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.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
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
Preaching As Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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
http://sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Rob-Bell2c-the-Pastore28099s-Task-of-Discernment2c-and-My-Heart.aspx
Friday, January 18, 2008
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
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
Saturday, January 12, 2008
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).
”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"
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"
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
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").
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").
Saturday, December 1, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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
Here's an article about Ian Wilmut's change in research:
Dolly Creator Prof Ian Wilmut Shuns Cloning
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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.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
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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)
Scot McKnight - What Is the Emerging Church?
Mark Driscoll - 2007 Convergent Conference (Driscoll's talk is Session 3)
Friday, November 9, 2007
"...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.
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.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
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
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
Sunday, November 4, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
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.
Friday, November 2, 2007
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)
Thursday, November 1, 2007
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.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
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+.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
"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.
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.
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