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Ash Wednesday contemplations...

2011-03-09T21:38:00.003-06:00

Our church offered a very brief (25-minute) Ash Wednesday service this evening. We had some corporate, responsive reading of Scripture. A super-brief homily. A little singing. And the imposition of a cross of ashes on our foreheads as we were reminded, "From dust you were created, and to dust you will return."

One common objection to Christianity, or complaint against Christianity, is that Christianity is arrogant and exclusive and divisive because it makes truth claims and therefore says that those who don't agree with those claims are wrong. (Obviously, this objection could be leveled against any system that makes exclusive truth claims.) The objection continues: claiming that others are wrong necessarily involves devaluing and dehumanizing them, as well as likely leading to intolerance, hatred, and potentially even violence. Heck, look at the Inquisition, the Crusades, and Westboro Baptist.

The common response to this objection is that pluralism is just as much of an exclusive truth claim. If you say that "there is no one truth," or even, "we can't know if there's one truth," such statements are just as exclusive as saying "there is only one truth." If you say, "there is no one truth," then you are excluding those who make truth claims from being right. And so on. The idea behind this response to the objection is to change the question from "Are there truth claims?" to "Which truth claims are right?"

But, I would rather take issue with the objection itself. After all, Christianity doesn't just make random, contentless truth claims. It makes particular truth claims. So, are the truth claims of Christianity arrogant, exclusive, and divisive? Well, without detailing all of them, it's clear that some of them, some of the most basic, are not.

For example, the Christian claim that there is only one God may theoretically be viewed to exclude those who are polytheists or atheists. But in reality, it doesn't. For what that claim entails is that there only one God, and I am not Him, and neither are you. It puts us all on equal footing.

But the Christian claim goes further. It is not just that there happens to be one God and here we happen to be in this corner of the galaxy. The claim is that God created us intentionally and specially. He took some dust of the earth, formed a man, and breathed His life into Him. In doing so, God made the man like Himself. Then God made a woman out of that man, so that the man and woman would be counterparts to each other--different persons but of the same substance. And together these man and woman, and all their offspring after them, bear the image of the God who created them. This puts us all not only on equal footing, but also on special footing. This image-bearingness that you have and I have and everyone has means that all of us are special, inherently, by our very nature. Our very existence displays the glory of God, even before we do or say or believe anything. Therefore, any action or attitude or word that would seek to exclude or divide someone else from the glory that it is to bear the image of God cannot be consistent with the Christian truth claim--no matter what the one doing or thinking or saying it claims. And perpetrations of hatred or aggression can never be the outflow of a truly Christian truth claim.

So when a cross of ashes on the forehead reminds us of the Christian claim that "from dust you were created and unto dust you will return," it is not done so to devalue the life and dignity of human beings. Rather it reminds us that of all the things that God could have done with the lump of dust that makes you up, what He chose to do was create you. He chose to create you to bear His image and display His glory in your part of the world. No matter what you have done and no matter what you believe, you cannot erase that image from your existence. It may be distorted; it may be overwhelmed and hijacked and enslaved by sin, but it cannot be eradicated. And in that cross we see the extent that God would go to in order to restore and redeem and free you to bear His image fully.

trade deadline thoughts...

2010-07-24T14:27:00.007-05:00

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is approaching in about a week (July 31). With that in view, what follows are a few thoughts/links inspired by that turning point on the calendar:

The St. Louis Cardinals should trade last year's 1st-round draft pick, Shelby Miller, along with a current major-league-ready player or two (e.g., Brendan Ryan, John Jay, and/or Allen Craig) for Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt. Miller may become a great pitcher for years to come, but Oswalt is a great pitcher now (and will probably remain so for 2 or 3 years) and he would make the Cards the clear favorite for the National League pennant.
The San Francisco Giants should trade for Kansas City Royals outfielder Jose Guillen, but only if they don't have to give up much. (Getting Corey Hart from the Milwaukee Brewers would obviously be even better, but he would almost certainly cost too much.) The Giants have strong pitching, but they need some more pop in their lineup if they're really going to make a push for the playoffs. However, they don't want to mortgage their future in order to make a run this year, because with their pitching and some of their up-and-coming position players, I think their future is bright.
I am willing to trade starting pitcher Dan Haren and a reserve offensive player from my fantasy baseball team for a starting power-hitter and a middle reliever.
American Idol should trade Simon Cowell for Rick Rubin, or someone like him who actually knows music (and, while they're at it, trade Ellen DeGeneres for someone like Queen Latifah, who actually knows music). I don't watch the show anymore, and I don't know what Rubin would be like on t.v. (he seems weird, which could be good, and I'm pretty sure Queen Latifah would be great), but with speculation of people like Donald Trump or Howard Stern taking over for Cowell, I think the show would do well to get away from spectacle and back to music, as well as broaden its musical repertoire (and thereby broaden its audience). With Rubin producing everything from rap and r&b to hard rock and pop rock to country, I think he would fit the bill.
The next time you shop for "fair trade" coffee, realize there's more to the story than what is printed in the ad blurb.
Even if you don't agree with Matt Ridley's evolutionary presuppositions (as I don't), his observations and extrapolations of the uniquely human practice of "trading" are worth listening to. [Really--it's worth stopping reading this drivel and moving on to Ridley.]
Here's a list of some strange trades in the history of sports.
This kid should just keep trading.

Fantasy Baseball Draft: 2010...

2010-03-24T20:17:00.032-05:00

My strategy going into this year's draft has 3 simple steps: 1) get the first pick, 2) get Albert Pujols, 3) get a bunch of other guys. Now, should step one of that plan go awry--all bets are off, and I'll have a built-in excuse when I don't win the league this year.

I have played fantasy baseball every year for almost 20 years. I believe I was 12 the first year I played, but I could have been 11, which would make this the 20th year. Even though fantasy football is much more popular in general in America (and I've played that nearly as long, if not as long), fantasy baseball is by far my favorite. I usually play in a league or two with my dad and brothers, and/or with friends. For about 10 years, however, I've also joined a public league on Yahoo, and played with strangers. I usually consider this my "main" team, and devote most of my fantasy-sports-related energy toward managing this team. And this is the team I'll be drafting for tonight.

I do have a few ideas of what I want to do in the draft. Some are based on personal preference, and some are based on things I've learned over the years or advice I've gained from fantasy baseball experts. (Yes, amazingly, there are fantasy baseball "experts," and even more amazingly, I seek out their advice.) Depending on where my slot in the draft order is (there are 12 teams in the league) I can usually get two frontline offensive players before I draft my first starting pitcher. Offensive players play nearly every day, whereas a starting pitcher pitches (at most) every five days. So offensive players are far more valuable. You really can't afford to miss on your first pick--picking a guy who has a bad year or gets injured can really screw up your season (I've had both happen).

One thing that I usually struggle with is getting enough guys who can steal bases. So I'm trying to keep that in mind in order to address that this year. I'm also learning that I usually pick a closer (a pitcher who finishes games and earns "saves") too early. Closers fluctuate for teams so regularly throughout the year that even if I don't get one of the big name closers, I'll probably be able to pick one up later as a free agent. And finally, even though I know it could potentially be problematic, I always give some preference to Giants and Cardinals players. The Giants are my favorite team, and I watch a lot of Cardinals games (either on TV or at the stadium), so it's fun to be able to follow those players.

Well, I'm going to log in on the site now and see where I'm picking. Wish me luck...

(8:43pm) I've got the 5th pick in the draft--not bad, but I won't get Pujols. Evan Longoria (3B, Tampa Bay Rays), is the 5th rated player on my list. My top 10, in order, are: Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Hanley Ramirez, Chase Utley, Longoria, Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, Ryan Howard, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira. Hopefully someone ahead of me will do something dumb and I'll get to take one of my top 4 players.

(8:56) Almost time... By the way, my team name is "Bugeaters".

(9:01) First pick: Ryan Braun (OF, Milwaukee Brewers). Changed my mind at the last second, and switched Braun and Longoria. I think I downgraded him because I hate the Brewers and he's as bad as any of them. But this is fantasy baseball--no room for feelings and stuff.

(9:06) Second pick: Pablo Sandoval (1B, San Francisco Giants). One of my favorite players--"Kung Fu Panda". My bias for the Giants may have played a factor, but not a bad pick.

(9:08) Third pick: Chris Carpenter (SP, St. Louis, Cardinals). I just really really hope this isn't the year he gets old.

(9:12) Fourth pick: Ben Zobrist (2B, Tampa Bay Rays). Should get me some steals. I thought about taking Brandon Phillips (who would probably get a few more steals), but Zobrist plays for a better team so hopefully his numbers will be better.

(9:16) Fifth pick: Cliff Lee (SP, Seattle Mariners). I probably should have taken an offensive player, but I wasn't happy with my choices at this point.

(9:20) Sixth pick: Chone Figgins (3B, Seattle Mariners). Lots of stolen bases--very happy with the value at this pick.

(9:24) Seventh pick: Torii Hunter (OF, Los Angeles Angels). More stolen bases--not real happy with this pick. This very well could be the year he gets old.

(9:29) Eighth pick: Asdrubal Cabrera (SS, Cleveland Indians). No comment.

(9:31) Ninth pick: Alex Rios (OF, Chicago White Sox). Hopefully this is the year he lives up to his potential.

(9:37) Tenth pick: Jason Kubel (OF, Minnesota Twins). I have no idea what I'm doing.

(9:42) Eleventh pick: Jair Jurrjens (SP, Atlanta Braves). I like this pick here. I'm also on track for the team with the craziest names.

(9:47) Twelfth pick: Rick Porcello (SP, Detroit Tigers). Big upside. How long can I go without drafting a catcher?

(9:49) Thirteenth pick: Mike Napoli (C, Los Angeles Angels). Two minutes; that's how long.

(9:55) Fourteenth pick: Chad Qualls (RP, Arizona Diamondbacks). This is the problem with closers: he may be the closer all year for Arizona, but how many games are they gonna win?

(10:00) Fifteenth pick: Jorge De La Rosa (SP, Colorado Rockies). This is a murky area of the draft.

(10:05) Sixteenth pick: Franklin Gutierrez (OF, Seattle Mariners). How did this guy last so long? He was pre-ranked really low by Yahoo, and I think that everyone else, like me, just didn't notice him. This was a great pick.

(10:10) Seventeenth pick: Bobby Jenks (RP, Chicago White Sox). If he stays healthy, he'll produce.

(10:14) Eighteenth pick: Erick Aybar (SS, Los Angeles Angels). It was time to start filling in my bench.

(10:20) Nineteenth pick: Tim Hudson (SP, Atlanta Braves). I heard a report that he is pitching really well this Spring after coming off of Tommy John surgery. I was hoping I could take him with my last pitching slot.

(10:24) Crud...someone just took the guy I was going to draft next--Ryan Doumit (C, Pittsburgh Pirates).

(10:26) Twentieth pick: Colby Rasmus (OF, St. Louis Cardinals). Hopefully he breaks out this year.

(10:30) Twenty-first pick: Cristian Guzman (SS, Washington Nationals). Meh.

(10:35) Twenty-second pick: A.J. Pierzynski (C, Chicago White Sox). It's helpful to have a backup catcher, I guess.

(10:40) Twenty-third pick: Magglio Ordonez (OF, Detroit Tigers). He used to be good.

(10:49) Well, I think I'm happy with my team. Hopefully nobody will stink unexpectedly (except for players on other teams). But if they do, there's always next year...

(next day) I didn't feel like writing out my lineup last night. But since I'm at work now, and I've got nothing better to do, here it is:

C Mike Napoli (Angels)
1B Pablo Sandoval (Giants)
2B Ben Zobrist (Rays)
3B Chone Figgins (Mariners)
SS Asdrubal Cabrera (Indians)
OF Ryan Braun (Brewers)
OF Torii Hunter (Angels)
OF Alex Rios (White Sox)
UTIL Jason Kubel (Twins)
UTIL Franklin Gutierez (Mariners)

SP Chris Carpenter (Cardinals)
SP Clif Lee (Mariners)
RP Chad Qualls (Diamondbacks)
RP Bobby Jenks (White Sox)
P Jair Jurrjens (Braves)
P Rick Porcello (Tigers)
P Jorge De La Rosa (Rockies)
P Tim Hudson (Braves)

BN Erick Aybar (Angels)
BN Colby Rasmus (Cardinals)
BN Cristian Guzman (Nationals)
BN A.J. Pierzynski (White Sox)
BN Magglio Ordonez (Tigers)

(re)resolved...

2010-01-03T23:59:00.000-06:00

Almost exactly a year ago, I posted a set of resolutions for the then-new year. Let's look both backward and forward.

First was: Develop a regular weekly exercise schedule.
Grade for 2009: F-

Not only did I not use the treadmill that we owned, but eventually we gave it away. When they built a new, super nice, YMCA, just a mile or so from our house, we joined. But after the initial visit to join, in early December, I haven't been back.

For 2010, I'm keeping this same resolution, but hopefully I have a better plan. Starting tomorrow morning, I'm heading to the Y for a workout. I've got my clothes ready, my toiletry bag packed, and my mp3 player loaded with The Brothers Karamazov. Also, I decided to give Nutrisystem a try. I've known for a while that changing my diet is a necessity, but I'm too lazy to try to figure it out myself. With Nutrisystem, I've ordered a month's worth of meals, and along with some fresh fruits and vegetables as sides, that's all I get.

My next resolution was: Blog regularly.
Grade for 2009: F+

You might think that 15 blog posts in 2009, mostly grouped toward the beginning of the year, would warrant a solid F. But the plus was earned because I almost doubled the number of posts from 2008. Way to go me!

I'm not even going to carry this resolution over to this year. It will be what it will be.

Next: Read more.
Grade for 2009: C

I only read 11 books in 2009 (plus I skimmed 1), which was well short of my goal of 20. But, I finished the year reading two books that I've almost finished. And, for pretty much the entire year, I was pretty much always reading something. So, I'm moderately satisfied with my reading last year.

I'm renewing this resolution at the same level for 2010: 20 books.

Next: Watch less t.v.
Grade for 2009: F-

The minus is because I probably watched more t.v. in 2009 (as a percentage of my free time). Does it make it any better that I'm usually watching with my wife?

This is just a hard one to kick. I need to pick out what I want to watch in advance each week, and then watch nothing else. For some reason, this is easier said than done.

Finally: Commit to daily time in the spiritual disciplines of prayer and biblical meditation.
Grade for 2009: C-

I wouldn't say I was successful at this daily. But I think I made strides in this area that I would like to continue improving upon in the upcoming year.

So, that's that. I guess I have 4 resolutions for 2010--all of which I also had in 2009. Here's to hoping I earn fewer F's this year! If you're a resolution-maker, let me know if there are any that are particularly important to you.

Where the Wild Things Are...

2009-11-21T03:40:00.002-06:00

The world we live in is a place where we wish things were different. We wish we weren't sad and lonely and frustrated and suffering from injustice. To make things worse, so often, we arrive at the realization that we don't have the ability or power to change things to be how we want them. In other words, we don't have control--control over our world, over our relationships, or even over ourselves. Adults know this, but kids, who don't even have the illusion of control that adults sometimes maintain, really know it, and that includes Max in Where the Wild Things Are.*

One of the truths of human experience in this world that Max and his Wild Things understand is that what we want is for a King to come and make things right. We want a King who will provide for our needs, give us important things to do, and protect us with a shield that keeps out the sadness and the loneliness. When Max pretends to be that king, things don't work out how he promised or his friends wanted. But that's not surprising, for all of us, at times, have pretended to be king of our world (or our part of the world), and our parents were doing the same since our first parents rejected God's rightful kingship--and doing so hasn't worked out for any of us.

The best we can do of ourselves is realize (as Max does) that our own struggles and flaws and griefs--our brokenness--are shared by everyone around us, and we are as difficult to live with for other people as they are for us. Realizing that, we may be able to find the humility and compassion to live in some measure of peace with others, at least for a time. Such a realization does not solve our fundamental problem of brokenness, but may help us cope with it, at least for a time.

The good news is, however, that we don't have to settle for merely coping with our brokenness. What Max and the movie do not understand (or at least the movie doesn't get to it) is that this broken world is not all that there is, and the True King has not left us by ourselves without hope. In fact, the longing that we all have for something better, is actually an indication that things were meant to be better. And our King has actually come close to us, not just to take control (which is rightfully His) but to serve us. He came once to begin the work of making our world, and ourselves, right, by taking the worst consequences of our brokenness upon Himself. And He will come again--finally, and forever--to finish making all things right, restoring the world to the way it is supposed to be, and removing all sadness and loneliness and injustice. In the mean time, He calls us, and leads us, to live with and for each other, in accordance with that coming new world, where he is the rightful and recognized King, rather than continuing to insist on being pretenders to the throne.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ...[Because,] our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:12-14, 20-21)

*This isn't meant to be a review of the movie, but rather a meditation inspired by it.

31+ things about me (in roughly chronological order)...

2009-07-24T00:02:00.002-05:00

As it's my 31st birthday, and as blogs are generally exercises in vanity and attempts at inflation of self-importance, I thought I would list 31 or so facts or events from my 31 years of life, offered in roughly chronological order.

1. I was born on July 24, 1978, in Omaha, Nebraska.
2. My first address was 5825 Fowler St., Omaha, NE, 68104.
3. One of my first memories is of my mom marrying my step-dad. I was 3 years old. At some point during the ceremony, one of my uncles was holding me, and he had very chapped lips.
4. My first best friend was named Jimmy Ruffin.
5. I went to Kindergarten at Mount View Elementary School, Omaha, NE.
6. I have 3 brothers.
7. We moved to Elkhorn, NE when I was 5 years old, just before beginning first grade.
8. I attended Skyline Elementary School, 1st through 5th Grade.
9. I saved up $62.00 toward the purchase of my Nintendo Entertainment System, with my parents paying for the rest (I believe they were $199).
10. A couple of friends and I were kind of obsessed with fire for a while, and one time we almost burned down some woods near my house.
11. I started playing golf at about age 11.
12. In 7th grade (I think), I memorized all 130 lines of the poem, “Paul Rever’s Ride,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for an English assignment. I still have the first 16 lines down cold. I can think of no useful purpose for such an assignment.
13. Near the end of 8th grade, I served a 5-day out-of-school suspension for prank-calling a teacher and making crude and threatening statements on her answering machine. I really had no ill-will toward her; I just thought I was being funny and cool in front of some friends. I was an idiot. It is still probably the most shameful thing I’ve ever done.
14. During the summer between 8th grade and Freshman year, my friend Michael and I played tennis nearly every day, all day, no matter how hot it was. The court was by his house, and we would break in the middle of the day for lunch, during which time, we would take off our hats that were saturated with sweat and put them in his freezer so that they would be cold when we went back out to play.
15. I attended Elkhorn High School, 1992-1996.
16. I actually cried at the age of 15 when Boston College beat Notre Dame in football in 1993, ending Notre Dame’s perfect season and ruining any hopes of a national championship.
17. My first job was at Subway. This may sound like bragging, but it is utterly honest: I am still the best Subway Sandwich Artist I have ever encountered.
18. I ran on the cross-country and track teams in high school. My fastest mile time was 4:34, and my fastest 2-mile time was 10:28.
19. I was rejected for admission to the University of Notre Dame. I may have cried about that too.
20. I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1996-2000.
21. My intended roommate for freshman year in college did not show up, so Jim, the guy across the hall, whose roommate left school and went home after about a week, moved over to share my dorm room. That began a great friendship, even though his girlfriend, Becky (who became his wife), was scared of me because I had a poster of the movie “The Crow” hanging in my room.
22. In August of 1998 I began to experience a spiritual renewal and conviction of the truth of biblical Christianity upon reading Philippians 3:13-14. This renewal and conviction has continued to grow ever since.
23. On December 31, 1999, I proposed marriage to Suzanne Young; she accepted.
24. The following Sunday we attended Zion Church in Lincoln, NE for the first time and decided that would be where we would be married. It became a great first home church.
25. I continued in college for an extra summer term so I could complete my honors thesis, “Sword of the Bard: The Use and Purpose of Biblical Allusion in Shakespeare’s Drama.” I graduated with distinction in August, 2000.
26. I did not attend my college graduation because I was on my honeymoon with Suzanne in Estes Park, CO, after having been married on August 5, 2000.
27. We moved to St. Louis in May, 2001, so that I could attend Covenant Theological Seminary, from which I graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in May, 2005.
28. I began working at Covenant Seminary Bookstore in June, 2001.
29. After graduating from Covenant, I was rejected for admission to the University of Notre Dame M.A. in Early Christian Studies program. I was crushed again, but I don’t think I cried.
30. I was accepted into the St. Louis University Ph.D. in Historical theology program, but I was never granted an assistantship (to help pay for the program) so I never enrolled.
31. I have been a foster-dad to three girls: Destiny Grace (“Gracie”), Leah, and Lyric (the latter two being sisters and currently living with us).

He has risen...

2009-04-12T20:58:00.006-05:00

Happy Easter! Here's the text of the sermon I preached for the Sunrise service at our church this morning.

Mark 16:1-8
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Some of you might be wondering why I didn’t choose one of the other resurrection accounts that might be a little more upbeat, a little more inspiring, a little more peppy for this early on an Easter morning. In preparing to preach at this service a number of weeks ago, I began to read through the resurrection accounts in each of the four gospels. Of course, they are all quite similar—in that they describe the same event—but each also provides different details; they have different emphases; they each have their own flavor. And at some point, I began to be drawn consistently to this passage. I realized that I was seeing a reflection of myself and my emotional and spiritual condition in the passage—not in the character of the angel, and certainly not in the resurrected Jesus, but rather in these female disciples. In particular, I was connecting with the final phrase of the passage—“they were afraid.”

To say the least, the last year or so has been challenging for me. There have definitely been many wonderful things and joyous things that have happened in that time, for which I am certainly thankful. But there have also been a great number of stressors and unanswered questions and heartbreaks as well. Last summer I bought the business for which I had worked for a number of years. And in becoming the owner and manager of a bookstore I was really living out something that had only been a dream in the back of my mind since I began working there as an employee years ago. But it was not an easy process. After months of preparation and number crunching and talking with family and friends and bankers—as well as spending hours and hours and hours talking to God—it took until less than 48 hours before the scheduled close of the sale for me to receive confirmed approval of the loan to finance the purchase. As you can imagine, such a long wait in uncertainty gave rise to some anxiety and fear, not only in me but also in my wife. I long to be a husband who can provide for my wife, not only financially but also emotionally, so the prospect of failing at both of those served to feed my fear of what the future might hold.

Soon after that was settled it was my family life that was thrown into upheaval. As foster parents, it is no mere cliché that we must expect the unexpected. But worse than that, it has been our experience that for much of our time as foster parents we have had to prepare for the undesired. Our first little girl, Gracie, was with us for almost 9 months before returning to live with her mother. Then last September, after over a year in our home and in our hearts, it was our beloved Leah who was placed back in the care of her mother. To make a difficult situation harder to bear, we didn’t agree with the decision, as we had with Gracie. That left us not only with broken hearts about losing her but also with an oppressive fear of what might happen and how her future might unfold. As it turned out, Leah’s absence from our home lasted about 4 months. But even now, we have no promises or certainty about what the courts may decide to do with her case. When I am honest about the situation, I can say that while I have hope that she will be our daughter forever, I am also experience lingering fear of what the future might hold.

And in the midst of living out my calling at work and my calling in my family, I have also tried to live out my calling as an elder here at Memorial Church. Even though I have led many Bible studies, and taught Christian Ed. courses, and preached sermons here, and even though I’ve graduated from seminary, and I’ve read lots of books, and even though I have gray hairs on my chin and few hairs on top of my head, I am so aware of how much I have yet to learn and grow and how far I am from the maturity in Christ that I am called to and long for. That realization does cause me to fear that I may fail in my calling in such a way that someone might be significantly disappointed or hurt. As I enter into various ministry situations, the fear of making the wrong decision or saying the wrong thing is sometimes only surpassed by a fear of failing to provide any response at all.

I imagine that, somewhere in that rehearsal of the circumstances of my life over the past year that have caused fears to grow in my heart, some of you have made a connection to fears that have taken root in your own lives. This is the universal experience of fallen, broken people; isn’t it? Many among us are having difficulty finding employment that meets your needs—not only financial needs, but the need to be engaged in a calling that provides you fulfillment—and some of us who have work are uncertain in this economic climate that it will continue to meet our needs with the stability that we desire. I also know there are those among us who are in relationships that drain you rather than refresh you. Some of those relationships are friendships that were once warm and close but have become cold and distant. Sadly, sometimes those are marriage relationships, or relationships between children and parents. Some of us struggle with relationships that have been over for some time—relationships of abuse, of betrayal, or manipulation—and the consequences of those experiences still impact you emotionally and spiritually much later.

Because there is so much in all of our lives that is uncertain, troubling, and broken, so much that we grieve for and have been disappointed by, it is no surprise that we can be fearful people. We can be afraid for ourselves or for others, afraid of what might happen or what we might miss out on, afraid of what God is going to do or afraid that He isn’t doing anything at all. As I said, considering the brokenness all around us, our fear is no surprise, and it is no surprise to God. In fact, God loves fearful people. He loves us so much that…

I.) The resurrection is announced to fearful people.

The reaction of the women that first Easter is described at the end of the passage when Mark says, v.8, “They were afraid.” But even earlier, when they see that the tomb is empty, and see an angel there, Mark says, v.5, “They were alarmed.” And it’s repeated in the next verse when the angel tells them, v.6, “Do not be alarmed.” This term is not merely surprise. It actually indicates fear, distress. Mark uses the same word earlier in the gospel to describe Jesus’ emotions while praying in the garden before His betrayal. It carries a sense of impending trouble or pain.

When we are fearful we try to get wrapped up in “busyness” or routine. The women were buying spices, intending to anoint the body. This is certainly evidence of devotion. But they give no thought to the many times Jesus spoke about His upcoming betrayal and death and that He would rise again. On their way, v.3, the women are discussing how they will move the large stone out of the way of the entrance of the tomb. They knew about the stone before they bought the spices, according to the previous chapter, but they are so intent on completing their task that they don’t consider the practical realities of the situation. If Mark was using our language, he might have said they were on “autopilot.” In their grief and confusion and fear, they were merely intent on doing what was they thought they were supposed to do, without considering what God was doing.

When we are fearful we hide from or deny God. This reaction of fear is only implicit in the passage, but it is definitely present. When the angel tells the women, v.7, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter…” We have to consider that if we were reading Mark’s gospel from the beginning, the last thing we would have read about the disciples would be Mark 14:50, “And they all left him and fled.” And the last we saw of Peter he was denying even knowing Jesus, actually calling down curses upon himself if he was lying—which he was doing.

These are the people to whom God chose to first bring the Good News of the risen Jesus—these fearful women, and through them, the fearful disciples and Peter. And we are so often just like them. We may engage in ministry or interact in our families and other relationships on autopilot, simply doing what we think is expected of us, without considering what God might be doing around us or through us. I’m sure some of you, gripped by despair or disappointment and fear of what the future holds have tried to avoid God as much as you can. Maybe that means you avoid searching the Scriptures and praying; maybe you have resigned yourself to the position of denying that God is at work at all, because if you don’t expect anything, then you can’t be disappointed. In our heart of hearts, we desire to be sure that God is at work, and that He is at work to bless and do good to us and to those we love, but we are so afraid of how another disappointment will affect us. Well, it is to us that God says, “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen.” It is to us fearful people that God announces this Good News.

*What is so good about this Good News of the resurrection?

II.) The resurrected Jesus is faithful.

He was faithful to be crucified, even in His fear. As I mentioned before, Mark describes Jesus’ emotions before His betrayal with the same word that he uses of the women to indicate that they were afraid. This should not trouble us, because Jesus was fully man as much as He was fully God. Experiencing fear is no mark against Him, for a righteous Man may experience fear in this broken world without sinning. The question is, how will you respond to your fear? Will your fear cause you to avoid or ignore what God is doing? Or will you seek to hide from or deny God because of your fear? Or, will your fear drive you to deeper trust in God, more complete dependence upon Him, and more fervent faith in His promises? Certainly, Jesus prayed that it would not be His will but the will of His Father that would be done. It was the Father’s will that Jesus become a ransom for many, and Jesus was faithful to fulfill that mission when He submitted to death on a cross in our place.

He was faithful to rise again. This is the crucial point. A man can claim that he will be sentenced to death in a certain city at a certain time, and he can manipulate circumstances to ensure that it happens. But for One to promise that after His death He will rise from the dead, and then do it—He must indeed be who He says He is. This is what Jesus did. He taught His disciples that He would be betrayed, be killed, and then rise again—and then He did it! Jesus was faithful to do what could not be done unless God was with Him.

He was faithful to those who were unfaithful to Him. Paul explains it this way, Rom. 5:6-8, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It was for those fearful women, for those fleeing disciples, and for Peter who denied Him with curses that Jesus died and rose again. And it is for us fearful people, even when we do sin in our fear—especially when we do sin in our fear—that Jesus died and rose again.

He was faithful to lead the Church in mission. The angel told the women, v.7, that Jesus “is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” We know from the other gospels and from the book of Acts that Jesus did indeed go before them, and they did indeed see Him, just as He told them. This is important, because it takes the message of the resurrection and moves it beyond one that has merely personal-spiritual application. It is the resurrected Jesus who leads us in mission, as individual Christians and as a Church. It is His mission to take the Good News of the Kingdom of God throughout the world, and we here this morning, in St. Louis, Missouri, across the world from Jerusalem and Galilee, are a testimony to His continued faithful mission.

So what should we do with this message of Jesus’ faithfulness? Is this supposed to be the instant cure to our fears? Are we expected to be suddenly set free from fear of the unknown or of repeat disappointment? No, that’s not how God works. If that’s what He expected, this passage wouldn’t have emphasized and even ended by focusing on the fear of Jesus’ disciples. As I said before, God knows and is not surprised by our fears. But He also loves us enough to not want to leave us in our fears. From Scripture and history, we can know that God overcame the fears of these disciples. The women did go and announce the Good News to the other disciples. The disciples did meet Jesus in Galilee to receive their commissioning to spread the Good News throughout the world. And Peter was restored as the leader of the disciples, and became a pillar of the early church, and probably the source of Mark’s gospel.

What will it take for our fear to be overcome? It is not merely knowing about the faithfulness of Jesus that will do it. If that were the case, we would really be overcoming our fearfulness on our own. Rather, it is knowing this Jesus, who is faithful. For, while we are fearful, He remains faithful. He was faithful to die for us, and faithful to rise again. He has been faithful to lead the Church in the mission of the Good News throughout the world. How will He not also be faithful to us in the needs of our everyday lives? Overcoming our fears is not a matter of working up faith in ourselves. Instead it is turning to Jesus in the midst of our fear, in the depths of our doubts, and saying, “I believe. Help my unbelief.” That kind of prayer is one Jesus has promised to answer, and He has proved He will remain faithful to His promise.

This kind of realization—or I should say, reminder—is another part of what I think attracted me to this passage. I saw in this announcement of the Good News of the resurrected Jesus to flawed and fearful people an announcement of Good News to myself. I was reminded that I can seek Jesus in the midst of my fears, even as these women did, and Jesus will be faithful to meet me where I am—in my need, in my brokenness, in my fear. And when I remember that, I am freed to realize all the ways Jesus has remained faithful to me and to us even while I have been unfaithful.

I think of our time with Leah. And while it is sometimes fraught with heartache and fear, it is also so precious, and so full of joy and love of a kind that does not dim or fade over time but only grows and deepens and brightens. And I think of the financial struggles of our church that still have not quenched the generosity of many who have responded quickly and amazingly to various special needs throughout the past months. And I think of ministries of our church, like More than Carpentry. I can remember talking with Jim and Tammy about their vision for a ministry years ago in their living room in South City, long before Wellston was even in anyone’s mind. And I can remember over the years many of the exciting developments and the providential opportunities, as well as the devastating setbacks and the heartbreaking obstacles. I can remember times of wondering why God wasn’t doing more to get this ministry going and fearing that maybe He wasn’t in it after all. But now, in God’s timing (certainly not Jim & Tammy’s) the ministry is firmly established and well appreciated in the Wellston community, and the McGarrys are on the verge of moving their home onto their mission field as they planned, and the next step of realizing the vision for More than Carpentry is right around the corner.

You see, ridding ourselves of doubts and fears is not a precondition for God to work. Because the risen Jesus is going to be faithful to accomplish His mission no matter what. But, in order for us to be rid of our doubts and fears, we must turn to the risen Jesus. And when we do, even when we are fearful, He will be faithful.

Fantasy baseball draft...

2009-03-22T22:57:00.000-05:00

I'm live Twittering my fantasy baseball draft.

update -- here's my team:

C: Geovany Soto, Cubs
1B: Garrett Atkins, Rockies
2B: Dan Uggla, Marlins
3B: David Wright, Mets
SS: J.J. Hardy, Brewers
OF: Vladimir Guerrero, Angels
OF: Vernon Wells, Blue Jays
OF: Andre Ethier, Dodgers
Util: Pat Burrell, Rays
SP: Tim Lincecum, Giants
SP: Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
SP: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
SP: Chris Carpenter, Cardinals
SP: Randy Johnson, Giants
RP: Brian Wilson, Giants
RP: Jason Motte, Cardinals

Bench: Miguel Tejada, SS, Astros
Bench: Rick Ankeil, OF, Cardinals
Bench: Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals
Bench: Casey Kotchman, 1B, Braves
Bench: Coco Crisp, OF, Royals

I like my team, especially my pitching staff. I've got 4 starters that could conceivably win the NL Cy Young, if they stay healthy. My two relief pitchers should be good for 35 saves each (as long as LaRussa gives Motte the closer job as he should). I'm lacking in speed, meaning low stolen bases. That always happens to me. I may have to start Crisp just to get a couple stolen bases per week. Obviously, I'm heavy on Cardinals. But they were all legitimate picks, and since I watch so many of their games on t.v. or at the stadium, it's nice to have some players to have a special rooting interest in.

My outfielders will make or break my team. Guerrero is a fantasy stud, but he's always a health risk. One day in the next couple of seasons, Wells is going to get old overnight and stay old, and it's as likely to be this season as next. And, Ethier, well, he's a Dodger, and I hate to have to root for a Dodger. It would be great if Ankiel has his real breakout season (30 HR, 30 2B, 100 RBI, 20 SB, .285 AVG.) so that I can just put him in the starting lineup and trade one of the other guys.

Still two weeks until the season starts. I can't wait!

NCAA Tourney: 2009...

2009-03-19T15:38:00.003-05:00

For the record, here is my NCAA Tournament bracket. I've already lost a couple of games, and we're only half-way through day 1. Also, one of my Final 4 picks struggled in their first round game. Oh well...

Top 5...

2009-03-18T00:05:00.001-05:00

Back in the day, I had a regular feature on the blog of presenting my Top 5 lists in various categories of stuff. It's harder than you might think to pick out a category worth the effort of identifying its top 5 members. (For instance, I suppose it's up for debate whether breakfast cereals is a category worth naming its top 5.) So, after a while, I quit that feature--but I still like the idea.

Let me preface the following list with some context. I'm a sports fan, in the original sense of the word--"fanatic." I play all kinds of sports, when I have the opportunity (although, not so much lately, which partly explains why I'm a few [dozen] pounds over optimum). I watch sports on television. I read about sports online, in magazines, and in newspapers (well, really, who reads anything in newspapers anymore?). And, most telling of all, I listen to sports radio all day long.

I don't recommend doing that. It's rather exhausting to hear the same things discussed/argued day after day. But, you know, they don't call us "fanatics" because we're a super rational group. So, as I'm filing receipts, paying bills, and ordering books at the bookstore, I'm also listening to a constantly repeating cycle of discussion about the various controversies brewing in the sports and sports-entertainment world. Of course, talk about the previous day's or week's games can be ever changing. But for the most part, there are standard, "go-to" topics that are the staple of sports talk radio discussion.

With that said--for any who are still reading--I present my Top 5 Tiresome/Annoying Sports Talk Radio Discussion Topics:

1.) NCAA Basketball Tournament selections/seeding - Yes of course, the upcoming March Madness has inspired this list. But, I don't think I'm suffering from myopia here. This is definitely the most pointless ongoing sports discussion. Don't get me wrong: I love the Tourney. It's one of the great sporting events each year. But, if your team doesn't get in, or doesn't get the seeding you think it deserves, well, it should have won more games. How can it be worth the breath arguing over which teams should be considered the 50th through 64th best in order to participate in a tournament in which they will certainly be knocked out after only a game or two?

2.) NFL overtime - This is pointless on several accounts. First, not that many games in the NFL go into overtime. Yet, invariably, when a game does go into overtime, the entire next week will be taken up with frequent discussions about the merit (or lack thereof) of the overtime rules and possible changes/solutions. Second, the main source of outrage is that the first possession in the overtime period is determined by a coin flip, and the overtime is a sudden death period. The argument goes that possession of the ball should not be left to random chance, when the team that wins a simple coin flip can simply take the ball down the field, score, and win the game, without allowing the other team a chance to try for a score. Now, there are a multitude of flaws in the logic of that argument. But really, all that needs to be pointed out is that--based upon actual statistics--the team that wins the coin flip ends up winning the game only a little more than 50% of the time (I don't remember the actual stat, but I'm sure it is less than 55%). That means that the coin flip really is not having much of an effect on the outcome of the game. Now, I actually do have a relatively simple proposal for how football overtimes (at all levels) should be structured to provide both actual and perceived fairness. But I'll save that for another time.

3.) Steroids in baseball - It's not that this topic is not worth discussing. It's just that there is so much emotion and hyperbole that is so often a part of the discussion, that common sense and perspective are usually left out. Now, I intend to write another post (or series of posts) that will present my magnum opus on the steroids in baseball issue. So I won't say much more about it now.

4.) Regular season NBA basketball - Do I really have to say more? Who wants to talk about this? Ever?

5.) College football BCS - This is only #5 (rather than 1 or 2) on the list because there is an actual problem. The BCS system is screwed up; it's unfair; it's got all kinds of problems. I concede that. But geez! From the time that spring practices start on campuses across the country, through the powder-puff pre-conference games of the early season, and on through the conference title games in December, the talk about the issue for week after week, month after month, and year after year is both non-stop and unchanging. There is no new information brought to the issue. No idea can be proposed that hasn't been proposed before. And no idea that will be proposed will change the current system. Can we please just let this one drop for a year? If not, I might have to turn off the sports talk radio, and turn over to NPR and listen to some political discussion. (Well, maybe not...)

maybe I should stick with Encyclopedia Britannica...

2009-03-09T21:15:00.004-05:00

While editing a dissertation for my "other job," I decided to look up the word "fall" (as in, the season) to be reminded whether it needed to be capitalized or not. The first page that google suggested I try was the wikipedia entry for "autumn." That's where I found the following gem, with the portion of interest circled...

Apparently, Summergirl09 isn't a big fan of her classmate, as attested by the edit history for the entry.

I haven't looked up "summer" yet.

quick hits...

2009-03-03T22:07:00.002-06:00

Are You A Christian Hipster? -- Well, yeah, pretty much (apparently).
Scientist Solves Mystery of Belly-Button Lint -- Phew! Next case: eye goobers.
We used a recent "Parents' Night Out" offered by our daycare to see the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Aah, we chose poorly.
Just over 1 month to go until Major League Baseball's Opening Day. I'm currently fielding offers to join fantasy baseball leagues. My favorite team once again promises to be a bunch of bums, while my hometown team actually shows some promise.
Happy Square Root Day! It's almost over. I hope you made the most of it.
Anyone want to play Scrabble? I play under the name Athanasius.

Surprise random link of the week...

2009-02-11T22:42:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

Sunday updates...

2009-02-08T23:44:00.003-06:00

What have I been up to lately?

It's been the busy season at work, Covenant Seminary Bookstore, with the start of a new semester tacked onto the end of the January Interterm. For about 3 weeks I was working 12-hour days. That's pretty much over, though. I'm almost caught up now.
I've been pretty much failing miserably at my New Year's Resolutions. Although, this week, I did exercise 3 times, and in addition, we went to the zoo on Saturday so I walked around for about an hour and a half. Then today, I spent a couple hours doing yard work. So maybe things are looking up.
Speaking of yard work, I did a couple hours of it today. Living in the city, we have community dumpsters in the alley, which alternate between "No Yard Waste" and "Yard Waste Only." Well, I filled up the entire "Yard Waste Only" dumpster behind our house, and then took two more trash barrels full of waste up to the dumpster up the alley. Unfortunately, with all of that, I only cleared up about 1/4 of the back yard. The problem is, we have one of the worst inventions ever in our backyard, a giant gumball tree. This is something I never encountered until moving to St. Louis, but it is basically a giant tree that not only drops a ton of leaves on the ground every year, but also these spiky spherical balls that are called "gumballs" because they stick to each other and to dog fur. Very annoying.
Finally, what's been taking up most of my time lately is that our foster-daughter Leah is back with us. We received a call on Jan. 2 that she needed a placement, so we've had here since then. It's been a lot of fun having her back with us. She's becoming such a cute, fun, smart little girl. We don't know yet how long she'll be with us. We're just moving forward at the pace of the system for now, trying to enjoy our time with her without fearing what the future might hold. We'll see. But I'm sure I'll be posting stories about all the clever, funny little things she does and says.

I think there were some other things I was going to write about. But I can't remember them. And it's late now, so I'm off to bed.

changes...

2009-02-06T23:40:00.003-06:00

*Author's note: I wrote the first 90% of this post about a month ago, and then I couldn't think of a way to end it. I'm not sure that I much like the end that I've given it now (and I'm not too impressed by most of the middle anymore) but I figured I ought to just get it done and post it.

You may have noticed that I recently changed the look of the blog. (At least I didn't go fiddling with the address, like some people I know.) Sometimes I just feel in the mood for change. Usually about once a year I'll move around the furniture in one of the rooms of our house. Doing so gives the living room or bedroom a fresh feeling, and maybe the illusion of the ever-elusive "more space" between the bed and dressers (even though it's still the same items within the same four walls). That was part of idea for changing the blog's look.

Change can also be spurred by the potential for actual qualitative improvement, such as through increased functionality. During the summer I invested my money and time at Covenant Seminary Bookstore (the business I own) to have the store's website renovated. The online store is now not only more attractive, but it also offers a more intuitive user experience and more security for the online customer. As for the blog, I had noticed on a few other blogs recently that their blogrolls also captured a feed of the latest post from each blog. I liked that feature, and I wanted it here, but it took a more wide-ranging change to be able to include it. So, that was another cause for the changes around here.

Of course, sometimes change is well received, and sometimes it's not. Apparently, at one time, I was not all that impressed with the changes that CNN made to their website. Now honestly: I have no recollection of what I didn't appreciate about the changes, nor do I recall what the site was like before the changes. So, I guess the reaction to change can be as fleeting as the reasons for change. Maybe that bodes well for the new ESPN.com, which I'm not all that fond of at the moment. I suppose in a few months I'll be clicking around at ESPN without a second thought like I do at CNN today.

There are times when change is certainly for the worst. (For example, see the poster at the top of the post.) Some people know that Suzanne and I are huge fans of CSI. We've seen pretty much every episode. Well, a few seasons ago, inexplicably, they went through a story arc in which the usual team in the show was split up. The various characters were always working on separate cases, and the character interaction--the best part of the show--was badly disrupted. That kind of change can be categorized in the "if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it" file.

Then again, just the idea of "change(#)," if talked about frequently enough, and especially if it is kept carefully separated from any actual proposals or prescriptions, can sometimes win you the presidency of the United States.

At this point, you're thinking, "Okay, okay, what's the point. I'm ready to change to another blog or website." Well, I guess I've been thinking about change lately, not only as a concept, but also as a personal goal. There are changes I want to make for aesthetic reasons and changes I want to make for "quality" (i.e., maturity). I'm sure some of the changes will be well received, and some won't; some will be good ideas, some will be bad, and some will be soon forgotten. But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who desires to see change in his own life.

I'm quite certain that human beings were made to strive for change. When God made people, He intended for us to get to work changing this world that He had just made. The Bible sets forth the course of human history moving from a Garden (in the beginning) to a City (at the end). It takes many incremental changes to get from one to another. Yet, of course, many changes we pursue are all wrong, which is due to the initial change our first parents made from following God's law. Now our sinful changes are all mixed up with the ways we should be properly changing ourselves and our world. We see that the world is Not the Way It's Supposed to Be. And so we desire a change that is bigger than we can effect. How do we make sense of our situation?

Here's what Jesus said: "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) The problems in our world and in ourselves are more than we can change on our own, but the Good News is that Jesus promises to change not only us, but the whole world. Yet, paradoxically, this promise isn't an invitation to passivity. Rather, because we can be sure of the Lord's work in us and in the world, we can be confident in our work in His name. This is what Paul teaches at the end of 1 Corinthians 15. After a full chapter discussing the certainty of the resurrection of Christ, it's theological implications, and the future resurrection of Christians, the Apostle does not say, "Therefore, wait until God ushers in the good times." Instead, he says, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." So, we are assured that God will indeed bring about the change we desire (in ourselves, and in our world) and that gives us confident to continue working for change, striving to maturity in ourselves and laboring to cultivate the City of God throughout the world.

(#) Oops...see...I told you above that I wrote most of this a long time ago. Now this link doesn't work any more.

Surprise random link of the week...

2009-01-14T21:30:00.001-06:00

It's back!

Here's this week's link: Have Fun!

two prayers...

2009-01-07T11:19:00.000-06:00

Recent events have led me to share the state of mind of Habakkuk the prophet, and thus appropriate his prayer:

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you 'Violence!' and you will not save?
Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2-4, ESV)

It turned out that this was the state of mind and prayer of a man of little faith. And so it is. And so I also share the prayer of a father whose child was suffering:

"I believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24, ESV)

Books--read and unread...

2009-01-03T21:36:00.004-06:00

I've taken this meme from my seminary classmate, Ed Eubanks.

The top 106 books most often marked as “unread” by LibraryThing’s users:

Bold the ones you’ve read
star the ones you read for school
italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish
@ the ones you want to read
otherwise comment as desired

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment @
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose @
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses @
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey *
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities *
The Brothers Karamazov @
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad *
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations *
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran: a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked: the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales *
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man @
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum @
Middlemarch
Frankenstein *
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath *
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince *
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter *
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye *
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: an inquiry into values
The Aeneid *
The Hobbit (8 to 10 times)
In Cold Blood: a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island *
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

I've been a little stingy with the @ (books I want to read). My reasoning is: almost all of these are books I want to have already read (you know, in order to boost my intellectual snobbery), but truth be told I know that most of them I would never actually put the effort into reading in the future. So there you go.

Have a go at the list, and let me know if you do.

resolved...

2009-01-03T00:50:00.005-06:00

I might as well put these down in writing.

Though I don't usually bother with New Year's resolutions, I've been pondering 5 specific things that I want to accomplish/work toward this year. Here they are with brief explanations.

1.) Develop a regular weekly exercise schedule. -- I am by far at my heaviest weight ever. A few years ago, when I reached my previous heaviest weight ever (about 210 lbs.), I started a job at UPS. Let me tell you, the UPS diet is one of the most efficient weight-loss programs around. The program consists of a) working at UPS, and b) eating whatever you want. I was down about 20 lbs. within a month, and when I quit about a year and a half later I think I weighed about 165. That was a little over 2 years ago, and I've gained it all back (and a fair measure more).

Wanting to lose the weight isn't all (or even mostly) about the vanity of not liking my similarity to a hairy version of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man (sans sailor outfit). I guess you could say it's about health, but mostly it's the fact that I just feel uncomfortable all the time. My body was not made to be this heavy, and it's been sending me that message for some time.

I imagine that while the weather stays cold, and then shortly after will turn frequently rainy, I'll mostly utilize the treadmill that's sat dormant in our dining room (yes, dining room) for exercising. But I've also considered checking into an indoor tennis league (I used to play frequently in high school and college). Then, this summer, I definitely want to take up golf and disc golf again after a few years of only playing a couple of times each year.

As far as weight goes, my goal will be to average losing 3 lbs. per month. That would put me below 200, which still wouldn't be my final target weight, but it would be a significant benchmark.

2.) Blog regularly. -- I know; I know; this is the lamest, most overused blogger resolution known to blogdom. But I really do want and intend to do so. The main reason is, I've always enjoyed doing it. So, expect more to come. At least I'm off to a good start.

3.) Read more. -- I know; I know; this is the second lamest, second most overused blogger resolution known to blogdom. But I really do want and intend to do so. The main reason is, I've always enjoyed doing it. The second reason is, as a bookstore owner, I do feel some responsibility to have a sense of what it is that I'm selling.

My goal is to read 20 books, not quite 2 per month. That seems kind of puny, compared to some people I know who are intending to plow through 40 or 50+ books. But I can't even conceive of reading more than 20 books with my hectic life, full schedule, and slow reading pace (even though those same people I know have lives and schedules at least [and probably more] full and hectic). Thus, I'll be satisfied if I can reach the nice round number of 20. Oh, and I do intend these to be books I've never read before.

One thing I've always had trouble with is skimming books. But one extra-credit goal connected to this resolution would be to skim an additional 10 books throughout the year. By skimming, I mean something more than looking only at each chapter title and section heading, but something less than making sure I understand each sentence before moving on to the next. This would give me familiarity with at least 30 more books by year-end than I have now.

4.) Watch less t.v. -- Really, this means that my t.v. watching will be more structured and intentional. Over the years, Suzanne and I have grown to be t.v. addicts. We watch so much that I'm pretty sure most of the time we don't realize how much time we really spend doing so. (And I'm quite sure I spend more time doing so than Suzanne.)

One of the main benefits of fulfilling this resolution, of course, will be that it would enable me to even have a chance at fulfilling the others. I'm quite certain that time spent in front of the television has been my main pitfall over the past couple of years to having more success in the activities of at least resolutions #1 and #3, and probably #2 as well.

This resolution seems like the most difficult, because it seems like the one in which I'm giving up something I like, rather than committing to something I enjoy. But really, I spend a lot of time flipping through channels, waiting for the top or bottom of the hour until a new set of shows turns over. So, how much time am I actually watching t.v.? Much less time than I'm sitting in front of it, that's for sure.

5.) Commit to daily time in the spiritual disciplines of prayer and biblical meditation. -- I'd say that I probably pray every day (well, not every day, but pretty much every day), but it's not always disciplined, concerted prayer. I cannot say I read and meditate on the Bible every day (probably at least weekly, not counting the Lord's day Bible readings and sermon).

Whatever the case, I've come to the realization over the last couple months, and especially weeks, that my spiritual reserve is very low. I have the feeling that over the last couple of years I've been living off the interest of several preceding years of hard work and large capital gains. But the account is getting depleted. I need fresh insight, clear instruction, and new challenge. Mostly, I need to encounter Jesus and receive what He promises: rest in His care; power to follow His lead.

Okay...well, that's the gist of things. That went on longer than I expected (when doesn't it?), but as I said, at least they're down in writing now.

Good Friday...

2008-03-20T22:24:00.003-05:00

There was an interesting article today over at Slate.com about why Easter hasn't been commercialized in the marketplace to the extent that Christmas has. I think the author is pretty close to right on. It's not that I particularly disagree with anything he says; it's just that I would have said more and said it all in a bit of a different way. Anyway, it's food for thought if you want to check it out.

But, before we get to Easter, we must have Good Friday. I remember when I was a kid I asked my mom why we call it "Good Friday" when it is the day that Jesus died, which is not good. Maybe it should be called "Bad Friday." Well, I have no memory of how she answered me. I was probably too wrapped up in congratulating myself for asking such a clever and astute questions. But, I do know how I would answer my young self now.

One of my favorite promises in Scripture is from Matthew 16:18 when Jesus said, "I will build my church." Whenever I lead corporate prayer at church, I invoke this promise and ask the Lord to fulfill His Word. As one who is in leadership in the church, this promise assures me that in spite of all of my weakness and failures as a leader, and in spite of the brokenness and mess I see even in the lives of my fellow Christians (let alone in the lives of a lost world that we are trying to reach) the church will not only survive but thrive and grow. How will this be so?

Jesus told us in John 12:32 the way He would accomplish the building of His church. "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." This lifting up did not refer to His ascension, but to His crucifixion (see John 12:33). And it means that the growth of the church is not dependent upon seeker-sensitive programs, nor the influence of cultural or political power brokers, nor even the faithful ministry of His followers. Rather, this promise reminds us that Jesus Christ crucified remains the central person and event in His church. It assures us who are weary or timid in ministry that the burden is upon Him and His faithfulness, not upon us and ours. It also assures us who are tentative and fearful in our faith--not sure if it our we measure up--that it is not we who have tried to seek Him but He who draws us.

Yet Jesus also instructs us in Matthew 10:24 that "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master." If we claim to be followers of Jesus, should we expect to receive better treatment from His opponents than He Himself faced? It cannot be so. Thus this statement from our Teacher and Master is a challenge to us who may be satisfied or proud in our ministry to be willing to take up our own cross of suffering and humiliation in order to show to others Christ on His cross.

This is my mini-theology of Good Friday. Good Friday is about Jesus building His church, because Jesus promised to build His church by drawing the world to Himself in His death. So Good Friday is a reminder for the overburdened of the simple message that it is Jesus in His death who accomplishes the work of building His church, while Good Friday is a reminder for the complacent that we are called to follow Jesus even in suffering to take His message to the world.

"For He was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God." (2 Corinthians 13:4)

Surprise random link of the week...

2008-03-19T22:29:00.002-05:00

Usually my links are a little more obscure. I think this site has already grown rather popular since I first discovered it. But, now that I'm back to blogging, I wanted to make sure that the first random link I offered was a good one.

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

apples and oranges...

2008-03-18T22:43:00.004-05:00

This post has nothing to do with apples. Nor will I be attempting to compare two unlike things or categories. But I will mention oranges later, and I had to give it some title. Here are some things on my mind lately:

I'm sick of precipitation in all forms.
I hate cars. We're looking at about $800 in repair/maintenance costs this week.
Earlier this evening, I spent about an hour crafting a response to a blog post I read. Then I decided not to post it. That happens more often than I care to admit.
For the past couple of months, I've been totally obsessed with Iron Chef America on the Food Network. Until I started watching that show, I would have said that the idea of watching a show of people cooking is ridiculous. In fact, I'd still say that. But I can't stop.
I haven't filled out my bracket for the NCAA tournament yet. I need to do that.
I'm not as excited for baseball to begin as I usually am. I suppose that's because my favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, and my adopted-hometown team, the Saint Louis Cardinals, are probably going to be battling for the worst record in the National League.
Finally, being an extraordinarily lazy person, I find oranges to be a hassle. You have to peel them, you usually get that white stuff lodged under your fingernails, and it's almost impossible to eat them without getting your fingers sticky. But, if you make the effort, and if you get a good one, there is almost nothing better than a really good orange.

the rudest thing ever...

2008-03-14T23:48:00.003-05:00

...okay, maybe not, but this totally bugs me.

If you are in some kind of store or restaurant or any place where you are at the cash register, make sure you finish your cell-phone conversation before beginning your transaction with the cashier. It is so rude to be talking on your cell phone to someone in some other place when you have an actual human being right in front of you trying to do something for you.

In my job at the Covenant Seminary Bookstore I'm the one that rings out 90%+ of our customers. I'd say that it happens a couple of times a week that a customer is having a conversation and expects me to take care of his transaction while he either completely ignores me or communicates actual annoyance at my presence. Those times are really the only times that I don't like my job. In a weird way I can't explain, I feel degraded and diminished by such treatment. My mind tells me to just get over it, but there is something about such that situation that makes me feel totally crummy.

It's not that I want the people to talk to me instead of whoever they are on the phone with. In fact, most of the time, I don't want them to talk to me. But I do want to feel free to tell them the cost of their books and ask them the usual questions like whether they found everything they were looking for and whether they want a bag. I don't even mind if they talk on their phones as they walk around the store. That doesn't bother me at all either. But it would be nice to have my existence and attempt to provide a service acknowledged. My response lately has been to go through with the reaction with as little communication as possible, which means I don't make eye contact and I don't say anything, even the cost or goodbye when they leave. I don't know or really care whether that's a good response, but I'm not going to insist that people pay attention to me.

Except for right now. You should pay attention to the people that are providing you with service. Talk on your phone later.

fighting fives...

2008-03-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

music recommendation...

2008-03-10T22:59:00.003-05:00

For the last two days I've been grooving to my friend Caleb's newly released album. I highly recommend it. The music is beautiful and the lyrics are authentic and true. Go buy the album at his band's MySpace page.

Their band was recently named the best alt-country group in St. Louis. I didn't even know that was a genre, but apparently it is and I like at least one artist in it. Caleb (and the guys) have also received some good press here, here, here, and here (I couldn't find the actual article online for this one, so this is the text reproduced on their blog). So seriously, check them out. You can preview some of their stuff on their site too.

blogging...

2008-03-10T22:57:00.002-05:00

I'm it...

2008-02-22T23:00:00.003-06:00

I was recently tagged by Agkyra, who remarked that I might thereby be "spurred" to post something. Well, apparently he was right.

The rules were: 1) Pick up the nearest book and turn to page 123; 2) Skip the first five sentences and post the next three sentences (i.e., sentences 6-8); 3) Tag five more people. So, maybe I'm a party-pooper, but I refuse to tag anyone else. I'll just say to anyone who stumbles upon this post: feel free to play along, and leave me a comment to let me know.

The book I picked up was The Heart of Prayer, a newly released book by Covenant Seminary professor Jerram Barrs. I'm not actually reading the book, nor do I have any particular plans to do so in the immediate future (although I'd like to). But the last several days I've been labeling dozens of books for our church's library, and it was the one on top of the stack nearest to me.

Here are the assigned sentences: "This does not mean, however, that we should seek such lengthy periods of solitude or that we should put God to the test by trying to imitate Jesus in this. The calling of the hermit, the solitary saint who spends his life alone in prayer and meditation, is not one that we can legitimately draw from this text. // Most of us will find ourselves facing particular personal problems if we have to spend too much time alone--for indeed, it is not good for us to be alone for any great length of time."

I must admit, this assignment has given me no epiphany. But hey, at least I've posted to the blog again.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-11-21T01:05:00.000-06:00

We're leaving town for the Thanksgiving holiday, and I didn't want to break my string of regular posting since I've started up again. So...

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Daniel (intro)...

2007-11-19T22:48:00.000-06:00

I suppose any book in the Bible can be misused to teach a kind of moralism that is totally foreign to the true Gospel that the Bible is intended to communicate. Yet I suppose that few books have been used as often to teach such moralism as the book of the prophet Daniel. Unfortunately, this moralism has probably most commonly been thrust upon children, who have been told to "dare to be a Daniel." In some ways, it's easy to understand why this is so common. Daniel is one of the few biblical characters (apart from Jesus) who is portrayed consistently positively. With almost all of the great heroes of Scripture--from Noah, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to Moses and David, to Peter and Paul--we are given pictures of men who are truly human, truly sons of Adam, with their sin exposed just as ours is. Yet, Daniel never seems to make a false step. So, it's not difficult to understand why many sermons from Daniel, whether preached to children or adults, point us to Daniel instead of to Christ. Just because it's understandable, however, doesn't mean it's right.

The Holy Spirit no more means to point us to Daniel, to emulate him, than He means to ever point us to any other broken sinner and say, "Be like him and you'll be fine." No, that can never be the answer to our own brokenness and sin. I believe Jesus when He said that all of Scripture testifies to Him. I believe that God is the hero of every story of the Bible. And I believe that all of Scripture meets some need, answers some question, offers some hope, or otherwise provides some grace from God through Christ to us in our brokenness and sin. So, even though it may sometimes seem difficult to find the gospel in Daniel, I still say it's there. In fact, I'd say it's mostly due to poor reading habits brought about by poor examples and teaching that make the gospel seem to us muddled in Daniel. I believe Daniel contains some of the most fascinating teaching of the gospel in the Old Testament.

One of the things that's usually necessary to get at the gospel in a narrative passage of Scripture is to understand the context. If you think the events related in the book of Daniel simply happened in an historical vacuum (or worse, if you think it's "just a story"), then it may indeed be difficult to get past a moralistic reading of the text. But, of course, the events did not happen in an historical vacuum (and they did actually happen). I don't have the time or expertise to provide a detailed historical context for the book of Daniel. But I will offer an incredibly broad and brief overview of the historical setting.

After the Lord redeemed His people, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt; and after giving them His law so they could live righteously before Him and the world and draw the nations to the worship of the Lord; and after He established them in the land He had promised Abraham hundreds of years before; and after giving His people a king who would lead them in seeking the Lord's righteousness; Israel continued to sin and rebel against the Lord. Soon after the "golden era" of David and Solomon's kingship, Israel split into two nations, known as Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

The kings of Israel in the north were all wicked kings, which led the people to further wickedness. As judgment upon their sin, Israel was defeated and taken into exile by Assyria in 721 b.c. Judah had some faithful kings and some wicked kings, but even the good kings were not good enough for long enough nor consistent enough to lead the people to live righteously. Thus in 587 b.c. Judah's capital, Jerusalem, was defeated and its people were taken into exile, this time by Babylon. What was worse was that the Temple of the Lord was destroyed.

Instead of living righteously as the people of the Lord in the land He had given them, not only for their own blessing, but also for the blessing of all nations who might observe and wonder at a people whose Lord truly dwelt among them, Israel had rebelled, had been judged, had been conquered by the nations, and the Lord's "House" had been destroyed. This is the potential existential crisis that Daniel finds himself in Daniel 1:6 when he is a young man brought to live in the court of his conquering king, Nebuchadnezzar.

Well, I've left out a lot. As I proceed to discuss Daniel further, I'll offer bits of background along the way. But you can fill in the details in a couple of ways: 1) read the Old Testament; 2) refer to some commentaries and reference works that can provide the context you need. A few I'd recommend are: Calvin's commentaries on Daniel. Calvin is a master exegete and he is an amazingly practical pastor for a reader today, given that he wrote 450 years ago. For a contemporary commentary, I like this one by Ernest Lucas. He's a little more accepting of some critical scholarship than I like, but he doesn't give away the farm. He does provide a good summary of some of the best modern scholarship on Daniel and he often offers reasonable exegetical and theological conclusions. I've also referred to the commentary in the Preaching the Word series by the late Rodney Stortz. I don't agree with his eschatological perspective, which plays a significant role in Daniel, but I still found the commentary useful (and it's readable). And finally, for some more general help with the historical setting and other matters of introduction, An Introduction to Old Testament Prophetic Books is a very helpful and useful book.

In the small group Bible study I lead at Memorial church, we've been studying/discussing through the book of Daniel for a (long) time, finishing just last week. I really enjoyed the time we spent in this book. I loved studying it on my own in preparation to lead discussion. And I loved the insights and wisdom and clarifications and desire to learn and grow that my friends brought to the studies and discussions. Back when we started the study, I intended to do a recap of each evening's discussion on the blog--but I never got around to it. I don't have any detailed notes from the discussions. I don't even have most of my prep notes and discussion questions (which I usually fit onto a 4x6 note card). So, as I work through Daniel, chapter by chapter, I'll just offer the thoughts I do have--some maybe remembered, some maybe fresh. At this point, it will be difficult for me to delineate which ideas are mine, which are my group memberss, and which came from the commentaries that I referenced above. If this was an academic paper or a series of sermons I'd be more careful to offer correct attribution. But these will just be a series of informal reflections. They might not be of much use to anyone else (I don't even know if any of my old readers are still with me), but at least I'll be able to look back and remember what God taught me in one season of my life through the book of Daniel.

100 movies, 100 quotes, 100 numbers...

2007-11-17T23:51:00.000-06:00

I like movies, and I like movie lists, and I like clever videos. So I like this:

the return...

2007-11-16T23:48:00.000-06:00

I thought I would use my return to blogging to point out one of life's strange quirks: Your enjoyment of a drink has a lot to do with the container it is in. Think about it...

Imagine sipping on a nice cup of coffee from your favorite coffee mug. Now imagine pouring that coffee into a 32 oz. plastic souvenir cup that you brought home from a baseball game and sipping your coffee from that cup while you read the morning paper. Or worse, fill up several cups for yourself and dinner guests after a meal together. It's the same drink, but it wouldn't feel right.

Here's another: You can drink a pop straight from the can or bottle, or you can pour it into a cup with ice. But, you can't pour it into a cup without ice and still drink it without feeling weird.

Consider some more: orange juice in a wine glass...milk in a sports bottle...beer in a traveler's insulated coffee mug...

I just thought that was weird and I wanted to share. Perhaps some more serious posts will be forthcoming.

NFL preview (courtesy of TheBrushback.com)...

2007-08-31T08:12:00.000-05:00

The new college football season started yesterday. The season really begins tomorrow, however, when Nebraska takes on Nevada.

The NFL starts next week. As you get ready to draft your fantasy football teams, here is the best NFL season preview I know about.

NFC

AFC

(oh; I should give some warning of salty language in those previews...)

questions...

2007-08-13T23:18:00.001-05:00

1.) Am I still alive?
--More or less. I'm working 55 to 60+ hours per week and helping to raise a 14-month old.

2.) Do I still blog?
--Yes, theoretically.

3.) Have I finished Harry Potter?
--See #1 above.

4.) Will I finish Harry Potter in the near future?
--Yes. On Thursday we are leaving for an extended-weekend vacation. Near the top of the list of priorities on vacation is to finish Harry Potter.

5.) Where are we going?
--We're going to Louisville, KY.

6.) Why are we going there?
--We got a (fairly cheap) hotel room there. Seriously, there's really no other reason.

7.) What are we going to do there?
--See #4 above. Also, sleep, swim and sit by the pool, go to the Louisville Slugger Museum, go to a huge book sale, visit bourbon country and do some taste tests, and maybe take in a free concert. Okay, besides Harry Potter and swimming, we may not do much of that other stuff (except go to bourbon country, we'll definitely do that).

8.) Why am I posting in this annoying question and answer format?
--Who knows. It's late; my brain is fried, and I'm avoiding work.

9.) Will these questions end soon?
--Probably.

10.) Am I infralapsarian or supralapsarian?
--Just kidding. Bye.

chapter 7...

2007-08-02T23:22:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's sad, we're only in chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I've been super-busy with work projects lately, and have had little free time. On top of that, Suzanne and I read the books aloud to each other so that makes the going much slower from the start. Here are a couple of Harry Potter videos for you while you wait with bated breath for my review.

Poor Man's Hogwarts

The Harry Potter Intervention

Fair warning: the second one has some salty language.

got it...

2007-07-21T20:25:00.000-05:00

You've just been Lig'd...

2007-07-20T08:04:00.001-05:00

If you know what this is referring to, then you will find it hilarious. If you don't, it would take hours to explain so it's not worth your effort.

(via)

Rescue Dawn...

2007-07-18T23:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my friend Craig, I saw this movie last night in a sneak preview. I added my thoughts about it here.

AFI 100...

2007-07-08T20:11:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, the American Film Institute released an updated list of the Top 100 American Films. It's sad to me that I've seen A Murder of Crows and Caddyshack 2 and yet there are many movies on the Top 100 list that I've not seen.

My question: How many of the Top 100 have you seen? (I posted on a similar topic once before, but I've seen more movies since then, and maybe you have too.) I've seen 42, which are highlighted in bold.

Feel free to argue about the list in the comments, but all I'm asking for is your personal tally. Just to stir the pot, however, I think the AFI is probably right, because Citizen Cane is the best American movie I've ever seen (even though it's not my favorite). The AFI is wrong, however, in not recognizing Raging Bull as the most overrated movie of all time.

Here's the list:

1. "Citizen Kane" (1941)
2. "The Godfather" (1972)
3. "Casablanca" (1942)
4. "Raging Bull" (1980)
5. "Singin' in the Rain" (1952)
6. "Gone With the Wind" (1939)
7. "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962)
8. "Schindler's List" (1993)
9. "Vertigo" (1958)
10. "The Wizard of Oz" (1939)
11. "City Lights" (1931)
12. "The Searchers" (1956)
13. "Star Wars" (1977)
14. "Psycho" (1960)
15. "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
16. "Sunset Boulevard" (1950)
17. "The Graduate" (1967)
18. "The General" (1927)
19. "On the Waterfront" (1954)
20. "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)
21. "Chinatown" (1974)
22. "Some Like It Hot" (1959)
23. "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940)
24. "E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982)
25. "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962)
26. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)
27. "High Noon" (1952)
28. "All About Eve" (1950)
29. "Double Indemnity" (1944)
30. "Apocalypse Now" (1979)
31. "The Maltese Falcon" (1941)
32. "The Godfather, Part II" (1974)
33. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)
34. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937)
35. "Annie Hall" (1977)
36. "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957)
37. "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946)
38. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948)
39. "Dr. Strangelove" (1964)
40. "The Sound of Music" (1965)
41. "King Kong" (1933)
42. "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967)
43. "Midnight Cowboy" (1969)
44. "The Philadelphia Story" (1940)
45. "Shane" (1953)
46. "It Happened One Night" (1934)
47. "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951)
48. "Rear Window" (1954)
49. "Intolerance" (1916)
50. "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001)
51. "West Side Story" (1961)
52. "Taxi Driver" (1976)
53. "The Deer Hunter" (1978)
54. "MASH" (1970)
55. "North by Northwest" (1959)
56. "Jaws" (1975)
57. "Rocky" (1976)
58. "The Gold Rush" (1925)
59. "Nashville" (1975)
60. "Duck Soup" (1933)
61. "Sullivan's Travels" (1941)
62. "American Graffiti" (1973)
63. "Cabaret" (1972)
64. "Network" (1976)
65. "The African Queen" (1951)
66. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)
67. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966)
68. "Unforgiven" (1992)
69. "Tootsie" (1982)
70. "A Clockwork Orange" (1971)
71. "Saving Private Ryan" (1998)
72. "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)
73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969)
74. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)
75. "In the Heat of the Night" (1967)
76. "Forrest Gump" (1994)
77. "All the President's Men" (1976)
78. "Modern Times" (1936)
79. "The Wild Bunch" (1969)
80. "The Apartment" (1960)
81. "Spartacus" (1960)
82. "Sunrise" (1927)
83. "Titanic" (1997)
84. "Easy Rider" (1969)
85. "A Night at the Opera" (1935)
86. "Platoon" (1986)
87. "12 Angry Men" (1957)
88. "Bringing Up Baby" (1938)
89. "The Sixth Sense" (1999)
90. "Swing Time" (1936)
91. "Sophie's Choice" (1982)
92. "Goodfellas" (1990)
93. "The French Connection" (1971)
94. "Pulp Fiction" (1994)
95. "The Last Picture Show" (1971)
96. "Do the Right Thing" (1989)
97. "Blade Runner" (1982)
98. "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942)
99. "Toy Story" (1995)
100. "Ben-Hur" (1959)

More Than Carpentry...

2007-07-03T22:51:00.000-05:00

For the past few years my good friends Jim & Tammy McGarry have been in the process of beginning and developing More Than Carpentry Christian Ministries. It's been neat to have known them from the time that this ministry was just a dream and a hope in their hearts and minds up to the present day as they now have a building and volunteers helping to continue preparing and growing the ministry. Through many struggles, setbacks, and difficulties, it has been clear that God has been providing a way for this ministry to serve and grow His kingdom.

I've volunteered and prayed many hours for Jim & Tammy and More Than Carpentry. I wrote an article about their ministry for our church's newsletter a while back. And I'm on the board of directors. In a nutshell, I support MTC, and I think you should too.

Here's a link to a summary of MTC's purpose and vision for the ministry.
Here's a link to MTC's blog, where you can find updates about the progress of the ministry.
Here's link to an interview that Jim & Tammy did on a local radio program. (How cool is that!)

Find out about this ministry. Decide whether you might be called to support MTC financially. If you're in the St. Louis area, decide whether you might be called to support MTC with time and sweat on a volunteer work day. You can easily (and powerfully) serve MTC by praying for it. This is missional, kingdom work, bringing the gospel to a community that needs it. This is Jesus fulfilling His promise to build His church. Join in!

Studying the Body Politic (updated)...

2007-07-02T23:45:00.000-05:00

Help out my friend Craig by reading and commenting on a post on his blog that will help him prepare to write an article for the PCA's byFaith magazine. He wants to know what youngish Christians think about the American political scene and how involved in it you get. I haven't posted my response yet, but maybe one of your comments will inspire me.

UPDATE: Now Craig wants some stories too. Sheesh--Can't this guy write his own article?

(Just kidding bro!)

CNN.com...

2007-06-30T20:55:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else hate, hate, hate, hate, hate the new CNN.com?

Just wondering.

more big news...

2007-06-21T23:29:00.000-05:00

Almost 9 months ago I wrote about our first week caring for our first foster-daughter, Gracie. There are times when that seems more like 9 lifetimes ago. And there are other times it seems like 9 minutes ago. I'm finding that as an adult life goes by at lightspeed. When you have kids, it's more like ludicrous speed. On the other hand, our life has changed so much in the short time since we first met Gracie that it's hard to believe it's been less than a year that we've known her. Her existence, and our love for her, is now such an essential part of our history and our very existence, that it's almost hard to conceive of a time in our life before she was a part of it.

Three and a half weeks ago, Gracie returned to the full-time custody and care of her mother. This is the goal of foster care. We are glad for it. We are confident that Gracie's mom can provide a loving home for her. We are proud of how far her mom has come and how hard she has worked to attain stability in her life for her own sake and the sake of her daughters. She has fought hard against the demons in her own life largely for the love that she has for her daughters. We are grateful that God has blessed this situaiton and allowed for much healing, repentance, restoration, and reconciliation to take place. We are praying that He will continue to work such blessings in Gracie's life with her mom and sister (and in ours.) This is the goal of foster care. We are glad for it.

And we are devastated. As daunting as it is to drive home from the hospital with a baby in the back seat, it is indescribable to drive to your daughter's new home without you. Suzanne and I shed many many tears that weekend. And it was right that we did so. Our sadness does not diminish the good things that are true about this situation. Our sadness does not indicate any less trust in God's sovereignty and providence in this situation. In a fallen world, grief for a proper cause does not indicate a weakness in one's humanity but rather the fullness, and image-of-God-bearing-ness of it. Jesus wept with grief at the death of His friend. He cried out in anguish on the cross. That does not mean He did not trust in the coming resurrection. It does not mean that He did not recognize the goodness of the salvation He was achieving for His people.

I say all that because I want people to know that dealing with the brokenness of this world is not a black and white issue of trusting God or not. Suzanne and I are learning what it means to grieve as those who have hope. Do not add the burden of guilt to your grief by believing that your grief itself is wrong or a lack of faith. But do not grieve as those who have no hope.

Anyway, it helps that we will be able to continue to be a part of Gracie's life. We were able to develop a good relationship with her mom. And she has told us that we are welcome to visit Gracie any time we like. In fact, she has made us Gracie's "godparents." What a blessing! We pray that the Lord will allow this continued relationship to be a way to minister the Gospel of Christ not only to Gracie, but also to her mom and sister.

Well, in other news...we are beginning a whole new adventure. Yesterday at 5:30 p.m. Suzanne got a call at work from a caseworker who had a potential foster-care placement. By 7:15 p.m. we were driving home with a beautiful 13-month old girl in the back seat. Her name is Leah (2 syllables: Lee-uh). She was very quiet at first, reticent about us. It wasn't long, though, after a meal and a bath, that she was running around our house, chasing our dogs, playing with us and laughing the big laugh that she has. What fun she is! We are very excited for this new chance to share our lives and love with Leah. We are nervous and excited to see how the Holy Spirit ministers the Gospel in this situation.

In no way do we think we can continue in this ministry in our own power. Through our previous experience, we know that only by the Lord's provision can we even hope to remain faithful in this calling. We only persevered as Gracie's parents by the supply of God's grace, and His ministry to us through our church community, friends, family, other team members on the case, and surely a whole host of people and things that we didn't even recognize. Likewise, we are again at God's mercy to be parents to Leah. Please pray to Him for us, that He would indeed be merciful and cause His gospel to transform and bring healing to this situation. If anything, there is more brokenness in Leah's and her family's story than there was in Gracie's. Yet, He who did not spare His only Son, but gave Him up for us, will He not freely give us all things as well? He will according to His will. What more could we hope for?

Amen, again...

2007-06-19T01:38:00.000-05:00

I read--through a few tears--this brief sermon by my former pastor at Zion Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, Stu Kerns. It is a wonderful message of the gospel; worth reading even if you have no connection to Zion.

Amen...

2007-06-19T01:10:00.000-05:00

"...that the supposed distinction between baptism as a sacrament of initiation and the Lord's Supper as a sacrament of nutrution, common in earlier Reformed materials, should be used as an argument against paedocommunion, seems to me both passing strange and powerful evidence of how uncritical the Reformed argument really was. Covenant children are to be nourished with the Word from their earliest days. By what principle would they not be given another means of their spiritual nourishment? This is a difficult question to answer for the Reformed who make a great deal of the intimate relationship between Word and sacrament and are often prepared to say that the sacrament is the Word of God in another form. By what principle, then, are our children to be given the sacrament that is the 'seal of the righteousness that is by faith' and to be given the Word of God (Gen 18:19; Deut. 6:6-9; Ps. 78:1-8), but are not to be given the visible word, the second sacrament, the sacrament that supposedly provides the nourishment of faith, especially since the spiritual feeding of children is a major theme in covenantal ethics?"

--Robert S. Rayburn, "A Presbyterian Defense for Paedocommunion," in The Case For Covenant Communion, p.15, n.15.

passive-agressive note...

2007-06-18T00:15:00.000-05:00

For those who liked my link to PassiveAgressiveNotes.com, check out the greatest passive-agressive note of all time.

Zion Church, Lincoln, NE...

2007-06-10T00:05:00.000-05:00

Suzanne and I were shocked and saddened when we learned that our old home church in Lincoln, Zion Church, was destroyed in a fire this morning (remarkable pictures are at that last link). As far as I know, nobody was hurt in the fire. But the building was a beautiful, old, historic building built by German immigrants in the 1920's, in a great neighborhood just south of downtown Lincoln. At this point, it seems that the building will be lost.

We are grieved for and with the Zion congregation. Even though I am an elder at our church here in St. Louis, sometimes I still think of Zion as our "home church." Our first visit to Zion was January 2, 2000, only a day after Suzanne and I became engaged to be married. It was our first home church, and the first church in which we were nurtured in the Reformed faith. Much of my growth as a Christian, and much of the trajectory of my course in ministry was shaped by the ministry I received from the pastors, elders, and others of Zion.

I'm praying for the Father to comfort His children in ~~their~~ our grief. I'm praying that despite the loss of a church building, Christ will build His Church as He promised. And I'm praying that during this time when Zion will be forced to turn to the Lord in dependence, they will see the Holy Spirit work mightily to expand God's kingdom in Lincoln.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)

Update: picures here and here (via), and two firefighters were injured, but are expected to recover

Conan and a question...

2007-06-06T20:02:00.000-05:00

I came across an interview that Conan O'Brien did about Star Wars. Funny stuff.

Also, I just saved a file to a floppy disk. Does anyone use floppy disks anymore? When was the last time you used a floppy disk?

YESSS...

2007-06-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

This news has made my day! Maybe my month.

Thundercats! Ho!

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-06-06T06:52:00.000-05:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-05-30T22:53:00.000-05:00

No, I have not given up on the random link. I've just had more pressing stuff to deal with during the last few weeks, which I hope to elaborate about in the near future.

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

If I Stand...

2007-05-24T22:37:00.000-05:00

Dang, this is a good song/prayer:

"If I Stand," by Rich Mullins

There's more that rises in the morning
Than the sun
And more that shines in the night
Than just the moon
It's more than just this fire here
That keeps me warm
In a shelter that is larger
Than this room

And there's a loyalty that's deeper
Than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs
That I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes
For the allegiance
I owe only to the giver
Of all good things

CHORUS:
So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

There's more that dances on the prairies
Than the wind
More that pulses in the ocean
Than the tide
There's a love that is fiercer
Than the love between friends
More gentle than a mother's
When her baby's at her side

And there's a loyalty that's deeper
Than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs
That I can sing
The stuff of Earth competes
For the allegence
I owe only to the Giver
Of all good things

So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

videos...

2007-05-17T23:12:00.000-05:00

This blog is totally lame. Oh well, enjoy these videos.

Worst Movie Scenes ever -- Fair warning: parental guidance suggested

Zombie-American Chapter One
Zombie-American: chapter one -- starring Ed Helms, from "The Office"

Zombie American - Chapter 2
Zombie-American: chapter two

James McGarry: Images of Bulgaria

2007-05-09T09:05:00.000-05:00

My friend James is a creative dude. He's a good musician, a good photographer, and he wants to make movies when he grows up. This Friday he's having an exhibition of some photography from his trip to Bulgaria last summer. There will be 23 framed and matted 8x10 photos on display and for sale, from $40 to $100. The proceeds will go to support his trip back to Bulgaria this summer to work as a missionary intern with Mission to the World among the Roma people, who are among the poorest, most oppressed, and outcast people of Europe.

Here are the details:

What-- James McGarry's photography: Images of Bulgaria

When-- this Friday, May 11, 6pm - 10pm (show will continue Sunday, May 13, noon - 1pm)

Where-- the Chapel Music & Arts Venue, behind Memorial Presbyterian Church (click here for address and map)

Why-- support an artist...send a missionary

Cost-- it's free just to come, but bring some money in case you see something you like

Conan O'Brien commencement...

2007-05-07T21:02:00.000-05:00

Lots of people are graduating this time of year, and I found some video appropriate to the season.

I recently came across some video of Conan O'Brien giving a commencement speech at a high school graduation last year. It is different than his Harvard commencement speech, but almost as good. The amazing thing about his commencement speeches is that, even though they are truly funny, they offer a message that is worth hearing and heeding. Truly, the advice in these speeches is better, and more practical, than what you'll get from 98% of commencement speeches. YouTube won't let me embed the video, so I'll just provide the links:

Here's part 1

and

Here's part 2

How cool would it be to have Conan O'Brien speak at your high school graduation? I think we had John Knicely at our commencement. He was the news anchor at the local NBC affiliate. The only thing I remember about his speech was that he told us that if we didn't remember anything else from his speech, we just needed to remember a certain number of points--it was like 4 or 5 or 7 or something, I don't remember--and I don't remember any of those points. Honestly, I don't even remember if he was our speaker or not. Any Antlers from the class of '96 out there?--set me straight.

stock market...

2007-04-26T00:51:00.000-05:00

Not only is the stock market breaking records, it looks like my own fortunes are going up too--on the fantasy blog stock market, that is. I don't really have any idea what the heck this means, but there is a bizarre satisfaction to knowing that if my blog were a publicly traded entity, somebody would want to buy it. If you link to my blog, or I link to yours, then your blog is probably in there somewhere too.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-04-25T10:32:00.000-05:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

Inside the Minds of Musicians: Bono and Cash...

2007-04-19T12:55:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last 2 Wednesday mornings helping to repaint the chapel behind our church that we are rennovating in order for it to serve as a venue for music, art, lectures, and other cultural happenings here in St. Louis. They are also putting in new bamboo flooring and there will be all new seating (it will still have the stained-glass windows and great vaulted wood ceiling and woodwork trim). It's going to be super cool. It won't be totally finished next week, but we are going to have the first such cultural happening anyway, because it's such a great opportunity that we couldn't pass it up. Read the announcement below, and please come.

Steve Turner will speak at a free public lecture at the "as-yet-unveiled/unnamed Chapel" Music & Arts Venue behind Memorial Presbyterian Church (formerly, Matthews Chapel) here in St. Louis (at the intersection of Alexander Dr. and Skinker Blvd.), next Thursday April 26 @ 7:30 pm.

About Steve Turner:

“A tough-minded poet with an ear for the psalms, an eye for the miracles in the mundane, and an understanding of how despair can break the ground for joy to take root.” Bono

“A hipsters’ eye and a parishioner’s faith.” People magazine

Steve Turner began his journalistic career as Features Editor of the British rock monthly Beat Instrumental where he interviewed many of the key figures of early 1970s rock including David Bowie, Elton John, John Lennon, Frank Zappa, Rod Stewart, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Tim Buckley, Cat Stevens and members of the Who, Byrds, Band, Moody Blues, Roxy Music, Black Sabbath, T. Rex and Grateful Dead.

Steve is author of numerous books about musicians, including:
The Gospel According to the Beatles
U2 Rattle & Hum: The Official Book of the U2 Movie
The Man Called CASH: The Life, Love and Faith of an American Legend
Trouble Man: The Life and Death of Marvin Gaye
A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles' Song
Hungry for Heaven: Rock and Roll and the Search for Redemption
Jack Kerouac: Angelheaded Hipster
Van Morrison: Too Late to Stop Now

He has also written on the relationship between Christianity and popular culture as well as reflections on his experiences working as a music journalist.

Steve has known U2 since 1983. Steve grew up in Northamptonshire, England, and for the past 35 years has lived in London. He is married and has a son and daughter.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-04-18T02:13:00.000-05:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

The Landlord...

2007-04-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-04-11T12:56:00.000-05:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

random, unconnected thoughts...

2007-04-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

It occurred to me the other day that one of the things that marks The Office as such an excellent show is that Karen is likable. Sure, most people want Jim and Pam to get together. But a lesser show would have portrayed Karen as a *itch. That's the kind of thing that happens in bad TV shows and movies all the time: the lead character is dating a horrible person and everybody in the world except that character can see that somebody else is better for him/her. In The Office, however, while we might really like Pam, we can like Karen too. So, it's not so easy just to root for Jim to dump Karen and go out with Pam. In that way, the show--as absurd and exaggerated as it is--is a lot more like real life. Most of the time, the bad guys aren't walking through the streets wearing black hats to make them easy to spot. We're just a bunch of flawed people trying to make the best of it.

Barabbas is my favorite of the "biblical epic" movies, by far. I watched it again (Easter) Sunday night, when they showed it on TCM. Anthony Quinn gives a powerhouse performance performance as Barabbas, even though he actually doesn't have a lot of dialogue. In movies these days, the only way a powerful performance is achieved is by some guy talking a lot with a raised voice (think of any Al Pacino movie). Quinn was able to be both subtle and grand at the same time. I'm kind of a sucker for grand, old, historical-epic type movies anyway, and I can even take a perverse enjoyment in a bad one. Even though it has some 1960's movie cheese factor, Barabbas is objectively good. Ben-Hur may be technically better, but I like Barabbas more. Several times during the movie, Barabbas cries out with anguish, anger, and confusion, "That man died in my place!" It gives me chills. We are all Barabbas.

You know what else gives me chills? The weather in St. Louis. Whatever happened to global warming? High temps the last several days: 44, 43, 38, 37, 47.

Several ideas/expressions are related to both light and intelligence. Someone who is smart can be "bright" or "brilliant," and it can be indicated that someone has an idea by either the image or expression of a "light bulb turning on." I don't know what to do with that information. It's just something I noticed.

I'm fatter than I've ever been in my life, and I can feel it. I desperately need to get back to being active this summer. I'm thinking that I need to start running again, which is a dreadful prospect to me. I used to love running. But anytime I've tried to start up again in the last several years, it just doesn't have the same feeling. You would never know by looking at me that in high school track I ran a 4:54 mile and a 10:28 two-mile. Part of my problem is, once you've done that, "jogging" around the neighborhood streets just doesn't have the same thrill. Suzanne says I need to goal to shoot for, like a 10-K or half-marathon. That's probably wise.

From Theophilus of Antioch (c. 180-85):

A fluent tongue and an elegant style afford pleasure and such praise as vainglory delights in, to wretched men who have been corrupted in mind; the lover of truth does not give heed to ornamented speeches, but examines the real matter of the speech, what it is, and what kind it is. ...You call me a Christian, as if this were a damning name to bear, I, for my part, avow that I am a Christian, and bear this name beloved of God, hoping to be serviceable to God. For it is not the case, as you suppose, that the name of God is hard to bear; but possibly you entertain this opinion of God, because you are yourself yet unserviceable to Him.

on Easter...

2007-04-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

From a poem by the 6th-century Latin poet Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus, titled "On Easter" or "On the Resurrection":

Behold, the favour of the reviving world bears witness that all gifts have returned together with its Lord.

For in honour of Christ rising triumphant after His descent to the gloomy Tartarus, the grove on every side with its leaves expresses approval, the plants with their flowers express approval.

The light, the heaven, the fields, and the sea duly praise the God ascending above the stars, having crushed the laws of hell.

Behold, He who was crucified reigns as God over all things, and all created objects offer prayer to their Creator.

Hail, festive day, to be reverenced throughout the world, on which God has conquered hell, and gains the stars!

The changes of the year and of the months, the bounteous light of the days, the splendour of the hours, all things with voice applaud.

Hence, in honour of you, the wood with its foliage applauds; hence the vine, with its silent shoot, gives thanks.

Hence the thickets now resound with the whisper of birds; amidst these the sparrow sings with exuberant love.

O Christ, Thou Saviour of the world, merciful Creator and Redeemer, the only offspring from the Godhead of the Father, flowing in an indescribable manner from the heart of Thy Parent, Thou self-existing Word, and powerful from the mouth of Thy Father, equal to Him, of one mind with Him, is fellow, coeval with the Father, from whom at first the world derived its origin!

Thou dost suspend the firmament, Thou heapest together the soil, Thou dost pour forth the seas, by whose government all things which are fixed in their places flourish.

Who seeing that the human race was plunged in the depth of misery, that Thou mightest rescue man, didst Thyself also become man: nor wert Thou willing only to be born with a body, but Thou becamest flesh, which endured to be born and to die.

Thou dost undergo funeral obsequies, Thyself the author of life and framer of the world, Thou dost enter the path of death, in giving the aid of salvation.

The gloomy chains of the infernal law yielded, and chaos feared to be pressed by the presence of the light.

Darkness perishes, put to flight by the brightness of Christ; the thick pall of eternal night falls.

But restore the promised pledge, I pray Thee, O power benign!

The third day has returned; arise, my buried One; it is not becoming that Thy limbs should lie in the lowly sepulchre, nor that worthless stones should press that which is the ransom of the world.

It is unworthy that a stone should shut in with a confining rock, and cover Him in whose fist all things are enclosed.

Take away the linen clothes, I pray; leave the napkins in the tomb: Thou art sufficient for us, and without Thee there is nothing.

Release the chained shades of the infernal prison, and recall to the upper regions whatever sinks to the lowest depths.

Give back Thy face, that the world may see the light; give back the day which flees from us at Thy death.

But returning, O holy conqueror! Thou didst altogether fill the heaven!

Tartarus lies depressed, nor retains its rights. The ruler of the lower regions, insatiably opening his hollow jaws, who has always been a spoiler, becomes a prey to Thee.

Thou rescuest an innumerable people from the prison of death, and they follow in freedom to the place whither their leader approaches.

The fierce monster in alarm vomits forth the multitude whom he had swallowed up, and the Lamb withdraws the sheep from the jaw of the wolf.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-04-04T15:40:00.001-05:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

candidates for 2008...

2007-03-30T08:27:00.000-05:00

how to be a theologian...

2007-03-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

A great quote I just came across from Martin Luther:

"A theologian is born by living, nay dying and being damned, not by thinking, reading, or speculating."

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-03-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

backlog...

2007-03-28T01:22:00.000-05:00

I had a backlog of stuff I've wanted to blog about. Unfortunately, the combination of a poor memory and an aversion to writing notes to myself means that most of that stuff is lost forever. (I wonder whether in the renewed earth we will remember all the good ideas we had that we forgot or that we couldn't act on because we were broken people living in a broken world and, if so, if we will get to pursue them there. That would be sweet.) One thing that I do remember is a fun exchange that Suzanne and I had a few weeks ago, capped off by a great quote by her.

There's not a lot of TV that we agree on (me: ESPN; she: HGTV), but one thing we do agree on is a good police procedural. Our favorite, of course, is CSI, but another one we like is NCIS. During a particularly grisly episode of the latter, upon learning that the murders were committed by BOTH the man who was suspected and his girlfriend, I asked rhetorically, "How do psychopathic serial-killers find each other."

My clever wife responded, "I don't know. E-harmony?"

One tip to anyone looking for a spouse: look for someone who--when you think you are being funny, or clever, or smart, or wise, or silly, or whatever--can turn the tables on you and be funnier, cleverer, smarter, wiser, sillier, or whateverer than you. Doing so has worked for me. (I can't speak for my poor wife!)

tolle lege: 2007...

2007-03-27T13:44:00.000-05:00

Inspired by my friend Craig's list of books from 2006, (not to be confused with Craigslist's books) I'm going to try to keep a running tally of the books I read this year. My goal is to read at least 2 books per month, with at least a third of them being fiction (or at least, not explicitly theology). This post will be a permanent link on the sidebar that I'll update throughout the year as I finish books. I'll offer some sort of rating and a brief (or not) review. As preparation, and motivation, to myself, I've listed several books below that I have in mind to start with. I'll list the most recently read and reviewed books at the top of the post, although, without doubt I won't even pick up some of these books all year.

Key:
a title in black = not yet read;
a title in red = currently reading;
a title with a link in blue = finished
Quality = the literary quality; how it used language in beautiful or interesting ways (0-5)
Enjoyment = how much I enjoyed my time reading (0-5)

Baudolino, Umberto Eco

Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris, 03/23/07 (Quality, 4, Enjoyment, 4.5)

Review to come (maybe)

The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature, Neal Pollack, 03/16/07 (Quality, 3, Enjoyment, 3)

Review to come (maybe)

On the Incarnation of the Word, St. Athanasius, 03/10/07 (Quality, 4; Enjoyment, 4)

Review to come (maybe)

Story as Torah: Reading Old Testament Narrative Ethically, Gordon Wenham, 02/27/07 (Quality, 3.5; Enjoyment, 3.5)
Wenham is one of the premiere Old Testament scholars in the world, and he happens to be a committed Christian. He's a fine writer; nothing fancy, but he communicates well what could be a rather dense and technical topic. If you've never studied hermeneutics or biblical theology before, this book isn't for you becuase it's not written as an introduction to the topics. But, it's not overly technical or advanced, so if you're familiar with the concepts you can definitely deal with the material. I'm not saying that you couldn't understand the book without prior experience, but it would take a lot of mental work and energy to stay with the flow of the argument.

I thought the book started out promising, then I got bogged down in the middle a little bit, but by the end Wenham got me back and I ended up really appreciating the book. While Wenham is an evangelical, he advocates a modified version of the documentary hypothesis of the Pentateuch and Old Testament. Basically, that means he is (at least partially) willing to accept that parts of the Pentateuch and other sections of the O.T. were written at later dates than they claim to be, and were likely written by multiple authors. If you're not an evangelical, that may not mean much to you, but among evangelicals it is a relatively unusual (though not unheard of) view. In the way he approaches interpretation, however, he is able to somewhat sidestep some of the implications of that view. Using insights of rhetorical criticism, he interprets the book based upon the intentions of the "implied author." The result is that he doesn't try to determine which sections or verses come from which source (that would be "source criticism"). Rather, he takes each book as a unified whole that some final author/editor/redactor offered as a single piece of communication. Thus he as an interpreter is able to approach the books as coherent texts (he mainly deals with the books of Genesis and Judges). I'm not going to go into why I disagree (mostly, at least more than Wenham) with the documentary hypothesis. I just wanted to point out that due to his use of the "implied author" he and I are able to approach the texts with relatively similar interpretive methodologies.

Let me just sum up a couple of the ideas that got me thinking. First, Jesus and Paul consistently refer to Old Testament narrative passages in their arguments about ethical matters. In other words, they don't just cite "the law," they direct their hearers to the stories of Scripture. Thus, we need to be able to discern the Old Testament's ethical view in order to understand that of the New Testament. Second, and the biggest realization for me, the law of Israel was not given to provide the ethical ideal for the people of God. Rather, the law represents the minimum level of behavior which a person can practice without being subject to punishment. For instance, the law allowed for divorce. But, as Jesus points out, in the beginning God intended for a man and a woman to be faithful to one another for a lifetime. Thus, the law prevents gross infidelity. But God's intention for His people is something much better. In order to gain a vision for God's ethical ideal, we need to learn how to see it in the narratives of Scripture. This not only gives us a better understanding of proper human relationships, it also gives us a more accurate image of God's character. At the same time, it's obvious that the authors of Scripture often provide us with example of how not to behave, so we have to take care to interpret those narratives according to the author's intent and not our own assumptions.

Alternadad, Neal Pollack, 02/11/07 (Quality, 4.5; Enjoyment, 5)
A fun book: I'd say it was good for at least one big laugh every chapter, and several chuckles between each of those. The fun is both in the stories that Pollack tells about the first 3 or so years raising his first child, and in the writing that he uses to tell the stories. If I could pick out the kind of good writer I could be, I would pick something like Tolkien or Lewis. But next to them, I would want to write something like the way Pollack writes. He writes with the kind of regular, yet careful, language and clever turns of phrase that in my mind seems like it should be easy to do but it turns out is not.

I don't know how many of you are parents. And among those that are, I don't know how many of you pay attention to the new wave of online parenting forums, websites, blogs, and communities. If you do, you may know that Alternadad has caused quite a stir. Some people hate the book. Some people hate the whole "movement" that they associate with the book. And some people, like me, really like the book (and the "movement," for that matter). This is supposed to be a review of the book, not the "movement," so I won't go into a whole thing about that. I'll just say what the best apologists for the "movement" have said. Neither Alternadad nor the websites and blogs that are believed to be associated with it are parenting how-to's, nor are they as narcissistic as one might suspect if you approach them with a suspicious attitude. Rather, they are part of a conversation, the same kind of conversation that parents have been having with their friends as long as there have been parents with friends. Most of the time, parents don't say to their friends, "the way I raise my child is the way you should raise your child." Instead they just share their experiences and hope for a little empathy or sympathy (I can never keep those straight) and maybe for some (occasional and gentle) feedback. People of my generation (20-something to 40-something) have begun to have these kinds of converations online, with more than just their real-live friends. I suspect that the often overblown reaction to Alternadad is that some people feel that while it's okay for such conversation to happen via the new media (blogs and whatnot), they don't like that it's crept into the old media (books and whatnot).

Back to the book... I'm not going to give a wholesale endorsement of the book. There are lots of parenting and lifestyle choices Pollack makes that I am definitely not on board with. And, since he's not only not a Christian but also seemingly at least mildly antagonistic to Christianity, we are also at odds regarding most of our deepest convictions. All that said, I could totally be pals with Pollack and, if she was old enough, I would totally let Gracie play with his son Elijah (as long as he didn't bite her).

The main thrust of the book is that Pollack doesn't want to stop being cool just because he has a kid. Well, who does? Yet, he still wants to be a good dad. Well, who doesn't? So, along with trying to feed his son right and trying to get him into a good preschool, Pollack also introduces Elijah to cool music by The Hives and Johnny Cash, and makes sure to tell him if one of his kids' TV programs "sucks." That makes sense to me. I think that just as all people are made in the image of God, our Creator, it is natural for parents to want to make our kids in our image. One of my favorite pictures of Gracie and me is of me reading a Futurama comic book to her. Along with a love for and faith in Christ, I plan to pass along to my children a respect for and enjoyment of Alf, The White Stripes, The Lord of the Rings, and Scrabble. It's not narcissistic to want your kid to have taste.

Much of the criticism of Alternadad has been that it views parenthood as "ironic" and therefore it disdains the importance of parenthood. I guess this same critique is made of postmodernism as a whole, which seems to attempt a stance of ironic detachment from everything. Maybe there's some merit to that critique. But as Pollack said in one response article, "When the first thing you do in the morning is deal with the fact that your son has just pissed in his Barrel O'Monkeys, is there any other way to respond than with irony and humor?" I don't think Pollack uses irony to demean parenthood, but rather to survive it. There are so many crazy, unexpected, unwanted, unheard of, ridiculous, wonderful, and special things that parents deal with that it's easy for your head to start spinning. And parents find themselves responding to situations in ways that they never thought they would. If you don't take a step back and process what is going on, it's easy to get carried away with all the hubbub and forget to enjoy yourself. When I was feeding Gracie at 1:00 am this morning, it really sucked when she projectile vomitted on me and some got down my shirt. But it was hilarious too. I don't find the irony of parenthood in me being a parent even though I used to sit around and play video games all day. The irony is that I enjoy being a parent even though I get puked on all day.

What's the essential reason I liked and related to Pollack and his alternadad lifestyle? Yes, we're both stay-at-home/work-at-home dads. Yes, we both want to retain something of what made us ourselves before we were parents, and enjoy the things we enjoyed before we were parents. But more importantly than those things, we both want to be good husbands and good fathers. That might mean different things to each of us. And neither of us really knows what we're doing and we both make a lot of mistakes that we recognize. But we're also both blessed (my word, not his) to have wives and other loved ones in our lives who are willing to love us with our faults and baggage along for the ride. We can both laugh at ourselves, because any other reaction would lead to boredom or misery. Maybe parenthood isn't supposed to be "ironic." But it's definitely not supposed to be boring or miserable.

Jerome: His Life, Writings, and Controversies, J.N.D. Kelly, 01/30/07 (Quality, 3.5; Enjoyment, 4)
Well, in my first month I'm not going to make it through two books. I know what I need to do in order to meet my goal: watch less TV. Alright, that admission out of the way, let me get on with reviewing the book.

The book was well-written in a utilitarian sort of way. Kelly's writing accomplished its purpose in telling the story of Jerome's life and work, but it didn't blow me away. I've read (far) worse historical writing, but I've also read better.

Jerome was a monk, theologian, writer, polemicist, and father of the early church, roughly during the second half of the fourth century. I enjoyed reading the book simply because I love the subject matter and time period. I could see how one might find the book rather depressing and discouraging. Jerome isn't all that admirable in most ways. At one point in the book, while thinking about what I would say in a review, I planned to really tear into Jerome and use some of the harsh language I was thinking to describe my feelings toward him. As I continued, however, I realized that such a response would not really accomplish anything. Furthermore, I began to soften toward Jerome. I didn't soften toward him because he softened toward others in his latter days; he didn't. Rather, I realized that because of his place in history and the events he was involved in, Jerome's life has become such a spectacle for close scrutinty and examination that I wondered how I would fare under such a microscope. Not well, I imagine. But even more than that, seeing the brokenness that the man had to deal with throughout the course of a long lifetime (both personally and in the world) gave me a sense of gladness that he is now resting with Christ. I won't resort to personal attacks upon such a brother.

At the end of the book, Kelly makes explicit the point that the reader has already inferred; Jerome was a man full of contradictions. If you were his enemy, he was fierce toward you. If you were his friend, he was fierce for you. He was a monk who idealized the solitary life, but he needed to live in community. He disparaged marriage and extolled virginity, but his closest lifelong friends were women. He was as learned as anyone in his time, but he must have been insecure because he constantly exaggerated his breadth of knowledge. He was a tremendous scholar, but not always an honest one. He was a Roman of the West who spent most of his life in Bethlehem of the East. I guess we're all contradictory in many ways. But in Jerome we see such polarized expressions of personality that it's amazing he could maintain them all at once.

As far as his theology goes, Jerome was a man of his times regarding exegesis, ecclesiology, and theology. In these realms, he was never one to push the envelope or attempt novelty in expression or idea. (Though he did push the envelope in insisting that he make his Latin translation from the Hebrew Old Testament, rather than the Greek Septuagint translation, which, in my view, was his most important contribution to church history.) I will criticize him on two issues, however, about which I think his advocacy led the church down a wrong path. The first is his disapproval of marriage and his unconditional commendation of the virginal life. It is not so much that he condemned marriage, but he described it as among the least desirable of acceptable options for a Christian. His order of value in this regard would have been: 1)lifelong virginity, 2)widowhood, 3)celibacy in marriage, 4)normal marriage (hopefully used to produce children who would be devoted to virginity), 5)remarriage after widowhood. Yes, you read #3 right. His reccommendation to any married couple would have been to take a vow to live together in celibacy. Believe it or not, that was a lifestyle that numbers of people of the time took upon themselves. I won't go into much detail about why I think Jerome was wrong. I'll just say that marriage is a good gift from God that He is happy for us to enter into, and sex in marriage is also a good gift. My other critique is of his advocacy for the monastic life. For Jerome, such a life was the height of sacrifice for the sake of Christ. To leave behind all the trappings of culture, society, politics, and civilization was viewed by Jerome and many others of the time as a virtue. The summary of my response is that the call of the gospel is the call to infiltrate society (i.e., as "salt" and "light") not retreat from it. It is a far greater sacrifice to take God's message of grace into the heart of a society than to withdraw with a concern for personal purity. Such a sacrifice--actually, the ultimate expression of that sacrifice--is what Jesus did in His incarnation. Our call is to imitate Him.

Far as the Curse is Found, Michael Williams
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Longing to Know, Esther Meek
Augustine of Hippo, Peter Brown
City of God, Augustine
The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion
On Literature, Umberto Eco
Narrative Art in the Bible, Shimon Bar-Efrat

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-03-21T10:20:00.000-05:00

Since I don't have an original link lined up, and I'm not feeling very motivated to find one, I'm offering an "oldie but a goodie" for your enjoyment.

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

hard not to fear...

2007-03-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

Over the last few weeks a number of my friends have encountered some really difficult circumstances. Some of their situations are caused by the sin of others, some by their own sin, and some just by living in a broken world where things are not the way they are supposed to be. The most urgent situation fits into that last category. Amelia Allen, the four-month old daughter of my friends Steve & Jen Allen, was diagnosed with leukemia yesterday. The link there will give a summary of her story and some ways to help. I've known Steve & Jen since college, and I'm very sad for them. Little Amelia was baptized in our church last Sunday, which was an occasion for much joy. Now that joy seems far away, but I pray that our God will draw Steve, Jen, and Amelia close to Himself and be gracious to them all. Though it is hard not to fear for Amelia, God tells us not to fear because He is so faithful and committed to His people. In fact, during the service on Sunday in which Amelia was baptized, Steve & Jen specifically requested that the following passage of Scripture be read. I am praying for Steve, Jen, and Amelia to have these promises realized in their life.

Isaiah 43:1-7

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, 'Give up,' and to the south, 'Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.'"

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-03-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

p.s. Yes--I will return to blogging one day.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-02-28T13:27:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-02-21T16:54:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

the "three kingmakers"...

2007-02-15T02:53:00.000-06:00

This article about Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson and their supposed influence on the voting patterns of "religious conservatives" made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. One reason it made me sick is that there is some truth to it; those men do have influence in national elections. The other reason it made me sick is that they shouldn't have such influence. I'm a Christian, as those men claim to be, and I suppose I ought to take them at their word, and I know that our identification with Christ ought to supercede other affiliations or values we have, but practically speaking I find I have little in common with them. To me, their endorsement of a candidate would be a reason for suscpicion, not support.

Also, in my experience, there are more and more "religious conservatives" that hold something closer to my outlook than that of the "three kingmakers." If the community at my church is any indication, the people that are becoming Christians are not older, socially conservative, authoritarian, and antagonistic to non-Americans. Rather, new Christians are predominantly 20/30-somethings, culturally savvy, suspicious of unchecked power, and recovering from the brokenness of the broken promises of the absolute value of "personal freedom." Like me, most of these new Christians don't believe that the Gospel of grace, freedom, and love ought to lead to politics of shame, fear, and self-protection. Yet, neither are we satisfied by those whose primary political platform is that they are against whatever Falwell, Robertson, and Dobson are for.

Clearly it's much easier for the political establishment to maintain the status quo than think or work outside the box. That means that one party is going to pander to those three men and the relatively large voting bloc in which they have attained prominence. And the other party is going to pander to their opponents. What would be amazing is if somebody would realize how many of us live somewhere between those two camps. One problem is, many (maybe most) of those in the middle don't vote, or at least not regularly. Of course, when one's main goal leading to election day is figuring out who you can at least begrudgingly tolerate voting for, it's pretty easy to just ditch the whole thing. Thus, it would be a high risk move to actually find out what's important to those of us in the middle and what our ideas are for pursuing those values. And, who knows if taking that high risk would lead to a high reward. Would we really vote after all? But, I dare somebody to give me (and us) someone to actually vote for.

Theophilus of Antioch...

2007-02-15T01:50:00.000-06:00

From Theophilus of Antioch, (c.180-185), Book II, chapter XXVI:

And God showed great kindness to man in this, that He did not suffer him to remain in sin for ever; but, as it were, by a kind of banishment, cast him out of Paradise, in order that, having by punishment expiated, within an appointed time, the sin, and having been disciplined, he should afterwards be restored. ...For just as a vessel, when on being fashioned it has some flaw, is remoulded or remade, that it may become new and entire; so also it happens to man by death. For somehow or other he is broken up, that he may rise in the resurrection whole; I mean spotless, and righteous, and immortal. And as to God's calling, and saying, 'Where art thou, Adam?' God did this, not as if ignorant of this; but, being long-suffering, He gave him an opportunity of repentance and confession.

"Adam and Eve Expelled from the Garden"
window from the Cathedral of Chartres

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-02-14T09:32:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

V-day...

2007-02-14T09:28:00.000-06:00

Today is Valentine's Day. It's not a big deal of a day for us. We just use it as an excuse to make more of an effort to go out and do something fun. Go here for a bitter yet fun take on the day.

spring is coming...

2007-02-14T00:30:00.000-06:00

In spite of the bitter cold that's gripped St. Louis recently, and the ice & snow storm that hit us yesterday, I know that spring is on the way. How do I know? Because of four wonderful words:

Pitchers and catchers report!

Baseball's spring training doesn't mark the beginning of spring in my sports calendar (the Masters golf tournament does). But spring training means spring is on the way. I can't wait.

movies: 2007...

2007-02-13T11:19:00.000-06:00

Basically, this post is the same idea as my books post, but for movies. My goal for the year is to watch at least 2 current movies and 1 "classic" movie per month, with the definitions for both of those categories being at my discretion. As with the books, I'll put the most recently watched and reviewed movies at the top of the post.

Idiocracy, 02/12/07, (Quality, 2.5; Enjoyment, 4) I wrote the heading for this post on the first of the year. Obviously, I'm going to have to do some serious movie watching to catch up with my goal. It's totally ridiculous that I didn't watch a new movie this year until February 12! Oh well, enough whining.

Suzanne would say that, after not watching a movie all year, it's totally ridiculous that Idiocracy was the first movie we'd watch. I don't think she hated it, but she wasn't a big fan. I, however, was a fan of this movie written and directed by Mike Judge, the creator of Beavis & Butt-Head and King of the Hill. In the same vein as those shows, Idiocracy was a satirical take on the current state of our culture. I can see why someone might not like the movie. It's basically the same joke for an hour and a half. But, I thought it was a good joke, so I kept laughing.

The movie stars Luke Wilson, who is same character in every one of his movies, but he's a character I like, so I don't mind. Wilson plays the most average man in America who, as part of a military experiment, is put into hibernation for 500 years. When he wakes up, due to the steady degredation of society, he finds he is the smartest man in the world. There's a good scene early on in which one of the Wilson's military superiors tells him that when he's told to "lead, follow, or get out of the way," it's supposed to shame him into leading, or at least following. But Wilson says he's always been happy just getting out of the way. Well, 500 years later, he finds out the consequences of a whole society that has been happy to get out of the way.

I laughed a lot throughout this movie. And there was a lot that was really true in Judge's take on our culture. That said, it was hyperbolic to the extreme, but that's often the case with satire. For those concerned about such things, there was a lot of crude humor, bad language, and other unseemly aspects to the movie. I'd say it's not for everyone. But if you're a Mike Judge fan, it's worth a rental.

music recommendation...

2007-02-09T10:39:00.000-06:00

I've mentioned before my devotion to Pandora, which is a free, online, intuitive radio station that will construct a personal radio station for you based on your music preferences. Well, if anything could steal my affection from Pandora it would be finetune, which is similar but better. Pandora is great for discovering new music/artists because it has a ginormous music library, so you can hear lots of music like the music you like, but which you may not have heard before. The only problem is you can't request specific songs/albums. With finetune, you can. You create your personal playlist of songs, so you have your favorites available whenever you have a hankerin'. Finetune will also suggest other music, like Pandora does, and you can listen to other peoples' playlists.

Happy listening!

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-02-07T09:56:00.001-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

book recommendation...

2007-02-05T13:07:00.000-06:00

This is a recommendation for those caring for young children (or other people who don't know their alphabet), especially if you live in an urban setting. I found out about it on one of my favorite blogs, Sweet Juniper. It's an alphabet book--but with interesting words and pictures. Kids books are usually pretty lame (expect a post on that topic soon enough), but this one will be as interesting for parents as kids. The link above will take you to the post describing the book. The link below will take you to the post that will tell you how you can order the book.

Happy reading!

Contemporary Lessons from the Early Church (pt.1)...

2007-02-01T02:23:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I started teaching a class at my church, during our Christian education hour before the service, with the title of "Contemporary Lessons from the Early Church." Essentially, it is a class on early church history. But the focus of the class relates to my thesis that the cultural context of the early church bears many similarities to our own cultural context, what is often known as "postmodernism." Many Christians often bemoan the tough circumstances the church is in because it has to attempt to survive in our cultural climate. Yet the early church, in a cultural climate much like our own (if my thesis is correct, which it is), not only survived but it thrived and grew and made a tremendous, positive, transformative impact on its world. Thus, my goal in the class is to help folks in our contemporary church learn from the early church. What can we learn from our fathers and mothers in the early church--in their successes and their mistakes--that will help us make a tremendous, positive, transformative impact on our world? I suppose that's the guiding question for the class.

For a while I've intended to post summaries of each class after they happen. I'm not really sure how my presentations will translate to this blog format. For one thing, the class is intended to be discussion driven. So, it is my expectation in preparing for each class that both time and content will be contributed by those attending. For another thing, even what I present is intended for a spoken presentation, which doesn't always transfer well to a written presentation. I'm going to try to present the basic flow of thought that I had in mind for each class. And I'll include most of the quotes or graphics from other resources that are included in my PowerPoint presentations.

CLASS 1:
In each class I'll open with a prayer from someone in the early church. I stole this idea from Dr. Calhoun's church history classes at Covenant Seminary (and I'll probably steal a lot of ideas from him throughout the course). Anyway, the prayer for this course is from Clement, who was a bishop in Rome at the end of the first century. Actually, it's not really a prayer. It's from a letter he wrote to the church in Corinth that was trying to help them recover from some divisions in their church. But I think it is a beautifully expressed praise and hope in God to which we can give our "Amen."

"How blessed and marvelous are the gifts of God, dear friends! Life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth with boldness, faith with confidence, self-control with holiness! And all these things fall within our comprehension. What, then, are the things being prepared for those who patiently wait for him? The Creator and Father of the ages, the all-holy One himself, knows their number and their beauty. Let us therefore make every effort to be found in the number of those who patiently wait for him, so that we may share in his promised gifts. But how shall this be, dear friends? If our mind is fixed on God through faith." (1 Clement [of Rome, to the Corinthians], 95/96)

Okay, I opened the class with some discussion about the value or use of studying church history. I invited folks to share some of their thought on why we should study history in general, or church history specifically. Several people suggested many good responses. Mostly, everyone gave the kinds of responses I was "looking for." Such ideas were things like: if we don't learn from the past, we are more liable to make the same mistakes as those before us; it help us know our own story, where we came from; we can learn of and praise God for His providence; it is interesting; "there is nothing new under the sun"; it helps us step out of the constraints and assumptions of our own time. I had a few quotes ready as people mentioned as people mentioned a few ideas that I wanted to highlight. The first was from Ecclesiastes 1:9-11,

“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.”

Another quote I had was from C.S. Lewis, and it was related to the idea that considering history can help us step out of the intellectual box created for us by our own time and cultural restraints. For the same reason that it is helpful to learn from the perspectives of people from other cultures, it is helpful to learn from teh perspectives of other times. The Enlightenment idea that history is a never-ending upward movement to progress is false. Lewis points this out by describing a condition that can be as harmful as it is dangerous called "chronological snobbery," which is:

“…the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate common to our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited. You must find why it went out of date. Was it ever refuted (and if so by whom, where, and how conclusively) or did it merely die away as fashions do? If the latter, this tells us nothing about its truth or falsehood. From seeing this, one passes to the realization that our own age is also ‘a period,’ and certainly has, like all periods, its own characteristic illusions. They are likeliest to lurk in those widespread assumptions which are so ingrained in the age that no one dares to attack or feels it necessary to defend them.” (C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy)

Then, after stressing the two points related to those quotes, I also emphasized my overarching thesis, which I described above, that there were factors present in the cultural setting of the early church that are similar to factors present in our own cultural setting. Most of the rest of the class focused on that point.

Before moving on to that, however, I gave a brief overview of the time period that the class was going to cover, and a little idea of how I was going to structure/present things. Here's a link to a timeline that I showed to give some idea of what we would be covering. While I would quibble with a few of the dates and some of the brief captions are a little simplistic/misleading, it's a really good, well-presented, thoughtfully structured timeline. I suggest taking a look at it sometime. There are no solid dates that everyone agrees on for the boundaries of "the early church." Basically, my class will consider the time from the end of the first century to the middle of the fifth century. So, this covers the period from the generation after the apostles, to the beginning of the papacy of Leo the Great. For most of the second and third centuries (100's and 200's) the church fluctuated between being warily tolerated, persecuted unofficially, or persectued offically. In 312, the Roman emperor Constantine declared that Christianity could be legally believed and practiced in the empire. In my view, that marked the beginning of the end of the early church period. In 391, the Roman emperor Theodosius declared that Christianity was the official religion of the empire. In my view, that guaranteed that the church as it had been known in its "early" period would soon change drastically. In 410, Rome was sacked by the Visigoths, which led to the imminent end of many of the cultural factors of the early days of the church. In 440, Leo the Great became bishop of Rome, the first really "Great" pope, who held exercised both religious and political power. In my view, his ascension to the papacy is as good a time as any to mark the end of the "early church" and the beginning of the medieval period.

I also showed a map that you can access through the link there, which showed the areas to which Christianity had expanded by the end of the third century (200's). In Acts 2, the description of Pentacost, we are told that people were present from all over the Mediterranean world: the Mideast, Asia, Europe (Greece & Rome), Africa (Egypt). So it is no surprise that afterwards, when those people went back to their homes and homelands, the message of the gospel was soon heard in many places outside of Jerusalem. But it's pretty remarkable when you look at the map and see how far Christianity gained significant influence within 200 years of the apostles. Basically, most of the eastern end of the Roman empire, most of southern Europe across the length of the Mediterranean, much of northern Africa across the length of the Mediterranean, and a significant portion up into central Europe had been Christianized.

Okay, my plan for the class is to spend the first three weeks on overview issues. I want to consider my idea of cultural similarities between the world of the early church and our own. And I want to think in big-picture terms of the kinds of ways the church responded to its culture in its early days and how we can learn from our fathers and mothers of that period. Obviously, the culture did not remain static for 3 1/2 centuries, but there were factors that remained constant and influential. After the three weeks of overview, I'll start to delve into covering particular persons, issuesl, and events.

Now, before considering what the cultural context of the early church was, I want us to have a grasp or at least a common conception of our own postmodern culture. First of all, what is "postmodernism"? Well, in ultra-simplistic terms, the "post" in postmodernism indicates to us that it is a response or rejection of modernism. That begs the question of what "modernism" is. Well--again in ultra-simplistic terms--we might describe modernism as a worldview that values rationality, objectivity, and progress. Modernism is basically the inheritance from the Enlightenment of the idea that humanity has unlimited potential which can/will ultimately be achieved by scientific advancement. Postmodernism is a worldview that doubts those values and beliefs. From the Wikipedia article on postmodernism, I lifted a few (possibly) helpful descriptions/definitions of postmodernism:

“Postmodernism is incredulity towards metanarratives.” Jean-Francois Lyotard

“Postmodernist fiction is defined by its temporal disorder, its disregard of linear narrative, its mingling of fictional forms and its experiments with language.” - Barry Lewis, Kazuo Ishiguro

“It’s the combination of narcissism and nihilism that really defines postmodernism,” Al Gore

“Weird for the sake of [being] weird.” - Moe Szyslak

The first quote by Lyotard is kind of regarded as the classical, simplistic, technical definition of postmodernism. If you ask a philosopher about postmodernism, that would probably where she would start. I like the second quote, because it gets more at description than definition. I always say that Quentin Tarantino's movie Pulp Fiction is the quintessential postmodern movie--nonlinear storytelling, several stories going on at once that sometimes do and sometimes don't have connection, but even the connections are without purpose. Gore's definition is helpful in his (correct I think) observation of the strange juxtaposition of values that can be common among postmoderns. And, my favorite definition is from the great philospher Moe Szyslak.

For the purposes of this class, however, I'm not all that interested in these technical or philosophical definitions of postmodernism (although I think they give us a good framework, which is why I bother with the at all). I want to work with a common understanding of what our cultural context is. Thus, I asked the class to simply give me descriptions or illustrations of what they see our culture valuing. I'll list some of them below, but before I do I want to note one interesting thing about the responses. Most of the responses from people in the class described things that were generally negative, at least from a Christian point of view. I had to prod them a little to get some suggestions for "good" factors or values we see in our culture. I don't know what that means, it was just interesting. Anyway, I can't really remember which of these were my descriptions of factors from our culture and which were given by people in the class. But, I think we agreed on things like: moral relativism, religious pluralism/syncretism, globalization, consumerism, image-consciousness, valuing cultural diversity, emphasis on personal experience, valuing group participation/belonging, multiculturalism. There were probably others. Some of those values are ones that a Christian worldview can agree with, some are ones it would reject, and some are ambivalent, they just depend on how they are used.

Well, with that description of some major factors of our cultural setting in mind, I moved on to help the class consider the cultural setting of the early church. I presented a quote from the book by James S. Jeffers, The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era.

“If you suddenly found yourself in first-century Jerusalem, in the home of a member of the Jewish ruling class, you might be surprised by what you discover. You would soon learn that your host speaks Greek and some Latin as well as Aramaic. He dresses in Hellenistic clothing, possesses Roman citizenship and claims to worship the God of the Jews, but he does not follow Jewish dietary regulations very closely. …The gleam of silver is everywhere, fine wine flows freely, and slaves bustle around you, each with his or her unique task.
His home is decorated with art from around the Mediterranean, and his library contains the works of a number of pagan authors. When he talks politics, he talks about the influence of the Jewish Sanhedrin, but also about the looming threat of Roman power.
[H]is life [is]…an amazing patchwork quilt of cultural and political influences.”

One of the fun things about history is that things aren't always (actually quite rarely) spelled out for you. You have to piece things together and make connections and inferences. Assuming that Jeffers is accurate in his description, what clues do we get about the cultural setting and values of this first century resident of Jerusalem? The man is a member of the Jewish ruling class, but he is also proud of his Roman citizenship. That indicates a value of belonging to a group, and maybe a sense of image-consciousness. He speaks different languages--that shows cultural diversity is at least acceptable, if not valued. He has art from different cultures and literature from different cultures, which is further evidence of valuing cultural diversity. It also gives a sense of globalization, albeit not on the scale of our day. But the world, as many people knew it, was connected by the Roman empire in the early centuries of the church. He is Jewish, but doesn't follow the food laws strictly, which hints at religious syncretism, or at least a high degree of tolerance of religious pluralism. He has silver decorations, plenty of wine, and slaves, which smacks of consumerism/materialism. You probably see other things there that I haven't mentioned yet. But you get the point. Many of the things that were named to describe our own culture were again evident in this description of the ancient church's cultural setting.

So, how should Christians respond to our cultural context? How did the early Christians respond? In order to give a sense of that, I offered another quote from an early text. Much of the writing from the first 100 years after the New Testament was concerned with defending the Christian faith and lifestyle. It was known as the period of the "apologists." These were people who offered either specific or defenses/explanations of what Christians believed. Part of one such "apology" contains the following explanation of how Christians viewed their role in the world:

“For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric life-style. …But while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one’s lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship. They live in their own countries, but only as aliens; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign. They marry like everyone else, and have children, but they do not expose their offspring. They share their food but not their wives. They are ‘in the flesh,’ but they do not live ‘according to the flesh.’ They live on the earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they transcend the laws.
…In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians throughout the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, but is not of the body; likewise Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world.” (Letter to Diognetus, [150-225])

In summary, this Christian identified with his heavenly citizenship before his earthly citizenship. They wanted to both exemplify holiness and counter the sinfulness of the world. What I want to focus on is the last paragraph, in which the author likens Christians to the "soul" of the world. I'm not interested in whether his understanding of the soul in the body is correct. I'm interested in what his metaphor is getting at. I would say that this metaphor is the language of mission. As the soul serves a good purpose being part of the body, so Christians must recognize their calling to be part of their world. These early Christians did not retreat or shrink from their culture. They didn't withdraw and close off their communities from outsiders. They didn't create a parallel, competing culture, with a Christian music industry, Christian art scene, Christian publishing industry, Christian educational system, etc. Instead they lived out their callings within the culture. They engaged their culture and brought to it the message of the gospel which they had received. What I pray that we would learn from these early fathers and mothers in the faith is that we have a calling, a mission. We have a mission to be the soul in the world, to be the the Lord's tools to transform it. Let's not withdraw from the problems and difficulties that we may face, but rather let's take the the solution of the gospel with us as we engage the culture.

Wow! That turned out to be a lot longer than I expected. I wanted to post both weeks' classes that I have led so far. But I need to get some sleep. Hopefully, in the next few days, I'll get the other one posted. Then, hopefully I'll be able to keep up as the class continues and post each week. Take care; I hope this was useful.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-01-31T18:10:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-01-24T10:05:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

Daniel Negreanu...

2007-01-16T22:18:00.000-06:00

Everything I post lately is either a quote from someone else or a link to someone else's writing. Oh well, I guess I just don't have many original thoughts to offer lately.

I've mentioned before my attraction to poker. It's a fun and challenging game to play or think about. I enjoy both playing with friends (not for money) and watching the pros play on TV (for LOADS of money). That said, there is obviously a TON of moral/ethical baggage associated with gambling. That's why I don't have any permanent links to any poker sites (certainly not gambling sites), blogs, or discussion boards. They're out there, so if someone wants to find them, they can, but I don't need to facilitate it.

Anyway, my favorite poker player, Daniel Negreanu, is a Christian. He was my favorite player before I knew he was a Christian, but it's kind of interesting/cool that he is. I've read some interviews that he's done, and apparently he was a pro card player before he became a Christian. Since then he has simply tried to apply the Gospel to his life. His apologetic for being a professional "gambler" isn't very sophisticated (what he does isn't really gambling, anymore than a top pro golfer is a gambler by having his paycheck determined by his performance in the tournaments he enters, it's the people playing against Daniel who are gambling, because they're not as good as he is, generally speaking, but then he's involved with them in a contest where winning money is the measure of success, which is only part of why the whole poker/gambling issue is such a gray, messy area). But he's a poker player, not a theologian. At the same time, he and all of us who follow Christ need to allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate into our innermost places and challenge whatever idols we allow to remain on their altars. Maybe it's wrong for a Christian to be a professional poker player, but it's also wrong for me to be a Christian and do many of the things I do and the same goes for us all. In no way does that mean Christians, who recognize their own faults, thereby lose the right to call their brothers and sisters to repentance. It means rather that you and I need to seek the Lord to remove the planks in our own eyes before we try to perform LASIK on our brother.

All of these thoughts I offer as preface to an article by Negreanu. What I like about the article is that it is just the poured-out heart of a regular Christian who recognizes the brokenness in his life that he needs the Lord to repair, even though it is coming from someone whose lifestyle and world are in another galaxy from what most of us reading this blog surely know. I can sympathize with Negreanu who says, "I feel like in many ways that my personal relationship with God has faded and it kills me to admit that." And later, "God is important to me. My life is better when I make God the center of it...I just can't be happy unless I feel like I'm at a good place with God." I've had the same thoughts countless times. What I need to remember in those times, and what I wish I could remind this brother, is that in Christ, we are always at a good place with God. Our personal relationship with God cannot fade because it is not dependent upon our effort, commitment, obedience, morality, or discipline. Instead, as Paul wrote, it is God "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." (2 Timothy 1:9) Our initial salvation was not dependent upon our works; our ongoing salvation is not dependent upon our works; and our final and ultimate salvation will not be dependent upon our works, because our salvation calling was according to God's purpose and grace, and given before time began, and thus before we had time to do anything right or screw anything up.

This was supposed to be a short post and a link, but it's turning into a sermon. One final note: Negreanu writes in his article with references to "God," always with that generic term, and I don't think he ever even uses the name of Jesus. If you are concerned about such things, you will have to take it from me that, as far as I can tell, Negreanu believes in the one, true, living, God, the God of the Bible, taught by the historic Christian church, and thus he is by synecdoche referring to Jesus.

Frederica Mathewes-Green...

2007-01-15T19:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to part of a Q&A that's in the new issue of Relevant magazine. (As far as I can tell, the whole Q&A isn't available online at the Relevant.com site.) The A's come from Frederica Mathewes-Green, someone whose writing I like and whose Christian perspective I respect, even if it differs from mine at various points.

To whet your appetite, here's a quote from one of her responses:

[M]uch of what Islam hates about America are things that Christians ought to likewise resist: gluttonous consumption, recreational shopping, celebrity culture, trashing of the environment, the trivializing of sex, the sexualizing of children, the killing of unborn children, artificializing women’s bodies, depriving boys and men of a coherent and worthy identity, jingoism, any belief that being “American” takes precedence over membership in the body of Christ.

That's a pretty powerful challenge. The trick, I guess, is to figure out how to offer America a vision for a better society and a better way of life, rather than to simply decry the moral decline in America and express a wish to return to "the good ol' days." A good start would be for individual Christians to witness to their neighbors, with word and deed, the love of Christ in the Gospel, so that when any one or group of us speaks to the wider culture we have earned a hearing. Lord have mercy, and help us [read:me]!

MLK vs. SNL...

2007-01-15T13:15:00.000-06:00

I don't know if anyone watches Saturday Night Live anymore. This season has actually had a few really great, off-the-wall skits. Unfortunately, those skits have been islands in the midst of a sea of mediocrity. Even the "Weekend Update" segments have been generally poor. It used to be that even if a week's episode was lame, Suzanne and I would still stay up for the fake news. But it's pretty much not worth the effort anymore.

Well, one of the bright spots was the first "Laser Cats" digital short (which actually might have been from last season--I can't remember). "Laser Cats 2" made its debut this weekend, and it was a classic. Its view of the future is rather different from Dr. King's, which I linked to in my previous post. And if I had to choose between them, I'd certainly choose a world of racial peace and justice, and freedom from oppression for all people, over a world where mutant cats shooting lasers are the ultimate weapon. But, wouldn't it be great if we could realize both visions?

p.s. It's been SNL's policy for a while not to allow any of its content to be posted on YouTube. People still do, but most of it gets removed pretty quickly. I have to ask: How dumb are they? I understand that there are copyright issues involved, but for a show like SNL, YouTube is the greatest medium of free publicity that they could ask for. People are mostly only going to post the good stuff, which might trick people into thinking that their show is worth watching. The link up above is to the NBC.com SNL videos site, on which you can find the skit. I'm posting a YouTube video below, but it will probably be removed pretty soon. The original "Laser Cats" has been removed from YouTube.

the dream...

2007-01-15T10:35:00.000-06:00

Here's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech (well, one of them), in full.

Or you read the full text here.

TBR challenge 2007...

2007-01-12T02:47:00.000-06:00

This challenge is related to my tolle lege plan for 2007, but is more specific. The idea is to read one book in each month of 2007 from your "To Be Read" (TBR) pile, and they should be books that have been on hold in TBR status for at least 6 months. I found out about this challenge here, and you can find out how to join in here. Suzanne has already committed to joining, and I'll post her list when she gives it to me. My list is below. It would be fun if a bunch of people I know decide to do this. If you join, leave your list in the comments or just put in a link to your blog post.

1.) Jerome: His Life, Writings, and Controversies, by J.N.D. Kelly (completed: 01/30/07)
2.) Far as the Curse is Found, by Michael Williams
3.) Baudolino, by Umberto Eco
4.) Longing to Know, by Esther Meek
5.) City of God, by St. Augustine
6.) On Literature, by Umberto Eco
7.) Story as Torah, by Gordon Wenham (completed: 02/27/07)
8.) Narrative Art in the Bible, by Shimon Bar-Efrat
9.) Ancient-Future Faith, by Robert Webber
10.) The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
11.) Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris (completed: 03/23/07)
12.) The Lord's Service, by Jeffrey Meyers

Update: Suzanne's list is below:
1. From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler / E. L. Konigsburg (completed: 01/16/07)
2. Baudolino / Umberto Eco
3. The chocolate war / Robert Cormie
4. Rebecca / Daphne du Maurier
5. The Greek coffin mystery / Ellery Queen
6. Gulliver's travels / Jonathan Swift
7. The Perfect murder : five great mystery writers create the perfect crime / Jack Hitt
8. Dandelion wine / Ray Bradbury
9. Silver pigs / Lindsey Davis
10. Death of a mystery writer / Robert Barnard
11. Three men in a boat, to say nothing of the dog!/ Jerome K. Jerome
12. Vanity fair / William Makepeace Thackery

Here is my alternative list. I'm a little nervous about Vanity Fair. An 800 page novel without a hero might be a little too intense for me. If so, here are my back ups:

1. We have always lived in the castle / Shirley Jackson (completed: 02/17/07)
2. Girl sleuth : Nancy Drew and the women who created her / Melanie Rehak

another quote...

2007-01-11T00:03:00.000-06:00

I guess I'm into quotes lately. Here's one of the best monologues ever given in a movie. It's from Say Anything, when Lloyd Dobler responds to his date's father who asks about his "plans for the future."

You mean like career? Uh, I don't know. I've, I've thought about this quite a bit sir, and I'd have to say considering what's waiting out there for me, I don't want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or... process anything sold, bought or processed, or repair anything sold, bought or processed, you know, as a career I don't want to do that. So, uh, my father's in the army, he wants me to join, but I can't work for that corporation, so what I've been doing lately is kickboxing, which is really a, uh, new sport, but I think it's got a good future. As far as career longevity goes, I don't really know, because, you know, you can't really tell. Your training sticks as a fighter, you know, but it's no good, you know, you have to be great, but I can't really tell if I'm great until I've had a couple of pro fights. But I haven't been knocked out yet. I don't know, I can't figure it all out tonight sir, I'm going to hang with your daughter.

Thanks to SimplyScripts, where you can get whole movie scripts.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-01-10T00:12:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

p.s. This is my 200th post on the blog.

two quotes...

2007-01-09T23:02:00.000-06:00

by Basil the Great (330-379), bishop of Caesarea, in what is now Turkey:

"One cannot see the Father without the Spirit! It would be like living in a house at night when the lamps are extinguished; one's eyes would be darkened and could not exercise their function. Unable to distinguish the value of objects, one might very well treat gold as if it were iron. It is the same with the spiritual world; it is impossible to maintain a life of holiness without the Spirit."

"Hunting truth is no easy task; we must look everywhere for its tracks. Learning truth is like learning a trade; apprentices grow in experience little by little, provided they do not despise any opportunity to increase their knowledge. If a man spurns fundamental elements as insignificant trifles, he will never embrace the fullness of wisdom."

still catching up...

2007-01-07T03:00:00.000-06:00

Dang it...can't sleep. Oh well, that gives me a chance to finish my story about last weekend.

Actually, it all started a few days before Christmas. We had received our Christmas gift from my dad in the mail, which was a generous monetary sum, with the stipulation that we do something enjoyable with it. I was wondering what to do with the money, while I also happened to be cleaning the bathroom and listening to sports radio. They began discussing the upcoming (at the time) college football bowl games. Someone was talking about how many of the bowls were worried about attendance this year, and it was mentioned that even my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers, who probably have the best travelling fans in college football, were having trouble selling all of their tickets. That's when it hit me--would it be possible to make a hasty, crazy, spontaneous decision to travel to Dallas, Texas to attend the Cotton Bowl? I mentioned the thought to Suzanne, and I was suprised by her rather quick and enthusiastic response--we should go for it.

First, I checked the Husker ticket website, and indeed there were tickets available. Then I priced flying vs. driving; driving was the easy winner. Then I remembered that I have a good friend whose parents live in Dallas. One phone call later and we had a free place to stay in Dallas. That call saved us probably $75 to $150 and helped us be a little more certain we were making the right decision. So, in the span of about 1 hour, we went from having no New Year's Eve plans, to having a road trip a week away.

Our most difficult decision was whether to take Gracie or not. The ticket website was very clear that every person, no matter the age, must have a ticket to enter the stadium. I was not going to buy a ticket for her. Suzanne was sure they would let her in if we had her in her baby-sling, but I was skeptical. Then I remembered that our drive home over Thanksgiving took about 2 extra hours each way with the baby in the car, and we almost literally didn't have that kind of time to spare on this trip. In the end, we decided to leave her with our friend Erika. We knew she would be in good hands, and looking back it was definitely the right decision. But it was still weird looking in the backseat sometimes during the drive and not seeing her in her carseat.

The Cotton Bowl with Nebraska vs. Auburn was on Monday, January 1. Since I was being ordained as an elder in church on Sunday, December 31, that wasn't a week we could just skip the service. So, we had to leave on Sunday after church. And we planned to return to St. Louis directly after the game, so we'd spend one night in our friend's parents' house in Dallas. A quick but action-packed trip.

So, we left as soon after church on Sunday as we could, and the first leg of the trip went quite well. We packed some sandwich material so we wouldn't have to spend as much on fast food. We had our CD's (and our favorite radio station, 93.3 f.m., stayed tuned in for over 100 miles outside of town) and an audio collection of Mark Twain's "lesser known" short stories.

But, a road trip with me driving is always an adventure. I inherited a gene from my mom that gives me the potential to get lost or take the wrong road when going anywhere. Once, on a trip from Lincoln, Nebraska to Springfield, Missouri, I took the route that goes through Joplin, Missouri. If you're not familiar with Missouri geography, let's just say that's not an efficient route. Now, for many reasons, I'm not a big fan of Oklahoma. What kind of state has signs along the interstate that say, "Do not drive into smoke"? What are we supposed to do if we encounter smoke? And why is the state potentially covered in smoke in the first place? This trip did nothing to improve my impression of Sooner country. (Why would you give your state a mascot of people who were cheaters and thieves? Why indeed.)

As the interstate took us into Tulsa, my directions from Google maps indicated that I would need to take a series of turnpikes in order to get on the highway south to Dallas. Well, by the time I was halfway through Tulsa, I figured I probably missed them. By the time I was on the far side of the city, I knew I had. So, I stopped at a gas station, asked for directions, and looked at a map. (Of course, I had forgotten to bring my road atlas. As you will see, forgetting will be a theme for this trip.) Some folks at the station gave me directions, and I took them, but we still didn't feel right about it. So, at about 8:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve, we called my wife's parents and asked them to look on a map for us. It turned out that I had found my way back to the right road, but there was a crucial turn up ahead that I had to make in order to avoid taking "the long way."

Do I even need to say whether I made that turn? Of course, I missed it. If my life was a t.v. show, you'd turn it off because the protagonist is so often made out to be unbelievably stupid. Basically, instead of taking the nice, 4 lane, divided highway, with 75 m.p.h. speed limits, we were on the rough, 2 lane, no shoulder, winding through the most desolate parts of Oklahoma, take your life in your hands when you pass an oncoming semi, "highway," with 65 m.p.h. speed limits except when you go through a podunk town where the limit is 25. I was driving white-knuckled pretty much the whole time on that road. But eventually it spit us out onto the highway we were supposed to be on. And we made it to Dallas without further incident, arriving at the house at about 11:56 p.m., just in time for a New Year's smooch. Oh yeah, I should add that we saw a shooting star, which was cool, especially since both Suzanne and I happened to see it.

The next day, or I guess technically, later that day, we got up early and headed out to the Cotton Bowl Stadium. It was colder than we expected it to be in Dallas, but we had just enough clothes to layer up so we wouldn't freeze (and it warmed up a bit later). As we pulled up to the stadium, I realized that I forgot batteries for our camera, which is why I have no visual evidence of this trip for you. I thought I was being very responsible by charging the batteries for our camera the night before we left. But then I left the charger in the wall so it got me nowhere. Then we spent a good 20 minutes walking a circle and a half around the stadium looking for the "will call" window. It turned out that the "will call" window at the Cotton Bowl, unlike every other stadium in the world, is not a window in the stadium itself, but is a small hut set up across from one of the main gates, and it is clearly marked by an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper with "will call" written in about size 16 font.

As we were making our way to our seats, I realized that I also forgot my binoculars. Fortunately, I didn't need them as much as I usually do. Our seats were the best I've ever had at a football game since attending my last high school game. They were on the 25 yard line and although they said "row 14," I counted and we were only 9 rows from the front. It was a totally sweet view. The game was great, and generally well played, but sadly the Huskers lost due largely to only a couple of key errors.

Trying to get out of the Cotton Bowl was a nightmare. First, I took us the wrong way so that instead of turning left and walking about 10% of the stadium circumference, I turned us right and walked 90% of it. Then, as we followed the very large banners that hung on a fence with very large letters that read "exit to all parking" we began to notice that the crowd was bottlenecking. Then we came to a dead stop and there started to be rumors in the crowd that you couldn't get through that way. Almost everyone, including us, thought that couldn't be right. So, we fought our way to the front, only to find out that the only way marked "exit to all parking" was not an exit at all. Eventually we got to our car, where we proceeded to wait another 45 minutes before any other cars started to move. I've been to busy stadiums and concert venues before, but that Cotton Bowl was ridiculous. It was really poorly managed. What is more surprising is how lame the stadium is. Up until about 10 or maybe 15 years ago, the Cotton Bowl was one of the most prestigious bowl games. Even now, it is among the best of the second tier games. But the stadium is very hum-drum.

Okay, the ride home...pretty uneventful. We ate at Chili's on our way out of Dallas. I took all the right roads on the way home. At one point, I made a near-miraculous swerve to avoid hitting a dear head-on at 75 m.p.h. The only thing I might mention is the last 2 hours. If you've made it this far reading this tediously detailed and long, long, long description of our trip, and you're wondering if it will ever end, then you have an idea how we felt. Those last two hours were brutal. We were both exhausted. We would basically spend 24 out of 36 hours in the car. It was very late at night. We weren't getting a good radio signal, we were bored with our CD's, and Mark Twain's "lesser known" short stories are lesser known for a reason.

But, we made it home. We got to see Gracie again that morning. And Suzanne was back at work that afternoon. Actually, so was I, since I was able to get another transcription assignment for the Covenant Worldwide project. Thus, we were ready to get caught back up in our usual routine. It was a very good trip, lots of fun, and we're glad we went. But we were glad to be home too.

Sometimes at the end of these long posts I draw some sort of spiritual lesson from the events, or offer a moral to the story. I think if there is a moral to this story, it is:
spontenaity is good...but don't forget a map and batteries.

Surprise random link of the week...

2007-01-03T12:05:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

catching up...

2007-01-02T11:29:00.000-06:00

I was so busy last week that I never had the chance to blog about many things that I wanted to. First, we had a great Christmas weekend. On Christmas eve, we celebrated with some good friends here is St. Louis--eating good food, drinking good drink, and playing one of the most rousing games of Scattergories that I've played in a long time. There were enough people that we had to play as partners, and since I had Suzanne as a partner, we won. Suzanne always wins at Scattergories. People always expect that I will be good at the game (and I'm okay) since I was an English major and I'm good at Scrabble and so forth, but Suzanne could go pro.

On Christmas day Suzanne and I spent the day at home, with just one another and Gracie. We ate some more food and we watched 3 movies. The movies were The Muppet Christmas Carrol, Wordplay, and Thank You for Smoking. Muppet Christmas is a holiday classic that we always watch this time of year; Wordplay was an enjoyable documentary; and Thank You for Smoking was good, but maybe not as good as I was hoping. I should say that was also watched Little Miss Sunshine earlier in the weekend, and that was an outstanding movie, one of the best I've seen in a long time. Besides being funny and clever and having some great performances, the movie really has an insight into some of the struggles that we face in our culture of performance and self-centeredness. The characters in the movie are, at the same time, exaggerated and very real. It's definitely worth checking out.

For the rest of the week I went on a cleaning/organizing rampage throughout our house. We have two massive bookcase, one large bookcase, and one medium bookcase in our house. Since each of them was overflowing with books, Suzanne had determined that some of the ones least likely to be used needed to be boxed up and sent to the basement. I hated to get rid of any of them, but I managed to fill three boxes that I could part with. Then I set about organizing books into categories and reshelving them neatly. Now, we still have four bookcases packed to the gills, but at least they look neater. I also worked on clearing out my desk drawers, sorting through some boxes of old papers, and otherwise trying to organize part of our lives. Believe me, that's a tall order.

This past weekend was even busier than the previous. On Saturday, we went to Caleb's concert, which was very good and a lot of fun. A pretty good crowd showed up, many of them people we knew, but some new faces too. Gracie slept through the whole thing in her carseat, and Suzanne and I played Scrabble on our Travel-Scrabble board. While Suzanne may be a pro at Scattergories, I have the edge at Scrabble, so I was able to pull off the victory.

Sunday was a big day for a couple of reasons. First, at church that day, I had the honor to be ordained as a ruling elder of our congregation at Memorial Presbyterian Church. I'm still kind of in awe of the whole turn of events, which is why I haven't written about it yet. In short, I was nominated by a representative group of the congregation to stand for election as elder; I accepted the nomination; I was then elected by the congregation to serve as an elder. It is a position of spiritual leadership and service. When I was ordained, my brother elders laid their hands on me as they prayed for me. Someone pointed out that there is a line of men laying their hands on other men that stretches back to Jesus, who laid His hands on His apostles. That's pretty neat. But it is far greater that God the Holy Spirit has made each believer in Christ His own temple, and dwells in them with power. When I believed the Gospel, I found such freedom in life, and I began to understand what an honor it is to live as a child of the Father. I hope to help the people of Memorial--and all people--understand that freedom and honor as well. Four other men began a term of service as elders with me, one man newly ordained like me, and three others who had served before and were now returning to serve a new term. Our Senior Pastor, George Stulac, gave us a charge in the service, as we stood in front of the congragation, facing the table with the elements of the Lord's Supper. First, he charged us to remember that we were from the congregation, to remember to serve them and advocate for them and lead and shepherd them. Then, he charged us to remember Christ, represented before us in the Lord's Supper, to remember that He has given Himself for us and that He ever offers Himself to supply what grace we need to fulfill our calling.

I'll write more about being an elder in the future, but that wasn't the only big happening over the weekend. More to come...

Saturday Night: Caleb Travers...

2006-12-28T14:05:00.000-06:00

I just found out that my friend Caleb Travers is playing a show this Saturday, 8 p.m., at the Hartford Coffee Co., which is just a few miles away from us here in South City. I've heard it's a cool place--and it'll be even cooler this Saturday with Caleb playing; he's pretty good.

Here's a video of him playing one of his songs, apparently in his kitchen:

Surprise random link of the week...

2006-12-27T04:23:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's link: Have fun!

And some pictures from my neighborhood to go with it:

Unfortunately, this last house is the best one, but the picture turned out the worst.

Merry Christmas...

2006-12-24T03:46:00.000-06:00

As I was thinking about Christmas recently, it occurred to me that Jesus' family was a foster-family, like ours is. Okay, maybe it was more like an adoptive family. But my point is that since Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, he served the role of a foster/adoptive father, like I do. I want to be careful to say that I'm only comparing the roles that Joseph and I fill, not our characters. To do what Joseph did required measures of faith, love, and compassion that I can barely hope to one day possess. He must have been humble too. You don't hear a lot about, or from, Joseph. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would have published a blog.

There is something that Joseph and I share, however, that really all parents share, but which I think foster parents in particular share, and that is a tremendous uncertainty for the future. No parent knows what the future holds for his or her children, of course, but foster parents don't even know if their children will be their children. In many cases, it's only a matter of time before a foster-child's parent(s) reclaim rights to the child. I wonder if Joseph ever worried about that time, because I do.

Now, for any parent, the best thing to do with the worries we have for our children is to entrust them to God. Entrust our worries to God, yes, but especially our children. We are going to screw up in raising our children in so many ways that we'd call it a miracle that any child grows up halfway adjusted, if it didn't happen so often. So, we call it God's common grace. And thus we look to God for His help, encouragement, strength, guidance, and many other things in the day to day rearing of our children. But more than that, we entrust our children to God's calling on their life. For, we know that ultimately it would be an utter tragedy to raise our children to know a "good" life and yet not know Jesus their Savior. And furthermore, while the suffering of our children always brings barely-endurable heartache, we know that ultimately suffering for faith in Christ is blessed triumph.

Yet the problem is, we just never know what the future holds, for us or our children. We might even be tempted to think that if we just knew what was ahead, we would be able to handle it with more resolve or more patience or more faith or whatever. But consider Joseph: he was told what the future held for the child carried by Mary, his betrothed. Joseph was told that Mary would bear a son who would save his people from their sins. I don't know how much comfort that brought. In the Old Testament--the only Scripture that Joseph knew--any time God dealt with the sin of His people, there was a lot of suffering involved. I imagine that as Joseph went on to raise, care for, and love his foster-Son Jesus, he grew ever less inclined to allow Him to suffer. In Joseph's case, knowing the future was probably a tremendous burdon.

So Joseph, like me, and like all parents, must have had a tremendous uncertainty about the future (even if he knew something about it). Yet, God did something for Joseph, as He does for all of us, to help us have faith in the face of that uncertainty. You see, even though God could just flatly ask us and expect us to have faith in Him, that's not the way He operates. He condescends to our creaturely need for evidence. In the case of Joseph, the very event that precipitated his supposed (by us) uncertainty, was the same event that could give him cause to grow in his trust in God's provision. The birth of Jesus--the one who would save his people from their sins--was the assurance to Joseph and to all of us that God is and would be faithful. For it was the evidence of God making good on His promises.

Throughout the history of Israel, and throughout the record of that history in the Old Testament, God had repeatedly, by both implication and outright declaration, promised that He would completely save His people from their sins. It wasn't accomplished through the flood, and it wasn't accomplished through circumcision, nor was it accomplished through the exodus, the establishment of the monarchy, or even through exile. But it would be (and now has been) accomplished through Jesus. One of my favorite phrases in Scripture is from Galatians 4 when Paul says that the birth of Jesus happened "in the fullness of time." Like picking a piece of fruit off the tree at the peak of its ripeness, Jesus was born at just the right time.

It's true that atonement was not accomplished until Jesus died. But in sending His Son to be born in the fullness of time, God showed us that He is a God who fulfills His promises. He is not like a human father who makes promises and then forgets them or makes excuses to avoid them. Our God is a Father who provides for us perfectly and does everything just as He says He would.

So Joseph was told just the right thing when his foster-Son was about to be born. "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:20-21) It's pretty clear that Joseph was a man who trusted God. I would guess that he would have married Mary and raised Jesus if God had simply told him to do so, without explanation. But it's precisely because God is a God worth trusting in that He gave Joseph hope for the endeavor. His role would serve God's purpose to save His people, including Joseph, from their sins, just as God had promised.

As we celebrate Christmas, even in our uncertainty, God is likewise saying just the right thing to us. Suzanne and I do not know where our foster-daughter Gracie will be next Christmas. But, knowing what the future holds isn't what we need. We need to know that God is worthy to entrust our future to Him. And we can know that. We can know that God is One who fulfills His promises. And we can know that His provision for us is perfect, complete. Remembering the birth of Jesus at Christmas is essentially remembering that God not only cares for us, but He also takes care of us. He does for us what we need of Him, whatever the cost. And so the God who has shown Himself to be faithful over and over again in the past, is worthy of our trust in the present, and for whatever we, or our children, will face in the future.

only seven more months...

2006-12-21T12:47:00.000-06:00

I can't wait!

"Name of final Harry Potter book announced"