NEW BLOG

I've moved...if you care: http://chadcecil.tumblr.com/

Regeneration: Puritan prayer from 'Valley of Vision'

O GOD OF THE HIGHEST HEAVEN,
occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme,
lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine forever.

Thou art worthy to be praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul
served with my every act of life.

Thou hast loved me, espoused me, received me, purchased,
washed, favoured, clothed, adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.

I was dead in iniquities, having no eyes to see thee,
no ears to hear thee, no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee;

But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide, solace, joy.

Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly,
O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.
Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
Let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,

That henceforth I may be salt of the earth and a blessing to all.

Consumer Products - Lapham’s Quarterly

Consumer Products - Lapham’s Quarterly

"Celebrity culture is religion in disguise. It pretends to be junk while giving us the sustenance that we need. Celebrities live like gods; they act like gods. They dwell in the dark recesses of our souls where we crave the images of gods. In the aisles of the supermarkets they stare down at us like the saints and gargoyles that once crowded the cornices of medieval cathedrals with the iconography of suffering, or like sculptures in Hindu temples that celebrate birth, sex, death, rebirth. The latest American Religious Identification Survey shows that the fastest growing religious choice in the United States is “none,” now larger than every other group except Baptists and Catholics. Pop culture is rushing in to fill that space, an unacknowledged religion of consumerism, guiding the major transitions of life: birth, adolescence, marriage, sin and redemption, death and life after death."

Picture Frame

Broken
down down to the bones
Always
looking for a home

Still your
presence heals me
This trueness
calls my wandering

As a picture frame holding images of me
You remain together while I'm unsettling

So feeling
my way in the brightness
This is
irony to your kindness

It's a just cause
to admit my weakness
when it's apparent
all the strength was his

As a picture frame holding images of me
You remain together while I'm unsettling

So when I make my choice I will...never let you go
And as I make this choice I will...always let me go

Tercera Cathedral: I could live in it...

While in Antigua, Guatemala, I went to the Tercera Cathedral. It was ruined by an earthquake in the 1700s. You could walk around inside and imagine the sights and sounds. I was caught up in it. There was an old man planting beautiful gardens inside it. The irony was awesome. I could live inside. Ruins are cooler than towers.

Why You Should Shop at Kmart (once in a while)

As a little boy, I'd go to Kmart all the time. It was cheap, close to the house, and quick. You didn't have to worry about the lines in check out and you'd be sure to find good deals. As I've grown older, I've faded away. Sometimes this is because of distance and no Kmarts nearby. But while standing in checkout today picking up saran wrap, a power strip, and Altoids, I thought maybe it had become a social status thing for me. You know...like I'd begun to think too highly of myself and Kmart was bad for my rep. Really Chad? The lighting is weird, there's no music playing, and you quite often hear "customer assistance to layaway...customer assistance to layaway".

But really, this place has alot to offer- and usually it provides everything I need to survive...for the most part. I'm not putting in a plug for Kmart here (intentionally) but what if many of our social stigmas are the result of fading away from humility? My cashier, Monique, was friendly. The family I stood in line with was having a good time. The dad was pleased to buy his girl Kmart brand clothing, and the girl was happy to receive the gift.

This was a great Kmart experience. And in the process, I remembered my roots. Humility. It has a name. The name is Jesus. Think...do we sometimes not shop, eat, and go to certain places because we're too good for them?

Gospel

When I look
outside and on screen
I see ruins
I see destruction
I see broken picture frames
and children with no place to play

but there comes a new day
time to hope again
this is light in a cave
this is the Gospel