Cheap Little Excuses

Here's a list of cheap little excuses for why I'm not blogging recently.

1. This week: Two days of work, crazy busy planning youth mission trip. Weds. have to pick up a tux after five and make it to the Dave show by seven. Thurs. drive through Columbia, drop off dog, drive to St. Loius, be in wedding. Friday, be in wedding. Saturday, drive to the lake, pick up Ryan Bates in St. Loius, Fiona in Columbia, continue down for birthday weekend.

2. Next week: Three day work week, still crazy busy. Annual Conference in Spfd.

3. Week after: Finalize plans for mission trip, wedding weekend.

4. Week after: Leave on my first mission trip as youth pastor.


So, yeah, I'm not finding the time to get online and rant or rave or muse or discuss or debate or anything else. So, deal with it. I'll see you in July.

B

All is Right with the World

Well, my world at least. Tonight, I turn in my final final of my first year at St. Paul School of Theology. Tomorrow night, Lindsey, me and bunch of St. Paul people are going to Dave and Busters, an big arcade with adult beverages, and three great bands put out three great albums.
I'm feelin' fine! The 31st, Vee and I go to the Dave MAtthews concert and then it's off to St. Louis for Sarah's wedding and THEN down to the lake for my birthday weekend. Good stuff all around.

The three great bands and three great albums I refer to are as follows:
Pearl Jam-Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam came out with their best album in 10 years. Matt Cameron is the best rock drummer around. Mike McCready on guitar is unbelievable, again. For someone who never lost faith in the boys from Seattle, I love everything they've ever done, even Binaural, it's great to see a solid rock band put out a solid rock album.

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Stadium Arcadium
Alright, Anthony Kedis can't sing. Ok, some of the songs sound exactly the same. But, I love this album. The Peppers have always been weird and there's no change here. There going in a different direction, a more mature sound, and I like it. Flea, what can you say, best bassist anywhere. And what the hell does John Frusciante take to come up with guitar licks like that, and where can I get some. Clean it up, Johnny!

Tool-Ten Thousand Days
You either love or hate Tool. And I love them. This is probably the last album from the weirded-out, cross-dressing, Pagan-following, cosmic number counting, foursome, and it lives up to the hype. Danny Carey is the most apendage-independent drummer there's ever been. I swear the toe of his foot and the heel of his foot are playing two different times zones. It's unbelieavable heavy but beatiful and melodic. Maynard is pleasingly angry but poingant and elegant. A great, great rock album.

AND I almost forgot.
Rob Zombie-Educated Horses
Rob Zombie stripped down his overtly technical and processed sounds and a lot heavier in the process.

So, FOUR great bands with FOUR great new albums. This guy's did what all musicians dream of, each album gets better the more you listen to it.

Life is good,
Brad

Sad Day

"The time will come
One day you'll see
When we can all be one"
~Freddie Mercury of Queen

Well, it's a sad day to be a United Methodist. I add my voice of dissention to chorus. The Judicial Council's decision today was a wrong one, a bad one. However, like my brother, I understand the reasoning in the decision. It is not the job of the Judicial Council to make moral decisions for the UMC. That's the General Conferences job, and from what dad tells me about the last couple of those, we'll probably reach a decision in, oh, around the time I retire.

Still, it's sad. A pastor now has the right, the responsibility, to accept or exclude anyone he or she wishes. that's not our job, as I said before, that's God's.

Proud to be American and a United Methodist, but currently pissed at them both,
Brad

A Little More Conversation Please...

Well, I've decided to get into the mix of conversation surrounding the Judicial Council Meetings here in KC that's been going around the blog world. As many things in my life, my explaination of why I think the Council should overturn the decision will be much simpler than my brother's. He's much smarter than I. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about here's the deal: some preacher somewhere denied a homosexual man membership in his church. That preacher, after a bit of confusion, was backed by his superiors. The Judicial council is voting on whether or not to overturn that backing. that's how I understand it.

So, here's my explanation:
IT'S NOT UP TO US.

There it is. That's all. Who can and cannot come to church, have a relationship with God, or attain ultimate salvation is not our decision, it's God's. In the Wesleyan tradition, we believe in a thing called grace. Nothing you do, no action from you, no set of rules that we check off, get us saved. Nothing but the grace of God. That's it.

Alright, so there's my say. CMU graduation this weekend, me and Vee will be going back to the Alma Mater to see Mustoe, Abby, Crystal, Melissa and other folks walk the line and get the illustrious title of CMU alum. Congrats.

California Love, Brad

ps Rock and Roll is not dead after all. Fans of punk-based, straight ahead rock go get the new Pearl Jam album. Fans of heavier stuff, go get the new Tool album. Also coming this month, Robert Randolph and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Good stuff, good stuff.