My recent post which compares Fergus & Toronto was met with much enthusiasm from the spamming community. (Thank you all... you do flatter too much.)
However I'd like to point out an unhelpful misunderstanding in one of my supportive spammer's comments.
Ray is quoted as:
It should be pointed out that the bible (which witnesses to Jesus) is a book. And we would not have the bible, let alone the bible in English, if it were not for Christian scholars.
I feel this is one good reason, among many, why we shouldn't act rashly to discard smart people & their books.
On Thursday afternoons there is a group of students from the church who gather for scripture study and dinner together. We have been moving our way through Romans, which is quite a book for a youth study. (!)
One gem I discovered within the last two months is to incorporate a paragraph or two from an "accessible" writer within the study. This gives students the a fresh voice which is neither Romans, nor myself; two voices which seem to tire out their thought processes.
Apart from the usual suspects such as C.S. Lewis, two authors which write in a way that the students understand and resonate with are Wayne Grudem & Richard J. Mouw. (Note: I work in a reformed church) In particular, the students love Mouw's Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport.
This summer I have had a personal goal of reading more and playing video games less. If any of you are in the same boat, here are two brilliant suggestions; from one gamer to another.
Alex Garland, The Beach: It is like Lord of the Flies, except we are not in grade 10, and it is not compulsory reading. Also it is about a select group of backpackers who are trying to re-create Eden [Wow!]. You may have seen the movie, but as with many movies, the book was way better. The Beach weighs in at 439 pages, and is very engaging the whole way through.
Cormac McCarthy, The Road: Father & son survival in a post-apocalyptic America. Also a movie, but I haven't seen it yet. Some people say this is the most important fiction or non-fiction in the past 25 years. I can't come down on one side of the debate, or the other (in that I'm not well informed), but the statement certainly reveals the quality of writing in this novel. The Road weighs in at 256 pages, but you will likely read the ending at least twice.
I've come across a way of reading of the Beatitudes which I've not put together before. Simply, Matthew 5:2-12 is a picture of what New Creation will be when the Kingdom of God appears in fullness. Jesus relates a present point of tension and its outcome in New Creation.
Case studies:
V. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
- In New Creation those who have had cause to mourn previously will be entirely comforted.
Or
V.8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- Those who are pure [made righteous in Christ] will see God when the Kingdom comes in fullness.
However, these verses are not limited to a future hope. (Note the present tense 'are'!) Scripture tells us that the Kingdom of God is appearing even now. As we act as the body of Christ on earth, we can expect to see these verses being realized as New Creation happens in our lives, and the lives of those around us.
Granted there is some mystery about why the Kingdom does not come in fullness a.s.a.p. I'll leave that for a later time; more can be said, but we all know nobody reads long blog posts.
A short while after my previous post I attended a conference where the speakers made fun of different social media, including blogs. At one point an image was shown of a trendy young person typing on a mac; the caption read: "I have nothing to say, and I say it often".
Nothing to say?... I suppose we have been found out.
Although I feel the trendy mac part does not apply in my case.
Regardless, let me post this link to a modern creed which I think is brilliant. I am strongly considering adapting it into curriculum format for use in my new church. Let it not be thought that this post has "nothing to say". (Even if its significance is outsourced)
I recently decided that I am totally digging being Christian Reformed. I've never been Dutch, but I am now way reformed. We probably have the best tag line of all time:
Just a few fun facts [phun phacts] about Phish on network/stadium playlists during the Olympics.
Ocelot was played during trials for the ski jump on 12/26/09.
First Tube was used in the bump to a commercial about the upcoming bobsled competition on 2/20/10.
Tweezer Reprise (a good 3 minutes worth!) was the background music for the Ono speedskating segment late on 2/20/10.
Kill Devil Falls (the version from Joy) was played over the PA at the Canada vs. USA men's hockey game 2/21/10, with about 15 seconds left in the first period. They played about 20 seconds of the chorus before the puck was dropped again.
Axilla (Part II) (from Hoist) was played with about 8 minutes left in the second period at the same game.
***
On another note loosely related to the Olympics; Skate skis are the new Downhill skis. Maximum fun + no lift ticket. Snow is becoming plentiful up Uxbridge way.
During time wasting activities over the past few years, I have defaulted to one game in particular: X Moto. Found natively in Linux, it is also available for Windows, Mac, and a few other OS's. A first impression might lead you to believe X Moto is mostly a nerdy game, but recent events in the Tyndale Maintenance office have confirmed what I have always suspected: X Moto has the potential of a cult hit.
X Moto is a 2D motor-bike side scroller, but with 2000 plus user generated levels, a very healthy degree of difficulty, and a wildly impressive statistic system, it leaves any competition far behind. I wish to invite you [the reader] into this game, and if you would dare, into the fiercely competitive world of Tyndale Maintenance's X Moto competition.
Walk through on how to get X Moto running on your computer:
C) Play the game. You can select level various difficulties with the "difficulty stars" and the “Quick Start” feature on the main page. Or play through a map pack in the Levels tab.
I received some new cross-country skis for Christmas, but did not receive any snow. In fact, the weather-man is calling for a high of 9 degrees tomorrow. So it looks like my skis will have to remain in the closet until global warming ends.
With all the time I've spend not skiing, I've found time to replace the bearings & grease in my bicycle hubs. It is not every year your bike is entitled to a mid-winter tune up.
Perhaps next Christmas I'll ask for a sombrero & beach umbrella.
I found out today that my previous post referres to Uganda's recent revision of their anti-homosexuality bill. The Catholic church is seeking to distance itself from the bill, which contains wild/crazy policies such as life imprisonment or the death sentence.
I also listened in on The Current today, which sought to connect the newly revised bill to American evangelicals. As the program closed, it did not seem like Anna Maria Tremonti was happy the the position either of her guests took.
The other day I was driving to work and heard on the BBC world news that the Catholic church was to be taking [quote:] rear-guard actions against homosexual lobbyists. Oops!
I couldn't find this story online; but neither did I search thoroughly.
