So go out and live real good

and I promise you, if you do, you're gonna get beat up real bad. But, a little while after you're dead, you'll be rotted away anyway. It's not gonna matter if you have a few scars...when you wash up on that other shore, even though you've been disfigured beyond any recognition, the angels are gonna see you there and they're gonna go, 'What is THIS? We're not even sure if it's human!' But Jesus will say, 'No...that's human. I know that one.'



-- Rich Mullins, shared at a concert on his last tour

Making art

Mike Roe, incredible guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the 77's, the Lost Dogs, and a solo artist, was asked what the role of a christian is in making art. "I would say that the first role would be to do art, and then, to do it as good as you can with as much attention to quality as possible....When that's happening, then the art will reflect who you are, and if you're a christian, it will reflect where you are at that moment, the amount of faith you have, and the journey of your life with Christ, with its ups and downs."

John Michael Talbot’s Little Portion hermitage chapel and common bldg destroyed by fire

From JMT - Written on Tuesday, May 29,2008

Greetings!

Last night the sleep of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, Monastic, was interrupted close to midnight as a raging fire burned our Chapel and Common Center to the ground. Viola and I were the first on the scene as I saw the orange/red glow through our hermitage's back windows. Upon arriving we found there were no hoses capable of stopping the raging flames. I ran up the hill and woke up the community, and we started the almost futile task of spraying down the part of the Common Center that had not yet burned and retrieving anything from inside we could still find.


Although I have seen some house fires, I have never seen anything this big. The flames reached high into the sky. The smoke was very dense, as was the heat. Despite this, our people ventured into the smoky building to retrieve whatever they could reach. Some of us suffered from smoke inhalation. I spent a lot of time trying to get people out of the building before it exploded into flames. We finally surrendered to the inevitability that our Chapel and Common building were going to burn to the ground before the fire company could get to us.
After 30 to 40 minutes the firemen and women began to arrive, followed soon after by the fire trucks and water trucks. Four fire companies responded and did heroic and valiant work at saving the other buildings from being consumed. We are most grateful for our volunteer fire departments!
We lost some most valuable things in the fire. Our community archives were lost and all of the books in our library. The Troubadour stockroom and inventory were lost to the flames. All of the various awards received were melted in the intense heat of the fire. We have some back-ups from computers, but nothing current. It is our hope that most of this is covered by our insurance.
God gave members various words or locutions. I shared that God is stripping us back to what is really essential to our way of life and that we will rebuild with greater efficiency, but in stone. Someone got the image of Gideon, who was repeatedly told by the Lord that he needed fewer men, but men well-prepared for battle. Another said that she got a word that God is with us through this trial. These served to inspire us and to keep our spirits hopeful and filled with faith, hope, and love. I believe we may have lost some buildings, but He will make us stronger for going through this together.
For the immediate future we will pray at our Portiuncula Chapel, which was untouched by the fire (as was most of our Prayer Garden). We will use some vacant hermitages for common meals and community meetings. Another will serve as a temporary office. Many have offered their homes and guest houses to us, but we will get by and keep the praying heart of the Hermitage alive in the months ahead.
Eventually we will have to rebuild. We will rebuild with stone and earth in a way that is environmentally "green." At that point we may ask for donations from our benevolent benefactors. We are humbled and grateful beyond mere words for the outpouring of offers to help with food, housing and other things.





In Jesus,
John Michael Talbot
Founder, and Spiritual Father
The Brothers and Sisters of Charity at Little Portion Hermitage


Would You Like To Help?

We sincerely appreciate any donation you can make to assist in the rebuilding of Little Portion Hermitage Monastery. Your kind donation is tax deductible.


Your continued prayers and generosity are greatly valued. Please know that our community prays for each of you.


Sincerely,

Jim Cosgrove, Operations Manager
John Michael Talbot Ministries
Troubadour for the Lord Music

www.myspace.com/johnmichaeltalbot

www.johnmichaeltalbot.com

Hello all,

Sorry I haven't posted anything here in a while. I've been quite busy, and caught the myspace disease, and things I would have posted here ended up on that blog. So today I'll cut and paste a couple of things over here.

Peace of Christ to you,
Fr. Francis Robert
monk/priest/husband/father/drummer & writer

We don’t find happiness by......


"We do not find happiness by being assertive. We don’t find happiness by running over people because we see what we want and they are in the way of that happiness so we either abandon them or we smash them. The Scriptures don’t teach us to be assertive. The Scriptures teach us—and this is remarkable—the Scriptures teach us to be submissive. This is not a popular idea."

-- Rich Mullins

We lost our beloved cockatiel Athalia


Sunday morning about 8:45 or so, I was making lunch for everybody to eat after church. Athalia began chirping in a strange way I had never heard from her before. So I came around the corner asking, "Whatcha doing, little one?" and couldn’t see her. When I got to her cage (we call it her room), she was sprawled out on the floor with her wings spread. She looked up at me, I picked her up, and she was lifeless. I freaked! I ran out of the house with her and drove her to the pet ER. Shirley wasn’t far behind me. Dr. Jones there said she had no heartbeat and there was nothing he could do. We think she had a heart attack. Lotta crying in our house yesterday!

Our bishop blessed her little self and sent her on. We know she’s with God, the angels and saints around the throne, and we will see her again.

We visited a person who raises birds yesterday afternoon (not yet intending to buy!), and a little one chose us. She’s a pyrrhura (conure, the parrot family -- and can be taught to talk!), green, with some blue feathers and maroon tailfeathers. We couldn’t resist!

So we welcome little Abbey Ruth to our family (I keep threatening to call her Abbey Road! haha).

Larry Norman on divorce

"It takes two people to get married, but it only takes one person to get a divorce."

How true, my brother, how true! And now you can rest from that with our Lord, and from the slander and persecution you endured over the years. Thanks for being true to your calling and to our Lord no matter the assaults.

Larry Norman has passed

Larry Norman, the "father of christian rock," has passed on to be with the Lord. Larry's concert in Houston in 1979 was the first christian concert I ever saw, and I will never forget it. (ArkAngel, Kemper Crabb's band opened, and we were on the 4th row -- it was quite deafening!). Larry showed me it was OK to be a christian and yet be myself, and rock. He made some great music (rock, folk, and worship) over the years, and challenged us to love God and live for Him.


www.larrynorman.com

I'll keep a Larry song and video up for a few days at www.myspace.com/chapelofstfrancis.

May the angels receive you into Paradise, Larry.

Roy Schieder

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Roy Schieder at 75. According to his wife, Brenda Siemer, he had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years, and died of complications from a staph infection.

Schieder starred in numerous movies, and the one released in '76 is one of my all-time favorites.

May the angels receive you into Paradise, Chief Brody.

A short prayer

This is a prayer of Ignatius of Loyala. We don't know if it was actually written by him. It's a meditation on the cross.


Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

Oh good Jesus, hear me.
Within thy wounds hide me.
From the malicious enemy defend me.
In the hour of my death call me,
and bid me come to thee,
that with thy saints I may praise thee,
forever and ever. Amen.

I love music


"Circles" by Switchfoot is on. Sounds great. It's Chinese New Year, and since my wife is mostly Chinese and part Japanese, I'm heading over pretty soon to an authentic Chinese restaurant and pick us up some lunch, to celebrate, when she comes home for lunch. (We both work tonight, so that's nixed us going anywhere tonight.)

I was just sitting here, enjoying my coffee, and kind of thinking about/wondering why it is I like music so much. Shirley likes it, too, but not even in the ballpark of how I like it. Now "Awakening" is on. Cool band, I like 'em. Would like to see them. I remember as a kid building a fort in our garage, and bringing out my transistor radio, comic books, and chips and a soda. I remember my fascination with the music on the radio -- KILT in Houston was the station, it was Top 40 -- and one day they played Cream, Helen Reddy, and Zeppelin all back-to-back. And then their cool jingle aired -- "The Big Six Tennnnn....!" And I was blown away. The music and radio fascinated me all at once. Mom had a great record collection -- everything from the Beatles, to the Ventures, some country and pop -- I grew up listening to all kinds of cool stuff.

My taste all these years later is still as varied. I grew up wanting to play drums, but my parents didn't want the noise, even from the garage! So I began playing in my late 20's. I was adopted, and my understanding is that I've got a biological relative who was a concert pianist....! So I'm probably going to learn how to play piano (banged on the keys yesterday, writing a song for Fung-eye). This music thing must be in my genes. (Maybe I also need to find out who this person is.....)

Music has been a joy and a comfort to me my whole life. I love immensely listening to and playing it. I am thrilled to watch other people play live. I love hearing music with energy and that is well-played, in nearly whatever genre.

Thank God for great and wonderful music.

Dealing With Me

OK, I'm letting Lent happen. (Of course, what choice do I have -- it's here !) What I mean is, if you read in my previous post, I always come to Lent with a jumble of emotions, and even as a monk, I've never seemed to completely get my brain around this idea of "soul-searching" and the like. Yes, I enjoy being quiet and still before our Lord, and enjoying Him. And hearing from the Spirit concerning me, and where I am to be led.

But today, it's a bit deeper. Shirley and I are "Shorty-sitting." Shorty is Sr. Clare's miniature dachsund, and he's been an honorary brother in our order since day one (he's even got his own little habit...!). He's more than a mascot, he's our example: he loves unconditionally. Shirley's at work, I go in later, so it's me and Shorty and Athalia hanging this morning. And the folk-rock band "Seeds" is on -- they're form the Jesus People Covenant Church and community in Uptown Chicago, a group I had the privilege of living and ministering with in the early 90's. Great band and great bunch of people who love and serve.

In "Never Be The Same," here's the line --
So surrender your heart
To the maker of the stars
And the mover of the great four winds
And the healer of your soul
Shirley and I know about the four great winds and the surrender -- we're in Oklahoma City! We moved here from Houston in late '06 without jobs waiting, believing it to be God's will. And He has provided. AND blessed.

But I'm restless. Some of it is good and some of it is not. Time to be transparent: since I've been ordained, I've felt the call of the world stronger than I have in years. Yep, it's true. Now, don't misunderstand -- I'm happy and content with all God has given: my wonderful wife Shirley, our home, all His blessings to us, my new service as a priest (yeah, that's cool, still gettin' my feet wet!), and my awesome daughter Cheyenne, even if I rarely get top see her -- maybe I'll finally post on here about that. (Although, as a priest and a christian, I must try to do it in a way that doesn't directly slam anyone -- I'll let my writing with Fung-eye handle the slam, www.myspace.com/fungeye, check out the song "Fly Me Away.")

Music is one of the pulls. Let me be very straightforward here -- a christian is to do what he/she is called to do. Some of us are to make music and art, period, and that making isn't (for some) supposed to be an evangelistic tool. You may disagree with me. That's OK. Take a look at Bach, and then email me, and we'll talk. Some others are supposed to do music as a ministry. I'm probably supposed to do that (more than just playing in the church worship band). It's easier to just write for, and play in Fungeye. We'll finish the cd (full-length, 11 or so songs) and play out in clubs or wherever. Fungeye is not an evangelistic tool, nor is the band a ministry. Yeah, we're all christians. But we write about life, and have fun doing it. My life personally is to help people come to Christ and walk with Him, but the band's purpose is not to do that. It's to make good music. Honestly, that's easier for me. I want to just go and rock. And do ministry in another part of my life.

Doesn't work that way. Our lives are not to be compartmentalized -- one part christian and another part just regular. No, ALL of our life is christian. He is to have everything. But, homnestly, right now, the pull is very hard from the world, the flesh, and the devil, to do a lot of things I should not do -- things I am commanded to NOT do. Don't act shocked. Here's why I wrote this -- because you feel the pull, too. It's human and normal, we just feel it in different ways. Being tempted is not a sin. How we feel is not a sin; it's the dwelling on something that's wrong and the acting on something that's wrong -- now, THAT IS sin.

This Lenten season, join me, as weak human beings, in drawing closer to our great God, Who loves us in spite of ourselves. Remember: He lived on the planet for 33+ years, and felt everything we do, the writer of Hebrews tells us. So He knows how we feel. This minister, your brother in Christ, isn't going to sugar-coat anything about the christian life to make it go down any easier. You'll get the whole truth here. Truth: life is hard (yet joyful), and the world will pull hard. We are weak, but we musn't give in and then have to deal with the consequences of whatever it is (been there, done that, no shirt). The writer of Hebrews also wrote that our Lord won't allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. So grin and bear it, and draw close to our God in this Lenten season, and enjoy Him. Be strong and at peace in Him.

Email if you need prayer, the sacrament of confession, or to talk, or if I can help you in any way. Peace of Christ be with you.

Ash Wednesday thoughts: or, Don't be an ash

As a priest, I feel it is my duty to post an Ash Wednesday devotion here, to help us get going on this Lent thing. Why do I say it that way? Because honestly, I seem to always come to Lent with a jumble of emotions and struggle to get myself in a "Lenten" mode. This year is no different. This is my first year to do Lent as a priest, and I'm used to just showing up at church and the priest doing the service, and doing my prayers at home. Not so, this year.

OK, I've got a good way to start. Shirley and my friends, Todd and Becca (guitarist and vocalist for "Stage Dive," the band I played drums with in Houston), were adopted by a cat a few years ago, on Ash Wednesday, so they named him "Ash." Nah, that won't work. OK, maybe I should get a little more personal. St. Francis, whose name I took at my monastic vows (for many reasons), called his body "Brother Ass." There, that's personal -- because that's me. He called himself that because he had a hard time doing what God asked him to do. And so do I, sometimes very much so. Paul wrote that he did the things he didn't want to do, and had a hard time doing the things he should do. We all do. We fool ourselves into thinking that if we are humanly fulfilled -- married to the right person (and when things are going well in our marriage), blessed financially (our bills are paid, even if just barely!), are able to do what we're called to do, and have other stuff in our lives that are enjoyable -- when things are going right, so to speak, that we'll be OK, there won't be any struggles in life.

Sorry (I say this to myself), life doesn't work that way. We will always struggle with -- self. We are selfish. It's never enough. It's our nature to always want more, to not be content with all that God has given us. It's easy to look at other people and envy them, and think, "Man, if I could only make what they make, and have that car and that house......" Well, we get the point. Spock once told Kirk that the wanting is often better than the having. And he was right.

A brother of Francis' found him outside one cold winter's night, building snowmen. And talking to himself -- calling them his wife and children. I'm glad our monastic order is modeled after the ancient Celts -- we can marry. But he couldn't. So he built those snowmen and called them wife and children, and reminded himself that with that privilege (as with anything else God gives us) comes the responsibility of taking care of it.

God has given us what we need, and what He knows we can take care of. He gives us all we need, the Bible teaches us. One night, Francis was found rolling in the snow naked, and once into a thorn bush. Why? To deal with himself, so he could continue to do what God had asked him to do. Thankfully, God doesn't call us to literally roll in snow or thorns. But He calls us to do that in our own way. This Lent, we have the privilege to draw close to Him, and tell Him what's on our mind and heart: that we want more than what we're already blessed with, that we sometimes aren't thankful enough -- and that we don't want to be that way. It's our human nature. To ask Him for help. To have my roll in the snow with God.

So today, whether your church does ashes on the forehead or not (ours does -- come get 'em tonight if you want), today it's OK to be an "ash" -- to be humble before God and enjoy Him.

Now, it's time to go sit behind my drum kit and pull another muscle -- I pulled one at work yesterday moving crates, I pulled one last night behind my kit (when I got quite animated!), and now it's time to go do it again! I have a goal to reach. And, as with all goals, especially spiritual ones, we have to expend a lot of effort. The peace of Christ to you.

Austin Wayne Dyson has Arrived!!!!

Kim and Austin are doing fine. Austin came into the world Saturday afternoon January 26th at 2:14pm weighing 8 lbs 5.1 oz 20 1/2 inches.

It was a great adventure as we almost didn't make it to the hospital. Kim says she never really had labor pains, just heavy pressure. Heavy pressure was 15 minutes apart for about 45 minutes, then it went quick to 3 minutes apart for about 10 minutes. We broke all traffic laws when they went to 2 minutes apart and she said "I need to PUSHHH!!!!" I said NOOOO!!! screaming "NOT YET!" We were in the middle of a major intersection not moving as heavy cross traffic wouldn't let us through. I guess they wanted to see a birth right there in the intersection. Well we got to the hospital and still chaos, no wheelchairs as I ran around with my head cut off screaming for help. I found a wheelchair as the nice lady said "do I need to call a nurse?" I'm sure I had a stupid look on my face when I said "call everyone we're having a baby in the parking lot!!" I ran back to the car to see Kim's face and it said we're about to give birth Right NOW in the car! Once I got her seated in the wheelchair I ran with her through the halls to the third floor with all personnel in harmony running to the room where we would deliver. We barely got Kim into the delivery bed when Austin came. Wow... I couldn't believe my eyes.

The first 48 hours have been real rough for this 42 year old. My body says 8 hours sleep, not 1, maybe 2, or 3. This will take some getting used too. Hope to be back on the air soon. Kim and I need much rest. We are so grateful to all who have been praying for us. It was real neat to witness one of our Lords amazing miracles take place with my very own eyes.

one new proud daddy!!!!

Otis Dyson

Be

It's Tuesday morning, and I'm dealing with me. We all do it -- we fall short, either in attitude, thought or action. And we go to our Lord and receive forgiveness. And that's an awesome thing. Yet we are beset by sin, and by ourselves -- our propensity to sin, and things we are trying to overcome.

The good thing is that our God calls us to be. Just be. Be in relation to Him. Be as close to Him as we can. And to do our best. He is a good God, and He walked here -- He knows how we feel. That helps. But He calls us to be -- so, even when we blow it (and it will happen) -- we can rest in Him, receive His forgiveness, and get up and go on again. Sometimes it takes us a while to enjoy that forgiveness. And that's OK, too.

But in Him, we can rest -- just be -- in Him.

God's Mercy

I am thankful God's mercy to me isn't dependent on my faithfulness. It's Monday, and it IS a Monday today. It's human to get restless, and to find that in any moment in any given day, in your heart and mind, you're not where you want to be. I don't mean physically, although that may factor into it. What I mean is, we at times find that we are not behaving or thinking in line with who we are in Christ. Thank God that His mercy isn't dependent on me or you.


Blessings,
Fr. Francis

Austin Wayne Dyson Comes Into the World

Austin Wayne Dyson came into the world Saturday, January 26, 2008, in Houston Texas, at 2:14 pm. The proud parents are Shirley's and my friends Otis and Kim Dyson. He was 8 lbs., 5 oz., and 20 1/2 inches. When Otis and I were on the phone, he demonstrated his good set of lungs!!

Of course, Otis will have him on the radio with him ASAP (Cheyenne has been on numerous times with me!). Father, we ask for Your hand to be on Your child Austin. Bless Him as he comes into the world. Protect Him from all evil. We pray He would grow up knowing You, and serve You with all his might. Let Him be a joy to his parents and let them be a joy to him. Fill him with your Spirit and give him the joy of knowing and serving You. We ask for Your blessing on Austin now in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.+ Amen.

Saturday Morning

Athalia and I are enjoying a little Daddy/daughter time this morning. (Athalia is our cockatiel. Maybe I should say we're her humans.) Shirley is at work and I go in later. The house is quiet and peaceful, and we're enjoying the morning together. I'm enjoying some good black coffee. And looking forward to worship tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!

Fr Francis

Thursday Morning

We have Morning Prayer and Eucharist here at Mercy House every weekday morning. We use the St. Augustine Prayer Book (as does the rest of our Order, the Order of St. John the Beloved (Franciscan)) with a prayer of St. Francis, and our Eucharist liturgy a mix of a couple of different Anglican liturgies and the Roman Rite. We light candles on the altar (in addition to the sanctuary lamp already burning there -- this is the altar where the Reserved Sacrament is kept), burn incense and have a Chant cd on low most mornings, and of course, enjoy good coffee.

One day last week that it was especially cold outside, and due to the fact that the Bonny is heated by a space heater, it was cold in the room -- but I'm guessing another 10 degrees warmer at the altar after we've received (hmmm, wonder why -- maybe the Presence of the Lord? :)). (The "Bonny" Room is the Oratory of St. Bonaventure, our combination chapel/library/music room.) Today, Clare and Shirley have left to go to work (I go later), and I'm walking back into the house proper, when I notice that the incense has wafted its way into the rest of the house. Mmmmm. Love the smell. It always reminds me that out brothers and sisters the saints are already there praying for us, that He is receiving their and our prayers, and of His Presence and peace with us. Alleluia.


Fr. Francis

Trying to See the Miracles

I came across this great interview the Phantom Tollbooth did with Mike Roe. He's the frontman, guitarist and vocalist of the 77's, and other great projects like the Lost Dogs. (Go to www.myspace.com/okcdrummerman or www.myspace.com/fungeye, and in the friends section click on "77's", and check out their music.) Mike tells it like it is.




Roe: Now I’m staring down a whole other part of my life I never could relate to except from parents and grandparents and I always looked at this part of your life as boring, and staid and stoic and consumed with money making and bill paying and aches and pains and, presto! That’s what it is! Sure enough. But I’m doing it my way. I’m not doing it the way my parents did it. I’m in pain, and I’m paying bills in my own style.

Tollbooth: So you’re hanging on to some of that identity you forged in your youth.

Roe: Well, they say in your forties you exchange all your emotional problems for physical ones. That’s a half truth. You retain your emotional problems, and add physical ones.

Tollbooth: Oh, lovely.

Roe: That’s if you haven’t lived right, if you haven’t done your homework. I don’t know, everyone goes through their own thing in their own time. Everyone has their own challenges and if you don’t screw up, someone else will, or some other thing will come along that will present you with a problem. Or several.

The Kingdom of God

What I’m trying to do, as much as possible, is focus on the positive, wonderful things about my life more, rather than when I was a lot younger, I took for granted those things. Because you feel like you are going to live forever, and you just assume the world owes you happiness and living. Now I don’t take anything for granted. Or I try not to. I still do, but I’m more conscious of being grateful rather than expecting that life is just going to go my way. I try to see the miracles in what I have.

It’s like, why doesn’t God heal anymore? Well, God just healed you of this, that and the other, it’s just that you take for granted the fact your body heals itself ninety-five percent of the time. It’s more like that. I’m living miracles every day., but that’s where you have eyes to see it and ears to hear it. I think that is the essence of part of what Christ’s teaching about the kingdom of God was about. That it’s within you, it’s around you, but you have to have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. He spent a good deal of his time telling stories in ways that would get people’s eyes and ears open to see what it was they could already be in possession of it they would just see it and then receive it.

Tollbooth: Yes, and that was God’s only son telling them those things.

Roe: Yes. So I have to believe that’s kind of a good paradigm for life, especially this part of my life where every day is a privilege.

Tollbooth: And you are very involved with your daughter, despite your divorce. Is that part of that paradigm?

Roe: That is absolutely. That is the paradigm. My daughter is just everything to me. I see the world through her eyes now rather than my own That’s made a big difference.



Yeah, the interview is copyright, so don't sue me. I liked a lot of things the Mike said here. One is learning how to be who you are, wherever you are in life. "I’m doing it my way. I’m not doing it the way my parents did it. I’m in pain, and I’m paying bills in my own style."

And that when you hit your forties, "Well, they say in your forties you exchange all your emotional problems for physical ones. That’s a half truth. You retain your emotional problems, and add physical ones." People will "screw up" -- "if you don’t screw up, someone else will, or some other thing will come along that will present you with a problem. Or several." Yet, the way is "being grateful rather than expecting that life is just going to go my way. I try to see the miracles in what I have. You have to have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. He [Jesus] spent a good deal of his time telling stories in ways that would get people’s eyes and ears open to see what it was they could already be in possession of it they would just see it and then receive it....I have to believe that’s kind of a good paradigm for life, especially this part of my life where every day is a privilege."

Good thoughts for today and every day.

Fr. Francis