Watched the movie, "The Fan", with Patton Oswald (Spence from King of Queens). Good movie about a obssesed NY Giant football fan who gets beat up and hospitalized by his favorite player. The movie is about Pattons' struggles to know weather to press charges or not. If he does their team will lose, if he does not he recieves the ridicule from family and friends.
Good movie about people whose lives are consumed with sports. It helps us ask the question how much do I like my favorite sports team and is it worth it.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
'LOST" A Book Review
"The Gospel According to Lost", by Chris Seay
If you watch the show “Lost” you know that the show is filled with mystery, unanswered questions and loose ends. Many of those questions have not and seemingly will not get answered. The Christian faith is filled with mystery, questions that we do not have answers to. The problem, within the church, seems that we are afraid of questions. We are afraid of asking things that we do not know about. I cant help but think part of our fear of questions is the fact that we may not like the answer, even if that answer is as non-threatening as, “I don’t know”.
There is a real sense of security in being certain, or even thinking that I am certain. And many times I would rather not know something that would make me question what I think I am certain about. I would rather believe a lie in security, than know the truth and be set free.
I like what the author says in the opening chapter, “The purpose of this book is not to erase the mystery, but to allow each of us to seek a posture that celebrates the things we do know and to embrace the mystery of things that have yet to unfold. We may find that the unknown is more valuable, meaningful and useful in stimulating the imagination than the know.”
The television show lost is about a group of people whose airplane crashes on an unknown island. The characters in the show are varied and unique. In each chapter of the book the author tries to tell some about each of the main characters.
I liked the way he attempted to describe each of the characters, but was disappointed in most cases of what he had to say about them and how it tied in with the ‘gospel’.
Some of the illustrations he used were unclear and a lot of the writing seemed to be choppy.
Two exceptions were in his discussion of ‘Sun and Jin: Patron Saints of Discontented Fisherman”. Where he makes the point that marriage brings out the best and worst in each of us, then quotes Dr. Joyce Brothers, “My husband and I have never considered divorce…murder sometimes, but never divorce.” And then Ghandi who said, “I first learned the concepts of nonviolence in my marriage.”
The other exception is the chapter on Benjamin Linus, who, for the most part, is the evil person in the story. The writer says clearly that the problem with Linus is that he does not love, he manipulates and uses people totally for his own purposes. Which I feel fits his character in the show perfectly.
If you watch the show “Lost” you know that the show is filled with mystery, unanswered questions and loose ends. Many of those questions have not and seemingly will not get answered. The Christian faith is filled with mystery, questions that we do not have answers to. The problem, within the church, seems that we are afraid of questions. We are afraid of asking things that we do not know about. I cant help but think part of our fear of questions is the fact that we may not like the answer, even if that answer is as non-threatening as, “I don’t know”.
There is a real sense of security in being certain, or even thinking that I am certain. And many times I would rather not know something that would make me question what I think I am certain about. I would rather believe a lie in security, than know the truth and be set free.
I like what the author says in the opening chapter, “The purpose of this book is not to erase the mystery, but to allow each of us to seek a posture that celebrates the things we do know and to embrace the mystery of things that have yet to unfold. We may find that the unknown is more valuable, meaningful and useful in stimulating the imagination than the know.”
The television show lost is about a group of people whose airplane crashes on an unknown island. The characters in the show are varied and unique. In each chapter of the book the author tries to tell some about each of the main characters.
I liked the way he attempted to describe each of the characters, but was disappointed in most cases of what he had to say about them and how it tied in with the ‘gospel’.
Some of the illustrations he used were unclear and a lot of the writing seemed to be choppy.
Two exceptions were in his discussion of ‘Sun and Jin: Patron Saints of Discontented Fisherman”. Where he makes the point that marriage brings out the best and worst in each of us, then quotes Dr. Joyce Brothers, “My husband and I have never considered divorce…murder sometimes, but never divorce.” And then Ghandi who said, “I first learned the concepts of nonviolence in my marriage.”
The other exception is the chapter on Benjamin Linus, who, for the most part, is the evil person in the story. The writer says clearly that the problem with Linus is that he does not love, he manipulates and uses people totally for his own purposes. Which I feel fits his character in the show perfectly.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Earthquake Hits Haiti
I just seen that Haiti was hit/struck by a earthquake. One of the last places on earth that needed that to happen to. Please pray for the people.
So what does a spiritual movement look like?
Dr Paul Pierson, a missions history prof at Fuller, and a pastor at Hollywood Presbyterian Church, compiled a very helpful list of characterstics of renewal movements. Here they are taken from www.tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com
- They always begin on the periphery of the institutional church
- They are motivated by a transforming experience (grace) of God by an individual or group.
- The result is the desire for a more authentic Christian life that often leads to concern for the church and world.
- Face to face groups for prayer, Bible study, mutual encouragement are important.
- New methods of selecting and training leaders become important. These are less institutional, more grass roots and lay oriented.
- There are theological breakthroughs, that is, rediscovery of aspects of the Biblical message that have been forgotten or overlooked by the Church, usually they involve a focus on the gifts of every believer.
- There is a leveling effect, distance decreases between clergy and laity, social classes, races, men and women, and denominations.
- The movement is countercultural in some ways, often because it reaches out to those who have not been valued by their society. - Consequently there will be opposition by many in the dominant culture and church. - There will often be manifestations of spiritual warfare. such movements sense the reality of evil and the need to recognize the vistory of Christ in the cross and resurrection.
- At times there will be unusual manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit; healings, visions, glossalalia, miracles. etc.
- More flexible structures of church and mission will be needed and often emerge, different from traditional structures.
- The movement will be led to significant recontextualization of the Christian message, which will be communicated more widely by lay persons to those outside the church.
- New music is often a characteristic.
- Biblical concepts ignored by the traditional church but relevant to the hearers are often discovered.
- There will be a growing concern for the marginalized, often expressed in ministries of compassion.
- At a later stage this often leads to concern for broader social transformation.
- As the movement matures there will be concern for the renewal of the broader church.
- As the movement continues to mature many will see themselves not only as part of the particular movement but as citizens of the Kingdom of God, transcending their own movement.
- Finally, every movement is less than perfect and often messy at the edges and sometimes, at the center. This is inevitable as long as sinful humans are involved.
- They always begin on the periphery of the institutional church
- They are motivated by a transforming experience (grace) of God by an individual or group.
- The result is the desire for a more authentic Christian life that often leads to concern for the church and world.
- Face to face groups for prayer, Bible study, mutual encouragement are important.
- New methods of selecting and training leaders become important. These are less institutional, more grass roots and lay oriented.
- There are theological breakthroughs, that is, rediscovery of aspects of the Biblical message that have been forgotten or overlooked by the Church, usually they involve a focus on the gifts of every believer.
- There is a leveling effect, distance decreases between clergy and laity, social classes, races, men and women, and denominations.
- The movement is countercultural in some ways, often because it reaches out to those who have not been valued by their society. - Consequently there will be opposition by many in the dominant culture and church. - There will often be manifestations of spiritual warfare. such movements sense the reality of evil and the need to recognize the vistory of Christ in the cross and resurrection.
- At times there will be unusual manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit; healings, visions, glossalalia, miracles. etc.
- More flexible structures of church and mission will be needed and often emerge, different from traditional structures.
- The movement will be led to significant recontextualization of the Christian message, which will be communicated more widely by lay persons to those outside the church.
- New music is often a characteristic.
- Biblical concepts ignored by the traditional church but relevant to the hearers are often discovered.
- There will be a growing concern for the marginalized, often expressed in ministries of compassion.
- At a later stage this often leads to concern for broader social transformation.
- As the movement matures there will be concern for the renewal of the broader church.
- As the movement continues to mature many will see themselves not only as part of the particular movement but as citizens of the Kingdom of God, transcending their own movement.
- Finally, every movement is less than perfect and often messy at the edges and sometimes, at the center. This is inevitable as long as sinful humans are involved.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
WITHOUT THEM
One of the most common things I hear is, "I'd like to do something remarkable like that, but my xyz won't let me." Where xyz = my boss, my publisher, my partner, my licensor, my franchisor, etc.
Well, you can fail by going along with that and not doing it, or you can do it, cause a ruckus and work things out later.
In my experience, once it's clear you're willing (not just willing, but itching, moving, and yes, implementing) without them, things start to happen. People are rarely willing to step up and stop you, and often just waiting to follow someone crazy enough to actually do something.
I'm going. Come along if you like.
from http://www.sethgodin.typepad.com
Well, you can fail by going along with that and not doing it, or you can do it, cause a ruckus and work things out later.
In my experience, once it's clear you're willing (not just willing, but itching, moving, and yes, implementing) without them, things start to happen. People are rarely willing to step up and stop you, and often just waiting to follow someone crazy enough to actually do something.
I'm going. Come along if you like.
from http://www.sethgodin.typepad.com
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