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Posted by arcticsunburn on 06-03-2003 at23:23:

  The Pool

I went out for a walk today, and was listening to Fearful Symmetry. I've always thought "The Pool" was a cool song, but it kinda hit me hard today. Maybe I'm just stupid, but I just realized that the song's about being baptized (just watch me be wrong and feel even more stupid).

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Posted by BD on 06-03-2003 at23:26:

 

heh heh

Maybe you should come out of the cold and let your brain warm up a little?

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Posted by dorfsmith on 06-03-2003 at23:32:

 

I explained once before that that's why the naked guy is coming out of the water.

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Posted by Gort on 06-03-2003 at23:48:

 


what naked guy?

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Posted by .backs. on 06-03-2003 at23:54:

 

The one on the cover of FS?

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Posted by arcticsunburn on 06-04-2003 at00:19:

 

quote:

Originally posted by BD heh heh Maybe you should come out of the cold and let your brain warm up a little?

I just need to actually listen to these songs sometime.

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Posted by ProdigalDog on 06-04-2003 at07:05:

  The Pool

The Pool is one of my favorite DA tunes. It is refreshing to find a contemporary song that speaks to the matter of baptism. This is a topic that most churches don't really know how to deal with so they minimalize it or, is some cases, almost criminalize it.

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Posted by John Foxe on 06-04-2003 at08:20:

  Rather, I think

Rather, it's clear to me it's the idea of Romans 6:4, being baptised into death with Christ, and rising up.

You see how he stands on the fountain of doubt. Then he goes down, then rises up, as a swan. It's faith in Jesus that transforms - once for all - the person into a beautiful child of God.

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Posted by Gamgee on 06-04-2003 at08:53:

 

quote:

Originally posted by dorfsmith I explained once before that that's why the naked guy is coming out of the water.

I thought he was doin situps...

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Posted by ProdigalDog on 06-04-2003 at09:03:

  "The pool is very deep and cool and nothing here is hard to do


"The pool is very deep and cool
and nothing here is hard to do
Nothing that should trouble you"

Shrouded forms that start and sigh
As they pass this wanderer by
Lakes that endlessly outspread
Foamy blanket river beds

Chorus:
I stand, stand by the water, knee deep
Deep in the fountain, now down, I go under
Then rise up, rise up forever

The waves that mount and tumble high
I meet the melancholy sky
And all I have I count for loss
There in the clouds one single cross

Repeat chorus

"Yes, deeply I have slept
And now I rise as one who has gone down
Into the well springs of new life
Down across the milk white sands
I wade out into the sleepy cove
And bathe in the holy stream
Then suddenly
I shatter the level mirror of the lake

Repeat chorus

Upon an everlasting tide
Into the silent pool I glide
I plunge to wash this black heart clean
And rise a swan upon the wing

Repeat chorus

-------------------------------------------

Nothing in here about 'standing on a fountain of doubt'. It is just plain beautiful imagery of scriptural baptism. Yes, I agree that Jesus does the transforming. That is not an issue here. I think my point still stands, though.

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Posted by John Foxe on 06-04-2003 at10:28:

  I disagree

Not a big deal but the words ARE there, just not in the same sentence.

The imagery is clear to me. You don't rise a swan after baptism - the swan comes before, from faith in Jesus, and the baptism of Romans 6 represents that. Also, I would reference 1 Peter 3:21, it's not the removal of dirt from the literal water, but the appeal to a good conscience that comes from faith alone.

This is an important distinction from someone who believes the way I do - that there's nothing magical about the water - to someone who douses themselves or their kids to ostensibly get them into the kingdom.

)

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Posted by ProdigalDog on 06-04-2003 at12:11:

  I disagree too

Nothing I posted is about the water. I don't know where you got that and I think you miss my point, yet at the same time you underscore my original point. I never stated that the purpose of baptism is to remove dirt from the physical body or that there is some kind of magic about the water. It's all about grace based on obedient faith. I don't see the problem there.

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Posted by Theo on 06-04-2003 at12:56:

  I've posted this before

but it just seems to be apropos to this thread.
My son, Andrew; his very last words were sung in whisper to the CD playing in the background:

"I stand, stand by the water, knee deep
Deep in the fountain, now down, I go under
Then rise up, rise up forever"

I can't imagine anything preaching more brilliantly.

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Posted by .GORT. on 06-04-2003 at13:30:

 

Beautiful

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Posted by Mark on 06-04-2003 at20:47:

 

The Pool is one of my very favorite DA songs.

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Posted by Gamgee on 06-04-2003 at22:51:

 

quote:

Originally posted by Mark The Pool is one of my very favorite DA songs.

Ditto

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Posted by JR88 on 06-04-2003 at22:52:

 

quote:

Originally posted by arcticsunburn I went out for a walk today, and was listening to Fearful Symmetry. I've always thought "The Pool" was a cool song, but it kinda hit me hard today. Maybe I'm just stupid, but I just realized that the song's about being baptized (just watch me be wrong and feel even more stupid).

Well if your stupid I'm with you cause I didn't realize it talked about baptism until 10 years later. LOL

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Posted by .backs. on 06-05-2003 at00:20:

 

i will not say, "DS," but i agree with Mark and the hobbit

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Posted by arcticsunburn on 06-05-2003 at00:31:

 

quote:

Originally posted by Driver8 quote: Originally posted by arcticsunburn I went out for a walk today, and was listening to Fearful Symmetry. I've always thought "The Pool" was a cool song, but it kinda hit me hard today. Maybe I'm just stupid, but I just realized that the song's about being baptized (just watch me be wrong and feel even more stupid). Well if your stupid I'm with you cause I didn't realize it talked about baptism until 10 years later. LOL

For me it was about after 10 listens so I don't feel so bad.

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Posted by arcticsunburn on 06-05-2003 at00:34:

 

quote:

Originally posted by ProdigalDog The Pool is one of my favorite DA tunes. It is refreshing to find a contemporary song that speaks to the matter of baptism. This is a topic that most churches don't really know how to deal with so they minimalize it or, is some cases, almost criminalize it.

Indeed. There was this one incident in Japan where one of the members of Bible study asked to be baptized by my father. So he did. The church did not allow him the use of the facilities anymore (because the bible studies were being done there at the time). It was kinda hard to take. I don't think they realized what kind of qualifications my father had.