I have an idea for a new project for the month of Dec. So stay tuned starting sat for my new project. It's largely inspired by many of your requests.


andrew+seely personal project december

Went to the Iron and Wine show with Justin and Amy last night. Wow...Sam Beam is an amazing songwriter and performer. The Orpheum theatre is beautiful and our seats weren't as bad as I thought they would be.

The encore of Trapeze Swinger, brought me to tears. Good stuff.

The show was sponsored by KCRW, which segways me to let you know that I won my 2nd give-a-way from KCRW this year. Tickets to an advanced screening of The Kite Runner at the new Arclight theatre in Sherman Oaks. I guess the author is going to be there too, so I need to go buy a copy of the book to get signed.

All in all a good week so far.


iron+and+wine iron+&+wine KCRW the+kite+runner

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

A beautiful movie that encapsulates the agony of silence. This utterly simple movie completely involves you in the ideas of complexity. Wonderful acting, simple yet stunningly breathtaking art direction and cinematography. It makes one feel the depth, pain, sorrow, anguish and solitude that one man struggles to wrestle with during his quest for hope and self actualization. While completely in French (with the exception of some music) nothing is lost in the translation of the emotions of the human soul. One gains a deep respect for what little regards we have for the simple things in life. And in the same breath we find ourselves drawn to an elegant patience and understanding of suffering. While at times the film sinks into surrealism, most of the lingering feeling is one of shock and overwhelmingness, that only comes when one is completely floored by a situation that no one could have expected prior to its occurrence. The heartache and compassion for the gift of life is clearly drawn out through a bleak, yet hope lined montage of sound and sights.

I HIGHLY recommend this. And hope it wins at least one major award this coming award season.

Anyone want to buy me the book?


matt's+movies KCRW The+Diving+Bell+and+the+Butterfly

New Ghetto Blog


Andrew+Seely ghetto+blog blog humor

Today's high 77, shorts, t-shirt and a round of golf.

Did I mention I love where I live.


andrew+seely personal

I just saw my first house with x-mas lights on it.

So begins my disdain...


xmas xmas+lights

I'm still here folks.
Life has been a bit hetic lately. Mainly too much work, lack of satisfaction, blah blah blah.

I'm still looking forward to working on the worship posts, if you're willing to hang around for a while longer. Sorry it's taking a while.

Might get some stuff up this week, but I'm not really making any promises.

Hope you all are well.


andrew+seely personal

You know that photo that Marty McFly carries around with him in the first Back to the Future movie?

The one where his family members slowly start to fade away as if they were never born.

Well that photo kinda sums up how I've been feeling this last week in some strange and concise way. As if I am one of the people in the photo.

Kinda like maybe I'm ceasing to exist.

Just some thoughts rolling through my head, that's all.


andrew+seely personal

I'm off to see a screening of the new Coen brothers movie No Country for Old Men

Here's my shout out to KCRW yet again for making this possible. Thanks Matt's movies. You're the best.

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Be sure to read the post below, it's the newest in the momentum series.


coen+brothers no+country+for+old+men KCRW matt's+movies

Original post, pt 1.5, pt 1.75, pt 2, pt 3

Section 1 - What is worship? - pt 2

Before I make some comments about some of the discussion that's been going on let me point you towards some of the other people who have weighed in on section 1.

Matt's post on liturgy.
Dani's stab at it.
Em's nurturing thoughts.
and if I forgot anyone please let me know and I'll include your link.

It seems that much of the conversation during this beginning of the overall discussion is seeming to focus on the crux of whether or not worship as a whole is a personal experience or is to be more focused on the whole of all involved.

To clarify for Matt who asked in the comments about my statement of

"Worship for me at least, is a profound, set apart time where we (I) get the chance to fully and undividedly seek God and do that in the company of others."

I think what I was getting at there is exactly what we all seem to have very different opinions about. For me it's a deep paradox (as are many things for me). The paradox of a personal experience coupled with being part of a larger community. That the two as some how mystically intertwined in the grand scheme of things.

For me it seems like I need my space and my time to fully embrace the God that I know and love. Alongside others doing the same. Yet at the same time it seems that we need time and we need space to do things as a community to learn and grow from each other.

In a sense worship takes on the characteristics of a relationship. The deep need to grow both individually as a single person as well as with the person you are involved with. For us in corporate worship it gets a little more complicated as we start to deal with ourselves, those in our community as well as with God.

But here's where I have started down the road of complicating such a simple act. As Em states worship is a simple act. It's as simple as God asking us the question "do you love me?" And in many ways I agree. Simple yet complex. It is our response of us either loving or not loving God.

The theologian starts to come out in me here, I want to talk about how such a simple statement becomes complex and the intricacies that are all wrapped up in such a simple question. Dani makes a good point with her statement of

"Ultimately, I think worship should be the place where we encounter the story of God and see our own story framed within God's story. We meet God every week and encounter death, resurrection, and redemption; the life blessed, broken, and given for us so that we can be bread for the world."

A simple question that when answered in a way demands action and thought. How do we then take the question of us loving God into the world around us.

How do we begin to live worship?

For the most part of our discussion it has been focused on corporate worship (usually on a sun in a building). Yet we find ourselves at a larger question about our worship poured out through our lives. A question that may have to wait until section 5 (other issues).

I sure we could keep talking about the fundamentals of what makes up worship or what worship is about, but I think we have brought up many good things that will either only get flushed out as we discuss the other topics or will continue to be sticking points far into the future.

For now we will have to lay aside the question of "what is worship?" and move on to "who is worshiping?". There has already been some ground work about this in the comments as ultimately who is worshiping shapes the act of worship itself.

Please feel free to use the comments to address a few of the things that we have expounded on here as well as be working on thoughts about the people involved in worship, adults, teens, children, babies, elderly and even issues surrounding class, race, economic status, and whatever else comes to mind. I'm really looking forward to this section.

coming soon...
Section 2 - Who is worshipping?
Section 3 - Worship reflects culture.
Section 4 - How to worship (spaces and format).
Section 5 - Other issues.


sunday church worship worship+service emergent emerging+church

I broke a promise. I know I said that I would have some new stuff up today about worship and such. A few things have come up that have prevented me from doing so. I will as soon as I have some free time to do so. Hang in there.


andrew+seely personal

My thoughts recently in post-relationship land have been about how to share myself with others.

The two sides are both honest and real, but they both carry, at least I think, a bit of duality, in the sense that when I gravitate towards one or the other I am in some way being a little deceptive.

Why don't you just embrace both at the same time? You may ask. Well in my mind yes, this would be optimal. But in someway I have convinced myself that when I am in the middle position, I find myself starting to move towards bland and uninteresting. I am more comfortable being in one or the other.

The two sides are those of confidence and excitement, and the other is raw and hurt.

I have been enjoying a newfound sense of confidence and wanting to explore new friendships and possible relationships. I feel good about myself and in an uncharted place when it comes to who I am and the direction that I am headed. Yet, at the same time I feel that it is improper to hide the emotional side of me that is still hurting and is still shy when it comes to tackling the arena of relationships, especially starting new ones.

Who am I? Who am I becomming? Who do I want to be?

Which side will win the duel?

Like I've said before, it is about a process. More and more each day I am getting to know myself better. More and more God is showing me things about myself that I never knew before. More and more I am having to re-evaluate the things that have shaped me up to this point.

For most of my life I have been deeply intrigued by the concept of paradox.

And I continue to define myself within one.

I am a confidently hurt, deeply raw and exciting person, who is just trying to find the joy in each day.

I hope you will share this with me and at times point out the joy that I stubbornly refuse to see.

Thanks for continuing to journey with me.

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More from the momentum series either today or tomorrow, or maybe even both!!


andrew+seely personal