Christopher's Meanderings

Isaiah 2:1             A secondary superscription reintroduces us to the vision of Isaiah. These are words he saw in a vision which came to him (cf. Lam. 2:9; Ez.7:26). Put another way, these words are not just his own creation. The prophets were earlier called seers (1 Sam. 9:9) and this points us to one of the realities of prophecy.             As prophecy is a vision from God, the prophets make known a present reality to the people of God. The visions seen are not necessarily about the future but are instead about a contingent future following a failure to change in the present. The present is necessarily a part of the vision of the prophets. The vision is necessary because the people’s spiritual blindness has become so much a part of their lives that they can no longer see what they are doing. Prophets speak the truth as they imagine a new way of being ( I love much of...

One of the things I have wanted to do with the blog is interview some people who are in creative fields. I am honored to share this first experience with my friend Daniel Townsend. Daniel is a hardworking and loyal husband, dad of three young daughters (including twins!), and wig master. He has worked in theater in the United States and overseas. For several years, he was the Wigmaster at the popular A Christmas Carol annual production at the Cincinnati Playhouse. From that experience he went on to write A Mouthful of Goose: Backstage Stories from A Christmas Carol . He has a new book coming out from Routledge which will be focused on teaching makeup and wigs skills in an academic setting. Here is our conversation:* Christopher: What do you enjoy about makeup and wigs? Daniel: My favorite thing about working with wigs and makeup is the artistry of the craft. Selecting the right color blends that go into making a wig is an exciting first step in the making of a wig. ...

My job requires me to work almost everyday of the week because of the type of work.   Today, I only had a few minutes of work, and I relished the small amount after how last week felt. On reflection, I was reminded how important a little bit of rest can be. Here's a quick reminder of why rest is important: 1. Rest allows us to focus. We can better do the things we need to do and stay on task when we take time to rest. Without rest, we can't learn and create new memories. 2. Rest gives us space to make the right decisions. When we are hurried and tired, we make poor decisions. Rest gives us the mental and spiritual space to make better and better informed decisions.   3. Rest is healthy. Sleep is an important part of rest, don't leave it out. It helps you have a healthier heart.   and It might help stave off things like Alzheimer's later in life. 4. Rest allows us to work better. Most of us want to be more productive at work. Productivity can be a k...

Isaiah 1:29-31             Recalling that the wicked would be broken into splinters, the prophet now brings the section and chapter to a close. The sacred trees are both literally and figuratively meant for the fire and destruction. No longer can the people turn to the created order to find their meaning. Vs. 29 (cf. 2:8, 57:5 Hosea 4:13): In some manuscripts verse 29 reads as “they will be ashamed of the sacred trees” other manuscripts replace “they” with “you.” The sense is the same. In cases where we see sin at work, it is important to remember we are all capable of the sin at hand in the text. If we come to the text and assume it cannot be also implicating us, we miss out on the possibility of conviction and repentance which is one over-reaching goal of the text. In any case, to cast the blame at either a “they” or “you” without seeing our own sin is willful ignorance. The sacred trees are signs of the fertility cu...

It's pizza night, and I'm ready to just hang out with my family. I'm hoping to sleep in tomorrow, work at least three hours, and then spend time studying to do a longer form blog post on Isaiah.  For tonight though, I thought I would share something I have been thinking about all week. Ways to be more intentional. Here's how I define being intentional, or intentionality. An awareness of why and how you do the things you do so they are done with purpose. That's it. So, how I am trying to be more intentional? 1. Scheduling: I block out my day in 10-15 minute increments. Included in this is time for breaks from work and to schedule out my next day. I leave room for thing like travel, bathroom breaks, and just breaks from routine. On that note... 2. I take regular breaks from the things (like my online work) that don't give me joy but are necessary parts of my day. I used to just try to slog through 3-6 hours of work and it would often take me much longer. Lat...

Children have ways of surprising us in their resiliency. This is not a new idea, but it is still profound. I have failed my sons in numerous ways, and yet they still come back to me seeking my love and approval. I continue trying to love them in my actions and words. My imperfections notwithstanding, they see my love for them and delight in it. After finishing their school work this afternoon, my boys found some medium sized carboard boxes and made spaceships. They were so proud. It’s one of the things I enjoy about Soren- even though he is ten he still has the joy of a young child. His smile was infectious as he showed me the Enterprise with its nacelles and proceeded to tell me about his adventures to seek out new life and new civilizations. His brother joined him with a box of his own, not caring whether his attempts at mimicking the show were accurate or not. Giggles ensued. Just a few minutes before, the two of them had been at each other’s throats with exasperation. Eac...

            When I first set up this blog a few years ago (in 2012), I intended to write regularly and about things I care about. As I looked back on what I had written it was clear I had stopped writing for two reasons – laziness and pride. I wanted to be better at writing, but I didn’t want to put the work into writing that it would take to get better. My intention now, if it isn’t yet apparent , is to become a better writer. I care less now whether other people read what I have written, and just want to create for the sake of creating. I don’t always have the tools at hand to record music the way I want to, but there is no excuse for me to not write for its own sake now.             On that note, one of the things I already appreciate about trying to write everyday is that it is work. Work usually doesn’t bother me, unless it is completely pointless.   I have already ...