Monk of Milwaukee


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April 05th, 2009

The Sound of... Silence?

Posted At: 12:24am by Jon Kohlmeier

 As I was looking through news headlines today I saw this article:

 

NEW YORK -- Someone will probably get fired over what's going on right now, but in all honesty, they shouldn't. Whoever is responsible has managed to do in one half-inning, what even $1.5 billion couldn't do. Make the new Yankee Stadium, with it's nod to the past, actually feel like a game from the past.

 

How? Well, the speakers/music/PA system blew out just at the end of the bottom of the sixth inning. That's made the last two innings arguably the most pleasurable to grace the Bronx since the 1950s or 60s.

 

The only thing you can hear right now at Yankee Stadium? Nothing. Just the hustle-bustle of the fans in the seats. The sound of the ball being hit and the pop of it going into the glove. It's really quite something to experience. A very nice nod back to the golden days of baseball before every unoccupied second was filled with booming club music or the dreaded "We can't hear you!" meter.

 

Even the famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint) "Cotton Eye Joey" was forced to become "Silent Eye Joey."

 

I have to say, I've been going to baseball games since I was a kid and I can't ever remember a game being devoid of brain-thumping sounds.

 

Kind of makes you feel like you could actually be at the old Yankee Stadium.

 

I wish I would have been there. (Okay, so that probably has a lot to do with my love of baseball and the fact that the Cubs were playing.) I can't imagine what a MLB game would be like without music filling any space where something 'exciting' wasn't happening. 

 

Of course, there would still be some music, but it would come from the fans. You can't have a baseball game without starting with the National Anthem. After all, we all know that the last two words of it are "Play Ball!" I'm sure that the majority of Baseball Stadiums wouldn't be able to go through the 7th-inning stretch without singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." (Root, root, root for the Cubbies!) And it just wouldn't be baseball in Milwaukee without a rendition of 'Roll out the Barrel.'

 

At some point that ceased to be enough. We are very audio oriented people. We get very uncomfortable with 'too much' silence. Students walk from class to class with headphones on. People will have their iTunes blaring while on their computer. I edit out 'extended' silence when I go through HT-Radio each week. The majority of people are extremely bored by silent movies. Star Wars would probably be a pretty lame movie without John Williams Score. The rubrics for silence in the Liturgy are often ignored. And if not, Pastor better not have them last too long or people will look around wondering what's wrong.

 

Does silence have any meaning? Or is it always just awkward?

 

(Yes, you can answer the questions in the cool comment box below!) :)

 



Edited on: April 05th, 2009 12:25 am
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April 03rd, 2009

The High Kings

Posted At: 5:16pm by Jon Kohlmeier

Pr. Weedon's Blog is really one of the best out there. 

 

Not only does he pass along great Lutheran and Patristic quotes that I would probably never come across otherwise. He also posts hymns, homilies, random thoughts and not so random thoughts. Recently, Pr. Weedon has even introduced me to some awesome new music through his blog. 

 

So, now I pass The High Kings unto you.

 

 



Edited on: April 03rd, 2009 5:17 pm
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Posted in Music

March 24th, 2009

Rejoice in Christ!

Posted At: 2:13am by Jon Kohlmeier

There are too many thoughts floating around in my head for them to remain there. Lots of them having to do with blog posts from Pr. Borghardt and Sandra Ostapowich and the comments following them. 

 
 
To be honest I'm pretty shocked. Shocked that a color can cause such an argument and shocked at the tone of some of the comments. 
 
 
Let's start with Madre's blog post. I read it before all the comments and didn't think it was attacking at all much less anyone in particular. It raised some good questions that I hoped would be answered because it got me thinking as well. Granted, the blog is hosted on Higher Things so it probably could have been directed more toward youth. But, the blog post got me thinking about where the color for Laetare comes from and about liturgical colors in general.
 
 
I really don't know much about liturgical colors at all. Where they come from. Why this color for that season? How do these proclaim the Gospel? So, I was hoping the discussion would go that route or at least answer the questions posed in the original blog post. That would be a great resource for the youth at whom the blog is directed. 
 
 
Now, I think rose vestments look cool. But, I'm pretty sure that vestments are meant to hide the man wearing them. Not draw attention to him. Not even to draw attention to the vestments themselves. But to focus your attention on Christ. Hide the pastor so that what Christ is doing and saying through him is the focus. When the vestments or the sinner wearing them becomes our focus where does that put Christ? 
 
 
 
Pastors are sinners! Just like you and me. They overlook their own sin but are quick to point out the sins of others. 
They think of themselves as better than others a lot of the time. They can even rejoice so much in their vestments that they forget to rejoice in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Be they rose, or otherwise.)
 
 
You are free to wear rose on Laetare, you are free to wear violet, you are even free to wear black. But it's not about the color its about confessing Christ! 
 
 
Sunday you rejoiced, whether your pastor was wearing rose or not! You rejoiced in your baptism at the invocation! You rejoiced in the forgiveness of sins during Confession and Absolution! You rejoiced in the Word! You rejoiced with the whole Church; with those who's pastors were wearing rose vestments, those who's pastors were wearing violet vestments, and with those who's pastors aren't privileged enough to have any vestments, as you feasted on Body and Blood of Christ.
 
 
"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her;"
 
 
Rejoice because Christ died and rose for you! 

 



Edited on: March 24th, 2009 2:16 am
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Posted in Theology

March 02nd, 2009

Happy Birthday!

Posted At: 1:24pm by Jon Kohlmeier

 March 2nd is a big day!

 

In Higher Things Land its Pr. Borghardt's Birthday! Happy Birthday! You should email him and wish him a Happy Birthday and tell him how much you love listening to Higher Things Radio! 

 

Though Pr. Borghardt's favorite book is Romeo and Juliet, my favorite author is someone who happens to share a birthday with Pr. Borghardt. Dr. Seuss! So, Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss too!

 

Though, if you're in Texas both birthdays are overshadowed today. Today is Texas Independence Day! 

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Posted in Random

Apple Must Be Better

Posted At: 12:04pm by Jon Kohlmeier

 Zune Blue Screen of DeathWhy? Because you don't see news stories about Steve Jobs having to ban competitors products from his home.

 

But, really why would he have to? Why would his kids want a Zune instead of an iPod? Or some random phone with Windows Mobile when you can have a iPhone. Let's face apart from the Mac vs. PC wars Apple undoubtably makes the better products. (Granted I think the Mac wins hand down, but that's for another post.)

 

I guess Bill Gates realizes this. So, he has to ban apple products from his home. Link Here! 

 

I won't even touch on Microsoft's current CEO, who won't even let his Kids use Google. 

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Posted in Random


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