Tim Keel's Blog

iPod Rotation

It is so hot now that if you want to exercise, you have to get up at 6:00 a.m. So I've been doing that because my friend Don and I are doing this twelve-week nutrition and exercise regimen. One of the things that has made this bearable is listening to music while I run. It seems like I have a hard time keeping up with music these days. I have to totally depend on everyone around to tell me what's worth listening to. Even when I find out, it's hard to find time to actually listen. It's amazing what one can to at 6:00 a.m. Okay, enough whining.

Earlier this year, The Flaming Lips record, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" had all the buzz among the JW musical cognoscenti. It is a great record. Reminds me of the scope and grandeur of Pink Floyd's "The Wall," except with the humanity left intact. The song, "Do You Realize?" may be my favorite of the year. If you want to listen, hit the link above: there is a Flaming Lips media player and you can listen to the whole record. Painful, beautiful lyrics:

Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize - we're floating in space -
Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry
Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die

And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

Lori Chaffer's forthcoming "1Beginning" is the second of three records that I can't stop listening to. In fact, the opening song, "Make No Protest" is so lyrically stunning and theologically dense (and musically textured) that it stops me short everytime I listen to it. I think the record is going to be released any time now, so check the Waterdeep website or maybe Grassroots Music if you want your very own copy.

Finally, I've been wading through the new Radiohead record, "Hail to the Thief." I was telling my friend Mike the other day that it has taken me awhile to connect to it and he commented that a lot of his favorite records are records that were initially inaccessible to him. I think, reflecting on it, that I have some of the same experiences. Maybe that is the difference between "pop music," that is, music that is instantly accessible to a large range of people (and also fades the public consciousness just as quickly), and music that becomes art. Music that is or becomes art demands an exchange or an investment. Classical is that way, so is jazz.

Anyway, several guys from our church bailed on Sunday and went to St. Louis to see the Radiohead show. Riffing on the theme of being out of it, I had no idea they were touring. Don posts a great review of the show and his reaction to the larger phenomenon of Radiohead on his blog. Enjoy.

Veronica's Voice

I shared in last night's message about a ministry benefit that my wife, Mimi, and I attended on Saturday night. I have known about Veronica's Voice for a couple of years. One of the women who lead this ministry, Samantha Steeves, has been a friend for about three years. I knew she was involved in something significant. I had no idea how significant.

Then last January, the Kansas City Pitch featured Kristy Childs and Samantha in their lead article, "Independence Days". Reading this article I was amazed by their stories and blown away by the impact they are having. This last week, another article ran, this time in the Kansas City Star, leading into the benefit we attended.

There is a danger of trying to describe an experience that grips you as emotionally as the one I had Saturday night listening to six or seven women tell their stories. The basement of the church we were in was hot, it was getting late, but I didn't want the storytelling to end. And part of the reason I make this entry about the experience and ministry of Veronica's Voice (besides my own desire to share what I care about) is to ask people who get drawn into this story to also support it financially. I can't think of a more worthy endeavor that merits our involvement, support, and prayers.

Happy Birthday

One last thing tonight before I go to bed...

I just looked at the top of my blog and saw once more that today is August 20. Today we celebrated the culmination of my son Mabry's first decade. Today he is ten.

I am such a lucky man to have a great and loving family and on this day, I am particularly proud of a certain boy who challenges and encourages me by his kindness, his gentleness, his courage, and his smile. God has richly blessed me by you, Mabry.

Happy birthday, son. I love you.

Hey, that was my idea

Okay, browsing some blogs tonight I came across this headline about an architecture firm winning the contract/design for an urban "something..." on behalf of U2. The firm's website describes this monument/tower/recording studio/apartment complex/retail center...well, you get the picture, or maybe you don't...actually, here's how they describe it:

"From the outset we concluded that an appropriate use dynamic for our proposal must be a residential tower, a hive of activity both day and night, with complementary shops, offices and restaurants in a clean modern podium base. Factors such as site orientation, maximum flexibility, and Masterplan aspirations regarding mixed usage and density levels determined a model akin to a 'Rubik's cube' or "tetris" block rotated around a pinwheel-like core, at once highly animated but with an underlying subtle order. The tower terminates with a new recording studio for U2, enclosed by panoramic views across Dublin and the surrounding region. Roof gardens sit on floating stepped platforms above, enclosed by the louvre screen from below."

When I got into the office this morning a small group of people were meeting to assess technical and creative possibilities for music and visuals in the sanctuary of the church we are going to purchase soon. We're trying to figure how to make the space highly functional and creative. After the initial meeting, I stumbed into a second meeting with Mike, our worship leader and creative guy and Don, our artist-in-residence. They were discussing plans for the recording studio that has been in the works for a couple of years. It was awesome to hear two passionate guys talk about what is happening and see a long-held dream coming to fruition.

And it caused to reflect on a series of meetings we had earlier in the month of August about our building and how we might think about using space. It is good to hear people talk out loud and say, "What if...?" I want a holistic space where people can gather and where anything is possible: sacred connection, expression, creativity, education, community, eating, sharing, helping; yes, even a third-floor deck off the back of the sanctuary from which to enjoy a sunset. It may take a long time to realize these kinds of dreams, but looking at that tower and reading about the scope of this project I realized that U2 is building a reality that comes from their dreams and their perceptions of how life ought to be. More power to them.

Blog Sabbatical

Deanne informed me that my blog looked liked a junk-yard. I confess neglect. Call it my summer sabbatical. Anyway, I'm planning on kicking back in starting in September. I hope everyone has had a good summer. See you soon.