The Pageless Book

Photo above by Ibrahim Iujaz. Image below by “bdesignbe”.

During my middle school years, I was active in my school choir. When I say I was active, I don’t mean that I was the snot-nosed kid that missed half of the events and nodded off to sleep in music class. Actually, I was somewhat of a star student; I was the only baritone. More than that, I was chosen from all of my classmates to represent our school in a regional choir competition. I bet you didn’t even know there was such an animal!

Now, I don’t want you to get the impression that I can actually sing. It took a lot of voice training and effort on my part to sing on key and in harmony. If you asked me to try to sing now, I’m sure I’d shatter glass and make dogs howl. I point this aspect of my past out because it is one of the major reasons why I hate Christmas music and show tunes and yet never seem to get them out of my head. Singing in the Rain? Yes, it stuck in my head right now. Silver Bells? God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen? Oh, Christmas time was our big season! The King and I? The moment I wrote the title of this post, I began compulsively singing…

Yet, this is still apart of who I am. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for the experiences I have had in my past. Every day I post a new article, I’m revealing apart of who I am, what I believe, and where I am going in life. I’m sharing some of the most intimate details of myself. I think a bit of turn-around is only fair.

One of your number nominated my blog for the UU Blog Awards. While this is an honor, I think it is more important that you are showing me that I am doing something right. I want to know what that is so I can do more of it! As such I’ve written a list of questions below that I’d like you to answer as honestly as you can in my comments. This is to help me understand you, my readers, so I can make this blog a more welcoming place for all of you. I especially want to hear from my RSS subscribers! Please answer the following:

• Which religion or spiritual path do you identify with?
• Which of my articles is your favorite and why?
• Which of my articles is your least favorite and why?
• What would you like to see more of or less of?
• Are you an RSS Subscriber?

Photo by Rossina Bossio Bossa

Nothing inspires me more than a great song, but all too often the hymns sung at church leave me unmoved. Maybe it is because I’m looking for something different in my music; I like a sense of rebellion with my spirituality. Perhaps what I’m looking for is more like Imagine by John Lennon, or Land of Confusion by Genesis. I’m sure someone has already thought to include those songs in a worship service.

What about more recent music? From the last 20 years or so? Personally, I’m a hard rock kind of guy; I know that doesn’t lend itself very well a family friendly service. By sifting through my CD collection, however, I have found a number of songs that might work in a more liberal service with little tweaking. I’ve ordered them from songs from least relevant to most relevant:

• Soon Forget, Pearl Jam - This is humorous parable about the foolishness of materialism over interpersonal relationships. The main character in this story focuses on immediate gratification, and ends up dying a rich but lonely old man whom we all will “soon forget”. It would need some lyric rewriting to make it family friendly, however.
• No Excuses, Alice in Chains - I enjoy this song as it exemplifies fellowship through hardship. It has a good up-lifting beat and two part harmony; we know how music directors love their harmony!
• The Distance, Live - By pointing out the impracticalness of so-called perfect spiritual attainment, this song earns a special place in my heart. This theme probably would appeal to the ministers more than to their congregation.
• Nothing Else Matters, Metallica - Concerning the sacred bonds of friendship and loyalty, this song has become a stirring anthem for my generation. If you are over forty, compare this song to Dream On by Aerosmith.
• The Great Below, Nine Inch Nails - This song is about the need for repentance from something greater than the self. Squeamish about that “repentance” aspect? Don’t worry; The Great Below is devoid of Christian implications. Some lyric editing would be needed, so not to be completely depressing, as this is still Nine Inch Nails. However, I feel that the music and the theme of the song more than makes up for that.
• Gravity, A Perfect Circle - About human failings and faith in the unknown to over come those failing, this song is my favorite on this list. That wouldn’t be because I idolize Maynard James Keenan… er, um, uh, I still maintain that implications by the media of altars and offerings being made on my part is unfounded rumor. Moving on.
• A Thousand Years, Sting - A love song to the Divine. Well, maybe it isn’t originally meant to be a love song to the Divine, but it certainly could be. This song is filled to the brim with mystical imagery, yet remains accessible. Very few changes needed to use as a hymn.

Well, that’s my list. I’m sure, looking deeper into my music collection, I could find more songs. However, if I tried, I’d probably end up spending the rest of the day listening to albums. I know my taste in music is far from universal, so I’d like to hear your opinion. What unorthodox music would you like to see incorporated into a worship service?

I look forward to reading your replies.