WHO BY FIRE | LEONARD COHEN

“Who by fire” is Leonard Cohen’s version of the Hebrew prayer "Unetanneh Tokef", chanted on Yom Kippur. It was released in the 1974 album “New Skin for the Old Ceremony.” This is one of the main songs of the album and one of Cohen’s best known songs.

The prayer Cohen heard as a child in the synagogue describes God reviewing the Book of Life and deciding the fate of every soul for the year to come – who will live, who will die and how. The line: “And who shall I say is calling?” can be understood as a break from faith in God. According to Cohen that element of doubt is what made the song into a personal prayer for him.

And who by fire, who by water 
Who in the sunshine, who in the night time 
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial 
Who in your merry merry month of May 
Who by very slow decay 
And who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate 
Who in these realms of love, who by something blunt 
And who by avalanche, who by powder 
Who for his greed, who for his hunger 
And who shall I say is calling?

And who by brave assent, who by accident 
Who in solitude, who in this mirror 
Who by his lady's command, who by his own hand 
Who in mortal chains, who in power 
And who shall I say is calling? 
And who shall I say is calling?

And who by fire who by water 
Who in the sunshine, who in the night time 
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial 
Who in your merry merry month of May 
Who by very slow decay 
And who shall I say is calling? 
And who shall I say is calling?

Rosh Hashanah | Book of Life | Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier

From the Album: 'Stories of Ghosts' (2013) by Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier

'Book Of Life' is track:3, from the album notes:

"... The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah is a time to blow the Shofar, a ram’s horn, and celebrate with apple and honey for a sweet New Year. Ten days later the sombre day of atonement, Yom Kippur, is a day of fasting and repenting for your sins of the previous year. 

On Rosh Hashanah you will be inscribed in the book of life and on Yom Kippur you
will be sealed. Your fate for the next 12 months is written. “... who will live and who will die; who will die at his predestined time and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword, who by beast, who by famine, who by thirst, who by upheaval, who by plague, who by strangling, and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be harried, who will enjoy tranquillity and who will suffer, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted.”

We tried a number of versions of this song, James Black played a beautiful piano part, but ultimately the song needed to sound like a solitary prayer.

May you be written into the book of life. 

Responding to our enemies? Some thoughts for Jesus followers.

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." (Luke 6:27-36)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (Matthew 5:43-48)

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'" (Romans 12: 17-21)

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?'” (Matthew 26:52-54)

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:23)

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." (Mark 8: 34-35)

The Prayer of St Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy. 

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive, 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

They’ll Know We Are Christians by our Love

Jesus said something startling at the last supper, shortly before he died on the cross. As he prepares to send them out into the empire he says this: 

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34-35 NIV)

The mark of the followers of Jesus living out the reign of God was love. In the midst of the empires of this world which are marked by fear and violence and hierarchy and consumption and acquisition and dominion and vengeance, they were to be marked as Jesus' disciples by their love and their unity (John 17).  

After their Passover meal is over, they walked to Gethsemane and offered no resistance when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Peter was told to put down his sword rather than fight.

We are to be known as a sign of the coming Kingdom by our love and unity -- the people of Jesus.

***   ***   ***   ***

We are one in the Spirit,

we are one in the Lord,

We are one in the Spirit

we are one in the Lord,

And we pray that all unity

may one day be restored:

And they’ll know we are Christians

By our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians

By our love.

We will walk with each other

we will walk hand in hand

we will walk with each other

we will walk hand in hand

and together we’ll spread the news

that God is in our land:

Chorus

We will work with each other

we will work side by side

We will work with each other

We will work side by side

And we’ll guard each one’s dignity

and save each one's pride:

Chorus

All Praise to the Father

from whom all things come,

And all praise to Christ Jesus

His only Son,

and all praise to the Spirit

who makes us all one:

By Peter Scholte  

Fathers' Day humour ...

Dad Jokes!

With Fathers' Day just ending this Sunday (7/9), you can't go past that champagne form of comedy - Dad Jokes!

The 'Dad Joke' is a unique form of humour, carefully crafted and marked by three distinctive features: (1) They're not funny in the first place, (2) They become even less funny with endless repetition, and (3) Endless repetition is what gives them legendary groan status!

One theory about their importance is that young people naturally look up to their fathers and see them as a font of wisdom and authority. The 'Dad Joke' is an important part of the process of separation, whereby the child realises that the father is a real person, with flaws and imperfections - He thinks he's funny, but he just isn't! 

The Nature of Evil

"The greatest evil is not done in those sordid 'dens of crime' that Dickens loved to paint ... it is conceived and ... moved, seconded, carried, and minuted ... in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices."

C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters, preface