Bob Dylan Links

Don't miss the free download ("Dreamin' of You") at bobdylan.com

The video is freshly posted at amazon.com

Also, finally, here is my liberal friend John Mellencamp covering "The Times They are A-Changin'" (We are both native Hoosiers, you know.)

Ben's Brother, John Mayer, and videos that I can't embed

Here's a good video that I can't embed: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Ctt4fIo1w

...it's Ben's Brother singing Carry On. 

Also, here's John Mayer singing Free Fallin...also, I can't embed it...also, it's not funny like the Ben's Brother video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wJ-VPqFzy0

...it's the internet, isn't all this stuff supposed to be steal-able? 

Gossip in the Grain - Ray LaMontagne

The first two tracks off Ray LaMontagne's new album, Gossip in the Grain.
Release Date: October 14, 2008

http://www.raylamontagne.com/home.php

You Are The Best Thing


Let It Be Me


Tracklisting:
1. You Are The Best Thing
2. Let It Be Me
3. Sarah
4. I Still Care For You
5. Winter Birds
6. Meg White
7. Hey Me, Hey Mama
8. Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s A Shame)
9. A Falling Through
10. Gossip In The Grain

Evil in the Movies

I'm still thinking about the evil-in-the-movies concept I brought up a few posts ago (The Dark Knight). At the risk of implying a tidiness that I don't think exists...

Which says more about our attitude toward evil...1) an explicit rendering of what is evil, or 2) a discomfort that prevents us from visualising it?

Which paints a better picture of evil...1) an explicit rendering of evil acts, or 2) an explicit rendering of the consequences of evil acts?

Superman vs. Batman

How To Reboot the Superman Movie Franchise -- Comic Writers Chime In

"Superman was created not because America is the greatest country on earth, not because Moses came to save us from Krypton, but because a little boy lost his father,” Meltzer said. “In his first appearances, he couldn’t fly. He didn’t have X-ray vision. He was only bulletproof. So Superman’s not a character built out of strength, but out of loss.”

“When you hear that, it puts on a whole new spin on Superman and his origins,” Waid said. “The understanding was that Batman was born out of tragedy and Superman out of hope and aspiration, and it turns out that it’s about not wanting to lose your loved ones. That’s critical, and it means that we can connect with him. He’s not an untouchable character. Bad things still happen to him. His father passes away, and his powers can’t save him.”

Mike Bullmore

Thoughts on The Dark Knight

I think it happened again last week. Further desensitization. I remember the first time I saw Saving Private Ryan and The Passion of the Christ and soon realizing that I don’t want to see them again because they are built on the shock of their violence. If I keep watching them, they lose their punch. The first time I saw The Fellowship of the Ring I went away distressed at the clear way in which evil was visually portrayed in the orcs.

And, last week I saw The Dark Knight and again left the theater wondering about evil depicted in the movies. It seems like we might be part of an un-winnable battle. We can become more and more explicit in our depictions of what is wrong…but will a generation ever hit the evil threshold and say “okay, now we’ve finally got a handle on the darkest depths of evil…we can no longer top ourselves”. Or, will we continue an infinite trip down the dark layers of our hearts?

My mind gets fuzzy every time I think about it because there are two sides of the argument. On the one hand…are we actually telling the greatest of lies when we portray evil as anything but the disturbing, pit of darkness that it is? When we pretty it up, so that it is not difficult to look at, are we actually insulting all those who have been touched by its pain?

But, then, when does the game go from artistic to pornographic? If we take The Dark Knight for example, so many times the camera takes us up to the second before death and then turns away. There’s only so much we need to see and then we are indulging in things that don’t need to be seen. A slasher movie takes you on the full ride. It takes you to the point of death and then presses forward allowing the pleasure of the removal of all curiosities.

So, we have somewhat of a dividing line. Show all the evil except for the final act of hatred. But, maybe we aren’t dealing with a very good dividing line? Maybe the mystery should begin earlier? Maybe the line of indulgement exists sooner than we think? …we might be reveling in unprofitable areas because the camera doesn’t turn away when it should.

There are no easy answers…but, if nothing else, I think it’s good to be aware of our slow slide into further realism and explicitness. There has to be consequences here, perhaps of a moral nature, so it would seem wise to be alert to the desensitizing effects surrounding us.

Neon Bible Part II

"...not much chance for survival if the Neon Bible is right..."
- Win Butler (The Arcade Fire)

My Life as Seen From the Second Row at a Kenny Loggins Concert

Sometimes you find yourself hanging over the guard rail at an Extreme Home Makeover in Kansas City yelling for Ty to come out of his trailer…and, then you start talking to the person next to you and you reveal that you’ve never watched a full episode of Extreme Home Makeover…and, then, suddenly the joking stops, the smile leaves the face of your new found friend as they say “What are you doing here?”.

And, other times, due to free tickets, you find yourself in the second row…dead center…at a Kenny Loggins concert…(yes, Mr. Footloose himself)…and he says, “Okay, everyone knows the drill here”…and, as the spotlights hit the crowd he looks down at you and holds out the microphone to the crowd… …It’s amazing the thoughts that can run through your mind in the .5 seconds it takes you to think “Please, don’t make eye contact”. …Things such as: Kenny, I’m sorry. Kenny, I should have been listening you in the eighties. The crowd can’t be singing “Please, celebrate me home”. Kenny, I should have done more YouTube research before I came. If I sing “Please, celebrate me home” and those aren’t the lyrics will Kenny be able to notice? The horrible grammar of these lyrics apparently makes sense to the 5,000 people behind me. I’m glad the old guy in front of me isn’t singing. Kenny, this doesn’t mean you are a failure. We’ll never be friends after this.

Luckily, a couple songs later he sings “Your Momma Don’t Dance” to which I knew all the words.

Link to D.A. Carson Interview

Here's a quick interview with D.A. Carson:
http://www.reformation21.org/articles/don-carson-talks-about-culture.php

It's in reference to Carson's latest book, Christ and Culture Revisited. It's a fairly short interview, insightful, and uses plenty of big words. Here's one question/answer that I found especially thought provoking. Enjoy...
___________________________________

DT: You mention several key issues which force us re-evaluate Christ's role in culture (secularization, democracy, freedom and power). In short compass, can you explain what you mean by this and how this helps us to understand our own (postmodern) culture?

DC: Inevitably, we in the West, not least in America, tend to adopt a host of "givens" that are part of growing up here. Most of us think freedom is a good thing. But is it always a good thing? A friend in Slovakia once told me that only three weeks after the Berlin wall came down, for the first time in his life he saw pornography sold in the street. Was the enhanced freedom an unmitigated "good" thing? I'm not denying it was good in many ways, but some of us have given "freedom" such an iconic value that we fail to see how, in the name of freedom, we may become slaves to sin. Most of us are thankful to God that we live in a democracy. But I have met Christians who live in parts of the world under one form or another of tyranny who are much less daunted by the violent "beast out of the sea" that they face than by the "beast out of the earth," the danger of deceptive teaching and materialism, that we face in the West: they pray for us that we will escape the tyranny of the seduction of easy, triumphalism, and materialism. Certainly what Paul wrote about the government of his day being appointed by God, he did not have a democracy in mind: what bearing do such differences in the structure of power have on our responsibility as citizens -- as citizens of the US, and as citizens of the new Jerusalem?

Anne Rice is a Christian?

I know this is old news...but, Anne Rice is a Christian? ...weird. If this intrigues you, as it does me, this is an interesting place to start:

"Essay On Earlier Works"

Tonight on the blog post...dedications...

Tonight we're turning on the love light as I send a special dedication out to the man who sits atop the maple mountain. Sentiments are dedicated, not theology... Enjoy. We can hug later.

Preaching As Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization

Even if you disagree with his list, John Piper makes an excellent point in his first few paragraphs. ...also, the list is good.

Preaching As Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization

CJ & Discernment

I've been wanting to post some follow-up thoughts to my last post on emergent-ness. Instead of taking the time to do that, I thought I'd pass on this link a good post C.J. Mahaney did (at his brand new blog) about pastoral discernment. He uses Rob Bell's NOOMA videos as an example. He also provides plenty of links for further thoughts on the problems of Rob Bell's theology. It's worth reading if you are interested in such things as discernment, Rob Bell, or even theology...

http://sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Rob-Bell2c-the-Pastore28099s-Task-of-Discernment2c-and-My-Heart.aspx

Ranting, Raving, and Blaming the World's Problems on the Emergent Movement

I subscribe to the Emergent Village podcast. It typically just annoys me and puts me in a bad mood...and, generally does everything that a good political debate does for my soul. For some reason I keep hitting the play button, though. Since, I've plowed through a couple episodes this week, I thought I'd share my disgruntled spirits. Maybe you'll end up thinking that the world is coming to its end as I do.

Before I get into ranting and raving, here are a couple quotes from one of the Emergent head honchos...Tony Jones***.

From: http://www.emergentvillage.com/podcast/aar-panel-part-1

"This is a message problem, this is not a method problem. The gospel has been gotten wrong and we need to start trying to get the gospel right."

"Listen...this is a thorough-going reconsideration of the gospel in America. This is about whole new ways of thinking. This is about epistemology...How do we reconsider the gospel and everything that goes along with it?"

"We were of the minds that everything should be up for consideration."

And, because I'm old fashioned a Bible verse:
Galatians 1:9
"As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (anathema)."

I'm not going to try to tackle the argument that Tony Jones is preaching a different gospel than the one preached in the Bible. I'm merely going back to the point I made last time I harped on the emergent movement...hopefully with more clarity this time. And, if I can boil things down to one question, I think it would be:
"Is the emergent conversation characterized by wisdom?" I think there are some red flags that many are paying little attention to.

For example, when the Bible is so clear about the consequences of tampering with the gospel...wouldn't wisdom lead a person to be cautious with statements such as "we've gotten the gospel wrong...thorough reconsideration of the gospel in America...everything should be up for consideration". I suppose there are some instances where these statements can be said legitimately...but, in my mind there are so few instances...that I cringe when I hear someone say these things without disclaimers.

But, as much as I'd like to give Tony the benefit of the doubt...it does seem as though the emergent troops are questioning everything. For example, inerrancy of the Bible, the doctrine of hell, penal substitution...virgin birth. It's no wonder that people argue that emergent is just a reworked liberalism.

One of the problems is that the "conversation" is packaged in a cleverly appealing way to evangelical minds. I'm quite comfortable agreeing with the emergent folks that most Christian grew up in fairly pathetic churches. It's easy to take pot-shots at these churches and get a reaction...and feel a commonality with someone. But, it's easy in the way that a dirty joke is easy...anybody can do it. Simply bonding over a shared problem isn't a guarantee that together you can beat the odds and find a better way.

More caution flags show up in the hyper-individualism of the relationship-friendly emergent church. As a good Protestant, I'm pretty individualistic myself...but, again, I think "wisdom" tells us to forsake tradition with great hesitancy and last resort. What's ironic about emergent is that the tradition from 100 years ago is meaningful to them...and the traditions of our parents are the death of the church. Along these lines, I think a small army of bloggers thinking together can form a very deceptive community in which you think you truly understand things...when in reality you are simply dumbing down Christianity in the same non-scholastic way that old-time fundamentalists are accused of doing. There is something to say for academic scholarship.

More red flags...lack of cultural diversity. A person can argue that most churches are racially segregated...and, they are, to their detriment. However, my church is still preaching the same gospel as the Korean church down the road...and the Afro-American church next to it. We have this is common.

...also, my least judgemental criticism of the emergent church is probably the inherent temporariness of it. Can a movement perpetually be in the process of moving/emerging/complaining about the entity that is inspiring their movement? Are they emerging into the very thing that they will emerge from again down the road? What's the goal? Where are they headed? Are these questions still fair in a postmodern's mind? If everything is up for grabs...then, where's the urgency stemming from?

It's only fair that I add my own disclaimer...the emergent/emerging church is growing (I have a hunch it's currently at its peak, I could be wrong, though). And, with the breadth of the movement I can't lump everyone who considers themselves to be emergent or emerging into the Tony Jones variety. There are some voices that I would find myself agreeing with for the most part. But, in an overarching sense, emergent is not something I would want to be associated with. It's good to ask questions and think things through, but there's a wise way to do it and a foolish way. ...it's my opinion that much of the emergent movement is heading about things in a foolish manner.

*** Tony Jones

Sewer Mains

"...longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate..." (Luke 15:16)

”And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)

“...apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

Newsprint Boats

I ain't never been to Vegas but I gambled up my life
Building newsprint boats I raced to sewer mains
Was trying to find me something but I wasn't sure just what
Funny how they say that some things never change
- Ryan Adams, "Oh, My Sweet Carolina"

Worship

Here's a quote from Mr. D.A. Carson from the book he edited called Worship by the Book. In talking about corporate worship he says, "...however much we seek to be contemporary for the sake of evangelistic outreach, there must also be a drive in us to align ourselves with the whole church in some deeply rooted and tangible ways. What it means to be the church was not invented in the last twenty years. The demands of corporate rootedness must be melded with the demands of living faithfully and bearing witness in a particular culture and age." (pg 45)

I think I used to picture an incredible corporate worship experience as a moment when I became so lost in the words and music of what I was singing that I lost all reference of those around me and just felt close to God...just me and Him. I don't want to downplay that idea too much, but there does seem to be something about it that defeats the purpose of being together corporately. I think corporate worship might be as difficult and as rewarding as pretty much everything else in my life that is both difficult and rewarding. It's difficult because I'm doing several things at once. I've focused on my attention toward God and the words that point me to him...but, I'm also aware of the people I'm encouraging with my participation...I'm aware of the people encouraging me...I'm aware of the church through history...I'm aware of the persecuted church of today...other cultures worshiping Christ...and, all of this...this accumulation of fellow worshipers causes me to further my awe of God and this time of worship becomes even deeper.

I'm sure this is simplistic. But, it's a side of the coin I haven't thought much about until lately.

Good tunes

Here are three of my favorite songs of the last couple weeks:

Coconut Skins - Damien Rice



- I can't say I'm positive that I know what this song is about, but that's the way some of the best of them are. I think it's about doing something with your life...that's how I take it, anyway. In the words of Stephen King: Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.

Keep Fishin' - Weezer



- I heard this song for the first time a week or two ago. It's been pretty much my favorite Weezer song ever since. I've obviously been caught posing as Weezer fan...obviously, I'm embarrassed...but, I'm ready to right my wrongs and pay more attention to their Maladroit album. Also, this has to one of their coolest music videos, but with the last few sentences in mind, I may not be an expert.

When That Evening Sun Goes Down - Van Morrison

- ...no video for this one, but the whole Tupelo Honey album has gotten more airplay in my old fashioned CD player than anything has since the new Bruce Springsteen album. The whole CD is incredibly optimistic and upbeat. It's what you would get if you striped a summer popcorn-flick away of all of its cliches (theoretically...something could possibly be left over). When That Evening Sun Goes Down is my current favorite on the album.

Once last thing...Martin Sexton's Camp Holiday Christmas album kicks the pants off the high (and pretentious) octaves of Josh Groban's new album Noel (...sorry, I couldn't figure out how to do the fancy "e").

Luke 23 & the God we want

Here's something I noticed in the crucifixion story in Luke today. Luke 2 is more appropriate for the season...but, what can you do...

Verse 35 - "...the rulers scoffed at him, saying, 'He saved other; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!'"

Verse 39 - "One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!'"

Verse 40 - But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?'"

Two people (the rulers & the criminal) thought they had Jesus figured out according to what made sense to them...therefore, it made sense to them to kill him, after all, if Jesus was God, he should be able to get himself off the cross.

The proper response seems to be the "other" criminal who fears God. I think it's easy to fall into an attitude of God-should-do-this/God-should-do-that...because it makes sense to us. The better response seems to be a fear of God. "Fear of God" can be sort-of a vague term, but I think something that has to be understood with that phrase is 'awe'. Maybe it's a little like reading about DNA or the human genome project...Scientists have a map of the human genome...they study it and are constantly finding out more about it. But, no scientist is going to claim that they comprehend it or that they understand how all the proteins and chemicals work. Our genes our too complex for us to understand at this point. If God is real, I have a hunch that he is much bigger than DNA or genomes...our awe/fear of God should be a significant part of our life.

I think its fair to infer from this passage in Luke that a false understanding of how God works (stemming from pride) is part of what allowed these people to justify the killing of Jesus. I suppose a good question to ask ourselves is "In what ways are we 'killing' God in our lives due to our false (proud) understanding of Him?" It's also interesting to note that the fear of God that this criminal had led him into a deeper relationship with God...I think we would typically assume that the opposite would happen.

I read a Patrick Morley quote in college that has stuck with me. His idea was similar to this: "Are we serving the God we want...or are we serving the God who is?". I think it's a healthy question to ask.

The End of Embryonic Cloning?

Although it definitely won't get as much press as Dolly the sheep received, one of the key figures in embryonic cloning (and creator of Dolly) appears to be abandoning the embryonic method of cloning. This is good news, because it means that perhaps the use of embryos for stem cell research will decrease in popularity...if other scientists follow his lead. It also points to the ridiculousness of the whole idea from the very beginning...even if it worked...and was morally unproblematic, where would all the eggs come from to create the embryos for the cloning?

Here's an article about Ian Wilmut's change in research:
Dolly Creator Prof Ian Wilmut Shuns Cloning

Dedication..."The Neon Bible"

I'd like to dedicate this song to Joel Osteen and his new best-seller. Also, don't forget to check out The Arcade Fire . They are Canadian...and quite good.

Neon Bible Lyrics
by The Arcade Fire

A vial of hope and a vial of pain,
In the light they both looked the same.
Poured them out on into the world,
On every boy and every girl.

It's in the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.

Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
What I know is what you know is right,
In the city it's the only light.

It's the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.

Oh God! well look at you now!
Oh! you lost it, but you don’t know how!
In the light of a golden calf,
Oh God! I had to laugh!

Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
It was wrong but you said it was right,
In the future I will read at night.

In the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is true

Emerging Info

I'm proud to say that my last post stirred up a little controversy...both here and at another page. I wish I had the time to interact with some of the discussions and debates before they become old news (Mike...don't argue with librarians...dictionaries don't lie). But, instead of attempting anything constructive, I thought I'd point out two resources that I think are helpful in understanding the emerging church. The first one (pdf) is emergent friendly, the second one (mp3) is not...I'm trying to be balanced.

Scot McKnight - What Is the Emerging Church?

Mark Driscoll - 2007 Convergent Conference (Driscoll's talk is Session 3)

"...often against people who are really onto something."

Read Tony Jones' post...in which (as in all emergent dialog) there a good vibe overpowered by an over-all sense of "something's not quite right here"...

http://tonyj.net/2007/11/06/daddy-whats-a-heretic

And, to quote Tony's blog...What is a heretic?
“It’s what someone says,” Mike told her, “when they’re trying to hurt and silence someone else. It’s been used a lot in history, and often against people who are really onto something.” (That’s a paraphrase. Mike said it better.)

Perhaps, "Mike" is on to something...maybe heretic isn't a bad word. Maybe gnosticism is a good thing, maybe Christ wasn't God...maybe the whole Trinity thing is a farce...perhaps Mary wasn't a virgin when she conceived Jesus. Or, maybe the word heretic is a sobering word...maybe a person should use the opportunity of being called a heretic to see if there's any chance that they've wandered into dangerous waters?

And, just to formalize my feelings...I think I'm officially tired of all things emergent. So what if they've given evangelicals some good questions that we've been missing over the years... I'm tired of them saying "I wonder what would happen if the Bible wasn't inspired" and then saying "I never said the Bible wasn't inspired". "I wonder...what if Mary wasn't a virgin?"..."Oh, I actually never said that Mary wasn't a virgin." This would potentially be tolerable if it wasn't followed up with "Why is everyone picking on me? I didn't do anything...look at these evangelicals...all they want to do is fight...join the emergent side...we're actually not a side, we're just the misunderstood folks who everyone is picking on."

I'm sure emergent-ism will pass soon...not soon enough for me, though.

Hebrews 5:11-14
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Jason Schwartzman's band "Coconut Records"

Jason Schwartzman has an album out...and, it's pretty good. Jason is famous in Wes Anderson circles for Rushmore...and, now The Darjeeling Limited. When you bought the album you used to get a Polaroid taken by Jason himself, but now you don't.



Check out this link for a sweet Jason Schwartzman interview...
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/pmcc/view/jason_schwartzman_coconut_records_and_more

Also, his MySpace site has a good interview with Jimmy Kimmel...
http://www.myspace.com/coconutrecords

Need Help With "The Pianist"

Somebody's going to have to help me out with The Pianist. It's been on my need-to-watch list for a while, so I realize I'm having this discussion a little late in the game.

It conveyed that the Nazis were bad...but, I've seen that before. It was mostly about this guy locked up in apartments, being alone. But, it didn't have that I'm-alone sense that Castaway had. Maybe it was about how music can bring even enemies together? But, there was only really one scene that pointed to that. It seems with all the buzz that came along with the movie that there must be some underlying theme that passed me by.

Why I Pretty Much Hated "The Devil Wears Prada"

There was a moment at the end of The Devil Wears Prada when I felt as though the whole movie might have been redeemed. The movie is about the allure of power...success...and, I suppose fashion fits in as well. The young novice character (Anne Hathaway) gets a job working for a super-influential clothing designer. Guess what? Our novice knows nothing about clothes, nor does she give a rat's patootie for fashion. Guess what else? By the end of the movie her rags turn to riches (cliches seem appropriate here) and she becomes one of "them"... By "them", you know what I mean...those rich folks in the high rises, snooty, consumed with their jobs and absolutely nothing else. (To be fair at this point, I should point out that Meryl Streep does a good job with her character.) The good guys are Hathaway's friends at the bar, the bad guys are the ones making money. So, our rookie fashion character is slowly pulled to the dark side...and, there's this scene where Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway are in the car together and Meryl Streep tells her devoted protege that they are quite similar...they're made out of the same material, if you will. It's at this moment that I thought the movie was coming together. If the last 1.5 hours of light-hearted display of transformation into a snooty fashion figure were for a purpose...and, if this purpose was to show how easy it is to be sucked into a vice....then, we were on to something good. What if Meryl Streep had used her cunning to trap Anne Hathaway into a situation she really could not get out of? What if Anne Hathaway at this moment discovered that she did love her career and her power and her new wardrobe more than everything else in the world...and she decided to continue down this road?

Because it is easy to get trapped in a situation that is pretty horrible because a bunch of little slippery steps have caused you to slide into this spot you never thought you'd end up in. And, in a movie depicting this, I can see how this process could be displayed as it was in The Devil Wears Prada. So, at this moment of the movie, I was hoping for a little severity. I was hoping that she was stuck in the bed she had made...I was hoping that she discovered that she was just like Meryl Streep's character...I was hoping for a little of Al Pacino / Keanu Reeves in The Devil's Advocate and less of what I'd been fed up to this point.

Well, Anne Hathaway gets out of the car, tosses her cell phone in the fountain, and gets a regular job of her dreams. ...There are basically no repercussions to her actions over the course of the movie. She gets what she wants and all is good in the world. In my mind this ruins what was shaping up to be merely an average movie anyway. How bad is a situation that has no repercussions? I mean, really, are we concerned at all about realism if you can screw your friends and your family, work yourself to death and then pause and go back to normal. If the non-repercussion part of the movie is real, then, the rest of the movie that portrays Anne Hathaway as heading for trouble is a lie. I don't see how both can be true.

Like I said, it wasn't that great of a movie to begin with. And, as always, I'm reading too much into this little popcorn flick. But, as an easily annoyed person, this one bugged me with its basic lie and its flippant ending.

Vegetative States - Jesse Ramirez

This isn't exactly unbiased reporting...but, it makes you think.

Awakenings: The Schiavo case revisited
(...it's not really about the Schiavo case)

Sherwin Williams - Fix the Environment with...Paint

In this world of political correctness, where all things environmentally friendly, green, and organic are all the rage...it's quite amusing to see someone who just doesn't get it.

Romantica - America

If you want to hear some good music, you can hear Romantica's latest album here:

http://www.romanticamusic.com/music.html

I give it an A+.

"The wakeup call of my adult life"

Have you seen this Bill Hybels lecture on how Willow Creek's strategy for maturing Christians has been wrong all these years? It's a great discovery...but, the video disturbed me a little.

http://revealnow.com/story.asp?storyid=49

I'll start with the Greg Hawkins interview (the pastor who discovered this problem at Willow Creek). Here's a quote:

"And I sit there Sunday after Sunday and I wonder, are we spending those folks money in the right way? Really...would they feel great about how we're investing their resources?"

I understand the need to be good steward of the money God trusts us with. But, really, the standard here seems a little fishy to me. I know I'm bordering on judgmentalness and over-analysing a single two and a half sentences...isn't there a bit of an overemphasis on the people in the pew? Should our motivation stem from the fact that we're misusing money...or, even better/worse...because people wouldn't "feel great" about how we're spending their money? Something seems awry here...shouldn't a church be wondering: How does God feel about how we're spending His money? What does the Bible indicate I should do with the money? These are oversimplistic questions...but, I don't get the vibe that Greg Hawkins started with anything except wondering how he could give people more bang for their buck.

Here's what I like, though. I like a big church admitting that they made a big mistake...I like the fact that they aren't trying to hide anything. I like the fact that the crowd applauds when he says: "...we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self-feeders."

I'd like to be optimistic because I think Hybels hits the nail on the head with the problem...people are relying on the church too much and not learning how to grow on their own. But, the solution to the problem - a health club style discipleship program? - seems like more of the same to me.

Lee Strobel dot com

Here's a resourse worth spending a few minutes at:

http://www.leestrobel.com/

Think YouTube...apologetics...and evangelicalism.

Bioethics: A Primer for Christians by Gilbert Meilaender

Little Miss Sunshine Revisited

So, I got two comments and a taunting Email from my last post. Naturally, I’m thinking Little Miss Sunshine is really bringing in the hits to my blog, so I better give the fans more of what they want. So, here’s a snippet into my mind where I overanalyze the movie and life in general.

I’m pretty sure society is extremely wicked, screwed up, troubling, sinful…pick your adjective and/or verb. But, I have a hunch that in some sense it’s about a gazillion times worse than what we think it is. The reason it’s worse is because people show you what they think they want you to see. They pretty up their problems and misery so that they can keep up with the “prettiness” their neighbor has created in their own life. If the dressed up version is as bad as some of the dressed-up-versions are, I have a hunch that there’s a lot of crap going on behind people’s doors. Verbal abuse, physical abuse, internet porn of all shapes and sizes, prejudice, hatred…

But, what if people didn’t hide how depraved and flawed they really are? Think about it for a second.. Let’s imagine a church setting. What if the guy next to you in church told you that he looked at porn for two hours the night before? What if the lady next to told you that she beat up her husband with a frying pan the night before? …I think the cringe factor that I feel as I type those things is symbolic of the problem. We don’t want to know about it…probably for the same reason we don’t want to be part of a big brother program in the community or volunteer at the hospital or ask the family with the handicapped kid over for dinner. It’s inconvenient, it’s uncomfortable, it takes investment and follow up…etc.

…here Little Miss Sunshine enters into the equation. It’s a movie that shows a screwed up, “potty mouth” family coming to grips with who they are. Then, instead of prettying up who they are they celebrate their discovery. The reason I love the ending is that in about 5 minutes it tells the whole story of the movie in an allegory. I’m not going to argue that it doesn’t step over the line a little…but, I wouldn’t argue too much that it does, either. The reason why is that a naïve girl who has been taught an awful dance by her dirty grandfather is sort of what’s going on with us. It’s my belief that we’re made to be God-glorifiers…typically when we stumble into sinful actions in our life we do so naively…and, then we look as out of place as that girl did on stage. The comedy of the scene…the unusualness of seeing someone who isn’t pretending in that setting…the dark streak that goes through it all…there’s so many things going on all at once…this tension is what feels good and (for lack of a better word) “real” about the scene.

I think this brings us back to where I left off with my explaining-what’s-wrong-with-the-world paragraphs. Admitting the problem isn’t only part of the answer. Little Miss Sunshine ends with a celebration of the freedom of admitting your problems. If everyone went around admitting their problems all the time without doing anything about it, I think the digression may be exponential. But, I think part of the beauty of really expressing what’s wrong with you is that this release looks so ugly that we want to take care of it. Taking care of it appropriately is what Little Miss Sunshine is missing. Problems and ugliness appear too much like a yellow Volkswagen van that doesn’t run properly...if everyone pitches in together, then a community of people makes a bad situation not as bad and, in fact, the bonding experience of going down together is the beauty of it all.

…and, I think that’s all I have to say for the moment on Little Miss Sunshine. Be careful in the comment section, 3 comments and an Email might point toward more needless ramblings and run on sentences.

Little Miss Sunshine

We watched Little Miss Sunshine last night. I love (for the most part) the message of this movie. My take...feel free to provide your take...is that the movie is saying that most people's lives are like a child beauty pageant. We take our lives and dress them up with our screwed-up, self-centered ideas of perfection...and, in essence, create some sort of a freak show. In reality, we ought to be real about our problem filled lives, because everybody's lives are full of problems. The movie's answer to this issue seems to be that we should celebrate our troubled lives, without any emphasis on fixing the trouble. I think they're on to something...our lives are filled with hypocrisy and fraud (I was reminded of this just a few hours ago as my wife and I had a mini-fight in the back yard and all I could think of is "be quiet, so the neighbors don't hear")...however, there are answers to our problems. And, while we shouldn't pretend that we're perfect we should continue to address the problems.

Also, the second half of this movie is hilarious...the last scene of the movie is one of the funniest endings I've seen in a very long time. And, for those interested, this one definately deserves its R rating.

Stephen Colbert - Bruce Springsteen

"Living in the Future"

This is disturbing...

"A UK couple has received approval from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to have their IVF embryos screened for early onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD). "

(...full article)

(Also see this article)

For some reason, I thought the world couldn't get any more screwed up... The sci-fi world you see in movies like Gattica is probably prophetic of what is to come.

Take Your Internship and...

I haven't taken the time to figure out whether I 100% agree with this quote or not...but, I'm sure I'm 100% agree with it's sentiments. It's why I think pretty much the whole NT was written to local churches...

"We acquire habits of conduct, not by constructing a way of living upon rules or precepts learned by heart and subsequently practised, but by living with people who habitually behave in a certain manner: we acquire habits of conduct in the same way as we acquire our native language. There is no point in a child's life at which he can be said to begin to learn the language which is habitually spoken in his hearing; and there is no point in his life at which he can be said to begin to learn habits of behaviour from the people constantly about him. No doubt, in both cases, what is learnt (or some of it) can be formulated in rules and precepts; but in neither case do we, in this kind of education, learn by learning rules and precepts...If we have acquired a knowledge of the rules, this sort of command of language and behaviour is impossible until we have forgotten them as rules and are no longer tempted to turn speech and action into the applications of rules to a situation." -Michael Oakeshott, Rationalism in Politics, 1962.

Rob Thomas' Best Lyric

"Everybody's trusting in their heart, like their heart don't lie."
- Rob Thomas' (Mr. Matchbox 20, himself)

Rob Thomas is pretty lame. But, I think that's a pretty good line. Almost as good as "...it's 3 AM...I must be lonely". ...I guess they can't all be winners. Some people bat around .250, though.
Here's a good quote by a guy named John Murray to refine Rob's thoughts:

"...we must not suppose that the measure of our understanding or experience is the measure of the Spirit's working." - John Murray

Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

I can't get enough of Belle and Sebastian's latest album The Life Pursuit. It has a more polished sound than some of their earlier albums. The "Indy" sound for the sake of being indy doesn't do much for me (not that their preceding albums totally did that)....this album has a smooth sound which makes it very easy to listen to. It also has (for lack of a better word) a groove that keeps things optimistic and peppy as they flirt with several different styles of music while still keeping their album coherent.

Best of all the album has lyrics that use quirky stories to deliver their punch. Probably best suited to the previous musical themes I've posted here is Act of the Apostle I & II, which chronicle a person who is interested in believing in God, but not quite there yet.

My favorite has to be The Blues are Still Blue which (I think) is a love song about a lazy lover who doesn't quite put enough effort into life to keep the blues away. No matter what it's about, it's a toe-tapper...

Well, look at the kid from school

He's teaching mamas and papas how to be a little cool

He's changing fashion, the way he dress

The tracksuits are old, and the hoody's way too moody

For a kid with the will to funk

He dances in secret; he's a part-time punk

Definitions

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA): "cost per year of life saved"

Cost-benefit analysis (CBA): the bottom line of a benefit-cost ratio stated in monetary figures that express the common measurements

Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs): "if an extra year of healthy (i.e., good quality) life-expectancy is worth one, then an extra year of unhealthy (i.e., poor quality) life-expectancy must be worth less than one." -Alan Williams

Discounted Future Earnings (DFE): determining the monetary value of lives by considering what people at risk of some disease or accident could be expected to earn if they survived

Willingness to Pay (WTP): how much individuals would be willing to pay to reduce the risks of death

- Definitions from Principles of Biomedical Ethics

Bob Dylan & Jesse James

For what it's worth, the two movies I'm currently most excited about seeing are:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Another movie about Jesse James...this one has Brad Pitt...and, a ton of good reviews. Here are two:

http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=6936

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33899

...and, I'm Not There...which goes with the theme of the-more-the-merrier and offers 6 Dylans. Reviews:

http://blog.cleveland.com/top_entertainment/2007/09/toronto_international_film_fes_1.html

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/FILM_BOB_DYLAN

Asubry Park Rehearsals

Check out this site to see the songs Springsteen has been working on for the new tour:

http://www.pointblankmag.com/conciertos

Chocolate Jesus: Tom Waits & Christianity

The best song written on your average, every day Christianity is Chocolate Jesus by Tom Waits. This is the best video I could find of it. Tom Waits is pretty weird, so his interpretation of it may be a little "non-palatable". His album version is a better, I think. But, I like what he does on Letterman, it's very street-corner-evangelist. Here's the song, the end has a short interview with Dave explaining the inspiration for the song. Also, I'm being serious, I think it's probably the best song on what Christianity is for most people. This line is so biting that it's perfect:

When the weather gets rough / And it's whiskey in the shade / It's best to wrap your savior / Up in cellophane

The whole song, though, is a wonderful word picture of the sacreligious way we tend to treat God. Tom Waits' word pictures are a good contrast to C.S. Lewis' images of Aslan.



artist: Tom Waits lyrics
title: Chocolate Jesus
album: Mule Variations

Don't go to church on Sunday
Don't get on my knees to pray
Don't memorize the books of the Bible
I got my own special way
But I know Jesus loves me
Maybe just a little bit more

I fall on my knees every Sunday
At Zerelda Lee's candy store

Well it's got to be a chocolate Jesus
Make me feel good inside
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Keep me satisfied

Well I don't want no Anna Zabba
Don't want no Almond Joy
There ain't nothing better
Suitable for this boy
Well it's the only thing
That can pick me up
Better than a cup of gold
See only a chocolate Jesus
Can satisfy my soul

(Solo)
When the weather gets rough
And it's whiskey in the shade
It's best to wrap your savior
Up in cellophane
He flows like the big muddy
But that's ok
Pour him over ice cream
For a nice parfait

Well it's got to be a chocolate Jesus
Good enough for me
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Good enough for me

Well it's got to be a chocolate Jesus
Make me feel good inside
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Keep me satisfied

More on 3:10 To Yuma

Here's a good review of 3:10 To Yuma that offers only mild spoilers, doesn't give away the whole plot, and gives a good recap on the state of the western...also, he uses the f-word.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33898

Enjoy...

3:10 to Yuma

3:10 To Yuma is one of the 10 best westerns ever made. Maybe the thrill will leave in a couple days...maybe repeated viewings will lessen its punch. But, for now, I'm going to sleep thinking that a new movie has moved into my top five list of favorite westerns. My conscience won't allow me to give the specifics as to why I like it. ...A quick disclaimer to say that this is one of the most violent movies I've seen in a few years...with that in place, I say, go see this movie before it leaves the theater...go see it before someone spoils any of the movies subtle surprises. 3:10 To Yuma and Unforgiven are the two best westerns made in the last 20 years. If you disagree, let me know what movie I'm missing... I'll end there; hopefully, enticing you to see the movie, without setting it up to let you down.

Wild Hogs and Guaranteed Movies

Here's a tip: If you're looking for something to do on a Friday night don't rent Wild Hogs. Similarly, I would recommend never renting Wild Hogs. It has the humor of a straight-to-video Disney sequal mixed with PG-13 sexual induendos...and, you get a couple butt shots thrown in for free. It's the first movie I've turned off halfway through and returned since the Steve Martin remake of The Pink Panther.

Another tip: The video store won't refund your money if you don't like the movie. Or, in the words of the 21-year old kid at the register, "I'm sorry sir, but we don't guarantee that you'll like the movie...". I need to give him some credit because as the saying goes...you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer.

But, really, anywhere else...if I buy or rent something that doesn't live up to the advertised quality, I can get my money back. My theory is: if more people turned off their movies and returned them...or, walked out of the theater and requested a refund maybe there would be some glimmer of a blip forward in the quality of our art. I'd like to see the Top 10 movies at the box office and the Top 10 Refunded tickets placed side to side. However, I don't give alot of credit to the American movie goer, so these statistics may reveal absolutely nothing. After all, there were about 2 million copies of Wild Hogs on the rack, and I have a hunch they are there for a reason.

...so, I dished out another dollar or two and rented Thank You For Not Smoking and An Inconvenient Truth. Thank You For Smoking was probably one of the best movies I've seen this year. I've only watched a half hour of An Inconvenient Truth (a.k.a. - An Ode to Al Gore), and I was hoping for more...what are you going to do on a Friday night anyway? ...read a book?

David Hume Quote On Compassion

"No [com]passion of another discovers itself immediately to the mind. We are only sensible of its causes or effects. From these we infer the passion: And consequently these give rise to our sympathy." - David Hume


...lots of pronouns in that quote. What I think Hume is saying is that your not going to feel any compassion toward others until you're around others. If you're not around the hurting, the sick, the poor, you're not going to have any empathy toward them. This isn't to say that you won't have feelings of compassion and empathy...you will, but perhaps only toward the person you feel most deserves it...yourself.

I noticed tonight that our pastor was mentioned on Joshua Harris' blog a couple days ago. Here's the link:

http://www.joshharris.com/2007/08/for_preachers_learning_from_mr.php

Aubrey de Grey

"Like the downward pull of gravity without which the dancer cannot dance, the downward pull of bodily necessity and fate makes possible the dignified journey of a truly human life."
- Leon Kass

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 12: 9-10)

John 11:5-44
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?"

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Boys and Girls in America

"Since men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers; and that was the first yoke they imposed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of the evils they prepared for their descendants. For, besides their continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them."
-- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

...I wrote some other stuff, but deleted it. Rousseau is a tough act to follow

Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home

There may be a song better than this one...but, I haven't heard it yet.



Also, Sam Cooke may have the most perfect voice on God's green earth.

And, for Springsteen fans like me...it's hard to under-estimate the influence of Sam Cooke on the Boss. Specifically, Springsteen has sucked his vibe straight out of the marrow of the following songs:

(What A) Wonderful World
Meet Me At Mary's Place
Having A Party
Twistin' the Night Away

In some sense, if there's no Sam Cooke, there's no Bruce Springsteen.

Also, here's Sam Cooke singing Blowin' in the Wind.

Lots 'o Links

Click on the link below for a helpful table of contents (with hyperlinks) to Mark Dever's series on "Where'd All These Great Calvinists Come From?". I'm including the subjects up for discussion to tempt you....

http://blog.togetherforthegospel.org/2007/08/monday-morning-.html

1. The Writings of C. H. Spurgeon
2. The Ministry of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
3. The Publications of the Banner of Truth Trust
4. Calvinists Evangelizing - Jim Kennedy and Evangelism Explosion
5. Calvinist Leadership in the Inerrancy Controversy
6. The Founding of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
7. J.I. Packer and Knowing God
8. The Teaching Ministries of R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur
9. John Piper
10.The rise of secularism and decline of Christian nominalism

Bruce Springsteen: Magic

"We’ve been together since 1974 and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more excited than he is right now about this record.”

-- Jon Landau (Springsteen’s manager)

Modern Day Gnostic Heresy

"'A market economy has nothing remotely to do with getting what you want. It has everything to do with making yourself feel good about what is available' (Carl Elliott, Better Than Well). This is a Gnostic truth indeed, for it trades in and ultimately depends upon there being a radical distinction between the feeling, wanting human subject--that is, the 'I' who feels and wants and the particular, concrete circumstances of any one person's existence.

"Seen through the lens of orthodox Christian theology, such a distinction is nothing more than heresy. For what self, apart from the gift of the body, exists to shop the identity market? And if the mind and identity itself can be altered with medications, what part of the disembodied self is making these choices? Apparently there is nothing left to enliven this puppet self but the tiny part of the mind or soul that makes choices. Choosing itself becomes the defining mark of human identity. In remaking identity as a consumer item, the person is whittled away into sawdust, and modernity's precious autonomy is revealed as little more than the triumph of the well."

- Joel Shuman & Brian Volk (Reclaiming the Body: Christians and the Faithful Use of Modern Medicine)

...more on Keepon the Robot

There's a line at the beginning of the movie AI where William Hurt says: "...in the beginning, didn't God create Adam to love him?" The scene opens a movie that examines what makes a person human...and perhaps more profoundly, what do we look for in other humans? ...what expectations do we have of others? ...what do we need from others? ...can a robot fill this gap?

There's a group of folks out there called transhumanists. Transhumanism as described by Nick Bostrom of Oxford University:

Transhumanists view human nature as a work-in-progress, a half-baked beginning that we can learn to remold in desirable ways. Current humanity need not be the endpoint of evolution. Transhumanists hope that by responsible use of science, technology, and other rational means we shall eventually manage to become posthuman, beings with vastly greater capacities than present human beings have.
http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.html

A key step in achieving this goal of transhumanism is getting computers/robots to form relationships and show emotions to people. ...and, this is why Keepon the robot is so fascinating. Here is a quote from Keepon's webpage describing the project.

We are developing and evaluating an architecture that will allow these robots to perceive, model, and generate social rhythms such that the robot's behaviors are synchronized with those of a human interactor. We believe that rhythmic synchrony will be as important for establishing engagement, rapport, and comfort between a robot and a person as it is between people.

For example, synchrony between the tempo of a speaker's voice, the punctuation of the speaker's gestures, and the frequency of a listener's nodding is characteristic of smooth and comfortable interactions. Social scientists such as William S. Condon and Adam Kendon have identified interactional synchrony as a phenomenon that plays an important role in the regulation and coordination of movements, vocalizations, and other social cues.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~marekm/projects/beatbots

Keepon has a microphone in "his" nose, two cameras for eyes, and his yellow rubber skin. He makes his own decisions as to his dance moves. He can be set up to dance according to the sound of the music or the movement of other people dancing. Perhaps this is a step closer to the questions of AI and the sci-fi world of the transhumanists?

A Dancing Robot for Rhythmic Social Interaction

The Extropy Institute

The World Transhumanist Association

Nick Bostrom

Betterhumans

John Piper is Bad

Coveting Prestige

I watched The Prestige this week. It's a movie about two rivaling magicians in the late 1800s. More than that, it's a study in obsession...perhaps the more specific word "coveting" could be used.

The movie shows that what you are obsessed with is what you become. And, what you covet you will never attain...because the thing that you want, the thing that looks appealing...the thing your imagination has already experienced (the warmth, the taste, the feel, the buzz)...that thing is never quite what you tricked yourself into believing it would be. That same trick of the mind is almost always transfered to something bigger and better, because there is always something bigger and better to obsess over and covet.

Movies like The Prestige are the true horror films, in my opinion. They're the movies that shine lights into the depths of what we are capable of. In other words, they're movies that show us the potential of our darkness.

ABC

"It is a cheap zeal that reserves its passions to combat only the sins and temptations of others."
- Don Carson (The Gagging of God, p 358)

The Gospel Coalition Interviews

The Gospel Coalition webpage now has interviews up.

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/interviews.html

Don't miss "What Makes the Gospel Coalition Different?" by Tim Keller and Don Carson.

Keepon, The Robot

Someday robots will rule the world...


http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~marekm/projects/beatbots/

Christian Music

The distinction between "Christian music" and "secular music" is truly an unhelpful one. A couple exceptions (people who do find it helpful): the Christian music industry, parents who don't want to be involved in their children's culture...these are stereotypes, I'm sure, but I think there's something there. These three lyrics came to mind this morning as I was thinking of some songs that contain honest reflections of the world.

We spend all day getting sober
Just hiding from daylight
Watching TV
We just look a lot better in the blue light
Well, you know I gotta get out
Bit I'm suck so tight
Weighed by the chains that keep me...

And this girl listens to the band play
She says "where have you been?
I've been lying right here on the floor"
Well, I got all this time
To be waiting for what is mine
To be hating what I am
After the light has faded
- Adam Duritz

I ain't never been to Vegas but I gambled up my life
Building newsprint boats I raced to sewer mains
Was trying to find me something but I wasn't sure just what
Funny how they say that some things never change
- Ryan Adams

In the garden at Gethsemane
He prayed for the life he'd never live,
He beseeched his Heavenly Father to remove
The cup of death from his lips

Now there's a loss that can never be replaced,
A destination that can never be reached,
A light you'll never find in another's face,
A sea whose distance cannot be breached

Well Jesus kiss his mother's hands
Whispered, "Mother, still you tears,
For remember the soul of the universe
Willed a world and it appeared."
- Bruce Springsteen

Trouble - Ray Lamontagne

If you haven't checked out Ray Lamontagne, you should. Here's one of my favorite songs of his. I like the relationship between trouble, worry, and the woman who saves him. All three might be the same thing...

"The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in a Postmodern World"

Succinct and clear. The best thing I've read/heard in regards to Christians interacting with postmodernism. If you know of something better, let me know.

The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in a Postmodern World
by Tim Keller

The Gospel Coalition

If you haven't already done so...take a trip over to The Gospel Coalition web-page. It is up and running with stuff to listen to, read, and watch.

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/

The Gospel Coalition may be something that blows over in a few years, or it may be the start of an impacting voice in evangelical churches. The site has pretty pictures of the first Gospel Coalition conference...but, it's more a site for folks interesting in reading (or listening to) focused thoughts on the gospel's place in church ministry.

The organization started out of a relationship between Tim Keller and Don Carson. It grew from those two into a coalition of (mostly) pastors. And, then, morphed into this gospel coalition. From what I've heard stated, it's likely that The Gospel Coalition and Together for the Gospel will alternate years for their conferences. The web-site above will grow in its documents and aids to those interested in the practical application of the gospel in their ministries.

...if you have to pick just one of the lectures, go with Tim Keller.

Viewer Mail - Answering the Atheist

My buddy Andy and I used to convene in high school study hall every day and discuss our late nights with David Letterman. One of our favorites was Thursday night when Dave would answer the viewer mail. Paul Shaeffer would sing..."letters, we gets stacks and stacks of letters....letters". The story is semi-true, I'm not sure how excited we actually were for viewer mail, but since Andy's wife has plagued my comment section with deep, dark atheistic questions I thought it was an appropriate intro.



So, here we go with our first instalment of viewer mail...

'Life happens: we decimate the rain forests and kill the native species; the earth's crust destroys our coastland and kills lives. It's the flux and flow of life. There is no cause or reason. It's the looking for a reason that fosters the anger and resentment.' Where do you categorize this type of atheist? And how do you answer him?

I've been reading some of the philosophy genre lately...in thinking about my answer, I can already see that effecting/affecting me. Anyway, without any further stalling on such a question...

Categorizing & Answering:

In my mind, the issue of "cause" seems to be the weak area of this atheist's argument.

"There is no cause or reason." To me it seems that a causeless, reasonless world has no anger and resentment in it because nothing has existed to cause the anger/resentment. I'll attempt to explain my thinking behind that statement. By the very act of saying "it's the looking for...that brings anger", the person has entered into an causal argument stating that the cause of B is A. In this case, the cause of anger and resentment is in the looking-for-a-reason. Therefore, if my second rate logic works, how could there be any anger/resentment in the world when we've removed some sort of evil causing it? Whether this "evil" is a tsunami, an earthquake, or looking for a reason for suffering...there has to be a cause.

Let's assume for a moment that the cause exists, but it is unknowable ("There is cause and reason, it is unknowable. Anger is a result of searching for the cause."). In this case, perhaps we would feel emotions of anger when we experience the frustration of tracking down something unknowable. Still, I would want to ask similar annoying questions. For example, our new and improved statement seems to have tracked down a knowable cause of anger and frustration...and, again, this anger stems from trying to pinpoint any causes. But, if our statement were true , we would not have been able to discover the unknowable cause of our frustration toward discovering causes. In other words, we still have a causal statement, it has just been expanded with a "it is unknowable" footnote.

If my two short paragraph's semi-coherent statements are convincing...and, if the atheist admits that some sort of "cause" exists in the world, then the discussion moves to a different level. What is the cause? The where does evil come from question should be as difficult for an atheist as why does suffering exist is for a theist.

That is the long answer to your question. The short answer is that I would just try to confuse him or her with alot of philosophical mumbo-jumbo until they were confused and walked away.

Anyway, I'm not sure any of that actually works logically. Another option would be giving them a 4 Spiritual Laws Tract. How would you answer the question?

Anger At God

We want to decipher God. We want to figure Him out. We want to turn him into a video game, a book, or a Rubik's Cube. We want something that we can finish, unlock, and put on the shelf.

Once we understand something we can make sure it follows the rules. If it does abide by the rules we experience comfort. If it breaks the rules we experience anger. Think about sports. There’s anger that enrages thousands when the referee misses the call.

The question emerges: Does/can God miss the call? We certainly act like he has the ability to. Our rage and bitterness is frequently focused on God rather than the sin that should be the focus of our anger.

More questions: Why? Why are we so easily angered at God? Perhaps it stems from partial belief? Let’s examine two extremes of the spectrum…

A) A true atheist. If a true atheist exists, they are incapable of feeling any true emotions toward God. I don’t believe in Santa Claus, therefore, when my car breaks down or my wife gets sick or when a friend dies…I am incapable of being angry at Santa Claus. Any anger at God assumes the existence of that God.

B) Who else is never angry at God? We need to stretch ourselves here…we need someone who is the total opposite of an atheist…someone 100% confident in the existence of God. Hopefully, without cheating, I can use Jesus as an example. Equality with God seems in some way to be the opposite of atheism.

So, does someone 100% confident in the existence of God get angry at God? Was Jesus ever angry at God? Did He have reason to be?
When Lazarus died…
When His Father was sending Him to a cross…
When He wept…
…was He angry at God? Did He have reason to be?

What does this tell us? I think it tells us that any anger at God must exist because we live our lives somewhere in the middle of this unbelief scale. There seems to be some sort of tension here, and I think it comes out in many of the Psalms. On the one hand, there's alot pointing to a brutal honesty of our emotions toward God. But, on the other hand, a contentment with our lack of understanding of God does not seem to be encouraged (James' "count it all joy" passage comes to mind).

I've been thinking about Psalms 116 a little bit lately. Here are two verses from this optimistic Psalm (make sure you check out the context sometime):

I believed, even when I spoke,

'I am greatly afflicted';

I said in my alarm,

'All mankind are liars.'

The two quotations seem as though they are statements the author is not proud of, in one sense. But, he still admits that he believed when he spoke. Even honest discontent still reflects a belief in God. Perhaps we can call this "anger" at God. If so, the emotion doesn't seem to be the problem, I think the problem is the follow up to the emotion. Do we feed the emotion with Truth or do we follow it up with an extra dose of self-pity? I think it's a hard question to answer, because the question seems to imply some limits to our negative emotional expression toward God. ...all sorts of slippery-slope troubles seem to tie me up in these thoughts.

For the sake a semi-short post, I have two thoughts. Anger at our situations, frustration at God, whatever we call it, needs to be expressed. It's honest...if God already knows how we're feeling, why should we try to mentally hide anything from Him. But, these emotions need some reminders of who God is...and I think they specifically need reminders of the cross. If anger at God is only possible along side of a level of unbelief…then, that unbelief begins at our understanding of the cross.

Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

God had to be up to something when He sent His Son to the cross. Sometimes we act/think as though God was up to nothing when He sent Jesus to die.

A second passage that seems relevant is Paul's quotation of the Psalm mentioned earlier.

II Corinthians 4:13-14

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, 'I believed, and so I spoke,' we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

Although I haven't done alot of study on this passage, there seems to, at the least, be an emphasis on an overarching awareness of God's love through the cross in our speech. I think it's safe to infer from Psalm 116 that any expression of frustration or anger toward God be reigned in with thoughts of God's love through Christ's death.

So, in regards to anger at God. I think it stems from a lack of understanding of God. And, since a full understanding of God and His ways is impossible...maybe the best thing we can do in times of intense hardship is meditate of the love expressed through the cross, have faith in a God bigger than us, and, if possible, relax. There is much good in seeking to know God more. But, red flags should appear any time we think we have God figured out. He’s not a puzzle. He’s not a riddle. And, I think it is safe to say that He never misses the call.

Abortion in the Movies - If it's good enough for Al Mohler's blog...

...I borrowed this link from Al Mohler's blog. It's a great article about abortion and the movies. Here is the link:

You Won't See Termination 2 at the Movies

It's about how Hollywood can't seem to bring itself to promote abortion. And, I think the article is on to something. I think movies are a good example of that circular pattern of the culture feeding on the media and the media feeding off the culture. As already mentioned on this blog, movies give us an insight into what the culture is up to. I think this example offers us insight into the fact that few people in this generation view abortion as any sort of a happy ending. And, as the article states, if it's not a child...if it's a mass of cells, why shouldn't an abortion provide a potential happy ending.

As a school project, I entered overacheivish mode and did a 50-page project (huge fonts, lots of double space, etc.) categorizing bioethics in the movies. With several exceptions abortion is almost always viewed negatively (If These Walls Could Talk was one of few exceptions). You can see similar negative trends with cloning, which is intricately tied to the problem of abortion in my mind. The natural aversion to modifying and killing humanity is worth paying attention to. Will this aversion lessen in another 40 years because it's something left over from our parents generation? Or, will we still squirm when it comes to cloning and abortion because it's part of our make up, our conscience, what is written on our hearts?