Rick Land & Russ Tapp: Blog

We are experiencing a historic drought in the Texas Panhandle - in case you havn't noticed.

The soil is extremely dry and hard. These poor old native Chinese Elm trees are even struggling to survive. As we all know - those roots will permeate almost anything ( especially our sewer lines, now there is a parable for ya !! ). The parable of the seed and the sower will always be a timeless guide for us as we live out our daily lives before our families, co-workers and the world at large.



Invariably, we will all face a crisis or emotional situation that will test our "root" beliefs, internal compass and patience.



I was taught a very specific code of social behavior growing up here in the Panhandle. The privacy of our home was the place where we could express ourselves, our feelings, frustrations and basic human behavior. But, when we were in public - my brothers and I were expected to behave as gentlemen - polite, balanced and astute.

No exceptions.



Our "behavioral seeds" [...]

The Day They Closed The Church

My first days as an Episcopalian were spent in Dallas in a conservative little parish that split off of a larger congregation back during all the hoopla over the new Book of Common Prayer. Even though I was on the staff at FBC Dallas, I never failed to attend a simple and meaningful service of communion in this beautiful refuge of sanity and hope every Wednesday at noon. The rector had attended a fundamentalist bible college when the mystery of liturgy caught him by the throat and he "defected" ASAP! He was working at a major evangelical denominational publishing company in Nashville and was given the responsibility of doing a Lenten series. He had no idea what Lent was so they told him to go across the street to the Episcopal Church and find out. He told me that he literally walked in the door and had the very common feeling so many of us feel - he felt he was finally at home...he and I spent hours in conversation about the ills, spiritual abuse and emptiness of evangelical religion.

There is great irony in my own story of coming out of evangelicalism in the fact that I spent hours in my youth practicing the organ which I now play every Sunday at St. Matthews in Pampa, my hometown. There is not enough room on this page for me to tell the stories of profound synchronicity that dogged me throughout my life until I finally "fell" into the Episcopal church.

My personal theology and understanding of God is no longer naive and co-dependent. I now have a better understanding of what is real, what is authentic and intellectually honest. I find our liturgy to be one of the last religious art forms in existence. The beautiful prose and elegant prayers contain centuries of spiritual travail and soul searching.

Hi group - I just had to relay to you a brief personal comment about the Evensong at St. Andrews last evening - a small group from the First United Methodist Church Lubbock Sanctuary choir led evensong and their organist played as well. 
 
I have not heard that level of choral sound since hearing the choir of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic in Dallas back in the 80's and 90's under the direction of Paul Reido - that church changed my life - I had not ever and have not since heard such magnificent choral blend. There was no carpet in the church or pew cushions and they even turned off the A/C so as to have a perfectly quiet room - the music was breathtaking and Paul always improvised at the organ between the choral selections during a performance.  I could go on and on about those experiences - and last night brought it all back.
This is a select group of 15 singers from their 50 voice sanctuary choir - they sang the traditional evensong literature standing in a circle on [...]

ALL STRUCTURES ARE UNSTABLE"Whatever form it takes, the unconscious drive behind ego is to strengthen the image of who I think I am, the phantom self that came into existence when thought- a great blessing as well as a great curse - began to take over and obscured the simple yet profound joy of connectedness with Being, the Source, God. Whatever behavior the ego manifests, the hidden motivating force is always the same; the need for power, for attention, for more.  And, of course, the need to feel a sense of separation, that is to say, the need for opposition, enemies. The ego always wants something from other people or situations. There is always a hidden agenda, always a sense of 'not enough yet.' of insufficiency and lack that needs to be filled.  It uses people and situations to get what it wants, and even when it succeeds, it is never satisfied for long.  Often it is thwarted in its aims, and for the most part the gap between 'I want" and 'what is' become [...]

 

To me, art in worship is an absolute necessity.   Each week I sit and ponder  and ponder to find appropriate words to place here. I consider myself to be a true "renaissance man" but there are a few "sacred places" in my life that cannot be altered. Art and beauty in worship are two immovable facets of my very being.I love Deep Elum in Dallas. It has become an eclectic haven for young people in their early 20's. The music, clothes, atmosphere and general mayhem is fascinating to watch.  Several of my favorite restaurants are down there and the neighborhood also attracts a very unique group of people. I love the diversity, energy and sheer "bohemian" style of it all. I have heard practically every contemporary artist you can think of.   I love the music of this planet in all of it's enormous variety and complexity. But, there is one place that is my particular "cosmic fortress", church. There has to be one place where I can "be" , where I can [...]