When EF Talks

The One Thing That He Knows

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:42:18 PST

A new song for you, on this Valentine's Day.
Thanks for the new songwriter group for their kind feedback.
Recorded last Friday...enjoy....

The One Thing That He Knows

On their first Valentines Day
He didn't know what to say

Standing in the row of cards
Suddenly, the choice seemed hard.

Would their love, so fresh and new
Grow its root, or break in two?

He loved her smile, and tender touch
But was afraid to say too much.

And the one thing that he knows
the one thing that he knows
Is that love means more
love means more
Love means more than chocolates and a rose.

On their twelfth Valentines Day
He didn't know what to say

Standing in the row of cards
The choices always seemed so hard.

They fought about the kids,
What to spend, and how to live.

Sometimes, they both felt so alone.
Sometimes, they were each other's home.

But the one thing that he knows
the one thing that he knows.
Is that love means more
love means more
Love means more than chocolates and a rose.

Every year, always the same
We try to capture and to name
What we really can never really say
What we can just live, day-to-day.

On their last Valentines Day
He didn't know....

But he reaches for her face
That simple lifelong grace.

Distant memories still call
Like faded pictures on their wall

Of a love so deep and true
In this assisted-living room

And the one thing that he knows
the one thing that he knows.
Is that love means more
love means more
Love means more than chocolates and a rose.

So much more than chocolates and a rose.

Words and Music by Eric Folkerth
Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.

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The World's Happiest Dog

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:39:39 PST

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$100,000

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:23:33 PST

One hundred thousand dollars is an awful lot of money.

So, this morning, we pause in awe to reflect on this:

Connections has raised over $100,000 to eradicate malaria from the face of the planet.

We passed this milestone last night, at our Denton show. We're grateful to the good folks in Denton for putting us over the top, and for coming out to enjoy the great music.

I know I speak for all the members of the band, when I say that we stand in awe and amazement. The idea for this band started out with just five us us, saying "What if?"

It's grown into a beautiful thing that allows us the chance to play great music for thousands of people, provide a quality evening of entertainment, and raise money for several good causes. You can learn more about our band, its history, and its mission, by clicking here.

Today, however, we pause to specifically give thanks that we've been able to raise so much for malaria prevention. For those of you unfamiliar, you might be saying "why that cause?"

Mainly because it's an absolutely preventable disease that still kills far too many people, mostly on the continent of Africa.

When we began this work, it was to directly support a project called "Nothing But Nets," which was a project focuses exclusively on providing bed nets for Africa.

Within a few years, smart folks realized that bed nets were absolutely an important part, but to literally eradicate the disease, it would also take prevention, treatment, and education.

Thus, "Imagine No Malaria" was born, our current beneficiary of our anti-malaria shows. The ambitious goal of this project to literally eradicate the disease from the face of the planet. It can be done.

It's a joint project of our own United Methodist Church, the United Nations Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and several other very worthy NGOs.

Here's an overview video for the project:

We're honored to be partners with them in this effort, and to be doing our part to help.

Here's another short video, featuring Pauley Perrette, who plays Abby Sciuto on NCIS, and is a member of the Hollywood United Methodist Church:

Every forty-five seconds.

That means that, likely, four people have died of this preventable while you read/watched this here. In the time it takes to play a Connections' show, 113 people die.

But, here's the awe-inspiring thing. In terms of bed-nets, the funds that Connections has raised in our shows, have saved 20 to 30,000 lives!!!

We're so deeply grateful to be a part of it all.

If you've never contributed and are moved to do so, click here to donate online right now.

We want to specifically thank all of you who sometimes drive great distances to hear the band, and to all the churches who have hosted our anti-malaria shows. In addition to Denton, here are the other churches who have hosted a "Nothing But Nets" or "Imagine No Malaria" show:

Walnut Hill
Sachse
Lovers Lane
Richardson
Suncreek
Northaven
Coppell
Rockwall
McKinney
Wylie
Paris
Garland
Greenville
And, last but most definitely not least, Kaufman County.

This last group absolutely deserves special note. In two concerts, the good folks of Kaufman County, mostly small lakeside churches, have raised more than $25,000!! That's one quarter of all we've raised in this effort. Copious thanks to them, and especially to our friend and colleague, Eston Williams.

Here's the crazy thing. We're not done celebrating great milestones.

In fact, at our next show in Allen, we'll very likely pass two more significant fund-raising milestones.

Stay tuned. And come and see us.

And thanks to God, and all of you, who have supported us along this amazing journey.

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Initial Thoughts on the Situation at St. Luke's UMC

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:24:18 PST

No doubt many readers of this blog will have already heard the allegations regarding sexual abuse of power by Tyrone Gordon, the former pastor of the St. Luke's Community United Methodist Church.

I've had several people, clergy colleagues and lay folk alike, asked my thoughts today, and I've been struggling with what, if anything, to write or say.

The allegations are horrible, and they should most certainly be taken with the utmost seriousness by everyone. Any allegation against a clergy, staff, or layperson of a United Methodist Church must be taken very seriously.

What got my attention, however, was that not only has Tyrone Gordon had been sued, but that St. Luke's and the North Texas Conference are also named.

This fact, primarily, is what gives me an abundance of caution, and tempers what I might otherwise wish to say at this moment.

We should all also be aware that this also changes what others will publicly say too. The filing of a civil suit will, no doubt, severely limit what anyone connected with the North Texas Conference will say publicly.

In coming days and weeks, I am sure many will find this frustrating, and perhaps even see it is a lack of leadership. In my opinion, that would be a mistake. Careful silence during an ongoing legal case cannot really be taken as a sign of anything other than what it is.

My instinct tells me that people I know and respect could be pulled into this situation, may be called to testify in a lawsuit, or could be connected in some other way not yet publicly known.
(Please understand: I have no direct knowledge, just an intuition of what could be true)

Or, it could be that none the preceding sentence is true.

Point is this: we don't know what we know or don't know.

What I do know is that, as a clergy member of the North Texas Conference, I know and love clergy, staff and lay persons from St. Luke. I know, love, and respect clergy and staff of the North Texas Conference.

So, what I am doing most actively tonight, is praying for all those involved, and giving thanks for a legal system that allows our society a chance to bring even the most challenging moral questions into a court of law for adjudication.

Here's what I'm praying for...

I pray that this situation will result in healing for anyone determined to have been subjected to abuse, harassment or intimidation. I pray, and I trust, that whatever the truth is, that truth will provide the avenue for that healing and restoration, should it be needed.

I pray for Tyrone Gordon and his family.

I pray for the good folks of St. Luke and for the North Texas Conference.

I pray for my friend and mentor, Dr. Zan Holmes.
Dr. Holmes, as you may have heard, will return to St. Luke as interim pastor, effective immediately, in the hope that his considerable skill, insight and wisdom can bring healing to that fractured church.

Dr. Holmes now lives just a few blocks away from Northaven. He's worshipped with us several times, and Northaveners will recall that he was our guest for a very special "Feast of Beginnings" last Fall.

So, this afternoon I left a card at his front door, expressing the constant state of prayer both I and Northaven hold him in, trusting that this situation is, undoubtedly, heartbreaking beyond measure for him.

I pray for all of those attempting to work through their myriad and confusing feelings at this moment, that they might have patience to allow the system to work.

I pray for those anywhere who have been abused by churches or church staffs, but who have chosen to never come forward with their stories. This story, no doubt, churns painful memories for them.

Also, I pray for all of us in United Methodist Churches who are diligently working to make our houses of worship as safe as possible for children, youth and adults.

I pray for all these persons, and I encourage you to do this same.

Sexual abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of power and authority by clergy, are not acceptable in our churches and cannot be tolerated. However, we would be naive to assume that they never happen.

The best way to keep them from happening is to develop environments where these issues are talked about openly, and where plans and procedures are in place.

Ironically, we are just about to become much more public in talking through these very issues at Northaven Church. Last December, our Leadership Council reviewed our own (Northaven's) guidelines for "Safe Sanctuary."

These guidelines cover things like definitions of abuse and harassment, reporting procedures should (God forbid) an allegation against a clergy, staff or layperson ever arise.

They also set forth ratios for "teachers/students" for our Children and Youth Ministries. Over the past several weeks, as a part of our yearly training with volunteers, teachers, and staff, we've been reviewing these procedures. In January, we renewed criminal background checks on every volunteer that works with children and adults, and on all staff.

And, as a culmination of these efforts, our plan is to highlight these very issues in worship, next Sunday, February 12th. This was our plan, well before any of today's news was known.(1)

We'll plan to go forward with this, in the knowledge that it now has a relevance we could never have dreamed of last Fall.

In the meantime, I hope you will continue to pray for all those I've mentioned, and for anyone else who might need help and support in this time.

(1) In fact, it was the multiple and shocking situations at Episcopal School of Dallas, Penn State, and Texas Judge William Adams that spurred us to action, not this current story. Those were to be the basis of next Sunday's discussions. This story simply brings it to a horrendous new level.

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Dear Komen Foundation...

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:16:02 PST

Dear Komen Foundation...

I've always been a "Race for the Cure" fan. I've been to several, and have been deeply moved to see the thousands who turn out to run/walk. I've watched members of my family run/walk, in memory of my grandmother. I've cried tears when survivors are introduced. I even used your organization in a sermon illustration once.

But tonight, I am stunned to hear you are cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood's breast cancer screenings.(1)

Based on what I am reading on the internet, I am not the alone.

My understanding is that you have cut off funding because Planned Parenthood is the target of a congressional investigation, launched by an untra-conservative member of that body.

This is a disturbing precedent on several fronts.

First, the political front. In a single decision, you have emboldened the most radical elements of our society, You have given them the encouragement that a mere investigation might result in groups like yours taking pre-emptive action.

Your spokesperson, Lesli Aun, said this: "We want to maintain a positive relationship with them...We're not making any judgment."

Actually, you are making a judgment. That's exactly what you're doing. Please do not pretend otherwise.

You want to "maintain relationship?" Then why do anything at this time?

Your actions speak louder than your words.

The second "front" is what you have done to split a community in this country who passionately support the health and well being of our nation's women.

Tonight, you present women and men a "Sophie's Choice" between supporting your organization and Planned Parenthood.

I know Planned Parenthood to be a fine organization the provides low-cost health services to millions of women in our country. A part of that health screening has been screening for breast cancer.

This is the funding you are cutting? Funding to prevent the very disease you claim to want to cure? This makes no sense whatsoever.

It is hyperpolitical, not a-political.

I was deeply moved by the comments of Patrick Hurd, who is CEO of a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Virginia, which was in turn a recipient of a 2010 grant from your organization. His wife, Betsi is battling breast cancer, and has been a participant in many of your races.

I think he put it best when he said this:

"...cancer doesn't care if you're pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative."

So true.

So why do you?

(1) Disclosure: In addition to being a fan of your group, I am a fan of Planned Parenthood. Once upon a time, I served as a clergy member of the Religious Advisory Committee of Planned Parenthood of Dallas and Northeast Texas.

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Running the Numbers on 2011

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:51:29 PST

We've got some year-end stats now for Connections in 2011. And, the results are pretty amazing.

It was clearly our best year yet. This was on the back of our single-largest concert ever: "The Concert for AMK," last June. That one show, by itself, surpassed our fundraising for every other single year in our history. Pretty dang amazing.

This first graph shows our all-time funds raised over time.

As of year-end, we've raised $180, 547!!

This graph shows the funds raised, per-year:

As you can see, 2011 blew the roof off of every other fundraising year we've ever had. The "Concert for AMK" was. of course, the thing that more than doubled our fundraising over every previous year.

However! When you factor out the "AMK Show," 2011 was still our second largest fundraising years ever!!

Taking out that show, for an apples-to-apples comparison with other years, not only was 2011 our second largest fundraising year, but it was only $350 from being number one!!

So, it was an incredible year, no matter how you run the numbers.

Finally, a breakdown of the funds raised, per beneficiary. Our two primary beneficiaries are UMCOR, and "Imagine No Malaria." (Follow the links to learn more about each). The "Other"category is the "Concert for AMK."

Connections' 2012 Spring schedule is now available at our website. At all our Spring shows, we're rolling out our new show: "Superhits of the 70s, Part II."

Check out the dates here, and come out to see us.

Connections continues to be an incredible gift to all of us in the band. We're grateful to be able to share great music, offer fun shows, and raise money for these incredible causes. We are profoundly grateful to the thousands of people who, simply by coming to see our shows and enjoying some music, make a difference in the world.

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What's Going On

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:13:50 PST

Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today, yeah

Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
Oh, what's going on
What's going
What's going on
What's going on

Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Come on talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
What's going on
Tell me what's going on
I'll tell you ya, what's going on
--Obie Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye

(Place: Occupy Dallas, October 2011)

For The Time Being

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:38:44 PST

"Well, so that is that. Now we must dismantle the tree,
Putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes --
Some have got broken -- and carrying them up to the attic.
The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt,
And the children got ready for school. There are enough
Left-overs to do, warmed-up, for the rest of the week --
Not that we have much appetite, having drunk such a lot,
Stayed up so late, attempted -- quite unsuccessfully --
To love all of our relatives, and in general
Grossly overestimated our powers. Once again

As in previous years we have seen the actual Vision and
failed
To do more than entertain it as an agreeable
Possibility, once again we have sent Him away,
Begging though to remain His disobedient servant,
The promising child who cannot keep His word for long.
The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory,
And already the mind begins to be vaguely aware
Of an unpleasant whiff of apprehension at the thought
Of Lent and Good Friday which cannot, after all, now
Be very far off. But, for the time being, here we all are,
Back in the moderate Aristotelian city
Of darning and the Eight-Fifteen, where Euclid's geometry
And Newton's mechanics would account for our experience,
And the kitchen table exists because I scrub it.
It seems to have shrunk during the holidays. The streets
Are much narrower than we remembered; we had forgotten
The office was as depressing as this. To those who have
seen
The Child, however dimly, however incredulously,
The Time Being is, in a sense, the most trying time of all.
For the innocent children who whispered so excitedly
Outside the locked door where they knew the presents to be
Grew up when it opened. Now, recollecting that moment
We can repress the joy, but the guilt remains conscious;
Remembering the stable where for once in our lives
Everything became a You and nothing was an It.
And craving the sensation but ignoring the cause,
We look round for something, no matter what, to inhibit
Our self-reflection, and the obvious thing for that purpose
Would be some great suffering. So, once we have met the
Son,
We are tempted ever after to pray to the Father;
"Lead us into temptation and evil for our sake."
They will come, all right, don't worry; probably in a form
That we do not expect, and certainly with a force
More dreadful than we can imagine. In the meantime
There are bills to be paid, machines to keep in repair,
Irregular verbs to learn, the Time Being to redeem
From insignificance. The happy morning is over,
The night of agony still to come; the time is noon:
When the Spirit must practice his scales of rejoicing
Without even a hostile audience, and the Soul endure
A silence that is neither for nor against her faith
That God's Will will be done, That, in spite of her prayers,
God will cheat no one, not even the world of its triumph."

-- WH Auden

(Place: Home, January 7, 2012(

Home By Another Way

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:27:53 PST

In honor of the day...

Home By Another Way

Those magic men the Magi
Some people call them wise
Or Oriental, even kings
Well anyway, those guys
They visited with Jesus
They sure enjoyed their stay
Then warned in a dream of King Herod's scheme
They went home by another way

Yes they went home by another way
Home by another way
Maybe me and you can be wise guys too
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Steer clear of royal welcomes
Avoid a big to-do
A king who would slaughter the innocents
Will not cut a deal for you
He really, really wants those presents
He'll comb your camel's fur
Until his boys announce they've found trace amounts
Of your frankincense, gold and myrrh

Time to go home by another way
Home by another way
You have to figure the Gods saying play the odds
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Home is where they want you now
You can more or less assume that you'll be welcome in the end
Mustn't let King Herod haunt you so
Or fantasize his features when you're looking at a friend

Well it pleasures me to be here
And to sing this song tonight
They tell me that life is a miracle
And I figured that they're right
But Herod's always out there
He's got our cards on file
It's a lead pipe cinch, if we give an inch
Old Herod likes to take a mile

It's best to go home by another way
Home by another way
We got this far to a lucky star
But tomorrow is another day
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

words and music by James Taylor

(get it here)

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My Songs From Winter SolstiCelebration

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:10:47 PST

Hey Friends: I've been telling you what a blast the Winter SolstiCelebration was.

There are now YouTube videos of Saturday night's performance, so you can see/listen for yourselves.

"Thanks" with Lainey Bernstein, Rahim Quazi, Shanti Webb, and the Global Heart Band.

"I Will Sing" with Robin Hackett, Lainey Bernstein, Rahim Quazi, Shanti Webb, and the Global Heart Band

Thanks again SO MUCH to Dick Williamson for editing these.

And, especially, thanks to all the incredible musicians I got to hang/play with, to the other talented performers, and especially to Amy Martin for asking me to be a part.

What a great night.

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Five Regrets of the Dying

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:02:14 PST

This post originally comes from Bonnie Ware, a songwriter who worked for years in palliative care. These are folks who have come to the place where they are very near death and, more than most of us, are able to look back and see what they might have done differently.

It's a great blog, and worth your time.

The "headline" regrets are these:

"Five Regrets of the Dying"

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself,
not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

You can read the whole thing here.

Good stuff to consider during the first week of a new year.

Or anytime, really.

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Unplugging

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:15:46 PST

Two days ago, I blogged about not making resolutions, and concentrating on "interior intentions" instead.

A friend sent this this great link from the NYT, called "The Joy of Quiet."

Seems to me this would be a pretty good "interior intention" for the year.

Two of my favorite quotes from this piece:

In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them — often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Like teenagers, we appear to have gone from knowing nothing about the world to knowing too much all but overnight.

And, even more poignantly, this:

The central paradox of the machines that have made our lives so much brighter, quicker, longer and healthier is that they cannot teach us how to make the best use of them; the information revolution came without an instruction manual. All the data in the world cannot teach us how to sift through data; images don’t show us how to process images. The only way to do justice to our onscreen lives is by summoning exactly the emotional and moral clarity that can’t be found on any screen.

O my, yes. I can't recommend this little essay enough.

These are things I've been saying for some time. I think technology itself is such a double-edged sword in our lives. Sure, things like scheduling meetings, making phone calls, writing/publishing thoughts, are profoundly easier than they were a few years back. And, yes, I get that modern technology is profoundly reshaping how folks connect, and helping fuel amazing things like "The Arab Spring."

But are we any smarter? Are we any happier? Aren't we far too often simply bombarded with an avalanche of information, without context or filter?

We get inundated with email, so we switch to texting only to get inundated with that too. We get bored with Myspace, so we move to Facebook. We get bored with that and start Tweeting. We don't have time to watch everything on TV, so we get TiVo. Sometimes that's not enough for us, so we get Slingbox.

And all of it avoids the crucial point this lovely essay makes: "more data" doesn't mean more wisdom or insight.

The essay itself suggests some things we can do to help ourselves with these issues. Perhaps the best blogger I've ever read on these subjects is Tim Ferriss. What follows, then, is a lot of helpful stuff from Ferriss...

He's written numerous blog posts on what he calls "Email Detox." My favorites are called "How to Check Email Twice A Day," in which he suggests that email will encroach on your life as much as you allow it. Therefore, limit the time you spend on it, and only check it a few times a day. More about it here. And here is a handy list of nine great "to dos" that can really transform how you spend your online time.

But Ferriss has taken his challenge about email into information technology in general, and an entirely different category on his blog is titled "The Low Information Diet," including a great blog on "Seven Tips for Fighting Information Overload," and "How To Use Twitter Without Twitter Owning You."

Ironically, I've just thrown out a whompin' load 'o information at you...a ton of links. Probably some you won't want to read. However, I promise that much of this can really help you, if you'll take the time to read and consider it.

We all need to unplug more, and not lose connection with the real world. Let's hope this can be an "interior intention" for 2012.

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The Earth's Own Fireworks

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:04:45 PST

As we begin a New Year, many people started off with fireworks.

From a certain point of view, the Earth itself is always putting on its own fireworks display...though lightning, the auroras, and even through our own human created light pollution.

So, enjoy the Earth's fireworks display, and marvel again this incredible Big Blue Ball we call home.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Happy New Year, everyone....EF

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My iPod's Most Listened To Songs for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:14:07 PST

It's New Year's Eve, which means it's that time again.

Time for the yearly peek at my iPod/iPhone for the "most played" songs for 2011.

As with most years, there's a delicious assortment here. The fun is in looking at the list and determining exactly why these songs made the list, and remembering the times and places I first got haunted by them.

So, without fanfare, here goes….

Eric's "Most Listened To Songs" for 2011
(The list includes: Song Name, Artist, and CD/Album) I have included urls for some of the folks I most hope you'll check out...EF)

1. "Keep It Simple" Roy Schneider Erleichda
Roy Schneider has been a Kerrville New Folk Finalist a few times now. He and Kim are lovely people, and it was so great to see them around the Camp Nashbill fires…and, frankly, all over The Ranch too.
This song is FAR AND AWAY the most-played of 2011. By that, I mean, almost twice as much as #2 or any of the rest of the songs on this list. I have a great memory of singing this song around campfires.

You should get this song. (And CD) It's just such a great, great message. If you're depressed, it might just singlehandedly pull you out of it. (I'm really not kidding…) Singing the chorus will lift you up. Promise.

I sang this at the top of my lungs on many a bike trip around White Rock this past year.

"Keep it simple. Everything don't have to be insane.
All the drama. Get's a little taxing on the brain.
Unplug your head, take a walk
Far from the TV, and all the talk…talk….talk…talk…talk.
Look around, take it in.
Let it all be real again.
And breathe in the sunshine.
And breathe in the sunshine.
Breathe."

I promise you, you'll find yourself singing along. And, you might find yourself compelled to get your butt outside into the world, and feel that lovely Sun.

2. "My Maria"    B.W. Stevenson & Larry Mjhoberac    Radio Hits of the '70s
Some of the songs that make this list each year do so because they're songs that Connections is working on for a new show. I've been sworn to secrecy about the new show (which debuts in late January, down in Kaufman County…), but for obvious reasons, this would be an awesome one for me personally to get to sing in a hypothetical "Super Hits of the 70s, Part II."
You know, hypothetically.

3. "For My Wedding"    Don Henley    The Very Best of Don Henley
I was surprised to see this one at #3. I stumbled on this older song, when I downloaded "The Very Best" from iTunes. It lands at number three, because I spent a lot of time learning it this year. I've said before that Henley's "Heart of the Matter" is, far and away, the most emotionally mature song ever to make the pop charts. (I'd love to hear any other nominations that anybody thinks can beat it...)

This is another great one. Clearly written for his wedding some years back, it's another great message.

"To want want I have,
Take what I'm given
With grace.
These things I pray
On my wedding day."

And every day since too.

4. "All I Want Is A Garden"    Brother Sun    Brother Sun
Brother Sun --with members Joe Jencks, Pat Wictor, and Greg Greenway-- burst on to the folk scene this year. I think their CD is likely to be a number one seller on folk charts this year. They were just releasing it, back in May on The Ranch. Getting to be in a song circle with them one night, and hearing them in several other circles, was a great treat.

And, of course, we Camp Nashbill folks are always ready to burst with pride for our own brother, Joe Jencks. (And, for Pat, who often stops by to visit…)

This song closes out the CD, and really features their great harmonies. The chorus floated around in my head for weeks after Kerrville. Get this great CD and watch it float around in your head too.

5. "Wichita Lineman (feat. Billy Joel & Jerry Douglas)"    Jimmy Webb    Just Across the River
This CD is listed as a 2010 release. But I think it must have been very near year end. ~~If you've ever loved Jimmy Webb's songs~~, Everybody loves Jimmy Webb songs, and this is something of a definitive collection, featuring he and a whompin' load of stars, putting our fresh versions of his best ones. The production is crisp and clean, and everybody provides great, great covers of these classic songs.

This song is by far my favorite on the record.

I mean, before I even heard the track….just the concept..
.Jimmy and Billy Joel singing?
Jerry Douglass playing his sweet Dobro?
Are you kidding me?
It doesn't get much better than this.

If you don't have this CD, you owe it to yourself.

6. "Ghost" Amy Speace    Land Like a Bird
I've known of Amy for some years but, believe it or not, we never met until this May at Kerrville. I was in a great, great song circle with her one night, along with the aforementioned Brother Sun, Tom Prasada-Rao, Cary Cooper, and Eric Berger. It was a personal highlight of my festival.

Live long enough, and you certainly come to appreciate this song. It's lovely, haunting, and deeply true:

"Some people move through our lives and then they’re gone like the morning rain.
Some stand with the stillness of a soldier at their post and never change.
Some dance along the waterline like waves against the coast.
Some forever haunt you like a ghost."

O my, yes.

Great memories of being in quiet, late-night Kerrville circles, where a dozen voices provided beautiful, quiet and tender harmonies on this…

7. "The Coast" Court Yard Hounds Court Yard Hounds
I was a bit surprised to see this one back on the list this year. Courtyard Hounds, two thirds of the Dixie Chicks, dominated last year's list with several songs.

I think this one makes it back on this year because I made a playlist for us to listen to on our vacation down at Port Aransas. We spent several days down there….myself, The Judge, and The Divine Miss M, along with her good friend, Miss C. This one was on that playlist, and so that's why it made it.

But it's just a great, great summer song. And, if you're taking a beach trip, it needs to be on your playlist.

8. "Fugitive" David Gray    Draw the Line (Deluxe Version)
This CD was released in 2009, but I just found it this year, after watching David on "Live from the Artist's Den." (btw, that's a show not to miss on your TiVo…)

I've always been a big David Gray fan. I just love his style of having a driving beat/rhythm, but of allowing the acoustic interments (guitar/piano) to shine through. It's just so beautiful and haunting.

This song is a great, great example of David Gray's classic style, and the first song on the CD. So, it got lots of plays.

May I say, David Gray makes great biking music too.

9. "Galveston (feat. Lucinda Williams")    Jimmy Webb    Just Across the River
Another great cut from the aforementioned Jimmy Webb CD. I promise you. You need to get this CD.

10. "Ramblin' Man"    The Allman Brothers Band    A Decade of Hits 1969-1979
Hypothetically, this song would make a great addition to the new Connections "Super Hits of the 70s, Part II." And, since it has at least three layered electric guitar parts, hypothetically, I might need to listen to it a lot in order to learn a part.

Hypothetically.

11. "Land Like a Bird"    Amy Speace    Land Like a Bird
Another great song from Amy Speace's CD. This time, the title track. I LOVE songs that "build" slowly to a crescendo. This is one of those songs, and it builds beautifully.

BTW, besides being a lovely human being, great songwriter, and an amazing voice, Amy is a gifted blogger too. I often find real jewels on her blog, and you will too.

12. "It Takes the World" Andrew Tinker    It Takes the World
This is an extremely late entry onto this list, and the fact that it makes it all the way to Number 12 speaks volumes.

Andrew Tinker was one of the very talented musicians I met at the "Winter SolstiCelebration," earlier this month. Man, what an amazing event that was. What a blessing to play two of my songs, and have the chance to hang out with such talented musicians and artists.

Andrew played piano and sort of organized the "house band" for the night. So, I looked him up and found that, among other things, he was once Polyphonic Spree, and also has this AMAZING CD. I mean, amazing. I love, love, love his music.

This is the second track on the CD, and features his great piano, along with some mighty tasty production.

You should definitely get this CD.

13. "Fear Of Wasted Time"    Court Yard Hounds    Court Yard Hounds
Wow. Another CYH song. I do love this song. It was on the list last year. It's kinda hard to make the list two years running. So, I guess this one means a lot. It's a lovely sentiment about how some of us are constantly moving not because we're obsessive, but because we know and understand just how precious each second of life is. Nobody lives like that every second. But, the more we can, the richer life is.

This song is about that, and about trying to explain it to somebody else.

The Judge has become very adept at buying t-shirts with funny sayings on them to give to our family members at Christmas. They're always some cute expression that seems to perfectly fit their personality somehow.

The one she got me this Christmas says:

"Relish Today.
Ketchup Tomorrow."

Yep. That's the way to live, alright.

14. "Aspen / These Days"    Dan Fogelberg    Captured Angel
Wow, really? I mean, yes, this is one of my favorite Dan Fogelberg songs. But I have no idea how it made it to Number 14. Except that it was on a bike ride playlist and, like David Gray, makes great biking music.

If I could "cover" (on a CD) one Fogelberg song, this one would a finalist. (And likely fight with the song below, at Number 20)

15. "First Chance"    David Gray    Draw the Line (Deluxe Version)
Another great song from the "Draw the Line" CD. Another great reason to get this CD is that it's not only got great studio tracks, but the iTunes version also includes some fantastic live cuts of Gray's most favorite songs.

16. "I Receive"    Israel Houghton    The Power of One
I grin that this song ends up next to David Gray. David Gray is an avowed, and proud, atheist, but I love his music far more than much of the drivel that passes for "Contemporary Christian Music."

Two years ago, however, I discovered Israel Houghton, after seeing him live at the "Justice Revival" in Dallas. Israel has become one of the lone "Contemporary Christian Artists" that makes it on to my iPod.

O my Lord. What an artist. This song is another one that was on my "bike mix" and I think that's why it's back on the list. It's my favorite from him, and is a song that simply builds to an amazing crescendo. I know that his theology will not sit well with everyone I know, but the musicianship is just so amazing.

And the way the rhythm track builds….it's mesmerizing....something you have to listen to over and over just to get the timing down.

Amazing stuff.

17. "Doctor My Eyes"    Jackson Browne    Jackson Browne
What a great, great song. Just the lyrics along make this one worth listen to, and listening to again.
But, hypothetically, it would also be good for that new "Connections" show too.

When was the last time you heard such a great and thought-proving lyric in a radio song today, btw? Does this make me sounds like an old fart?

Don't care. It's the truth.

18. "Wake Up Everybody (feat. Common & Melanie Fiona)" John Legend & The Roots Wake Up!
This song made it on to my "bike ride mix" too. This album, from The Roots and John Legend, is well worth your time.

19. "Don't Explain It Away"    Susan Werner    The Gospel Truth
Somehow, I missed this great CD when it came out a few years back. "The Gospel Truth" are all songs that focus on faith and God. They all have some kind of theological/spiritual theme to them. How did I miss this?!

It's hard to know exactly where Susan Werner comes out on the whole faith/God question. It's clear that she's got no time for the rigid fundamentalism that, IMHO, is so damaging in our culture and in others. But she seems to be leaning toward the "there's something more and we should pay attention."

This is the song that most captures that essence. What I like about it is that it starts with that common experience of "something more" that so many people have, whether or not they can logically call that "God" or whether or not they are comfortable with the dogma of an organized religion.

"And you need someone to guide you
When you have gone astray
Well, that still small voice inside you
Don't explain it away

Don't explain it away
When the moment mystifies you
Don't explain it away
And the feeling will surprise you
Don't explain it away

If you find yourself at the water's edge
And you're listening as the waves break on the shore
While a sea of stars rolls above your head
And you realize you're part of so much more

And you're struck dumb with wonder
Can't find the words to say
Don't break the spell you're under

Don't "

Word.
And if you can start listening to that voice? Not explain it away? It can take you all sorts of amazing places.

20. "Icarus Ascending"    Dan Fogelberg    Full Circle
This song was Number 2 on last year's list. I suppose I just wasn't done listening to it. It's on the "bike ride mix," and is one of the songs I'd most like to cover, as I said above. I wrote a lot about this song last year. So, if you want to read that, head here.

BTW, the chord progression of this song inspired my new song, "Changing."
(At least the first two chords….)

21. "Love Is The Reason"    Brother Sun    Brother Sun
Another amazing song from the amazing "Brother Sun" written by our Camp Nashbill brother, Joe Jencks. I'm so glad to see all the Brother Sun folks get their success. But I count Joe as a good friend, and am especially pleased for him.

Did I mention you should get this CD? Yeah. You should.

22. "Draw the Line"    David Gray    Draw the Line (Deluxe Version)
Another from David Gray's great CD.

23. "Pretty Maids All In A Row"    Eagles    Hotel California
Wow. Really? How'd this one make the list? I have no idea. Other than it's one of my favorite Eagles songs, and one that I'd love to sing in a show sometime. Such great harmonies.

This song now always reminds me of Kathleen Baskin and the blog I wrote about her following her death. Maybe I was remembering her? Maybe I was remembering other friends? Who knows.

"My, but we learn so slow
And heroes, they come and they go
And leave us behind, as if we're s'posed to know
Why?"

It's a great song, and I'm glad to see it here.

24. "Turning Too"    Grace Pettis    Grace Pettis
O man, Grace is such a talent. She was a New Folk winner this past year at Kerrville. She's one of Camp Nashbill's own. And this is one of my favorite songs from her last CD. I just love the production, and her lovely, lovely voice.

Start with this song, and you'll be hooked and end up buying all her stuff.

25. "Sunday Mornings"    Susan Werner    The Gospel Truth
Last but not least, there's another great song from Susan Werner. I'm really glad this one made the list, because it allows me to preach for a while…to preach about the reality of so many people in our world, and the reality of how so much of the "organized church" doesn't get it.

I continue to maintain that, if the Church (capital "C") has any future it desperately needs to understand what's happening among the many "spiritual, but not religious" folks out there. It (The Church) needs to understand why our children grow up and leave church altogether. It (The Church) needs to begin to understand just why so many people are saying "No Thank You" to all organized religion. See, we who are in the church keep thinking this is about our own personal denominations...and we theorize that it's because we're too liberal, blah, blah, blah...

Those of us who still embrace an organized religion need to get out more, associate with those we don't understand, and, above all, listen to them. (ie, stop preaching at them…)

End of sermon.

This beautiful song from Susan Werner achingly describes the disconnect/dissonance that so many people feel, between their inherent spiritual nature (which God gave them), and their unwillingness to stomach a Christian faith that too often fails to make room for doubt, ambiguity, and questions.

The lyric is so good, I've included all of it here:

"sunday morning
there is someplace that 'm supposed to be
keeps returning
the feeling keeps coming over me
just like music
or like sunlight on a distant memory
sunday morning
sunday morning

my mother choosing what to wear
my father combs his jet black hair
we are their little prizes
in our mary janes and clip on ties
we hurry down the aisle
the neighbors smile because we're
late again

on sunday morning
there is someplace ...

daddy prays because the money's tight
mama prays she'll raise her children right
and my brother prays he'll change
so he won't feel so very strangely out of tune

and i went back the other day
closed my eyes and tried to pray
but a voice spoke loud and clear
"you ask too many questions, dear"
and i said, "you ask too few"
that's why i still don't know quite what to do

on sunday mornings
there is someplace that 'm supposed to be
keeps returning
the feeling keeps coming over me
just like music
or like sunlight on a distant memory
sunday morning
sunday morning"

If you are a member of an organized church, and don't have a clue as to why this song is so lovely, poignant, and true. please hear this next phrase with all the love and kindness that I write it:

YOU are part of a the problem.

Five more that didn't make the "most played" list, but got played quite a bit and deserve mention:

"Anything Can Change" by Robin Hackett
"Everything is Alright"by Rahim Quazi
"Respect" by Lainey Bernstein
"Balance"by Kerri Arrista
"Love is All There Is" by Shanti Webb

All five of these were a part of the "Winter SolstiCelebration, an event that, as I've said before, I was honored to be a part of. This year featured a lot of original music that was handpicked by Amy Martin for just the right moment in the show. You can get Kerri's songs online, but I believe that the rest of these are still yet unreleased…perhaps coming to a CD near you soon?

What great, great music this all is, and you should check them all out.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

As always, it's a fun exercise to look back at these songs, and to find an arc to the year through what I was listening to, and what the iPod-gods tell me I played the most.

Hope you enjoyed it too.

And, as always, hope you'll check many of these folks out, if you haven't already.

(As always, if you like this post, then "share it" or "like" it on Facebook by clicking the box below, so others can see too...)

Resolve To Not Resolve

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:47:24 PST

Didn't make any New Year's Resolutions last year. Won't this year either. And this is from a guy that used to make them regularly.

More than this, I encourage you to join me. And I hold out a strange hope that you might find yourself achieving even MORE of your goals/resolutions if you do...er, don't.

About this time last year, I read this interesting little blog from Derek Sivers. Derek is the founder of CDBaby, and an all-around fascinating guy.

The gist is here:

"Tests done since 1933 show that people who talk about their intentions are less likely to make them happen.
Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you're less motivated to do the hard work needed."

Interesting, huh?

Here's a short video blog that Sivers did on the topic at TED:

I can tell you from my own life this most definitely works.

I won't go into too many details, because then I'd been doing what I said I wouldn't (making resolutions public...).

But this last year, I made significant progress on several things that have been part of my long-term "life to do" list; the kinds of things that almost always found their way onto a list of previous New Year's Resolutions, only to remain undone at the end of the next year.

It doesn't mean you don't constantly work to achieve your goals. You do. You must.

But in a pretty literal way, Nike was right. Doing means a whole lot more than talking about doing. Holding an intention or thought in your brain, and doing something real/tangible in the world, are two different things.

Sometimes, talking prevents us from doing. It give us the satisfaction that we've already done something. Or, if we fail to do something, it gives us the guilt of failure.

How does it work? Not really sure, beyond what Sivers suggests here. But my guess is it's related to this.

Have goals, for sure. Just keep some part of making them private...interior. Pray them to God. Meditate on them. Think about them all the time. Just don't talk them to death, and go around announcing them to everyone.

Especially for professional talkers/communicators, there's always the potential to overshare. (Yes, I'm talking about me. Yes, I know, this applies to Facebook).

We all need interior space. A place to connect with our deepest selves. For us introverts, we need a place to recharge our batteries. There is a powerful resolve that can come from inner intention, not shared, not publicized, not done with external fanfare or hoopla.

Focusing on a daily inner intention appears to be more powerful than making public, or outer, ones. At least it does in my life.

So, no resolutions again this year.
Just action.
Just doing, day by day, in a way that is gentle on myself when I fail.

It works.

~~Try it.~~

Just do it.

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Christmas at the Rainbow Room

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:00:49 PST

I'm never really sure exactly when it will happen, but Christmas always comes. A true grace of this season is that --despite our best efforts at killing it-- one way or another the true light manages to shine through.

I was beginning to worry that maybe this year it wouldn't happen. But then, it did.

For me, Christmas happened yesterday, December 23rd....Christmas Eve Eve. No matter what the calendar says tomorrow, yesterday is when Christmas came for me.

Our Northaven Youth decided that instead of sitting in front of their televisions this Christmas week, they'd do service projects. So, they did two; one Monday, and one yesterday. Yesterday's was at the Rainbow Room of the Resource Center of Dallas, down on Reagan Street. Fifteen of our youth, and a few adults, piled in cars and headed down to serve lunch to the clients.

May I first say, as an aside, that I am very proud of our youth that so many of them wanted to spend their holiday reaching out in love and service to others. We adults could take a cue. (Just sayin')

The clients who take their noon-meal at the Rainbow Room are mostly folks living with HIV/AIDS. Many are long-term survivors. Most are on a dizzying cocktail of medications that, all told, keep their life livable for them.

But many of the folks who wander through the Rainbow Room on an average weekday are among the poor in our society. Some live on the streets. Others have various addictions. For still others, it's just pretty clear they simply have a hard life, and are deeply grateful for a hot meal, and a place to rest for an hour or so in the middle of each day.

We arrived to find a small cadre of volunteers and staff getting things ready.
We donned aprons, hairnets, serving gloves. We spread out along the buffet line...a few kids serving entrees...breads...desserts....drinks, etc, etc....

And here they came. An hour and a half-worth of folks looking for perhaps their only hot meal of the day.

And there....in the midst of piped in Christmas Muzak from Josh Groban...surrounded by some plastic garland, tinsel, and a twinkling artificial tree....there, amidst worn linoleum floors, folding chairs and plastic tables....

There was Christmas....

In that room filled with suburban kids, and street-wise/worn survivors. African-American, Hispanic and Anglo men, who looked beaten down...some who look very very sick. And others who looked, well shall we say, flamboyantly glamorous. Yes, in the midst of that cross-section of humanity were a few gender-bending dressers too.

One that stood out was a radiant and smallish African-American man who was dressed in a solid-white outfit...with a solid white hat that looked like it might have belong to Auntie Mame. He might be living on the streets, for all we knew...but he was on the streets in style.

And his name? I kid you not. His name was Gabriel.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

So, then, we got done serving the meal there, and we took the kids back to the church. But I had one more errand that day...to deliver my sound system to the Christ's Foundry United Methodist Church. I'm lending it to them for some weeks because they don't yet have a permanent one. And, tonight, they need it.

Because, about the time we finished our 11 pm worship at Northaven, Christ's Foundry UMC will also finish their first-ever worship service in their new building.

And as that service ends, they'll gather beneath their new bell tower, and ring the bell precisely at midnight. (btw, the bell apparently has a lovely tie to Atlanta, Texas. But that's a story for another time...)

This congregation of mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants --whom we have the grace to serve as a "Covenant Church"-- will experience the joy of their first worship on, of all poignant moments, Christmas Eve.

And in the midst of these two disparate moments yesterday, Christmas came. It came because, through God's grace, I was reminded again that this is how Christmas always comes.

Christmas is about God's incarnate grace and love, given to the world. It's about remembering the grace and beauty of God's presence, which is, truthfully, always around, all the time.

Frederick Buechner calls incarnation: "untheological, unsophisticated, and undignified."

But, he goes on to say: "According to Christianity, it's the way things are..."

"All religions and philosophies which deny the reality or the significance of the material, the fleshly, the earthbound, are themselves denied. Moses at the burning bush was told to take off his shoes because the ground on which he stood was holy ground (Exodus 3:5), and incarnation means that all ground is holy ground because God not only made it but walked on it, ate and slept and worked and died on it. If we are saved anywhere, we are saved here. And what is saved is not some diaphanous distillation of our bodies and our earth, but our bodies and our earth themselves."

And to all who doubt, or who are uncomfortable with such definitions of incarnation, Buechner politely reminds us: "One of the blunders religious people are particularly fond of making is the attempt to be more spiritual than God."

"Behold, bring you good tidings of a great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born, this day, in the City of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord."

Our friend, David Hayward, The Naked Pastor, has a cartoon this week that I love:

(David has another version, not G-rated, that I like even better. I'll let yall find it...)

And, yep, that's pretty much it. No "Important people there."

And THIS is where, the story of our faith tells us, God is born into the world. In the midst of grubby and grungy stable...in the midst of those the world might consider, "unimportant people."

Which is why I thought of Christ's Foundry yesterday. As I looked up at the rope to their new bell tower, I thought of our how world so often considers immigrants to be "unimportant people." But they are not unimportant to God.

It's also why I thought of the Rainbow Room...and those quiet folks....struggling with their life, day to day, on the streets of Dallas. For it was there I saw Christmas. Plain as day. Some might call them "unsophisticated" or "undignified." But if so, that's what incarnation is.

God come to earth, in the face of all those beautiful Rainbow Room friends. God as powerfully present in that moment as in our most heartfelt church prayers in any sanctuary.

And my message to you tonight is that it's likely to happen that way to you too. It's likely to happen in some ordinary time and place, when you are doing something that seems perhaps even relatively UNimportant or Undignified. It might even be something that seems disgraceful to imagine in the same breath with God...perhaps it's somethings that seems "earthy" and "messy."

Here's a clue to knowing when it happens. Remember that amazingly beautiful feeling you feel at Christmas Eve at church? In that moment, when we sing "Silent Night," light candles against the darkness, remember those feelings of love, peace, hope, and joy?

Well, sometimes in life, we feel that same feeling. Through the smile of a child, the embrace of a friend, an act of service to the world, the stunning beauty of nature, through some moment that connects us to to someone or something in this beautiful world of ours.

Those moments are what incarnation is. And when they happen, they're likely to feel like that moment when you light Christmas candles and sing "Silent Night." So, look for that.

And realize, it might not happen on Christmas Day. (It might...) It might not happen the whole Christmas season. (It might...)

But be ready for it to break in at some unexpected time, when you're hanging out with "unimportant people."

It might even be heralded by some cross-dressing angel named Gabriel.

And if that seems "untheological...unsophisticated....undignified?"

It may only mean that it's a true Christmas moment, worthy of the Messiah who lived among us as "Word made flesh."

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Eric Folkerth's Christmas EP

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:02:44 PST

Hey Friends: Hope you're having a great holiday season.

I've taken the liberty of collecting all my Christmas songs together in once place.

You can hear them all, by starting the player below.

Then, at bottom, I've got a little info about each song for you.
Hope you like them, and hope you're having a blessed holiday....EF

About the Songs:

Christmastime Is Here
The classic Vince Guaraldi song from "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I just thought it would be fun to learn it on guitar.

Come Home
This great song was written by my good friend, Bill Nash. I think it's one of my personal favorite Christmas songs, and just captures the essence of the season. I'm pleased that he let me record it a few years back.

Midnight Clear Mashup
My own version of the classic hymn, "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear." If you really listen to the lyrics of this song, you find it's a powerful song of peace. (Especially verse two). I like the idea of Linus speaking "truth to power" in the form on this story of peace. We should find his boldness, it seems to me.

The Martyr of Black Friday
A song I wrote about the death of Jdimytai Damour, on Black Friday in 2008. Possibly the most depressingly themed Christmas song ever. Learn more of his story here.

Christmas Snow
Two years ago, it snowed on Christmas Eve. One of my most amazing moments in recent years was being in church at 11 pm, as everyone held up candles and sang "Silent Night." And I had the privilege of being able to look out beyond the candlelight, and see falling snow, silhouetted by the street lights. That image stays with me, as one of the most incredible visuals I've ever seen, and helped inspire this song.

Not So Silent Night Hometown
Possibly the second-most depressingly themed Christmas song in history. ;)
This story was inspired by the story of Travis Butler, a young boy who, during the holidays, kept going to school after his mother died in their apartment, because he was so afraid of "disappearing" in the foster system.
That desperation, around the holidays, spoke to me, when juxtaposed to the Christmas story of incarnational love.

In the Bleak Midwinter
The classic hymn by Christina Rossetti. I love the stark imagery in this song...not only of winter...but also of incarnation itself...of a mother's love and how that too is a part of incarnation.

(As always, if you like this post, then "share it" or "like" it on Facebook by clicking the box below, so others can see too...)

Midnight Clear Mashup

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:42:55 PST

A new recording of a classic Christmas song for you.

But, probably not in a way you've ever heard it before.
Stay with it. Give it a listen all the way through.

I really like the way this came out. Hope you do too.

It came upon a midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
by Edmund H. Sears 1849

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In the Bleak Midwinter

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:20:04 PST

In the bleak midwinter,

frosty wind made moan, 

Earth stood hard as iron,

water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on

snow, snow on snow, 

In the bleak midwinter,

long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him,

nor earth sustain; 

Heaven and earth shall flee away

when He comes to reign. 

In the bleak midwinter

a stable place sufficed 

The Lord God Almighty,

Jesus Christ

Enough for Him, whom cherubim,

worship night and day, 

Breastful of milk,

and a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him, whom angels

fall before, 

The ox and ass and camel

which adore.

Angels and archangels

may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim

thronged the air; 

But His mother only,

in her maiden bliss, 

Worshipped the beloved

with a kiss.

What can I give Him,

poor as I am? 

If I were a shepherd,

I would bring a lamb; 

If I were a Wise Man,

I would do my part; 

Yet what I can I give Him:

give my heart.

-- Christina Rossetti

(Place: Kiowa Creek, February 11, 2011)

Because Reposting This Every Year is a Sacred Obligation.

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:22:37 PST

Trust me.

It just is.

See?

Test Entry

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:25:08 PST

Please ignore

500

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:44:36 PST

According to Blogger, this is my 500th blog entry.

That's a whompin' load 'o writing, seems to me. Hard to imagine it, really.

I started this blog using some software that no longer exists and whose name I can no longer recall. Then, I moved it to Rapidweaver, when I re-did my whole website, using the same. But Rapidweaver has mostly crashed and burned on me. And so, a few years back, I switched over to Blogger. It was, frankly, a heck of a lot of work to transfer everything over. But I'm glad to have the archive now.

Facebook definitely cut in to blog readership. Back in "B.F.E" (Before the Facebook Era) I had several entries that got into the multiple-thousands-of-hits.

The most-read entry of all-time was this one, after the Dallas Mavericks heartbreaking loss in the 2006 NBA Playoffs. The pre-Blogger entry was read something like 25,000 times, or something ridiculous like that. Two of the radio shows on The Ticket mentioned it. It was reposted at several nations sports blogs. And it led to the creation of my sport-blog nickname: "The Bitter P1"

If you'd ask to to guess what my most-read blog would be, I never in a million years would have guessed that one. Go figure.

The second most read entry of all time was this one, about my song, "Prairie Chapel Road," and my trips to Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas. I was fortunate enough to have something like 7,000 people stop by to read my thoughts about the experience. 3,000-plus folks downloaded my song, in those weeks of August, 2005. You can still find it at the link.

Like I said, there's been a dramatically stark decline in blog readership, since the advent of Facebook. The only other blog to crack 1,000 hits since Facebook was one I wrote just last week, ironically. Every other blog in the list that follows is below 1,000 hits, though many not by much. Here's the rest of the top reads, in order:

The Martyr of Black Friday

Please Do Not Listen to Pat Robertson

The Word and Our Words

Spiritual Reflections on "Occupy Wall Street"

The Parable of the Talent Explained

Almost all of these are less than a year old. Which seems strange to me...like there was some kind of lull in there. (Maybe people are reading blogs again? Or, perhaps Blogger has a really crappy archive-stats feature?)

Anyway, there you have it. Although it was a TON of work to "port" everything over to Blogger, now and then I gaze jealously over at WordPress blogs and think, "they always have more comments..."

Its that true? (That's how it seems...)

Anyway, five hundred entries is perhaps also a good time to remind you that the blog has several major categories (and a ton of minor "tags").

With multiple categories, and five hundred entries to choose from, there's a lot to read if you're so inclined. Learn about the categories here.

Thanks so much to anybody who ever stops by, even if just once.

Thanks to all who take the time to leae a comment or share on Facebook. I'm always deeply grateful to find that some of these thoughts actually help folks.

The writing almost always helps me. So, I'd probably keep doing that, even if nobody ever read it.

But I'm glad some yall do. Read, that is.

Thanks again....EF

(As always, if you like this post, then "share it" or "like" it on Facebook by clicking the box below, so others can see too...)

Winter SolstiCelebration

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:06:39 PST

I'm really honored to be a part of the annual "Winter SolstiCelebration" this year, as one of the many talented performers. It's one of the largest celebrations of solstice anywhere.

The theme for this year's event is "Our Human Journey," and for the first time ever, it will be presented on two nights:

Friday, December 16 and Saturday December 17th
Doors open at 6 pm. Event begins at 7 pm

Cathedral of Hope Sanctuary
5910 Cedar Springs at Inwood,
Dallas, Texas 75219
Click here for ticket information.

I hope many of my friends will be interested in attending. I have been for several years, and have always found it a very moving and inspiring event.

Specifically, two of my songs, "Thanks," and "I Will Sing" will be a part of the music for the night. This is a huge honor, and I'm thrilled to be a part. Just take a look at some of the incredible performers who will be a part of this night.

Our friend, Amy Martin is the passion and vision behind this event, but literally dozens of people take part to bring this event together.

Here's some of what the Earth Rythyms' website says about this year's event:

"Can we guide our evolving humanity?

What are our choices for the future?

Are we doomed to endless war, social injustice and environmental degradation?

Or, is it our epic destiny to live in peace with prosperity for all?

Join the journey to the
future we choose
at Winter SolstiCelebration."

"Not a service, not a show, but something much more, this two-hour event blends a wide spectrum of performing arts, participatory movement and ceremony to guide the audience in an archetypal discovery of our human destiny."

"Dramatic monologues from an Everyman and Everywoman reveal the personal struggles we undertake to make peace with ourselves and our species. The qualities that mankind must master to evolve into a brighter future are brought to life via commentary on the proceedings by a clever but crotchety comedic couple. Both are woven with music, dance, theater, poetry, and even magic and circus arts."

"The core of Winter SolstiCelebration is a passage through three minutes of silent meditation in total darkness, evoking the three-day Winter Solstice period, followed by a dramatic and participatory return of the light. The event concludes with an exuberant dance of attendees through ceremonial gates. A Yule Fest with refreshments follows."

Many deeply spiritual, creative, and thoughtful people come together to make this event a reality. Many many thanks to Amy for inviting me to be a part.

As a reminder, here are my two songs that will be a part...

"Thanks" will be sort of in the middle of the show....

And "I Will Sing" is scheduled to be one of the ways the show comes to an energy climax:

I'm so excited about this.

More later...EF

Update 12/14/11)
Well, the event is now just days away. And it's gonna be amazing. We had a dress rehearsal for the show last night, and it's just lovely. What an honor to be singing with some many talented singers....Lainey Bernstein, Rahim Quazi, Robin Hackett, David Roseblad, Kerri Arrista, Matt Willis, and Andrew Tinker. And, of course, my old friend Cornell Kinderknecht, as co-musical director with Lainey.

Lots of these folks will be joining me on "Thanks" and "I Will Sing."
As a guy who usually performs solo, it's so amazing to hear the backing on this stuff. And the rest of the show is just as amazing. You won't want to miss.

(As always, if you like this post, then "share it" or "like" it on Facebook by clicking the box below, so others can see too...)

The Bottom Line is Still the Bottom Line

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:34:40 PST

More on the death of Jmimytai Damour. Actually, this time some disgusting info about Walmart.

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, click here, here, or here...)

In doing some Googling, I discovered a pitiful CODA to this story. Since the death of Jdimyta three years ago, apparently Walmart has been vigorously contesting a measly $7,000 fine from OSHA.

First reported in the New York Times, many observers have been baffled: Why has Walmart spent upwards of $2 MILLION to fight a $7,000 fine?

The answer seems to be: precedent.

Walmart appears to believe that agreeing to the fine will bind them to legal precedent and perhaps bigger fines, should there be additional incidents in the future.

The bottom line seems to still be the bottom line, and not concern for people.

How pitiful.

(As always, if you like this post, then "share it" or "like" it on Facebook by clicking the box below, so others can see too...)

New Song -- The Martyr of Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (When EF Talks) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:44:45 PST

Today on Facebook, I told everyone I was done with Black Friday and that I was moving on.

Clearly, I am a liar.

A brand new song, about the story that obviously won't let me go, "The Martyr of Black Friday."
Hope you like it.

(Note: I've replaced the YouTube with a quick-and-dirty audio demo that better represents the song. Click the triangle, and wait for the file to load...EF)

The Martyr of Black Friday
Two thousand souls out in the cold
With the turkey on their breath
Thankful but still wanting more
On a night of life and death.

The big man working for the store
Was from a tiny Haitian town
Nobody saw him on the floor
After he went down.

Jdimytai, Jdimytai
I think of you, I still cry
They sold their souls so they could buy
And no one stopped to wonder why,
Jdimytai.

Two thousand years since Mary sang
Her revolution song
Where: "The poor are lifted from their pain."
"The rich are all but gone."

But here and now the poor still find
They're often out of luck
So they push it in those long, long lines
Just to save a buck.

Jdimytai, Jdimytai
I think of you, I still cry
They sell their souls so they can buy
And no one stops to wonder why,
Jdimytai.

The Martyr of Black Friday
Sacrificed for all our sins
For Flatscreens and for Blu-rays
And toys stacked up in bins.

And all to mark a birthday
Where there was no room or inn
When they laid him in the soft hay
And shepherds had no gifts to lend.

Jdimytai, Jdimytai
I think of you, I still cry
We sell our souls so we can buy
And we never stop to wonder why,
Jdimytai.
Jdimytai.
Jdimytai.
Words and Music by Eric Folkerth ©2011. All Rights Reserved.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

OK. So, maybe now I'm done with this story?
I told this to The Judge a moment ago, and she replied, "Maybe the story's not done with you."

Damn.

(As always, if you like this post, then "like" this on Facebook by clicking the box below, so others can see too...)