that this push for ‘freedom’, is actually placing more limitations on us.  Not only am I ‘limited’ to not screaming profanity from the street corner, but now I am limited to speaking only of things which do not offend, or potentially even challenge others.  As soon as things start to get a little bit uncomfortable, people feel like they can hide under this banner of ‘freedom’, and accuse you of infringing on theirs.  But isn’t it good to be challenged in our beliefs from time to time?  I would be tempted to suggest that those who run from being challenged in their beliefs are doing so because at a heart level, they fear that their beliefs won’t stand up to scrutiny.  But they’ve all stopped reading by now, so I won’t. 

There are, of course, many Biblical reasons why I should be sharing my faith: the Great Commission, (Mt. 28:18-20); the watchmen analogy, (Eze. 3:17-21); the example of Christ and the Apostle’s; and of course the promise that “whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (Jas 5:20) – among many others.

But here’s where the rubber really hits the road for me.  The gospel is Good News!  The best news ever, if you ask me.  I cannot force anyone to convert to my belief system, and I wouldn’t want to – but I do want to tell them about the good news of Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because it’s Good News!!  I don’t do it because I have to - it brings me joy to share it!  And I know that it has the potential to not only change their life, but to impact their eternal state.  The message of Christianity is not one that can just be received and stored away.  It requires action.  It requires a response; a change in lifestyle; and a commitment to share with others the incredible story of grace.  It is not my intent to ‘infringe on your freedom’, but rather to help you find your way into the light so you can see what it is you really need to be free of.  But that, again, is probably another discussion...

Prayer for Intimacy

This is a prayer that I wrote a while ago.  I have consistently prayed it since I wrote it, and have grown to like it more and more.

At first it was awkward.  I'm not really used to having a prayer that is written out.  I'm not used to praying the same words every time.  It just sounded so restricting.  But I have grown to enjoy even that aspect of it.

As it turns out; there are many ways to pray, I'm just ignorant of most of them.  Sometimes I pray the words just as they are.  Sometimes, I use them more as a springboard.  But I think that it was through the process of writing and praying this prayer that I gained an appreciation for different ways of praying.  I hope that I  always continue to develop in ways that I express myself to God.

Prayer for Intimacy

I praise you Father for your wonderful works; for your Sovereignty, your holiness, and your grace.

Thank you for calling me your son.

Thank you for calling me into an eternal exploration of your glory.

You have created me with passion and with longing; with a spirit that cries out for more.

Can I ever be satisfied?

In this life, in this house away from home, in this veiled existence, can I ever have enough of you?

I want to see you face to face, I want to see your glory; I want to fully know as I am fully known.

Transform me into your image, Jesus, and let me reflect your glory.

Clothe me with your Spirit, Jesus, and reveal your perfect will.

Break what needs breaking, and shake what needs shaking, until my heart and yours are one.

Let us walk stride for stride, put your tears in my eyes, all my strength, all my hope, is in you.

Let me see you face to face; let me see your glory, let me fully know you Lord, as I am fully known.

Amen.

The Power of Light

A few months ago, as I was waiting for the sun to come up and shine in the coulees, I was inspired by the symbolism of light and darkness.  That turned into a poem, which quickly changed its name to a prayer, (because I’m really not the sort of person that writes a lot of poems), which I included as part of a blog post for River of Life Church.  Anyways, I kind of liked it and thought that perhaps, although maybe a bit out of the ordinary for me, this would be a good inaugural post for this blog.  The words and ideas are based mainly off of Psalm 43, Rev. 22:17, and John 1:4-5; I hope you enjoy it.

Darkness is looming over the land.  It’s heavy.  It’s oppressing.  It lies. 

It says that I might fall.  It says that it has power.  It says that I should stay. 

That the only way to be safe is not to act.

There are times when I believe it.  It seems like there is no hope, no chance to break free. 

Are the bonds really that strong?  If only I could see them.

It’s cold and distant.  It feels like despair.  Is it over already?  Did we even put up a fight?

Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you in turmoil within me?

Remember that your hope is in God!  He is your salvation, Praise him!

Suddenly, there is a glimmer of hope.    

There!  A flash of colour!  It’s beautiful.  It’s powerful.  It’s pure.  

The Son has risen!  Christ the King!

The Truth conquers eternity, there’s no place to hide.

In less than an instant, there is no trace of darkness,

It has fled from the Light of the world.  There was no real power.  It was all just an illusion.

The bonds that hold me have no anchor; they fall to the ground.

O God, send out your light and your truth and let them lead me. 

I long to be at your holy hill; at the place where you dwell. 

I long to see my church and my city transformed by your Spirit. 

Flood us in your light!  Overwhelm us with your glory!  Send us your Spirit! 

Jesus, the Spirit and the Bride are calling you. 

Come!  We’re desperate.  Come!  It’s got to be time now.  Come!

Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you in turmoil within me?

Praise the God of your salvation; all of your hope is in him.