Reflections of Christ

Lakehouse on the Water

2008-07-25T17:20:00.000-05:00

I'm at Grand Lake - on a mansion size houseboat with Blake Ewing and the newest members of the Joe Momma's team. Good grief - what a Friday. There's much more to blog - including two flat tires on someone else's car.. but that'll have to wait.

Journalistic Integrity

2008-07-24T01:49:00.004-05:00

I remember during my first year at Alabama a course I took in Introduction to Journalism. The course was, in addition to be a survey of all things journalistic, a platform for the professor to call out again and again the great virtues and tremendous importance of journalism. I think a couple of our quizzes centered on great accomplishments of journalists and on key contributions to democracy by the courageous people in journalism. We were challenged to question everything, refuse to be fooled or swayed, maintain journalistic integrity in all our practices.

Apparently, the good folks of this TV news team didn't get all that in their Intro to Journalism class. Sitting on the news desk right in front of them are two cups of McDonalds coffee drinks - fake coffee drinks - that the journalists aren't even supposed to acknowledge. (ht to BB) I understand that news broadcasts are interested in paying their bills and are indeed a for-profit enterprise (don't ever forget that whatever news outlet you watch, listen to or read is a for-profit business). But something about this blatant and goofy product placement just stinks of selling out, not to mention insulting the viewers.

Well, at least there's no compromised, spin-artist kind of journalists here in Tulsa. Whoops, I forgot about Giordano. Actually, there's no comparison between the corporate 'sell-out' of the McFakee coffee cups and a drunken hit and run, except a common blurring of any sense of journalistic integrity. I feel a little sorry for Jerry (a little) because the shame and embarrassment must be terrible - folks are hitting him pretty hard over this, like here and here. At the same time - there is absolutely never an excuse for driving drunk. Want to enjoy a few beers on July 4th? Cool. But be an adult, know when to stop or get a cab. Tolerating that kind of irresponsibility isn't just criminal, it's deadly.

I'm pretty sure the professor I had in school would insist that journalists have too great a responsibility to the people for any of this.

Male and Female He Created Them

2008-07-21T23:31:00.006-05:00

As I've noted before, we are walking (plodding) our way through Genesis in our Sunday gatherings. We've finally (after more than a month) turned the page from chapter 1 to chapter 2. Steve did a wonderful job walking us through work and rest Sunday; he preached a theology of work (something I think desperately needed in these United States) and called people to see their work, whatever it might be, as a participating in the call and mission of God.

Previously, we had spent some time reading over Genesis 1:26-28, a very familiar, often quoted passage. This is one of those passages from the Bible that I think is so familiar, we gloss over it; I had even heard it referenced before I became a Christian in '86. This is one of those texts that you're going to hear in sermons, read in books, hear quoted (or misquoted) in movies, see represented in art and have some kind of familiarity with.

Yet anything this familiar can become trite, bland or even invisible to us. Here in this poetic narrative, in words that almost sound too small, Genesis tells us that human beings are created in God's image, are formed in God's likeness and are created male and female. I'm afraid we read past those two words - male and female - too quickly. We know that human beings are born with gender and that here is a tale of origins so of course it says male and female. And we miss the way that the text ties together being made in the image of God and male and female.

This isn't Genesis being politically correct or trying to offer equal times to both candidates. Here humanity, created in the image of God, is created in relationship, in connection. Here, hidden in the text, is mutuality. Relationship, not independence, is part of humanity from the very beginning of the story. There is a hint at least that understanding and experiencing the kind of love the Trinity knows is embodied in the kind of generous and self-giving love that men and women can express and embrace in a lifetime commitment to one another. Marriage, sexual union and the deepest of our relationships between us as men and women express and explore what it means not only to be human, but what it means to be created in the image of God.

Male and female. There's nothing dirty here, nothing sinister, nothing competitive, nothing controlling, nothing demanding. Just as we worship a God is who is both three and one, the earthlings made in God's image are two, but are one.

There's certainly much more to be discussed and discovered about what it means to be made in God's image, and all of that is worth the time in study, reflection and prayer. But for a moment, let's embrace the fact that while we have individuality, we at least in part get a glimpse of living in God's image when we can embrace one another, give of ourselves completely as creatures who are fully known and fully accepted.

On the Seventh Day

2008-07-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

This week at Rivendell, Steve the Great is teaching on Sabbath (and work and such). Steve and I always seem to approach things completely different. We usually end up with conclusions, convictions and commitments that make for great harmony, but our paths really wind in different ways. Having said that, there are few thoughts and posts I thought I would offer for your reading, viewing and thinking. If I know Steve, these are probably not related to where he will go with what he will be teaching (which is cool). So, think of it as extra-curriculur reading, not necessarily related to the professor's lecture...

The first thing to note is that the idea of taking a day off is both really attractive to us, and really foreign. We are a people of leisure and enjoyment in many ways - we go to theme parks, pools, movies, do picnics, go to the races... and do whatever in the name of squeezing every drop of happiness, satisfaction and enjoyment out of life. At the same time, we can be such workaholics, driven, goal-focused, outcome oriented people that we have no experience or understanding of rest.

Check out this interesting article that highlights ways Sabbath has contributed to social reform.
Taking time to rest on the Sabbath helps us "stop running around long enough to see what God is doing."
The Work of Rest and Worship insists Sabbath reminds us we are not God.
And Rick Lowrey's article on Sabbath: the Little Jubilee insists "Sabbath celebrates this jubilee relationship with God. Sabbath rest is God’s distinctive mark, a deep symbol of Israel’s intimate relationship with the one who frees rather than enslaves."

To wrap up, here's a great video of a Rabbi explaining why Sabbath is the most productive day of the week.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-18T20:21:00.011-05:00

We went today to see The Dark Knight. We went to a theater in Fort Smith (fairly close to the newly-technology-empowered in-laws house) here where the first three showings (other than the midnight:01 showings) were amazingly empty, which might surprise some folks. Its a good movie, probably the best movie we've seen this summer.

In terms of performances, the performances that worked in Batman Begins, work again: Bale disappears into the suit well, both as Wayne and as the Dark Knight. He carries himself in a way that works as the billionaire pretending to not be a caped crusader, better than Clooney, Kilmer or even Keaton ever did - although I liked Keaton's Batman. I really like the way that both Caine and Freeman as performers and as characters add credibility and depth to the story and to the experience. Both of those actors add a dignity and class to the screen. Other characters add a great sense of texture and nuance to the story and give Bale more to work with than just the fancy Batsuit.

Much has been made already about Ledger's Joker- he certainly delivers a great villain performance - easily outclassing previous Batman badguys like Carrey's Riddler or Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze - and better than probably better than any other villain we've seen this summer. He plays the character with enough insanity to be creepy and troubling, but with just enough calmness and lucidness to be a true nemesis to the Bat. But so much hype has centered around him and this performance, including all the Oscar talk. In the end, the role and the script aren't that kind of material - its not an Oscar role, nor that kind of performance. He plays a bad man doing bad things in a bad town. There's no inner conflict, personal turmoil, embodiment of human failings or struggle beyond anything. He's just playing the part of a deeply disturbed man who likes to see things blow up. Does he do it believably? Yes, with some great credibility and even a sense of class.

The movie features an interesting plot that takes a couple of turns that are in some ways predictable, but the texture and pace of the movie makes it work. As an audience member, you're smarter than most of the characters in the movie, but it doesn't both you because of the movement - you kind of buy it that they wouldn't see that or think of that in the heat of the moment. I find myself really frustrated when movies have characters doing things that are just stupid - and there are a couple of moments here, but the emotional energy and tension at the moment gives you a just enough wiggle room for your suspense of disbelief. And sure, the plot is really thick with storylines and subtext (including a trip overseas that feels not only out place and unrealistic, but includes a hat-tip to the classic James Bond ending). Some of the subtext or sub-stories add an intellectual depth to the plot (like the early radiating of bills to track organized crime), some add a little emotional oomph. But make no mistake, its a thick plot, one reviewer even said too much plot.

I enjoyed the movie's interest in the capacities for good and evil at work inside us. But by half-way through I was tired of the way the story leans on crooked cops (or just plain dumb decisions by cops) to keep the plot moving forward, usually to explain the big twist or how the Joker pulled something off. In the end, it loses its value as a plot mechanism and is a fairly shallow device. There was so much creativity and intelligence in the film that it does over come this. They did a good job setting us up to think one thing and then doing something else in a couple of small but important moments. And the movie is visually worth the biggest screen you can find in town. And to the credit of the producers, if you've seen all the previews and clips - you haven't seen the best moments of the film. I think more than anything, I'm appreciating the work of Christopher Nolan. So many directors would get buried under the heavy plot or caught up in the nostalgic comic hero or lost in the CGI or lean on cheap tricks to 'get' the audience visually or musically. The movie stays far away from all of that and really works.

And not surprisingly, people are going to like this movie, all kinds of people. Mark likes it because either he sees a way to bring healing hand to the joker, or he secretly wants to be the Joker (he will say Ledger's act is cool, but he's always wanting to help people - I'm not fooled - he's a do-gooder). Daniel will like it because some characters die, including someone special (I'd tell you who it is, but that would ruin it for you, right? You don't want me to tell you how they kill off any chance of a third movie by killing off the main-title character, so I won't tell you what happens in the final 3 minutes of the movie.) Steve will like it because there are themes of redemption, repentance and grace in the film. John will like it because there's a motorcycle. My friend Todd will like it because Batman is tough - like Connery/Craig as Bond kind of tough. My brother will like it because it involves a crazy, impossible, telecom moment. My other brother will like it because lots of stuff goes boom (he was a marine, he likes stuff that goes boom).

In a kind of aside that fairly easy to miss, there is a moment when Fox (Morgan Freeman) confronts Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) about something he has created that involves spying on an entire city without their knowledge or permission. Fox's character has deep reservations about this activity and calls it wrong for anyone to do. Apparently, no one has explained to him that the Federal government has recently given itself permission to go ahead and do this in one form or another. "No one should have this kind of power" is a line that perhaps is intended for more ears than just Batman's.

There are a couple of other interesting takes on this film - yet another sign that its got some depth and power that isn't always present in summer or comic book movies. One reviewer lands on the understated sense in which Batman is himself just as imbalanced as Arkham's inmates (and has a great line comparing Batman to a growling James Bond). He misses the communication/sonar thing Batman does to outsmart the Joker or the creativity of the radiated money to trap the Mob in one of his criticisms. Another reviewer sees the movie ending in an acceptance of darkness - which I think misses the sense in which the (almost overplayed) theme of personal choice for good is highlighted on the ferry scene, the character of Gordon and Batman's martyr-istic-ness.

So, final summer movie rankings?

1. Batman: The Dark Knight
2. IronMan (still surprises me a little)
3. Wall-E (probably NOT a better movie than a few of these, but more enjoyable as a family experience...)
4. Speed Racer (just barely beating out...)
5. Hancock
6. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
... a bunch of other choices including the kids' opinion on Kung Fu Panda (which I didn't see)
with Jolie's "Wanted" at the bottom of the list.

I know, I know; I can hear some of you throwing your hands in the air at my rankings. Harrison Ford is more enjoyable as Indy than the lead characters/voices in Wall-E or Speed Racer. But Harrison's movie just doesn't work as well. Hancock is probably a better overall film than Wall-E, but Wall-E makes a better direct commentary on human state of affairs and in the end is more enjoyable to go see with the family than Hancock was as a date film. Iron Man was really good, but Dark Knight is better in every category.

For the record, I've updated this now three times - my apologies to those of you read this on a feed - cause it'll look like three different publishings.

Water Matters

2008-07-18T11:55:00.003-05:00

World Vision has a new video that's fairly direct, dramatic and honest about the situation of clean, available drinking water in underdeveloped countries. (Thanks to BB)

The World has Changed

2008-07-16T22:18:00.004-05:00

I have been married to the same wonderful woman for (almost - as of next Tuesday) 14 years. For most of those years, her parents have lived in a beautiful part of Western Arkansas near Hackett. There are hills, mountains (including one my wife calls 'Grandpa's Mountain'), all kinds of farms, animals and good, old-fashioned, country folks.

For all of this time, the in-laws house has been seriously, low-tech. Cell phones hardly, barely, and often don't connect here. And certainly there was no such thing as internet access.

The world has changed. They have DSL now - and I'm on a wifi connection in the living room.

Why We Had Kids

2008-07-16T02:47:00.003-05:00

I think the picture says it all.

Initial Response

2008-07-13T20:01:00.004-05:00

So, we're sitting around the table finishing off our bedtime bites (a nibble before we pray together and tuck the kids in). Its amazing what comes up in conversation around the table. Somehow, we got on the subject of initials of the kids names and connections between their names and other members of the family. For instance, my son has the same initials as my father, quite intentionally. Once we'd established that, a reference was made comparing my daughter's initials to my mother's - which are actually quite different. I was highlighting the difference when I made a startling discovery:

My mother's initials are MCP.

The MCP? My mother is the MCP? No wonder I heard stuff like this growing up.

Of course, MCP could stand for Microsoft Certified Professional, but that would mean that she works for a gigantic, global, mechanized conglomerate bent on complete monopolization of its market, at-any-cost-controlling practices and global domination... which ironically enough is starting to sound more and more like the MCP from Tron's world.

And none of that reminds me of my Mom.

[Just a note - there was just a buzz of curiosity from the kids as I was pulling this post together with the pics, sounds and videos from Tron and KH2 - talking about Grandma Pistole is cool, but Tron and KH2 are pretty intoxicating - kind of catnip for kiddos.]

Genesis Reading

2008-07-13T15:48:00.006-05:00

Today after our gathering our discussion of Genesis 1:26-28, someone asked me what resources I use as I prepare for each Sunday. Actually, he asked me, "Do you just google 'Genesis 3' or whatever and then read a bunch of blogs?" But, whether he was really curious about the research I do or not, it gives me a chance to talk about it, which I enjoy.

So, as we're walking (crawling) through Genesis, there is a fair bit of reading and research I'm doing - probably a little more than I usually do, at least in part because my Hebrew is a little rusty and because the way religious folks handle Genesis can sometimes be divisive.

My first layer of research is fairly predictable, I read the Bible. I start by reading my native language, American (I'd say English, but I've never even been across the pond, and I think folks here in Green Country are offended when I say that I speak Texan... Here's some indepth discussion, and an example or two). I usually start by reading a passage in parallel translations like the TNIV and the Message. I will occasionally include the ESV, which can at times sound a little more wooden, but places a higher emphasis on literal word-for-word translating (at the expense of ideas occasionally). If you would like to read a Biblical passage in parallel translations, side by side, the folks at Bible Gateway make that fairly easy to do, as in this example. I happen to use my logos software for this usually, which also includes a number of resources and materials - some of which I like, but not enough considering the cost.

Then, I dive into the Hebrew language. I have a number of books that I bought in school or afterward to help me with my Hebrew, but fortunately, the information age has provided a plethora of on-line tools that help me and that I think are user-friendly to those without the formal training.

First, here are two study Bibles you can buy that I really appreciate having in my library and lean on pretty heavily when I'm first tracking into unfamiliar territory. The first one I bought was the Jewish Study Bible. This bible features the official JPS translation and then useful notes, commentary and insight from history, rabbinical tradition and culture. Bear in mind, this is written by the Jewish Publication Society for a decidedly Jewish author. If you're looking for a footnote in Isaiah that comments on the way a passage is referenced in Acts, it won't be there. Secondly, I have just recently bought Robert Alter's Five Books of Moses. I really appreciate the translation choices Alter makes and his notes and commentary are both scholarly and really readable. While purchasing both might not be a 'must-do,' either would really enhance your reading of the Old Testament.
And if you're interested, here's a print version of the the Tanakh (the Jewish Publication Society's translation of the Hebrew text) that is side-by-side with the Hebrew text. Where was this when I was taking Hebrew 1?
Biblios is a great site with translations available in a lot of different languages, including both Greek and Hebrew. Click around on the site and you'll discover an interlinear translation (Greek) along with parallels and more. If you're curious about this stuff, or suspect your Bible teacher is making stuff up, this can be a way to some investigating and verifying on your own without having to take 3 semesters of a language course.
Another text site is Mechon Mamre. There are links to an English translation, Hebrew text, a side-by-side of the first two, and they are starting to translate the oral law as well. It may be a while before that is done. I have erroneously thought that their english version of the Hebrew is the JPS translation, but its not. It is a little more traditional at times, and has a few other variations (kind of like comparing the ESV and the NAS).
The TanakhML is a site with less usability unless you're well versed in the language (there's a pun in there somewhere) and can either site-read Hebrew, or know exactly the word you're looking for and where it is. I get lost in it fairly quickly. But it has a couple features I have found important, particularly when I'm trying to track down a form of a word and how many different ways it shows up in Scripture.

After reading the text over and over in different translations and languages, I start poking around to try to see what I can learn about the cultural, historical, narrative and textual elements of the passage I'm reading. Sometimes, that leads me to familiar history books or even to re-reading the overall narrative the passage is set within (how can understand Jacob without knowing the story of Abram and Isaac?) Then, I start poking around in some reference materials, and on sites like these:

Bible.org is a fairly useful site with a search box that will return articles and sermons for you, and links to the NetBible as well.
Baylor University has a nice collection of materials and links that are arranged topically that include links to articles, sermons and discussions from a variety of perspectives.
Biblical escources has a collection of articles, mp3 files and bibliographies that are available on a variety of texts. I've spent plenty of time following links to see huge lists of articles and books or to download the thoughts of someone I don't know.
To my surprise, I have routinely found useful or at least thoughtful articles on bnet. I usually search the 'free only' articles by a fairly generalized search topic. Its not a place for great scholarship, but even the best scholarship needs to encounter the marketplace and living room regularly.
The Jewish Encyclopedia is a nice reference to have available.

To answer directly the question about googling blogs, I as a general rule am leery of trusting random bloggers' opinions about Biblical material; I trust bloggers as much as I trust radio preachers. However, I do Google passages, textual phrases (such as 'image of God') or familiar enough narratives (like 'Noah flood'). I scan entries, read lightly and keep my salt shaker handy (you know, a grain of salt... I thought that was funny)

As I've prepared for this particular series, by far and away the most enjoyable aspect of my week has come from two very personal sources. The first has been our 'Genesis lunch' each Wednesday at Umberto's. A group of us have been showing up and just talking about what is going on in the text, our questions, our passions, our convictions, our struggles and so forth. Its just great fun. The other has been 'Rabbi' Doyle's blog. I know, Jimmy is not a real Rabbi - he believes too deeply in the Christ to be Jewish, and doesn't have the credentials. But when he starts preaching, I mean talking, about the text its amazing and compelling to hear God moving through him. I have really enjoyed the translations he's posted on his blog and the way he continues to make me think. The personal interactions, experiences and questions have been so wonderful. This is what I thought getting into ministry would be about - conversation, praying, community and Scripture.

Shameless, Somewhat-Commercial Plug (Number 1)

2008-07-12T13:07:00.004-05:00

The Church Basement Roadshow is coming to Tulsa this Tuesday (July 15) at Braden Baptist Church at 7:00 pm.

The Roadshow appears to be a cross between a book tour and period theater for the three 'players' - Pagitt, Jones and Scandrette. All three of these authors have fairly recent publications for sale: Pagitt's, Scandrette's and Jones'. The last one is the only one I've really read - its a fairly decent overview of the Emerging Church, kind of an Emergent 101 survey.

Everyone is welcome to join us to experience, share and connect. I think there's a $10 'cover charge' but I could be wrong about that.

If you'd like to see more about the CBR, here are a few links:

CBR's home website - warning, its on Beliefnet which features plenty of ads (think cable tv in terms of volume)
The CBR Facebook page, in case you're facebook-addicted.
A review of the program from earlier this summer.

When Individual Opinion Decides for You

2008-07-10T22:47:00.005-05:00

Most folks have heard that Senator Jesse Helms passed away last Friday, ironically enough on July 4th. If you're unfamiliar with the work and efforts of this controversial career politician, you'll find some information here, here and here. In observance of the passing of Senator Helms, elected five times by the citizens of North Carolina, the governor ordered all flags at to be set at half-mast to honor his lifetime of public service.

On the way home from a couple meetings today, I was listening to this story on NPR about a North Carolina state employee who refused to lower his state-owned agency's flags. He even sent out an email directing his employees not to lower the flags - because he didn't want to honor Senator Helms. When confronted by his supervisors, he chose to retire rather than comply with the governor's instructions.

There are a few things that strike me about his decision. First, he is acting very much in the mold of the man he wants to not honor (if not intentionally dishonor). Helms is infamous for his unwillingness to budge or compromise or 'play along.'

Secondly, I champion the rights and the outright importance of people living by their convictions. Disagreement helps produce learning, challenging someone can strengthen someone, unity is never about uniformity - iron sharpens iron, right? I can understand why someone would find the attitudes, speeches, actions and legislative efforts of Jesse Helms frustrating, disappointing or even offensive. I think he has a right to feel, think or believe whatever he does. But I find something inappropriate and unfair in his willingness to use his position of authority to enact his opinion not only on his employees but on the people of his state - who elected this man five times.

I think all this reminds me that democracy, despite what I sometimes assume, is not by nature 'good.' Democracy embodies the values of its people. Democracy relies on people to make informed, thoughtful, critical decisions, hopefully about what is best for a city, state or nation as a whole. But, in the end, the democratic process will bear out the wants, desires, commitments and attitudes of the people who drive it and live within it. The people of New Orleans re-elected the same mayor who told them not to leave the city 24 hours before Katrina hit, and then who first rebuffed federal assistance (amplifying the functional failures of the Administration). The people of North Carolina elected Helms five times. This isn't a case of a close vote or he just got lucky against a poor opponent.

I am also struck by the audacity of a citizen to enact his views against the general public or the instructions of his governor. Certainly, I am convicted that there are times to speak out against immorality, injustice or evil when it shows up in our society, churches, culture or government. But to refuse a state's right (and some would insist obligation) to honor a multi-term United States Senator, even while admitting and rebuffing mistakes, wrong positions or failures in his leadership.

Democracy, at its best, is hard work, advanced citizenship. It demands something more from us than listening to sound bytes, rallying behind a phrase, voting against someone we don't like or being manipulated by slick marketing or fear mongering.

Did you listen to the interview with Mr. Eason? I don't think I agree with his decision or actions. I certainly disagree with many of the actions of Mr. Helms, but I don't think lowing a flag endorses anything about him; instead the flags say something about the office he held and in many ways makes public the state's support of his career - which may be harder to face and more important to talk about than simply saying you can't support the man. However, I appreciate the tone and tenor of Mr. Eason in the interview - he's not rebellious, bitterly angry or in any way refusing to take responsibility for his actions.

The Empire Walks Among Us

2008-07-09T15:50:00.002-05:00

We've been having a lively discussion on Tuesday nights led by my friend Dave. We have been looking that historical effects of Constantine on the face and nature of Christianity. His source material has included James Carroll's book as well as references to Brueggemann and Crossan.

Our latest session included a comparison between living under an Empirical mindset (under the authority/control of an Empire) and living with a Prophetic Imagination (living with a passion for freedom, equality and for an alternate reality). To some degree, the either/or of that dichotomy doesn't hold up for long. But the discussion was worth while.

Now, a few of us are noticing signs of 'the Empire' everywhere, and even joking a little about it.

I tell you all that to say, I have a few 'Empire' comments and ideas for Riddle's 'photo in need of a caption.'

Blogging, Politics, Mob Theory and Academics

2008-07-07T17:16:00.005-05:00

Perhaps you've heard of Mark Elrod, a professor of political science at Harding University (a church of Christ college in Arkansas). Mark is a democrat and a open supporter of Obama for president. In the circles where I run, that's not all that weird; I'm fairly convinced that at least a couple of my close friends are voting for Mr. Obama (I'm still wrestling with my decision - and that's a different blogpost). BUT, in Mark's setting, its fairly radical. Harding is a good school and a beautiful campus - the students that I know that attended Harding really enjoyed their experience. But make no mistake, its a fairly traditional and conservative environment. And I'm sure the administration walks the same tightropes that other colleges and universities walk wanting to ensure funding, protect their recruiting base, extend professors freedom and to create an environment of openness and learning.

Apparently, Mark has found his blogging to be risky to his career. It seems from this post folks have been reading and ranting on his blog, and then turning to Harding's administration and attacking either his views, his politics or even possibly his character. How astoundingly disappointing, if not altogether that surprising.

I've blogged before about our lack of online manners. And I read an article (somewhere - darn those missing references) that our online behavior is now influencing our common conduct. I don't know true that is - people who are willing to speak hatefully online are probably already doing it behind closed doors or to the waitress they don't like for whatever reason.

I would like to imagine that the folks who run schools and universities are aware of how shallowly and reactively the 'crowd' and 'mob' really can be - and can see past that kind of stuff. I'd like to believe that school administrators and university presidents are highly committed to their teachers and staff and will adamantly defend the right, even the duty, of educators to speak publicly, to teach and to disagree in order to encourage and embody learning. I would love to believe that.

But I already know better.

Movie Going

2008-07-07T12:46:00.004-05:00

Thanks to a wonderful babysitter who was willing to be 'on the clock' with out kids at Big Splash, my wife and I have a few hours alone for relaxation and hand-holding Sunday. My wife's idea was an old-fashioned double-feature. So, we decided after a quick bite (with no little mouths to feed) to catch both Hancock (which is a Genesis movie, at least in one sense) and then Wanted (at different theaters no less).

First, we saw Will Smith's new movie, Hancock. There's an interesting divide that has shown up between critics and movie-goers about this movie. Professional movie critics and general audiences disagreeing is nothing new, but I think Hancock offers an interesting case study in what is at stake in these disagreements. Often, my wife and I have come to distrust critical applause of a film. If the critics love it, think it should be nominated or wax on and on about a performance, we just assume we probably won't enjoy the movie. Some of that I think is due to a numbness or callousnesses that some film reviewers seem to carry. In order for a movie to stand out it needs to go somewhere 'new' or 'radical' and that almost automatically translates into a great darkness or evil or terrible pain or tragedy. Certainly, I have seen films that dealt with that kind of material which really were powerful or evocative, but why does that necessarily have to be the hallmark of a 'great' or 'important' film. If you get your audience to crawl deeply into evil or hatred or greed - are you really asking that much of them? We are amazingly selfish to begin with - walking a little further into that really isn't that demanding, really, either for performers or audiences.

This new movie by Will Smith offers a tease in that direction - here's an 'unsuper' super-hero who has no people skills, doesn't really care about others and ends up causing all kinds of trouble and difficulty. I think the critics smelled an expose of the human condition (read: selfish, cynical, fallen state). But the movie doesn't go there. There is a plot twist - which is hinted at by the cinematography without giving anything away directly - that I think interacts well with Smith's character's attitude and actions and in some ways speaks to our needs as humans for intimacy (as in fully-known and fully-accepted) and community (that's not the word I want to use, but I'm trying to be spoiler-free).

We enjoyed the film. Its better than the critics have said - I think they're trying to punish or push off against the film and the direction it ends up taking.

Interestingly enough, we followed Hancock with Angelina Jolie's newest movie, Wanted. Here the critics I read were more positive and talked about Angelia living into the character and the creative storyline and the great style. My official response - pish-posh. There is some fun in the movie, creative special effects and an interesting way in which the movie tries to tap into the sense of futility, insignificance and unimportance that so many cubicle-dwelling folks feel. But, aside from that, its a blood-wet, unnecessarily foul-mouthed, little disappointing of a movie. Jolie is basically Lara Croft again, but this time taking order from Morgan Freeman. The storyline, I think, is fairly predictable. And the creativity they feature here is more a Matrix-style discovery story turned a little sideways. In the end, the movie is more fascinated by its own fixation on blood-spurts and twisty ways to shoot someone than actually making a meaningful comment on living by a code or being a part of something bigger than yourself. This is the film that didn't live up to its potential.

Seven Wonder

2008-07-04T15:32:00.004-05:00

Our wild, outlaw, hussy of a cat has come through in a big way. She must of overheard us planning to take her to the vet (for a-fixin) after this litter is born because she put all she had into this last round. Caroline gave birth to seven kittens yesterday.

Apparently, her orange-colored beau wasn't around this time, and maybe not the gray-calico courtier either. This is the least colorful of all her litters, but she still pushed out seven little lifeforms. No wonder she was laying around, sprawled out.

We're working on names again. There are few front runners right now:

Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey (that makes them Caroline and the Seven Dwarfs).
Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Checkov. I kind of like the TOS names, but there's only one female name in the group (kind of two depending on how you count Sulu...) but at least there's a certain multicultural ring to them.
Itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny, yellow, polka-dot and bikini. That's not as popular around the house for some reason.
Hawkeye, BJ (or Trapper), Margaret, Frank (or Charles) Klinger, Radar and Henry (or Sherman).
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Cute, but since they are all more a shade of black, I think Black, Noir, Charcoal, Ash, Arsenic, Gray and Houndstooth might more appropriate.
My favorite - but adamantly vetoed by the kids: Smyrna, Ephesus, Pergie, Thyatira, Sardis, Philie and Laodicia.

If any of the references escape you, don't feel bad - we're reaching a little on this one.

Here's Linking at You, Kid

2008-07-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

I've got a few links here for your viewing enjoyment:

Are you feeling run down, tired? Need your 'Red-Bull-IV' to kick in? How about a nap? If you're not sure how to nap, here's a little help.

I can't remember who showed me this, but check out weather underground the next time you're wanting to know if its going to rain on your parade (or cookout, or car wash or camping trip...)

With a hat-tip to the good folks of Boing-Boing gadgets, they've uncovered this super-nerd-cool ST:TOS U.S.S. Enterprise Trike! I want one - I'll bet they sip gasoline (warp engines are way more efficient than a suddenly-hip, over-priced hybrid). Is it too late to ask for a belated birthday present? They've also found a ST:TNG Tricorder. (If you need an explanation of what the abbreviations are for, move along kid, you're bothering me) By the way, I linked to a warp engine page on Wikipedia - which I read entirely - really captivating.

I've mentioned my reverence for Blade Runner before. BBgadgets is showing off a one-of-a-kind lego version of the blade runner 'car.' Cool, cool, cool. Now, where does my son keep all his, I mean our, legos?

And here's a monster-car, miniature size. Perfect for the aggressive, almost-redneck, seven-year-old in your neighborhood.

And here's another post featuring guerrilla gardening. I love the idea of taking an ignored, public, visible place and doing something beautiful and glorious with it.

Is it too early to talk football? Is it ever too early to talk football? How would you like to be Aaron Rodgers? (I know, who?) He's having to fill the football cleats of a giant who won't quit talking to himself about returning and simultaneously manage other people's perceptions of himself - which is probably 50% of his job (sorry Ryan...) I love the line from that last article - "If he can backpedal that well on the field, his seven-step drop will be something to be feared."

I think this video is pretty amazing and I love the choir singing over the whole thing.

Thanks to MarkO

And, speaking of MarkO, he's got a wonderful, transparent post about getting a handle on his expenditures and income. He's talking about moving to help deal with some of the fixed costs he and his family face. First, I appreciate his candor. Second, I applaud his willingness to do something. We in North America are really pretty comfortable living above our means and just expect things to "work out." I haven't been able to be involved with this round of Financial Peace University that some folks at Rivendell are facilitating, but the conversations starting there are filtering around and are reminding me again of what it means to live out self-discipline. As Dave says, children do what ever runs through their minds, adults make a plan and follow it.

He Was Just Here A Minute or Two Ago

2008-06-23T19:34:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking a little about the life and times of George Carlin in the wake of his passing. There are a number of articles out there (like this one) that hail him as a counter-cultural comic and a provocative writer. And I think I can hear his influence in a lot of comics out there, both the heady comedians and the ones who just sound angry or depressed.

He had a unique style that was as much about what was going on in his mind than it was about punchlines. I appreciate the way this reporter from the Houston Chronicle put it:

Carlin's best routines weren't based on punchlines, but rather circling a subject, sometimes flinging darts, other times picking at its surface. He was a strange being, a '60s counterculture type without a whisp of earnestness. Carlin's comedy was contemplative but with a punk-like bluntness.

But perhaps that's what has me thinking about him is his combination of anger - as a defensive reaction - and his creative intellect. Carlin was a critic, almost a prophetic voice. Yes, he was rebellious, frustrated, crude and adolescent (he said so himself in a late-in-his-life radio interview with the AP, admitting that he is still dealing with a lot of stuff the same way he did when he was 14.) But he also spoke against the kind of shallow, controlling and self-protectionist attitudes and behavior in American culture. He watched us parade around like we've got everything under control, and then reminded us that (at least one point) statistically, someone commits suicide every 30 seconds. He would find that pride, that illusion of progress or the thinnest of reason parading as wisdom and poke his finger right at it.

Carlin is proof in my mind of why the church needs to be listening to the voices in the margins and outside edges of our (or any) society. George never bought into the enlightenment age myth of progress. We've made all this scientific advances and have 'so far' as cultures go (which is all true), but we're still a beaten, broken people in so many ways. Consider this line of his, "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that." And this one I remember hearing somewhere a while back, "If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little." Kind of depressing, but proof we're not as progressed as a species as we sometimes assume, right?

Carlin also saw where power collided with people's lives and where the powers that be reduce and overpower humanity. "I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death." I don't know that he ever offered a lot of hope or help or an answer. But he saw the patterns of coercion and control at work all around him, patterns that the church fell victim to and even colluded with at length.

"I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately." If that's true, George Carlin hit his mark.

I would like to have had the opportunity to sit down with him and have a conversation about hope and overcoming human failure and brokenness. Golly, it seems like he was just here a minute or two ago.

VBS and wifi

2008-06-23T08:58:00.003-05:00

So, my son has a buddy who found out he went to a VBS (at Taud's church) last week. That buddy got all fired up and told his Mom that he wanted to go to a VBS too. So, we brought both of them (and the always present older daughter) to VBS here at Eastwood Baptist Church - the home of the greatly loved and admired Jeff Easily. And lo and behold, Eastwood has wifi in the back of the room here - so I'm doing important and meaningful things like blogging.

Now I haven't been part of (as in on staff at a church which led a) VBS since 1999. I know that because Amarillo was the last VBS I was in. We used to spend all kinds of time in our staff meetings while people talked about the number of kids who would show up, the families we wanted to reach and all the materials and resources we needed. Of course, I was one of the voices continually questioning how strategic and effective VBS really was.

Here's what has grabbed my attention about this whole VBS thing - for something that was obviously ineffective as a tool for discipleship or as a way to bring new families into the church, kids (at least some kids) love the energy, music, dancing, and activities. And why not? These kids have got some folks paying attention to them, chances to play, create and sing and they meet new friends.

[The young man serving as the emcee of VBS this year just led the kids in all three pledges: Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Christian Flag and the Pledge to the Bible. Wow.]

Does VBS teach kids to love Scripture and to be available to God's voice? Does VBS sow seeds that help kids learn to listen for the voice of God? Does VBS help families have a common faith to talk about and share with one another? I don't know. I suspect it doesn't do as much of any of that as folks would like other to believe.

But, what about the simple, pragmatic benefits? People get involved, kids have lots of fun without plugging into a video game, they make new friends and parents get a morning to work on something around the house or around town.

Quick links

2008-06-21T14:43:00.003-05:00

I wanted to get some of these links out there quickly, either because of their timeliness, or because I suspect they may disappear soon.

The Red Cross has a great page with information, images and links related to the flooding in the Midwest. (ht Ike)

The House has passed a bill that expands Domestic wiretapping and that makes telephone companies that complied with this immune from later prosecution or legal action. As I told my wife recently, the rights of the individual continue to give way to the rights/wants/needs of mega-corporations (and the Feds).

Apparently, someone who worked for Comcast customer support finally hit their limit and put together a ppt show that throws the practices and mindsets of management into public light. The ppt isn't terribly surprising and the complaints and frustrations shown here are fairly predictable and familiar to any of us that have dealt with mega-corporations and their attempts at appeasing the masses through touch-tone customer support. But what also stands out to me is the reminder that companies should pay attention to the frustration and disappointment level of their own people. The best (at least in one sense) companies keep in mind that not only are they trying to win and reach new customers, they are continually evangelizing their own people. With the technology that has become so common, a disgruntled employee can be very publicly rude and angry.

Here's a podcast with Disney's 10 rules for theme park design. Interested?

Good guide has a thumbnail sketch of some of infamous shadowy organizations including the Masons and the Order of Skull and Bones.

Last, but hardly least, here's a link to a website that has the Hebrew Canon (some call it the Old Testament) translated by the Jewish Publication Society. If you're going to following along with us in Genesis at Rivendell, read through Genesis 1 (click on Genesis and you're there, right?). Also, check out Jimmy Doyle's translation and comments on Genesis 1 here. Incredibly good work Jimmy.

Pump Your Fist, Go Ahead

2008-06-17T13:05:00.001-05:00

I really like this article by Gene Wo from ESPN about the extra-innings US Open this weekend. He's put his finger on something healthy here.

Sweet Returns

2008-06-10T10:44:00.003-05:00

My friend, and fellow height-appropriate buddy, Jimmy Doyle is blogging today.

Want to know why that's a good deal? Read about our the climate of fear and this post about Hebrew Pentecost. You'll understand.

Now where did I put that champagne...

Quotable

2008-06-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

Since we're starting a discussion about the first 11 chapters of Genesis at Rivendell (titled 'Our Story Begins): This is from Robert Alter's translation and commentary on Genesis: “The unacknowledged heresy underlying most modern English versions of the Bible is the use of translation as a vehicle for explaining the Bible instead of representing it in another language, and in the most egregious instances this amounts to explaining away the Bible.” (from his forward – xii) I really like his translation and the way he tries to let the Hebrew language and style speak.

From SJP about a dress that she wore on the red carpet that had previously been worn on the red carpet: " 'My affection for the dress hasn't changed,' Parker told the newspaper. 'But what they did was so short-sighted. It's just unethical and disappointing that they would allow the dress to be worn again.'" Really? Define 'unethical.'

With Father's Day approaching, I think there's something wonderful in this picture. I see some sweetness, play, hope, and even a little metaphor for growing up, and the truth of parenting. (I know someone will email me asking why I didn't just copy/paste the picture. But its her picture, not mine.)

Watch this video where the host (from Good Morning America I think) welcomes an expert to comment on gas-saving devices. What grabbed my attention were the first two comments he made to her - comments that were completely focused on her gender, not on her reason for being on the show. He would never have said any of that to another guy, nor would a female host have said similar comments to a male. I don't know that I find it offensive so much as it stands out as really out of place.

From a restaurant where a manager put a female employee on 'summer leave' after shaving her head for a charity event: "Her employer, Dan Hilliard, says his restaurant has certain standards prohibiting men from wearing earrings and requiring employees to keep their hair at a reasonable length.He says he's already heard from some customers who agree with him and say they would have been "appalled" to have been served at Fearnall's table." Now, this guy sounds crass and ridiculous. You might not appreciate the beauty of a shaved head (I forgive you), but I think most customers would appreciate her actions for charity. Of course, there's a chance this manager knows more of the story than the employee is telling or the news is reporting.

My productivity here in the house has ground to a screeching halt for some unknown reason. Fortunately, it will 'level' back out once the 5-day rental period has ended.

Where the Wind Blows

2008-06-05T19:12:00.002-05:00

Apparently, the roof on our home got very jealous of all the attention that the inside of the house was getting. I assume it got jealous, because large portions of our roof just got up and left today. I have three really nice sized exposed areas on the roof, along with the already existing exposed 14 foot joint.

There's a tarp over the joint, but when I climbed up on the roof tonight to tack down the remaining shingles, I starting sliding and then nearly fell off.

So, if you see whole sections of shingles floating or blowing around anywhere, tell them we miss them and they're welcome to come home whenever they're ready. We'll be waiting and watching down the road, ready to run out and greet them.

This is War

2008-06-05T00:10:00.004-05:00

I really think of myself as more and more committed to nonviolence, especially since reading this great man and this guy.

But enough is enough. Our home has been invaded by these little nasty things.

We've tried starting simple - collars for the fleabags, I mean cat and her kitten. We started vacuuming furiously (which I've read helps). We sprayed areas of the house some, and then bought a nasty small spray to spray directly on the cats - which they really didn't like. I felt like that really did help. But, when I pulled back the covers on my side of the bed today, I found two little bugs just waiting for their midnight snack.

The alert in the house is elevating to DefCon 2. And I'm warming up the nukes.