Loading Video . . . This soulful piece, composed by Nehemiah Luckett in response to Joel 2:3, produces a sound that is reminiscent of church choirs combined with Broadway. Joel 2:3 Devouring Fire By Nehemiah Luckett Credits: Composed and Performed by Nehemiah Luckett Curated by: Katie Reimer 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link It should be noted that while I was ruminating on this piece many wildfires broke out around the world; from North America to Europe to Greenland. 2017 was an unprecedented year for both actual and metaphorical fires. In this piece I wanted to explore the inner monologue of the lone voice crying out in the wilderness to anyone who will listen. Inspired by Joel and T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and in conversation with my engineer, producer and friend, Travis Tench, we landed on the concept of a solitary figure seeing this all consuming fire approaching. The sparseness of the orchestration reflects the stunning effect of this vision. Throughout the song with increasing intensity the warning bell sounds: "Fire!" Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Nehemiah Luckett has been composing, conducting and performing for over 20 years. He has been a featured soloist at the National Cathedral, Carnegie Hall and has performed all over the US and Europe. He has composed solo, choral and instrumental pieces. His Secular Mass (a five movement work for chorus, string quartet and oboe) was premiered in 2004. In 2015 he was commissioned by Greenpeace UK to compose Requiem for Arctic Ice: The Northernmost Par t. In January 2017 his piece Kyrie 2017 was premiered at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. He has also written two full length musicals: Hamlet: Prince of Funk (1999) based on the Shakespearean classic with collaborators Owen Beverly (Evans) and Matthew Smith and Brick by Brick (2006), based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe with collaborator, Ross Wade. Nehemiah is the Music Director and composer for Rev. Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir and is the choral accompanist and Drama teacher for Manhattan Country School. He has a deep gratitude for Power APAC (Academic and Performing Arts Complex) in Jackson, Mississippi where he studied music and theater and his family that allowed him to dream crazy dreams. Website Nehemiah Luckett About the Artist Nehemiah Luckett Other Works By Read the lyrics: "Devouring Fire" Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

aaron-beaumont-air-post-3-feat.jpg Loading Video . . . One of my earlier memories is a short exchange I had with my mom when I was somewhere around 4 or 5 years old, probably at the end of summer. I sat on my bed ruefully, and mom came in to investigate the cause of distress. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Daniel 4 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 3 By Aaron Beaumont Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link September 18, 2017 One of my earlier memories is a short exchange I had with my mom when I was somewhere around 4 or 5 years old, probably at the end of summer. I sat on my bed ruefully, and mom came in to investigate the cause of distress. I informed her that my gloominess was down to the realization that I was growing up, and the fact that I didn’t want to. You might say I’ve had a adult-sized dose of nostalgia from birth. While, paradoxically, I’ve usually welcomed change, moving coast to coast, switching schools nearly every year, marauding over the frontier of my comfort zone, I’ve been equally obsessed with preserving my own past, or guilt-stricken when I fail to do so. This summer I pawed through a mountain of boxes back home in Illinois, filled with travel maps, notes from classmates, restaurant receipts, train fares, soccer jerseys, book reports, and concert tickets — I’m not a pack rat (he tells himself in the mirror every morning)… at least not in the age of limitless digital photos and magical apps like Genius Scan. Obsessively documenting and recording one’s life is not unique — rather, it seems like a prerequisite of the social media age. Grappling with this passage’s complicated depiction of madness (presumed to be clinical lycanthropy), while simultaneously grappling with whether or not to keep that 90s era 6 Days, 7 nights movie stub, or simply take a photo of it, finally revealed something of the crux of Nebuchadnezzar’s plight: he found himself suddenly bereft of a past. The sudden absence of my own history, of memories of any kind, would for me represent the purest kind of madness, and maybe the worst kind of hell. Uprooted, and thrown into a completely unfamiliar state, the king had no context or sense of identity — one might even imagine Nebuchadnezzar as having been “born” into some new reality, plunging from solipsism into a complete loss of self. Indeed, the relationship between what we are and what we imagine ourselves to have been is challenging enough at full mental capacity. Imagining such a state, and ruminating generally on the dynamic nature of identity and the fragmentary process of memory-and-meaning-making, guided much of my progress on my project during this phase. “Sampling” seemed an especially well suited analogue to this exploration of identity, memory, permanence, and personal histories. As such, I’ve made use of dozens of samples from my own existing musical catalogue, all the way back to my very earliest recordings of the first songs I ever wrote. Similarly, I’ve used field recordings and audio samples from my own life – time I’ve spent with my family, the sounds of rooms and rivers and seashells and fireworks. Many of these field recordings did not originate for this project, but rather out of my own quest to simply remember and record things that are most important to me. I tried to choose from these recordings samples that represent a journey through the wonder and terror of newness and things that might relate the very human experience of birth, growing, and self-realization to the story in Daniel 4. I also tried to place more emphasis on the mania, darkness, and alienation of Nebuchadnezzar’s bestial state, represented in the unsettling disintegration sketched out in movement three with its chopped and mangled samples and heavy effects. I’ve pieced all these materials into a very rough construction of the full musical collage, which I’ve imagined in five movements (expanding on the four sketches I included in post #2 ). In addition to considerable polishing, mixing, rearranging, and inevitably, trimming, I plan to record more live instruments to flesh out the sections, and especially, add non-sampled vocals for movements three through five. All music written, performed, and produced by Aaron Beaumont. 2017 Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aaron Beaumont has toured the U.S. and Europe as a pianist and songwriter and been invited to share his work in wide-ranging venues from the Sziget Festival in Budapest to KCRW Santa Monica to the Tribeca Film Festival to off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village to the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. L.A. Weekly wrote that Aaron's music brings "a new life to the ancient music-hall/pop piano-man tradition, with clear-headed songs of genuinely witty lyrical oomph and, most of all, a historically informed musical depth – all delivered with style, grace, wit and elan, of course." Aaron wrote one song, arranged two others, and served as a piano performance coach for the feature Permission (Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis, 2017 Tribeca Film Festival), which premieres worldwide February 2018. He also contributed two songs to the forthcoming series Dan is Dead (Drake Bell, Maker Studios) and two songs to the indie feature film Alex & Jaime (2017 Roxbury International Film Festival). Aaron contributed an original co-write (“17”) and several arrangements to Gil McKinney’s 2017 debut album, How Was I to Know, which reached #1 on the iTunes jazz chart and #8 on the Billboard jazz chart. He also co-wrote “Good Love” for Briana Buckmaster’s 2018 debut album (#1 iTunes blues, #3 Billboard blues). Other recent TV and film placements include original songs written for Cedar Cove (Andie McDowell) and Where Hope Grows (Billy Zabka, Danica McKellar; Dallas Film Festival, Roadside Attractions). Aaron has composed original scores for films and theatrical productions, including All the Lovely Wayside Things; Tall, Dark, and Handsome; Heart; Until We Have Faces; Shrew; The Fire Room; the Breakfast Show with Adam O; Companion; and Beyond Imagination, winning best score and sound design at the Hollywood Fringe Festival for his work on Fugitive Kind’s production of The Fire Room by Ovation Award-winning playwright Meghan Brown. In 2016, Aaron wrote a commissioned work for the Spark & Echo Arts project, and in 2017 Aaron created a larger scale work as an Artist in Residence. Aaron also works as an in-house arranger, producer, composer, and mix engineer for the Gregory Brothers / Schmoyoho, whose original music has earned them a gold and platinum record and nearly one billion views on YouTube, along with myriad collaborations on other platforms. Recent Gregory Brothers collabs include the Justice League film (ft. Gary Clark Jr.), Weird Al Yankovic, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bassnectar, Alex Wassabi, LaurDIY, Markiplier, Slow Mo Guys, Todrick Hall, J. Fla, The Resident (Fox Network), and the International Olympic Channel. Songs Aaron has worked on with the Gregory Brothers have received over 175 million plays on YouTube. In 2015, Aaron participated in the Ultraviolet Music and Arts Festival in Los Angeles as a featured artist and presenter, and performed with his band The Mots Nouveaux for the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Rockwood Music Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Aaron wrote the music and lyrics to the original musical, Behind Closed Doors, which sold out every performance at the historic Hayworth Theater, received multiple Broadway World L.A. Award nominations, and played for thousands of festival goers on the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. Behind Closed Doors was selected to participate in the New York International Fringe Festival as a national show, enjoying a mostly oversold run at off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village. Aaron was selected as a finalist as a composer and lyricist for the Fred Ebb Foundation / Roundabout Theatre Company Fred Ebb Award for musical theater songwriters, and received the Hal Gaba Scholarship for Excellence in Lyrics from UCLA/Concord Records. Aaron is currently developing new musicals with playwrights Meghan Brown, Andrew Crabtree, Peter Berube, and Cassandra Christensen, and a one-woman show with soprano Lorelei Zarifian. Lorelei and Aaron’s first musical triptych, Midtown Antoinette, was featured on NPR-affiliate WFIT in March 2016 and debuted as part of the Florida Tech / Foosaner Museum French Film Festival. Aaron also occasionally helps produce the outrageous bingo raves phenomenon, Rebel Bingo, in New York and Los Angeles, as featured in the L.A. Times, Guardian, and BBC , and recently played a run of five capacity shows in the downtown L.A.’s Globe Theatre as part of 2016 Night on Broadway. Aaron has collaborated as pianist, musical director, and/or co-writer with a panoply of music buddies, including Jason Manns, Gil McKinney, Sara Niemietz, Tim Omundsen, Dave Yaden, Nicholas Zork, Aaron Roche, Nick Bearden, Emma Fitzpatrick, Amanda Wallace, Shane Alexander, Ben Jaffe, Brett Young, Courtney Bassett, Eden Malyn, Luis Selgas, Aly French, Sam Heldt, Karma Jenkins, Emily Iaquinta, Lynette Williams, Meshach Jackson, Roy Mitchell-Cardenas, Kamasi Washington, Chad Doreck, J.T. Spangler, and Katrina Parker. He claimed several distinctions as a young classical pianist, including two-time Wisconsin Academy Musician of the Year, Andrews University Concerto Competition Finalist, and the British Royal Conservatory of Music Award of Highest Distinction for Piano Performance at the Newbold Creative Arts Festival. He currently serves as co-chair of the Carnegie Hill Concert Series in New York, featuring leading interpreters of classical and New Music from around the globe. In 2015, Aaron founded SongLab, an online songwriting community for emerging songwriters. The inaugural SongLab Series welcomed GRAMMY-winner Dave Yaden as special guest. In addition to working with other artists, Aaron performs as one-third of the pop trio, The Mots Nouveaux, alongside vocalists Emma Fitzpatrick and Amanda Wallace. The band celebrated their latest album release with a residency at Hotel Café, a six-month residency at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, and residencies at Rockwood Music Hall and Sidewalk Café in New York. They were invited to join the lineup for the Broke L.A. Music Festival in downtown Los Angeles, where Lyynks music hailed their set as the “greatest revelation” of the festival, one that “really thrilled the crowd” of thousands at the Lounge Stage (GroundSounds.com). The Mots Nouveaux recorded a new EP in Spring 2017 with co-producer Peter Barbee / Among Savages, with forthcoming tracks slated for 2018 release. Aaron released his debut solo project, Nothing's Forever (Not Even Goodbye), featuring the first ten songs he wrote, on Milan Records (Warner-Ryko) in 2008. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing the piano, traveling, eating, writing songs, making coffee, drinking coffee, collecting records, going for brisk walks, being near coffee, and composing extensive autobiographical sketches in the third person. Website Aaron Beaumont About the Artist Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 1 Lightness of the Pines Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) Aaron Beaumont Other Works By Follow the development of Aaron's project by continuing to read his prior first , second and final posts written as 2017 Artist in Residence project. 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Joy And Sadness Of Change Amanda Grove Loading Video . . . Illustrator Amanda Grove plays with colors and imagery as she brings together a dichotomy of emotions within her piece reflecting on Ezra 3:11-13. Ezra 3:11-13 The Joy and Sadness of Change By Amanda Grove Credits: Curated by: Rebecca Testrake 2020 Watercolor and pen tools on Adobe Sketch (on iPad pro) with an Apple pencil. Edited in Photoshop Digital Art Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This passage immediately stood out to me because of the strong visuals it evokes without having to pick apart each verse. I think we can all relate to the emotions described in the passage: The feelings of joy and sadness that change or loss can bring about. There is a sense of nostalgia and loyalty for the places we've come to know as constants in our lives, and when those places are taken away and replaced with something new, we can feel an incredible sense of anger and loss. Even if the change is necessary. When thinking about how to depict these emotions I was drawn to the parallels of the gloominess of rain in early Spring. It can seem monotonous and unnecessary at times, but it brings forth the most beautiful life. I chose to depict these emotions as a torrential rain surrounding the temple to represent the sadness felt by the people, and the bright colorful flowers to represent the joy. And of course the rainbow to represent hope for the future. The temple is caught in the middle of these strong outpourings of grief and glee. The design of the temple was inspired by a model that resides in the Israel museum in Jerusalem. The flowers are all native to Israel. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Amanda Grove is an Illustrator/Designer and owner of Golden Grove Paper based in Ashland, OR. She creates greeting cards, vinyl stickers, art prints and more based on her designs. Plants and nature serve as her main forms of inspiration and she uses them to create patterns and shapes in her work. Using traditional tools on a digital platform, she strives to stretch the natural elements of our world to create a surreal and otherworldly interpretation of the things she loves. You can check out more of her work at Golden Grove Shop Website Amanda Grove About the Artist Amanda Grove Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Focusing on the terms "image" and "subdue," composer Douglas Detrick and motion designer Kyra Odi respond to Genesis 1:27-28 in a collage of video and sound. A work looking at humanity and its role in the natural world, the piece is known as "The Genesis Project." Artists Detrick and Odi were commissioned by Spark and Echo Arts and "The Genesis Project" was premiered on June 20th, 2011 at M-1 Lounge in New York City. Genesis 1:27-28 The Genesis Project By Doug Detrick and Kyra Odi Credits: Film by Kyra Odi Music by Douglas Detrick Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Jonathon 2011 Short Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "The Genesis Project" is a nuanced statement about humanity's role in the world, about time shared with friends, about mundane times we usually forget, and about the costs of the way we live our lives. It came from our personal need to explore and come to terms with what it means when we see ourselves as created in the "image" of God and to have "dominion" over the natural world as it says in Genesis. Douglas Detrick: The project changed significantly of the course of its creation, and the only thing we knew for sure was that we were letting go of control of how the piece would turn out, letting it take shape on its own. Seeing the street scenes that Kyra had filmed encouraged a radical change in how I was hearing the music for the piece. The finished piece was quite different from what we expected, but we still feel it makes an important statement. We can't say that there are any definitive answers offered by the piece, but we do hope that the piece encourages some thought in an ongoing conversation about what our duty is to the natural world. Kyra Odi: We started at something in the beginning which was so so different from what it turned into. All I can say is that I just let go of the need to control the piece and let the subjects (people of the city) guide it as I explored our surrounding environment. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Douglas Detrick is a composer and trumpet player who resides in the Bronx, NY and was raised in Portland, Oregon. Equally at home as a performer and a composer, he creates unique music in the worlds of jazz, chamber music, electronic music and improvised music. Douglas holds degrees from the Lawrence Conservatory of Music and University of Oregon. Find out more about Douglas at DouglasDetrick.com Kyra Odi , Graphic + Interactive Communication graduate from Ringling College of Art + Design in Florida, now resides in New York as a freelance designer / animator working at a variety of companies and learning from each diverse experience. Socially inclined, she feeds off the city’s energy which she then does her best to infuse into her personal work. See more from Kyra at KyraOdi.com Kyra Odi Photo: Rasmus Keger Website Doug Detrick and Kyra Odi About the Artist Doug Detrick and Kyra Odi Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

elias-popa_img_4516.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4460-768x1152.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4487-768x512.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4511-768x512.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4514-768x512.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4515-768x1151.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4516-768x512.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4520-768x517.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4526-768x495.jpg Elias-Popa_IMG_4530-768x512.jpg Loading Video . . . Elias Popa, an installation artist, brings beauty to the broken spaces near his home in response to Acts 2:42-47: Elias Popa, "The Art of Kintsugi and Sacrifices in Sidewalks" Acts 2:42-47 The Art of Kintsugi and Sacrifices in Sidewalks By Elias Popa Credits: Curated by: Michael Markham 2016 Gold Mica Powder, Gesso Medium, Resin Installation Art Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link In reading Acts chapter 2, I was particularly struck by the radical reaction the church had to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I spent days thinking over the implications of giving everything away for one another. To be solely dependent upon outside sources, while allowing others to be dependent on your own benevolence. In fact, it reminded in part of the philosophy Wabi-Sabi, focusing on the idea of the temporal and imperfect being handled with beauty and restoration. In the art of Kintsugi, when an object is broken, it is not discarded. Rather it is repaired. The cracks of the object are filled in with Gold. This precious and beautiful material makes new and useful what was once broken and decommissioned, while also embracing the pain of the past. It is both redemptive and humbling. How is the art of Kintsugi reflected in the community built in Acts? How can we build that same community today? What is a visual representation of this "Kintsugi" formed by Christ? I decided to perform Kintsugi on the cracks in New York City. I used Gold, being that it is the most precious materials we know, reflecting the preciousness of blood. Filling in each crack in the sidewalk was a meditative experience. Each crack had a history. Each broken concrete slab was a story of New York City. Slowly, in a subtle and gentle way, the gold began to leak through and repair the brokenness. Each work was a prayer, gently asking for completion of a work that I never saw the start of, and may never see the end of, but still have a hand in pouring out what little gold I have to build the city. It is a beacon of radical self-sacrifice in a society that begs us to find inward meaning. It is allowing what is precious to me to be stepped on in an effort to bring beauty into the world. I focused on the radius of my neighbourhood as a reminder that this work begins in the home. The work of Kintsugi begins in the brokenness of one's own heart. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Elias Popa was born April 7, 1987 to Romanian immigrants in California. After traveling between his home in Romania and throughout the United States, he continued his travels into his adulthood by moving to China, traveling Southeast Asia, South America and working with refugees. During his travels around the world, his worldview in art was deeply impacted. “My art expresses the struggle of identity and hope, worship and expressions of life. It explores common world views and challenges them. My work shines a light on the temporal solutions we put in place to replace what we really need deep inside”. As an installation artist, Elias uses conventional materials such as paper, wire, thread, and clothing to evoke a deeper understanding about social structures. His aim is to solidify abstract ideas about the nuances that make up sociological structures. By doing so, he retrains the eye to build a visual literacy again and treats the art as a fundamental language. He also studied dark room photography for 10 years, as well as writes poetry. Through his art, Elias started The Human Rights Network, a non for profit organization aimed at “telling stories that change lives.” The organization aims to build narratives through art that can impact social issues and generate activism. He currently works as a curator and manager of the esteemed Waterfall Mansion and Gallery on the Upper East Side, as well as the founder of the Human Rights Network. He resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where he works out of his home. He was the recipient of CFW’s artist vocational intensive, held at Princeton University. He also was selected on an Interfaith and Arts Panel at Columbia University, as well as regular participates in speaking engagements. Website Elias Popa About the Artist Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Part 1 Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Part 2 Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Part 3 Artist in Residence 2018: Elias Popa Elias Popa Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Theatre artist Timothy Giles explores the movement of Revelation 9:1-6 in the composition of his song, "Abyss." As a piece all on its own these verses are terrifying‚Äìas dark as the Inferno. I tried to work as much of this as possible into this composition‚Äìthe conflict, terror, chaos, and longing. Revelation 9:1-6 Abyss By Timothy Giles Credits: Curated by: 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link My background in music is varied, but the explanation for the way I work on pieces like ‘Abyss’ is best understood through my work as a theatre artist. I have a habit of getting myself in over my head, taking on opportunities that put my skills in the crucible. It’s a habit that delivers varied results, but the best chances to grow. Most of the music I wrote before being asked to compose for my first play has never touched another person’s ears. Even though I knew that the best experiences I often had were having music that I created or performed fit into an experience that went beyond me, whether that was people dancing to a band or seeing physical theatre backed by something I had written. Because I have always experienced music physically. I love music for its ability to seemingly take over my body and I create music from that inspiration. When I went searching for the Bible verse I wanted to use for this project I was of course pulled to this passage, to its intense imagery and action. I wanted the movement inherent in the story to guide the music, and I wanted to do my best to capture the specific vision, dark and chaotic, that the verses created in my head. There’s extreme conflict in these lines: A hell on earth permitted by God whose end is only torture and no absolution, hope and longing for the comfort of death that is never answered, and mercy for some at the expense of others. As a piece all on its own these verses are terrifying–as dark as the Inferno . I tried to work as much of this as possible into this composition–the conflict, terror, chaos, and longing. Each line becomes a piece of a movement in this musical representation. Though this is not my first attempt, I am not a composer of great orchestral music. That has been my crucible for this project. But it was a journey I was glad to take and I hope I have grown from it. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Tim Giles is primarily a theatre artist. He serves as the Assistant Director of HUB-BUB in Spartanburg and also works as an actor, composer, sound designer, teacher and whatever else presents itself. As a sound designer and composer he has worked exclusively on new works: the collaborative You Need. Go Search. , Wallop by Charles Cissel, Treasure Island adapted by Jay Briggs, The Reckless Season by Lauren Ferebee, Organic Shrapnel by Charles Cissel, how i learned to become a SUPERHERO by Dennis Flanagan, and Blood Potato by James McManus. Website Timothy Giles About the Artist Timothy Giles Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Composer and audio illustrator James Newman created this rich audio landscape in response to Zechariah 14 and Zechariah 12:10. Zechariah 14 Zechariah 12:10 Jacob's Lament By James Newman Credits: Composer: James Newman Performed by James Newman Cinematic Orchestra Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2018 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Audio illustrator James Newman and the James Newman Cinematic Orchestra are pleased to present "Jacob's Lament". This piece was composed as an artistic musical reflection over Jerusalem and Israel based on events found in Zechariah 14. Though this piece is a mournful lament for these events, it also reflects that which is spoken in Zechariah 12:10 : "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." With this in mind, Newman shares about his piece: "I've concluded this piece with a faint hint of the wind of change... a major chord in its ending portraying the coming hope of Christ's return, the destruction of Israel's foes, freeing both captive Israel, and the world from the Beast and his empire. Christ shall rule the world with a rod of iron and as Zechariah 14:9 states: 'And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.' I hope this musical reflection helps brings to life these living words found in the book of Zechariah." Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection James Newman is an international media composer, and audio illustrator. James uses his knowledge and love of sound design coupled with his ability to tell stories through his music to take the listener on journeys of aural excellence. Website James Newman About the Artist James Newman Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . We are proud to debut Kings&Prophets [chapter13], a new work by spoken word artist Baraka Noel aka grandmaster mumbles. This piece grew out of the theme "Beginning" and was written in response to the passages listed. Mr. Noel was selected to participate in Spark and Echo Arts’ illumination project by 2012 Curator and poet Emily Hazel. Nahum 3:1 Nahum 3:6 Ecclesiastes 1:2–4 Job 28:3–6 Isaiah 26:17 Malachi 1:10–11 Proverbs 23:33 2 John 1:5 Kings&Prophets [chapter13] By grandmaster mumbles Credits: Words and music by Baraka Noel; Production by Lucas; Photos by Merchants of Reality Curated by: Emily Ruth Hazel 2012 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Nahum 3:1,6 “Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not… And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.” Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Baraka Noel aka grandmaster mumbles is a poet, spoken word artist, and creative collaborator living in California. “one of the best traveling poet live acts on the planet.” – illiterate magazine Website grandmaster mumbles About the Artist grandmaster mumbles Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . The piano and vocal composition by Jonathon Roberts, Dear Friend, juxtaposes a floating melody with virtuosic piano playing to represent Apostle John's letter to his friends. 3 John 1:1-13 Dear Friend By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Composer and performer by Jonathon Roberts Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2010 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link A piano and vocal composition setting the book of 3 John. The gentle melody is nearly entirely whole steps and floats over a rapid-fire piano section--John's words are both calm and energizing. The distant feeling of whole steps gives way to a half step in the final vocal line as John prepares to visit in person. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection J onathon Roberts is a composer and sound designer for games, film, theatre, and ensembles. His style grew out of classical and jazz training, and evolved through quality life adventures: touring the country in an RV with a one person theater piece on the Apostle Paul, living in Brooklyn with an improv music ensemble, performing in a downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, and a long stint writing music for the renowned slot machine company, High 5 Games. He has released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He created the popular podcast/web series ComposerDad Vs. Bible , in which ComposerDad accepts intense compositional challenges from a mysterious Bible while out with his kids. He frequently collaborates on music and theater projects with his wife, actor Emily Clare Zempel. They live in Beacon, NY, with their two boys and a tangled box of electrical cords. www.jonathonroberts.com Website Jonathon Roberts About the Artist Loving Arms I Make Tents The Sower Response There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner Weakness The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Babbler Remember Me Prayer How Beautiful I Am a Fool The Constant Ecclesiastes Cows Blessing Fools for Christ More Than Rubies Only a Few Years Will Pass Jonathon Roberts Other Works By Dear Friend Dear friend, I pray for your health. Even as your soul is getting along well. It gives me great joy. There’s no greater joy. I have no greater joy. O my dear friend, you are faithful to the Name, and to my brothers and sisters, though they’re strangers to you, they know your love. I know your love. I write to you. I don’t write to your friend who loves to be first. He will not welcome us, spreading malicious nonsense. So I will call attention, I will call attention. Dear Friend, do not imitate evil but what is good. It is from the Name. I have much to tell you, but not with pen and ink. I’ll see you soon, face to face. I will see you soon. Peace to you. Your friends here send their greetings. Greet my friends there by nam Download Full Score Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Improvising cellist Matt Turner brings us this haunting piece in response to the theme of "poverty" and two verses from the Psalms. Psalms 102:17 Psalms 140:12 Two Prayers By Matt Turner Credits: Composer and Recorded By Matt Turner Artist Location: Wisconsin Artist Photo: John Beaver Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "Two Prayers" is an improvisation for multi-tracked electric cello. The piece consists of two distinct sections with each part representing a prayer, hence the title. The first prayer is one of anguish and questioning. The second prayer is a desperate plea. As a child, I remember reading the Psalms and being drawn to the imagery and colors of each psalm. Concise and powerful, these writings are full and vibrant much like this verse. In this verse, destituteness means more than being poverty-stricken. Here it represents those who are grieving, suffering, or lost, and I have attempted to capture this in "Two Prayers" as a lamentation transforming into resolution. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Matt Turner is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading improvising cellists. Equally skilled as a pianist, Turner performs in myriad of styles and has shared the stage with Cape Breton fiddle sensation Natalie MacMaster, avant-garde musicians Marilyn Crispell, Peter Kowald, Guillermo Gregorio, Scott Fields, and John Butcher, country musician Wanda Vick, singer-songwriter LJ Booth, and jazz musician Bobby McFerrin to name a few and has performed in Canada, Europe and Asia. He appears on over 100 recordings on Sketch/Harmonia Mundi, Nato /Hope Street, Ayler, Illusions, Music and Arts, Accurate, Polyvinyl, Cadence Jazz and others and has recorded with jazz violinist Randy Sabien, goth vocalist/pianist Jo Gabriel, singer-songwriters Mark Croft and Tret Fure, punk artist Kyle Fischer, Kitty Brazelton’s chamber rockestra Dadadah, alt-country band Heller Mason and with the Pointless Orchestra. Turner completed his undergraduate studies at Lawrence University and his Master of Music degree in Third Stream Studies (now the Contemporary Improvisation program) at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Dave Holland, Geri Allen and Joe Maneri, and where he was the recipient of a Distinction in Performance Award. As a leader, Turner’s recordings appear on Illusions, Stellar, O.O. Discs, Asian Improv, Penumbra, Fever Pitch, Geode, Tautology, and Meniscus Records. His music is published by Carl Fischer, Alfred Music, Latham, and Alliance. Turner is a Yamaha Performing Artist, teaches improvisation at Lawrence University and currently performs and records with Bill Carrothers, Randy Sabien, Karmadog and with the Jean-Marc Foltz Trio. (Photo by John Beaver) Website Matt Turner About the Artist Matt Turner Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This work of poet and Christian theologian Jerome Blanco holds the tension of devastation in the world with the promise of God's restoration from Joel 3. Joel 3 The Day of the Lord By Jerome Blanco Credits: Photo by Matthew Jones Curated by: Rebecca Testrake 2017 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Prophetic passages on God's eventual judgment and restoration of the world can feel very distant for me. As I wrestled with the third chapter of Joel, I couldn't help but think these coming mysteries were lifetimes away, especially considering all the weight of what is happening in the world today. Despite God's dual promises of vengeance and restoration, I wonder about what good those promises have for those suffering now. Are the promises of abundant milk and wine (3:18) satisfying enough? What about the promises of God's vengeance on the wicked (3:21)? The prophecies of Joel certainly deliver a sense of hope, but that hope that comes from a promised future sits in tension with the painful realities of the present. In this poem, I recall the refugees that I met during a brief time I spent in Europe. Many expressed a hope in God despite terrible circumstances, but who were of course also weighed down with unimaginable despair. God was often what kept them going, but they weren't without fear. In the text, I specifically refer to a man I met from Homs, Syria, who spoke to me about both these things. The poem's form is modeled on this not-yet-ness of God's restoration. Excluding the final line, the poem is written in six stanzas of six lines each. Six, here, exemplifies that longing for completion‚ seven being the satisfying number of wholeness in God's creation. The final line acts as a promised seventh line to the final stanza, and as a promised seventh stanza to the poem as a whole. The prophecies in Joel are already in our hands. Christians can hold to the truth that God's promises will be fulfilled. And yet we are forced to wait restlessly for them in the meantime, as we wait for the day of the Lord‚ the day of judgment and restoration that is yet to come. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jerome Blanco is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and is an MFA candidate at New York University’s Writers Workshop in Paris, where he is studying fiction writing. He was born in Manila but currently calls Southern California home. Website Jerome Blanco About the Artist Jerome Blanco Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art As for the sinners, so they say, the hand of God will someday descend from heaven to pick hem off like forked lightning. View Full Written Work The Day of the Lord Jerome Blanco As for the sinners, so they say, the hand of God will someday descend from heaven to pick them off like forked lightning. The promise for saints: streams of wine, water for life, a heaven-land of flowing milk—but all this a long time from now. Today, we watch good men murdered in the streets, hear cries of wounded women wrecked, see children made orphans at the bomb’s thunderclap. Once, I met a man who feared the Lord, who hailed from hell-torn Syria and showed me pictures of his rubble home—nothing left but stones on stones. I trust in God, he said with hope in the words of the prophets. But the weight of exile can bring a man’s shoulders low, pull his head down towards the foreign ground—like he might sink into the earth, slowly first, then suddenly, like a shot. When I go, I swear, he is ankle-deep. What good the promised justice eternities away, that a man’s short life cannot stretch to reach? What help is heaven milk while killers dance in dusty Homs? If God withholds the wine, then it had better be sweet, overflowing so that it pours back in waves, cascading over all the years that my friend is made to wait. When God smites with his left, I’d like to see his right dig deep, pulling the buried from the dirt, raising them high like the acacias in the Lord’s green valley Close Loading Video . . . As for the sinners, so they say, the hand of God will someday descend from heaven to pick hem off like forked lightning. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Author Jeff Martin shares his short story, “Winebibber,” crafted with forty passages interwoven from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 1:10 Proverbs 1:15-16 Proverbs 1:22 Proverbs 2:7 Proverbs 3:13 Proverbs 3:25 Proverbs 3:33 Proverbs 5:16 Proverbs 8:7 Proverbs 8:10 Proverbs 9:10-11 Proverbs 10:27-30 Winebibber By Jeff Martin Credits: Curated by: Laura Eve Engel 2016 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As a fiction writer, the wisdom books of the Bible often frustrate me because of their lack of narrative—that is, there’s no story to be found in Proverbs, just as there isn’t any to be had in Wisdom or Sirach or the Psalms. If you want a plot in this stretch of the Old Testament, your best bet is Job, which has cause and effect, even if the causes are ultimately inexplicable. If you’re willing to scrap a bit more for your plot or like unusual narrative structures, you might be able to do something with Song of Songs or Ecclesiastes. But for the most part, what you’ll be reading is lists, many of which, as in Proverbs, are happy to repeat their ideas ceaselessly and with only the slightest variations. Nor are those repetitions necessarily profound—in some ways, Proverbs could be whittled down to this: “The righteous and the just will be okay. But the wicked and the slothful are up the creek.” This drove me nuts. Why spend 920 verses making the same few generic points? So it interested me to learn that Hebrew has a number of variations for the term “byword”—a word or phrase (like a proverb) that we use frequently. Of course one of those variations can be translated as “proverb.” But another can be translated as “taunt.” And that’s what struck me the most about Proverbs—that the overabundance of generic advice felt like a taunt to the reader. Once I had that focus, the challenge was to herd the 40 verses I chose into a short story, i.e, a narrative, which is not their natural environment. Doing so was a blast. Lastly, I’ll say this: the story’s engine runs almost entirely on taking the verses literally, which is probably the worst way to read any kind of religious text. But I also think there’s something to be gained from exploring how these sayings would fare when dropped into the living world. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jeff Martin co-directs the UVA Young Writers Workshop and has been published in New England Review , Alaska Quarterly Review , and No Tokens Journal , among others. Find more of his work online at readjeffmartin.com . Website Jeff Martin About the Artist Slow Belly Jeff Martin Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art There was a great deal of consternation and much protest at the announcement of the quiz. It can 't be helped, I said. View Full Written Work WINEBIBBER By Jeff Martin There was a great deal of consternation and much protest at the announcement of the quiz. It can’t be helped, I said. Put away everything but a piece of paper and something to write with. C’mon, Winebibber said, they’d just had a quiz yesterday, and I hadn’t even graded that one yet. How could I give another one today? Winebibber always noticed things like this. I’d sat him by the window hoping someday he might fall out of it. Yeah, Buckler said, that’s not fair at all. A couple of the backdwellers started chanting Not fair! Not fair! as they often did. They didn’t look up from their phones. Besides, Winebibber said, it’s not a good day for Quan. Quan is having a bad day. I’m fine, Quan muttered. He sat behind Winebibber and he looked sick. It can’t be helped, I said again. We cannot choose the day we are tested. But you can, Winebibber said. You can choose the day. You chose it yesterday. I shrugged. What’s the quiz even on ? Buckler asked. We didn’t have any reading last night. Seriously, Winebibber said, it’s not a good day for Quan. We have to take it, fine, but leave Quan out of it. I’ll take it, Quan mumbled. Hang on, said the backdwellers. They looked up from their phones. If we have to take it, everyone has to take it. Yeah, Buckler said, that’s true. Let us quiz on Gadiformes, I said. Quan raised his hand and asked to go to the bathroom. He did not look good. After the quiz, I said. The backdwellers were in an uproar. What in hell was a Gadiforme? Come on , Winebibber said, even he didn’t know what a Gadiforme was, and he’d already taken two PSAT prep courses. Is this a punishment? Buckler asked. Are you just mad again? Not fair! the backdwellers were chanting. Not fair! Not fair! No, I said, this is not a punishment. The backdwellers demanded to know what a Gadiforme was. They had their rights, they said. They had the right to know. I silenced them with the air horn. How long? I said. How long will you love simplicity and hate knowledge? Quan got to the trashcan at the front of the room before he threw up. The whole room yelled. Then don’t look, I said. It’s just the inside of a stomach. It’s no different than the inside of a building. No, it’s different, the backdwellers moaned, covering their eyes. It’s way different. Someone yelled to open a window and someone else did so. I helped Quan lie down on the floor behind my desk. He did not look good. His black hair was stuck to his temple with sweat and his chest rose quickly up and down. He stared at me with wide dark eyes. Shouldn’t he go to the nurse? Winebibber asked. He was standing by the open window as if ready for some kind of action. He’ll be fine, I said. I looked down at Quan. You’ll be fine, I said. A little sleep, I said to him, a little slumber. A little folding of the hands to sleep. I told you he was having a bad day, Winebibber said. You were right, I said. Good for you. Happy is the man who findeth wisdom, and the man who getteth understanding. The backdwellers wanted to know if we could getteth that trashcan out of there. I sat the trashcan in the hall and closed the door. It wasn’t even that much, I said to them. To Quan I said, Quan, if it’s going to happen again, you are welcome to use my hat. I reminded him that my hat was hanging on the chair above him. Okay, Quan said. It was hard to hear him and we could see only his legs sticking out from behind the desk. Buckler asked if we were still taking the quiz, and the backdwellers told him to shut up, why would he remind me? And I said, Why would I forget? Yes, I said, we were still taking the quiz. But we don’t know anything about Gettysburg, the backdwellers said. Gad iformes, Buckler said. He didn’t say Gettysburg . Jesus. We’re going to wreck you after class, the backdwellers said to Buckler. To me they said, We don’t know anything about Gadiformes, either. You can’t quiz us on what we don’t know. It’s unconstitutional. Then receive my instruction instead of silver, I said, and knowledge instead of choice gold. This really is a pretty bad class, Winebibber said. He was still standing by the window. And be not among winebibbers, I said, among riotous eaters of flesh. What is going on ? Winebibber said. He just called you a flesh eater, the backdwellers said. That means you’re gay. Buckler disagreed. He called him a cannibal, he said. But I don’t know why. What is going on? Look at your phones, I said. Look up Gadiforme on your phones. The backdwellers said they didn’t know how to spell it and sat back to complain to each other of their plight. I asked Quan how he was doing. His eyes were closed and he said he was afraid. Oh, I said, don’t be afraid of sudden fear. But I am afraid, he said. Well, I said, just don’t be. Winebibber waved his phone. It’s cod, he said. A Gadiforme is just a cod. Yes, I said, good. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. That’s a gay joke, the backdwellers told Winebibber. Lips of knowledge. You can sue him for that after we beat the shit out of you. There, I said to Winebibber. See? The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. You should feel crowned. I don’t get it, Winebibber said. We’re reading Lord of the Flies. Yes, I said. What does cod have to do with Lord of the Flies? I reminded them that the quiz would be like all quizzes. Five questions, two points apiece. The backdwellers and Buckler cried foul. You may use your phones, I said. Finally, Buckler said. To Quan I said, Quan, you don’t need to write down your answers, but I want you to think about the questions. Quan made a sound I couldn’t understand. Some of the backdwellers decided they wouldn’t take the quiz. They were going to fail, so what was the point? You can use your phones, I said. Don’t be slothful. The slothful man says, There is a lion in the way; there is a lion in the streets. Quan made another sound. But, I said, there isn’t a lion in the way. There is only a quiz, and it’s not in the streets. It’s just here in the room. Winebibber said Quan really ought to go to the nurse. Once, I said, I went past the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding. And lo, I said, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down. Do you understand what I’m saying? Quan made a long, strange sound from behind the desk, high enough to get the backdwellers’ attention and odd enough to silence them. Oh, God, he said at the end of it, and then was the sound of him sobbing. Quan, I said, are you afraid? Jesus, the backdwellers said, of course he’s afraid. Let him go to the nurse. I told you, Winebibber said. He had one arm out the window and was scooping handfuls of fresh air in. I asked Quan what he was afraid of. Oh, God, he quavered again, and he rolled over so the sobbing grew muffled. There, I said to the class, Quan has the right idea. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Good for you, I said to Quan’s legs. The wisdom of the holy is understanding. His mom is dying, Winebibber said. I turned around. Is that true, Quan? I said, but Quan didn’t answer. It’s true, Buckler said. Everyone knows it. We didn’t know it, the backdwellers said. Everyone who matters knows it, Buckler told them. That’s twice, they said, and one of them threw a pen cap at Buckler. We’re going to wreck you twice now. Don’t worry, I said to Buckler. The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead. I turned back to Quan. Did you hear that, Quan? That goes for your mother, too. Bow down your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart unto my knowledge. He’s already bowed down, Buckler said. He’s on the floor. He can’t bow down any more than that. Listen, Quan, I said. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Just leave him alone, Winebibber said. He wasn’t scooping air in anymore. He was just sitting on the window ledge. Just leave him alone, he said again. But a wise man is strong, I said. Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. Quan, I said, if you had more knowledge, you’d have more strength. You’d be in a chair right now instead of on the floor. Jesus , the backdwellers said. What’s the matter with you? Question number one, I said. The backdwellers howled. We were still having the quiz? Question number one, I said again. Identify the origin of cod. If we have to do this, the backdwellers said, we’re just going to cheat off each other. Sloths, I said, you say there is a lion without, I shall be slain in the street. A lion without what? the backdwellers asked. What is it with sloths and lions? Buckler, they said, if you give us your answers, we’ll only wreck you once. Not twice. You can use your phone , Buckler said. He flipped through his screen and wrote something down. Seriously, they said. You’re asking for it. My son, I said to Buckler, if sinners entice you, consent you not. Walk not in the ways with them; refrain your foot from their path. For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. He’s right, they said, we’ll make haste to shed blood for sure. They demanded to know the origin of cod. They had their right to know. Nothing? I said. Have you learned nothing from Quan’s example? He lies sobbing on the floor for lack of knowledge. Is this what you want for yourselves as well? He’s on the floor because his mom’s dying, Winebibber said. She’s younger than my mom. Quan, I said, is your mother an upright woman? The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them. She’s a hospice nurse, Winebibber said. He leaned against the window frame and dangled one foot out in the air. There you are, I said. Whoso walketh uprightly will be saved. She can’t walk uprightly, Winebibber said. She can’t get out of her bed. Metaphorically, I said. I don’t think so, Winebibber replied. Wait, said one of the backdwellers, she has to shit in her bed? Yes, Winebibber said with his eyes closed, she has to shit in her bed. Quan let out another long, muffled howl. Gross, the backdwellers said. Pissing the bed was bad enough. Hey Buckler, they said, you still piss your bed? No, Buckler said. He was done writing and waiting for the next question. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, I said, and rivers of waters in the streets. They looked at me. Question two, I said. I really don’t think this is right, Winebibber said. Quan needs to see the nurse. Just give us the next question, Buckler said. There, I said, and pointed at Buckler. A man who seeks knowledge. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous. He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He is a man who seeks a beating, the backdwellers said. He is a kicking bag to those that walk in shoes. A hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, I said, but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. I went to my desk and took a letter opener from a plastic tray. It was shaped like a sword and I handed it to Buckler. But you should also carry this, I said. Then I gave them the second question. Explain cod, I said. That’s the second question. Winebibber wanted to know how knowledge would deliver Quan’s mother. The backdwellers roared. How were they supposed to explain cod? I shrugged. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, I said. But he blesseth the habitation of the just. But she’s dying , Winebibber said. Quan, I said, on a scale of one to ten, how just is your mother? She’s a nine, Winebibber said. If she’s a nine, I said, she has nothing to fear. The integrity of the upright shall guide them. That doesn’t sound very helpful, Winebibber said. It is, I said. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright, but destruction to the workers of iniquity. She’s on morphine, Winebibber said. She doesn’t know where she is half the time. Well, I said, the hope of the righteous shall be gladness. The righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. I think she wants to be removed, Winebibber said. She’s shitting in her bed and eating through a tube. If she’s righteous, I said, all her days shall be multiplied, and all the years of her life increased. Well, said Winebibber, that sounds like a terrible system. And he swung his other leg over the window ledge and dropped out of sight. We heard him strike the lower roof, and the backdwellers cheered. I’m sorry about that, I said to the class. Whoso loves instruction loves knowledge, but he that hates reproof is brutish. Thorns and snares are ever in the way of the froward. The backdwellers talked among themselves. He meant the Frodo , they said. Those thorns around Mordor. Remember, I said, the way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns, but the way of the righteous is made plain. And also, I said, a slothful man hides his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. The backdwellers noted that I had said bosom and that they could report me for that. I shrugged. A man that bears false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. What does that mean? they asked. Buckler wanted to know what the next question was. There isn’t one, I said. The second question is worth eight points. There was great consternation and protest that this wasn’t fair. This commotion increased when I told them the quiz was worth a third of their grade. You have to trust me, I said. Trust that this will all be turned to good. There was an uproar and a multitude of threats. Outraged, one of the backdwellers cast himself out the window in the manner of Winebibber. Well, I said, open rebuke is better than secret love. The backdwellers left in a fury, followed by the rest. A minute later there remained only Buckler in his seat and Quan prone on the floor. Buckler handed me his paper. Thanks for this, he said, and held up the letter opener. I told him he was welcome. He wanted to know what would happen to Quan. He’ll be all right, I said. Happy is the man that feareth always. But he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief. He doesn’t look happy, Buckler said, and Quan let out a great, quaking sob. He doesn’t sound happy, either. Just trust me, I said. For my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. Close Loading Video . . . There was a great deal of consternation and much protest at the announcement of the quiz. It can 't be helped, I said. Download Full Written Work