For you and for me.
Reading for me: I realized last night, sitting in Worship class listening to a lecture on "Choosing Music for Worship", that my wonderful school will continue to ignore anything remotely related to the postmodern movement. I need to catch up on my reading, so blogosphere-Andy, Parents, Adam's, Howie and everyone else-I request some titles with which to start getting caught up on postmordern worship, postmodern theology, postmodern ecclesiology, etc. And, in the interest of my days in the Socialist Republic of Fayette, if anyone HAS these title and wouldn't mind sending them my way, that would be great....I am a poor man with no idea where my checks will come from after Jan 1st. Anyway, I look forward to your suggestions and getting caught up so hopefully i can join in on some of these wonderful conversations.
Reading for you: There's a couple things I'd like to comment on this morning. I haven't been to blog world since Kramer went Krazy. First, let me say that Richards was inarguably wrong. However, was the tape(or phone, actually) just not rolling during the actual heckling. I echo Adam Leathers point of imagining being in YOUR office, or perhaps behind the pulpit, and two drunk morons stroll in and start harrassing you. The issue is not the racial slurs. Family Guy could've said the same words and everybody would've thought it was hilarious. The point is..."50 years ago they would've had you upside down with a f***ing fork up you ass". That's what Kramer said and that's why he owes the world an apology. He should not be blacklisted, pun intended, his career should not be ended over this. He lost his temper, we all do. After offering an explanation other than "I don't know what came over me" and giving a sincere apology, he should go back to busting through doors and busting our sides. I'm just glad we've got something to get TomKat and K-Fed off our minds for awhile, until the next celebrity scandel comes along of course. Oh, by the way, we're still in an unwinable war. American soldiers and Iraqi teenager freedom fighters die everyday in a war we should've never started. And where the hell is Osama Bin Laden? Oh, and that whole congressional child abuse thing, where'd that thing go? OH OH Oh and how 'bout the millions of people dying of Aids in africa, who's going to "liberate" them? Kramer made Newsweek people. Aren't there more important things? (ps. I'm so glad Brittney has found a suitable replacement for K-Fed to help her seem not as trashy....Paris Hilton...my point being, why do I care and why do I even know about this!!)
I guess that's all I got for right now. Take it easy, sleazies. Look forward to your suggested readings.
Peace, B
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
This is Re-dad-gum-diculous!
Talk about incommunicado, huh? I went out of town, got sick, or just didn't have much to write about. Until now.
My friends, I am more stressed out than I've ever been in my life. Some of you know how big this is, because I'm not a guy who gets stressed easily. But, here's what's going on.
I have no idea where I'll be working and/or living as of January 1st. The bishop wanted to wait until Cabinet meeting (when all the DS's got together) to decide anything about my fate. This is good and bad. Bad-I won't know until sometime next week if I have to move sometime next month. Good-The bishop, the Schnase himself, wants to be a part of the conversation. I have daydreams about them creating a position for me on the District or Conference. I could be Director of Keeping Old White Preachers As Hip As They Can Be Or At Least Informed. Or something.
Here's the other thing. My sister's having a freakin' baby. Mom, in her wisdom, said women have babies all the time. Yes, but not my sister and not with ME IN THE WOMB...er...ROOM! I'm excited but terrified. I just know she'll go into labor on Christmas Eve, or New Years Eve when I'm preaching, or on moving day. And, this would be about half as frustrating if we didn't have to deal with, oh I'll call him, "The SOB", in the WEEKS...yes, weeks...after the birth of my new nephew.
So, yeah, I'm freaking out a bit. I can't sleep, not that that's different from usual. I've been working out again to try and help with the nerves. But, I'm pretty much wound tight 100% of the time. Put a lump of coal [in my hand], in two weeks you'll have a diamond.-Ferris Bueller, edited edition.
Oh yeah, AND, Mustoe-Harley's getting ready to get a new girlfriend and have little angel puppies. Shaq, our yellow lab of 13 years has a tumor on her liver and has stopped eating. The chart at the vet that measures dog years by weight and other things says she's over 110 years old. The chart stops at 11 with dogs over 55 pounds. Shaq weighs 65 pounds and is 13 and a half. She's a wonderful, quiet, loving, loyal dog and we'll miss her. And she's a looker Harl. Watch yourself.
Peace everybody. Peace of mind and Peace on earth.
Gobble, Gobble. B
My friends, I am more stressed out than I've ever been in my life. Some of you know how big this is, because I'm not a guy who gets stressed easily. But, here's what's going on.
I have no idea where I'll be working and/or living as of January 1st. The bishop wanted to wait until Cabinet meeting (when all the DS's got together) to decide anything about my fate. This is good and bad. Bad-I won't know until sometime next week if I have to move sometime next month. Good-The bishop, the Schnase himself, wants to be a part of the conversation. I have daydreams about them creating a position for me on the District or Conference. I could be Director of Keeping Old White Preachers As Hip As They Can Be Or At Least Informed. Or something.
Here's the other thing. My sister's having a freakin' baby. Mom, in her wisdom, said women have babies all the time. Yes, but not my sister and not with ME IN THE WOMB...er...ROOM! I'm excited but terrified. I just know she'll go into labor on Christmas Eve, or New Years Eve when I'm preaching, or on moving day. And, this would be about half as frustrating if we didn't have to deal with, oh I'll call him, "The SOB", in the WEEKS...yes, weeks...after the birth of my new nephew.
So, yeah, I'm freaking out a bit. I can't sleep, not that that's different from usual. I've been working out again to try and help with the nerves. But, I'm pretty much wound tight 100% of the time. Put a lump of coal [in my hand], in two weeks you'll have a diamond.-Ferris Bueller, edited edition.
Oh yeah, AND, Mustoe-Harley's getting ready to get a new girlfriend and have little angel puppies. Shaq, our yellow lab of 13 years has a tumor on her liver and has stopped eating. The chart at the vet that measures dog years by weight and other things says she's over 110 years old. The chart stops at 11 with dogs over 55 pounds. Shaq weighs 65 pounds and is 13 and a half. She's a wonderful, quiet, loving, loyal dog and we'll miss her. And she's a looker Harl. Watch yourself.
Peace everybody. Peace of mind and Peace on earth.
Gobble, Gobble. B
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
We did it!
Well, more accurately, THEY did it. Well, the nation, excluding myself and Mr. Mustoe, has spoken. They're tired of Republican Good Ol' Boys Club politics and the Democrats have resumed power. Now, maybe some more things can...not get done in Washington. Seriously, when do these people stop campaigning and starting doing some actual work. Congress works a little more than half the year. When they actually come to session, they work three day weeks. I'm happy at how the polls worked out, but let's see what happens next. I'm willing to bet that nothing really changes all that much. I put money on politicians remaining power-lusting, bribe-taking, ethic-lacking, talking heads.
Of course, you can see where I'm going with this. I think we should go back to theocracy and I should be appointed (anointed?) Holy American Emporer.
Sorry. Anyway, it's a good day. I hope it works out.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done,
B
Of course, you can see where I'm going with this. I think we should go back to theocracy and I should be appointed (anointed?) Holy American Emporer.
Sorry. Anyway, it's a good day. I hope it works out.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done,
B
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Micro-Church
Hats off to Howie.
I’ve been mulling this over throughout the weekend after Howie and I talked about it Friday night at a lock-in we were running.
I’m really excited about the idea of Micro-Church. What is Micro-Church I hear you ask? Well, within the laws of physics, one must assume that if there’s a micro church there must be an opposite: mega church. We all know what mega churches are. The sprawling suburban worship centers with five services per weekend and 15 pastors on staff. So, micro church-the actual opposite of mega church would be mini church, but that denotes a level of weakness or inferiority-would be the equal and opposite reaction to mega churches in all their glory. A small group of people, humbly and quietly gathering together at a church, or at a home, or in a park to talk about, pray about, sing about, learn about God. A few points of interest:
The church has become deluded. These mega churches-in my opinion-miss something big in the message of Jesus Christ, humility. Mega churches have bought into the American ideal that bigger is better, which is contrary to Jesus’ teaching on the last and the least and the lost. In Borat (whose wisdom will be discussed in the post below), Borat ends up asleep on the street in front of a church. The camera wakes up with Borat still sleeping on the church porch and the Sunday morning worshippers going out of their way to walk around him. 15,000 people, worshipping together in a 25 million dollar church, in a upper middle class suburban neighborhood---doesn’t sound anything like the last, least or lost. Doesn’t sound very marginalized at all. The message, mission and purpose of the church have been lost to the pursuit of numbers on the membership roles or the pursuit of the biggest Family Life Center.
The solution is going back to the base roots of the church. A few people gathering together, mostly in homes, to read and study scripture, sing hymns and talk about living as Christians. These few people collect gifts or dedicate time to serving the marginalized in society. This group may OR MAY NOT be associated with a larger church, or church conference, as simply a branch off of a mega church. This is how almost all denominations started-the Christian church, the Protestant church, the Methodist church.
Two problems:
The issue is the interpretation of our great commission, to make disciples of all the world. I think we can spread the love, compassion, justice and peace that Jesus teaches and represents without making our churches big and ugly and impersonal and inauthentic and Americanized and computerized and polarized. So, how do we make disciples of all the world and not let ourselves get too big for our own britches?
The second problem is keeping these groups of a few people gathering together to simply and humbly experience life as God’s kids together theologically informed. The potential for sectarianism and, at the most extreme, cultism is high. Becoming overly private and separated from other groups goes against the relational aspect of church. On the other hand, we live in a time in which its easier than ever to be in touch with people. So, possibly, online communities of these micro churches, something like myspace, is a way to keep them together and united as a body.
The emergent church tried this. They broke out on the claim of anti-organized church and being the alternative to big, faceless suburban mega churches. But, then they grew and grew and have now organized into a church corporation of their own.
Anyway, sorry this is so long. But its been awhile and this has been on my mind. Comments on Micro-Church are welcome. Stay tuned for yet another post today on Borat!
I’ve been mulling this over throughout the weekend after Howie and I talked about it Friday night at a lock-in we were running.
I’m really excited about the idea of Micro-Church. What is Micro-Church I hear you ask? Well, within the laws of physics, one must assume that if there’s a micro church there must be an opposite: mega church. We all know what mega churches are. The sprawling suburban worship centers with five services per weekend and 15 pastors on staff. So, micro church-the actual opposite of mega church would be mini church, but that denotes a level of weakness or inferiority-would be the equal and opposite reaction to mega churches in all their glory. A small group of people, humbly and quietly gathering together at a church, or at a home, or in a park to talk about, pray about, sing about, learn about God. A few points of interest:
The church has become deluded. These mega churches-in my opinion-miss something big in the message of Jesus Christ, humility. Mega churches have bought into the American ideal that bigger is better, which is contrary to Jesus’ teaching on the last and the least and the lost. In Borat (whose wisdom will be discussed in the post below), Borat ends up asleep on the street in front of a church. The camera wakes up with Borat still sleeping on the church porch and the Sunday morning worshippers going out of their way to walk around him. 15,000 people, worshipping together in a 25 million dollar church, in a upper middle class suburban neighborhood---doesn’t sound anything like the last, least or lost. Doesn’t sound very marginalized at all. The message, mission and purpose of the church have been lost to the pursuit of numbers on the membership roles or the pursuit of the biggest Family Life Center.
The solution is going back to the base roots of the church. A few people gathering together, mostly in homes, to read and study scripture, sing hymns and talk about living as Christians. These few people collect gifts or dedicate time to serving the marginalized in society. This group may OR MAY NOT be associated with a larger church, or church conference, as simply a branch off of a mega church. This is how almost all denominations started-the Christian church, the Protestant church, the Methodist church.
Two problems:
The issue is the interpretation of our great commission, to make disciples of all the world. I think we can spread the love, compassion, justice and peace that Jesus teaches and represents without making our churches big and ugly and impersonal and inauthentic and Americanized and computerized and polarized. So, how do we make disciples of all the world and not let ourselves get too big for our own britches?
The second problem is keeping these groups of a few people gathering together to simply and humbly experience life as God’s kids together theologically informed. The potential for sectarianism and, at the most extreme, cultism is high. Becoming overly private and separated from other groups goes against the relational aspect of church. On the other hand, we live in a time in which its easier than ever to be in touch with people. So, possibly, online communities of these micro churches, something like myspace, is a way to keep them together and united as a body.
The emergent church tried this. They broke out on the claim of anti-organized church and being the alternative to big, faceless suburban mega churches. But, then they grew and grew and have now organized into a church corporation of their own.
Anyway, sorry this is so long. But its been awhile and this has been on my mind. Comments on Micro-Church are welcome. Stay tuned for yet another post today on Borat!
Yeshemaash! My name ah Borat..
So begins one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. No, not the funniest I’ve seen and certainly not the funniest movie ever, like some critics said. Christmas Vacation, Spaceballs, Wayne’s World, Anchorman…all are funnier than Borat. But, still it was an unbelievably hysterical movie.
Well, I know that at least two people are waiting to hear what I really think. Mom and Dad, I cannot believe you sat through that movie. You walked out of American Pie!
Anyway, all sorts of adjectives could be used to describe Borat-shocking, hilarious, genius, outlandish, obscene, unrelenting, disturbing, disgusting, side-splitting, alarming…prophetic?
Let’s talk about what a prophet does. In the Old Testament sense. Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, all of ‘em. Their job was to say, “Hey, Idiots, you’re not getting it!”
And that’s exactly the point of Borat. This guy comes to America to learn about American culture and values; instead, he found New Yorkers too afraid of each other to greet another human being, car dealers who don’t blink an eye at the term “p*&^y magnet” (“That would be a corvette” says the industrious salesman), a southern pastor who all but ran away at the site of a black escort (something about eating with prostitutes comes to mind but I don’t know why), worshippers who are so passionate about their own evangelical experience that they walk over a homeless man on their way to church, and a young man who thinks the nation would be a much better place if slavery was reinstated. The film maker, Sasha Baron Cohen, takes one look at what America says is important and shakes his prophetic fist.
Alright, I might be reading more into this than I should. It’s just a movie, a comedy. It’s goal was to make us laugh and it made us howl. But like Lavarr Burton used to say, don’t take my word for it. Go see it. You will laugh the whole time. But, be warned…Borat includes the most outrageous, disgusting, disturbing, and so-bad-you-feel-horrible-for-laughing-but-you-will-laugh moment ever made. You’ll know it when it starts and you might want to close your eyes…
Peace, B
Well, I know that at least two people are waiting to hear what I really think. Mom and Dad, I cannot believe you sat through that movie. You walked out of American Pie!
Anyway, all sorts of adjectives could be used to describe Borat-shocking, hilarious, genius, outlandish, obscene, unrelenting, disturbing, disgusting, side-splitting, alarming…prophetic?
Let’s talk about what a prophet does. In the Old Testament sense. Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, all of ‘em. Their job was to say, “Hey, Idiots, you’re not getting it!”
And that’s exactly the point of Borat. This guy comes to America to learn about American culture and values; instead, he found New Yorkers too afraid of each other to greet another human being, car dealers who don’t blink an eye at the term “p*&^y magnet” (“That would be a corvette” says the industrious salesman), a southern pastor who all but ran away at the site of a black escort (something about eating with prostitutes comes to mind but I don’t know why), worshippers who are so passionate about their own evangelical experience that they walk over a homeless man on their way to church, and a young man who thinks the nation would be a much better place if slavery was reinstated. The film maker, Sasha Baron Cohen, takes one look at what America says is important and shakes his prophetic fist.
Alright, I might be reading more into this than I should. It’s just a movie, a comedy. It’s goal was to make us laugh and it made us howl. But like Lavarr Burton used to say, don’t take my word for it. Go see it. You will laugh the whole time. But, be warned…Borat includes the most outrageous, disgusting, disturbing, and so-bad-you-feel-horrible-for-laughing-but-you-will-laugh moment ever made. You’ll know it when it starts and you might want to close your eyes…
Peace, B
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Defending not Defensive
Alright peeps. Enough's enough.
To my brother, thank you for the advice and guidance. But, I'm not making an argument here. I'm not writing a legal document that I hope will stand up in court. I'm ranting. And, I think it's fair to say, that so far seminary is not helping me in my ministry. I'm glad it helped you. I also think it's fair to say that the supreme court is truly out of touch with mainstream american culture and thought, no matter who's on it. Anyway, I digress. I do enough research, I'm not going to look anything up EVER for the purposes of this blog. I'm just going to type and see what happens. That's what I do and I've never claimed to do any more.
To my friend Mustoe, being open-minded does not mean having no opinions. It means having your own opinions and being willing to dialogue with folks with differing ones, like our new friend Dark Gable. I do think I'm open-minded; I'm willing to listen to other peoples viewpoints, see the value in them, and reject them all equally! Ha, just kidding. And you're right, I didn't vote in 2004. But, I'm an American damnit. Complaining about things I had no part in creating is my God-given right, just like owning a handgun that's only real purpose is to shoot human beings and telling strangers what they can or cannot do in their bedrooms. Sorry again.
To Caldwell, nice addition to the debate my friend. I think in the next presidential debate, the vice pres. candidates should stand behind their partners and go, "Aww, Snap!" when they make a point. Remember, life is about getting over our "doctrinal issues".
To Dark, thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your future additions to the conversation. All I hope for is a country where people like you and me who don't agree can live together, truly and honestly dialogue together, and work together to make our world a better place.
B-R-A-D to tha B. I'm outie 5,000, take it sleazy.
Catman...
To my brother, thank you for the advice and guidance. But, I'm not making an argument here. I'm not writing a legal document that I hope will stand up in court. I'm ranting. And, I think it's fair to say, that so far seminary is not helping me in my ministry. I'm glad it helped you. I also think it's fair to say that the supreme court is truly out of touch with mainstream american culture and thought, no matter who's on it. Anyway, I digress. I do enough research, I'm not going to look anything up EVER for the purposes of this blog. I'm just going to type and see what happens. That's what I do and I've never claimed to do any more.
To my friend Mustoe, being open-minded does not mean having no opinions. It means having your own opinions and being willing to dialogue with folks with differing ones, like our new friend Dark Gable. I do think I'm open-minded; I'm willing to listen to other peoples viewpoints, see the value in them, and reject them all equally! Ha, just kidding. And you're right, I didn't vote in 2004. But, I'm an American damnit. Complaining about things I had no part in creating is my God-given right, just like owning a handgun that's only real purpose is to shoot human beings and telling strangers what they can or cannot do in their bedrooms. Sorry again.
To Caldwell, nice addition to the debate my friend. I think in the next presidential debate, the vice pres. candidates should stand behind their partners and go, "Aww, Snap!" when they make a point. Remember, life is about getting over our "doctrinal issues".
To Dark, thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your future additions to the conversation. All I hope for is a country where people like you and me who don't agree can live together, truly and honestly dialogue together, and work together to make our world a better place.
B-R-A-D to tha B. I'm outie 5,000, take it sleazy.
Catman...
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