Live To Tell

I’ve long contended that the categories of sacred and secular (from the Latin, saeculorum, which means “in the moment” – i.e. we get the word “seconds” from this word) exist primarily due to Platonic dualism lacing the modern Christian worldview, rather than being solid biblical categories.

Clean and unclean, holy and common, sacred and profane have some biblical merit, but cut-and-dry categories are simply easy ways of dismissing music, creative expression or ideology without having to use the messy process of discernment.

In this YouTube.com clip sent to me by a good friend, Madonna makes a statement about caring for the troubles within (family abuse, systemic abuse and gang environments), and for AIDS children in Africa.

And, artists sometimes prophesy back to themselves as to what is important. I include this clip here out of interest, and by no means endorse the whole body of work Madonna has done in her lifetime. I appreciate the physical poetry of this piece, and am grateful that she’s using her concerts to promote the ideas within this piece.

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Sheltering Mercy: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms

Sheltering Mercy, along with its companion volume, Endless Grace, helps us rediscover the rich treasures of the Psalms—through free-verse prayer renderings of their poems and hymns—as a guide to personal devotion and meditation.

The church has always used the Psalms as part of its prayer life, and they have inspired countless other prayers. This book contains 75 prayers drawn from Psalms 1-75, providing lyrical sketches of what authors Ryan Smith and Dan Wilt have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning in the Psalms. Each prayer is a response to the Psalms written in harmony with Scripture. These prayers help us quiet our hearts before God and welcome us into a safe place amid the storms of life.

This artful, poetic, and classic devotional book features compelling custom illustrations and foil-stamped hardcover binding, offering a fresh way to reflect on and pray the Psalms.