i thought i would conduct an informal survey regarding the music of Vigilantes of Love or Bill Mallonee.

It seems i keep learning of folks in the blogosphere who listen or have seen Bill perform throughout the years.

i would love to hear from visitors to this site what your Bill Quotient is.

1. Do you listen to Bill?
2. Have you seen him live?
3. How many albums of Bill's do you own?
4. How did you learn about Bill?
5. How many years have you been a fan of Bill's?
6. Any favorites?

On Monday, i will answer all the same questions and reveal my BQ.

For those who visit this site and have no experience with Bill or VOL, feel free to make a comment about a musician you like. i am always interested in hearing other artists. Have a great weekend.

Thanks.

My thanks to Sainteros for his comment on yesterday's post regarding my friend Art.

i think it is one of the greatest surprises in all of life, that with the dashing of self-made plans, and _ ultimately, idols _ comes Real Life. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came to give us life to the full.

In my case, i had to get the rug pulled out from under me to see that i had been attempting to arrange life to the full for myself on my terms, but to disastrous results. Talking with my friend Art always reminds me of the Wildness of God; that He loves us too much to leave us to ourselves and our lives of falsehood, however well we have disguised it.

Providence, as a pastor friend of mine said recently, wears many strange faces. And so it is with the calamities of life. God is a relentless pursuer; i believe it was Augustine who referred to Him as the Hound of Heaven (somebody please check me on that). He seems so intent _ as demonstrated in the Incarnation _ on ransoming the hearts of His people that He will go to great lengths _ leveling entire civilizations if necessary.

Grace upon Grace and the strange dance of our weakness and His Strength. He is beyond me indeed, and yet in the Gospel Christ calls us His friends. Many are His wonders.

i was speaking with my friend Art Canning last night and was struck by the words of the late A.W. Tozer. it was Tozer who said that he doubted whether God could greatly use a man until He had greatly broken that man.

Art is suffering from Hodgkins Disease, and it is always a blessing to talk with him. at 24, he has learned, and is learning still, valuable lessons which many learn much later in life _ if at all.

Art was talking about how God is taking away from him all the external or personal things Art used to rely on for strength, comfort and a sense of identity. instead, Art told me, God is showing him that He alone is all Art needs and Art should only get his significance from that.

What powerful words, and vital truth.

It is a great moment when God brings a person to that place of which Art speaks.

What a blessing it is to read good writing. i just started The Curate of Glaston, a triology by Scottish writer George MacDonald. C.S. Lewis cited MacDonald as his literary mentor, and it is easy to see why. MacDonald turns a phrase skillfully, using words accurately and describing people as well as scenes well enough to put the reader in the place. Lewis' ability to communicate profound truths clearly may have been a gift God had already given him before reading MacDonald, but even still, the Englishman's craft was no doubt refined after encountering the Scotsman's work.

Good writing, always indispensable, is especially attractive and inspiring because there is so little of it these days.

Tea and Sympathy

From the little bit of reading and investigation i have undertaken, i have learned that tea was discovered or invented (depending on your sources) in China for medicinal reasons, originally, but later became a social drink instead. Now, tea is the world's most popular beverage. Perhaps the Chinese were on to something with the medicinal approach _ it seems therapeutic to me.

Little else matches the joy of a good cup of tea, and the British, who say that tea cures all ills, have found a way to make time for tea a part of the daily schedule. Now that's something i could get into.

My enjoyment of tea, as well as my education, have been greatly increased ever since a visit to the Wayne Tea Salon in Wayne, Pa. Proprietor Peggy Stevens does not yet have a web site _ she tells me it is under construction _ but when she does, it will become a permanent link at this site.

David and Bathsheeba

After spending some time with II Samuel 11, i was unavoidably drawn to I Pet. 5:8-11. What stark language, a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. David found out what that means.

The Battle is real and intense, as much today as when the words roaring lion seeking someone to devour where written. No wonder we are commanded to be sober minded and alert; elsewhere we are told to put on the full armor of God to wage war against the devil's schemes (Eph. 6:10-18).

The devil is a schemer, a liar, one who masquerades as an angel of light. Our Father is true.

And we are not who we once were Col. 1:13-14.

In my journey through the Word, i have been reading in II Samuel the past week, and i was struck by something yesterday. i have just finished reading Chapter 10 of II Samuel, and in Chapter 11 we read the story of David's sin with Bathsheeba. i think it is interesting to read the story of David and Bathsheeba in context, rather than as a story which stands alone.

David's adultery comes in the midst of his increasing power and success in various military campaigns. he is growing as a leader and God is blessing him at every turn. Then comes the adultery.

What strikes me about it is that we see the intrusion, yet again, of our great Enemy on the stage of history as he wages war against God's people. Yes, David made wrong choices, but those choices were not made in a vacuum. The Enemy knew what to go after in David's life _ his lust.

i think about the strategic nature of The Enemy's attack on David _ it was well-timed and powerful. Because David gave in to the temptation, the horror unleashed on his family and the nation of Israel were devastating.

And then i think about our lives today. The Enemy is real . . . the Battle against him and his schemes is real . . . and i must be equipped, prepared with the the armor of God as revealed in Eph. 6.

i also am greatly encouraged by the story of David. God still worked through an adulterous murderer. He can still do something in and through me.

Well, the heat wave must be taking its toll on me today, it's a struggle to formulate even a few thoughts . . . which makes doing my job a little harder than usual.

i read on barukatash that he is coming to see Bill Mallonee at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia in October _ the 17th, to be exact. that's right in my back yard, so i probably will be at that show also. perhaps we could arrange a secret handshake or a password and make each other's acquaintance in real (rather than cyber) space.

Francis Mooney has an interesting post about the Washington Post and and editorial on a piece written by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Amazing how the Post wrote so few words criticizing a lengthy piece by Justice Scalia and thinks they have done a quality job of arguing against the justice's position.