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Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Is.30:21)
Browsing All Posts published on »April, 2008«
MOST: A Modern-Day Parable, Christian, but Biblical?
For many years, a modern-day parable has been circulating (based on a true story by some referents) about a father who takes his son to work one day where he is a bridge operator for a railway, and due to a mishap, has to choose between saving his son caught in the gears of the […]
The Great Emergence – Phyllis Tickle’s 500-year Rummage Sale
April 27, 2008
If you have not yet seen or heard Phyllis Tickle’s talk from the November 2007 National Youth Worker’s Convention, it’s worth it. Marko has blogged about it here, Terry Mattingly wrote about it here, and you can purchase the DVD or mp3 here. The Out of Ur blog has commented on it, ChuckP3 has some […]
U2 & Not For Sale
April 27, 2008
U2 has put out a 3-disc box-set containing the Joshua Tree CD, with new mixes and recorded live performance. This package also includes a 56-page hardback embossed book, featuring previously unseen Anton Corbijn photos and original essays by Bono, Edge, Adam Clayton, Brian Eno, and David Batstone. In 1986, Bono and Dave traveled across El […]
TED Talks Worth Talking About – Dean Ornish
April 27, 2008
Dr. Dean Ornish shares new research that shows how adopting healthy lifestyle habits can affect a person at a genetic level. For instance, he says, when you live healthier, eat better, exercise, and love more, your brain cells actually increase. And new findings show that a healthier lifestyle can turn off disease-provoking genes and turn […]
A Third Way – Jesus and Nonviolence
April 27, 2008
Wink, Walter. Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way. Fortress, 2003. (119 pages). What does it mean to champion non-violence, and to live against the “Myth of Redemptive Violence?” The beginning chapters of this short book illuminate the passage in Matthew 5:38-42, the famous “eye for eye” (cloak and tunic, and “extra mile”) passage that has […]
RELEVANT’s Burning Issues: War
April 27, 2008
The May_June 2008 edition of Relevant Magazine posted 7 burning issues: Injustice, Homosexuality, Faith, Politics, Culture, Consumerism, and War. WAR: How Should We Respond? 1. Jim Wallis – Followers of the Prince of Peace should be the hardest to convince to go to war, never the easiest…The real problem here is the cultural captivity of […]
RELEVANT’s Burning Issues: Consumerism
April 25, 2008
The May_June 2008 edition of Relevant Magazine posted 7 burning issues: Injustice, Homosexuality, Faith, Politics, Culture, Consumerism, and War. CONSUMERISM: How Do We Escape the Excesses of Culture? VIA: I had several disagreements with the contributors. Here are my thoughts, and reflections that I think are important to keep in mind regarding the issue of […]
RELEVANT’S Burning Issues: Culture
April 23, 2008
The May_June 2008 edition of Relevant Magazine posted 7 burning issues: Injustice, Homosexuality, Faith, Politics, Culture, Consumerism, and War. CULTURE: How Do We Influence It Without Being Consumed by It? 1. Shane Claiborne: Part of what I think we have to do is not just figure out how we interact with the culture, but create […]
RELEVANT’s Burning Issues: Politics
April 23, 2008
The May_June 2008 edition of Relevant Magazine posted 7 burning issues: Injustice, Homosexuality, Faith, Politics, Culture, Consumerism, and War. POLITICS: Is Either Party Right? 1. Brian McLaren: We need to get beyond the idea that Christians should be in one party and not the other. We need committed Christians in each party, calling their political […]
RELEVANT’S Burning Issues: Faith
April 23, 2008
The May_June 2008 edition of Relevant Magazine posted 7 burning issues: Injustice, Homosexuality, Faith, Politics, Culture, Consumerism, and War. FAITH: What Is the Biggest Problem Facing the Church Today? 1. Shane Claiborne: the prosperity gospel that [says] God has come to bless you and to give you health and wealth…The other thing I would name […]
RELEVANT’s Burning Issues: Homosexuality
April 23, 2008
The May_June 2008 edition of Relevant Magazine posted 7 burning issues: Injustice, Homosexuality, Faith, Politics, Culture, Consumerism, and War. HOMOSEXUALITY: How Should We Respond? The range on this question is much more difficult to decipher. I’m also working on a “Surprised at Love Won Out, pt.3” (link not up yet) post in which I will […]
TED Talks Worth Talking About – Stephen Hawking
April 19, 2008
February 2008, Stephen Hawking, arguably the world’s most famous physicist, gives a talk at TED. Here is my transcription of the talk complete with links, and then some reflections and implications for faith: There is nothing bigger or older than the universe. The questions I would like to talk about are: 1. Where did we […]
American Idol Worship: What An American TV Show and an Australian Worship Leader Have In Common
April 18, 2008
I don’t watch American Idol, though I peruse it now and then as I’ve been told it is the number one show on TV right now. Even people in my church feign it’s wonder. But, I do teach worship and culture at a local undergraduate college. So when this was sent to me today, I […]
You’ve Jott to be Kidding Me!
April 18, 2008
So, my friend sent me the coolest new technology, and I just have to share. Jott allows you to email, text, blog, add items to your Google calendar, and even surf Amazon.com all from talking into your phone. And, it’s all FREE! www.jott.com So, there are some cultural and anthropological implications to this continuing technology. […]
פסח – The lamb that was slain…on video
April 16, 2008
Being so far away from the culture and context of the Bible, it is difficult to feel, viscerally, what the teachings and stories evoked. I did not grow up on a farm, so my experience with animals is limited to nil. So to hear of any sort of animal sacrifice, and especially as a picture […]
Constantine’s Sword
April 16, 2008
I began reading this book years ago (and am newly invigorated to pick it up again) and it has just been made into a film. Visit www.constantinessword.com for news, trailer, etc. Here’s the Synopsis: Constantine’s Sword is the story of James Carroll; a former Catholic priest on a journey to confront his past and uncover […]
Surprised at Love Won Out – The Church and Homosexuality, pt.2
April 14, 2008
This post is part two; part one can be found here. What garnered a standing ovation at this particular conference was Mike Haley’s testimony (a written edition can be found here.) If you are interested in getting audio editions of this, or any session of the LWO conference, contact Christian Audio Tapes, 888-228-2737 or www.catapes.com. […]
The Discovery & History Channels, and “Honest” Scholarship continued…
April 14, 2008
(This post is a continuation of a previous post by the same title, dated April 11, 2008) So then, what about Christian communities wrestling with “one of their own” engaging in these kinds of discussions? Was Northpointe right in ‘accepting’ Dobson’s resignation? What then, is true “honesty” when it comes to these kinds of wrestlings? […]
Mercy For Girls
April 13, 2008
I’ve been following a ministry for a little while called Mercy Ministries. They’ve recently released a 4-book set entitled “The Mercy For Series,” authored by the founder, Nancy Alcorn, that I think is worth getting. Each one is a short, quick read (~65-95 pages or so each), but they are full of real stories and […]
Surprised at Love Won Out – The Church and Homosexuality, pt.1
April 13, 2008
I attended the Love Won Out conference this Saturday, hosted by Focus on the Family, and I was pleasantly surprised. Their website reads: Focus on the Family’s Love Won Out ministry exhorts and equips the church to respond in a Christ-like way to the issue of homosexuality. And to those who struggle with unwanted same-sex […]
Hurt, and the Paradox of Healing
April 12, 2008
After a dinner with one of students in my ministry, I decided to post my review and comments on Chap Clark’s Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers. Baker, 2004 (sixth printing, 2006). (236 pages). Though based on a project beginning December 1, 2001, concluding mid-September 2002 as a substitute teacher in the Glendale Unified […]
TED Talks Worth Talking About – Johnny Lee Hacks a Wii
April 12, 2008
March 2008, Johnny Lee gave a short 5 minute presentation on how he innovated on the famous Nintendo Wii to turn the $40 remote into a low-cost, multi-point, interactive white board, and a desktop Virtual Reality 3D device. Within a week of posting his research on YouTube, over a million people had seen the work […]
The Discovery & History Channels, and “Honest” Scholarship
April 11, 2008
The Discovery Channel is at it again with another provocative production entitled, “Jesus: The Missing History.” The host, Kent Dobson, as a result of this endeavor has tendered his resignation at the school where he was employed (story here, and here). This begs a couple redemptive insights on three fronts, 1) the value and accuracy […]
Earth Hour ’08 and the Power of Symbols
April 9, 2008
Thursday, March 29, 2008 was “Earth Hour,” a campaign that encourages individuals, organizations and businesses to turn off their lights for one full hour beginning at 8pm. This year, 24 global cities participated. Time Magazine published this article on Earth Hour and more information can be found at http://www.earthhour.org/. Okay, so we’ve heard it all, […]
Would Jesus Want To Convert Jews?
April 7, 2008
On March 31, 2008, JPost.com posted an article by Shmuley Boteach entitled “Would Jesus Want To Convert Jews?” (and here). I am continually perplexed and frustrated at the widening gap between what is popularly understood about religious beliefs/faith systems/theology, etc., and what I’ll call a more “honest” look at the source of these understandings. It […]
Surprised by Hope – pt.3
April 6, 2008
[Go to Part Two] N.T. Wright. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. HarperOne, 2008. (332 pages). PART III: Hope in Practice: Resurrection and the Mission of the Church. “The point of this final section of the book is that a proper grasp of the (surprising) future hope held […]
Surprised by Hope – pt.2
April 6, 2008
[Go to Part One] N.T. Wright. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. HarperOne, 2008. (332 pages). PART II: God’s Future Plan. Ch.5 addresses the “myth of progress,” the plight of evil, and how the resurrection addresses both in ways that are more sufficient than other explanations. “Only in […]
Surprised by Hope – pt.1
April 6, 2008
N.T. Wright. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. HarperOne, 2008. (332 pages). PART I: Setting the Scene. In this section, Wright tackles the issues of present depraved reality, and the question of death, Heaven, and Salvation. He suggests that if Heaven is some far off distant place, then […]
April 30, 2008
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