So my kids are into pop music, which means that we’ve been listening to a lot of Imagine Dragons and Maroon Five lately. Some of this stuff is pretty amazing. Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars… these guys are incredibly talented. They can write, they can play, they can sing, they can dance, they are simply amazing performers. Sometimes, however, pop music lyrics make me want to stab something in my ear to make the music stop. Sexual innuendo and double entendre... Read more
This is the sermon I preached last week at my church Redemption Church. If you are a pastor feel free to copy & steal everything. 2014.02.16 – Light will Shine 07 Matthew 5:21-37 – You’ve heard it said but I Say 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you … Jesus begins this section w/a pedagogical formula... Read more
“Everything healthy, everything certain, everything holy, if we can find such things, they all need to be emphasized and articulated. For this it is necessary that there be communication between the hearts and minds of men, communication and not the noise of slogans or the repetition of cliches. Communication is becoming more and more difficult, and … speech is in danger of perishing or being perverted in the amplified noise of beasts…. There is therefore it seems to me every... Read more
I confess that I’m sitting here watching The Price is Right with my kids… this show is timeless. It’s the perfect game show. A young mom about our age just won the showcase & her girl friends (they look like they’re on a trip together), stormed the stage & they went nuts. It’s funny… I know that this show is one of the powerful liturgies enacted in support of consumerism, but watching it never gets old. I confess that to... Read more
For my money, the best children’s films tell two parallel stories: a straight forward story for the kids, and another more sarcastic and witty story for the adults – cultural references, double entendre, irony the kids don’t catch but we do. About the only way I can make it through a kid’s movie without falling asleep these days is if they throw enough jokes in for me. If they don’t, I’m out like a light… I paid 8 dollars to... Read more
This is the sermon I preached last week at my church Redemption Church. If you are a pastor feel free to copy & steal everything. Epiphany 5A – Matthew 5:13-20 2014.02.09 – Light Will Shine 06 This week I got sucked into this book Salt: A World History… Have you heard of this book? Mark Kurlansky tells the entire known history of salt. It’s a fascinating read. In the book he tells this French folktale about a princess who told her father,... Read more
“For language to have meaning, there must be intervals of silence somewhere, to divide word from word and utterance from utterance. He who retires into silence does not necessarily hate language. Perhaps it is love and respect for language which imposes silence upon him. For the mercy of God is not heard in words unless it is heard, both before and after the words are spoken, in silence,” —Thomas Merton __________________________________________________________ Silence is simultaneously central to the human experience, and... Read more
I confess that today is week three of being back on my Sabbath routine. Feeling good about the results so far, and hoping to remain faithful to the discipline. I confess that I’m pretty stoked to be able to catch Jimmy Fallon live on The Tonight Show a little more often as of Feb. 17th. I watched his farewell show Friday night, and it was so endearing. He actually seems like one of the good guys in entertainment – Andy... Read more
2014 Winter Olympic Games have begun, and the SNL cast found a way to exploit the irony of the games in Sochi, Russia. Snowboarding Slopestyle event might be my new favorite event. These people are crazy, and I love it. I have always been a skier, but watching these competitors ride, I’m going to have to try snowboarding at some point. Happy Friday everyone. Read more
Donald Miller wrote a post on his blog talking about why he doesn’t go to church. He began with a somewhat vulnerable moment: “I’ve a confession. I don’t connect with God by singing to Him. Not at all. I know I’m nearly alone in this but it’s true. I was finally able to admit this recently when I attended a church service that had, perhaps, the most talented worship team I’ve ever heard. I loved the music. But I loved... Read more
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