recent sketches from kaz jimmy (aka henry)

Voice of the Spirit...

"Music is the last true voice of the human spirit. It can go beyond language, beyond age and beyond color...straight to the heart and mind of all people."

Ben Harper

a poem for the new year

the Hippenstance Hopnung

Arriving already

At quarter past one

Though they said she shouldn’t

They said, “Can’t be done”

Oh she hadn’t mind time

For those waggening tongues…

The Hippenstance Hopnung

The frayed dance of crumbs.

Of silliness often

She wouldn’t give nigh

Nor nearness of softening

Or brave passers-by

She couldn’t bear to stand it

Couldn’t stand to bear still

The Hippentance Hopnung

Of Quavery Hill.

Of pouring and scouring

And lazing about

Of the towers and steeples

And louts roundabout

Of the circus and zebras

A lone roustabout

The Hippenstance Hopnung

And loudly she’d shout.

- K. Jimmy

Kate Martin - Apples

Previously posted on here, my lil bro Dave, is now in Kate Martin's Band. Here' is their brand new clip. Beautiful song!

An excerpt from "Clayfire Curator"

Some thought-worthy stuff from "Clayfire Curator" contributing writer, Jodi-Renee Adams...

"...maybe, just maybe, you can be honest without being skilled, but in order to be culture-changing skilled, you’ve got to be honest..."

"...This is more than music art, writing. There’s an intense, interdependent relationship between our own artistic integrity, our self-perception as artists, and our own willingness to be spiritually formed."

I recommend reading the article in it's entirety here...

www.clayfirecurator.org/2011/09/how-big-is-your-musical-pond-jodi-renee-adams/

I love your art more when...

I don't know if anyone else will relate to this, but when I stumble across an artist I like the sound of (I'm speaking most specifically about muso's here), I like to get on their web page and read their bio. I want to know where they've come from; I want to see if the connection I'm feeling in their music is real- as in, grounded in real life events & circumstances that I relate to. It helps me to love an artist that much more, when I know a little of their background. But lately, the last several artists I've come across (who I've liked enough to want to "get to know" a little more), have left me disappointed. I go to their websites, and there's nothing there but tour dates and albums for sale.

I love your art more when you give us a little more of yourself. Vulnerability & openness helps the admirer become a more ardent & loyal follower. When we feel we can relate to you, we'll let you that much further into our hearts, and we'll "sell" you that much more to our friends.

Why I can't leave Jesus out of it...

Check out these thoughts on the inclusion of Jesus Christ in our art...Just click on the link.

...deserts to gardens...: Why I can't leave Jesus out of it...

The Art of Curating Worship

I'm currently (as usual) reading a lot of books. But the one that most has my attention right now is "The Art of Curating Worship" by NZ author, speaker & "worship curator" Mark Pierson.

I'm only part way through so far, and can't comment a lot yet other than to say it's just the right book at just the right time for me in my role at Maitland Baptist Church.

Here is what Brian McLaren has to say about the book:

"Mark Pierson has the nerve, in a fast-food world, to help launch a slow-church movement. This wise and practical book will take you far beyond the tired old debates about traditional verses contemporary worship and the like. It will inspire you to create and curate worship spaces where real people can connect and engage with the presence of God. I think this is a book whose time has come, and I hope you will not only read it, but put it into practice in your own context. I think this is the most important and helpful book on public worship written in at least a decade, and maybe in my lifetime."

What's that- a Metamorphosis???

After biding it's time for several years in the cocoon of cyberspace, it seems the "caterpillar" that was "M.A.W." Musicians-Artists-Writers, is emerging as what promises to be a most resplendent butterfly- a new alliance of artisans from the NSW town of Maitland called "The Creative Coalition"...

...but *shhhhhhhhhh*...the baby butterfly is still sleeping, and in fact isn't even aware it's been born yet!!! Watch this space for more developments... :)

Muso Spotlight

Check out this latest offering from my mate Dave Ogilvie...

She Shuts Me Up

Artist Spotlight

I thought it was time I gave my mate Spence a plug- well his art at least! He's a seriously talented guy and has been a great friend and huge inspiration to me over the years. One of my favourite works of his will always be "Psalm 46". Here it is below...

You can check out more of Spence's work at his website: Art and Surf- the art of Spencer Reynolds

If you live in the USA, keep an eye out for shows and also check out the galleries his work can be found in- all the info is on the webpage.

Thanks Spence! Be blessed buddy.

Your world (for Mothers' Day)

This one is going on both my blogs, it's THAT precious. Once again a pearler from my good friend Dave Ogilvie and his lovely lady Madison Paige. Just beautiful. I know your mothers are (justifiably) proud.

My favourite song...

I don't know if I've already posted this video (can't be bothered checking...) but I wanted to share it again anyway. It's my favourite song...well, this one and "The Earth is Yours" by Gungor are my current favourites.

Download the studio track (a bit more exciting musically than this version) on itunes- the album is "Jacaranda" & the artist is, obviously, Josh Garrels. Get behind & support him!!

"Freedom" Josh Garrels 2010

What is Music?

"What is music", asked Walt Whitman, "but what awakens within you when you listen to the instrument? And Jesus is the music of the reality of God, and faith is what awakens when we hearken."

Sun 24th April - Easter!

Sat 23rd April - Silence

Fri 22nd April - It. Is. Finished.

Thurs 21st April - Not My Will

Weds 20th April - Supper

Tues 19th April - Hosanna

Fri 15th April - Go!

Thurs 14th April - Mud

Weds 13th April - The Well

Tues 12th April - Faithless

Mon 11th April - Get Up

Fri 8th April - Solitude

Thurs 7th April - One

Weds 6th April - Don't Give Up

Tues 5th April - Stay With Me

Mon 4th April - Teach Us

Fri 1st April - Does This Offend You?

24-7 Rewind + Prayer Spaces Extra

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Thurs 31st March - Life

My friend Dan Bremnes' first music video-Beautiful (Official Music Video)

aaaaah creating...

...haven't done anything even remotely creative myself for a while so it was fun busting out the juices today...this coming sunday evening at MBC we are having a "silent night", creating a space for quiet, contemplative worship & listening time...so I'm making a picture to place on the communion table for contemplation...this is the basic skeleton of the picture, inspired by the story of Elijah on the mountain, trying to hear God's voice in the fire, wind & earthquake, but then hearing it in a whisper...We'll also be watching NOOMA 005- "Noise".

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Wed 30th March - Don't Worry

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Tues 29th March - Son

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Mon 28th March - Upside Down

Gungor "Beautiful Things" EPK

The Earth is Yours- Gungor (live in the forest- I love this!)

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Fri 25th March - Alone

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Thurs 24th March - Homeless

Weds 23rd March - Doubt

Tues 22nd March - Hunger

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Mon 21st March - My Son

Rend Collective Experiment - Worship on iPhone

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Fri 18th March - Seven Miles

Prayer spaces for lent- Friday 18th March

Sorry...doing this on my iPhone and it doesn't allow ne to post to blogger from YouTube the same :) hope this works!

hope

"We only have hope, thats all we've got left." 

(Mr Takahashi- Japan tsunami survivor)

The song & video "Hope" (c) Dave Ogilvie, my lil bro. Proud I am. :)

Why Art Matters to Christians

By Melissa Kircher

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For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV

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ART BRINGS VIBRANCE and beauty to our lives. Creativity is both a fully human and fully divine experience. It is an acknowledgement that something eternal and full of truth lies behind the temporal world in which we live. It focuses our eyes on the pain around us, the injustice in front of us, the joy abounding within us, and the pull we feel towards meaning and significance.

In today's society though, real art is slowly becoming less and less present. Our generation experiences art as a constant stream of marketing. Creativity is now harnessed to push product. When we only experience art in advertisements, web-sites, brands and logos, we lose the invaluable ways that it helps us understand who we are and what life is all about.

Humanity is losing a vital connection to God and to our souls when the arts begin to become unworthy in society. Creating a church environment where the arts are more appreciated and funded is part of honoring the God-given gift of creativity that lives inside us all. There are tons of ways for churches and artists to work together towards spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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How does your church support art? How can you be more creative in your personal life?

---

This devotion is adapted from an article that appeared on relevantmagazine.com.

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Thurs 17th March - Shoes Off

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Weds 16th March - Jesus Wept

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Tues 15th March - Come Follow Me

...deserts to gardens...: Love. Story. Community.

...deserts to gardens...: Love. Story. Community.: "The Conversation that is Life."

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Mon 14th March - My Eyes Have Seen

Prayer

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Fri 11th March - Magnify

Prayer Spaces for Lent- Thurs 10th March - Immanuel

Weds 9th March 'Make Way'

I want to know Christ: Prayer Spaces for Lent trailer

Cute Animation in the lead-up to Paddy's Day...

stirrings...

So...I find myself in the strange position in this new year (I'm on "Island Time" so the year is still new to me...). I'm a Youth Pastor, which traditionally means a whole lot of things and implies a list of specific tasks I am meant to perform...but the strangeness of my current state is that I've managed to "do myself out of a job" in terms of handing leadership of some of our programs over to others. So I'm left with some breathing space to dream of something new...

However...as I've been "dreaming", I find myself not so much dreaming about something new, but revisiting an old dream, and thinking maybe it could be revived here, in a new place...an old dream with a new face...

M.a.W., Maitland?

Gospel Graffiti - Bridge To Life (D2BD)

Say What You Need To Say

From the meandering mind of Cameron Semmens...

My House Speaks To Me from Peter Harding on Vimeo.

Made for more than this...

Wow, it's been a while. I've left "M.A.W." on the shelf for a few years, but I've recently begun to sense something stirring again...so here goes, some thoughts...

There's a band I like called "No Longer Music" who are really much more than a band. Their purpose and reason for being is to bring the light of Jesus Christ into some of the darkest places in the world. As a result they get to go where most Christians either are afraid to go or would not be granted access...places like goth & satanic clubs, New Age festivals, Punk festivals, anarchy festivals, and such.

One of NLM's songs is called "Make", and I love the lyrics. I've just been thinking about the words of what I guess you could call the chorus or refrain...it goes like this:

"I was made for more than this...clench my mind into a fist...it's not an open palm for you to drop your lies into...so BACK OFF, this is your wake up call...I won't lie down I won't be a fool...I will not live for your compromise, compromising existence."

I think it's a combination of the lyrics and the way they are shouted with passion by the singer. The truth is we ARE made for more than a compromising, meager, meaningless existence. We are created to LIVE- to fully live.

So what does that mean?

That's what I'm trying to figure out, to be brutally honest. But I have an inkling that it has something to do with reflecting the image of our Creator...being the Created, creating.

Hmm...I've heard that somewhere before...

come&live!

Sharing the Heart of Come&Live! from Come&Live! on Vimeo.

gurrumul yunupingu...what a gift.

'An Intimate Evening With Gurrumul' from abc.net.au/dig

WoW

It seems I've been too busy elsewhere and haven't found time to update this blog in over A YEAR! Unbelievable. And yet, the vision remains, along with the hopes of seeing M.A.W. resurrected and grown larger in some way at some point!

As I write I find myself at yet another of those proverbial "crossroads"...and I'm barely in my thirties! Yikes...I'm expecting our second child very soon, and have left my job indefinitely. My intention or hope is to not return to work in my old job but to actively pursue this elusive dream I've long had...

In my dream, I sit for hours in front of my little laptop. We have our moments of shared angst, my machine and I, but for the most part we get along great. In wintertime, a warm cup of Milo steams nearby, while in summer, it's most often a cold one (I like Milo- though maybe it's just a pregnant thing).

Barely stopping to think, I tap away at the well-grooved keys and create worlds- or at least, towns (?!). Characters unfold themselves from my fingertips and lives take shape. That's the writing part of the dream...

When I've had enough of all that, I get up from my desk and pick up the guitar. If I'm lucky, a friend might join me. But even when I'm alone I have fun...If it's not the guitar it's the pencil or brush. As long as I'm being creative in some way, I'm fulfilled- I'm living.

Nothing would steal my bliss, should I be able to make this dream a reality- nothing, that is, except the minor detail that all this creativity needs to somehow generate for me an income, in turn contributing to my family's upkeep and the realising of even greater dreams (my husband and I both have great things we want to accomplish in this life...).

So, on that note, I'm off to attempt to write me a short story for a competition I just stumbled across today. The prize is beyond anything I've ever imagined- ten thousand, yes, TEN THOUSAND dollars. It probably sounds puny to those punters among you who buy tickets every week in the hope of winning millions at Lotto, but to a humble little wanna-be M.A.W.er, ten grand is a lot. And it'd be a huge boost to the ever doubtful artists' ego...

So, here I go *sucks in all surrounding humid air in one gulp*

If any among you are interested in entering this contest, you can contact me. The two catches are: 1. you have to be an Australian resident; 2. Entries are due next Monday, 14th January. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

still contemplating...

Hi,
I'm still contemplating the online M.a.W. thing, but there's no need to rush.

At the moment most of my spare time is being taken up writing a novel (trying to). i'm participating in the annual online novel writing extravaganza known as NaNoWriMo"- or, "National Novel Writing Month".

If writing is your "thing", particularly fiction (or if youo want to give fiction a go) check out NaNo's website, and maybe give it a shot next year. Or, if youore really brave, you could start late this year's attempt and see how you fare...but youo'd be braver (and a lot less busy) than me.

Anyway, here's the link to my NaNo profile...

masokj (karen jimmy)

M.a.W. online...

been contemplating the possibility of creating an online "M.a.W." community. i don't feel very excited about it though, so maybe that's an indication it's not a good idea. at least not now. hmm...
i'm not into rushing these decisions, though, so i will contemplate it for a while and get back to you.

value and worship...

here's a thought, and an interesting thing to ponder in relation to your craft- whether it be visual arts, writing, music, or whatever...This comes from the book, "Enter the Worship Circle", by Ben Pasley.
---------------

"Daily we choose what is important and what is optional, what is precious and what is disposable. We express our own sense of value by how we relate to the things we consider valuable. If we associate with truly great things it reflects how we feel about oursleves. If we give honour to inferior things it reveals an inferior self-concept. Either position will affect the way we relate to the rest of humanity, and to oursleves, and to eternity.

Worship is more than a single activity or concept because activities do not always assign value. It is actually impossible to define any spiritual or emotional truth by using only outward physical expression. To illustrate, we could photograph a person's action and write the caption "This is love" underneath, but we would not have proven the person truly loved the recipient of the action. Can an unloving heaart perform an act that appears loving? Sometimes vanity, self-promotion, and obligation make a person do things that might look "loving"...Love is proved by right action and right motive, and worship...is proved the same way."

(Ben Pasley, enter the worship circle, the book, in "thoughts, fountain head"- p.31-32).

God the Master Artist

A high-ranking government official working with education in mainland China once said, "Chinese students need to study the Bible. The Bible is a work of art." Although not acknowledging the truth o God's word, the Communist leader recognised a great truth about the Bible. God's revelation of Himself is full of colourful stories, parables, metaphors, allegories, songs and poetry. Because God is an artist, He communicates truth in creative ways. The Bible truly is a work of art!

The book of Genesis is both the starting point and primary source for a Biblical understanding of creativity. Here we see God the artist at work and learn about His original intention for creation (Genesis 1-2). Unlike human artists, God created "out of nothing". Wisdom, the master craftsman, delighted and danced as she witnessed God creating the world (see Proverbs 8:30-31).

Creativity still pours forth from our heavenly Father. He paints new sunsets each day and dazzles us with rainbows, lightning flashes and the thunder of mighty waters. Creativity is at the heart of His personality, and we who are made in His image have been endowed with a measure of His artistic flair. Our human creativity expresses itself in countless ways, the most visible of which are in the arts.

The arts, like all cultural endeavours, are a distinctly human activity. However their universal expression illustrates the truth that all human beings are a reflection of the One who "created" them (Genesis 1:26-27). For the same reason, every people group demonstrates unique cultural expressions of music, dance, drama, storytelling, art, crafts and architecture.

This is not to say that all cultural expressions are good. Creativity. like every other area of human reality, has been affected by man's rebellion. The effects of idolatry are clearly evident in the world of the arts. The truth of God has been exchanged for a lie (see Romans 1:23, 25). His good gifts have been distorted.

But God is in the process of redeeming His fallen creation. He is bringing all of life back into harmony with His original intention (see Colossians 1:20). He is restoring creativity, and He is looking for those who will be committed to excellence of character as well as to creative excellence.

His church should be a celebrative people, reflecting the creative diversity and beauty of the original Artist. We must not despise the gifts that He has given to us. To embrace them joyfully demonstrates a fitting response of gratitude and stewardship.

The beauty of creative endeavour should be given a valued place in our lives- for its own sake (Genesis 2:9). It can also be a powerful way to express our worship of God or to "show" truth" in unique and revelational ways. When we are fully yielded to God, each of us becomes and instrument in the hands of the Master. And the music we make brings joy to the heart of God.

From "The Christian Growth Study Bible, New International Version", copyright (c) 1997Youth With a Mission and Zondervan Publishing. God the Artist Study Path, Introduction.

The Inaugural Gathering

We held the first M.a.W. gathering in my little one-room flat in tropical Townsville. It was cramped, stuffy and hot, but there was something else in the air- expectancy. Everyone, it seemed, was as excited as me!

There were about a handful of us, a nice smattering representing different walks of life. The youngest was 11 and the oldest probably wishes her age to remain a mystery...so we won't go there. We had a bunch of students of varying ages, one domestic goddess/prayer warrior/all-round gifted woman, a youth worker and a writer/theatre worker (don't quite know what to call her, apart from Brilliant, or perhaps 'Catherine'...) .

After munchies and introductions (who are you, what's your story, why are you here), we then each took a turn sharing something we'd brought with along with us. I was amazed at the quality of work, especially from the youngest ones. I felt priveleged and honoured to have been able to provide a forum, humble and small though it was, for them all to share their creations. There was prose, poetry, a bit of painting and sketching. It was great.

I then shared a concept with everyone- the core concept behind M.a.W.- and that is, that I believe we live in a world created by an amazing, awesome God whom we can only begin to comprehend with our feeble minds; that He created us in His own image, and that He has a plan and a purpose to prosper our lives and give us meaning and hope. I shared with them the words of Psalm 139, and then we had a time for creative reflection.

I played two vastly different pieces of music, one after the other, and gave everyone paper and pens to respond with, should they want to. They were both instrumental pieces. The first was by a band I used to go see when I was living in Noosa, called "Jabiru". They play world/new age kinda music (I hate that term "new age" to describe music, but for want of a better term...). The song was called "Gypsy Wedding", a real celebratory piece, one that makes you wanna dance. Lots of African drums, didgeridoo, mandolin, accoustic guitars and Indian pipes. Nice.

As soon as "Gypsy Wedding" was finished, I put in a track by gutter-punk band "No Longer Music". It's hard to describe the sound of this band. Words like techno, industrial, noise, and
glam have been used by journalists more illustrious than myself, so we'll go with those, though they only paint a somewhat distorted picture of these underground evangelists of the counter culture. You probably guessed, this song was quite different from the first.

After giving everyone a minute or so to complete writing their thoughts or drawing their sketches, we gave some time for people to share what the music had brought out of them. Again, I was astounded at the level of ingenuity in my small room. It was a whole lotta fun.

So that about wrapped up the inaugural M.a.W. gathering, and since it was so near the Christmas holiday season (which is our big long summer holiday here in Oz), we decided to can further gatherings until the new year...what i didn't know then was that my life would take a different route, away from Townsville, via Vanuatu to the Land of Marriage and Parenthood, in the new year.

Now it's 2006, I'm getting into the swing of things again and about feeling ready to see what could become of M.a.W. were it to be revived. Watch this space...

The apologetics of M.a.W.

M.a.W. began in Townsville Australia, in 2003, as a simple idea- to get creative people together to encourage each other in their creativity. To date (at time of writing this it is May 2006), we have had one gathering, and it was a great success (in that we reached our goals- creative people gathered, and we encouraged each other in our creativity!). No other gatherings have taken place for the simple reason that I (the instigator, or rather, Director) moved towns, and in between got married and had a baby, so got a bit busy…

BUT the vision of M.a.W. has stayed alive, and has morphed into something a bit bigger than the original simple idea. So I figured I’d better at least write these bigger ideas down in case another couple of years slip by before we have any further gatherings and creative people get to be encouraged in their creativity, again.

………………………………………

Motto- “Reflecting the image of the Creator…the created, creating.”
………………………………………

Week to Week …what happens with M.a.W. on a weekly basis...

-Members arrive, eat, chat
-Coordinator intros theme, announcements
-Contributions, members share what they’ve brought
-Suggestion box- a non-threatening, constructive critique- completely optional/voluntary. If members want, they take a piece of paper, write the relevant person’s name at the top and then write suggestions, comments or encouragements for their work (Each week’s comments will be typed by Coordinator and passed out the following week)
-Group activity (some suggestions for group activity follow)- eg. Listen and respond to a piece of music; experimenting with new mediums; videos etc.
-Event planning- discuss any upcoming events like exhibitions, competitions, community open nights

Extra bits…

· It’s generally ‘B.Y.O.’ rule where materials are concerned. Only what’s been donated for the use of the group will be made available for the whole group to share
· A small weekly fee or donations jar may be used (at the Group Coordinator’s discretion) to help cover admin. costs, excursions and food etc., or the group can contribute food and materials. Basically the way week to week expenses are handled/met is for the Group Coordinator to decide.
· Monthly themes. The Group Coordinator may decide to use a monthly theme. Some suggested themes for one year are:
- Hunger in the desert
- Ice on the mountain
- The climb
- Immersed
- The heat of the moment
- Wisdom and willow trees
- The heart of a child
- People
- Blue and green
- Flight
- Macaroni and cheese
- Familiar and warm

Group Activity Time …suggested guidelines...

Start with a time of individual reflection or meditation. You could focus on an aspect of God’s character, or on a verse, or a song. Have pens, paper etc. available if needed for personal responses. End meditation time with corporate time of worship. This could mean singing together, reading a scripture together, praying together, or some other thing.
Activities could be based on a book or devotional materials such as the “Paths of Seven” from Ben Pasley’s “Enter the Worship Circle”; the “God the Artist” studies from YWAM’s “Christian Growth Study Bible; Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Highest”; or some other source (Group Coordinator needs to check with M.a.W. Director to use any material other than those listed, just to stay accountable to the mission of M.a.W. and make sure it is relevent).
Guests- eg. If your group activity involves experimenting with a new medium, you may want to invite a guest “master” of that art form to come and give pointers. Or you may want to invite a guest speaker relevant to the monthly theme.



Blessed 2B a Blessing …Giving a little back…

The “Justice Jar”…for donations towards social justice (local and global). This is M.a.W.’s way of giving a little back to the world we take our materials and inspiration from. The money is to be distributed, in consultation with M.a.W. Director, at the discretion of the group coordinator. Bi-monthly reports will be available to M.a.W. Director and group members outlining how the money is spent.

Why social justice ?…OR…What has social justice got to do with the creative arts?

Everything.

We have our gifts in the first place so we can use them in a way that honours the Giver. God is honoured when we love the poor and needy. They are close to His heart.

For references, read: Psalm 102:17; James 2:2-9; Proverbs 21:13; 1 John 3:16-19; Psalm 72:4; Proverbs 22:22-23; Amos 8:4-12; Ezekiel 16:49; Jeremiah 22:16; Leviticus 25:35; Proverbs 14:21.

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So, there's the basic outline for how a M.a.W. gathering should operate. At this stage there are no gatherings scheduled BUT...watch this space!

Do drop a comment and let us know what you think, and feel free to offer suggestions.

Work in Progress...

Please bear with me- this is a new blog and I'll be adding posts as soon as possible! Thanks.