Pastor John Van Sloten

Hockey is a unique product of Canada’s divine cultural calling — and one of its best.

This Sunday a sacred ritual will play out.

And the faithful will gather from sea to sea to sea. Congregating on the edges of our couches, eyes glued to our sets, we’ll get caught up in an ecstasy, lost in a glory. And for a few rapturous moments we’ll experience what can only be described as heaven on earth.

By John Van Sloten for the Vancouver Sun.

Read the full article here.

CBC Radio 1010 Calgary – sound bite on John’s upcoming “Hockey” sermon. (mp3)

One day I’d like to preach on the justice system; how God is revealed through our society’s laws. Yesterday I found a great sermon introduction in the person of James Lockyer…

Lockyer is a defense lawyer famous in Canada for his work in freeing those unjustly imprisoned. Reading a short biography of the man in the Globe and Mail this weekend, I couldn’t help but think about how Lockyer’s heart is reflective of God’s.

“Each time he accompanies an exonerated murder defendant out of a courthouse and into a crush of reporters, James Lockyer lives a sublime moment that most lawyers can only dream of experiencing. As Mr. Lockyer stands off to one side, content and vastly relieved, his startled client – so recently reviled as the worst of the worst – struggles to describe what it is like to be welcomed back to the human race.”

Surely this is God’s heart of justice for all of us!

This Sunday I’ll be preaching on Regina Spektor’s hit song, “Laughing with…” It’s a poignant commentary on God and faith. Here’s the link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rov3pV9PsRI What do you think God is saying through this artist’s musings?

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
laughing at God

Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, November 12 2009 @ 12:03 AM PST
Wow, I was hoping if I left this a few days someone might comment…
I guess not!
The main thing I get out of her song (which is probably the most obvious
thing) is the idea that when life is peachy keen we don’t need God, and so
the idea of a creator and saviour is laughable. I mean, who needs God when
you’ve got more money than you need, a perfect house, delicious food, and
all the fun you can handle? It’s like the man who stored up all the food in
his barns and thought “I’ve got it made.” In our affluence it is easy to feel
like we’re in control and that we can handle anything.
Of course when things go wrong it’s like the floor falls out and people
wonder what they’ve done to deserve it. All of a sudden they HOPE they’re
not in control, because they have no idea how to fix it. That’s when the idea
of God maybe isn’t so laughable or unneeded. All of a sudden it’s like
“Somebody save me!” Of course when things go well again it’s just as easy
to forget the one that helped you out. You can convince yourself it was
really you.
But back to the guy that built up his barn… we can’t forget that God said,
“You FOOL! Tonight you die, and then what will become of your wealth?”
That line makes me think of “we’re laughing with God.” Maybe we think
we’re laughing at him, but ultimately he is in control and maybe he is
laughing with us because of our ignorance. Not that I think he would take
pleasure in our suffering or ignorance, it’s more the meaning behind the
words than the literal interpretation.
It’s easy to believe there is no God when you walk through life meeting all of
your own needs and feeling like you’re the center of the universe. Maybe
another Galileo needs to come along and say, “Um, actually, you’re not in
the centre. You’re just a part of a huge galaxy.”
Again, this seems to be the very base, surface meaning of the song, but that
is what hit me about it first, so I thought I’d share since no one else did. I
know there are probably a lot deeper interpretations out there and I hope
someone posts one or two!

laughing at God
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, November 22 2009 @ 06:00 PM PST
This song tells us to always have fellowhip with God–not just when we need Him.

Cool Site
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, November 28 2009 @ 03:51 PM PST
I have always enjoyed your site and this article is no exception. I have never commented here before but thought this was a good time to give you some props. Keep up the good work.

For the next two weeks I’m going to be speaking on God’s good gift of alcohol. I’m hoping to better understand why he gave it to us and what it means to imbibe in a Christ like way. Jesus clearly drank, so what does his example mean for us today? And what it is about alcohol…

in particular, that makes it such a gift? What can we learn about the mind and heart of God (it’s maker) through it’s nature and effects? If you have any thoughts, please comment.

-Part 1 can be found here -

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Jesus and the joy of drinking
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, September 08 2009 @ 08:00 PM PDT

I have to be honest, I have never really made the connection between God and alcohol or really considered it as a gift from Him. Appreciate it as I do at times, I often have a bit of an internal conflict when it comes to alcohol. I have seen too clearly the damage it can cause…like any good thing I suppose, we (people in general) have a capacity to grant it this unwarranted power in our lives.
There is this wonderful aspect to alcohol…a beautiful wine that can be just so perfect with a wonderful meal…with its ability to warm your soul a bit and bring this calm, or an ice cold beer after a day of yard work under the sun, or a perfectly blended margarita overlooking an ocean sunset. There is something about not only the flavours, but that little bit of a buzz that you can just kind of melt in to. I sometimes try to imagine, when I’m drinking a perfect wine, what it would feel like to break bread and sip a dark red wine, or even a bubbly white wine with my friend Jesus and it always kind of makes me smile. And for that, I have this rather holy appreciation for alcohol.
But…I’ve also walked close to that place of really needing it, using it as a crutch to see me through a stressful day or to numb me to something that I don’t feel like facing. I’ve seen people I love and care about unable to control how much they drink…and I’ve seen how ugly it can be. I’ve walked in on people passed out in the middle of the day because they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) stop drinking. I’ve watched grown men make fools of themselves, and young men almost kill themselves…(and actually, at times successfully kill others. ) I’ve seen love turn to hate, wisdom turn to folly, brilliance become obscured. I’ve seen young women lose their dignity, their security and their innocence because of it. And for that, I have this very holy loathing towards alcohol.
It is a conundrum.

As for what it reveals to me about God…well…I haven’t arrived there yet, but I look forward to hearing other perspectives.

Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, September 12 2009 @ 07:55 AM PDT

(I just previewed my comment and don’t know why it shows I wrote this on Dec 31/69 … technology)

I have just read Pastor John’s article in the newspaper and would just like to comment as I have wrestled with the question whether it was wise to drink as a Christ follower. Let me tell you my conclusions:

- Having a glass of wine is not a sin unless we’ve been convicted by the Holy Spirit to not drink.

- The problem is though when someone sees me with my glass of wine they have no way of knowing whether it’s my first or fifth and my goal is to be a testimony and not possibly cause someone to stumble.

- Drinking in the privacy of my home … my kids see me and think it’s okay … kids copy us and there is no way a teenager can drink responsibly.

- I want to be available, be obedient and serve my Lord 24/7 and after having alcohol I have found that my mind is not as sharp. If I have opportunity to be used by God … I’m not available.

- Yes, I believe Jesus drank, but, our precious Lord was sinless and I do not know where that line is when I drink. Do I sin after 1 glass, 1 1/2, 2? This is one sin that I can totally avoid by abstinence. I, of course, have other areas that I struggle but I can totally shut the door on this one.

- You say in your article to drink in moderation but what is moderation? It actually is the point of sin and for each persons body that is different. I cannot count the number of get together/parties of all Christians where alcohol was served and seldom did people drink as Jesus and his followers did. People had many drinks, got louder, laughed more, did silly things … sounds like the world. We’re to be in the world not of the world.

- Really, what good comes from drinking? The buzz? I believe that Satan has put a big red bow on drinking and that we as believers think we can handle it but often times fail miserably. We open a door that allows the Devil a foothold that can be the beginning of all sorts of heartache.

- My conclusion, abstinence is a wise way to live.

Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, September 12 2009 @ 07:02 PM PDT
I just got this email from another commentator…

Hey John,

How negligent of me! I meant to comment on your blog earlier this week, but then the week happened. Anyway, it will take too long to get an account to comment on your blog.

I didn’t drink until I was 29. Grew up in the SDA church where drinking was abstained from, though I had had beer and wine before, but like once a year or less. I think I was old enough to have decided on a balance and what could be consumed so that it wouldn’t be detrimental to my health or anyone else’s.

Now, I am between ambivalent and excited about alcohol. I don’t NEED a beer when I get home from work, but I do enjoy a couple a week. I don’t NEED a glass of wine at every meal, but I do enjoy a few a month when it’s special. Usually, when AMber offers me a beer, I reconsider and take water instead. I like the taste, the feeling, but it’s not the best taste nor the best feeling.

What I am excited about is being able to share a drink with a friend.
The knowledge that both parties are going to let down their guard a bit and enter a more intimate conversation is very appealing to me. I met a Bulgarian guy who wanted to introduce me to a friend of his. I went over to his friend’s house and before we could visit we each had to take a shot of some Bulgarian liquor – kind of a trust thing I think, but it was multipurposed – they offered me some of their best, a pinnacle of Bulgarian culture and they showed that they weren’t going to hide anything and neither was I. We didn’t get drunk, but we were open. Again this past summer, I was at a stag/staggette party which was really just a drinking party a couple days before a wedding.
Most people’s intention was to connect with others and alcohol helped that happen – some really memorable conversations about Chile, the education system, Obama, music, travel and purpose.

One of the comments on your blog and several of my friends bring up the “stumbling block” issue. I prefer setting an example to my children or my students or my friends as to how alcohol can be enjoyed in a God honouring way. I hope that my son or daughter will never find me like Noah’s sons found him. Instead I hope that when they partake, they will follow their parents’ lead and drink in moderation (or even a little more when it’s safe) with good intentions and a desire for relationship.

… And I think people can easily tell if it’s your first of second glass or your seventh or eighth glass of wine.

I look forward to hearing your talk. Should stir the pot a bit.

Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, September 18 2009 @ 01:14 PM PDT

i grew up seventh day adventist in one of those churches of can’t eat or drink anything good. i have since enjoyed studying judiasm (note i am and will always be christian.) and the jewish perspective is completely different than the conservative christian view. we are all too enjoy life, and the gifts given to us in life. i applaud you in teaching the enjoyment of living. life is wonderful, and so is your message.

(originally sent at an email to NHC)

Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, September 19 2009 @ 12:12 PM PDT

After reading the article that ran in the Calgary Sun today entitled “In the name of the father, son, holy spirits,” I found myself both surprised and annoyed by the issues presented within the article. I understand the need to make a church “relevant” and accessible, however, I do not believe that we do this by means of watering down the word of God or twisting it to suit our own needs. Alcohol was not meant, in my opinion, as a gift from God in order to help us relax or cover pain. Far too many people have fallen into the trap of self medicating their own pain as opposed to going to God with it, and knowing that God is not far off from us when we are in pain and emotional distress. My fear is that people who are young and impressionable, ones who look to you for your guidance and leadership, will now find themselves with an excuse to use alcohol in a way that is damaging to their own well- being. God never meant for us to cover our pain, by means of anything, but to go to Him with our pain and know that He is our healer, and “ever present help in time of need.”

You stated that ” No drinking and driving, and we want to avoid the debauchery.” Yet you also stated within the article that alcohol is a gift in which it “lubricates communities and allows us to drop our walls and inhibitions.” The fact of the matter is that when our inhibitations are lowered by means of alcohol, the brain and body do not function they way that they do sober, and you will end up with people who drink and drive, people who fall much easier onto paths that they should not go down, and end up with regrets. You will also have individuals who find themselves addicted to the easy, fast and cheap way to cover their pain, and not know when to stop.

I believe that you need to consider these factors, your audience and the rationale before such a message is delievered. Without a doubt, there will be people in your audience who are wear and vulnerable, and do not know when to put down the bottle. There will also be people who do not yet know that one night of drinking may be too much and find themselves struggling…their struggle beginning in the roots of your message.

I do not think that a drink here and there is necessarily wrong. What I do strongly believe, however, is alcohol is NOT a gift in covering pain, as you say. It simply draws out the healing process and instead of going to a bottle, people should know how they can go to God and close friends to help them heal from their pain.

Jesus and the joy of drinking

Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, September 23 2009 @ 11:01 AM PDT

As someone who was present for Part 1 and Part 2 of the Sunday messages that Pastor John gave I can tell you that the Sun article does not give a good representation of what he is actually saying. The tone is completely different. It looks like they just picked out pieces that they thought would make an interesting article. I suggest you listen to the messages online. I do believe, however, that alcohol IS a gift from God, just like sex is or food. It almost seems like the greater the gift, the greater the possibility for abuse is. God gives us these gifts and its up to us to practice self control. As a society we tend to over-indulge on just about everything and then we blame the product instead of our own lack of self control.

Sunday after church a highly motivated and energetic young woman came up to me and asked, “So now what? I’ve read the book and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next.” Earlier this month I assigned some homework to our community; read The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton, and try to figure out where God is revealing himself in the text (in the book itself and in the phenomenon of travel)…

The whole idea of God speaking through creation (and the cultural products of creation like travel and good books on travel) was relatively new to this woman. She’d recently started attending our church, and came from a different Christian faith background. She was having a bit of trouble understanding her homework. I briefly explained the process again. There are three questions you need to ask yourself;

1. What makes travel so good? Try to identify the good human passions and desires that travel evokes. Be specific.
2. Why do you think God made you with those passions and desires? Can you imagine how these same yearnings might operate in relation to him?
3. Given the fact that we’re made in the image of God (in a way made like him), what do these yearnings teach us about what God is like?

She nodded as I went on about the process, and then said, “But where do you start?”

It was a good question; because the book is brilliantly written and filled with all kinds of good, godly truth in this regard. So much so that it would be a bit confusing. The day before our conversation I’d read just one chapter of the text and got so excited. I figured there were four sermons in those few pages alone.

I told her to pick the point that was most numinous to her and work with it. “If it really matters to you,” I said, “Then you’ll have the heart to read it right. I think part of your confusion comes from the fact that this book is really quite brilliant. There’s so much God-truth there that it’s hard to sift it all out and choose just one part.”

Then it hit me. The truly brilliant products of human culture – the best books, theories, entrepreneurial ideas, pieces of art, or sporting events – are like those ‘thin places’ the ancient Celts used to talk about. Certain monastic islands, church ruins or Irish causeways were understood to be places where the veil between our world and the other world was thin. Earth and heaven were understood to be very close in these holy locales. The legends of old affirmed their mystical provenance. The Spirit lingered there.

And it’s true. When I read the most eloquent literature, you are there God; the pages seem thin. During the height of an NHL hockey playoff run your presence seems so passionately close; my sense of being alive illumines your life. When that most brilliant idea comes to my mind I sense your mindfulness, your creativity, your immanent imagination. The best of what humanity has to offer – those times when we most fully live up to what you made us to be – becomes holy cultural ground. Thin places are not just geographical.

“Find that thin place for you,” I told the woman.

I just saw this image in an old TIME LIFE book. The caption read, “A six year old orphan from Austria ecstatically embraces a brand new pair of shoes just given to him by the Red Cross.” It’s a powerful image, and in my mind it’s a parable; The parable of the prodigal son…

When that self-orphaned prodigal came home again, his gracious, Red Cross-like father embraced him, and gave him a new pair of shoes. Surely he felt like the boy in the photo. Surely this is the same parable. Surely Christ has authored both stories.

(The boy’s tattered old shoes reminded me of this Van Gogh painting)

And the images became this Easter Sunday sermon;

Ok, here’s the homework for this Sunday’s sermon on photography. Take a photo that looks like this photo. Try to make it look as much the same as possible. That’s it. It only took me ten seconds to take this very ordinary shot, with no real planning or preparation. So it shouldn’t take you too long to replicate it. Then email your image to stories@openoureyes.ca and to me at johnvs@newhopechurch.ca Thanks!

And here’s our first attempt…

And our second (clever!)…

OK. I need some help for next week Sunday’s message. As I mentioned at church this morning, I want to know why you find a connection with New Hope Church (assumming you do). What is it about this church that makes it relevant to you? Why are you a part of this community? If you could just post your response as a comment (or email it to me), it would be greatly appreciated.
Listen John’s message here

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

why new hope church?
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, December 30 2008 @ 11:57 AM PST
I’ve been to lots of churches over the years. I was born into the Anglican tradition. I’ve been to the Vineyard, and a nondenominational church that tried to bridge the gap between Christianity and the New Age movement. All of these communities had a different focus and flavour, and they were all good for me for a season. I believe that God creates communities and places for people within communities. For this season I believe God has created a place for me here – at New Hope. He has something for me to do here, and something for me to learn here. I’ve never been one of those people who worries too much about the denomination of a church. As Bono once told Oprah – “I don’t care whose name is on the house, as long as God is in the house.” (Or something like that). God is in the house here!
I’ve been working on this theory over the past few years that I like to call “Practical Mysticism”. My personal version is still full of holes, but the gist of it is that God manifests himself through people. We pray for the world to be a better place. God tells us to get up off our knees and give money to help out Inn From the Cold or Thandana or Ubuntu. He tells us to sign up as a volunteer, or stop to talk to that person who looks down, or be nice when you’re out driving on the winter roads. We somehow participate in making the world a better place. There is some sort of balance between experiencing God in that indescribable, vertical, mystical thinness, and living God as we interact with the world around us. New Hope is all about finding God and living God in everything we do – in short – ‘Practical Mysticism’.

why new hope church?
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, December 30 2008 @ 01:15 PM PST
Initially I came because my kids really liked it. Now I come because the vision here is what I think the vision of a church should be, it fits with who I am and how I think. I also stay because of the people, there are some amazing people here, thinkers, doers, encouragers, lovers – all giving the gifts and talents they have.

why new hope church?
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, December 30 2008 @ 02:03 PM PST
i love that families are working together at new hope – serving others and making church happen. kids handing out programs with their parents, stacking chairs, passing the collection baskets and helping out with kids younger than they are. awesome.

why new hope church?
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, December 30 2008 @ 03:32 PM PST
As I’ve attended NHC my uderstanding of God has continued to grow. The idea of God being always present, always active in my life has awakened me to a whole new perspective of my daily routine. God cares about my job, family, even my hockey team…He not only cares but I sense his presence on those tough days, or whispering in my ear when decisions have to be made. You see, when I opened myself up to the possibility of God “doing stuff” all around me, every day of the week, it seems as though that not a week goes by where I don’t trip over God revealing himself in a way I never thought of before. It is not just a Sunday morning thing where I learn more about God any more. It is because of Sunday morning that I learn more about God and what he is doing in my life and life all around me every hour and every day of the week. And this is just my little, navel gazing life, my imagination is too small to take on what God does in this world fully and completely. So this is why New Hope is my church, to unlock more of the mystery, and to do this in a community of people who care and serve. C

why new hope church?
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, December 31 2008 @ 07:36 AM PST
When I attend New Hope, I’m always excited to hear what Pastor John has to say. His inspirational words always lift my spirit and give me the hope that I need to get through another week of my life. Pastor John relates all things going on in the current world to God and gives me a new perspective on them. A pastor is a very important part of a church for me, as I crave encouragement and enlightenment and Pastor John always delivers. Keep up the good work!!!!!!!

why new hope church?
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, January 03 2009 @ 05:53 PM PST
Why NHC for me?
It is a place to see and feel and know and love and experience and believe in God without borders and without the requisite shame that came with the God of my youth. It is a place to be real about who I am …about what I think or feel or believe or wear. It is a safe place to wonder..to worship, to be disillusioned even. It is a place on a journey…like all of us…a little messed up like all of us…
It is (usually) a place I like to be.

why new hope church?
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, January 03 2009 @ 09:36 PM PST
It was march of last year that I attended the baptism of my friend and her children at New Hope Church. In addition during this time I was going through some emotional turmoil in trying to understand and grieve the death of my father. I really enjoyed the service and found New Hope a welcoming environment. I found comfort and a hopefulness for peace in understanding that death happens for a reason; to believe in a higher power. It helps that I do have friends attending this very church and attending feels “right” for me and my family. My family enjoys that Pastor John brings real life matters and relates it back to the scripture and what it means to believe in God. This church environment is not one that we have previously experienced and enjoy what New Hope has to offer. Thank You!

Ok, next Sunday my sermon text (among others) is gonna be Coldplay’s, Viva la Vida. The question I’m bringing to the text is this, “What might the Holy Spirit be saying to us through this song?” What truths might God be speaking/singing here? I’d like some help searching out the answers. If you want be part of the research team, then here’s your assignment…

Read the lyrics below and then listen to the song, and then listen again. Meditate on the text. Chew it over. Let it chew you over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44xirQ55IgA

And then ask yourself the questions. What’s going on here? What response does this tune evoke in me? When I close my eyes what do I see? Get your imagination going. Like you did when you were a little kid listening to someone reading you a story.

And try read up on the French Revolution a bit and see how that story influences this song. Check out the graphics on the album cover. Think about how the idea of revolution relates to the life and story of Jesus Christ.

Listen.

Hear.

And then post your thoughts as a comment to this blog.

“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can
fathom.” The prophet Isaiah 40:28

Viva La Vida
Coldplay

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sweep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own”

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me

And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand”

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries Wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

(Ooooh Oooh Oooh)

Hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Full version via blip.tv

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, November 03 2008 @ 09:09 AM PST
Does he really sing “I know St. Peter WILL call my name” the second time? That’s intereisting. I thought it was “won’t”

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, November 03 2008 @ 02:08 PM PST
it sounds like “won’t” in the video on you tube, but some lyric sites do have it as “will”

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, November 03 2008 @ 07:04 PM PST
Good catch. As much as I would like to beleive that the lyrics are “I know St. Peter WILL call my name” in the second chorus, I think they are the same as in the first chorus: “”I know St. Peter WON’T call my name”. The reason I would like to beleive that the lyrics are “I know St. Peter WILL call my name” is becuase I think this song is fundamentally about change. Call it revolution, if you will, but it is still a derivative of change. In fact, the lyrics of the enitre album seem to transition from confusion/lostness to discovery, then to revolution, and ultimately to peace/nirvana/heaven. Check out the lyrics of the last song, “The Escapist”, a hidden track on the album. They are very short, but sweet and final: “And in the end/We lie awake/And we dream/We’ll make an escape” The imagery that comes to mind for me is a person that has declined from fame and fortune to a vast emptiness and loneliness, one that he now struggles to come to terms with on his deathbed. Maybe he was once a great leader, an entertainer, a wealthy businessman, a king…who knows. It seems that now, he has lost everything that once defined him as a person and “in the end” he ‘lies awake” and “dreams he’ll make an escape [from this Earth to a Heaven that will wash him of his sins and accept him with loving and open arms]. But I digress. We are not talking about the last song on the album, this thread is supposed to focus on Viva la Vida…

Viva la Vida. I think that translates from Spanish to something like “Live the Life”. Perhaps the message is to live life to it’s fullest potential, and that ‘full potential’ is not necessarily defined by fame, fortune, conquests or power. Instead of defining ourselves as by what we have GOTTEN from life/others/God, we may realize ‘in the end’ that we wish our eulogy to list what we have GIVEN to life/others/God. The song has many biblical references as well:

“I know Saint Peter won’t call my name” – he beleives St. Peter will not allow him into heaven after he dies, becomes of the sins he committed in his life. Or, maybe he beleives he is untouchable and only he will decide when he is ready to be ‘called to heaven’. Not sure.

“Revolutionaries wait/For my head on a silver plate/Just a puppet on a lonely string/Oh who would ever wanna be king?”-This could be a reference to John the Baptist. His head was brought to King Herod on a Silver Platter. Even though Herod regretted this decision, saving his pride and promise to his temptress got in the way.

In reference to revolution…

“I discovered that my castles stand/Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand.” – during the FrenchRevolution, the entire rule of government was crumbling, becasue the foundations upon which it had been built (feudalism, aristocracy) were fundamentally flawed, unjust and unsustainable. And so it is with us: if we choose to build our lives with unstable ingredients, we will ultimately crumble into a pile of rubble.

RA

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, November 04 2008 @ 08:41 AM PST
Hidden track!?! How did I miss hearing that?

Just listened to it… very cool. One commenter at youtube said, “I love this so much. It makes your mind wonder about things unknown.” I agree.

Reading your thoughts RA I found myself resonating at several points.

1. Where you speak of a, “person that has declined from fame and fortune to a vast emptiness and loneliness,” I envision the kenosis of Christ (Jesus putting aside his god-ness in coming to humanity… willfully doing this… out of love lowering himself)

2. Where you comment on revolution being a subset of change, I remember the words I scratched on a piece of paper yesterday in regard to the places where that change occurs; in those moments when we say to ourselves, ‘I’m not taking this any more’; or when we undergo a conversion experience; or when a person repents (changes direction); when we revolt and rise up against the status quo; or when we do something as simple as ‘realizing’ or ‘recognizing’ or even ‘seeing’ for the first time.

The spirit of revolution includes all of these things.

3. “I know St. Peter won’t call my name.” Obviously this image connotes that pearly gates scene, but for me I also envision St. Peter’s denial of Christ. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, “I don’t know the man… I don’t know the man.” Matthew 26:70ff

One more comment… what about that other huge biblical connection in the lyrics, the one that ties into Matthew 28:18-20?

JVS

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, November 04 2008 @ 11:51 AM PST
John – I love that. Jesus and Peter’s denial. I NEVER thought of thinking of
it that way, but it puts a whole new spin on it. That’s what I adore about
music – it means something different to everyone and only by sharing do we
gain a deeper understanding. Okay here’s a bit more than my two-bits:

I will start by saying I first closed my eyes and imagined. Then I watched the
video. So the first bit is what I saw, the next bit is about the video, and then
I go off on some thoughts. It’s long.

The whole song seems to be looking over a life lived.

I see a man sweeping and looking about him with a light in his eyes –
shining as he remembers how he used to be on top. I picture him lonely and
watching, almost with longing, the people who are now in his place.

He had power, and enjoyed his ability to control other people. I see the
same man at a table in Vegas rolling the dice and brining in the big payouts
and enjoying the defeat of his enemies. He laughed and had a wicked glint
in his eyes. But even then he had a taste of the fleeting position he was in –
“now the old king is dead, long live the king!”

Next I see him sitting alone, possibly in a hotel room in that same Vegas
casino just desolate and lost. He has discovered that though he could win
approval on an earthly level, it doesn’t last. The “kingdom” he built crashed
down because it stood “on pillars of sand”. He is weeping and wondering
why this has happened to him.
(This also brings to mind that story of the men building their houses on the
rock or on the sand, but it brings it alive to me in a new way – in a very
vibrant and feeling way)

I see the man looking up and seeing some idea of a better way, hearing the
call to live for God. Perhaps he remembers being taught as a boy the true
way to a worthwhile life, but he can’t yet accept that. He feels that it is all
wasted, that he won’t be included. He has gone too far and the world is too
corrupt and lost. “There was never an honest word, that was when I ruled
the world.” He has been to the top; he knows how fake it is, so he can’t
believe in anything better.

The next verse has me seeing this “wicked and wild wind” as the Holy Spirit –
forceful and commanding in its entrance – just taking over the scene. An
almost Pentecostal vision. If the man is still in his hotel the windows are
smashed and he hears the great beating of the drums from on high
convicting him. “People couldn’t believe what I’d become” I take two ways:
one – the fact that someone so powerful in human terms could sink to the
bottom or two – the fact that this man made a turn around in his life.

Revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate – every time I hear this line
I am reminded of John’s head being brought to the king. A way to silence
those we do not want to hear.

Just a puppet on a lonely string oh who would ever want to be king? – This
makes me thing that the man may be looking back and seeing through the
false idea of being on top being the best and realizing really you have no
control, you are alone, you are used – like a puppet on a string. Who would
want this, when there is so much better?

The next chorus sounds to me as a calling. A calling to the man – he can
hear the choirs, he can hear the bells, but somehow he is still unsure if he
can claim it for his own – if he can really be called into glory. For some
reason I can’t explain I know St. Peter won’t call my name – a place perhaps
we’ve all been where we can not seem to believe that any love could save us.
We just know we aren’t good enough.
The string component really makes this song sound holy – angelic. It’s
gorgeous and has a driving urgency to it. The whole song is urgent and full
of soul. The strings alone, without the lyrics bring a bittersweet feeling and
cause my soul to soar at times and at others fall with extreme sorrow.

The whole section with the slow, melodic “oohs” makes me picture a church
choir in a great cathedral, giving the whole song a new perspective. It is
almost as if this whole song is really a song of worship about life itself. It
has mystery and it is personal, but it is a truthful picture given up to God.

The fact that it transitions seamlessly into Violet Hill makes me wonder. I
can’t be sure, but to me these two songs are intertwined and related in a way
that makes each song hold more meaning. “If you love me, won’t you let me
know” is a plea we all have, and it seems to almost echo the cry of “I know
St. Peter won’t call my name.”

There is also a bit of reference to revolution in Violet Hill itself which fits in
with the reference to revolution in Viva La Vida “Priests clutched onto bibles,
hollowed out to fit their rifles and the cross was held aloft.”

I think someone else here said that Viva La Vida meant, “live the life” – and
on reflection as I said this song seems to be a remembrance of a life lived.
But it is also a reflection on how to really live the life.

Watching the video I noticed distinctly the colour of red. And it struck me
that if this is about revolution that revolution normally involves blood. Red.
The background uses images from the cover of the CD and each band
member has an armband or some sort of form of red on them. The French
Revolution certainly was bloody, and their armbands do have a sort of
military feel to them, but I must confess that I see that reference to be more
symbolical than really about the song (the beauty of the music is that others
will see it in there clearly where I don’t.)

But if you are asking about the Revolution of Christ in our lives it certainly
was bloody, and that is what I think of when I see the video. Red. Blood.
Pointing to change, to a better way. There was violence in the revolution of
Christ, the shedding of blood and there is certainly violence in this song with
the crashes of drums and the striking of bells. The lyrics talk of beating
drums and broken glass and waiting for a head on a silver plate. Violence.
Blood. Red. I find it fascinating.

In the video I also see a change toward the middle – the wind picks up, the
clouds swirl, and the Holy Spirit moves for a change. I can’t really describe it
because it was more of a feeling – watching those clouds swirl it was like
watching the winds of change. Revolution. That Christ can move in a life –
the wild and wicked wind. Wicked here not meaning evil, but forceful,
commanding.

The beginning of the song starts with the opening of the flower, and at the
end each band member is blown away into flower petals. I am not sure
exactly what this is supposed to symbolize, but I did like it a lot. Flowers are
a symbol of beauty, but also a way to mark the graves of those we love. Red
flowers. Perhaps a beauty within the violence? The ending sequence is
uplifting – it almost seems as if the band members are being whisked away to
something better as they float away against the soothing melodies. Freedom
is what I think. Freedom gained through the blood of another.

This is long, I realize, and I could probably blab on and on because every
time I listen or watch I hear/feel/realize something new. Which is the beauty
of music – it meets us where we are and it opens the doors. Whatever this
song was intended for, I think it is clear that it resonates something bigger to
everyone – it is a top hit – and its not because it speaks of sex or money or
having it all. It speaks of what truly matters in the end. It directs us towards
a change, and it makes us think. That is really beautiful to me, the ability
that this song has to make people think and evaluate their lives. It’s a call,
gentle, probing, and yet as urgent as the throbbing strings pulsing and
pushing the song along. Almost a whisper of the urgency of Revelations –
the time is coming, the end is nearing – or of Christ who will return like a
thief in the night. An urgent call to Revolution.

Okay, before I go off on ANOTHER direction I’ll stop.

Kayleigh S

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, November 04 2008 @ 01:24 PM PST
OK Kayleigh… aren’t you just a holy imaginative soul!

Great thoughts, and well articulated!

Reading them I had many aha moments… I’m gonna wait for a day or so before responding though… let someone else talk first!

JVS

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, November 04 2008 @ 01:41 PM PST
As a P.S. to my last note -

It suddenly hit me, as I am still thinking of this, that this song is a story – a
parable. And that Jesus still uses parables to reach us. I’m done now! Honest!

Kayleigh

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, November 05 2008 @ 06:31 AM PST
Kayleigh, what John means is he doesn’t have time to respond because he has to watch his man, Barack, win the presidency.

G

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, November 05 2008 @ 08:19 AM PST
(Chuckles to herself) Good point.
Kayleigh

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, November 06 2008 @ 07:38 PM PST
OK, I just reread your words K… and again, they’re very insightful. Not a lot to add except that I really resonate with the pentecostal feel of that ‘wicked and wild wind.’ As for the phrase, ‘people couldn’t believe what I’d become,’ I imagine this kind of incredulous reaction happening in Christ’s disciples, who knew him in a (sort of) limited way when he was incarnate among them, but then got re-introduced to this totally mind blowing Spirit reality at Pentecost. I can just see their awestruck faces!

Reading your words I was reminded of what I said last Sunday re: God’s truth coming to us through music as being like light hitting a prism and then heading off in all kinds of different directions in all sorts of unique colours. When first contemplating this weeks message I thought I’d re-interpret the song visually for the end of the sermon… but now I’ve changed my mind. Maybe I’ll just play it… without any visuals… and let the Spirit do its wicked and wild work.

JVS

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, November 06 2008 @ 07:52 PM PST
Sounds awesome. I love this idea of yours John. I love the prism idea too -
and it really is amazing the way God created so many minds and imaginations.
This is a great way to see a little part of that – having everyone just throw in a
thought or two. Very cool.
Kayleigh

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, November 06 2008 @ 09:13 PM PST
what i love about this song is the way the lamenting tone of the lyrics is juxtaposed against the hopeful, redemptive tone of the music itself. even though the words are despairing, the music moves you beyond that. read only the lyrics and it sounds like a voice of despair, listen only to the music and one would never guess the dark nature of the lyrics, but together…amazing!

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, November 07 2008 @ 07:47 AM PST
I hear you on this point.

Makes me wonder what “God moving in redemption” sounds like. A lamenting heart – grieved at the brokeness of it all, crying over creation lost, wanting so much more for us – along with a joyful love driving the act of making it all new. Strings over top of tears. Bells ringing hope even as he encounters our suffering.

JVS

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, November 07 2008 @ 09:09 AM PST
Great way of wording that. I love that point as well – the music/lyric combo. It
is what I often find in music and what I love. Thanks for putting it down in
such plain language!
K

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, November 09 2008 @ 11:59 AM PST
I have actually done our homework this week! WOW.

Our family purchased the new Coldplay album a couple of weeks ago, which has given us some time to “marinade”.

For me; I was see sawing between the poignant words in “Viva La Vida” and Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables”, written of course about the French revolution.

I love the description a critique gave Hugo, on his book:

“a narrator who can best be described as God masquerading as a law-abiding bourgeois….”

The book is one of my all time favourites. On each page the reader is faced with decisions which haunt, “Good vs. Bad” ~ “right vs. wrong”, “moral vs. immoral” and on and on.

(Below a brief backdrop to the book.. borrowed from the net*)

The title itself is a moral test…. Originally, a miserable was simply a pauper (misere means ‘destitution’ as well as ‘misfortune’). Since the Revolution, and especially since the advent of Napoleon III, a miserable had become a ‘dreg’, a sore on the shining face of the Second Empire. The new sense would dictate a translation like Scum of the Earth. Hugo’s sense would dictate The Wretched.

In overlaying these two powerful means of communication; I sensed such polarity ~ and found parallel struggles.

“It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries Wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?”

The same struggle occurred daily for Jean Valjean. He eventually had means, money, friendships even a child.. yet he felt it wasn’t enough ~ he just wanted peace. He was desperate for contentment.

“Does Jesus not toil for the same? He offers us Grace, peace, eternal life, yet more often than not ~ He is thrown to the proverbial curb. He still waits, loves and hopes.”

D.

Coldplay and Viva la Vida
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, November 11 2008 @ 10:04 AM PST
OK.

Once last observation from me (JVS).

When I got home on Sunday and talked with my wife Fran about the service, she said she really was moved by the message, but didn’t hear the words of the song as the direct voice of the Spirit (as I had inferred in the sermon).

At first I was a bit taken aback by her words. “How could those words not be, the whole message was premised on this assumption?” I asked. She responded by saying, “I heard the lyrics as being those of some past revolutionary… as opposed to the words of Christ.” What she meant was that Christ’s revolutionary vision and experience was far greater and more authoritative that the lyricists. The song lyrics reminded her of the greater revolutionary vision; the greatest. I sensed she had this kind of, “Yeah, but in Christ there’s more” lens through which she looked/listened.

I, of course agree with that, and yet still hold onto the idea of the Holy Spirit speaking truth, in part, through the song itself. (Which doesn’t make the the whole song truth, but it does claim it’s truthful components as Gods).

Anyway, what hit me in processing this matter was the old idea of thesis and anti-thesis. Abraham Kuyper was an old Dutch theologian who first coined the dichotomy. Yes God speaks through common grace, authoring truth in the world, even through those outside of the faith, but right along side this reality is sin’s evil presence distorting, limiting, polutting and muting that truth. Both thesis and anti-thesis present in the same reality… in the same song… at the same time.

Need to process this a bit more.

Right now the media seems to be laying a lot of the ‘financial mess’ blame at the feet of Wall Street. I think this is a cop-out. While investment banks certainly play a big part in this debacle, they are not the only ones who are culpable. We all are…

As a consumer society who continually insists on ‘getting what we want’ – a new house we couldn’t afford in this case, we fuelled the housing bubble. As investors who continually insist on ‘getting what we want’ – ever higher rates of return (remember the ads? 18%, 21%?), we closed our eyes on the derivative deceptions that made up many recent investment products. As a government who continually insisted on ‘giving us what we want’ – eyes were closed to reasonable regulation, to the potential for greed driven excess. Why change a thing if everyone is happy?

What happening now is a bit of an indictment on the entire capitalist system (it’s extremes at least). A market driven by self interest will always risk exposure to self serving behaviour. This kind of behaviour will inevitably lead some to cross moral and ethical lines. The folks on Wall Street are poster boys in this regard, but what we see in them is a reflection of us.

We all want what we want (Woody Allen).

And sometimes wanting too much, too quickly, and too lavishly can lead to problems. The housing bubble is a symbol of an overly bloated society. The current financial hangover – when will this head splitting pain end? – is telling us something about our unhealthy consumption patterns. But will we listen?

Two days ago a Scotiabank economist said that these events are all about the “socialization of capitalism.” His comment reminded me of a sermon I preached on the Sub-prime mortgage crisis back in March. In my introduction I recalled a notion I’d had back when the Berlin Wall came down and communism collapsed,

“When communism collapsed a while ago, I remember thinking about God and how God in the bible would, over history, raise up nations and bring down and humble certain nations. And I thought, a morally bankrupt, atheistic social system with no democracy and no freedom; that couldn’t stand. Then I wondered if the same thing needed to happen, in some way, shape or form, for the other superpower’s worldview; for capitalism. Would the market economy’s downside – its shadow side – the places were we fall into greed and lust and gluttony and idolatry and all of the inequities that sometimes result from our system; would that be needing a correction as well?”

I wonder if this is that correction.

Here’s a link to that Sub-prime sermon…