He was never very famous and he died pretty young. His music now sounds slightly dated to me, but the lyrics are as poignant as ever. When I listen to this guy sing, it makes me love God more and gives me courage for life. Can't explain it, really. Here's one of my favorites. I needed to hear these words this morning. Hope you like it.
Orphans Of God - by Mark Heard
I will rise from my bed with a question again
As I work to inherit the restless wind
The view from my window is cold and obscene
I want to touch what my eyes haven't seen
But they have packaged our virtue in cellulose dreams
And sold us the remnants 'til our pockets are clean
'Til our hopes fall 'round our feet
Like the dust of dead leaves
And we end up looking like what we believe
We are soot-covered urchins running wild and unshod
We will always be remembered as the orphans of God
They will dig up these ruins and make flutes of our bones
And blow a hymn to the memory of the orphans of God
Like bees in a bottle we are flying at fate
Beating our wings against the walls of this place
Unaware that the struggle is the blood of the proof
In choosing to believe the unbelievable truth
But they have captured our siblings and rendered them mute
They've disputed our lineage and poisoned our roots
We have bought from the brokers who have broken their oaths
And we're out on the streets with a lump in our throats
We are soot-covered urchins running wild and unshod
We will always be remembered as the orphans of God
They will dig up these ruins
And make flutes of our bones
And blow a hymn to the memory of the orphans of God
12.4.05
11.4.05
AND THE ROUND HOUSE TOO?!?! What will Roberta Couch do now? (Apologies to the 85% of you who don't know anything about Greenville).
My good friend Matt, who still resides in the city of Greenville forwards this list of attractions forever banished from the 'Ville.
1) The Round House
2) The Donutt Shoppe (for us east siders)
3) The Big N
4) Harts
5) Murphy's Mart
6) Eikenberry's North, Old School
7) Eikenberry's North, New School
8) The big giant Sputnik-looking thing on top of the Vints sign
9) The Hamburger Shop
10) The Party Dock
11) McMillers
12) The convenience store by the county jail
13) Winter Sports Festival
14) K of C Dances
15) The Broadway street festival when they dropped ping pong balls with prizes in them from planes
16) Funky P's wife's apartment next to Ace Lumber (ghandi two weeks ago)
17) The Green Wave painting around the water tower
P.S. They're putting in a brand new decorative fountain in the circle in the near future. I saw the plans for it in the Mayor's orifice.
1) The Round House
2) The Donutt Shoppe (for us east siders)
3) The Big N
4) Harts
5) Murphy's Mart
6) Eikenberry's North, Old School
7) Eikenberry's North, New School
8) The big giant Sputnik-looking thing on top of the Vints sign
9) The Hamburger Shop
10) The Party Dock
11) McMillers
12) The convenience store by the county jail
13) Winter Sports Festival
14) K of C Dances
15) The Broadway street festival when they dropped ping pong balls with prizes in them from planes
16) Funky P's wife's apartment next to Ace Lumber (ghandi two weeks ago)
17) The Green Wave painting around the water tower
P.S. They're putting in a brand new decorative fountain in the circle in the near future. I saw the plans for it in the Mayor's orifice.
10.4.05
Reader's Poll
I need your help! I am conducting a research project that is very important. And secret. It's for the government or something. Here's the question: What word would you have most likely used to describe the item in this photo between the years 1981 and 1987? Is this a "Boom Box" or a "Ghetto Blaster"?
I remember what a big deal it was to have a really big stereo to carry around on your shoulder. Once when I was in like the fourth grade or something, I was at the YMCA and there were all these really cool teenagers playing basketball in the gym and one of them had a stereo so big it had a television built right into it. I was convinced the owner and operator of that stereo must have been the all time coolest dude ever. EVER! Who knows what I'm saying? If you are reading this PLEASE take a moment and respond to this very imprortant poll. it's for the good of mankind or whatever. Also, feel free to leave your memories of the giant stereos of yore. Thanks.
Boom Box or Ghetto Blaster?
I remember what a big deal it was to have a really big stereo to carry around on your shoulder. Once when I was in like the fourth grade or something, I was at the YMCA and there were all these really cool teenagers playing basketball in the gym and one of them had a stereo so big it had a television built right into it. I was convinced the owner and operator of that stereo must have been the all time coolest dude ever. EVER! Who knows what I'm saying? If you are reading this PLEASE take a moment and respond to this very imprortant poll. it's for the good of mankind or whatever. Also, feel free to leave your memories of the giant stereos of yore. Thanks.
Boom Box or Ghetto Blaster?
A Good Book
Worth the price just for the title.
"A person has to be thoroughly disgusted with the way things are to find the motivation to set out on the Christian way. As long as we think that the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment or another pay raise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquility, we are not likely to risk the arduous uncertainties of the life of faith. A person has to get fed up with the ways of the world before he, before she, acquires an appetite for the world of grace. Psalm 120 is the song of such a person, sick with the lies and crippled with the hate, a person doubled up in pain over what is going on in the world..."
"A person has to be thoroughly disgusted with the way things are to find the motivation to set out on the Christian way. As long as we think that the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment or another pay raise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquility, we are not likely to risk the arduous uncertainties of the life of faith. A person has to get fed up with the ways of the world before he, before she, acquires an appetite for the world of grace. Psalm 120 is the song of such a person, sick with the lies and crippled with the hate, a person doubled up in pain over what is going on in the world..."
Who Remembers These 10 Things No Longer Found in Greenville, Ohio?
1. Flag Wars
2. The Mock Rock
3. The really really tall slide at the park
4. Lotsa Dots
5. Ed Cornell's
6. Water in the fountain on the circle
7. Lightning & Banjoman
8. Murphy's (They sold candy and parakeets!)
9. Annie Oakley Days on the Museum grounds
10. Cruising Broadway
2. The Mock Rock
3. The really really tall slide at the park
4. Lotsa Dots
5. Ed Cornell's
6. Water in the fountain on the circle
7. Lightning & Banjoman
8. Murphy's (They sold candy and parakeets!)
9. Annie Oakley Days on the Museum grounds
10. Cruising Broadway
Moderately Embarassing Biographical Fact # 1
I really enjoy watching Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Vigilante of Suburban Coffee Shops
Bill Mallonee, former lead singer & chief architect of Athens, Georgia based alt-country act Vigilantes of Love performed solo at Scotty McBeans in a Columbus, Ohio suburb just mile from my home this past week. And when I say he performed "solo" I mean "SOLO". The poor guy travels the country in a rented car with his guitars in the back seat. He runs his own soundboard, sells his own merchandise, tunes his own guitars, chauferrs himself to and from venues... The only thing he didn't do is run the cappucino machine. Anyway, the show was rewarding. Bill ran through a slew of favorites from his days with VOL as well as newer works from his three solo albums.
If you've never listened to Bill or VOL, I recommend you give it a spin. Expect a peculiar vocal style (ala Dylan or Neil Young) and lot's of poignant lyrics. I know this sounds odd, but I think Mallonee's lyrics have had as much influence on the way I want to approach preaching as any contemporary author or homiletician. In fact, there a handful of lines from his lyrics that I've carried around with me for years, in the back of my mind. They're always there and shape the way I think about life and God and faith. Bleeding heart sewn securely to thread-bare sleeve. Here's a few:
All this stuff I thought was jewelry turns out to be chains.
Take the true and the real from the false and the fake and the mountains reduce to rubble.
The Doctor is in, the surgery is free, he use no anasthetics but its all guaranteed
It's amazing what you'll sell when you're not doing that well, the stories you will tell to make you a friend
How much of this was meant to be, How much the work of the devil? How far can one man's eyes really see in these days of toil and trouble?
Are there any words of wisdom I've picked up along the way? Yes, death usually comes dressed up in her finery and lace. Hasn't eveyone in these bars been crying inside their whole life through? Well you might think we've ceased to hear it but no, the opposite's true.
It's all over, there's no explanation. All that's left is the messy clean up operation.
I have a picture. Wish it was a photograph. You were holding little children, right there upon your lap. Its never cold in that picture, as far as I can tell, but outside the rain has changed to snow and its frozen in the well.
This is dangerous terrain we're attemtping to traverse. It's a crying shame, but it could be alot worse.
Jim and Tammy and Reverend Swaggart, they don't look like Jesus & they're a whole lot fatter, Don't miss the Truth for a stupid side show, & don't confuse the cup for the contents it holds
I'm so tired of all my toys, they never last for long. They keep beaming dreams and wishes to the big dish on my front lawn. I want to drink out of that fountain on a hill called double cure. I want show you my allegience. I want to be a son of yours.
Your lips were alluring and slightly moist, so let's kiss away our part of the curse.
We've been dragging our dreams across the asphalt and pavement, trying to speak of the gift and the one who gave it.
If you've never listened to Bill or VOL, I recommend you give it a spin. Expect a peculiar vocal style (ala Dylan or Neil Young) and lot's of poignant lyrics. I know this sounds odd, but I think Mallonee's lyrics have had as much influence on the way I want to approach preaching as any contemporary author or homiletician. In fact, there a handful of lines from his lyrics that I've carried around with me for years, in the back of my mind. They're always there and shape the way I think about life and God and faith. Bleeding heart sewn securely to thread-bare sleeve. Here's a few:
All this stuff I thought was jewelry turns out to be chains.
Take the true and the real from the false and the fake and the mountains reduce to rubble.
The Doctor is in, the surgery is free, he use no anasthetics but its all guaranteed
It's amazing what you'll sell when you're not doing that well, the stories you will tell to make you a friend
How much of this was meant to be, How much the work of the devil? How far can one man's eyes really see in these days of toil and trouble?
Are there any words of wisdom I've picked up along the way? Yes, death usually comes dressed up in her finery and lace. Hasn't eveyone in these bars been crying inside their whole life through? Well you might think we've ceased to hear it but no, the opposite's true.
It's all over, there's no explanation. All that's left is the messy clean up operation.
I have a picture. Wish it was a photograph. You were holding little children, right there upon your lap. Its never cold in that picture, as far as I can tell, but outside the rain has changed to snow and its frozen in the well.
This is dangerous terrain we're attemtping to traverse. It's a crying shame, but it could be alot worse.
Jim and Tammy and Reverend Swaggart, they don't look like Jesus & they're a whole lot fatter, Don't miss the Truth for a stupid side show, & don't confuse the cup for the contents it holds
I'm so tired of all my toys, they never last for long. They keep beaming dreams and wishes to the big dish on my front lawn. I want to drink out of that fountain on a hill called double cure. I want show you my allegience. I want to be a son of yours.
Your lips were alluring and slightly moist, so let's kiss away our part of the curse.
We've been dragging our dreams across the asphalt and pavement, trying to speak of the gift and the one who gave it.
7.4.05
Rock & Roll Frontman Strengthens Case for Eternal Damnation with Clever Ruse
This from the Tool website:
Good news, April fools fans. The writing and recording is back under way. When approached for comment on his recent encounter with the Son of God, Maynard said, "That guy's a punk!"
As it turns out, Maynard was out "location scouting" near the Fourth Street bridge in downtown Los Angeles when he "found Jesus."
"Turns out he was here the whole time, and not that difficult to find if you know where to look," Maynard reported. Apparently Jesus offered him the position of campaign manager for his new line of "Holier Than Thou" sparkling holy water, which Maynard of course accepted. What wasn't obvious was that this guy is a total drunk. It's an occupational hazard. Every time our Lord goes to get a glass of water, it transforms into a generic grocery store Merlot. Because the alcoholic is the Son of God and an all-knowing being, he knew of Maynard’s extensive interest in collecting wine. So he went to work trying to get his lips on it. Maynard caught J.C. in his cellar transforming his precious wine collection into urine, then pissing it into the empty "sparkling holy water" bottles for the eventual sale to all those people who bought, read, and embraced "The Celestine Prophesy." Tragic.
"Truth be told," Maynard confessed, "I wasn't feeling top notch when I found him. The evening prior to the day in question I had over-indulged in a series of bad Molotov shrimp cocktails with a side of Makers Mark and twin strippers. So after an entire night of G.I. Blowouts, hot/cold sweats, and blurred vision, it's very possible that the guy I met wasn't even Jesus at all. For all I know, it was Willem Dafoe."
Good news, April fools fans. The writing and recording is back under way. When approached for comment on his recent encounter with the Son of God, Maynard said, "That guy's a punk!"
As it turns out, Maynard was out "location scouting" near the Fourth Street bridge in downtown Los Angeles when he "found Jesus."
"Turns out he was here the whole time, and not that difficult to find if you know where to look," Maynard reported. Apparently Jesus offered him the position of campaign manager for his new line of "Holier Than Thou" sparkling holy water, which Maynard of course accepted. What wasn't obvious was that this guy is a total drunk. It's an occupational hazard. Every time our Lord goes to get a glass of water, it transforms into a generic grocery store Merlot. Because the alcoholic is the Son of God and an all-knowing being, he knew of Maynard’s extensive interest in collecting wine. So he went to work trying to get his lips on it. Maynard caught J.C. in his cellar transforming his precious wine collection into urine, then pissing it into the empty "sparkling holy water" bottles for the eventual sale to all those people who bought, read, and embraced "The Celestine Prophesy." Tragic.
"Truth be told," Maynard confessed, "I wasn't feeling top notch when I found him. The evening prior to the day in question I had over-indulged in a series of bad Molotov shrimp cocktails with a side of Makers Mark and twin strippers. So after an entire night of G.I. Blowouts, hot/cold sweats, and blurred vision, it's very possible that the guy I met wasn't even Jesus at all. For all I know, it was Willem Dafoe."
6.4.05
Anonymous Comments Now Accepted
Changed some settings. No need to register. Comment 'til your heart's content. Or comment your heart's content. Or both.
Jewish Carpenter finds lost Tool
Sorry about the headline... I couldn't resist.
This from MTV news:
Has Maynard James Keenan, the frontman of both the dark, heavy-metal art band Tool and the somewhat lighter A Perfect Circle, found Jesus and been born again? Well ...
Recent postings on two Tool Web sites — one of them purportedly by Keenan himself — contend that the singer has found religion and has left Tool. Could this really be? On Tuesday afternoon (April 5), MTV News' Kurt Loder e-mailed Keenan for confirmation, and this is what he e-mailed back: "I did, in fact, find Jesus. More news to follow. God bless ya."
Keenan's letter to fan site toolshed.down.net explains that "some recent events have led me to the rediscovery of Jesus" and that "Tool will need to take the back seat." A posting on Tool's Web site alludes to Maynard's newfound Christianity as well, but who wrote the post is unclear. It reads, "I went to the studio to give Maynard a bottle of wine ... [and] not only wasn't Maynard there, but ... I was told Maynard has indeed 'found Jesus' and that, for this reason, he's abandoned the project for the time being, if not entirely."
But given their timing (one dated March 31, the other April 1), both posts were dismissed as April Fools' pranks, leaving fans wondering whether Keenan and the rest of Tool were just having a little fun with everyone.
The band's management could not be reached for comment or confirmation on the matter.
Keenan would be the second rocker in as many months to profess a renewed interest in religion. In late February, Korn's management formally announced that guitarist Brian "Head" Welch was leaving his band to rededicate his life to Christianity (see "Brian 'Head' Welch Talks God To 10,000 In California Church").
Whether Keenan — the man responsible for songs like "Prison Sex" and "Jerk-Off" and who for a time carried business cards with the name "Jesus H. Christ" printed on them — will become the second rocker to turn his back on a high-profile, highly successful band to follow a more spiritual path remains something of a question mark for the time being. But at least one person expressed glee over Keenan's apparent decision: Head.
"This is a beautiful, beautiful outpouring of the Holy Spirit," Welch wrote in an e-mail to MTV News.
This from MTV news:
Has Maynard James Keenan, the frontman of both the dark, heavy-metal art band Tool and the somewhat lighter A Perfect Circle, found Jesus and been born again? Well ...
Recent postings on two Tool Web sites — one of them purportedly by Keenan himself — contend that the singer has found religion and has left Tool. Could this really be? On Tuesday afternoon (April 5), MTV News' Kurt Loder e-mailed Keenan for confirmation, and this is what he e-mailed back: "I did, in fact, find Jesus. More news to follow. God bless ya."
Keenan's letter to fan site toolshed.down.net explains that "some recent events have led me to the rediscovery of Jesus" and that "Tool will need to take the back seat." A posting on Tool's Web site alludes to Maynard's newfound Christianity as well, but who wrote the post is unclear. It reads, "I went to the studio to give Maynard a bottle of wine ... [and] not only wasn't Maynard there, but ... I was told Maynard has indeed 'found Jesus' and that, for this reason, he's abandoned the project for the time being, if not entirely."
But given their timing (one dated March 31, the other April 1), both posts were dismissed as April Fools' pranks, leaving fans wondering whether Keenan and the rest of Tool were just having a little fun with everyone.
The band's management could not be reached for comment or confirmation on the matter.
Keenan would be the second rocker in as many months to profess a renewed interest in religion. In late February, Korn's management formally announced that guitarist Brian "Head" Welch was leaving his band to rededicate his life to Christianity (see "Brian 'Head' Welch Talks God To 10,000 In California Church").
Whether Keenan — the man responsible for songs like "Prison Sex" and "Jerk-Off" and who for a time carried business cards with the name "Jesus H. Christ" printed on them — will become the second rocker to turn his back on a high-profile, highly successful band to follow a more spiritual path remains something of a question mark for the time being. But at least one person expressed glee over Keenan's apparent decision: Head.
"This is a beautiful, beautiful outpouring of the Holy Spirit," Welch wrote in an e-mail to MTV News.
5.4.05
Ramen du jour
Bowl Noodle Hot by Nong Shim. This stuff will put hair on your chest. HOT HOT HOT! But so tasty.
We are the strangest of all creatures.
We dwell in the deep, cold crevices of the ocean's bottom. We are crushed down by the pressure of a thousand million tons of water, salt and sea foam. We adapt. We adjust. Our tiny insides push back with an equal and opposite pressure. We survive. It's really quite amazing, actually. Even we're not sure how we do it. We just do it. Something in us pushes back. It is something in us. But it is not us.
Recently Charity and I learned that someone we love has been hurt deeply. Heinously violated. Someone innocent. It was a very bad day when we discovered the truth. You try to make a difference in the world, to make your contribution, to work some redemption into all of this deep, cold chaos and then one day you come into a moment of glaring clarity when you realize that in a matter of minutes, some sorry bastard has gone and undone a whole little lifetime of love and compassion in one fell swoop. What has been done cannot be undone. And we are pressed down by the weight of it all. But something in us pushes back with an equal and opposite pressure. It is in us, but it is not us. And we are not crushed.
So there's this shrimp that lives deep down in the ocean. Deep down where the light doesn't reach. Where the sun is thought to be a myth. A memory. A legend. But the shrimp knows otherwise. Not because he sees it. He doesn't. I'm pretty sure his eyes don't funtion very well, anyway. But at least he has eyes. Many of the creatures who live down here don't have them at all, you know. It's as if they've given up all hope of ever seeing the sun and surrendered their eyes to the blackness in exchange for boney spines and razor teeth. This shrimp doesn't have that stuff, the spines and the teeth. He's got something else. It's called bioluminescent projectile vomit. Listen to this. When he's threatened by some creature of the deep (probably the kind with boney spines and razor teeth) the shrimp opens his mouth and spews forth a dose of luminous light into the darkness that surrounds him. He pukes sunlight. And all the creatures of the dark run for cover. That's a heckuvalot cooler than boney spines and razor teeth, don't you think?
And so how do we respond when pressed down by the cold and threatened by all the creatures of this dark world which threaten to undo us and the ones we love? I know how I want to respond. I want to say "God damn the man who hurt you" and "God damn the system that failed you" and "God damn the world where this suffering happens". But boney spines and razor teeth can never do what sunlight does. They can never dispell the darkness. (Besides I sold those weapons years ago for a slice of sourdough and a bottle of chardonay). Instead, the strangest thing happens. Something in me wells up and I open my mouth and vomit sunlight forth into the black cold depths. And the dark is a little less dark. This is the turning of the cheek. It's the loving of the enemy. It's the denial of self. The selling of all we have and the giving to the poor. Its the "I love you even though" in place of the "I love you because". And it doesn't make any sense whatsoever, that the sunlight should make it's way from the surface, all the way down here without being seen, only to shine forth from the insides of a spineless, toothless shrimp of a fish. But that's exactly what happens. (And that's how the shrimp knows what he knows about the sun).
And so I still believe grace can change the world. It's the only thing that ever has. And I will not stop believing this. And I will not stop living like this is true. We are strange creatures indeed, but it's not like we can help it. It's not us. It's the one in us. Allelujah. Amen.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this allsurpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - The Apostle Paul
Recently Charity and I learned that someone we love has been hurt deeply. Heinously violated. Someone innocent. It was a very bad day when we discovered the truth. You try to make a difference in the world, to make your contribution, to work some redemption into all of this deep, cold chaos and then one day you come into a moment of glaring clarity when you realize that in a matter of minutes, some sorry bastard has gone and undone a whole little lifetime of love and compassion in one fell swoop. What has been done cannot be undone. And we are pressed down by the weight of it all. But something in us pushes back with an equal and opposite pressure. It is in us, but it is not us. And we are not crushed.
So there's this shrimp that lives deep down in the ocean. Deep down where the light doesn't reach. Where the sun is thought to be a myth. A memory. A legend. But the shrimp knows otherwise. Not because he sees it. He doesn't. I'm pretty sure his eyes don't funtion very well, anyway. But at least he has eyes. Many of the creatures who live down here don't have them at all, you know. It's as if they've given up all hope of ever seeing the sun and surrendered their eyes to the blackness in exchange for boney spines and razor teeth. This shrimp doesn't have that stuff, the spines and the teeth. He's got something else. It's called bioluminescent projectile vomit. Listen to this. When he's threatened by some creature of the deep (probably the kind with boney spines and razor teeth) the shrimp opens his mouth and spews forth a dose of luminous light into the darkness that surrounds him. He pukes sunlight. And all the creatures of the dark run for cover. That's a heckuvalot cooler than boney spines and razor teeth, don't you think?
And so how do we respond when pressed down by the cold and threatened by all the creatures of this dark world which threaten to undo us and the ones we love? I know how I want to respond. I want to say "God damn the man who hurt you" and "God damn the system that failed you" and "God damn the world where this suffering happens". But boney spines and razor teeth can never do what sunlight does. They can never dispell the darkness. (Besides I sold those weapons years ago for a slice of sourdough and a bottle of chardonay). Instead, the strangest thing happens. Something in me wells up and I open my mouth and vomit sunlight forth into the black cold depths. And the dark is a little less dark. This is the turning of the cheek. It's the loving of the enemy. It's the denial of self. The selling of all we have and the giving to the poor. Its the "I love you even though" in place of the "I love you because". And it doesn't make any sense whatsoever, that the sunlight should make it's way from the surface, all the way down here without being seen, only to shine forth from the insides of a spineless, toothless shrimp of a fish. But that's exactly what happens. (And that's how the shrimp knows what he knows about the sun).
And so I still believe grace can change the world. It's the only thing that ever has. And I will not stop believing this. And I will not stop living like this is true. We are strange creatures indeed, but it's not like we can help it. It's not us. It's the one in us. Allelujah. Amen.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this allsurpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - The Apostle Paul
Change his world.
For $30 a month you can sponsor a child through World Vision. Your contribution will provide a child with the nutritional, medical and educational supplies needed for him to be healthy and happy. Click the title of this post to go to the World Vision Website. They're legit. If you decide to sponsor a child, let us know. Then tell someone else about it.
A few months ago we signed Jack up to sponsor a little boy from Kenya named Flinton. He is Jack's new pen pal. They were born the same month, same year, but worlds apart in nearly every other way. Below is a letter Jack recently wrote to Flinton.
Dear Flinton,
Do you know the true God? I know him, but I don't remember how I got to know the true God. Church is where you find out about him and the sing songs about him. And there is also a childrens' church. They tell stories that happened a long time ago when Jesus was around. The stories are about Jesus and some other guys. Church for babies is called nursery, but they don't tell them about Jesus. But they have toys in the room. Jesus is so powerful, he can stop anything if it's something somebody is afraid of. He can even make somebody come back alive. He can do anything, but he never sins. He just does good stuff. He loves us more than anyone and theres no end of it! (When there's an exclamation point you don't have to put a period there). Jesus made everything. We can pray to him. Jesus can do all kinds of stuff.
I like to play a game called t-ball. Before, I played t-ball I played a game called gymnastics. In gymnastics you have to do these fun things, but i do not like the uneven bars. T-ball has stuff called T's and it's not the letter . It's something else called T. You put a ball on it and then you get a bat and then you swing the ball off of it. Then you run to first base and when the person who is coach says I run to second base, and then I run to third base and then I run back to the T which is called homebase. Homebase is like zero base. The mail will take this letter to your house.
Bye,
Jack
A few months ago we signed Jack up to sponsor a little boy from Kenya named Flinton. He is Jack's new pen pal. They were born the same month, same year, but worlds apart in nearly every other way. Below is a letter Jack recently wrote to Flinton.
Dear Flinton,
Do you know the true God? I know him, but I don't remember how I got to know the true God. Church is where you find out about him and the sing songs about him. And there is also a childrens' church. They tell stories that happened a long time ago when Jesus was around. The stories are about Jesus and some other guys. Church for babies is called nursery, but they don't tell them about Jesus. But they have toys in the room. Jesus is so powerful, he can stop anything if it's something somebody is afraid of. He can even make somebody come back alive. He can do anything, but he never sins. He just does good stuff. He loves us more than anyone and theres no end of it! (When there's an exclamation point you don't have to put a period there). Jesus made everything. We can pray to him. Jesus can do all kinds of stuff.
I like to play a game called t-ball. Before, I played t-ball I played a game called gymnastics. In gymnastics you have to do these fun things, but i do not like the uneven bars. T-ball has stuff called T's and it's not the letter . It's something else called T. You put a ball on it and then you get a bat and then you swing the ball off of it. Then you run to first base and when the person who is coach says I run to second base, and then I run to third base and then I run back to the T which is called homebase. Homebase is like zero base. The mail will take this letter to your house.
Bye,
Jack
Artist of the Week: Max Beckmann
I've decided to add another feature to the 'ol blog. Artist of the Week. (Boy, you guys sure are getting your money's worth). So here it is: A painting by Max Beckmann. Beckmann was a German born painter who worked during the first half of the 20th century. He moved to the states and taught in St Louis for a while before moving to NYC where he died in 1950. His work is usually bold and colorful. He did many self-portraits, but my favorites are the narratives (like this one). Let me know what you think and you can check the web for more about his life and his art.
The Edge & Funky Presbyterian Not On Speaking Terms
I paid some Irish millionaires $40 for the opportunity to order tickets to their concert before sales were opened to the general public. Ordered tickets. They were $100 a piece. The seats aren't all that great. Sold the tickets to some friends at face value. $100 for tickets is just getting out of control. Tell Mr. The Edge I'm not speaking to him until the tour is over.
Sprung?
Finally, spring seems to have arrived for real. Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope we don't get doused with another flurry of snow like we did last week! The sunshine and warmer weather has allowed me to spend a little time outside with Jack in the yard, at the park, and on the front steps where this photo was snapped. Hooray for sunshine!
What's Rockin' the Reverend?
I really enjoy posting about artists that many of you may not be familiar with. In fact, one of my greatest joys in life is unearthing some new or obscure musical delight from the far reaches of the cd rack at one of the local, independant rock and roll record stores here in the city. So it is with great inner conflict that I make this post. I've recently acquired Beck's new album Guero (it's a B+) as well as Over the Rhine's Drunkard's Prayer (A-). The Frames' record Burn the Maps came highly recommended as well, but I haven't yet fully embraced it. On the floor of my car there are albums by Richard Buckner, the Firey Furnaces, Iron and Wine, Arcade Fire, and Franz Ferdinand. These are on the floor, while the cd player is occupied by a quite different tenant. I've got M. Ward, I've got Anthony and the Johnsons, Blonde Redhead, and Earlimart. I could write about Kevin Thista's Red Terror and their Beatlesque pop rock masterpiece Wake Up Captain or Bright Eyes' simultaneously pensive and explosive post modern piece of folk artistry entitled "I'm Wide Awake and it's Morning". Perhaps next week I will. Alas, I cannot tell a lie. This week I have been rocked by Kanye West and his hip hop offering "College Drop Out". It is not new or obscure. Heck... It's not even rock and roll. And yet the frequency and magnitude of the rocking it has delivered to the funky presbyterian over the last several days must be acknowledged. Of course I address this record with some ambivalence. While about half of the album I heartily endorse and even recommend to the discerning listener (there is a "clean" version available for those who would prefer), the other half of the album is filled with content I simply cannot endorse. (I'm not referring to particular vocabulary which is most likely the reason for the parental advisory label). Those of you who know me, know I am not prudish as relates to my interaction with the broader culture. And still the misogony strikes me as particularly unhealthy, offensive, and inconsistent with the bulk of Kanye's weltenshaung. (Google that). Of course the possibility always remains that the objectional content is parody. I have a hunch some of it is, but I am not sure. Probably I am too presbyterian and not nearly funky enough to detect the subtleties of hip-hop parody.
Those parts of the album that are good and uplifting are very good and very uplifting to me personally. This album makes me wanna boogy. Pure and simple. Plus there is a considerable amount of incisive cultural critique, and spiritual insight. the likes of which we Christians should hope to hear in our churches and seminaries! Consider these excerpts from Mr. West's "flow" :(wow, I even sound white just typing that sentence).
"Obscene, we living the american dream, the people highest up got the lowest self esteem, the prettiest people do the ugliest things for the road to riches and diamond rings"
"We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom, we buy a lot of clothes but we don't really need 'em, the things we buy to cover up what's inside, cause they made us hate ourself and love their wealth... I wanna act ballerific, like it's all terrific, I got a couple past due bills, I won't get specific, I got a problem with spending before I get it, we're all self conscious, I'm just the first to admit it"
"And I don't think there's nothing I can do now to right my wrong (jesus walk with me) I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid cause we ain't spoke in so long"
"I ain't here to argue about his facial features, but here to convert atheists into believers, I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers, the way Kathy Lee needed Regis, that's the way I need Jesus"
And one last note, there's some guy named J. Ivy who raps near the middle of the song Never Let Me Down. His portion of the song is the most powerful piece of poetry I've heard since Bob Dylan's Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. Every time I hear it I am bowled over by it's power and profundity. I could reprint it here, but you must hear it to appreciate it rightly.
"Take 'em to Church".
Those parts of the album that are good and uplifting are very good and very uplifting to me personally. This album makes me wanna boogy. Pure and simple. Plus there is a considerable amount of incisive cultural critique, and spiritual insight. the likes of which we Christians should hope to hear in our churches and seminaries! Consider these excerpts from Mr. West's "flow" :(wow, I even sound white just typing that sentence).
"Obscene, we living the american dream, the people highest up got the lowest self esteem, the prettiest people do the ugliest things for the road to riches and diamond rings"
"We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom, we buy a lot of clothes but we don't really need 'em, the things we buy to cover up what's inside, cause they made us hate ourself and love their wealth... I wanna act ballerific, like it's all terrific, I got a couple past due bills, I won't get specific, I got a problem with spending before I get it, we're all self conscious, I'm just the first to admit it"
"And I don't think there's nothing I can do now to right my wrong (jesus walk with me) I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid cause we ain't spoke in so long"
"I ain't here to argue about his facial features, but here to convert atheists into believers, I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers, the way Kathy Lee needed Regis, that's the way I need Jesus"
And one last note, there's some guy named J. Ivy who raps near the middle of the song Never Let Me Down. His portion of the song is the most powerful piece of poetry I've heard since Bob Dylan's Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. Every time I hear it I am bowled over by it's power and profundity. I could reprint it here, but you must hear it to appreciate it rightly.
"Take 'em to Church".
1.4.05
Be This Guy
We at funky presbyterian declare ourselves to be the winner of the last "Be This Guy" competition. Come on, readers. Put some effort into it for petesake! Let's see what you've got. Our research staff has been hard at work scouring the digital domains of the world wide web in search of the perfect photo for this week's contest. A very special thanks to those of you who have been participating. You've done a great job. And to the rest of you... we're not angry. We're just disappointed.
World's Oldest Sport- Nation's Newest League
This past week a new professional sports league made it's national debut on television. Real Pro Wrestling (RPW) can be seen on the PAX network in most areas on Sundays at 4pm and on Fox Sports Net on Wednesdays at 3pm. The survival of wrestling as a competetive sport in this country could depend on the success of this new league. You can visit the RPW website for an explanation of rules, team rosters, and quicktime clips of the action. Click the title of this post to check it out.
27.3.05
Happy Easter! (Pass the tartar sauce).
Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. - Luke 24:5-6
Jesus was dead and then came back to life. And then he ate some fish. I like that part. Seems very nonchalant. Jesus was tried, murdered, dead and burried. He came back to life after three days. Jesus just saved the world from certain damnation... and then he ate a broiled fish. That makes me happy. Jesus is alive and seafood is good.
May your day be filled with joy. And enjoy your lunch.
Jesus was dead and then came back to life. And then he ate some fish. I like that part. Seems very nonchalant. Jesus was tried, murdered, dead and burried. He came back to life after three days. Jesus just saved the world from certain damnation... and then he ate a broiled fish. That makes me happy. Jesus is alive and seafood is good.
May your day be filled with joy. And enjoy your lunch.
23.3.05
Homeless Problem Solved!
The homeless problem in my neighborhood was recently "solved" with the installation of an iron gate at the opening of the alcove in the vacant building across the street from my office. Now you may ask "where will the homeless sleep"? And I will answer "not my problem". See? Homeless problem solved. That was easy.
22.3.05
New OTR Released in One Week
Over the Rhine is a perhaps the single most under rated musical act in the world. (With the exception of "Gored by Buffalo", a little known power pop outfit that rocked the St Louis divinity school houseparty circuit for a few short years near the turn of the millenium- but I digress). Anywho, OTR is due out with a new album in just seven days. "Drunkard's Prayer" is the follow up to 2003's "Ohio", a stunningly resplendant double disc album of some of the best songsmithing (is that a word?) you'll ever come across. Simply put, no one does what they do better. Be sure to purchase this album and pick up something from their back catalog while you're at it. They write songs that are sad and happy at the same time. It's a lot like real life in that way.
Here's my top five all time favorite OTR songs as the list currently stands (it changes a lot):
5. And Can It Be (until we have faces)
4. Sleep Baby Jane (eve)
3. Circle of Quiet (patience)
2. Ohio - (ohio)
1. Latter Days - (good dog bad dog)
Here's my top five all time favorite OTR songs as the list currently stands (it changes a lot):
5. And Can It Be (until we have faces)
4. Sleep Baby Jane (eve)
3. Circle of Quiet (patience)
2. Ohio - (ohio)
1. Latter Days - (good dog bad dog)
16.3.05
Obligatory "Cute Kid" Picture
Charity took the boys to a book store recently to see Curious George in person. I love this picture of Sam. It really captures the essence of his personality. He is so inquisitive and observant. You can almost see him thinking, "Who the heck is this clown?"
Freaks & Geeks
Recently, the good people over at birty.us posted an entry about the show freaks and geeks, a little watched, mostly unknown television show from the late 90's that just happens to be one of the greatest pieces of programming in broadcast history. It made me nostalgic. Then, last week on NPR I heard an interview with the author and co-executive director of the show talking about his experience and pushing some new book he's written. So Charity and I ordered the complete Freaks and Geeks 6 disc dvd box set (now get off my back Columbia House!). Unfortunately this brilliant show was cancelled after just one season by some network executive who said "none of my friends were like that". Of course not! All your friends were named Thurston and wore ascots. Freaks and Geeks is a show for people who had ordinary childhoods. This show is the exact opposite of (and perfect antidote for) shows like 90210, Dawson's Creek, and especially the OC. Every actor in the show gives a stellar performance. You will swear you went to high school with some of these people.
Here's a quote from a 2000 review of the show, while it was still on air: "Freaks and Geeks' finest attribute (and the reason it may not fare well in the "outrageous" world of network television) is its refusal to resort to the easy laugh or the life-shattering moment. If anything, Freaks and Geeks seems at first blush to be uncommonly ordinary, entirely devoid of sarcastic zingers or Kramer-esque pratfalls. But don't stop watching. Repeated exposure breeds a deep appreciation for its low-key charm and, I suspect, for all who survived high school, a shudder of recognition when they see a bit of themselves reflected on screen."
Charity and I are thinking about throwing a "Freaks and Geeks Party" in order to share the joy with our friends and create converts to the Freaks and Geeks army. Look for your invitation in the mail.
Here's a quote from a 2000 review of the show, while it was still on air: "Freaks and Geeks' finest attribute (and the reason it may not fare well in the "outrageous" world of network television) is its refusal to resort to the easy laugh or the life-shattering moment. If anything, Freaks and Geeks seems at first blush to be uncommonly ordinary, entirely devoid of sarcastic zingers or Kramer-esque pratfalls. But don't stop watching. Repeated exposure breeds a deep appreciation for its low-key charm and, I suspect, for all who survived high school, a shudder of recognition when they see a bit of themselves reflected on screen."
Charity and I are thinking about throwing a "Freaks and Geeks Party" in order to share the joy with our friends and create converts to the Freaks and Geeks army. Look for your invitation in the mail.
15.3.05
What's Rockin' the Reverend?
The reverend has been rocked by a new itunes mix he made for his wife. Look people, I've been a ittle busy lately to bring you the quality you deserve in a blog, so please forgive me. Really I have no time to review each of these songs. You can check out my mix (and even purchase it) at itunes. Search under imixes. It's called "a mix for funky pastor's wife". Listen to samples and judge for yourselves. I think it is tasty! Let me know what you think.
1. We Will Become Silhouettes 3:01 Such Great Heights - EP The Shins
2. Snow Day 3:31 Winter Songs Matt Pond PA
3. Staring At the Sun 3:59 1 Simple Kid
4. First Day of My Life 3:08 I'm Wide Awake It's Morning Bright Eyes
5. Here Comes the Sun Again 2:21 Transistor Radio M. Ward
6. You Wouldn't Like Me 2:56 So Jealous Tegan and Sara
7. Evangeline 4:47 Girlfriend Matthew Sweet
8. Love Is an Arrow 2:30 Young Forever Aberfeldy
9. Finally 4:53 Burn the Maps The Frames
10. Such Great Heights 4:10 Such Great Heights - EP Iron & Wine
11. Amanda's Dream (iTunes Version) 4:17 Modern Troubadours - In the Roun... Teitur
12. Starlight, No. 1 4:55 Spoon and Rafter Mojave 3
13. Fake Palindromes 2:52 The Mysterious Production of Eggs Andrew Bird
14. Coin-Operated Boy (Edit Version) 3:37 War Pigs - EP The Dresden Dolls
15. Dig the Lightning 2:50 Tree City Robbers on High Street
16. Break so Easy 4:03 Extended Player 24:26 - EP Johnathan Rice
17. Mary 3:10 Emoh Lou Barlow
18. True Religion 4:16 The Duhks The Duhks
19. All My Life 3:19 Only With Laughter Can You Win Rosie Thomas
20. Brimful of Asha 5:17 When I Was Born for the 7th Time Cornershop
1. We Will Become Silhouettes 3:01 Such Great Heights - EP The Shins
2. Snow Day 3:31 Winter Songs Matt Pond PA
3. Staring At the Sun 3:59 1 Simple Kid
4. First Day of My Life 3:08 I'm Wide Awake It's Morning Bright Eyes
5. Here Comes the Sun Again 2:21 Transistor Radio M. Ward
6. You Wouldn't Like Me 2:56 So Jealous Tegan and Sara
7. Evangeline 4:47 Girlfriend Matthew Sweet
8. Love Is an Arrow 2:30 Young Forever Aberfeldy
9. Finally 4:53 Burn the Maps The Frames
10. Such Great Heights 4:10 Such Great Heights - EP Iron & Wine
11. Amanda's Dream (iTunes Version) 4:17 Modern Troubadours - In the Roun... Teitur
12. Starlight, No. 1 4:55 Spoon and Rafter Mojave 3
13. Fake Palindromes 2:52 The Mysterious Production of Eggs Andrew Bird
14. Coin-Operated Boy (Edit Version) 3:37 War Pigs - EP The Dresden Dolls
15. Dig the Lightning 2:50 Tree City Robbers on High Street
16. Break so Easy 4:03 Extended Player 24:26 - EP Johnathan Rice
17. Mary 3:10 Emoh Lou Barlow
18. True Religion 4:16 The Duhks The Duhks
19. All My Life 3:19 Only With Laughter Can You Win Rosie Thomas
20. Brimful of Asha 5:17 When I Was Born for the 7th Time Cornershop
I chipped a tooth.
Eating cashews. Went to the dentist and he said it needs a cap. The estimate is $1,060. Most expensive cashews I ever ate. By the way, does that dentist look like Ray Romano to you?
13.3.05
11.3.05
Jimmy stopped by today.
I took some coffee to the guys across the street this morning and mentioned that I hadn't seen Jimmy and Johnny in quite awhile. They must have told Jimmy I was eager to see him because this afternoon he showed up at the door. It was good to see him. He's gotten involved in a substance addiction program and they set him up with an apartment in Renyoldsburg. This is good news, though today I could tell he had been drinking. He hasn't seen Johnny in sometime. Apparantly they had a falling out. Johnny got mad when Jimmy got an apartment. Then later when Jimmy gave Johnny some cash to go get some liquor, Johnny took off with the money. Now they aren't speaking. I'm sure it will pass. They've been friends for 15 years. Anyway, Jimmy asked me for $81 so he could get his guitar out of the pawn shop. I didn't give it to him. Then he asked me for a bible. I told him he could come back Wednesday and I'd give him a bible, but he has to hang around and read it with me some. That's the plan. But then how often do things go according to plan? Regardless, it was good to see Jimmy again.
A Quote I Read This Morning:
"We cannot attain to a vision, we must live in the inspiration of it until it accomplishes itself. We get so practical that we forget the vision" - Oswald Chambers
10.3.05
It's Time To Catch Up: iPod Church Finder
The following is an article I found on a website entitled churchmarketingsucks.com I didn't write this article. But I found it interesting.
In a well written, pithy press release, the "Irish Pubs Directory" people announced that you can now download the iPod version of their list and ratings:
"You won't always have access to the web when you're travelling, especially at the exact moment you're looking for a pub. That's why we are making it possible for you to take the directory with you.Now you can have the directory of pubs along with descriptions and ratings always to hand. Never waste time looking for that perfect Irish pub again! You can choose from two versions...our popular PDA Directory and our new iPod Guide. Both versions contain the pubs, descriptions, ratings and more. All at hand when you need them."
I've got nothing against Irish pubs. But why is it I can now find an Irish pub (with reviews!), a Buffalo Wild Wings (with menu!), a Kinkos/FedEx (with service listings!)in 10 seconds, but I can't find a complete listing of Methodist churches in Columbus, Ohio that tells me which has traditional vs. contemporary services? Or if any has childcare? Or a choir? Or nursery school? Or Bible study? Or... Or... Or...
Wake up and smell the electrons. I don't care what your denomination is. When the "Irish Pubs Directory" is better organized and has better Internet and electronic, portable, personalized marketing than any and all of the major Christian denominations, there's some serious catching up to do
In a well written, pithy press release, the "Irish Pubs Directory" people announced that you can now download the iPod version of their list and ratings:
"You won't always have access to the web when you're travelling, especially at the exact moment you're looking for a pub. That's why we are making it possible for you to take the directory with you.Now you can have the directory of pubs along with descriptions and ratings always to hand. Never waste time looking for that perfect Irish pub again! You can choose from two versions...our popular PDA Directory and our new iPod Guide. Both versions contain the pubs, descriptions, ratings and more. All at hand when you need them."
I've got nothing against Irish pubs. But why is it I can now find an Irish pub (with reviews!), a Buffalo Wild Wings (with menu!), a Kinkos/FedEx (with service listings!)in 10 seconds, but I can't find a complete listing of Methodist churches in Columbus, Ohio that tells me which has traditional vs. contemporary services? Or if any has childcare? Or a choir? Or nursery school? Or Bible study? Or... Or... Or...
Wake up and smell the electrons. I don't care what your denomination is. When the "Irish Pubs Directory" is better organized and has better Internet and electronic, portable, personalized marketing than any and all of the major Christian denominations, there's some serious catching up to do
9.3.05
What's Rockin' the Reverend?
When Radiohead stopped sounding like Radiohead with the release of Kid A (a work of genius, by the way) some one was bound to step into the gap and make music for the listeners that were not willing to follow Thom York and company into the great unknown. Muse is that some one. Absolution is a good album. It's adequately written, well produced (perhaps too well) and picks up where The Bends left off. This album is a guilty pleasure for me. I have just a little bit of trouble respecting a group whose sound is so clearly derived from such talented contemporaries. So yes, Muse is to Radiohead as Stone Temple Pilots is to Pearl Jam, and as Candlebox is to Stone Temple Pilots, and as Silver Chair is to Candlebox, and as Creed is to all of the above. And yet I like how Absolution sounds. I hope you can forgive me. If you enjoy a little "Planet Telex" from time to time and miss the sound of Thom York singing over guitars that actually sound like guitars, then you may just want to pick up Absolution by Muse. A guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.
Watch out for Arizona this year.
I became a fan of Kurt Warner's during my time in St Louis. I can't help it. I just believe this guy still has it in him to win the big games. No, I don't have any recent evidence of this. Yes, I am aware of what a debacle the last few years have been for Warner. I just can't help it. I believe in this guy. Click the link to read an article by a guy who agrees with my irrational love of Kurt Warner.
8.3.05
Oops. Naughty Indy Rock Hipster.
This artitst was previously featured as the "Rockin' the Reverend" of the week. Please disregard. It has no no's on it.
Be this guy: Week 2
Ok, so thanks to those of you who participated in our "be this guy" event last week. The management has declared the winner to be birty. Good job birty. It was a tough call, but in the end it was the olives that pushed him over the top. Here's your photo for week 2. Here's the rules: In first person, leave a post explaining who this guy is. Go ahead... be this guy. Good luck.
weak is the new strong
Strong is not the answer. Strong is the problem.
Little boys go through a stage of life beginning at around three years old, when they want to be independant. They want to do everything themselves. They want to be strong. Jack is now five, so this "strong" stage is in full swing. He is utterly infatuated with super heroes, and super powers, and knights with swords, and cowboys and guys with capes and light sabers, and that catch the bad guys and fly and lift cars and break things and blow stuff up. And we've got all the paraphanalia that goes along with it. The action figures, the comic books, the dvd's. In some ways all of this is very good. It promotes manhood and idealizes courage and bravery, justice and truth. Strong is attractive. Strong is exciting. Strong is cool. But strong is pretend.
A growl of frustration made its way to my ears from the upstairs bathroom. Jack had just entered the "I can do it myself" stage and was learning to dress himself for bed time. The growl gets louder. Now its a scream. Jack doesn't ask for my help, but it's clear from his unintelligible protest that my help is needed. I climb the stairs to find Jack standing in the bathroom, naked from the waist down. His arms are contorted and sticking nealry straight into the air. He's flailing wildly. Still growling, bound and blinded by his Superman pajama shirt which is half-on/ half-off, over his head. Jack needs my help in putting his pajamas on for bed time, but he doesn't ask. He wants to do it himself. He wants to be strong. His strength is his weakness. If he would just ask me to help. If he would just be weak, for a moment, he could be free. The great irony of course is that it is his Superman shirt which binds him and blinds him. Jack's great strength is not Jack. Jack's super power is his weakness. It is when he is weak that I can help. His weakness is his strength because it allows me to work.
Little boys enter that independant stage at around age three. I'm not sure when they grow out of it. Not thirty, apparantly. We're still in it. And so we live strong. Walking around naked from the waist down with some polyester-blend pajama shirt wrapped around our heads, arms flailing wildly trying to free ourselves from the mess we're in. Of course, we think no one notices. We pretend our flailings are the flexing of muscle or the flapping of wings, ready to soar. And mostly, no one does notice. They're blinded, naked and flailing as well. We're not strong. The answer is not inside us. Help must come from outside of us. We need the strength of our Father, and when we are weak, he is strong. Our weakness is our greatest power.
Ever wonder what the prayers of a pastor sound like? They must be so eloquent and spiritual, right? Lot's of times it sounds like this: "Jesus, help me. I don't know how to fix this. I can't do this. Jesus, help". And so I stop flailing. And he puts my head through the head-part. My arms through the arm parts. He covers my nakedness. In the end I find that my problem was my need to be strong. I mean, that's the original temptation isn't it? The serpent says, "eat this and be like God, do this and know the answers, turn stone to bread, have power, be strong". Well, I don't want to be strong anymore. I need to be weak, so Christ can be strong in me. Strong is my whole problem. I want to learn to live weak.
6.3.05
TBN Gang Connection Suspected
While at the world famous headquarters of TBN in Southern California, my friend Jason and I happened upon this beautiful (read shlocky) painting of an angelic being adorning the interior walls of a particular room. After some brief analysis we determined that the angel appears to be flashing some kind of secret gang hand signal. So we are seen here with the angel, flashing our gang signs. Well, I'm flashing a pretend gang sign and Jason... Jason appears to be in pain. but nontheless, we are confident that we have discovered some DiVinci Code-like connection between TBN and Orange County street gangs. More to come as the story develops.
3.3.05
Let Not the Sun Go Down on Your Danish: Love, Forgiveness & the Definition of Coffee Cake
I'm sure many of you have often wondered, "Just what does a funky presbyterian and his wife argue about? Anything? What could possibly bring distress into the household of two people so very in love... and sanctified?" Well, my dear readers, believe it or not, we do have the occasional, ahem... "disagreement". Take tonight for instance. There was a dispute that essentially revolved around the specific set of characteristics necessary for a food item to be categorized as a part of the coffee cake phylum. One party held to what may be called a "loose subscriptionist" position whereby "coffee cake-ness" is to be defined according to a very flexible set of features and is determined in large part by referring to the manner in which said label has been applied to food items in our household in years past. The other party held a position we will call "strict subscription" whereby those food items clearly labeled "coffee cake" by the manufacturer are held to be coffee cakes, while items labeled otherwise (in this case the label in question was "danish") are considered to fall outside of the coffee cake category. In short, the whole matter was resolved with a second late night trip to the grocer's, an apology and the purchase of a rasberry danish twist, a package of brownies and apple oatmeal cookies. And then I drank a beer. (And by "beer" I mean "beer"). In the end, cooler heads prevailed as peace, love and understanding returned to the funky p. household. Goodnight.
2.3.05
Funky Presbyter to Attend Funk-Free Presbytery Meeting
One of the things I appreciate most about my church's denomination is it's government. Presbyterian government is based on shared leadership. I enjoy seeing and speaking with other pastors and church leaders from throughout the region. We are able to pray for each other and encourage one another while we are together. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these presbytery meetings are 100% funk-free. So this weekend I must travel a great distance in order to conduct the business of being the church, and my funk is not much of an asset in these instances. While I will not be leaving my funk at home, I will be leaving it in the car during the meetings. I'll be sure to leave a window cracked. You know, so the funk can breathe.
What's Rocking the Reverend?
Here's a new weekly feature for you all entitled, "What's Rocking the Reverend". Feel free to let the rest of us know what's rocking you this week? We'd like to know.
Ray LaMontagne's recent release entitled "Trouble" has been rocking my world this week. He's got a scruffy, smokey voice that is eerily familiar, and yet I can not place it. All of these songs sound instantly like old favorites. This album could have been written 40 years ago, or yesterday and it wouldn't matter. It is a solid, soulful, well crafted album occupying that place between country and soul, blues and folk. Nothing groundbreaking here. It's not pushing any envelope or experimenting with some new technology. LaMontagne reminds me of the first time I heard Norah Jones in that it made me think, "here is a talented artist with nothing to prove, writing songs without pretension". Refreshing. Look for this guy's name come Grammy time next year.
Interview with Derek Webb
I know some of you are Derek Webb fans. Here is a link to a recent interview. The more I hear this guy talk, the more I like him. He's a trouble maker.
Click the link above to read an interview and then copy and paste the link below to listen to Derek speak about these and similar issues. You know, on second thought you probably shouldn't listen to him speak. Your head might explode.
http://www.tucollegelife.com/audio/derekaudio.html
Click the link above to read an interview and then copy and paste the link below to listen to Derek speak about these and similar issues. You know, on second thought you probably shouldn't listen to him speak. Your head might explode.
http://www.tucollegelife.com/audio/derekaudio.html
The Church Needs Bob Dylan
Here is an excellent article about Bob Dylan's great cultural influence and the Church's great need to listen and learn with humility. Read this if you are a Dylan fan. Read it twice if you aren't.
Mad at God?
Here's a relatively good article for those angry with God. It doesn't so much provide answers, it's not a polemic, it's just one guy's story of dealing with his anger at God and God's patience with his children. It's worth the 7 minutes. Click on the link above.
Time running out to be that guy
Time is running out to submit your entry for the Be This Guy competition of this week. Two more days and then the management at Funky Prebyterian will choose a winner. You could be the envy of all your friends. Scroll down and get to work. : )
1.3.05
mmm...beeeeer.
Right now, this very moment, I am imbibing my favorite adult beverage. It is called Spaten Optimater, a dark german beer from a brewery that has been at it since 1397. 1397! That's before the protestant reformation, or the invention of the printing press. That's a very long time to have been brewing beer. Must be why it's so yummy. I highly recommend. There is a place in St Louis where you can actually get it on tap. It's called the Schneidhorst Inn. I think its a Jewish place. joke people, it's a joke.
My wife bought it for me. Thanks, darlin'.
My wife bought it for me. Thanks, darlin'.
Across the street
When it's cold, people without homes tend to congregate in the alcove of an empty building across the street from my office. Sometimes I invite them in for coffee. Sometimes I offer to buy lunch. Sometimes I just go and talk with them. Sometimes I don't know what to do.
For a while I had these two friends, we'll call Jimmy and Johnny. They were from the street. They say that they're brothers, but after a few weeks they told me they were lying. I use to take them to lunch and they would occasionally come to church. Once I offered to put them up in a hotel for a couple of nights. It was cold and rainy and they had no where to go. Well, they could have gone to a shelter, but the shelter will only take sober people and Jimmy and Johnny weren't very good at staying sober. While at the hotel Jimmy and Johnny made long distance phone calls and watched adult movies on pay perview. It was expensive. It was charged to our account. What a metaphor. The next time I saw them they were defensive and embarassed about having taken advantage of our kindness. I was just disappointed. After that they didn't really want to come back to church or hang around much. I wish they would. Johnny use to play my guitar after the service was over, and Jimmy and I use to talk about wrestling (we were both high school grapplers). It has probably been six months since I've seen either one of them. I think they're ok. They've been at the street living thing for about 15 years now, if that part of their story is accurate. So they know just how much to do to get by, even though they aren't much interested in getting better. Another metaphor. Maybe they'll come around again when it warms up.
For a while I had these two friends, we'll call Jimmy and Johnny. They were from the street. They say that they're brothers, but after a few weeks they told me they were lying. I use to take them to lunch and they would occasionally come to church. Once I offered to put them up in a hotel for a couple of nights. It was cold and rainy and they had no where to go. Well, they could have gone to a shelter, but the shelter will only take sober people and Jimmy and Johnny weren't very good at staying sober. While at the hotel Jimmy and Johnny made long distance phone calls and watched adult movies on pay perview. It was expensive. It was charged to our account. What a metaphor. The next time I saw them they were defensive and embarassed about having taken advantage of our kindness. I was just disappointed. After that they didn't really want to come back to church or hang around much. I wish they would. Johnny use to play my guitar after the service was over, and Jimmy and I use to talk about wrestling (we were both high school grapplers). It has probably been six months since I've seen either one of them. I think they're ok. They've been at the street living thing for about 15 years now, if that part of their story is accurate. So they know just how much to do to get by, even though they aren't much interested in getting better. Another metaphor. Maybe they'll come around again when it warms up.
An Elephant Rides a Bicycle
Today marks the one year anniversary of our birth as a mission church. It has been an eventful year. It has been rich and rewarding and difficult and God continues to be faithful. It has felt many times like wrestling an octopus, or like we are an elephant riding a bicycle, making forward progress, yet ever so slowly, teetering and tottering, yet remaining suprisingly upright. We can feel the hand of our father on the back of the seat. We can hear his footsteps as he runs along side. Now little boys and girls eventually learn to balance themselves, and to pedal smoothly and swiftly down cul de sacs and side streets. Not so with elephants. We are not at all aerodynamic. Balance is not our gift. We do nothing swiftly or smoothly. Should our father ever remove his hand from the seat, we would surely crash. But he will not. That is his grace. We never out grow our need of it. In fact, the bigger this elephant gets, the more we'll need his steadying hand. Let's all pray for more grace for another year.
Local Church Implements New Evangelism Program
Jesus loves you. Now feel the might of my double reverse flying death slam!
25.2.05
If it weren't for her, who would...
give me kisses?
bake the cookies?
make little greggies?
tell me when I'm being an ass?
forgive me for being an ass?
wear the dresses?
wear the army boots?
let me pretend to wear the pants?
wear the nose ring?
make me feel like superman?
be my kryptonite?
tell me good night?
elbow me when I snore?
shake me awake when I yell in my sleep?
complain about all my socks under the covers?
pretend not to laugh at my jokes?
balance the check book?
tell me when it's time to retire a favorite shirt?
listen to my stories?
support my decisions?
show me mercy?
be patient?
alphabetize teh cd's?
point out my misspellings?
draw attention to my odor production?
shave the back of my head?
insist that I trim my eyebrows?
teach my sons to listen?
to learn?
to laugh?
to love?
use the pink shaving cream in the shower?
smell like sugar cookies?
bat eyelashes?
floss... like ten times a day?
learn my favorite beer?
bring home my favorite beer?
remind me to bring home the tupperware?
order a bean burritto w/ sour cream, no onion?
return the library books?
let me replay the same guitar solo 10x in a row on the car stereo?
listen to me rant about the latest wilco album?
wait with me in the freezing cold for an over the rhine concert?
wait with me in the sizzling heat for an over the rhine concert?
tell me from the other room to come to bed when it's late and I'm typing on the computer?
Coming, honey.
Good night.
bake the cookies?
make little greggies?
tell me when I'm being an ass?
forgive me for being an ass?
wear the dresses?
wear the army boots?
let me pretend to wear the pants?
wear the nose ring?
make me feel like superman?
be my kryptonite?
tell me good night?
elbow me when I snore?
shake me awake when I yell in my sleep?
complain about all my socks under the covers?
pretend not to laugh at my jokes?
balance the check book?
tell me when it's time to retire a favorite shirt?
listen to my stories?
support my decisions?
show me mercy?
be patient?
alphabetize teh cd's?
point out my misspellings?
draw attention to my odor production?
shave the back of my head?
insist that I trim my eyebrows?
teach my sons to listen?
to learn?
to laugh?
to love?
use the pink shaving cream in the shower?
smell like sugar cookies?
bat eyelashes?
floss... like ten times a day?
learn my favorite beer?
bring home my favorite beer?
remind me to bring home the tupperware?
order a bean burritto w/ sour cream, no onion?
return the library books?
let me replay the same guitar solo 10x in a row on the car stereo?
listen to me rant about the latest wilco album?
wait with me in the freezing cold for an over the rhine concert?
wait with me in the sizzling heat for an over the rhine concert?
tell me from the other room to come to bed when it's late and I'm typing on the computer?
Coming, honey.
Good night.
Be This Guy.
Ok, boys and girls, in an effort to provide a more interactive blog for my readers, I've decided to begin a new, weekly feature. It's called "Be This Guy". Here's how it works. Each week I will post a new photo of some random person whose photo I find on the web or wherever. Then you guys will write the guy's life story in first person. Who are you? What is your name? your career? Your story? Be creative. Have fun. Here's your chance to contribute. To leave a comment you'll have to register with blogspot. Then the management at funky presbyterian will select a winner of the week. So for our first time around I submit to you the photo of a distinguished, bearded gent. Yay! This will be fun.
On Trypticals
Read about this work by Cliff Mc Reynolds and see others in the digital galleries and exhibits at CIVA's website. Click on the link titled Christians in the visual arts.
Holy Cow! (small town dad raises big city kids)
Here's a picture of Jack and a cow. I like this picture. It was a fun day at the Great Darke County Fair and Jack had never been that close to a cow before. It was a very big deal. I was raised in a small town in rural Ohio and it always surprises me when Jack says things that remind me I'm raising city kids, now. He was absolutely flabbergasted when Charity and I explained that when we were kids we only went to the shopping mall once every three months or so. He was stunned. Like we had been subject to some kind of strange ritualistic abuse or something. I remember when we were at the Great Darke County Fair he asked where all the African American people were. We thought that was a good question to ask. It's just a different kind of childhood to be raised as a city kid. The kind where cows are a big deal, I guess.
We oughta forge ourselves a new kind of life. You know, greater diversity, fewer malls, more cows. That sounds nice. Come to think of it, that sounds like a pretty accurate description of Heaven. Thy kingdom come. Amen.
We oughta forge ourselves a new kind of life. You know, greater diversity, fewer malls, more cows. That sounds nice. Come to think of it, that sounds like a pretty accurate description of Heaven. Thy kingdom come. Amen.
Speaking In Indy
Sunday morning I am speaking at a church in Indianapolis. Redeemer in downtown Indy is one of my all time favorite churches in the world. They are great folks, with a great story and were very instrumental in my call to church planting, even though they don't really know that. Anyway, we're taking the whole family and a good friend of ours got us a great rate on a room at the Westin, so we're staying in style. (Jack has never stayed in a hotel before. We'll be sure to jump on the beds). I'm speaking on a parable from Luke sunday morning and then high-tailing it back to Columbus to speak at grace central Sunday evening. Should be a good day.
24.2.05
On Being A Fork
Recently I read a prayer of Jim Elliot (that's him in the picture), "Lord, make me a crisis man. Let me not be a milepost on a single road, but make me a fork that men must turn one way or another in facing Christ in me". These words struck me. If we are fulfilling our calling as followers of Christ, if we are speaking the gospel and living like its true, people around us will inevitibly be brought to a place of crisis. We will become to the people around us a fork in the road, where they are confronted with the Christ within us. Even if we are as gentle and compassionate and gracious as possible, the moment will surely come when the friend chooses a road. Often we try to soften or avoid this crisis moment at all costs. It is awkward and there is always the risk of offending and alienating our friends. A Chrsitian must be exceedingly cautious to ensure that the crisis is caused by Christ in us and NOT by us! There is enough to cause offense in the gospel we believe. We ought not add to the offense with our big mouths or our boorish attitudes. But if Christ in us causes crisis then so be it. The hard part comes when we are rejected along with Christ and the friend chooses to leave us behind. That's tough to deal with, but its what we are called to in this life. Here's a relevant text from the New Testament:
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
Christ was a fork in the road. Let us be as well.
(To read more about Jim Elliot's story check this out: http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b4jelliot6ra.htm
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
Christ was a fork in the road. Let us be as well.
(To read more about Jim Elliot's story check this out: http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b4jelliot6ra.htm
22.2.05
So Spooky It's Beautiful
There are times when one encounters a work of art so amazingly beautiful, it's spooky. I think for instance of a handful of songs by Over the Rhine, the guitar solo in u2's "Love is Blindness", a painting or two by Edward Hopper, and several by Caravaggio. These are works that are so beautiful it is spooky. I have recently experienced the inverse of this phenomena. While in Los Angeles I purchased an album by Wovenhand, a side project of David Eugene Edwards, the lead singer of a moderately known gothic-folk act called 16 Horsepower. (That's right, I said "gothic-folk"). Wovenhand's 2004 release entitled "Consider the Birds" is so spooky, it's downright beautiful. I venture to guess you have not encountered a work of staggering spiritual profundity like "Consider the Birds" in a long time. Edwards, like his label mate Sufjan Stevens, is a believer making excellent and creative music for all discerning listeners, not for Christian rock listeners. And yet the struggle of faith breaks through the music with startling clarity.
Here are some clips from recent reviews:
so utterly soulful and important. It's everything music should be. You don't need to agree with Edwards' spiritual bent, or even understand what he's on about. This music is passionate, pure and heartfelt and disturbingly personal. Thus it's more important than 90 percent of the music that gets made these days. - From KQED.com
he sings the way Jonathan Edwards preached in his famous sermons of the 1730s – voice low, rarely making eye contact, but with the furious conviction that none of us have a moment to waste.- Dusted Magazine
In the swampy gypsy bayou of "To Make A Ring" Edwards beseeches nonbelievers to realize that "judgment is not avoided by your unbelief/ Your lack of fear/ Nor by your prayers to any little idol here...The lord will not be mocked/ Not by you or me." Gathering a gale force, the track ends with a hermetic sing-a-long around a burning maypole: "We will weave our voice, we will weave our voice together and sing forever round the throne." So, if like me you don't believe in God, then why listen? Well, because unlike empty teen angst or bitchy navel gazing, Edwards has a certified message and even with the spikes and thorns and judgments his work emerges from a compelling, otherworldly mindset.
As our country turns further towards the conservative right, it makes sense to some to be suspicious of religiosity but from my atheistic vantage, Consider the Birds is pleasingly scabrous and utterly apocalyptic. Instead of peppering his work with brief/sappy/peachy references, Edwards unleashes a torrent. Accordingly, religion aside, Consider the Birds should please any and all fans of bleak testimonials and Valley-of-Darkness soundscapes. If you really do fear Godly cooties, block out Edwards lyrics (pretend he's speaking in undecipherable tongues or talking to his girlfriend) and instead take a walk along brittle pine needles with these dark melodies, virtuosic screeches, and that humid overbearingness of his stately vocalizations. - Pitchforkmedia.com
“I’m just singing from first-hand experience of how wretched people are. And I don’t need to go any further than myself,†says Edwards of his body of work, formed first as the lead vocalist and main songwriter behind Appalachian goth-folk outfit 16 Horsepower and now the center of his solo project, the more experimental Woven Hand. “I don’t have to point my finger at anybody else, because there is no need.†In so doing, Edwards, like Cash, creates a world rendered in stark black and white, peopled with characters that murder and steal and frantically try to stay one step ahead of the judgment they know is trailing them. As with Cash, Edwards uses his personal frailties and deep Christian faith to make unsettling comments on the human condition that are designed for a purpose startlingly out of step with the majority of contemporary entertainment: Edwards aims to make his listener uncomfortable. - from an interview in Paste magazine
Here are some clips from recent reviews:
so utterly soulful and important. It's everything music should be. You don't need to agree with Edwards' spiritual bent, or even understand what he's on about. This music is passionate, pure and heartfelt and disturbingly personal. Thus it's more important than 90 percent of the music that gets made these days. - From KQED.com
he sings the way Jonathan Edwards preached in his famous sermons of the 1730s – voice low, rarely making eye contact, but with the furious conviction that none of us have a moment to waste.- Dusted Magazine
In the swampy gypsy bayou of "To Make A Ring" Edwards beseeches nonbelievers to realize that "judgment is not avoided by your unbelief/ Your lack of fear/ Nor by your prayers to any little idol here...The lord will not be mocked/ Not by you or me." Gathering a gale force, the track ends with a hermetic sing-a-long around a burning maypole: "We will weave our voice, we will weave our voice together and sing forever round the throne." So, if like me you don't believe in God, then why listen? Well, because unlike empty teen angst or bitchy navel gazing, Edwards has a certified message and even with the spikes and thorns and judgments his work emerges from a compelling, otherworldly mindset.
As our country turns further towards the conservative right, it makes sense to some to be suspicious of religiosity but from my atheistic vantage, Consider the Birds is pleasingly scabrous and utterly apocalyptic. Instead of peppering his work with brief/sappy/peachy references, Edwards unleashes a torrent. Accordingly, religion aside, Consider the Birds should please any and all fans of bleak testimonials and Valley-of-Darkness soundscapes. If you really do fear Godly cooties, block out Edwards lyrics (pretend he's speaking in undecipherable tongues or talking to his girlfriend) and instead take a walk along brittle pine needles with these dark melodies, virtuosic screeches, and that humid overbearingness of his stately vocalizations. - Pitchforkmedia.com
“I’m just singing from first-hand experience of how wretched people are. And I don’t need to go any further than myself,†says Edwards of his body of work, formed first as the lead vocalist and main songwriter behind Appalachian goth-folk outfit 16 Horsepower and now the center of his solo project, the more experimental Woven Hand. “I don’t have to point my finger at anybody else, because there is no need.†In so doing, Edwards, like Cash, creates a world rendered in stark black and white, peopled with characters that murder and steal and frantically try to stay one step ahead of the judgment they know is trailing them. As with Cash, Edwards uses his personal frailties and deep Christian faith to make unsettling comments on the human condition that are designed for a purpose startlingly out of step with the majority of contemporary entertainment: Edwards aims to make his listener uncomfortable. - from an interview in Paste magazine
No Spectators Hurt in Hammer Appearance
As it turns out, Hammer did not rap, nor did he wear his magical genie pants when I was present for a live taping of his appearance on the TBN televangelist program entitled Praise the Lord! last week in the Orange County suburbs of Los Angeles. The former hip hop phenom was polite, passionate, and actually quite reasonable in his interview, as he spoke of his childhood in Oakland, California and his meteoric rise to super stardom in the early 1990's. There was no mention of his career's equally spectacular grind-to-a-screeching-halt-like plummet back to earth in the later half of the 1990's.
Back Home in Ohio
Well, my study leave is now over and I'm back in Columbus. My time away was refreshing, but it's good to be back. I didn't get quite as much read as I wanted to, but I did make good progress. I read 1900 pages from seven different books (not counting the Bible). The books really covered a range of topics and themes. I intend to give a brief synopsis of each book read on the blog very soon. Maybe you'll find it helpful. Some of the ideas I discovered will be working their way into grace central's ministry in the future. Another very helpful aspect of my trip was in attending a new PCA church in Newport, CA. It was planted about four years ago and is quite similar in many ways to what grace central is doing in Columbus. I learned a lot from just observing and talking to the leadership at that church. Anyway, I'm excited to get back at it here in Columbus and see how God is going to work among us this year.
18.2.05
books books books
A few more books I've read have provided some good insight. One deals with insights provided by interviewing formerly unchurched people and the factors they say lead to their inclusion in the church community. There were some fascinating insights there. What i appreciated is that this author, unlike most who write on these topics, did not attempt to boil everyhting down to one formula or "fail-proof" plan. He acknowledged that each instance was unique as all people are unique, and that the factors that lead to a person's choosing to become a part of a community of faith and many and varied. It is always a complex of factors that go into each instnace. But then he does distill out some principles that are helpful.
Another book was on the topic of leading people in spiritual discussions. It as a littel more formulaic but helpful none the less. Now I'm finishing up a thelogoy text on the Israel of God in the Old and New Testaments. It is pretty good, but a little slower reading than the other two i mentioned. After that i'm on to a book tht discusses the various traditions of the Christian faith in history.
Another book was on the topic of leading people in spiritual discussions. It as a littel more formulaic but helpful none the less. Now I'm finishing up a thelogoy text on the Israel of God in the Old and New Testaments. It is pretty good, but a little slower reading than the other two i mentioned. After that i'm on to a book tht discusses the various traditions of the Christian faith in history.
17.2.05
Please Hammer, don't hurt 'em!
Check it out! Tomorrow evening my friend Jason and I will be attneding a LIVE taping of the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Praise the Lord television program. As my dear wife can attest, I am a huge fan of televangelist programming. I find it irresistible in the same way one finds it difficult to resist staring at a car crash or big time wrestling. And best of all, guess who is in the hiz-ouse tomorrow... that's right all you funky presbyterians. The honorable reverend M.C. Hammer! You gots to pray just to make it today. Also, George Barna will be there as well. Quite surreal. Somebody wake me up! I must be dreaming. We gonna Turn this Mutha out!
16.2.05
Augustine's Confessions
Yesterday on the plane I was able to read Augustine's Confessions. Augustine was a North African theologian and church leader who was born in 354 A.D. This book is an autobiography of sorts, written in the form of an extended prayer to God. It is considered a classic. In it, Augustine tells of his wild youth and his long struggle to Christian conversion. For years his mother, Monica Prayed for him with many tears, that he would come to know Christ. Eventually he did and all of Christianity and western society was changed through his life and work. He is called the Father of Grace in that it was Augustine who began to formulate and emphasize the teaching of grace from scripture. Here's one of my favorite passages:
"Wither do you walk, farther and farther along these hard and toilsome roads? There is no rest to be found where you seek it: seek what you seek, but it lies not where you seek it. You seek a happy life in the land of death, but it is not there. How can you find a happy life where there is no life? But our life came down to us and he took away our death and he slew it out of the abundance of his own life. He thundered forth and cried out to us to return hence to him into that secret place from which he came forth to us... O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Even now, after the descent of life to you, do you not wish to ascend and to live? But how can you ascend when you have set yourselves up high and have placed your mouth against heaven? Descend so that you may ascend, so thatyou may scend to God. For you have fallen by ascending against God.
Tell this to those souls, so that they may weep in the valley of tears, and thus you will carry them along with you up to God. For it is of his Spirit that you tell them this, if you speak while burning with the fire of charity".
"Wither do you walk, farther and farther along these hard and toilsome roads? There is no rest to be found where you seek it: seek what you seek, but it lies not where you seek it. You seek a happy life in the land of death, but it is not there. How can you find a happy life where there is no life? But our life came down to us and he took away our death and he slew it out of the abundance of his own life. He thundered forth and cried out to us to return hence to him into that secret place from which he came forth to us... O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Even now, after the descent of life to you, do you not wish to ascend and to live? But how can you ascend when you have set yourselves up high and have placed your mouth against heaven? Descend so that you may ascend, so thatyou may scend to God. For you have fallen by ascending against God.
Tell this to those souls, so that they may weep in the valley of tears, and thus you will carry them along with you up to God. For it is of his Spirit that you tell them this, if you speak while burning with the fire of charity".
The People You Meet Sitting in Little Chairs
Ok, so here's the funny thing. when I got to my gate at the Columbus Airport, there were no scary looking guys. I was sitting next to a normal looking guy and his daughter and I decided to strike up a conversation. As it turns out, this guy is a church planter returning to San Fransisco after a meeting in Columbus. We talked shop for a while and exchanged info before boarding the plane. Then, while on the plane I ran into some one else interesting. Right across the isle from me was a guy I know named Jeff who is the brother in law of a good friend of mine and he works for a ministry called student venture. We talked about how the yearr has gone for each of us and what we hope to see happen in 2005. Kinda funny the people you'll meet while sitting in little tiny chairs.
Anyway, I made it to LA safe and sound. Got my rental car and arrived at Jason & Dara's home in time to join him for a bible study. He asked me to speak. I was not prepared to speak. I spoke. It sounded a little like I was making it all up as I went along, because I was. The good news is that I'm relatively confident the talk was heresy- free. That's always good. I said only true things, I just don't know if they were helpful things!
Anyway, I made it to LA safe and sound. Got my rental car and arrived at Jason & Dara's home in time to join him for a bible study. He asked me to speak. I was not prepared to speak. I spoke. It sounded a little like I was making it all up as I went along, because I was. The good news is that I'm relatively confident the talk was heresy- free. That's always good. I said only true things, I just don't know if they were helpful things!
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