Here's a picture I took of Mt. Rainer while on a plane. I typically have no excuse for having no new photos. This week my church got me a new laptop and I can't find my software to load on it. So I can't download photos (and don't want to on my old laptop). With that, I haven't even taken my camera out with me. See, a better excuse. Hold my feet to the fire to have some new pictures next week.
The NFL has demanded a church not show the Super Bowl...
NFL officials spotted a promotion of Fall Creek Baptist Church's "SuperBowl Bash" on the church Web site last week and overnighted a letter to the pastor demanding the party be canceled, the church said.
[...]
Newland said his church won't break the law.
"It just frustrates me that most of the places where crowds are going to gather to watch this game are going to be places that are filled with alcohol and other things that are inappropriate for children," Newland said. "We tried to provide an alternative to that and were shut down."
Other Indiana churches said they are deciding whether they should go through with their Super Bowl party plans, given the NFL's stance.
My thoughts? You can't love Jesus and the Colts, so either the church is a cult or they are misguided on their choice of football team.
Seriously, how about telling the members to invite their lost neighbors into their homes for the game? Or how about going to your lost neighbor's house if they invite you?
Time Magazine interviews Al Mohler about his Calvinism in relation to his health: "A Calvinist Faces Death."
(HT: JT)
If you didn't see my Saturday post on music stuff, please check it out.
I thought today I would point to a couple of online concerts that I've enjoyed. They are all on Fabchannel.com. Disclaimer: Some racy language on occasion. Shouldn't have to say that, but I get all types here. :)
Though I don't own one of their albums, I liked the Midlake concert. I own two albums and really enjoyed the concert of Explosions in the Sky despite less than ideal video/audio quality. If you haven't heard Explosions before, you need to. The Damien Rice 2003 concert is loud and a lot of fun. Cold War Kids put on a great show last November, as did The Frames. The Frames just entered my radar a few weeks back. And, oh, I like Spoon.
Feel free to offer links to online concert video you have enjoyed.
Wow. Very interesting article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about The Journey Church in St. Louis and their pastor, Darrin Patrick. It's called, ahem, "Beer and the Bible." Darrin is a friend and someone who I think is doing an unbelievable job pastoring. They are associated with the SBC as well as Acts29 (Picture credits to the StLP-D).
It seems, according to the article, that there are some frustrations in the Missouri Baptist Convention because they loaned The Journey money to buy a building and then found out some at The Journey drink (like Jesus). The Journey has a regular theology event called Theology at the Bottleworks where they discuss all sorts of issues, and yes, some drink a beer there.
Theology at the Bottleworks is run by a wildly successful congregation of young St. Louisans called The Journey. The Schlafly program is part of the church's outreach ministry. And it works.
Every month dozens show up at the brewpub to drink beer and talk about issues ranging from racism in St. Louis to modern art controversies to the debate about embryonic stem cell research. First-timers are invited to check out the church on Sunday, and Journey leaders say many have. Theology at the Bottleworks is just one of The Journey's ministries, but it has helped the church grow from 30 members in late 2002 to 1,300 today.
Sorry, couldn't wait on Music Monday. This is one of the most awesome things I've seen done musically. (HT: Ben)
Joe Thorn found this. Wow. Speechless.
Still not getting out to take photos, so here's a favorite barn photo of mine.
Really important breaking news. Tom Cruise is Christ of Scientology.
"There's no one here who does it like me. My Super Bowl Shuffle will set you free."
Note four guys.
1. Steve Fuller (#4) has no rhythm or talent in this video. Awful stuff. Is his voice still changing?
2. Richard Dent (#95) has the best voice for the song. Cool man, really cool.
3. Gary Fencik (#45) was fierce on the field. It's hard to believe this is the same guy. Geez. What the crap is going on here? "Were going to do the Shuffle then ring your bell." Ugh.
4. William "The Refrigerator" Perry (#72) looks small compared to today's football players. He's like a dorm fridge.
Here are a few things I've read recently that you might want to check out.
Kent Shaffer: 5 Ways Your Church Can Build Trust In Your Community
Mark Driscoll: Twenty Leadership Questions for Building a City Within the City (including Driscollian chest fur)
Tony Morgan: 10 Signs You're Not Ready for Change
Drew Goodmanson: The Future of Spirituality and What Is After Postmodernism
Steven Furtick: Irreplaceable
Mark Dever: Baptists and Elders (best for Baptists who don't have elders)
Joshua Sowin: A Guide to Writing Well
Acts29: An Expanded List of Books for Missional Church Planters
ESV Daily Readings (I'm doing this one)
One of my favorite ways to find good music is to find the year end recommendations from people, magazines, websites, and so on. The Metacritic "Best Albums of 2006" not only gives you the Metacritic list, it also lists more than 40 other year end lists. Fantastic resource.
So now is when I start finding some music from the last year that I missed. Here are a couple I'm listening to and enjoying.
The Beatles: Love
This is a remix/rework of classic Beatles songs for the Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas. I've never thought of myself as a Beatles fan, but this album is amazing.
Jeremy Enigk: World Waits
Thanks to those of you who recommended this album to me. It's a good atmospheric rock album. Enigk's voice is not the best I've heard, but it's appealing for its realness. I'm really enjoying this CD.
Bonus...
Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
I found this by accident in a Borders bookstore. I liked the cover, and I remember reading a review or two but couldn't remember what they said. So I listened to a few songs and loved it, bought it, and it's been in regular rotation since. The musical structures and sounds are wonderfully constructed, though it may take time to appreciate.
YES! The Chicago Bears are on their way to the Super Bowl in Miami! Woooohooooo! What a game. What a day. Bear weather baby.
Photo HT to Sportsline.
Read Scot McKnight's "Five Streams of the Emerging Church" article from Christianity Today.
More Tim Keller stuff is up at the Christian Life Conference site.
How the Cross Converts Us
How the Cross Changes Us
How the Cross Unites Us
I linked yesterday to The Cross and Suffering
FYI, the DA Carson and Walt Kaiser audio is from the conference last year, as the dates show.
Hear Tim Keller's message "The Cross and Suffering," just fresh up on the web. The Christian Life Conference is going on there as I type. They will put up other audio here.
Find more Keller stuff on my Tim Keller Resource page.
It's been a rough week with my Grandpa passing away and I have nothing new for you. Here's an oldie taken just outside Woodstock, IL.
Both Stephen Shields and Scot McKnight tagged me, so I'm to release 5 newly declassified items about me you don't already know. Because of the nature of blogging it's hard to tell what has and hasn't been shared before. So here's my best shot...
1. In High School my brother and I traveled around central IL in the summers to lip-sync contests and scored tons of small town bling. The name of our lip-sync team? The Star Search Rejects. Our niche? Lip syncing to Weird Al polka medleys. We were big time, baby.
2. I currently have a poster of Jack Bauer on the wall of my office. Yes, he is holding a firearm.
3. When I as a little kid (maybe 3 or 4?) I got up in the middle of the night, raided the medicine cabinet and downed several birth control pills. My parents woke up and found me still eating and called my uncle, a doctor. He said to make me drink soapy water so I would vomit. I chugged it. Then Mom stuck her finger down my throat. I think that worked. But to this day I have yet to get pregnant. Coincidence?
4. One summer in the early 90's I listened a dozen times or more to a Rush Limbaugh audio book. Now he drives me nuts.
5. While at Southern Seminary I emailed a key seminary leader about something a professor told me in a conversation. It was an email questioning whether the different SBTS schools were heading in different directions. Within a week I found myself in a meeting with three professors including a dean of one of the schools. I thought I must have said something wrong and was in trouble, but they simply wanted some info from me and to convey the unity of the schools at SBTS. None of it ended up being a big deal, but it freaked me out a bit. Now the prof in question is a friend and it all was nothing to really sweat over. Go figure.
I'm through season one of The Office and a few episodes into season two. Man, this show is funny.
I know there are a bunch of Office lovers out there. Anyone have a favorite episode or moment? So far my favorites are Diversity Day and any time Dwight says or does something.
First photo is from a couple of weeks ago. A narrow sidewalk along a creek near our house. Second photo is from last winter, but I thought it would be fun to revisit.
