everything that's on my mind
(as if there's not already enough people doing this)Saturday, December 31, 2005
The Year In Books & Music 2005
Well, it's that time again. Here's my 2005 list of my favorite things I read and listened to this past year. I only read one fiction book this year, but I have several fiction books I hope to read in the coming year. I also didn't read as much this year. With back surgery, then moving back to Little Rock from Alabama, and various other reasons, I just didn't read as much as I wanted. I actually have several partially read books that I don't anticipate finishing before year end. So, with that said, here's my list for this year.
Book of the Year
Seizing Your Divine Moment : Dare to Live a Life of Adventure - Erwin McManus
Runners-up
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families : Stories from Rwanda - Philip Gourevitch
God's Politics : Why the right gets it wrong and the left doesn't get it - Jim Wallis
The Barbarian Way : Unleash the Untamed Faith Within - Erwin McManus
Blue Blood : Duke-Carolina : Inside the Most Storied Rivalry in College Hoops - Art Chansky Obsessed - Ted Dekker
Honorable Mention Making Sense of Church: Eavesdropping on Emerging Conversations about God, Community, and Culture - Spencer Burke The Gutter : Where Life's Meant To Be Lived - Craig Gross The Church of Irresistible Influence : Bridge-Building Stories To Help Reach Your Community - Robert Lewis
A Fragile Stone : The Emotional Life of Simon Peter - Michael Card
Other stuff I read
It Takes A Village Idiot : Complicating the Simple Life - Jim Mullen flashbang : How I Got Over Myself - Mark Steele
EPIC - John Eldredge
I'm Back For More Cash - Tony Kornheiser
Home Court Advantage : Preparing Your Children to be Winners in Life - Kevin Leman
Eyes Wide Open : Looking for God in Popular Culture - William Romanowski
Album of the Year
I See Things Upside Down - Derek Webb
Runners-up
Reflection Of Something - Todd Agnew
Nothing Is Sound - Switchfoot A Collision - David Crowder Band Ogre Tones - King's X
X&Y - Coldplay
All To You - Lincoln Brewster
Eternity With You - Clay Crosse
Honorable Mention
Brave - Nichole Nordeman
...And The Rest Will Follow - Project 86
Panic - MxPx
The Art of Breaking - Thousand Foot Krutch
Wherever You Are - Third Day
Restored - Jeremy Camp
Atom Bomb - Blind Boys of Alabama
Worship In The City - Grace Church Worship Band
Redemption Songs - Jars of Clay
Farewell - Petra
Other stuff I listened to
Death on the Road - Iron Maiden Look To You - Hillsong United
Strong Tower - Kutless
For All You've Done - Hillsong
The Great Depression - Blindside
All The Right Reasons - Nickelback
Better Days - Robbie Seay Band
Passion 05 : How Great Is Our God - Passion Worship Band
mmhmm - Relient K
Day of Fire - Day of Fire
Dirty Diamonds - Alice Cooper
In Christ Alone - ZOE Group
Other available lists: 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
Book of the Year
Seizing Your Divine Moment : Dare to Live a Life of Adventure - Erwin McManus
Runners-up
Honorable Mention
Other stuff I read
Album of the Year
Runners-up
Honorable Mention
Other stuff I listened to
Other available lists: 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
Friday, December 30, 2005
Meaningless, meaningless
I think it was Solomon who said "Everything is meaningless." That pretty much describes the college bowl season for the most part. Since they created 243 bowl games at the end of the season and created the BCS, they're all meaningless. There's no watching multiple games to see who will win and lose, and who will end up ranked #1. There's only one game now that matters at all, and that is the championship game - which I'm looking forward to this year because I think it might actually be a game instead of another blowout.
However, this year there was one other game that I was interested in, because I thought it, too, would be a good game to watch. And if you're an LSU fan, it was. That game was the Peach Bowl tonight - LSU vs Miami. Two good teams, you expect a good game. Unfortunately, it was a 40-3 blowout by LSU. Miami drove all the way down the field on their first drive, and then didn't show up for the rest of the game. They didn't have a first down the last 40 minutes of the game. That's just sad. Plus, they couldn't stop LSU. LSU was scoring at will.
So, I was wanting LSU to win, so that was good, but I still was looking forward to a better game. Once again, though, just another meaningless game.
However, this year there was one other game that I was interested in, because I thought it, too, would be a good game to watch. And if you're an LSU fan, it was. That game was the Peach Bowl tonight - LSU vs Miami. Two good teams, you expect a good game. Unfortunately, it was a 40-3 blowout by LSU. Miami drove all the way down the field on their first drive, and then didn't show up for the rest of the game. They didn't have a first down the last 40 minutes of the game. That's just sad. Plus, they couldn't stop LSU. LSU was scoring at will.
So, I was wanting LSU to win, so that was good, but I still was looking forward to a better game. Once again, though, just another meaningless game.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
The Year In Sports 2005
This post is not the sports year in review according to me. Duke did not win the national championship in basketball in 2005, so there's really nothing to review. However, much funnier than anything I would write is the sports year in review according to The Onion. So here are some highlights, links and other Onion sports headlines.
First is The Onion's 2005 Year In Review - Individual Sports. It wasn't as humorous to me, since I'm not into individual sports except for tennis, but there was one highlight:
So, there you have it. Hopefully, this time next year I'll be writing an entire "year in review" post on the 4th national championship won by the Duke Blue Devils.
First is The Onion's 2005 Year In Review - Individual Sports. It wasn't as humorous to me, since I'm not into individual sports except for tennis, but there was one highlight:
Dec. 13 - Power forward Ron Artest, formerly of the Indiana Pacers, announces his intention to play basketball all by himself for the rest of his career.And the highlights from the 2005 Year In Review - Team Sports:
Apr. 5 - The Baylor women's basketball team defeats Michigan State to win the NCAA women's championship, showing the nation and their own university what a Baylor team can do when it works hard, plays as a team, and does not conspire to murder one another.Now, some other stories and headlines I found hilarious:
Aug. 1 - Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice makes a preseason promise that the character and behavior of the players on this years' team will soon make the fans forget the shameful off-field antics of Randy Moss. (my personal favorite)
Oct. 17 - NBA Commissioner David Stern announces that he is implementing an especially strict dress code for himself, including tailored Italian suits, handmade silk ties, custom-crafted leather shoes, and wafer-thin gold or platinum Patek Philippe watches. Financial aid is made available to allow less-affluent commissioners to conform to the new rules, violation of which is punishable by three weeks off with pay.
Nov. 27 - Punter Jeff Feagles becomes football's "Iron Man," having played every fourth down of 283 consecutive NFL games. When asked to comment on the difficulty of such a streak, former Oriole Cal Ripken Jr. asked reporters who Jeff Feagles was, snorting derisively, shaking his head, and sauntering aimlessly away upon finding out Feagles is a punter.
Dec. 8 - Anxiety for the 2006 World Cup begins early for the United States, who cross their fingers before the seeding and pray they are not matched up against a soccer-mad powerhouse European, South American, Asian, or African team in the first round. Feelings are mixed but generally gloomy when their first opponent turns out to be the Czech Republic.
Dec. 11 - The Houston Texans, searching desperately for a way to improve and threatened by the potential for awfulness displayed by the Green Bay Packers, voluntarily forfeit the remainder of the 2005 season in order to draft Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush of USC.
Dec. 12 - USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush announces that he has done much soul-searching and has decided to stay in school in order to complete his college degree, lead the Trojans to another national championship, and avoid playing for the Houston Texans.
Threat Of Catching Olympic Fever At An All-Time LowAnd a few headlines from the sports ticker:
Terrell Owens Pre-Emptively Disparages Next Contract
Quarterback Has Normal, Healthy Son
NBA Playoffs Interrupted By NBA Preseason (my personal favorite)
Pony-Wanting Ron Artest To Be On Best Behavior Till Christmas
Joe Namath Guarnatees He'll Lose Battle With Alcoholism
Several Gearing Up For 2006 Winter Olympics
NFL To Fine First Team To Beat Colts
Pacifist Linebacker Dodges NFL Draft
Jerry Rice's 8-year-old Son: 'Playing Catch With My Dad Is The Most Stressful Part Of My Day'
Scottie Pippen's Retired Jersey Number Hung Directly Behind Michael Jordan's (my personal favorite)
Eagles Fans Long For Days When Inevitable Playoff Elimination Happened During Playoffs
So, there you have it. Hopefully, this time next year I'll be writing an entire "year in review" post on the 4th national championship won by the Duke Blue Devils.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
And Joseph said, "Why me?"
Joseph, son of Jacob, soon-to-be husband of Mary, first appears in the first chapter of Matthew, when, after finding out that Mary was pregnant, is considering what to do next.
I guess it's natural that, being male, I wonder more about Joseph than Mary. I think of my own reaction. Or at least I try. The incarnation is impossible for me to fully understand, so trying to fathom being chosen to be the father of God while he's living on earth as one of us is also mind-blowing. Two modern Christmas songs give a voice to Joseph, expressing what could have been some of his thoughts during this time.
Michael Card's "Joseph's Song" has Joseph wondering "how can it be" that I'm holding the Son of God in my arms. "How can I, just a man, be excected to raise a King, the very Son of God?? Even so, while he's not my biological child, I pray that I will love him like my own." Michael Card is one of my favorite songwriter's, and this is one of my favorites of his. Joseph was, I suspect, no different than any other man. If he were to ask questions, I suspect they would be something like these, the very ones we would think to ask, too.
The group 4 Him also recorded a song which ponders Joseph's response to the incarnation itself. In "A Strange Way To Save The World", the writers have Joseph (as the title would suggest) questioning why God chose to come in such an unusual way. "If he had come in a way more appropriate for the King of Kings, the Lord of the universe, then there would've been no need for an inn or a manger. Shepherds wouldn't have been notified first. And there wouldn't even have been a need for common folks like Mary and myself. But who am I to question God's methods?" Again, more things that I probably would've wondered about as well.
It probably didn't make sense to Joseph. It doesn't make sense to me - God leaving heaven to come to earth, and especially in the manner he chose to do so. It doesn't make sense for a man to be father to the one who's Father is God. But it happened, and as strange as it was, we are saved because He came. God was with us.
These songs are among my very favorite songs related to the birth of Christ.
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.We are given no words from Joseph's mouth in scripture. We are only given a little information about him at all, and nothing after a few events related to Jesus' birth, his first year or two, and then once when he was twelve. I've sometimes wondered what he really thought about all of this. Most of the time we see him in Matthew and Luke, he's being spoken to by an angel. "It's okay - marry her." "Go to Egypt." "Okay, you can come back now." But nothing is recorded to tell us what Joseph said in response, or what he might have been thinking in response. All we know is that he obeyed.
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus - "God saves' - because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this - a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Emmanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 (The Message)
I guess it's natural that, being male, I wonder more about Joseph than Mary. I think of my own reaction. Or at least I try. The incarnation is impossible for me to fully understand, so trying to fathom being chosen to be the father of God while he's living on earth as one of us is also mind-blowing. Two modern Christmas songs give a voice to Joseph, expressing what could have been some of his thoughts during this time.
Michael Card's "Joseph's Song" has Joseph wondering "how can it be" that I'm holding the Son of God in my arms. "How can I, just a man, be excected to raise a King, the very Son of God?? Even so, while he's not my biological child, I pray that I will love him like my own." Michael Card is one of my favorite songwriter's, and this is one of my favorites of his. Joseph was, I suspect, no different than any other man. If he were to ask questions, I suspect they would be something like these, the very ones we would think to ask, too.
The group 4 Him also recorded a song which ponders Joseph's response to the incarnation itself. In "A Strange Way To Save The World", the writers have Joseph (as the title would suggest) questioning why God chose to come in such an unusual way. "If he had come in a way more appropriate for the King of Kings, the Lord of the universe, then there would've been no need for an inn or a manger. Shepherds wouldn't have been notified first. And there wouldn't even have been a need for common folks like Mary and myself. But who am I to question God's methods?" Again, more things that I probably would've wondered about as well.
It probably didn't make sense to Joseph. It doesn't make sense to me - God leaving heaven to come to earth, and especially in the manner he chose to do so. It doesn't make sense for a man to be father to the one who's Father is God. But it happened, and as strange as it was, we are saved because He came. God was with us.
These songs are among my very favorite songs related to the birth of Christ.
Joseph's Song words & music by Michael Card How could it be this baby in my arms Sleeping now, so peacefully The Son of God, the angel said How could it be Lord I know He's not my own Not of my flesh, not of my bone Still Father let this baby be The son of my love Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours How can a man be father to the Son of God Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter How can I raise a king, How can I raise a king He looks so small, His face and hands so fair And when He cries the sun just seems to disappear But when He laughs it shines again How could it be | A Strange Way To Save The World words & music by Dave Clark, Mark Harris & Don Koch I'm sure he must have been surprised At where this road had taken him 'Cause never in a million lives Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem. And standing at the manger He saw with his own eyes The message from the angel come to life. And Joseph said... Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade? Why Him with all the rulers in the world? Why here inside this stable filled with hay? Why her, she's just an ordinary girl? Now, I'm not one to second guess What angel's have to say. But this is such a strange way to save the world. To think of how it could have been If Jesus had come as He deserved. There would have been no Bethlehem No lowly shepherds at His birth. But Joseph knew the reason the love Had to reach so far And as he held the Savior in his arms He must have thought... Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade? Why Him with all the rulers in the world? Why here inside this stable filled with hay? Why her, she's just an ordinary girl? Now, I'm not one to second guess What angel's have to say. But this is such a strange way to save the world. Now, I'm not one to second guess What angel's have to say. But this is such a strange way to save the world. This is such a strange way, Such a strange way, Such a strange way To save the world. |
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Jesus at Wal-Mart
Okay, here's the deal: I'm really tired of all of the nonsense about "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Christmas." Why? Because it's stupid.
It seems to get worse every year. I mentioned in a recent post some news stories regarding certain retail stores choosing "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas", others choosing to not allow the Salvation Army outside of their stores, and the President sending out cards using "holiday" instead of "Christmas". And of course, Christians all over the country are bent out of shape about these things, including boycotting certain stores. It seems that some people feel that it is our right - as Christians, or as Americans, or maybe both - to have "Merry Christmas" and reminders of Jesus' birth visible everywhere we go. The idea seems to be that people should be forced to recognize Christmas (as a religious holiday) whether they want to or not.
Now, I'll admit - I don't get it from the other side, either. I don't know why people are so intent on removing Merry Christmas. The fact is, Christmas is as much a secular holiday as a religious one, perhaps more so. The average person, at the mention of Christmas, probably thinks of Santa Claus, decorated trees and gift-giving before the birth of Jesus comes to mind. So I personally don't understand why people would be so offended by it to begin with. If I walked into Best Buy and saw a "Happy Hannakuh" sign, I simply wouldn't care.
Also, I realize it's a cultural thing, too. Whether religious or secular, most middle-aged and older folks in this country grew up with Christmas all around them in December. Christmas trees, decorations, Santa and reindeer - it was all there. And if some of that is taken away, or toned down to some degree, it just doesn't seem right. Christmas has changed. But that's not really what the boycotters are objecting to - they say that Christ is being taken out of Christmas. It's a religious issue.
My question is this, though: from a Christian perspective, what do these things really mean? How is the church's mission impacted by them? Nobody is telling churches to stop celebrating Jesus' birth. If Wal-Mart fails to display "Merry Christmas" banners, if the Salvation Army isn't ringing their (exceptionally annoying) bells outside of Target, and if their employees, as well as the President, don't wish us a merry Christmas, are we destined for failure? Are large numbers of people coming into a relationship with Christ at local discount retailers every December that I'm unaware of? What is the message of Christmas, anyway - "God with us" or "Merry Christmas from Wal-Mart"? Whose job is it to recognize and celebrate Jesus' birth and share His story with others - Target or the church?
I suspect most people going shopping in December aren't looking for Jesus. They're looking for stuff to buy, and on occasion they're fighting one another to do so. Again, as I said in the earlier post, don't we have better things to do than complain and boycott? More important things to do? Is it any wonder we so often have a bad image among unbelievers?
Instead of spending so much time and energy making our objections over holiday policies known to retailers, maybe we should be spending that time and energy making Jesus known to the world, and doing so without embarrassing him.
It seems to get worse every year. I mentioned in a recent post some news stories regarding certain retail stores choosing "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas", others choosing to not allow the Salvation Army outside of their stores, and the President sending out cards using "holiday" instead of "Christmas". And of course, Christians all over the country are bent out of shape about these things, including boycotting certain stores. It seems that some people feel that it is our right - as Christians, or as Americans, or maybe both - to have "Merry Christmas" and reminders of Jesus' birth visible everywhere we go. The idea seems to be that people should be forced to recognize Christmas (as a religious holiday) whether they want to or not.
Now, I'll admit - I don't get it from the other side, either. I don't know why people are so intent on removing Merry Christmas. The fact is, Christmas is as much a secular holiday as a religious one, perhaps more so. The average person, at the mention of Christmas, probably thinks of Santa Claus, decorated trees and gift-giving before the birth of Jesus comes to mind. So I personally don't understand why people would be so offended by it to begin with. If I walked into Best Buy and saw a "Happy Hannakuh" sign, I simply wouldn't care.
Also, I realize it's a cultural thing, too. Whether religious or secular, most middle-aged and older folks in this country grew up with Christmas all around them in December. Christmas trees, decorations, Santa and reindeer - it was all there. And if some of that is taken away, or toned down to some degree, it just doesn't seem right. Christmas has changed. But that's not really what the boycotters are objecting to - they say that Christ is being taken out of Christmas. It's a religious issue.
My question is this, though: from a Christian perspective, what do these things really mean? How is the church's mission impacted by them? Nobody is telling churches to stop celebrating Jesus' birth. If Wal-Mart fails to display "Merry Christmas" banners, if the Salvation Army isn't ringing their (exceptionally annoying) bells outside of Target, and if their employees, as well as the President, don't wish us a merry Christmas, are we destined for failure? Are large numbers of people coming into a relationship with Christ at local discount retailers every December that I'm unaware of? What is the message of Christmas, anyway - "God with us" or "Merry Christmas from Wal-Mart"? Whose job is it to recognize and celebrate Jesus' birth and share His story with others - Target or the church?
I suspect most people going shopping in December aren't looking for Jesus. They're looking for stuff to buy, and on occasion they're fighting one another to do so. Again, as I said in the earlier post, don't we have better things to do than complain and boycott? More important things to do? Is it any wonder we so often have a bad image among unbelievers?
Instead of spending so much time and energy making our objections over holiday policies known to retailers, maybe we should be spending that time and energy making Jesus known to the world, and doing so without embarrassing him.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Ted Dekker's books
I don't really read a whole lot of fiction. I usually get in a "fiction zone" and read several books in a short time, but then don't read any for a long time after that. And only once have I read a book by an author that caused me to anticipate everything he or she released. That was about 15 years ago, when someone recommended I read This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Since then, I've anticipated all of his books and have read everything he has released (except his most recent, Monster, which is still on my "to read" shelf.) No other fiction author have I been as interested in reading as I was him, until just recently.
About two years ago, someone recommended to me the novel THR3E by a guy I'd never heard of, Ted Dekker. I looked it up, read a review or two, and it sounded good, so I gave it a shot. I loved it. I was immediately a Ted Dekker fan.
I next read his previous novel, Blink, and then, in 2004, he released The Circle Trilog
y (Black, Red, White), which told a story via three books released over the course of the year. The Circle Trilogy was excellent. Just today, while at home sick, I've started reading Obsessed, which was released earlier this year, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I'm a few chapters in and already finding it difficult to put down. He also released his first non-fiction book this year titled The Slumber of Christianity, which I've also not yet read, but have waiting on my shelf.
So, today I went to Ted's website for the first time in months and realized he has two new books due out in the coming months. In January, he's releasing Showdown. It is, like his other books, a story about good vs evil and I'll likely be reading it soon.
However, what I'm really excited about is coming in April. It's the book titled House, and he has co-authored it with none other than Frank Peretti. It's billed as a "supernatural thriller" and I can't imagine it not being excellent with these two guys behind it. You can check out the video trailer here.
If you haven't read any of Ted Dekker's books, but like good, suspenseful fiction, I highly recommdend them.
Also found a link on Dekker's website to an article called "Why do heathens make the best Christian films?" by Thom Parham, which discusses why most of the films which successfully incorporate Christian themes are made by non-Christians. Very interesting.
P.S. Just found out here that THR3E is being made into a movie.
About two years ago, someone recommended to me the novel THR3E by a guy I'd never heard of, Ted Dekker. I looked it up, read a review or two, and it sounded good, so I gave it a shot. I loved it. I was immediately a Ted Dekker fan.
I next read his previous novel, Blink, and then, in 2004, he released The Circle Trilog
y (Black, Red, White), which told a story via three books released over the course of the year. The Circle Trilogy was excellent. Just today, while at home sick, I've started reading Obsessed, which was released earlier this year, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I'm a few chapters in and already finding it difficult to put down. He also released his first non-fiction book this year titled The Slumber of Christianity, which I've also not yet read, but have waiting on my shelf.So, today I went to Ted's website for the first time in months and realized he has two new books due out in the coming months. In January, he's releasing Showdown. It is, like his other books, a story about good vs evil and I'll likely be reading it soon.
However, what I'm really excited about is coming in April. It's the book titled House, and he has co-authored it with none other than Frank Peretti. It's billed as a "supernatural thriller" and I can't imagine it not being excellent with these two guys behind it. You can check out the video trailer here.
If you haven't read any of Ted Dekker's books, but like good, suspenseful fiction, I highly recommdend them.
Also found a link on Dekker's website to an article called "Why do heathens make the best Christian films?" by Thom Parham, which discusses why most of the films which successfully incorporate Christian themes are made by non-Christians. Very interesting.
P.S. Just found out here that THR3E is being made into a movie.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Dropping like a rock
I just finished watching the Texas - Tennessee game. No, not football. That would normally be a good game, although this year would've likely been a Texas blowout. That's pretty much what I expected on the basketball court today, too. The basketball Horns were #2 just a week ago before being blown out by #1 Duke on national television. So, I expected them to come back against an unranked Tennesee team today and run them out of Austin. Instead, they were blown out again. Not quite as bad - only 17. But they were down as many as 25, and 20+ during most of the 2nd half. Texas ranking will drop like a rock this week. They need to get it together fast - they have to go to Memphis to play a very good Tiger team on January 2nd. They can't afford to lose all of their big games this preseason. Is Rick Barnes coaching them, or Mack Brown??
Long Journey Home
There's a good article on U2 by Paul Mitchel worth reading here at Charles Colson's BreakPoint site.
Long Journey Home
There's a good article on U2 by Paul Mitchel worth reading here at Charles Colson's BreakPoint site.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Top 7 Christmas movies
After watching It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle On 34th Street this week, I was thinking about my favorite movies that always show up this time of year. So, I decided to list my favorite holiday movies - well, I'm not limiting this strictly to movies, but am also including the Christmas specials you see on television every year as well. (By the way, I chose 7 because that's my favorite number.) These are the shows everyone should watch every year, in my opinion. I've seen all except one so far this year.
7. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The Grinch was (and still is) a little creepy, but this was always fun to watch. He's angry, mean, maybe evil, and he does everything he can to stop the Who's from enjoying Christmas. But he realizes, as they arise and sing on Christmas morning, that Christmas isn't about all of the gifts or food or decorations, and he is transformed. And for some reason I've always loved the song that the Who's sing at the end on Christmas morning.
6. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
I loved this one as a child, even though the Abominable Snowman always frightened me when I was very young. I remember how great I always thought it was to see the reindeer and sleigh take off at the end with Rudolph leading the way. He was different, and an outcast, but they all found out that he had something to offer after all. I love watching my kids watch it now.
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
You can't help but feel sympathy for Charlie Brown. But as he struggles with the meaning of Christmas and it's commercialism, Linus comes through with a fantastic scene where he recites the Christmas story from scripture. One of my favorite Christmas program moments.
4. Miracle on 34th street (1947)
Crazy old man thinks he's Santa Claus. A woman and her little girl don't believe in Santa Claus. A good story about believing, having faith - even when it goes against common sense.
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley are both just fantastic in this movie. I remember a few years back it seemed It's A Wonderful Life played every day during December, and they finally cut it back. Now it's this movie that seems to be on constantly. And I'll sit and watch at least part of it every time I find it on.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
My favorite Chevy Chase movie will always be Fletch. But this is certainly one of his very best, and better than the other Vacation movies as well. There's nothing quite like Christmas with the Griswald's.
1. It's A Wonderful life (1946)
You just can't get any better than this. I've actually not seen many Jimmy Stewart movies, but I can't imagine him being any better than he was in this one. He thought he was poor, with the money having disappeared, but realizes he's rich in the things that really matter. Even more so than he imagined. My favorite line is still at the end: "To my brother George, the richest man in town."
I watched the documentary on the DVD this year and learned that this didn't really become a classic until the early 70's (it was largely forgotten about after it left theaters in the late-40's). When the copyright ran out, stations could show it all they wanted without paying royalty's, so it started getting a lot of airtime, and now we can't imagine Christmas without it.
Getting ready for 2006
Check out Greg Taylor's post regarding some tools to use in 2006. All 3 of his suggestions look like very good resources.
7. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The Grinch was (and still is) a little creepy, but this was always fun to watch. He's angry, mean, maybe evil, and he does everything he can to stop the Who's from enjoying Christmas. But he realizes, as they arise and sing on Christmas morning, that Christmas isn't about all of the gifts or food or decorations, and he is transformed. And for some reason I've always loved the song that the Who's sing at the end on Christmas morning.
6. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
I loved this one as a child, even though the Abominable Snowman always frightened me when I was very young. I remember how great I always thought it was to see the reindeer and sleigh take off at the end with Rudolph leading the way. He was different, and an outcast, but they all found out that he had something to offer after all. I love watching my kids watch it now.
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
You can't help but feel sympathy for Charlie Brown. But as he struggles with the meaning of Christmas and it's commercialism, Linus comes through with a fantastic scene where he recites the Christmas story from scripture. One of my favorite Christmas program moments.
4. Miracle on 34th street (1947)
Crazy old man thinks he's Santa Claus. A woman and her little girl don't believe in Santa Claus. A good story about believing, having faith - even when it goes against common sense.
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley are both just fantastic in this movie. I remember a few years back it seemed It's A Wonderful Life played every day during December, and they finally cut it back. Now it's this movie that seems to be on constantly. And I'll sit and watch at least part of it every time I find it on.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
My favorite Chevy Chase movie will always be Fletch. But this is certainly one of his very best, and better than the other Vacation movies as well. There's nothing quite like Christmas with the Griswald's.
1. It's A Wonderful life (1946)
You just can't get any better than this. I've actually not seen many Jimmy Stewart movies, but I can't imagine him being any better than he was in this one. He thought he was poor, with the money having disappeared, but realizes he's rich in the things that really matter. Even more so than he imagined. My favorite line is still at the end: "To my brother George, the richest man in town."
I watched the documentary on the DVD this year and learned that this didn't really become a classic until the early 70's (it was largely forgotten about after it left theaters in the late-40's). When the copyright ran out, stations could show it all they wanted without paying royalty's, so it started getting a lot of airtime, and now we can't imagine Christmas without it.
Getting ready for 2006
Check out Greg Taylor's post regarding some tools to use in 2006. All 3 of his suggestions look like very good resources.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Answering the question
One of the things I've learned in the last six-and-a-half years is that your children can ask really hard questions. Sometimes that's because they are questions you don't know the answer to. Sometimes it's because it's difficult to explain the answer to them in a way that they will understand. Then there are questions like the one I was asked last night.
It was one of those times where you have to answer a question that you just don't want to answer. I was sitting there merrily watching Miracle On 34th Street and my 6-year-old daughter was busy with her crayons and a coloring book. She was only halfway paying attention to the movie, but it was just enough to ask the question I didn't want to hear. As best as I can recall, she'd never asked this question before, at least not to me.
The movie, of course, is about a man who presents himself as the one-and-only Santa Claus and those around him trying to determine what they believe about him. My daughter asked a few questions from time to time: "Is that Santa Claus?", "Is he really Santa?", "Why isn't he wearing his [Santa] clothes?" and things of that nature. I guess I should've seen it coming, and maybe I did, but was hoping that it wouldn't.
There are several occasions where the characters are discussing the existence of Santa Claus and whether this man calling himself Kris Kringle is actually him. During one of those scenes, may daughter finally did it, looking over at me and dropping this baby on me:
Technically, there is (or was) a Saint Nicolas. So if I answered yes, I would sort of be telling the truth. The man from which the Santa Claus legend grew was, in fact, real. However, the Santa Claus legend we know today is just that - a legend. There's not really a man flying all over the world in a sleigh led by reindeer who leaves presents at everyone's home. So to answer the question she was asking, the answer had to be no.
So, I paused briefly, and then I reluctantly nodded my head. "There is??" she asked excitedly, trying to hold back a smile until I confirmed it again. I nodded again. She then went back to coloring, grinning from ear to ear. I went back to watching the movie but not feeling very good about telling her something that wasn't true.
I grew up believing in Santa Claus. And the Easter Bunny. And the Tooth Fairy (who, incidentally, had just paid a visit to our house two nights earlier.) My parents let me believe. Perhaps I asked them the same question at some point, and maybe they answered the same way I did. However, Christmas with Santa Claus was a lot of fun - anxiously waiting for the day to arrive, finding it impossible to sleep on Christmas Eve, and then discovering the gifts under (or at least near) the tree the next morning. I finally discovered the truth one year when, because I suspected I knew the truth already, I crept out of my bedroom, down the hallway, and into the kitchen - just enough so that I could see into our living room - where I saw my mother stuffing our stockings. Aaaa-haaaa!!
It was not really a big disappointment by that time. I didn't flee the house, running out into the winter's night lamenting the fact that there was no Santa Claus, or jump out and angrily expose my parent's deception, or think less of them for "lying" to me all of those years. I just went back to bed, now knowing for certain the truth about Santa. I think it was actually a bigger disappointment for my oldest sister, who tried to convince me otherwise. I am the youngest of four, so I was the last one to stop believing. When I stopped, the Santa charade was over at our house (until we started having our own kids.) She still enjoyed it, I suppose, and wanted it to continue. But I would have none of it.
In the end, I guess I look at it this way: I grew up believing these things, and I turned out pretty normal (or at least that's my opinion - others may dispute that.) I'm intelligent enough to realize this was a fun part of being a child and I don't have any "emotional scars" because of it. I trust that my children will be smart enough to understand this as well, and someday will be up late on Christmas Eve arranging presents around the tree for their own children, eating the cookies and milk along the way.
The thing that I'm trying to do for my kids, which I did not hear about as often while growing up, is to share more about the real Christmas story, the one we find in Matthew and Luke. There are some things we must outgrow - Santa being one of them. Jesus, on the other hand, will always be a part of Christmas.
It was one of those times where you have to answer a question that you just don't want to answer. I was sitting there merrily watching Miracle On 34th Street and my 6-year-old daughter was busy with her crayons and a coloring book. She was only halfway paying attention to the movie, but it was just enough to ask the question I didn't want to hear. As best as I can recall, she'd never asked this question before, at least not to me.
The movie, of course, is about a man who presents himself as the one-and-only Santa Claus and those around him trying to determine what they believe about him. My daughter asked a few questions from time to time: "Is that Santa Claus?", "Is he really Santa?", "Why isn't he wearing his [Santa] clothes?" and things of that nature. I guess I should've seen it coming, and maybe I did, but was hoping that it wouldn't.
There are several occasions where the characters are discussing the existence of Santa Claus and whether this man calling himself Kris Kringle is actually him. During one of those scenes, may daughter finally did it, looking over at me and dropping this baby on me:
"Daddy, is there really a Santa Claus?"Have you seen those commercials where people do something stupid and the voice-over says, "Ever want to just get away?" or something like that? Well, I hadn't done anything stupid, but I did want to get away. I was hoping for a reprieve - the phone would ring, the electricity would go out, Jesus would come back - something, anything, to avoid answering the question.
Technically, there is (or was) a Saint Nicolas. So if I answered yes, I would sort of be telling the truth. The man from which the Santa Claus legend grew was, in fact, real. However, the Santa Claus legend we know today is just that - a legend. There's not really a man flying all over the world in a sleigh led by reindeer who leaves presents at everyone's home. So to answer the question she was asking, the answer had to be no.
So, I paused briefly, and then I reluctantly nodded my head. "There is??" she asked excitedly, trying to hold back a smile until I confirmed it again. I nodded again. She then went back to coloring, grinning from ear to ear. I went back to watching the movie but not feeling very good about telling her something that wasn't true.
I grew up believing in Santa Claus. And the Easter Bunny. And the Tooth Fairy (who, incidentally, had just paid a visit to our house two nights earlier.) My parents let me believe. Perhaps I asked them the same question at some point, and maybe they answered the same way I did. However, Christmas with Santa Claus was a lot of fun - anxiously waiting for the day to arrive, finding it impossible to sleep on Christmas Eve, and then discovering the gifts under (or at least near) the tree the next morning. I finally discovered the truth one year when, because I suspected I knew the truth already, I crept out of my bedroom, down the hallway, and into the kitchen - just enough so that I could see into our living room - where I saw my mother stuffing our stockings. Aaaa-haaaa!!
It was not really a big disappointment by that time. I didn't flee the house, running out into the winter's night lamenting the fact that there was no Santa Claus, or jump out and angrily expose my parent's deception, or think less of them for "lying" to me all of those years. I just went back to bed, now knowing for certain the truth about Santa. I think it was actually a bigger disappointment for my oldest sister, who tried to convince me otherwise. I am the youngest of four, so I was the last one to stop believing. When I stopped, the Santa charade was over at our house (until we started having our own kids.) She still enjoyed it, I suppose, and wanted it to continue. But I would have none of it.
In the end, I guess I look at it this way: I grew up believing these things, and I turned out pretty normal (or at least that's my opinion - others may dispute that.) I'm intelligent enough to realize this was a fun part of being a child and I don't have any "emotional scars" because of it. I trust that my children will be smart enough to understand this as well, and someday will be up late on Christmas Eve arranging presents around the tree for their own children, eating the cookies and milk along the way.
The thing that I'm trying to do for my kids, which I did not hear about as often while growing up, is to share more about the real Christmas story, the one we find in Matthew and Luke. There are some things we must outgrow - Santa being one of them. Jesus, on the other hand, will always be a part of Christmas.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Texas-sized blowout
They say things are bigger in Texas. So I guess it was fitting that when #2 Texas lost to #1 Duke today, it was a BIG loss - to the tune of 97-66. I was just hoping for a Duke win. I've admitted they ha
ven't looked great in their last couple of games. But I thought they would definitely come to play today, and had a good chance to win. However, a 31-point win was not in my wildest dreams.
A lot of people seemed to start doubting Duke a couple of weeks ago when they had a close game with unranked Drexel in the NIT semifinals. However, I thought Drexel showed they were a pretty good team in that game and in nearly beating a ranked UCLA team in the consolation game. The questions continued after Indiana's Marco Killingsworth had a monster game against Duke (although he failed to score in last 7:30 of the game). Duke still won the game in a hostile environment. Then came Virginia Tech this past Sunday. Unranked, they basically beat Duke, but Sean Dockery's miracle at the buzzer saved the day. And then a less-than-stellar offensive performance against Penn on Wednesday had nearly everyone outside the Duke camp expecting a Texas win this afternoon.
Including John Frascella. In his article "Duke No. 1? Not For Long", written for the UConn Daily Campus, he attempts to break down Duke and implies they're not worthy of being at the top right now (hmm... I wonder who he'd vote #1?). In his comments on the Indiana game, he points out that Shelden Williams was outplayed by Killingsworth and fouled out late in the game, but neglected to mention Williams' big plays down the stretch that helped win that game. He closes his article with the following:
I was thinking this morning about how this Duke team is quite a bit different than the Duke teams of years past. How they aren't going to be the type of team that blows everyone away like teams in years past, especially the teams from 1998-2001, who regularly ended games by halftime. And I think that's still true, despite the fact that they DID hammer a very good team today.
A lot of people have doubted them. A lot of people questioned their #1 ranking. And they will lose games - the ACC will be as tough as usual, and they still have a few non-conference games with some good teams as well. But I think they came out today to make a statement, that despite the doubt and the questions, they are a good team worthy of being ranked where they are.
And by the way, do not expect a changing of the guard at the top of the college basketball rankings just yet.
ven't looked great in their last couple of games. But I thought they would definitely come to play today, and had a good chance to win. However, a 31-point win was not in my wildest dreams.A lot of people seemed to start doubting Duke a couple of weeks ago when they had a close game with unranked Drexel in the NIT semifinals. However, I thought Drexel showed they were a pretty good team in that game and in nearly beating a ranked UCLA team in the consolation game. The questions continued after Indiana's Marco Killingsworth had a monster game against Duke (although he failed to score in last 7:30 of the game). Duke still won the game in a hostile environment. Then came Virginia Tech this past Sunday. Unranked, they basically beat Duke, but Sean Dockery's miracle at the buzzer saved the day. And then a less-than-stellar offensive performance against Penn on Wednesday had nearly everyone outside the Duke camp expecting a Texas win this afternoon.
Including John Frascella. In his article "Duke No. 1? Not For Long", written for the UConn Daily Campus, he attempts to break down Duke and implies they're not worthy of being at the top right now (hmm... I wonder who he'd vote #1?). In his comments on the Indiana game, he points out that Shelden Williams was outplayed by Killingsworth and fouled out late in the game, but neglected to mention Williams' big plays down the stretch that helped win that game. He closes his article with the following:
"Duke will need other players to step up offensively to take the pressure off Redick and Williams. Duke plays No. 2 Texas this weekend - expect a changing of the guard at the top of the college basketball rankings."Let's see... Redick had 41 today, and Williams added 23. That's 64 points. Texas scored 66. I guess they only needed the rest of the team to step up with 3 today (but they ended up with 33 instead). I do see his point, though, and would agree they need the other guys to step up, but they are and will continue to do more so as the year goes on. Plus, they've been without DeMarcus Nelson - they're #3 scorer - since the first half of the Drexel game. In time, they'll be okay.
I was thinking this morning about how this Duke team is quite a bit different than the Duke teams of years past. How they aren't going to be the type of team that blows everyone away like teams in years past, especially the teams from 1998-2001, who regularly ended games by halftime. And I think that's still true, despite the fact that they DID hammer a very good team today.
A lot of people have doubted them. A lot of people questioned their #1 ranking. And they will lose games - the ACC will be as tough as usual, and they still have a few non-conference games with some good teams as well. But I think they came out today to make a statement, that despite the doubt and the questions, they are a good team worthy of being ranked where they are.
And by the way, do not expect a changing of the guard at the top of the college basketball rankings just yet.
Friday, December 09, 2005
What we look like
I just finished reading Robert Lewis' book The Church of Irresistible Influence, which is a book about how the church can build bridges to the community around them. He uses his own church, Fellowship Bible Church here in Little Rock, as an example, basically, and in some ways is telling the story of how FBC came from it's beginning in the late-70's to where it is today. I had a particular interest in this book since we've been visiting FBC recently.
In the final chapter, which I would describe as a "what next" chapter, he comments on where the church is today, and how we've lost what we once had in engaging the community. He quotes John Stott, who explains that in 18th and 19th centuries, churches were more connected to their communities than most churches are today. Then, Stott says, something changed. Basically, after World War I, churches for the most part turned inward - seeking to serve each other and "defend the faith" instead of serving the community in which they existed, and that this is, for the most part, where we still are today. Stott also offers several reasons why he believes this happened, which I won't go into. However, following this, Lewis states:
Just last night I saw a report about various conservative Christians getting all worked up because the Christmas cards the White House sent out didn't say "Merry Christmas." I'm hearing of boycotts of various retailers who are using "Happy Holidays" instead. And there's the whole Target-Salvation Army thing that continues from last year. When I see this stuff, I can't help but think, don't these people have anything better to do? Instead of complaining about what they see as an injustice, perhaps they could be out doing something about real injustices.
So, the question: why does the world see the church the way it does? One final quote from Lewis:
In the last part of the chapter, Lewis offers three tips on what we must change, which I will comment on later, but I think this is one of the most important things the church of today must reflect on and, indeed, must change. We must show the world again what it means to follow Jesus, who was our great example in being a servant to those around him. If we can't show them, then why would we expect them to listen to anything we say?
In the final chapter, which I would describe as a "what next" chapter, he comments on where the church is today, and how we've lost what we once had in engaging the community. He quotes John Stott, who explains that in 18th and 19th centuries, churches were more connected to their communities than most churches are today. Then, Stott says, something changed. Basically, after World War I, churches for the most part turned inward - seeking to serve each other and "defend the faith" instead of serving the community in which they existed, and that this is, for the most part, where we still are today. Stott also offers several reasons why he believes this happened, which I won't go into. However, following this, Lewis states:
Whether one agrees with any or all of Stott's analysis, the point remains: the evangelical church at the beginning of this century finds itself postured much differently than it was a hundred years ago. Our rich heritage of influencing society through humble acts of charity, strategic community concern, and sacrificial works of service has been largely forsaken and has been replaced by a one sided gospel of proclamation. As one evangelical pastor recently confessed to me, "This good works stuff in the community is new to me. I'm just not comfortable with it."I think this accurately describes many, probably most, churches today. We are to live in the world, but not of the world. But, it seems we're most often doing neither. We've separated ourselves too much from the world, to the point of having little impact on it. Some point to the Christian subculture - sometimes called the "Christian ghetto" - that has been created for us as proof. Christian music, Christian TV, Christian bookstores, Christian record and publishing companies, and on and on. We are losing touch with the rest of the world. Lewis later says the following:
We have focused on the Word to the exclusion of the greater and more powerful reality of "making the Word flesh." In this posture, the evangelical church finds itself, not surprisingly, disconnected from the real world. We are isolated, self-absorbed, and socially uninvolved. ... As people who pride themselves in their loyalty to Scripture, how can we ignore the call to good works in the community that the Bible so emphatically exhorts us to?
My fear is that most evangelicals will consider the call [to build bridges] as simply too high, the work too great, the climb too steep, the change required too drastic. But if we do go on as we are, soothing our consciences with a contemporary face-lift, we can and must expect a further disintegration, not only in our influence but in two things essential to our future: our name and our perspective. The Bible says, "A good name is more desirable than great riches" (Proverbs 22: 1). Names are summaries. They come to embody all that is or isn't about a. person or group, true or false, real or imagined. They also carry in them the powerful weight o£ emotion that ignites when a name is mentioned. That's why the Bible, as well as any good marketer, holds up the high value of a name.He says that we may call ourselves by different names - Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc. - but that the most important one is "the one by which we are called." What do people outside of the church call us? He submits the primary name people think of is "the Religious Right." It is a name which brings to mind "non-loving confrontations, judgmental pronouncements, and self-righteous invitations to be more like us" and he compares us to the Pharisees of the first century - "Smug. Right. Rigid. Vocal. Demanding. Uninvolved." He continues:
These are increasingly the feelings our name evokes in American society. Say "evangelical," and words like condescending, dogmatic, scary, demanding, and controlling scroll across the mind. Images boil to the surface of preachy moral pronouncements, boycotts, picketing, and political pressure to conform state to church, to make people behave, to make them act more like us, for we are always right.Instead of engaging the community in a positive way, serving them instead of only ourselves, we make it worse. I cringe every time I see one of the popular news/talk programs on television - Hardball, O'Reilly Factor, etc. - and they bring on guys like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson or William Donahue to speak from a Christian perspective. Of all of the people in the world I'd want to have speak for me as a Christian, these guys, especially Falwell, are on the bottom of the list. It drives me crazy. But, they embody the things that come to many people's mind when they think of Christians.
Is it any great wonder that we find ourselves the object of ridicule or fear? This is a far cry from Matthew 5:16, where Jesus imagined a church of good works that would cause the world to give glory to God.
Just last night I saw a report about various conservative Christians getting all worked up because the Christmas cards the White House sent out didn't say "Merry Christmas." I'm hearing of boycotts of various retailers who are using "Happy Holidays" instead. And there's the whole Target-Salvation Army thing that continues from last year. When I see this stuff, I can't help but think, don't these people have anything better to do? Instead of complaining about what they see as an injustice, perhaps they could be out doing something about real injustices.
So, the question: why does the world see the church the way it does? One final quote from Lewis:
George Barna states it succinctly: "The stumbling block for the church is not its theology, but its failure to apply what it believes in a compelling way. Christians have been their own worst enemies when it comes to showing the world what authentic, biblical Christianity looks like."Answer: because they can only see what we show them. In other words, we've done a poor job of showing the world what Jesus looks like. And let me be the first to say, "I resemeble that remark." Instead of seeing Jesus, they see the Religious Right, they see Jerry Falwell, they see people picketing Matthew Shepard's funeral with signs reading "God Hates Fags" and boycotting Wal-Mart over holiday decorations. The do not see our good works and give glory to God. Instead, they see nothing, or at best very little, to draw them to Christ. I believe it was Ghandi who said "I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."
In the last part of the chapter, Lewis offers three tips on what we must change, which I will comment on later, but I think this is one of the most important things the church of today must reflect on and, indeed, must change. We must show the world again what it means to follow Jesus, who was our great example in being a servant to those around him. If we can't show them, then why would we expect them to listen to anything we say?
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Mockingbird, part 1
Saw this article on Derek Webb's website. I've become a big Webb fan this year, and as you'll soon see, his I see things upside down disc will be at or near the top of my year end list. It was full of thought-provoking songs, most of which will make one feel a little uncomfortable. Looks like his new album will be more of the same, which I think we all could use. Check it out:
What kind of a name is Poon?
I remember seeing this when it first appeared on theonion.com. For some reason, I was reminded of it today and searched the archives. It still cracks me up. Reminds me of some friends of mine ... and myself as well.
Derek Webb sure to raise eyebrowsI can't wait. I will probably post more about it, perhaps in some type of review, in early January.
Nashville, TN - November 7, 2005 - Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Derek Webb is ready to raise eyebrows and get people talking with his new CD, Mockingbird, his most controversial project to date. This is his third recording with INO Records and releases on December 26th, following his 2003 release She Must And Shall Go Free and 2004's I See Things Upside Down.
Mockingbird is sure to get people talking and even make some people uncomfortable, which is exactly what Webb wants. Writing and singing about concerns of social justice, poverty, war and politics, Mockingbird will immediately impact the listener with its raw and profound lyrics and get tongues wagging on both sides of the fence. Sung in the folk stylings for which Webb is well known, these new songs are easy on the ears yet pull at the heart and mind with introspective, yet provocative, lyrics.
Webb hopes people will be open to what he shares on the highly anticipated project. For those who aren't sure how their views line up with his own, all he's asking is that they give him a chance. "I'm not trying to push buttons or make people upset. I'm just trying to be as honest as I can. Even if people don't agree, I hope they'll listen. I just want to get the dialogue started."
"I think Derek has delivered his best record to date," states Jeff Moseley, President, INO Records. "I am a huge fan of the way he challenges our suppositions and makes us take a new look at the cultural trappings of Christianity. Mockingbird is a watershed recording that will raise eyebrows and evoke passionate conversation. I am proud to work with an artist that does not shy away from examining the 'sacred cows' through the lens of Jesus' teachings."
Taking very seriously his role as an artist and social advocate, Webb comments, "I need to tune my ears to hear what is going on in the world. I need to involve myself in what's happening in the world, just as a human being, even if it's hard or time consuming."
Webb is also quick to point out, "We have a history of not loving people well. We live in a country that was founded on genocide against Native Americans. We haven't loved well and a lot of people don't like Americans. We need to own up to some responsibility there, we need to look at why, and we need to let that inform how we're making decisions for the future."
Concerning the political aspect of Mockingbird, he exclaims, "If you look, Jesus doesn't go straight down one party line. We try to fit Him in our western politics, but He wouldn't land on either side." Living in the middle is something Webb sees Jesus model and to let go of our idea that "Christian" and "Republican" go hand in hand. "We, too, have to be willing to move in and out of political systems and parties if we're going to follow Him."
These revealing thoughts are found in "A New Law" where Webb gets right to the heart of the matter: Don't teach me about politics and government, just tell me who to vote for / Don't teach me about truth and beauty, just label my music / Don't teach me about moderation and liberty, I prefer a shot of grape juice / Don't teach me how to live like a free man, just give me a new law / I don't wanna know if the answers aren't easy, so just bring it down from the mountain to me / I want a new law
About being the one to start these conversations in Christian circles, Webb remarks honestly, "I'm not sure I'm the best one to do it, but it's not like people are lining up for this particular job. And we need to start this dialogue yesterday about how to love people better. Let's stop arguing and name calling, let's find something to commend about one another and then start from that place of unity."
People are bound to start dialoguing upon hearing his lyrics. A song that demonstrates this is "A King & A Kingdom," in which Webb explains spiritual allegiance trumps any sort of nationalism: There are two great lies that I've heard: the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die / and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican, and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him.
Including a monologue from a Martin Luther King speech in the song "My Enemies Are Men Like Me," Webb shares: Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication / It's like telling someone murder is wrong and then showing them by way of execution.
The mockingbird's unique ability to learn and mimic songs from other birds is why this particular title was chosen for Webb's third solo project. Webb shares, "I hope to be the same way, imitating the songs of Jesus and others about how to love not only our neighbors, but also our enemies."
Musically, the creation of Mockingbird came from deep study of The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour and is woven throughout the entire project. Webb explains, "The last record was more experimental and meant to dismantle future expectations. On Mockingbird we felt completely free artistically. This should be a fascinating record for headphones."
Playing over 150 shows a year, Webb is currently on the road with wife and fellow artist Sandra McCracken and friend John Davis (formerly of Superdrag) and already sharing a few of his new songs with the audience, already receiving much acclaim from concertgoers.
As of October 11th, fans are now able to take home the Derek Webb "live" experience with the release of his first-ever live DVD, How To Kill And Be Killed. The DVD features live concert footage and unique and extensive behind-the-scenes interviews.
For the most updated information and tour dates, please visit www.derekwebb.com and www.inorecords.com.
Mockingbird song listing: *Mockingbird A New Law A King & A Kingdom Zeros & Ones I Hate Everything (But You) Rich Young Ruler A Consistent Ethic Of Human Life My Enemies Are Men Like Me In God We Trust Please, Before I Go Love Is Not Against The Law
*Not final song order
What kind of a name is Poon?
I remember seeing this when it first appeared on theonion.com. For some reason, I was reminded of it today and searched the archives. It still cracks me up. Reminds me of some friends of mine ... and myself as well.
Monday, December 05, 2005
The ghost of Laettner past
It seems that every year I forget about a Duke game that's televised, and either miss it entirely or remember before it's over and see the end. Last night was such a night. I'd remembered all week, even reminding myself on Saturday, that Duke-Virginia Tech was on Fox Sports Sunday night at 7:00pm. But for some reason it completely slipped my mind yesterday.
I realized it late in the game and tuned in with just over 3 minutes left. Duke was up 74-63, and it looked like they had the game at this point. Then, Virigina Tech proceeded to score the next 12 points. Duke simply could not score. After a tip-in gave the Hokies a 75-74 lead with 1.6 seconds left, it appeared they'd won the game. Here's the lesson they learned: don't leave time on the clock.
Duke and Kentucky played what was arguably the greatest college basketball game
in history on March 28, 1992, in the East Regional final. Kentucky's Sean Woods hit a ridiculous driving bank shot with 2.6 seconds left in overtime to put Kentucky ahead 103-102. So much was on the line. Kentucky, with their "unforgettables" who stayed through their dark years in the late-80's/early 90's, and a program on the way back with coach Rick Pitino. Duke, defending champions, trying to repeat, and trying to go to their 5th final four in a row and 6th in 7 years. And now, it looked like the king was dead, and Kentucky would make an improbable trip to the final four. Unfortunately for them, they left time on the clock, and Christian Laettner, receiving a long pass from Grant Hill, hit a turn-around jumper at the buzzer to keep the Duke dynasty alive.
Last night, Duke had 1 less second to work with when Josh McRoberts launched a pass from underneath the Virginia Tech basket with 1.6 seconds left. Sean Dockery received the pass at half court, took one dribble, and then launched a 40-footer that rattled in. Cameron erupted. The Virgina Tech players were crushed - they had the game and it was taken away. Duke wins 77-75 and remains undefeated and #1.
As I said, I didn't see the whole game, but according the articles, it appears Duke had an "off night", at least according to some sportswriters. Coach K summed it up this way:
UNC makes a statement
Looks like Carolina isn't dead yet. They have officially served notice that they're still a team to be reckoned with. Not much was expected of the Heels after losing their top 7 scorers from last seasons championship team, but the unranked Carolina team went to Rupp Arena Saturday and upset a Kentucky team that is ranked in the top 10. Of course, as usual, Kentucky is probably overrated, as they are every year.
Here's the thing about Kentucky: yes, they've had some great teams - that can't be argued - but they go on and on about how many wins they have over the years. They're almost always picked to win the SEC and therefore ranked high. But pretty much any decent basketball school could do that - they are the only basketball school in a FOOTBALL conference. I lived in Alabama for 4 years. Alabama's basketball team reached the top 5 in the rankings two different years while I was there, and people barely noticed. They were more concerned about what was going to happen the following fall when football season started again.
So, while Kentucky has racked up wins against basketball powerhouses like Tennessee, Auburn and Ole Miss over the years, Duke and Carolina have been winning just as many against each other, Wake Forest, NC State, Maryland, and the rest of the ACC. That's just a little more impressive to me.
I realized it late in the game and tuned in with just over 3 minutes left. Duke was up 74-63, and it looked like they had the game at this point. Then, Virigina Tech proceeded to score the next 12 points. Duke simply could not score. After a tip-in gave the Hokies a 75-74 lead with 1.6 seconds left, it appeared they'd won the game. Here's the lesson they learned: don't leave time on the clock.
Duke and Kentucky played what was arguably the greatest college basketball game
in history on March 28, 1992, in the East Regional final. Kentucky's Sean Woods hit a ridiculous driving bank shot with 2.6 seconds left in overtime to put Kentucky ahead 103-102. So much was on the line. Kentucky, with their "unforgettables" who stayed through their dark years in the late-80's/early 90's, and a program on the way back with coach Rick Pitino. Duke, defending champions, trying to repeat, and trying to go to their 5th final four in a row and 6th in 7 years. And now, it looked like the king was dead, and Kentucky would make an improbable trip to the final four. Unfortunately for them, they left time on the clock, and Christian Laettner, receiving a long pass from Grant Hill, hit a turn-around jumper at the buzzer to keep the Duke dynasty alive.Last night, Duke had 1 less second to work with when Josh McRoberts launched a pass from underneath the Virginia Tech basket with 1.6 seconds left. Sean Dockery received the pass at half court, took one dribble, and then launched a 40-footer that rattled in. Cameron erupted. The Virgina Tech players were crushed - they had the game and it was taken away. Duke wins 77-75 and remains undefeated and #1.
As I said, I didn't see the whole game, but according the articles, it appears Duke had an "off night", at least according to some sportswriters. Coach K summed it up this way:
"I feel very badly for Virginia Tech," Krzyzewski said. "They gave a winning effort. They never quit and they were certainly deserving to win. I'm not sure we were."They need to get it together for Penn Wednesday night, and definitely for Texas this weekend.
UNC makes a statement
Looks like Carolina isn't dead yet. They have officially served notice that they're still a team to be reckoned with. Not much was expected of the Heels after losing their top 7 scorers from last seasons championship team, but the unranked Carolina team went to Rupp Arena Saturday and upset a Kentucky team that is ranked in the top 10. Of course, as usual, Kentucky is probably overrated, as they are every year.
Here's the thing about Kentucky: yes, they've had some great teams - that can't be argued - but they go on and on about how many wins they have over the years. They're almost always picked to win the SEC and therefore ranked high. But pretty much any decent basketball school could do that - they are the only basketball school in a FOOTBALL conference. I lived in Alabama for 4 years. Alabama's basketball team reached the top 5 in the rankings two different years while I was there, and people barely noticed. They were more concerned about what was going to happen the following fall when football season started again.
So, while Kentucky has racked up wins against basketball powerhouses like Tennessee, Auburn and Ole Miss over the years, Duke and Carolina have been winning just as many against each other, Wake Forest, NC State, Maryland, and the rest of the ACC. That's just a little more impressive to me.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
The barbarian way
Just finished reading The Barbarian Way : Unleash the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin McManus. Here's a section worth reading:
Duke-Indiana
Duke continues to dominate the ACC-Big 10 challenge with a 75-67 win last night over Indiana in Bloomington, which is always a difficult place to win and a good test for the Blue Devils. This is the seventh year of the challenge, and Duke is now 7-0, and the only team from either conference who is still undefeated in challenge play. The Big 10, however, did make the challenge closer this year, with the ACC winning 6-5. In years past, they've played 9 games and the ACC usually wins something like 7-2 or maybe 6-3. This year, with the ACC expanded to 12 teams, they played 11 games but the ACC still topped the Big 10 again. Three of the games were close and could've also gone in the ACC's favor, with Carolina and Ga Tech, both having lost a number of players since last year, losing two of those games.
Hopefully, the win in Bloomington won't come back to haunt them like their ACC-Big 10 win last year did. They beat Michigan State last year, and then lost to the Spartans in the Sweet 16. Up next are Va Tech and Penn at home, following by the Dec 10 game with current #2 Texas in the Meadowlands in NJ, where Duke has only lost once. That should be the best preseason game this year, and also one of the best games of the regular season this year. We'll see.
Saw this today... I guess it was just a matter of time.
I wonder how many of us have actually had this conversation with God? "Abba, Father, Dad, would You purposefully put me in danger?" I think a lot of us haven't asked God that question because we went ahead and answered it for Him. Of course He wouldn't do that. We're his children. We're family. He wouldn't purposefully endanger us, not even to accomplish a higher or nobler purpose. Or would He? Maybe you should stop and ask Him. His answer might surprise you.
There is a barbarian revolt taking place, and its command center is the kingdom of God. Everywhere the kingdom of God advances, there is a violent engagement against the dark kingdom. To be born of God is to be made a citizen of the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is at war. Do not confuse the kingdom of God with Paradise. Salvation is not reentry into a Paradise Lost; it is enlistment in the mission of God.
Jesus is telling us in no uncertain terms that there is a battle raging. This is perhaps the most important reason why we must choose the barbarian way and resist any temptation to become civilized. Domesticated Christians are far too willing to abdicate the battle for the soul of the world. Civility focuses our energy on all the wrong places. We spend our lives emphasizing our personal development and spiritual well-being. We build churches that become nothing more than hiding places for the faithful while pretending our actions are for the good of the world. Or we choose political and secular vehicles to try to advance our cultural values, strangely attempting to make unbelieving people act like civilized believers.
In contrast Jesus calls us to a different way. He tells us this is a battle of kingdoms. He insists that if we are His followers, we must not live in a world defined only by the material. We cannot limit our sights to what is flesh and blood. We should know better than that. To see from a kingdom perspective is to know that there is a conflict of invisible kingdoms and that people's lives are forever changed by what happens in the unseen. We are called to be warriors of light in dark places. We are mystical warriors who use weapons not of this world.
Duke-Indiana
Duke continues to dominate the ACC-Big 10 challenge with a 75-67 win last night over Indiana in Bloomington, which is always a difficult place to win and a good test for the Blue Devils. This is the seventh year of the challenge, and Duke is now 7-0, and the only team from either conference who is still undefeated in challenge play. The Big 10, however, did make the challenge closer this year, with the ACC winning 6-5. In years past, they've played 9 games and the ACC usually wins something like 7-2 or maybe 6-3. This year, with the ACC expanded to 12 teams, they played 11 games but the ACC still topped the Big 10 again. Three of the games were close and could've also gone in the ACC's favor, with Carolina and Ga Tech, both having lost a number of players since last year, losing two of those games.
Hopefully, the win in Bloomington won't come back to haunt them like their ACC-Big 10 win last year did. They beat Michigan State last year, and then lost to the Spartans in the Sweet 16. Up next are Va Tech and Penn at home, following by the Dec 10 game with current #2 Texas in the Meadowlands in NJ, where Duke has only lost once. That should be the best preseason game this year, and also one of the best games of the regular season this year. We'll see.
Saw this today... I guess it was just a matter of time.
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