Well, this week we’re off to San Antonio for my sister’s wedding!
I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to this blog. I am moving into my last quarter of Seminary, so perhaps I can have a blog life in 11 weeks. Kudos to you power players who can do work, seminary and blog at the same time.
Well…HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!
I love Google Reader. I can check blogs at light speed and have time enough for lunch. Today, I saw that Ancient Hebrew Poetry posted this Bible Quiz. I took the first one (Bereshit) and did quite well — glad to see those Seminary dollars at work. Walk on the wild side and take your Bible Quiz today.
Now that Christmas is over, I won’t be getting those 75 hits a day looking for this:
This Christmas…I want you to imagine your life as an iPod.
You arrive in a box sent directly from heaven, I mean, Apple. Everyone ooh’s and aah’s when you are delivered. People are generally happy and look upon you adoringly. To their astonishment, you are nanochromatic. What color would you be? Me, I think I’d have to choose red.
You are ready to get started in the world and so with great apprehension you press Play. The sound is soothing to begin, but let’s face it…you’re an iPod. You can play whatever you like. Soon, the sound of life is Coldplay or insert your favorite band. It isn’t long before you discover how to adjust the volume. It isn’t long after that that you discover volume’s more magical quality. The louder you turn up the music, the softer you make those around you who seem to mouthing words that, quite frankly, you do not wish to hear.
As you grow and walk through life, you have a soundtrack. You’re never alone. There’s always something in your ear. You can watch a movie in the bathroom. You always have quality pictures of loved one to show and share. You never miss an episode of LOST and your friends are always there to listen.
Hold on! They are iPods, too. In control of the world as they experience it. Drowning out the voices of people all around who say things they just don’t like to hear. Sometimes, this includes you. Sometimes it’s very lonely being an iPod. Sometimes being lonely is frustration and raises emotions to a fevered pitch. Sometimes you say things you wish you hadn’t and do things you can’t take back.
Hold on a minute. You’ve got a rewind button. You can just go back and not say that bit of unfortunate utterance again. Or you can simply not do the thing that you wish you hadn’t. Rewind is a wonderful thing. Just in case, you miss something, you can go back and pay attention the second time. It’s wonderful moving through life never disappointing anyone, because you can always get it right the second time. It’s exhilarating knowing that you don’t need to stay in the present because you can always go back, in cased you may have missed something important.
The future, though unknown, doesn’t present a problem. The moment you get to a part you don’t like…you can just fast forward. After all, on the other side of the dial, you can move the other way. You don’t have to experience anything uncomfortable. You don’t have to feel embarrassment, guilt, shame, disgrace. You can move through the future with ease and always go backwards a bit, just in case you wonder what you may have missed.
Ahhh..life as an iPod. Life the way iLike it.
But what’s that?
Sounds. Something one notch louder than your earbuds’ loudest loud. You can’t quite make it out, but something catches your eye – off in the corner – and you glance up from your very impressive vibracolor screen and notice Christmas all around you.
I’m much more a creative than an intellectual. I’m not entrenched in either political polarity and its resulting -ism in the US. It is for these reasons that I don’t fully understand the implications of Ben’s post @ Ancient Hebrew Poetry.
However, I get this piece and I am still laughing about it…and crying.
“How shall we characterize the culturally dominant “ism” of our day? “Steal all you can; spend all you can; watch feel-good shows like Oprah, Martha Stewart, and Ellen on TV.” What a wonderful life.”
full post: Wishful Thinking on the Left
Lately, Coldplay’s Viva La Vida has been in constant play on my iPod. It’s got that something something that I need. In many ways, it’s a spiritual record: layers for me to plunder, ideas to ransack and interpret and a sonic sanctuary to get lost in. I respond to music this way, well non-Christian music. I don’t vibe within the limits of Christian songwriting.
What is your Viva La Vida? What non-religious music do you find deeply religious (for lack of a better word that’s not “spiritual”)?
Good news! If you didn’t get enough pink the last time around, they’re back! It feels like the boyfriend getting released from prison: “No, this time it will be different.” “I promise, I won’t do it again.” “You know me, I would never hurt you.” Or perhaps Ahab sailing into the setting sun: “We will not turn this ship around!” or perhaps Arnold Schwarzeneggar, “If it bleeds, we can kill it.”
“Amherst, New York (November 17, 2008)–Following in the footsteps of the famed Jesus Seminar, scholars representing the cream of the crop in the field of Biblical studies are set to gather December 5-7 at the Center for Inquiry campus in Amherst, New York for a conference devoted to exploring the historical Jesus.”
This time, they say, the evidence will be followed wherever it may lead.
Continue reading ‘Jesus Seminar Retread, Ahoy!’
I am a soon to be Presbyterian Pastor.
Just about to finish seminary and looking at an early June call date, this ENFP husband and father of two is moving into the call that God placed before me (and my family) fifteen years ago. I am excited by the possibilities, and concerned. I try to read around the blogosphere and see what I can find out about who’s calling who. Recently, I read this post on our most honorable high moderator in charge’s blog (that’s MHHMC, for short) and I lost my breath. It’s a post whose content is in the comments. To the question, what does the PC(USA) offer first call pastors:
Terri writes:
“I have found that Presbyteries in particular are not excited about young clergy–there are often only a few of us, and we tend to shake things up (either via worldview or by suggesting new ways of being covenant community that are not the way we’ve always done it). We are often treated like interns rather than colleagues. And, if you are a young WOMAN, it’s 100 times harder, I think, because then everyone wants to comment on how much easier it would be to take you seriously/get a job/preach well/whatever if only you change your hairstyle/wear different clothes/look older.”
While I’m neither 25 nor a woman…I empathize. When I was in my twenties (a while ago), I remember the way I felt in the denomination…discomfort, alienation, etc. Take heart, it slowly gets better.
Adam comments on the nature of the timing of the Ordination Exams (which is a whole issue unto itself):
“Ords timing. If you fail even one ord, you’re not likely to be able to circulate your PIF until March 1. Two months to find a call before getting kicked out of seminary housing is not healthy and plain silly. 40+ % of folks fail one ord. Almost half of our seminarians are beginning the call process with wacky timing. It just doesn’t work.”
I hear you, bro. I have to take Polity in January. We are due for reformation; the kind of reformation that encourages healthy growth and not secession.
ryan writes:
* What if anything can, should we do?
We must stop fearing death of denomination and cease worshiping the idol of money and property. We got to get out there and plant worshiping communities that are loving and minister to the communal context to which folks are called to.
Ryan couldn’t be more correct. In the third chapter of our Book of Order, the observant reader runs across this:
“The Church is called to undertake this mission even at the risk of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ.” (G-3.0400)
I think that we can carry this risk out in planting worship communities within our existing worship communites…but that’s altogether another thought.
MHHMC’s thread is not without hope. There is a variety of great witness. Nothing in this process can prevent the need of first call pastors to put 100% into the search process, pursue that which God calls us to pursue and not wait for the computer to create “a match” The call of the young and slightly older than young first call pastor is daunting. BUT I trust God. Even after seminary. The Lord has not left me and my family to starve, but instead continues to speak as I struggle to listen Jesus leads as a wander. Jesus guides as I question.
To my brothers and sisters who are in my same boat, I am praying for you. I am working on a Jedi/Pastor post in which I’ll explore some of these issues again. I really shouldn’t watch Star Wars, but what can I say? My son love it almost as much as me.
Technorati Tags: PC(USA), moderator
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Some Sunday’s are a lot of fun and others not so much. This Sunday was both. The music was strong in vibe, even though 3 musicians were not able to attend the rehearsal, thus exempting them from playing. Last week, the church purchased the Korg M3 Workstation. It’s brilliant! I love it! Can’t wait to figure out how to use it. Our keyboardist is more of a classically trained player. She’s working hard to learn how to pad, so she gets props, even though it’s uncomfortable right now. So more props.
Here’s the set:
1. Everyday — Our congregation digs this song. I have to fix the Powerpoint but haven’t gotten around to it. It’s like a worship challenge: all these run on sentences…you know the song.
2. Mighty To Save — nothing needs to be said. In fact, I take back having said nothing needs to be said, on principle.
3. Spirit of the Living God — fell afresh, indeed.
4. Glory Days — Springstein, that’s right, baby! It led into the sermon on “The Forward Looking Christian.” Sadly, I almost always have more fun playing radio songs. Maybe The Boss will write a worship album before he retires?
5. Better Is One Day — in a hundred years, this song will still be in the worship set!
Well that’s the weekend. Hope yours was incredible. O, Worship the Lord all glorious above…
thanks to Fred!
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a dream.
Today is gift.
That’s why they call it the present.
Sometimes it takes hearing something from a kung fu rodent to really sink in.
You always receive a gift when you visit Heidi’s blog. This was mine. Typically, I don’t take the time to fully enjoy that thing that is the meme, but this one is right up my alley. In order to play you must, first, generate a random wikipedia entry to get your band name, followed by a random quote - take the last 4 words from the first random quote, that is the name of your hit song, and finally, a random flicker image, the cover of your first album.
So without further ado, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Ascendente Domino and their first hit single, “75% of the Population,” from the album:
full credit: bureaucracy is fine
This comes to you vie Renee via Marko via Heidi
my name is chris. I am a husband, father, and fuller seminarian living in mesa, az. Currently, I serve the church of the master while moving towards presbyterian ordination. 
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