Humor

Black Boots on YouTube

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I'm happy to say that I've added my take on murder and mayhem to YouTube.  If you haven't seen it or just feel compelled to revisit this dark film portraying the tragic mix of the wild west and suburbia, go watch the classic McCoy family favorite: Black Boots.

Driscoll Updates Ministry in Seattle

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Driscoll_1Mark Driscoll has a nice, long post on what's happening in his life & at Mars Hill.  It's an interesting post with a look at a few people who are throwing stones at him, the growth issues they face at Mars Hill as well as the number of people they have in various recovery groups, and stuff he is writing. 

Whatever you think of Driscoll, it's good to keep up.

Wild Wednesday

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I found (via FastCompany) a video on Web 2.0 that is super-helpful.  It's a 24 minute video from TechCrunch. I love the end where all these guys are asked what browser they use.  Care to guess?

In the video Arrington conducts conversations with 13 Web 2.0 CEOs about what Web 2.0 is, whether we're in a bubble, what business models work, what is the role of publishers, and how important and how large is the early adopter crowd, along with other issues related to user adoption trends and technology. For certain, Web 2.0 is about technologies such as Ajax, Mash-Ups, Flash, Tagging, and open source applications. But mostly Web 2.0's central focus is user participation.

Participants included Joe Kraus (Jotspot), Scott Milener (Browster), David Sifry (Technorati), Auren Hoffman (Rapleaf), Chris Alden (Rojo), Jonathan Abrams (Socializr), Aaron Cohen (Bolt), Jeremy Verba (Piczo), Steven Marder (Eurekster), Matt Sanchez (Video Egg), Godhwani (Simply Hired), Keith Teare (edgeio), and Michael Tanne (Wink).

Speaking of Web 2.0, last week Joe Carter (Evangelical Outpost) and I met with Justin Taylor (I hear J.I. Packer calls him Justin the Squire!) and a couple of other Crossway Publisher folks about blogging & reviewing books.  Very good conversation, and some great people.

I am trying out Browster because of the 2.0 video.  Wow, it's very interesting.  Anyone else trying it?  You need to check it out.

I'm pumped about GTDGmail.  If you haven't read Getting Things Done by David Allen, and/or if you aren't implimenting GTD in your life, please give it a look.  And then you can get GTDGmail and really geek out.

Watch the "Lecture Musical" from Prangstgrup.  Hilarious.

Michael Foster leads us to David Slagle's 100 Things I've Learned the Hard Way as a Senior Pastor.

Some Music You Should Check Out:

Husky Rescue (myspace)
Serena- Maneesh (myspace)
Black Angels (myspace)
TV on the Radio (myspace)

**If you are a Southern Baptist, please skip this next part.**  Imbibe?  Review and share your thoughts on your latest bottle of vino at Cork'd.  Gotta light?  CigarCyclopedia.

Speaking of "the good life," if you are a Southern Baptist you need to read this critical article from former SBC President Bobby Welch.  We need more wisdom like this!

I understand one pastor's blog site indicates he believes his drinking assists him in soul-winning!...

We have many outstanding young pastors and others on their way to leading this Convention to...do it as "sipping saints,"...as...soul winners! God help us to...elect a user or promoter of the use of alcoholic beverages to...leadership...!

Please don't sent hate mail.  It's a joke.  ;)  Bobbay is SOOOO funny.

What's Changing Steve's Life?

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Things that are changing my life right now...

1. Rereading (I think for the 3rd or 4th time) Jerry Bridges The Pursuit of Holiness.  It's such a simple/profound book.  I just need it.

2. Shearwater's Palo Santo.  Honkin' geez.  Wonderful.

3. I just finished and will soon blog on the new Ed Stetzer/David Putman book Breaking the Missional Code.  I read the last 6 or 7 chapters yesterday and they were really good.  The book wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but there were some very important things for me and my ministry inside.  And God put me in the right place at the right time to read the right chapters of that book. 

4. This video.  It cheers me up daily.

5. David Allen's Getting Things Done is going to get a HUGE thumbs up review from me soon.  Revolutionary and simple.  It's a very important book on practical productivity and organization issues.  Props to Kevin Cawley for preaching Allen's message to me before I read the book.

6. The Fisher Space Pen (Bullet).

Brokeback Pastors

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Brokeback_pastors2_400Two circuit riding preachers in the Midwest met years before in seminary.  One tall, dark, and rugged, the other stocky and gruff.  Both passionate about the same theology and ecclesiology, which drew them closer to one another. 

But when they decided to "team up" to take on fundamentalism in the SBC, they found that mountain hard to climb.  Together, they tried the impossible.  Will their relationship last?  Will the SBC change?

Coming to theaters in 2006.  You've seen Brokeback Mountain (or you are too grossed out to see it), now see Brokeback Pastors. 

Her Best Life Now

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Red_eye_osteen_2It appears the whole Osteen airline incident has sparked a feeding frenzy for the movie rights on the story. 

Fortunately for all of us, I have prevailed.

For people like Joe Thorn who haven't even heard of this incident, you can read about it here, or here, or maybe here, or here.

World Religions

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We homeschool.  Friday my wife taught our children about worldreligions.  I came home after work, sat down for dinner and my 5 year old told me that he learned about Hinduism, Judaism, and Bootyism. 

Uh, I think he might need to relearn that last one.

Hershael York is My Homey

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With all apologies to all my SBTS professors that are dear to my heart, I may have decided on a favorite.  Hershael York has, in great detail, just posted on his experience at the Blackalicious and G Love and Special Sauce concert he and his wife attended with their son in Nashville. 

Hershael is fun and insightful in the classroom, and this post is right in that vein.  He leaves some reflections on the evening as well, and I'm thankful for them.

Memorable quotes...

I think it is safe to say that I am probably the only professor at Southern Seminary who has ever been to a G Love and Blackalicious concert.

I am not a hip hop fan, though I confess that I have a certain admiration when they 'freestyle.'

"She's got sauce--your baby's not sweet like mine" was a crowd favorite, as was "Booty Call," which was about precisely what you think it was about. "Two Birds" flew through the set and "Don't Drop It" didn't get dropped, but I kept hoping for him to do "Cold Beverages," a favorite of mine, though he never did.

Tanya and I...inadvertently found ourselves standing in the middle of the drinkers, smokers, and tokers. We could hear dying brain cells gasping their last shallow breaths.

I felt neither uncomfortable nor offended. I had seen all this before. I used to have my own band years ago, after all, and things haven't changed that much.

You want to know something strange? Do you know what I did during the concert? I prayed. My heart was breaking for many of the kids around me. In the middle of the music and surrounded by the revelry, mostly I felt sad. I knew that most of these kids did not understand that they are playing with fire. They didn't seem to consider the consequences that their actions lead to. But I did. I have counseled husbands whose wives were sexually promiscuous and it haunted them. I have had to sit with patients dying of aids that they contracted sexually. I have listened to men who have no attention span and cannot hold a job lament that they burned out their brains with drugs. I've counseled girls who had abortions, girls who had babies out of wedlock, young adults who have become addicted to alcohol and drugs. I am the guy who helps people put the shattered pieces of their lives back together after they realize that much of their fun is really bondage.

I was...reflecting on Richard Blackaby's poignant message on grace and entering the world of those who need it rather than just scolding them You can hear it here). Still, I thought, I just don't know what to do now that I am in their world.

When Sin Doesn't Make the Papers

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Every week I deliver a biblical and counter-cultural message to our congregation, often challenging the ways of our world, the problem of insurmountable sinfulness in humanity and in each of our hearts, and pointing to God who became flesh as the answer and end of all our searches for meaning and escape from the consequences of our sin.

But I only make it into the local paper when a 1 inch hole pops through a water main on our street causing nearly no real problems or issues.

Paybacks Are Hell

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Img_1534_300I know what "paybacks are hell" means when someone has done something to you and you are going to "pay them back" for it.  I don't quite get it in the context of a local church sign, as seen in my hometown of Pontiac, IL.

Could it mean that God is like that kid in high school who took something we did very personally, so they give us a beat down later?  Hmmm...