Kid Drops Out Of School To Guarantee Place Among Ignominous Dropouts

Alert reader, Steve, sent me this article, one that describes a 16 year-old's cunning plan: one that involves inattention to one's basic educational bedrock and explores the glories of . . . Guitar Hero:

In fact, young Mr. Peebles is dropping out of high school... in order to focus on Guitar Hero full time. Peebles hopes to join the small but growing crew of players looking to make gaming a job. Citing his victories in Guitar Hero tournaments, which include "gift certificates, gaming equipment, and chicken sandwiches," Peebles thinks he has the chops to play competitively and earn actual money in the process. As the story notes, top gamers on the competitive circuit can earn up to $80,000 a year (though $25,000 is more common). Peebles, of course, can count his 52 Chick-fil-A combo meals toward that total.

I have to admit a slight convulsive reflex that makes me want to to live-heckle anybody that employs the word "chops" in the same sentence with descriptive braggadocio and hubris that seems to follow these lords of the Stylized Simon genre. But I won't. Unemployment will do it for them.

On a larger note, the ratios of fantasy to reality, and the seemingly non-existent line that separates them is really bothersome. The kind of isolated pathology that had Bela Lugosi wearing his Dracula suit to the grave has metastasized--to the point that a whole legion of non-guitarists think they are guitarists--along with an applauding and abetting world.

Next thing you know, Martin Sheen will think he's actually President.

-R

Do You Want To Fly the Friendly Skies???

Southwest Airlines is currently holding a contest, "Nuts About Southwest", looking for a video blogger that they will fly around the country to blog for the airlines.

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. All you have to do is upload a short audition video to YouTube and then let (have, encourage, demand ????) people vote for you. Look for the rest of the details here.

If you decide to do this let us know here on Collideoscope and we'll make sure to let everyone know to vote for you!!

Keeping Up With the Jones

If you're the kind of person who loves your $600 sunglasses and your $2000 Louis bag, and you just can't wait for people to ask how much they cost, this fantastic new product may be just for you.  I know, I know, you're feeling a little down right now.  That fancy new I Phone you bought to impress your friends when it first came out has been reduced in price and reduced again.  Now even the middle class can afford it.  But there is a way to spruce yours up and make it shine once more!

 

The new "I'm Rich" ap!  It is just a little button on your phone that reminds you, and anyone else, just how well-off you are.  If you have it, it means you were able to spend $1,000 on nothing.  That's right, the button does absolutely nothing!  Well, not nothing.  It does give you that little tingly feeling every time you see it.  The perfect electronic accessory for rich rulers young and old!

 

Josh R

Pop Culture Politics

John McCain and Barack Obama have revealed their pop culture favorites. Batman, Indiana Jones, Shrek, Sinatra and Dylan all make the presidential lists along with some surprises. As a self-proclaimed student of pop culture I have to say...

What does this have to do with a presidential election!? I sure hope nobody uses this list to choose who they vote for!

Josh R

Segregated Sundays

In his day, Martin Luther King, Jr. lamented the fact that Sundays are the most segregated day of the week.  In our day... things aren't much better.  According to this article only about 5% of American churches are racially integrated, and about half of those are in the process of becoming all black or all white. Forty years after the Civil Rights movement why are american churches not more integrated?

 

As with any complicated issue, there are number of reasons.  Racial tensions still exist even inside the walls of the church, and many members just aren't willing to deal with those tensions on the weekend.  Cultural differences lead to conflicts over worship and preaching styles.  Also, issues and perceptions of power can disrupt congregations working toward integration.  For example, a black pastor in an integrated church is statistically likely to cause many of the whites in the church to leave.  And as segregated churches become more integrated, the formerly predominant race is likely to become uncomfortable with changing demographics, even to the point of expressing fear of a "takeover" by another race.

 

It seems that, while racism has suffered great blows in America, it has not been utterly defeated.  I have seen this most clearly displayed in romantic relationships between blacks and whites.  Inter-racial marriage finds little acceptance in many churches.  Sometimes this is more an issue for parents, however.  As their children get to be old enough to date, many parents in integrated churches will simply leave.

 

But what makes integrated churches work is a shift in attitude from seeing "they" or "them" to seeing "us" and "we."  Many integrated churches recognize that there is a difference in cultures and backgrounds, but seek to transcend those differences.  It's not about making all the blacks act white or all the whites act black, it's about people from various backgrounds coming together and acting like Christians.  This article is definitely worth reading (and sharing) if you are in trying to make your church more integrated.  If you are seeking to rid yourself of racism on a personal level there is also an extremely well-written article ;-) on 90&9 this week dealing with that.

 

Josh R

Living God's Love

America is, in general, a very self-centered, consumeristic country.  As Christians this is something we should mourn and fight against, but how?  Perhaps the best way is to begin by examining ourselves.  Where am I spending too much money on me?  Where am I passing up opportunities to help other people because it would inconvenience me?  Where could I make a sacrifice to help someone else who cannot return the favor?  One apostolic couple chose the occasion of their honeymoon to practice self-sacrificing love.

 

Brian and Lauren Elrod (son-in-law and daughter of the presiding bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World) sponsored a child in Zambia, but weren't satisfied simply sending money.  For their honeymoon they decided to go there themselves and visit some of the sites that have been supported by their church.  Along the way, they also had the opportunity to meet the child they had been sponsoring.  Perhaps in the most self-sacrificing part of the journey, Brian even allowed the in-laws to join them. 

 

Thanks to Brian and Lauren Elrod for providing both inspiration and a challenge to give a little more of ourselves in sacrifice to God .

 

Josh R

THE FORUM - September 26-27, 2008

Tired of conferences all being the same? Then you aren't going to want to miss this!

THE FORUM in St Louis, Missouri

Featured Speakers - Wayne and Claudene Francis

For more information: www.iqforum.net

Apostolic Success?

On sister blog Word, Lee Ann wonders why the overall successes of the Apostolic movement are largely ignored/overlooked? There are plenty of comments in reply.

Why don't you add your thoughts?

Short of Drilling for Oil in America...

...this may be the only way to lower gas prices.  Me, I've got my containers lined up, and I'm looking for a prophet .

 

Josh R

 

 

Do You Mobile Web??

According to recent studies mobile web usage is swelling.

The report, researched and released by In-Stat, forecasts that by 2012 more than 229.5 million people worldwide could be using mobile social networking services.

Social networking aside, IBM estimates that by 2011 the number of mobile Web users worldwide will approach one billion, a 191 percent increase from 2006, according to a study released last week.

When I moved to New York three years ago all of the attorneys at the firm I work for had a Blackberry that they used largely for work purposes. People you saw on the train with them were obviously using them for work as well. Today, not only do the attorneys have them, the secretaries, messengers and receptionists all have them and it's not because of work, it is purely for pleasure. I love my Crackberry. I use it for email all day long, in class if I need to look something up via Google quickly and for other random purposes. Wanna know if it's raining? Crackberry. Need to see if tickets are still available for that event this weekend? Crackberry. Bored on the train and need something to do?? Crackberry!!! People at school have them, people at church have them, they're everywhere. The world really is at our fingertips.

So the Point Is???

It means that if I were you, I would seriously consider advertising on the mobile Web. The In-Stat report estimates that businesses will spend $1.5 billion in mobile Web advertising this year, but that’s only a small fraction of the $486 billion expected to be spent on advertising as a whole.

In a few years nearly one billion people will be carrying Web access with them everywhere they go. That’s quite an audience, so capture it now. It’s true that the mobile Web still has a few kinks to work out, but it’s going to take off, sooner rather than later.

I don't know how I feel about this. I wouldn't want pop-up ads ruining my love of my mobile web device.

Books & Music & Fiction

There's lots happening in our sister blogs and if you don't peruse the Friday updates, you're cheating yourself.

Over at Notes, our Music blog, one writer wonders why there's an unnecessary rift between so many pastors and their music ministers. Got an opinion?

Over at Word, there's some unlikely Apostolic fiction, but read the intro first!

Finally, a title to look out for in November (yes, November) that Publisher's Weekly gives a starred review by the esteemed Phillip Jenkins, a continual fresh voice on the religion front:

The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia
Philip Jenkins. HarperOne, $26.95 (304p) ISBN 978-0-06-147280-0

Revisionist history is always great fun, and never more so than when it is persuasively and cogently argued. Jenkins, the Penn State history professor whose book The Next Christendom made waves several years ago, argues that it's not exactly a new thing that Christianity is making terrific inroads in Asia and Africa. A thousand years ago, those continents were more Christian than Europe, and Asian Christianity in particular was the locus of tremendous innovations in mysticism, monasticism, theology and secular knowledge.

An interview on the book is here. 90&9 has been reporting on Jenkins as far back as 2002, sharing his thoughts on a worldwide Pentecostal revival in both.

Oil Prices Are At Least Educational

Just as Ambrose Bierce one said that war was God's way of teaching intermittent geography, rising gas prices are dumping a Henry Hazlitt double-energy shot right into the American 32 oz, Jamba Juice of ignorance.

The lesson? Depend on middle-eastern nutcases for your fuel, and you place yourself at the mercy of middle-eastern nutcases--who also seem to have the American media convinced that trading living Hezbollah fighters for dead Israeli soldiers is a "fair deal."

So here sits nine million acres of frozen Alaskan armpit, with tons of oil underneath a few thousand square acres of it. And Barack Obama doesn't want to drill it. Or, should I say he doesn't want to drill it--yet. But I have faith. He'll discover the virtues of drilling, just as he suddenly discovered:

1) the validity of the second amendment.
2) the need to listen to the phone conversations of people smitten with flying our passenger jets into our skyscrapers.
3) that people that "cling" to their faith may actually know how to vote. And may be smart enough to ignore guilt trips and Chris Mathews.

As I told my workplace, arch-political nemesis, if Barack Obama veers any further right in his blatant and arrhythmic pandering, he may wind up being called a Reagan Democrat. But I know one thing: let gas go to $10.00 a gallon, and Barack Obama will bulldoze an abortion clinic if he thinks there might be oil underneath it.

Addicted to oil? Sure. I'm also addicted to oxygen. So far, the alternative, Helium isn't working either.

-R

Cheap Theatrics

This pastor in England decided to preach a powerful message to his congregation.  Instead of screaming or jumping, though, he merely sat.  He dressed himself up as a bum and parked himself in front of the church with some scattered beer cans and syringes.  Most people, he said, ignored him.  The ones that had something to say were telling him to get lost.  Nobody offered to help him in any way.  Then, after the service got started, he walked into the church and revealed himself to his congregation.

 

I wonder how I would have respoded.  I wonder how my church would have responded.  How would most Apostolic churches have responded?  How would we have responded if someone showed at the front door of one of our conferences  (General, youth, campmeeting)?  As the pastor points out in this article, it's easy to say that you would have handled the situation correctly.  But do some soul-searching.  How have you responded in the past, maybe not at church, but anywhere?  What thoughts generally enter your mind when you see someone who looks homeless, or even just very poor? 

 

It's amazing how little we think of the poor in America and how much Jesus loved them . 

 

Josh R.

Who Knew . . .

Even the Statue of Liberty is a Cardinals fan!!

An Ideal Husband - One Who Won't Maul Your Happiness

Try not to pass out from shock. This is indeed my second post of the week. (I'm procrastinating on doing my International Law reading)

"But there is one thing worse than an absolutely loveless marriage. A marriage in which there is love, but on one side only; faith, but on one side only; devotion, but on one side only, and in which of the two hearts one is sure to be broken."

Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband

A friend sent me the following story and in a world where divorce has become so sensational that it consumes the headlines - thank you A-Rod and Christie Brinkley - I couldn't help but appreciate its relevance. What happens when you wake up one morning and realize that the person sleeping next to you isn't the person you thought you'd married? "Father Pat Connor, a 79-year-old Catholic priest has spent his celibate life — including nine years as a missionary in India — mulling connubial bliss. His decades of marriage counseling led him to distill some “mostly common sense” advice about how to dodge mates who would maul your happiness."

“Hollywood says you can be deeply in love with someone and then your marriage will work,” the twinkly eyed, white-haired priest says. “But you can be deeply in love with someone to whom you cannot be successfully married.”

Oh so true. I will never forget the story Pastor Ken Gurley told during a Worth the Wait seminar once about a (very young) couple who wanted to get married and when he asked them how they were going to survive financially they actually had the audacity to tell him they would "live on love." Right. Good luck with that. Let me know how it goes when he asks what's for dinner and you say "love" or when the electric company sends the bill and you write "love" in the paid by line.

Father Connor's marital advice can be summed up in the following 9 points:

1. Never marry a man who has no friends.

Amen! Hallelujah! Glory to God!

This usually means that he will be incapable of the intimacy that marriage demands. I am always amazed at the number of men I have counseled who have no friends. Since, as the Hebrew Scriptures say, ‘Iron shapes iron and friend shapes friend,’ ask yourself - what are his friends like?

2. “Does he use money responsibly? Is he stingy? Most marriages that founder do so because of money — she’s thrifty, he’s on his 10th credit card.

3. Steer clear of someone whose life you can run, who never makes demands counter to yours.

It’s good to have a doormat in the home, but not if it’s your husband.

Here's a personal tid-bit for you. I've never met a woman who thinks that wimpiness is attractive. There's a reason that manly men are more attractive.

4. Is he overly attached to his mother and her mythical apron strings?

I know some men who could benefit from this advice.

5. Does he have a sense of humor?

That covers a multitude of sins. My mother was once asked how she managed to live harmoniously with three men — my father, brother and me. Her answer, delivered with awesome arrogance, was: ‘You simply operate on the assumption that no man matures after the age of 11.’ My father fell about laughing.

6. A therapist friend insists that ‘more marriages are killed by silence than by violence.’ The strong, silent type can be charming but ultimately destructive. Ouch. That's a bit harder to swallow. I love the strong silent types. ~sigh~ John Wayne.

That world-class misogynist, Paul of Tarsus, got it right when he said, ‘In all your dealings with one another, speak the truth to one another in love that you may grow up.’

7. Don’t marry a problem character thinking you will change him. People are the same after marriage as before, only more so.

8. Take a good, unsentimental look at his family — you’ll learn a lot about him and his attitude towards women.

Is there a history of divorce in the family? An atmosphere of racism, sexism or prejudice in his home? Are his goals and deepest beliefs worthy and similar to yours? Imagine a religious fundamentalist married to an agnostic. One would have to pray that the fundamentalist doesn’t open the Bible and hit the page in which Abraham is willing to obey God and slit his son’s throat.

9. Does he possess those character traits that add up to a good human being — the willingness to forgive, praise, be courteous? Or is he inclined to be a fibber, to fits of rage, to be a control freak, to be envious of you, to be secretive?

Well, that certainly narrows the field but a guy (or gal) like that would definitely be worth waiting for.

Everyone's Apostolic

Late last week Kent asked me to check out a new web-networking site he'd been invited to join - Everyone's Apostolic. Well, what with my busy holiday weekend galavanting around the city with my family I didn't have a chance to look into it. So imagine my surprise when I showed up at work this morning and had an invite of my own (and no, not from Kent, I do have other friends)!

About five years ago, Everyone's Connected became a huge craze among Apostolics - even though it was never intended to be solely for Apostolic use. It was a cleaner, safer environment than MySpace and it wasn't long until it seemed you could find anyone you may have ever known in Apostolic circles on EC. Sometime in the past six months or so (I honestly have no idea when) EC became Ubuti and there is simply no polite way to put it - Ubuti stinks (so maybe that was semi-polite). Well, someone finally got the bright idea to create a site for Apostolics modeled off of the networking site craze and that's where Everyone's Apostolic comes in.

I spent about an hour on the site this morning setting up a profile and looking at some of the features. So far I can only say GREAT things about it. It has the simplicity and the best features of EC/MySpace/Facebook combined. You can upload photos, blog for everyone to read, upload and share music and join all kinds of groups that share your interests - Apostolic Chef's, Apostolic Hair-Dos (very important with it being camp season and GC coming up). There is also space for advertising if you have a business you'd like to promote. By far my favorite feature is just how easy it is to search for potential friends. You can search by name, location, age, relationship status, AND church attending.

It is by invitation only so if you're interested in joining let me know and as long as I can vouch for the fact that you're not totally debauched we'll see what we can do. If you're already on there I'd love 1) be your friend and 2) know what you think about it!

Faith and Film

Here is a link to an interview of one of my favorite writers, Craig Detweiler.  He is one author who carefully examines the fruit of pop culture (specifically films) to find depth and even the sacred among what high-culture lovers sneeringly call "the entertainment of the masses."  In this interview he discusses his upcoming book, this summers' popular films, and some of the greatest films of all time.  If you love God and you love movies, you won't want to miss it.

 

Josh R

News Flash!: Jesus Maybe Messiah After All!

An ancient tablet has come to light that could transform biblical scholarship. This three-foot stone contains 87 lines of Hebrew text written in ink, not engraved, on its face. Dating from the decades before Jesus' birth, it seems to describe a coming messianic figure who will suffer and die, but be raised again after three days. If this is the case, it would suggest that there was the idea of a suffering messiah in Israel before Jesus.

The scholarly assumption has been that there was no such idea before Jesus--that Jesus' role as a suffering messiah was completely unique. Of course Jesus being merely a Jewish teacher would never have claimed such a novel role for himself. The idea of Jesus as suffering messiah must have been added only after his death by his followers seeking to find meaning in the crucifixion. Such assumptions also lead to the widely discredited idea that Paul was the true architect of Christianity, basing his own teachings on a warped view of who Jesus actually was. This discovery has the potential to turn all that around.

If this was an idea that was already popular in Jewish thought, it would allow Jesus to have been a Jewish teacher, and everything else the Gospels claim for him. Of course, the idea of a suffering messiah does no more to dilute Jesus' mission than the idea of a messianic triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Such a prophecy as the one presumably written on this tablet could be an indication of God's voice being heard by those listening in preparation for the birth of Jesus. This would not be unprecedented, as even the Magi astrologically divined the birth of a king and the exact location.

It will be interesting to see how all of this turns out. As more scholars are able to view the text itself, there will be more interpretations as to what is actually being proclaimed (the condition of the artifact reflects its age, many of the words are missing or faded). This could turn out to be a very interesting historical addition to the story of Jesus, giving us more insight into the world that he grew up and ministered in. For a theology nerd like me this is very, very fascinating.

Josh R

Fresh Thoughts: Aspen Ideas Festival

The ridiculously expensive (read: I'm completely envious) Aspen Ideas Festival is in progress in Aspen, Colorado.

World (thought) leaders share panels, give addresses & generally offer exceptional insight into our contemporary world on culture, politics, media, and so much more. Blogs and video clips here.

Guerrilla Gardening?

You know, the fourth of July is all about remembering the founding of this nation. But when I think about our nation's founding, I think about rebels who were willing to die for the cause of freedom. I think about people who stood against a king because they felt that they should be free to govern themselves. To tell you the truth, if I think too much about it (like if I watch The Patriot or something) I start getting in a revolutionary mood myself. But what to rebel against? What cause can I support that fights The Man, but doesn't go against my Christian morals?



Then I discovered guerrilla gardening. People who desire to see more beauty in their cities, but find cutting through red tape and government bureaucracy nigh impossible, are taking matters into their own hands. Guerrilla gardening can take on many forms. Some people sneak in under the cover of darkness and plant flowers and other plants in the medians of highways. Others find a vacant lot and start a vegetable garden. Still others simply take care of areas that are neglected by the city.



Guerrilla gardening has in the past been tied to radical environmentalist groups seeking to redefine land ownership. But it has grown beyond those beginnings to include many people who just want more beauty in their cities. Taking ownership of the problems is a serious step toward a solution. And taking ownership of caring for your city is certainly a noble cause. In a way, it's like getting involved with God in creation--getting back to humanity's original task, tending the garden.

So this weekend why not get together a group of friends, make a quick trip to the local plant store, and bring beauty where there was none. You know deep down inside your a rebel anyway.

Josh R

Independence Weekend!!!

Yes, the 4th of July has become such a big deal that I can no longer celebrate it in just one day. Sort of like my friend Andy who doesn't celebrate just his birthday but the entire week of his birth so that we're blessed with what has been termed "Andy-gras".

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. It's Independence Day eve here in the Big Apple and I thought I'd give you a little peek into how the city celebrates. Last year I shared my fireworks pictures with you but since the fireworks aren't until tomorrow this year we're going to play a little game. Too often people think of Boston, Philadelpia, etc. when they think of how the U.S. gained her independence. However, New York also played a pivitol role. So without further ado, I give you:

10 Fun Facts About New York and American Independence

10. Three-times as many patriots died in jails in New York and on prison ships in the harbor as the number killed in all the battles of the eight-year war. Approximately one-third of the skirmishes and engagements of the war were fought on New York soil.

9. Nathan Hale, the most famous martyr to the cause of American liberty, was hung in Manhattan after making his famous statement, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Hale, a Yale graduate and school teacher, had enlisted in the American army as a lieutenant and been promoted to captain of an elite unit. He volunteered to enter New York after the British occupation as a spy to gather information for George Washington. He was captured with valuable intelligence stored in his boots.

8. St. Paul's Chapel is the only surviving church in New York of the Revolutionary era. St. Paul's was completed in 1766 on what was then the northern edge of the city. Washington came here for a special service after his inauguration on April 30, 1789. He continued to attend services at the chapel during the two years that New York served as the capital of the United States.

7. Trinity Church was chartered by King William III in 1697 but was destroyed when the British burned New York in 1776. When the British evacuated the city on Nov. 25, 1783, the Americans marched into New York and stood near Trinity Church as a salute of 13 guns was fired marking the end of the war. Alexander Hamilton is buried there and there are several war monuments in the surrounding grounds.

6. The steps of Federal Hall were the site of Washington's inaguration as first POTUS (President of the United States) on April 30, 1789 and on September 25, 1789 Congress adopted the Bill of Rights inside Federal Hall.

5. Fraunces Tavern was a meeting place of the Sons of Liberty prior to the start of the war and continued to serve as host for meetings and government offices well after the war. On Dec. 4, 1783, Washington met here one last time with his officers before resigning in the hopes of avoiding the fate of many republics that turned quickly to military dictatorship.

4. On July 9, 1776, after hearing the Declaration of Independence read in City Hall Park, the people and soldiers headed to Fort George at the tip of Manhattan where they proceeded to pull down the statue of King George III and melt it to make bullets.

3. The first submarine attack took place just off of Liberty Island (then known as Bedloe Island) in August 1776. During training to work the submarine - the creation of a local engineer - fishermen reported stories of a sea monster in the harbor. It wasn't successful in destroying the British ship but the use of a submarine was unprescedented.

2. The Battle of Long Island (or the Battle of Brooklyn) was the largest battle of the war and was the first battle fought after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Spanning just over 24 hours it is estimated that between 350 - 600 Americans died while over 1,100 were captured. The following night Washington and his commanders stealthily sneaked the remaining 9,000 American troops across the East River into Manhattan - past 400 British ships. **side note** I love this information because I'm living in Brooklyn right on top of where all this happened. Who knows who was marching or camping where I'm not sleeping.

1. John Greenwood is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery (no relation). Greenwood was not a general or some other hero. Rather he was a dentist. The dentist who made George Washington's false teeth in fact (and no, they weren't actually wooden).

So the next time you stop to think about how America gained her Independence remember to think about all that New York sacraficed too. Historian David McCullough brought the point home while discussing one of the earliest drawings of the city of New York.

"It was some houses and a dock for boats. And I looked at the drawing of that little place and thought not just of the history that would take place there, but of all the music that will be played there, the books that will be written there, the poetry, drama and the architecture that will come from there. There will be no city like it on earth."

Have a fabulous 4th!!

In Promotion of Un-Illiteracy

As evidence that I really can read (and non-fiction too!) allow me to recommend this book review.  Featured on the Barnes and Noble website is a review of the book Original Sin: A Cultural History by Alan Jacobs.  Original sin is the concept that we are born sinful, and that even infants are in need of the redemptive work of Christ.  Wrestling with the concept of who needs salvation and the grace and fairness of God is surely no easy task.  Jacobs tackles this task head on in such a way that even non-believers would find informative and "worthwhile."  His approach, addressing an important theological concept using a historical approach, has earned this book a spot on my Amazon wish list .  (But if you decide to buy me anything, don't forget to go through the 90&9 link).

 

Josh R

Got Cool Ideas for Ap First?

Lee Ann on sister blog Word is trying to develop what may be an Apostolic first, but needs your ideas on making it better! Surf by and give her some feedback on making a good idea better!

You just never know who you might bless by sharing your ideas!

High Culture vs. Pop Culture

Ok, first I have a confession to make: I really don't like literature.  I don't mean that I don't like to read, I love to read.  I don't mean that my reading is simply stuck in the banality of the latest little paperback at the grocery checkout counter.  I just mean that I find most of the stuff that classifies as lit-ra-cha is very boring.  Dostoevsky's  The Brothers Karamazov  was rather painful.  Great Expectations should be in the same class as waterboarding.  I think that for something to be considered high-culture, and therefore literature, it has to be deficient in the area of entertainment value. 

 

I know I'm upsetting people even as I type these words.  There is a certain former English major out there right now shaking her head in disapointment.  But if you have any feelings about my confession one way or the other, you will probably enjoy this article that discusses the benefits of high culture and pop culture in a point/counter-point style. 

 

Personally I agree with Kevin Corcoran in this discussion.  I think that for every bit of deep philosophy that you could find in The Brothers Karamazov, there is an equally deep bit of philosophy in the films of the Brothers Wachowsky.  I think that depth doesn't have to be boring, and entertainment value is vastly underrated by those who save their approval for high culture.  But that's just me (and I do write for a blog that examines pop culture, so I might be biased), who do you side with?  Find out, read the article here .

 

Josh R

Dobson v. Obama

Let the battle of the the Evangelicals v. the Presidential Candidates begin!

As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement's biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution.

Personally, I think Barack Obama is one of the wishy-washiest Christians I've seen in a long-time so I'm more than willing to listen to what Dr. Dobson has to say on the subject.

It seems Dobson's criticism surrounds remarks that Obama has made over the past 2 years, including the following remarks made during a speech in 2006:

"Even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?" Obama said. "Would we go with James Dobson's or Al Sharpton's?" referring to the civil rights leader.

... examples Obama cited in asking which Biblical passages should guide public policy — chapters like Leviticus, which Obama said suggests slavery is OK and eating shellfish is an abomination, or Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application."

"Folks haven't been reading their Bibles," Obama said.

Seems to me that Barack hasn't been reading his Bible either. Just because Evangelical Christians believe in the literal interpretation of scripture does not mean we believe slavery is acceptable. However, slavery was ok in the old testiment. Slavery was legal in THIS country until 1865. Thankfully, one righteous President and thousands of honorable men gave their lives to end slavery in the United States and I'm even more thankful that Jesus came and shed his blood so that we don't have to live under the law of the Old Testiment, which permitted slavery.

Dobson agrees,

"I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology," Dobson said.

"... He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter."

Dobson reserved some of his harshest criticism for Obama's argument that the religiously motivated must frame debates over issues like abortion not just in their own religion's terms but in arguments accessible to all people.

He said Obama, who supports abortion rights, is trying to govern by the "lowest common denominator of morality," labeling it "a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution."

"Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?" Dobson said. "What he's trying to say here is unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe."

You can read the rest of the article here or listen to Dr. Dobson's radio broadcast (for Tuesday, June 24) which discusses Barack Obama HERE (just click on daily broadcast).

(I.Q.) Forum 2008

Wayne & Claudene Francis will be headlining this year's 20something conference, scheduled to be held on the Gateway College of Evangelism campus in St. Louis on September 26-27, 2008. (Yes, that's September, not October, as General Conference stole our dates this year.)

We're finalizing topics and speakers at the moment, but for $49 you'll be hard-pressed to find a more relevant conference to your needs and today's realities.

Make plans to attend today!

More Ap Youth Doing Good

Next Steps 2008, a group of Apostolic teens and 20somethings led by the UPC's Foreign Missions Division, is in the Dominican Republic for 2 months.

They've set up a blog here, as well as numerous picture galleries, if you'd like to follow their adventures and challenges contributing their talents to the kingdom.

Yahoo, Google, Microsoft Guaranteed To Have Big Banners At Olympics

Even as native-born dissidents are attempting to hack down China's web firewall, three American corporations are helping the people's republic to maintain that needed control over the masses' access to information.

Seems that Yahoo, Google and Microsoft are more than willing to wink at human rights issues when it comes to their own back pockets:

Chinese dissident Bill Xia is among a group of U.S.-based computer hackers —or "hacktivists" — who send mass e-mails to Internet users in China that contain software or links to safe Web sites that enable readers to bypass government roadblocks on the Internet.

Noble. A shout out to his oppressed people to say the least. Just where do these companies fall at the gate called concern? let's see:

As distressing as is Beijing's control of information, Xia said that the censorship continues with the help of some of America's largest and best-known firms — such as Yahoo, Google and Microsoft.

"United States is based on freedom of expression and other personal freedoms," Xia
said. "However, many of those companies actually help with censorship in countries like China. So I think this is outrageous."Nothing better illustrates this than doing a Google Images search for "Tiananmen Square."

Do it in the U.S. and you get images of the 1989 pro-democracy rally in Beijing and the government's violent military response.

Do the same search in China, however, and it produces tourist photographs of the public square without scenes of civil unrest.

Of course, the mind immediately races from redacted images of China's televised massacre to an assumed and dubious freedom of information regarding the "sins" of Halliburton, the American Slave trade, and George Bush's Pyrrhic, "Mission Accomplished" moment. So if one plans to challenging the patriotism of any of these people, one should also take care to no try Googling the evidence--you won't find it.

-R

Ninjas Attack!!

Central Florida has been plagued recently by a rash of ninja robberies in the past week.  Men dressed as ninjas have been stealing from drug stores.  It is widely suspected that the Foot Clan has been revived although their motivations for robbing drug stores remains unknown.  Police are seeking the assistance and cooperation of any local pirates in efforts to thwart this recent crime wave.

 

Josh

Collideoscope: Saving the Environment & Your Wallet

Trying to reduce your gas milage in this difficult economic climate?  What about your oil milage ?  A study out of California found that most drivers are changing their oil more than necessary.  Based on figures established when the only oil available was single-grade with no detergents, most drivers assume they should change their oil every 3,000 miles. 

 

Of course this is what the oil change places and the auto stores recommend to you.  But auto makers themselves are recommending 5,000, 7,000, or even 10,000 miles between oil changes for normal driving conditions.  Check your owner's manual.  So if you want to go a little greener, or if you just want to save a little green, maybe reducing your "oil footprint" is a good idea.

 

Josh R

90&9: This Week's Issue

Sorry, we had a power outage and the new issue won't be up until tonight.

Thanks for understanding.

Obama Visits Jesus Name Church

The Apostolic Report is again on top of it:

Obama, accompanied by his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia, took part in Father’s Day services near their house at the Apostolic Church of God —a large, predominantly black church in the South Side of Chicago.

The Apostolic Church is a Oneness Pentecostal congregation that baptizes converts in the name of Jesus.

Newsworthy if not for the contrasts of credibility between himself and former President Clinton. After all, his political expediency caused him to resign a church wholly unconcerned with an afterlife gospel of any kind--to this. He may not (yet) be in favor of domestic oil exploration, but the man has no compunction whatsoever about drilling for offshore constituents. Clinton, on the other hand has first-hand knowledge of what he speaks, even if he himself has never put it into practice.

-R

Hard Work Always Pays Off

...Just ask 95 year old Kenneth Shepherd, who yesterday received the most amazing father's day gift. Shepherd, a retired oil man, became a member of the University of Missouri's Class of 2008 - 71 years after failure to complete one class kept him from earning his original degree.

Why hadn't he graduated?

"It was a speech course," her father explained. "I took it three times. Couldn't pass it."

The secret spilled out a year ago while Sue and her father were discussing where Sue's granddaughter would go to college.

Finally, he told her, the dean of the engineering school told him, "You need to get on with your life."

Shepherd took a job with a Conoco seismographic team searching for oil in the southern Plains. After Pearl Harbor, he joined the Army and served as an officer in the Pacific. In 1946, he rejoined Conoco. Over the next 30 years, he rose to top executive jobs, mostly in North Africa and the Middle East.

He never seemed like a man who'd flunked speech. He found the voice to address meetings of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and to direct the evacuation of hundreds of oil company employees' relatives from Egypt during the Suez crisis in 1956. After retirement in 1976, he helped form the city of Lakeway and served several terms as mayor.

So, Shepherd's daughter wrote to Mizzou to see if they could award him some kind of diploma based on his career. The University was not encouraging but after reviewing Mr. Shepherd's transcripts discovered that he'd completed enough course work to, based on the University's current requirements, have earned his original degree. It seems that the speech class which proved so difficult for Mr. Shepherd is no longer a requirement for graduation.

"We're not doing this to benefit Mizzou, we're doing it because it's the right thing to do," said James Spain, vice provost. "We're not giving Mr. Shepherd a degree. We're awarding him the degree he earned."

Blackberrys: Addicting, Erstwhile Lobbyists

As a very recent recipient of the BlackBerry Curve, I can attest to oft-stated side-effects of being addicted to it--and somehow in the name of taking me off the computer, an activity at which too much of my time is flitted away in the first place.

Then I see this article, in which members of congress, including 84-year-old Congressman Ted Stevens, are seen as walking government liabilities; and in Stevens' case, literally walking around the halls of congress, with his Blackberry set to jumbo print, oblivious to any and all foot traffic around him.

But the headline--one which betrays the underlying, addictive properties that ushered the satirical term "CrackBerry," did not point to the little paragraph I find far more fascinating than its anachronistic use by Octogenarian lawmakers:

People who mull such things are beginning to ask whether Capitol Hill’s BlackBerry addiction — seven out of 10 members and staffers have one — is putting too much power into the hands of small groups of well-connected constituents, exacerbating partisan polarization and snuffing out whatever’s left of Washington’s political
sanctuary removed from the parochial concerns back home.

Which makes me wonder: did technology just swing an access pendulum the other way, or am I just off here?

Maybe Mr. Smith needs to text Washington this election cycle.

-R

Oldest Church Unearthed in Jordan

Archaeologists have recently unearthed what may be the world's oldest known church in Rihab, Jordan.  It is located in a cave underneath an already ancient building and its occupation is tentatively dated to a period from 33-70 AD.  The archaeologists who are excavating the site suspect it was home to Christians fleeing jewish persecution in Jerusalem. 

 

If this site provides hard evidence for such an early date, it may potentially have drastic effects for the field of biblical studies.  The current theory among many Bible scholars is that Jesus never taught that he was divine-that later disciples added myths and legends to a man that early disciples only respected as a moral teacher.  The idea of worshipping Jesus as God did not arise until after Paul's writings.  Even then it took several more years until Jesus was fully identified with God.  Evidence for a community of people worshipping Jesus so early after his death would give extreme historical credibility to the accounts in the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament.  This will be interesting to keep an eye on. 

 

If you are interested in other stories that explore archaeology related to the Bible you will probably love exploring this site .

 

Josh R

Britannica Surrenders To Wikipedia Model

Via Bill Bradley's Weblog:

I think we can post this one under 'it was always going to happen'. According to the britannicanet site Encyclopaedia Britannica is about to launch a new initiative. Expert contributors and readers will be able to supplement the content with their own information. Apparently "the result will be a place with broader and more relevant coverage for information seekers and a welcoming community for scholars, experts, and lay contributors."

You can possibly chalk this up to the overused bromide, "information wants to be free," to an actual materialization of the phrase. While it is arguable that your average, vertical, sentient, anthropological specimen is any smarter than those that preceded our information age, it is true that the river of information practically nullifies the binding, glue, and paper.

Another sea change in information.

-R

Harry Reid De la Mancha

The Mormons should be looking to excommunicate Harry Reid if not based only in his reprehensible grip on economic basics. If not his til-the-death hold on the concept of raising taxes to lower oil prices.

WASHINGTON — With gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon, Senate Democrats want the government to grab some of the billions of dollars in profits being taken in by the major oil companies.

Senators were to vote Tuesday on whether to consider a windfall profits tax against the five largest U.S. oil companies and rescind $17 billion in tax breaks the companies expect to enjoy over the next decade.

And,

The Democrats' energy package also would:

— Make oil and gas price gouging a federal crime, with stiff penalties of up to $5 million during a presidentially declared energy emergency.

— Authorize the Justice Department to bring charges of price fixing against countries that belong to the OPEC oil cartel.

— Require traders to put up more collateral in the energy futures markets to curb speculation.

So instead of uncuffing the hands of the ones who can actually find more oil over here, produce it and alleviate our beholdence to the most unstable human contingent in history, the senate will vote on whether to shackle, taze and pepper spray the only ones who know how to do it.

As much as I'm going to hate $15.00 - a gallon gas, I will at least have the vicarious enjoyment of watching these people ultimately tell the eternally-unvetted environmental lobbies to go pound sand when they reverse themselves on exploration and drilling. Of course, I may have to watch this happen in Arabic, or Chinese, but even The Dixie Chicks are going to have a supply-and demand epiphany when their already-underused tour bus has to cool it's heels in Houston.


-R

Christianity & Football

Big NFL fan. Not a NY Giants fan at all. Luckily for them, they were playing Satan's team, so I was rooting for them in January's Super Bowl. Lucky for me, David Tyree made one of the greatest plays ever (yes he caught the ball on his helmet w/out touching the ground) and the Giants won in the final minute.

Naturally, being from NY, publishers think everyone will want to read about him so Tyree has an autobiography coming out this fall. Happily, he's a Christian. So was Rodney Harrison, the man he beat for the catch. Harrison even wrote one of the forwards to the book. Wow!

Says Sports Illustrated:

"When you lose, Harrison said via text message Sunday, learn from it, congratulate [the opponent] and move forward. They won. They beat us. It's part of the deal. God has blessed me through the whole ordeal. I think the message of faith, belief and trust in God needed to be heard. That's why I did it."

Read it all here, under the Factoid headline.

P.S. I'm kidding about that Satan's team crack. Barely.

Big Brown Comes In Dead Last In Bid For Triple Crown

I meant to post this yesterday.

Reminds me that even if I didn't have spiritual roadbumps to the gambling spectre, that I'd have them because of this:

NEW YORK (AP) - When Big Brown turned for home, something wasn't right.

Triple CrownJockey Kent Desormeaux knew the big bay colt was finished. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who guaranteed racing's first Triple Crown in 30 years, knew it then, too.

Big Brown straggled home last Saturday, losing the Belmont Stakes to 38-1 long shot Da' Tara. Eased up in the homestretch, he was so far behind at the end that his margin of defeat wasn't even charted.

My theory is they ran all the good juice out of that poor horse. Sadly though, the first thought that came to my mind was all the money lost by those hedging for at least a photo-finish second place.

Of course this poor guy has to be in a bad way. How depressed must you be to throw your hands up and "get out of" pigeon racing?

-R

South Carolina Stepping Out On . . . Faith?

I'll let the video speak for itself.



-R

Protect Yourself From Post-Rapture, Perceptual Trajectory Theft

If you've got forty bucks a month, and a need to shield your post-rapture absence from thieves and fabricators, well maybe this story is for you: http://www.youvebeenleftbehind.com has got you covered:

For just $40 a year, believers can arrange for up to 62 people to get a final message exactly six days after the Rapture, that day when -- according to Christian end times dogma -- Christians will be swept up to heaven, while doubters are left behind to suffer seven years of Tribulation under a global government headed by the Antichrist.

62 people? Now I'm going to have to dig out my books by E.W. Bullinger just to figure out which pocket they pulled that one from. My favorite part of this, however, is how the message is entirely contingent on the following:

The e-mails will be triggered when three of the site's five Christian staffers "scattered around the U.S." fail to log in for six days in a row -- a system that incorporates a nice margin of safety, should two of the proprietors turn out to be unrepentant sinners or atheists.

Atheists? Starting a site like this to begin with? At least they've tacitly rejected Eternal Security in the run up. Although, if it were me, I'd be directing the following to my Jewish friends, because I have a feeling my Gentile buddies will be a bit taxed (assuming all my assumtions are square, of course):

Users can also upload up to 150 megabytes of documents, which will be protected by an unidentified encryption algorithm until the Rapture, then released to up to 12 nonbelievers of your choice. The site recommends that you use that storage to house sensitive financial information.

But that's just me. I think the point here is to make sure you make it in the first place. The rest is arguably moot.

-R

Five "Fierce" Women of Scripture

Not to steal Tyra's line or anything but there are some women in scripture who full fit this description. In the latest edition of Books & Culture: A Christian Review, William Griffin discusses five intertestamental beauties (a quick side note here - I'm more than happy to discuss the validity or lack thereof for intertestamental works in another post, for the sake of this one I'm taking them as valid) in scripture who exemplify some often neglected characteristics of the Christian woman: Susanna, Judith, Sophia, Vashti and Esther.

(OK, another note - Esther isn't strictly intertestamental and neither is Susanna - at least I think - so I'm not sure why he includes them or excludes my personal favorite "fierce" lady, Jael - again, I'm willing to overlook this for the sake of dealing with some lesser known but fascinating stories.)


According to Griffin, these woman all posses five common traits:

1) They were smart.

Sophia was the personification of wisdom. Susanna was educated in Mosaic law at her father's request. Judith developed a plan to save her village when the village elders were so freaked out at the threat of capture they wanted to surrender. This is definite proof that education both formal and informal (those ever elusive street smarts) is invaluable to Christian women (OK, and men too). God can use you no matter what but he's able to use you in more ways and for greater purposes when there's something inside your head that he can work with.

2) They were all courageous.

Esther risked her life to save her people. Judith hacked off the Persian king's head and walked out of the Persian camp with it in her basket. Susanna refused to bow to the pressure of some lecherous old men to either sleep with them or be branded a harlot and instead stood up for herself in court. Now I'm not advocating skydiving, crocodile wrestling or other crazy feats to prove you are courageous but having the internal fortitude to stand-up for what you believe is right in the face of people who may not agree is one of the most courageous things any person/Christian can do.

3) They were all beautiful.

OK, I'm going to stop and take umbrage with his point here. I don't think their beauty had anything to do with their character. Sorry. Did their beauty perhaps influence their situations. Sure. Did it make them more important than poor, homely, Leah? No. Never forget, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all to God we're all beautiful.

4) They were snazzy dressers.

You might think I'm crazy but I can see where this one is credible. Whether we like it or not, our appearance to the rest of the world matters. It doesn't mean we have to be unholy but it does mean that we shouldn't look like those ladies from that compound in Texas. Face it. When you look like that people are going to think that you are a) Amish or b) out of date with the rest of the world. And it's really hard to convince anyone that you are relevant or to have any influence with anyone when you look like you've been living under a rock for the past 40 years.

5) They prayerful and observant.

Ding, ding, ding. I think we've finally hit upon the reason these women were so fierce. Susanna prayed to God to save her during her trial and God sent her Daniel as a lawyer. Esther prayed that she would find favor with the king and God answered her prayer. Judith saw a way to stop the Persian invasion and God granted her the wisdom and the strength to carry out the plan.

So what do you think? Do you know any Christian women who meet the Dr. Griffin's criteria for "fierce" women of God? Care to share them with us?

God Called You To Evangelize Greenland?

I'm sure the housing market's a bit phlegmatic, but the gas prices alone could practically justify buying a Hummer out of the Christmas for Christ central fund:

ILULISSAT, Greenland (AFP) - At a small petrol station dating from the 1960s in Greenland, SUVs queue to fill up with the cheapest gas in Europe, at just 3.77 kroner a litre or 50 euro cents (78 US cents).

The low price is not an advertising coup nor public relations campaign, just the regular price for petrol in Greenland, the biggest island in the world with only 57,000 inhabitants."And I find the price a little expensive," says Julius Saldgreen, 49, at the wheel of his jeep after picking up his two daughters at school.

By comparison, a litre of unleaded 95 cost 1.52 euros in France and 1.49 euros in Germany last week, while diesel went for 1.45 and 1.48 euros, respectively.

At the other end of the scale, Americans are reeling at the thought of paying almost 4.0 dollars a gallon or 0.68 euro cents a litre.

-R

Miami Trumps California's Gay Marriage Anvil By Deputizing Future Islamic Overlords

I'm many times accused of hyperbole, steroidal proclamations, and colorful embroidering. And maybe I do sometimes push the descriptive gas pedal a little too far now and then.

In this case, I wish I was. Miami, plagued by crime, drugs, and an out-of-control homocide rate, have arrived at the same conclusion any rational, thinking person would come to: Allow a subsidiary organization that shares a mailbox with Louis Farrakhan to run the police force:

MIAMI — Controversy is growing in Miami over the city's decision to launch a nearly $1 million crime-fighting initiative that will include street patrols by a group with close ties to the Nation of Islam.

The City of Miami says it plans to give $150,000 to a civilian patrol group known as the Peacemakers, to be run by the Progressive Land Development International, an organization that shares a mailing address with the Nation of Islam in Miami.

At least one person is speaking up:

But not everyone thinks having a group tied to the Nation of Islam patrolling the neighborhood is a good idea.

Andrew Rosenkranz, the Anti Defamation League's Florida Regional Director, said the Nation of Islam has "a well-documented, irrefutable public record of racism, bigotry and anti-Semitism." He said the city had chosen an unlikely group to teach tolerance and civil behavior.

And of course, we all know how far a guy with the name "Rosenkranz" will get criticizing the dubious motivations of the Most Peaceful Religion On The Planet.

Looks like it's a good day for the Nation of Islam all around.

-R

Guaranteed To Increase Sales

or . . . um, not:

CINCINNATI - The man who designed the Pringles potato crisp packaging system was so proud of his accomplishment that a portion of his ashes has been buried in one of the iconic cans. Fredric J. Baur, of Cincinnati, died May 4 at Vitas Hospice in Cincinnati, his family said. He was 89.

Baur's children said they honored his request to bury him in one of the cans by placing part of his cremated remains in a Pringles container in his grave in suburban Springfield Township. The rest of his remains were placed in an urn buried along with the can, with some placed in another urn and given to a grandson, said Baur's daughter, Linda Baur of Diamondhead, Miss.

Which makes me wonder if uniformly-warped, stackable caskets are next.

-R

War... What Is It Good For?

Scott McClellan has recently written a book detailing various distortions of truth in the current Presidential administration.  Maybe you've heard of it?  There has certainly been a lot of reaction to it.  Some are calling McClellan a whistleblower, others are saying that he is a turncoat, and still others believe he should have spoken up or stepped down a lot sooner than he did. 

 

While the veracity of the book is certainly in question (how do you fully trust a man who tells you he is a liar?), there are some arguments that McClellan's voice merely adds more weight to.  One of these is the strength of the evidence that sent the United States into war with Iraq.  For years the left has been pointing to the weakness of the intelligence.  Now, McClellan confirms that the President wasn't as concerned with the truth as he was with supporting the decision he wanted to make.

 

APs in general take a very strong Pro-Life stance.  Sometimes this is the only issue that concerns them when choosing who to vote for.  But it has always amazed me how the definition of the term never extends beyond the abortion arena.  For instance, many who would feel comfortable protesting an abortion clinic would say of an executed murderer "He got what he deserved."  More importantly, where was the outrage from the AP community over going into a war where many thousands of lives have been destroyed?

 

The Manual for the UPCI actually states that, even though we are patriotic, as an organization we do not support the killing that occurs during war.  Additionally, many of the founders of the Pentecostal movement were pacifists of the strongest nature.  But even if you do not believe in pacifism, a true Pro-Life stance should should extend justice to more lives than just the unborn.  If Jesus were making decisions for this country, would this war have been waged?  If Jesus were in the position you find yourself today, how would he respond to the deaths of thousands based on an emotional reaction? 

 

Supporting Democrats or Republicans is easy.  Working for Justice and Mercy and Faithfulness is much more difficult.

 

Josh R

The Weightier Matters

What is the most important issue to churches this November?  Serving local communities?  Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Or how people vote?   For years the terms "Christian Conservative" and "Religious Right" have dominated discussions of Christianity and politics.  But the emerging generation of Evangelical leaders are not as willing to be classified into such boxes.

 

Maitaining the important doctrines such as the veracity of the Bible, the physical resurrection of Jesus, and the need for atonement, these younger Christians are trying to see a bigger picture than Republicans vs Democrats.  Not satisfied with merely voting they are focusing instead on serving.  Not content with the single issues they have been given in the past, they are expanding the idea of what it means to vote one's conscience.  Dissapointed with the reputation evangelical political efforts of late have gained, they are reinterpretting what it means to be the church in our current political system. 

 

Two potential reactions can occur when old systems are challenged by new ones.  Those familiar with old system can become defensive and insist that the way things have always been done is still working and should not be challenged.  Alternatively, those of the old system may abandon it altogether in favor of the new.  Ideally, however, those of the old and new systems will not react, but will proactively put in the hard work necessary to form a synthesis. 

 

Learning from the mistakes of the old system, and recognizing that there will be mistakes in the new system, leaders from both sides should be able to come together in unity, particularly within the church.  Those from the old system bring wisdom and hindsight to the table which the younger system-changers do not have.  Those who offer a new system bring with them a fresh perspective and a knowledge of the (current) contemporary culture which is important in our rapidly changing society.  Working together under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, both will be able to accomplish so much more than either alone. 

 

Josh R

Friday Night Vamp

I've been an arms-length fan of Paul Thorn for quite some time. I say that because I simply cannot reconcile everything he records to the column labeled "of good report." Paul is enigmatic at the very least, and his "backslider's perspective" peppers nearly everything he does.

Every now and then his rather occluded church background provides something inexplicably brilliant. Something about the synergistic run-up by a band makes the previous statement exponential.



-R

Caspian Destined for Dethronement?

Apparently, the disappointed Mr. Crispo isn't the only one saying "Sing to me , baby" to the newest cinematic installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series.  Disney is blaming low box office sales on a misjudgement in the release date.  The movie was expected to be the same kind of blockbuster that its predecessor, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was.  Unfortunately, ticket sales have been depressingly low.  The film was released just after the summer hit Iron Man and just before the much-anticipated Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Plans are still in the works to release the third installment in May of 2010.

 

Josh R

Secretary Of State . . . . John Kerry?

I've already made my feelings clear on the upcoming election: that the good ship Liberty will be overtaken by the marauding Buccaneers of the left. So what better way to destabilize even the most resolute diplomatic pillars? Put Massachusetts senator John kerry at the helm of foreign policy:

Kerry aides insist he's not angling for the job and point to his long involvement in foreign affairs. It started with his famous testimony as a 27-year-old veteranquestioning the Vietnam War before the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee. It continues today, at age 64, as the No. 3 Democrat on the same panel.

But envisioning him in the post would hardly be a stretch given Obama's chances at securing the Democratic nomination, a general election shaping up as a "change"campaign and Kerry's relationship with the Illinois senator.

This is all purely in a conjectural bubble at this point. But, should Obama take the White House, I'll be writing letters in full support of Kerry's Ascendancy. Since Obama's made it perfectly clear that he's willing to assign diplomatic gravity to unhinged, Napoleonic anti-Semites like Ahmadinejad, one can preemptively see the sheer comedic value in watching Kerry reconcile his expressed desire to push the little man off a cliff with alleged negotiating clout.

Besides, it'll be fun to see Kerry grow a beard and wear a Members Only jacket to Tehran.

-R

Google Now On Verge Of Knowing Everything

If it wasn't enough that Google has become an indigenous part of any work-related trivial cul-de-sac, now the road warriors on the information superhighway have staked out an improvement on . . . well, information:



It will be interesting to see what kind of redactions emerge after a sufficient testing phase, just like in the search engine proper and their "Street View" addendum.

-R

Subway Also Likely To Start Touting Weight-Loss Results With People Who Were Already Skinny

If you hadn't already read this at The Apostolic Report, you'll most likely hear about it anyway eventually. Subway Sandwiches is soliciting the writing skills of students nationwide, utilizing one of their "Story Starters." Amongst the viable participants? All students, pre-K thru 6th grade.

Oh yeah. Except for the dread homeschooler:

Now of course, being the parent of two homeschooled little girls, I could easily get all bent out of shape over something this overt. But actually, I tend to fall into a somewhat empathetic tone with a comparatively critical moon rising. My guess is, the corporate sandwich behemoth has strong ties to the teacher's unions, who are, as a union, no way inclined to concede a single inch to homeschooling.

Also, being that a homeschooler managed to walk away with the Heisman Trophy this year, and considering that homeschoolers continue to rout the national spelling bees, it's no wonder that these contests are starting to be exclusionary. Jesse Owens was a tough pill to swallow at the 1936 summer Olympics for some, too. And we know how his opponents tried to level the playing field.

-R