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.

My Life's One Regret

I'm usually not one for self-reflection. I like to think of myself as a stoic, take things as they come, instinct kinda guy. But, this week I've been thinking a lot about my past, present and maybe future.

So, Vee(that's Lindsey's middle name, by the way) and I went to see Martin Sexton on Friday night. He and his opening act, the Trevor Hall Band, were great. He was, actually, unbelievable. The guy used to be a street player, you know, those guys on the Plaza or hanging out in front of the Cherry St. Artisan in CoMO. Just a guy, a guitar, and a cheap little amplifier. Now, he tours the country, has a small but strong and loyal fan base, just a guy, a guitar, and a fancy sound system. Anyway, it got me thinking, I really wish I would have done something with my bands.

I've been in three bands, with a couple of projects that were little more than two guys in a basement. First was Golgotha, Todd Monroe, Sam Giffith and me. Our biggest show, Barnswings, Ozark MO. Then Preserve with some college guys from a pentecostal church but they loved Pearl Jam and U2 and played like them. Our biggest show, playing for one of their church rallys. In between there, Tom and I wrote one song in his basement. OK, one song, but it was a good song, if not a little ripped off from our favorite band at the time, Tool. Our biggest gig, Tom's family and recording our one song onto cassette tape.

Then I went to college, met Adam Caldwell, Ray Malik and our red haired, stage fright ridden quaterback. I don't know what our name was, or if we had one, but our biggest show was the Halloween party in the basement of Woodward Hall.

Then, Adam Mustoe, Ryan McClouth and wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaddddddeee! came to school and Blessed was born. wwwwwwwwwwwade decided to go be more man than any of us ever will and build trucks with his bare hands or something, and Jamie Diffee, a far better bassist and all around cooler guy joined the mix. Our biggest show, almost 2,500 screaming teenagers and an $1,000 pay check.

I gotta tell ya, we were good. With no real sound, no real style, and really no rehersals, we were good. We could've been great, we could've been contenders.

I'm playing music now with Jen Klein, another pastor, and my brother(something I never thought i'd get the honor of doing) and everytime we play I'm reminded of how much I miss being in a band. Writing songs, perfecting them, performing them. That's it. I don't think I've ever felt as truly in my element, so completly myself, as when we rocked the end of "Blessed" for about 7 minutes at our first WOW. I don't think I've ever felt as whole as when Mustoe said "freeze" and 2,500 hundred screaming teenagers actually did what he said. That place blew up. I don't think I've felt as accomplished as when I heard my own drums on, first of all, cassette with Tom and then CD with Blessed.

So, there it is. I regret, my life's only one, that we didn't try harder in these bands. Really just Tom and Blessed. I miss being in a band, I miss creating music, I miss playing on stage, I miss kids buying my broken and signed drum sticks for 21 dollars. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance again, and that's fine. But I hope I do.

I know it's only rock and roll, but I like it,
Brad Bryan, Drummer

For Adam Caldwell

Holy crap I'm a Calvinist!!

So, AC, I took your little quiz things I think they may be flawed a bit. I am Chalcedon compliant, no surprise there. I am tied for being Wesleyan and Liberal theologically, again nothing of note. But, then, I take the Which Theologian Are You? quiz and JOHN FREAKIN' CALVIN narrowly beats out mister Paul Tillich. And, I say it's flawed because John Wesley is not a choice for a theologian but Wesleyan is a choice for theological world. How can Wesleyan be a theology if Wesley wasn't a theologian.

Anyway, I'd like to take this oppurtunity to give you all a sample of Bryanian Theology. Now, understand, Barth wrote Dogmatics for about 40 years and never finished it and I have about 15 minutes before I have to go. Here we go.

Doctrine of God: Truly, Wholy, Wonderfully in love with ALL OF CREATION.
Human Condition: Separation. We were created to be with God, our choices separated us.
Christology: Reunion. God became fully human to reconnect the creation with the creator.
Soterilogy(doctrine of salvation): Salvation ultimately rests in the grace of God, nothing we do can save us.
Doctrine of Sin: That which separates us from God further than we are. Choices.
Ecclesiology(doctrine of the church): The church exsists to expose people to the grace of God in Jesus Christ and to actively work towards the social, political, educational, economical, racial, sexual, orientational, and environmental justice of all creation.
Old Testament: Mostly metaphorically, not literally, true in nature, meant to instruct and reveal God's active presence in creation.
New Testament: Meant to first and foremost be seen for its original meaning to its original readers, THEN read for us today. A human product, which in turn makes it seem more real and true to me.
Eschatology(doctrine of End Times): I have no freakin' clue and I don't think we're supposed to know and i don't think it matters one bit to what the church does in this world.


So, there you have it. That's what I think. However, I also think that no human being has ownership of the truth. We won't know for sure until we're on the wrong side of the grass and by then it'll be too late. Conversation and dialogue are key for world religions to bring about the justice that we all seek.

All I have to figure out now is whether it should be BRY-n-e-n (say the letters) or BRYAN-ee-n.

Thanks for the inspiration AC, I'd be interested if you my cohorts in the theological realm of things or any other of my readers would offer similar synopses of their theological stances.

See you in the next world, (except you, lynz I'll see you today, and you andy I'll see you thursday, and you AC/dru/dennis/mustoe i'll see you at graduation, and you mom and dad I'll see you soon, and you tom, i'll see you this summer sometime) But, eventually, I guess, I'll see you in the next world, whatever that might be.

B. James Bryan (my theologian moniker)

Some things I've learned

Hey everybody,
I'm working on my final paper for Systematic Theology class. It's called, How My Mind Has Changed. So, here's some brainstorming style thoughts that I've learned this year.

The names matthew, mark, luke, and john were put on the Gospels 2oo years after they were written. Call me dense, but I never considered that.

I have power, even when I don't mean to. I have power as a man, as a white man, and as a preacher. Even when I'm trying to be empowering, this power travels with me.

Augustine said on his death bed that everything he ever said was garbage.

St. Julian of Norwich, who wrote about the beauty of God's creation and treating others as children of God, locked her self in a cell with only one servant companion for the last 40 years of her life. She was also kinda crazy, praying for and recieving an illness that almost killed her.

Karl Barth was a smart guy. He wrote a 13 volume theology called Church Dogmatics. The word volume is misleading however, since some of the volume are actually 6 books long!!!! He died before he could finish his masterpiece. The part he never finished: Redemption. God's funny.

Apparently, the New Zealand accent is so strong that living and working in the US for 16 years cannot stop its power.

There were at least four letters to the Corinthians. What happened to the others?

The sect of Jesus followers, sort of, that lived in Qumran (the dead sea scroll place) thought that Habbakkuk was the most important book since sliced manna. HABBAKKUK!! (AC-there's nothing in Malachai)

Atonement is the least creative word in history. It's meaning: at-one-ment. The opposite of atonement, you ask? gotohellment.

And finally, people who raise their hands to ask questions in seminary, apparently, don't have to actually ask any questions. They can just illumine us all with the beacon of light that is their brilliance.

Ah, the wonders of higher education.

~B

Words of Wisdom

Let me give you some background: there's a recent movement in the church called the Confessing Church movement. This is primarially a conservative group of folks whose main goal would be to create a checklist of beliefs one has to attest in order to be a United Methodist. (I'm sure some of those beliefs would be "I am not an Illegal Immigrant" or "I do not love those in my own gender").

The words "Confessing Church" come from Karl Barth (that's Bart, for those who haven't been or it's been 30 years since you were in seminary). So, here are some important words from the man from whom this movement took its name.

"Since God became incarnate is Jesus, and every human being is, by definition, related to Jesus of Nazareth, therefore, every human being is related to God Incarnate and should be treated as such"

Can you imagine a city, a church, a world where every person was treated by every other person as God's blessed and beloved child? I'm sad to say that I almost can't imagine such a place. In a world where some people are still treated as less than people, let alone part of the divine family, it's hard to imagine what this place would be like is we actually took the foremost theologian of the past 100 years at his word and put that word into action.

The next time I get cut off or stuck behind someone on 71, the next time a waiter gets my order wrong, the next time a fellow student raises their hand to make a statement and not ask a question, I'm gonna try and remember that they too are a child of God, a relative of Jesus, and should be treated as such.

~Brad

Spring Fever Redux

Well, this is probably the most stressed out I've ever been. School's gearing up and getting pretty busy: this week a take home test, next week an exegesis paper, the next week an annotated bibliography and the next week THREE tests. Also, I had to do my taxes this week and although, because of the wisdom of my parents, we're getting money back this year, just walking into that taxman's building is stressful. And, on top of all of that, a "family emergency" has taken my boss out of church, meaning I have a 100% increase in worship leadership and pastoral care responsibilities.

I need summer. I long for it. I need to spend time at the lake with my family and friends. I need to have Saturdays not spent inside working on papers but at the park with my dog. Ya know what I look forward too? Growing up you're always balancing too many responsibilities. Like right now, I'm a student AND a pastor. I can't wait for the day when I'm just one thing. I know the duties will grow and the stress won't go away, but I'll just be one thing. I won't have to struggle between two full time occupations. When I go home from a long day at work I won't have to immediately sit down for a long night of homework. I can't wait.

It's 80 degrees, without a cloud in the sky, and I'm at the computer, writing this....

Brad

Pride

Early Morning
April Four
Shot rang out in the Memphis sky
Free at last
They took your life
They could not take your PRIDE!

~Thanks, MLK, sorry I'm late.


Well, folks, I'm suffering from some serious spring fever. This weather has been unbelievable. With my girl on my arm and my dog on the leash, I don't think there's anywhere I'd rather be right now than at the park, or the lake.

I told the staff that I was upset that I had to usher, for Sarah and Dennis' wedding, on my birthday, and I got a lot of "welcome to adulthood" type comments. Ya know, I hope I never lose the idea that my birthday is special and I shouldn't be working. Birthdays should be spent with friends and family. And, I hope I never lose spring fever. I hope I never lose senioritis. The idea that when it's "Sunny with a high of 75" (to quote the fellas of Reliant K) one should not be crammed into an office somewhere or running around to meetings. Especially those of us who work in the theological realm. Weather like this is God's gift to us, and any preacher who DOESN'T get outside, write a sermon at the park, take a walk for a meeting instead of staying in the board room, or something is missing the point.

This week, my friends, don't deny spring fever because that's what adults do. Embrace it. Get outside. I'll think you'll find that you are actually happy to be alive.

I hope and pray that becoming an adult doesn't mean denying ourselves of anything fun, as some folks around here seem to think. Gotta go, I think I'll go to the park.

Brad

11 Years!!

Excuse me as I wipe the throw up off my computer after reading my brother's last comment. I haven't seen cheese like that since the Donnie and Marie Reunion Tour.

Your birthday has not slipped my mind, Older and Wiser, but I can't very well post what YOU want for YOUR birthday on MY blog. That would be connectional and I think you know how that's discouraged around here. No, no, how could I ever forget my brother's birthday, which is two months and ELEVEN YEARS!!!!!! before mine.

Anyway, Tyler's coming up this weekend and I'm pretty stoked. For those new to the life of Brad, Tyler O'Banion is my best friend whom I've known since 7th grade. Sports came and went, music tastes changed, we each spent time locked into high school relationships that, apparently, everyone else knew wouldn't work, but we haven't changed. Norm Stewart basketball camp and we've never looked back. So, it'll be great to spend some time with him before he gets married and I never see him again.

What else, what else? Well, I had my District Council of Ordained Ministry committee meeting yesterday and I still have a job, so that's good. I got two how's your father's, two how's your grandfather's and even one how's your brother. But, we got into the meeting and good ol' Steve Campbell, the boss of both me and my brother who has changed both our diapers, said that most of the family stuff is in my head, that he and the board don't have any expectations for me, and that they recognize the unique gifts I bring to the table. So, that was nice to hear.

I got King Kong and watched all 3 hours and 8 minutes of it after this meeting. I watched some of the bonus features and still think Andy Serkis, who gave us the motion footage for Gollum and King Kong, should get an Acadamy Award.

Well, I think that's all the rambling info I can come up with for today, I hope all is well with everyone out there in blogland,

Oh, and in case I forget, Happy Birthday Big Bro,
Younger and Stronger,
Brad

It's B-day time!!

I actually looked at my calander the other (yes, I have a calander. It comes in sort of briefcase form, its more of a binder with handles.) and realized that you all only have two months to shop for my birthday presents!! So in the interest of getting cool stuff...er...imean...aiding your shopping so that you benefit from this somehow, I'm giving you my list!!

1. An iPod docking stereo: I'm tired of either not listening to music in my house or listening through computer speakers.
2. A new couch or recliner: I know, I know. I shed a tear for "The Beast" too, but it's time to retire it. I need furniture that doesn't come from Goodwill, my parents old stuff, or that I stole from someone's dorm room.
3. A digital camera: it's high time I joined the ranks of other great Bryan photographers like R. Andrew and James J.
4. A new matress: the lumps, the bowed middle, my back. 'Nuff Z'nuff.

Alright, obviously those four ideas are pretty much for two people in particular. They are in order of desire not necessarily need and the list is by no means exaustive.

For the rest of you:
DVD's are always a good bet, here's some that top my list:
The Shield(TV Show): any season
Indiana Jones Collection
Superman Collection
Alien Collection
Die Hard Collection
Sean Connery James Bond Collection
Lethal Weapon Collection

Books are also a good bet, I've gotten in the habit of reading lately for some reason, and need something to get me through the summer. When I moved from Fayette I left behind books by three of my favorite authors and I'd like to start collecting them again. So, here they are:
1. Anything by Stephen King, except the Dark Tower books which I have.
2. Anything by Robert Ludlum, the guy behind the Jason Bourne spy novels.
3. Anything by Micheal Connely, detective Harry Bosch.

Let's see, what else?
Anything drum or food related is always good.
Always looking for music: right now especially classical and more jazz.
I'd like some camping stuff.

And, if you must, if you absolutely have to, if you have to resort to the gift certificate, Best Buy tops the list, Target comes next, and then Old Navy.

Wow, I've done it. This is the single most selfish piece of liturature ever written. I should win, like, a nobel prize for self-serving inward-looking prose.

I also want peace on earth, a lower dependence on foriegn oil, death to WalMart, Nike, and the rest, less money in Washington, more unity in the Church, food for everybody in the world, an end to Aids/HIV in Africa, and Bush to be held accountable for his illegal actions.

There, that completely makes up for asking for stuff, huh? That's what I thought.

Two months and two days 'til 24, Bradley James Bryan

My Bradley Boys

Just a quick note to congradulate all my boys down at Bradley University. While I didn't get my bracket in in time with my boys from CMU, I did pick Bradley over Kansas on Lindsey and I's bracket. I always knew someone would make something of that name.

~Bradley James Bryan

Lower Murder Rate Be Damned....

WE WANT A SUPER BOWL!!!! Soon, the residents of Kansas City will be voting on whether or not to raise taxes for a proposed renivation of our two pro sports stadiums. If our teams were worth this trouble, I'd be fine with this. But since the Chiefs can't make it past the first game of the playoffs, EVER, and the Royals are just unbelievably horrible, I do take some issue with even the idea of a tax.

When we hit 100 murders last year, did anyone propose raising taxes to help the police department? When we hit 130 murders last year, did anyone say let's raise money to promote jobs in our poorest areas? Let's stop the gangs? Do everything we can do ensure everyone in Kansas City has the same opportunities for education and employment?

Or, has anyone said yes to a bill to raise taxes for our dismal public school system. I have 15 kids in my youth group. They go to 5 different private schools. Our school's are horrible. The teachers don't get paid, the kids don't have the resources, they are vacant school buildings all over the place. NO, every time a bill comes up it gets tossed back down.

But, we love our Chiefs don't we. And for some reason that God, or maybe the devil, only knows we stick by our Royals. And everybody knows building on to the stadiums will be great job opps, for about a year. And a Super Bowl will bring in lots of tourism dollars, for ONE DAY!!!!

Come on, people, Brad

Clarification

Hey ya'll, this is an addendum to my last post:
To get to the Lil' Brudder cartoon, you need to click on "sb email" at the bottom of the main page. Just click "come on in" when the site comes up. And don't forget to look for the words you can click on when the e-mail's over. I'm serious. That little guy, he's got the heart of a champion.

Brad

Clarification

Hey ya'll, this is an addendum to my last post:
To get to the Lil' Brudder cartoon, you need to click on "sb email" at the bottom of the main page. Just click "come on in" when the site comes up. And don't forget to look for the words you can click on when the e-mail's over. I'm serious. That little guy, he's got the heart of a champion.

Brad

Doing the Blog World a Friggen' Service!

Hey guys, just a quick one today. I hope it'll get you a laugh. It's gray and rainy today and I'm working on a take home test. So, I needed one.

Do yourself a favor: Go to www.homestarrunner.com
Click on e-mail
Scroll down to an e-mail title "crying"
Watch and enjoy the story of Lil' Brudder

Also, I ordered two t-shirts today from busted tees.com (they're cheap, mom)
One features an anglo-Jesus flying through the air on a hang glider, an extatic look on his face, underneath the words:
What Wouldn't Jesus Do?

The second is a photo of an anglo-Jesus, sans facial hair: Jesus Shaves.
I think the sacralidge is justified because Jesus is clearly white and therefore not the real Jesus!

This lent, take a dump, fast, get closer to God, and remember to laugh,
Brad

ps, don't forget the homestar runner cartoon

King Kong got robbed, man!

You've got to have some pretty big grapes to deny a giant ape his little golden statue. So, the Oscars have come and gone again, and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased. This year's awards were given to relatively small movies, with relatively small audiences, with huge subjects. The beauty and heartache of socially unacceptable love, racism in today's world, the fight for freedom of speech and the press, and assassination as a duty sent from God. As I expected, none of the actors in King Kong got anything, although they won for sound and visual affects. people don't seem to understand, THERE WAS NOTHING THERE!!! Philip Hoffman does a funny voice for three hours, Reese Witherspoon plays a down south girl with razor wit and devilish charm(oh wait, she IS a down south girl with razor wit and devilish charm) and they walk away winners. Naomi Watts is terrified of nothing, befriends nothing, makes nothing fall in love with her, and winds up killing nothing, and we all thought there was something there!!! Not to mention Andy Serkis, who lived with gorillas for months and brought Kong's moves and voice to life. Anyway, I'm glad that nothing went to the number one movie of the year: Dukes of Hazard. All in all a good night.

The Lost party is continuing, one more four episode DVD to go. It's wedding season and I've got four in the next four weekends. Everything else is going great.

Talk atcha later, Brad

Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

Hey everybody,
Well, the ski trip has come and gone and, aparently, skiing just isn't my thing. I got sick after the first day and didn't ski. Thus, I've been sick all week and still am not 100%. Note to self and all in reading range: NEVER MAKE FRIDAY THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK YOU WORK!! It sucks. I'm pretty excited for the weekend. I've been watching Lost since the beginning and Lindsey and I are going to have a Lost weekend with Red Lobster, island drinks and the complete first season of Lost on DVD, stretched over two days of course. And, this Sunday i'm preaching and playing drums and Mom, Amanda and maybe Nanny will be here to hear me.

In other news, I bought an X-box, Halo and Halo 2 off a kid on the ski trip for $100. No, mom, i'm not neglecting my studies. No, Adams, i'm still not as good as you too.

Speaking of the two Adam's, funny story: So, there's this old person adventure day at our church on Fridays. In the hall is a table of old magazines, old people like they're magazines. And who do I see staring up at me from within the table, Carter Snow. Coming into work in the morning, and there's the Snowman, Mr. Missouri Conservationist, checking the clipboard in the forest. Pretty funny. I gave him a call and left a message.

I don't think there's much more going on. I apologize for the lengthy and rather ranting post last week. This country's in bad shape. And, as Dad said, it's not just that. Our world is in pretty sad shape right now. My friend Tom is recording a few songs for a demo. He calls his project "Compassion in Exile". Pretty fitting in think.

If anyone wants to help me save our environment and lessen our dependence on foreign oil by buying me a new Trailblazer or Tahoe that runs on that corn gas, let me know.

Brad