One Minute Review: The Wrestler

The One Minute Review of The Wrestler is on the Hajjpod Podcast Listen here on iHajj.net, or through iTunes. Subscribe Today!


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Weather Rant

I am currently looking out my office window at what appears to be a small dusting of snow on the ground. (You can see a picture of it on the right). The streets look a little wet. The sky is cloudy, but there is a bit of blue emerging.

We have a funeral here in a bit over an hour. I have had three people ask me if we are going t0 postpone the funeral because of the weather.

I have a program this evening, a marriage class that my wife and I are teaching together. No one has asked about canceling that. Yet.

Almost every school in this city is out today. Because of the snow. Or, really, the threat of snow.

First off: hey Nashville. Stop being such a big baby. When the snow is three feet deep and sticks around for a week, then I will listen to your complaints. Until then, get over it.

Second, my church is a football church. We are not a baseball church. In baseball, games get called on account of the weather. In football, weather only makes the games that much sweeter. We don't cancel things because of weather. If you are worried about driving, stay home. That's fine. But the rest of us will be here.

We had a bonfire of Christmas trees this year. These were trees that had been soaked outside for three days in the rain. The bonfire itself? It rained all day. Did we really have a bonfire in the cold rain? You bet, and loved it. Slow burns are the best.

Rant almost over, but it needs to take a really weird turn.

I hate Coldplay. I think they suck. Their music bores me to tears. The worst part of Guitar Hero World Tour is having to play a stupid Coldplay song.

I imagine that a lot of people who are afraid of a dusting of snow are the same people who sit around listening to Coldplay.

OK, rant over.

UPDATE

A friend of mine sent me this image of today's snow in St. Louis. Just for the sake of letting those of us in Nashville know what snow looks like.

BSG: Adama as Obama

I've been playing with pictures again.
I just can't help myself. . .





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Speaking to my Congregation

Yesterday was the Annual Meeting of my parish. This is the day we set aside once a year for some business. After church, during lunch, we report on the finances of the church. We field questions. And each of the staff members talks about what has gone on in their area during the following year.

I thought it might be of some interest to see a part of my report. I think it will give some insight into my work, and how I see the people I work for. I've edited it down a bit for this blog. I left out the introduction stuff, some specific "thank yous", and I left out my goals for the coming year.


Baptism

One of the goals I set forth in last year’s Annual Report was that I wanted us to have one adult baptism. Since we are a tradition that does not offer this to folks who have ever been baptized before, this is kind of a tall order. This year, that goal came to pass. And, in coming to pass, I was reminded that people aren’t goals.

The young lady we baptized started coming to Redeemer several months ago because she was invited by a friend. She had grown up in a churched environment but had chosen not to be baptized as a youngster. Like all of us her story is complex, but ultimately God brought her to a place in which she decided to make this public profession of faith. It was among us that she received the Sacrament of New Birth, and was later confirmed by our bishop.

One of the great joys of my vocation is that I get to baptize. I was able to baptize this adult, and I was able to baptize several infants and children this last year. Baptism is an act of grace, no matter how old you are when you receive it. None of us truly understand God well enough to receive baptism, and none of us are good enough to meet the requirements of the promises we make. I am certainly not holy enough to be allowed to pour water over another person and say the ancient words that our Lord commanded. But, by the gracious love of God revealed to us in Christ and through the scriptures, we are allowed to enter this sacred mystery together.

Sunday Mornings

Each Sunday we come together to worship the Lord around his table. While I hope we all find deep significance in our worship, I would expect that there are some Sundays that speak to us us in a particular, life-changing way. For me, there were at least two such Sundays this year. The first was our joint worship service with Family Affair Ministry. I must tell you that it was a powerful experience for me, personally. I have been with our brothers and sisters at FAM many times, and I have ministered with Pastor Glenda on several occasions. But to share the Word and Sacraments together as we did was something I will long remember. It was, for me, a foretaste of heaven.

On the other hand, I will long remember our All Saints‘ Day service. The music was, as usual, wonderful. The liturgy was deep and meaningful. The candle lighting, facilitated by Mark Nicholas‘ special gift, was powerful. For me, though, it was your testimonies that moved me, encouraged me, and showed me Jesus. Giving over a large amount of time to an open mic produced some initial anxiety in me. But, as always, the Holy Spirit moved among us and Jesus Christ was lifted up. When I arose to sum up our time together, I was choking back tears, barely able to speak. Yes, I had tears of remembrance for those I have lost. And I also had tears of joy for the amazing things God does with us, his people.

I am delighted by our worship together. I am grateful to all those who work so hard to make Sundays what they are . . . I am especially grateful for the vast majority of us who engage with such intentionality in worship. I love to be with you as you sing, as you pray aloud, as you kneel or cross yourself or lift up your hands. I sometimes see the tears in your eyes as you receive communion, and I am blessed and comforted to know that God’s Holy Spirit is at work among us.

Pastoral Care

During the summer, I received an unusual e-mail. It was from a lady in town who wanted to know if I would speak to her boss. It turns out that her boss had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. He had grown up in the church, but had not been to one in decades. She found us on the internet and wondered if I would visit him.

A few weeks later, I sat down with this man in his home. I can’t tell you all we spoke about. I will tell you that we prayed to the Lord Jesus together, asking for his comfort, strength and salvation. Just a couple of week after this, I was with him when he received communion for the first time since he was a teenager.

For obvious reasons, I cannot tell you all that goes on in my work as your pastor; but I will tell you this. I see children and adults come to know the Lord. I see people repent of their sins. I see reconciliation. I see marriages restored. I see the Holy Spirit minister in power. I see hearts and minds openning to God’s love. And I see suffering, and brokenness, and disintegration, and death. My sincere prayer is that, in the midst of all I see, I will be empowered by the Spirit to point you to Jesus. Because it is only Christ among us who can do the true work of care for our souls.

The Death of a Thomas McKenzie

One Minute Review: Revolutionary Road

The One Minute Review of "Revolutionary Road" is on the HajjPod podcast. Kate and Leo back together again? Should you see it, or let it sink into the North Atlantic? Oh, wait, that was something else . . .

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Just a Reminder

I'm having lots of fun with www.obamicon.me. I made this just now, and I offer it to you as a little reminder.

Vote Tomorrow: English Only Measure

Tomorrow, January 22nd, the citizens of Davidson County are being asked to go to the polls and vote on an amendment which will (if passed) make English the official language of Nashville. I encourage everyone who lives here to go and make their voices heard.

Voting "no" is a vote against English Only. Voting "yes" is a vote for English Only (or English First as it is also called).

Here is the English First website: http://nashvilleenglishfirst.com/

Here is the Against English Only website: http://www.nashvilleforallofus.org/About.html

If you follow these links, you will be able to read the amendment for yourself, and hear from both sides.

For your information, here are two videos I found on YouTube. The first is only one-minute long, unfortunately, but gives us a chance to hear from the leading proponent of this amendment. The second is a longer video in which some of the possible effects are explored (in a measured, PBS tone).





When I think about this amendment, I ask myself these questions.

• How does my vote impact Jesus' command to "love my neighbor as myself?"
• How can my city best fulfill the biblical injunction "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 22:21)
  
• In what way can I best fulfill God's admonition to the people of Israel, who were told "You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land" (Deut. 23:7)
• Jesus himself was an alien in Egypt, when he was a child. How would I have wished to treat him, if I had been an Egyptian.
  

I know there are strong Christians on both sides of this issue. And, as a Christian, I believe these spiritual questions trump debate about costs, perception, and programs. It is of great importance to me that I welcome the stranger in the Name of Jesus. And here is a chance to do that with my vote.

The real question, though, is "how can we do that?" I believe that those who are in favor of this amendment might say that English unites people, and that this amendment will help people integrate with society. Folks on the other side will say that this amendment puts up a barrier to others. They will say that it has great symbolic meaning, and that it symbolizes a city that does not want to engage with those who are coming from other cultures.

I welcome your thoughts, and I encourage your vote.

Obaminized

In celebration of the Inauguration, my kids and I Obamaized ourselves at www.Obamicon.me. It was great fun. Check us out.

All Things Are Better in Koine

This is one of those videos you either get, or you don't. If you studied biblical Greek, then you should get it. If not, move along, nothing to see here.

One Minute Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Over two and a half hours with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett? Who wouldn't love that? Maybe you should check out the one minute review of Benjamin Button and find out. HajjPod is available right here for all your podcasting needs.


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One Minute Review: Gran Torino

The One Minute Review of Gran Torino, directed and starring Clint Eastwood, is on the Hajjpod Podcast. Take a listen, punk.


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Slumdog Millionaire Gets Some Love

My favorite film of 2008, Slumdog Millionaire, got a lot of love from the Golden Globes this weekend: Best Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Score. Though there are some pretty hard moments, I recommend it to any adult.

My second favorite film of the year, In Bruges, won Colin Farrell a best acting award (beating out Brendan Gleeson who was in the same film). He was spectacular in this film and this is well deserved. I loved this film, but don't recommend it to all adults given that the language is foul and the violence is pronounced.

Slumdog is still in theaters. Check out the trailer.

One Minute Review: Man on Wire

The One Minute Review of the documentary film "Man on Wire" is currently on the Hajjpod Podcast. I rented it through Amazon Unbox, but it is also now out on DVD. Have a listen, and check out the trailer below.



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I Have Emerged

Yesterday, I resigned from the local Emergent cohort. The leader is a friend of mine, and I sent him a brief e-mail letting him know that I wouldn't be coming back.

I have been part of the Emergent "conversation" for about five years now. What does that mean?

• I have been going to a local discussion group, called a "Cohort," since it was founded. (Cohort meets once a month to discuss "emergent" things over lunch).
  
• I have read numerous books by Emergent authors, beginning with the book that kind of started it all, "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren.
  
• I have faithfully listened to the Emergent podcast for the past year or so.
  
• I have gone to a couple of Emergent conferences.
  
• I have taught about Emergent in my local church, and have been writing an academic article about it as well.
  
• I was briefly a member of the Anglimergent website. (I got out of that quickly, it's a pretty hostile place).
  
• I have had numerous conversations about Emergent with Emergent-lovers, Emergent-doubters, Emergent-haters, and Emergent-wonderers.
  

In all this time, I must confess I always saw myself as an acquaintance of Emergent, rather than as a friend. I wrote a post about this back in 2006, and you can read it here.

In the past few months, I have begun evaluating my relationship with Emergent. Yes, I was never a contributor, I never wrote for an Emergent publication, I never saw myself as proponent of the movement. But I was there, having conversations.

What I liked about Emergent was that I was in a situation in which I got to discuss important questions. Specifically, I asked "how does the Church respond to post-modernism?" That was, and is, an important question. As the philosophical ground of the West shifts, how should the Church respond? Better yet, how can I be a voice for the Gospel in the midst of my culture. How can I lead others in proclaiming Christ during a time of change?

These are important questions, and I'm glad to have been part of discussing them.

However, I have now decided to fully step away from the entire "conversation." There are many reasons for this. Some are easy. Emergent, as a movement, seems to be disintegrating. It has chosen to not have leadership at the national level anymore. Major leaders in the movement have decided to not even use the word "emergent". That's always a bad sign.

Another easy one is that the books being published under the heading of Emergent are becoming increasingly bad. Tony Jones' "The New Christians" and Phyllis Tickle's "The Great Emergence" are examples of this.

Back in 2006, I wrote "Sometimes I wonder if Emergent isn't just Evangelicals discovering Christian Liberalism . . . with candles." This is obviously a caricature. But, it reveals the reality that I have been experiencing. Emergent isn't becoming classic liberalism. Classic liberalism had intellectual depth. Emergent is becoming the liberal version of modern American non-denominational Evangelicalism (with some main-line folks joining in the party). I shudder to imagine how bad its going to get.

The Emergent conversation was great for questions, but not for answers. I wrote in my e-mail to my friend that it was like watching a snake eat its own tail. And when answers are given, they seem to be less and less Gospel and more and more squishy. At this point, I don't see any purpose in the Emergent conversation for me.

So, there it is. I will miss seeing some of the folks who go to the local Cohort. But, other than that, I'm happy to put a marker on the road and say good-bye to that aspect of my life.

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Going Down Hill

My kids, going down a hill. Recorded with my blackberry.

Texas Longhorn Football

So, last night Texas beat Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, it was close. Yes, I would rather have seen the Longhorns blow out the Buckeyes. They didn't, and the game came down to the last couple of minutes (as most great football games do). And Texas won. And I did a happy dance.

So my 'horns end the year having lost one game, in the last eight seconds to Texas Tech in Lubbock. But having beaten everyone else they played, including beating, I believe, more top 12 ranked teams than any other college team this season (someone fact check me on that one).

Yes, USC also ended well. But they didn't play nearly as many high ranked teams as Texas. And, yes, Utah ended undefeated (good for them), but their schedule was quite easy next to any Big 12 or SEC school's, so I'm not overly impressed.

So now I get to watch the BCS "championship" game between two teams that happen to have the same record as Texas; oh, and one of those schools Texas actually beat.

Here is how I intend to spin that game in my mind. Follow my fan-brain logic.

If Oklahoma beats Florida, I am going to say that Texas is the rightful champion, because they beat Oklahoma on a neutral field in a big game.

If Florida beats Oklahoma, I will say that this just proves that Oklahoma had no right to be there in the first place, and I guess we'll have to settle for never really knowing if Florida or Texas was the best team of the 2008 season.

Personally, I am rooting for Florida to defeat Oklahoma by 10 points, which is exactly how much the Longhorns beat them by, therefore dashing the Sooners' dreams of glory and "proving" that Florida and Texas are equally matched teams.

Once again, that is fan-brain logic. Don't bother trying to convince me otherwise.

One Minute Review: Bedtime Stories

If, for some reason, you are considering seeing the newest Adam Sandler film, Bedtime Stories, you may want to listen to the One Minute Review on the Hajjpod podcast.







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One Minute Review: Frost/Nixon

The One Minute Review of tonight's title fight, Frost/Nixon, is now on the HajjPod podcast. Take a listen.


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