Too Much Time...

You know you have too much free time, and that you have spent too much time in Seminary, when you are able to accomplish this in a TiVo video game:

art: nativity

Blaspheming AOL

An interesting article: New AOL IM slogan marketing blasphemy?"

The charge against AOL is that they have rearranged their "AIM" logo to say, "I am..."
Traditionally, "I am" is the English translation, though limited, of the Hebrew Yahweh. It is also Jesus' claim upon himself.

So is this blasphemy? If it is, then it is actually an indictment against the contemporary atttitude, because "I am..." is not only AOL's motto but also the culture's individualistic motto. Upon futher reflection, I wonder if it is blasphemous not because I have subsumed God's title for myself, but because I have isolated myself from others and from God.

When I claim an individualistic perspective, like the attitude "I am okay, you are okay," which removes the ability to challenge, encourage and question another's perspective, I have isolated myself from any communal responsibility. All that matters anymore is my discovery of myself, my empowerment of myself, the protection/security of myself. I am important. The life I work for is all that matters because "I am" the end goal. [I may include my family, but that is really still just an extension of my individual desires.]

Therefore, I do not find AOL's motto blasphemous, but sad, because if I limit my understanding of myself to a list of "I am..."s then in the end I discover how absurdly weak my self pursuits are.

God created us to go much further, to be much more than just "I am instant messaging," "I am video chat," He created us to be made in the image of "I am..." It is that discovery, that we no longer live, but "I am" lives in us, which gives us a deeper hope that there is more to life than video chatting and instant messaging.

tree

Bakker

During a class in Davidson, the professor had us present a book to the class from a pre-approved list. Unfortuantely, I was the dummy who did not look into the book, but selected mine merely by title. So when no one else was lobbying to do "Forgiven: The Rise and Fall of Jim Bakker and the PTL Ministry" I thought I was golden. Who wouldn't want to present on that: Television, money, glammor, scams and scandals...what wouldn't be more interesting.
A week before the presentation, I finally dragged myself over the library to get the book. That is when I discovered why no one else wanted it: it was 632 pages written by the Charlotte Observer reporter who broke the scandal, more facts than photos.

However, that started my interest in the Bakker family not to mention the Charlotte connection. And I have contended that the Haggard situation will cause a similar effect in Colorado Springs, as Bakker's disgrace caused in Charlotte and the Carolinas. The fall of a charismatic leader, whether a national icon, or a particular church's elevated leader, has strangely become something I find fascinating. Seeing how on the one hand it can force people to reconsider what it means to be "church," while on the other hand it can disillusion people's belief.

So, it will be interesting to follow Jay Bakker's new show and podcast. When I first heard about his church in Atlanta--which meets at Masquerade--I was fascinated how he would do. Because he, of all Busters (generational term for Xs and Ys), is the epitome of someone who was "burned" by the church. Seeing how he is connecting with people is encouraging. I imagine getting past the lip ring and tattooes will be difficult for most people, but his ministry approach is pretty amazing, and his message will touch people with grace of Christ.

I recommend listening to "Jay Preaches" if you got less than minute.

Bad Sign

When the announcers break into your Panther game saying
"Alright,let's take you to Tennessee to see a more competitive contest..."
And that game is
24-10 in the 4th Quarter


Looks like we will be searching for a few offensive linemen, cornerbacks, linebackers and possible a backup QB this offseason.

(RED)

Rarely do I simply cut and paste another article.
This however, is an excellent critique of the (Product) RED:.

I first became aware of the (Product) Red initiative when I saw a long commercial about it (narrated by Bono) on VH1. As you're are most likely aware of, products with the (Red) brand launched in the UK early this year, and the U. S. effort began in earnest on October 13 when Oprah hosted the official brand launch on her show.

Here’s how it works: Companies such as Apple, American Express, Converse, Motorola and others brand certain products with the (Red) logo (though the products themselves may or may not be red in color). When consumers purchase (Red) products, part of the profits go to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The (Red) iPod Nano, for example, which is actually red as well as (Red) costs the same as comparable iPods, but $10 goes to AIDS relief with every purchase.

Read the article here

Having seen the new solid Baby food called Happy Baby at Wholefoods, which has slapped a sticker for the Project Peanut Butter in Africa across their box, I am curious to see how and if this pseudo-charity form of capitalism will work.

Granted it was word of mouth, but the comment a representative of Happy Baby told a friend, who told my wife, who told me, was, "This stuff you could easily make at home, so the only reason you would buy this is because a) you are in crunch and need healthy and organic food fast, or b) you believe in our mission." I do appreciate honesty, but at that level of overpricing?

Advent: Peace

I find it difficult to anticipate the Lord of peace, when it seems so counter to what life is really like. Life is not very peaceful right now.

It is amazing to realize that we are still in Iraq. We have now surpassed the amount of time the US militarily spent in World War II.

What is interesting though is the comparison of deaths, one report I found says 400,000 American soldiers died in WWII. Iraq has seen about 5,000 people died (my apologies for US military stats only, I cannot find reliable other stats, one suggests 56million civilians and military died in WWII and 60,000 in Iraq).

That raises an issue: are "new" military tactics more(less death) or less (more apersonal killing) humane. We spend $8billion per month on Iraq and no one has had to make a financial sacrifice.
Is Augustine's "Just War" theory valid anymore when war has changed from a personal conflict to an apersonal button push? Do we need a new process to figure out whether or when war is just?

So the question I have wrestled with before is how do we offer the hope of Christ to the hopeless?
Now the question has become, how do we offer the peace of Christ in a world without peace?

Absolute Waste of Time

But one the coolest free programs out there:
Google: Earth
3D topical Satelitte feeds that let you zoom in pretty darn close...I think I see my car parked at Providence Presbyterian.

And below is a darn accurate shot of Rock Mountain (left) and Chimney Top (right)
near our cabin in Cashiers, NC.

Advent: Hope

"When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb."

Luke 1:41

I find Advent an interesting time because on the one hand we are to anticipate the birth of Christ, while continuing to worship the fact that He already is (and was and will be) alive. Therefore, in some way we are to put off our temporal understanding of life, while also celebrating the fact that God only works in and through history.

We are not anticipating some magical spirit, some high enlightenment, but a genuine and real baby. We are anticipating God, but we are anticipating God as child.

So naturally, for me, this Christmas season will be wholly different than any other one I will experience, because Lindsay and I are "with child." As a result it was amazing, awesome, cool, moving, humbling, and profound to be in worship yesterday because as the service progressed, so did the frequency of the baby's movements, which drew me to the above scripture.

Before, I had read this as a metaphorical statement that John the Baptist was the first to understand who Jesus Christ would be. But after yesterday, I was reminded that God has broken into reality, into real history, one where baby's grow and develop in utero. One where mothers are intimately connected to every movement, kick, every shake of their child. And I imagined Elizabeth sitting there, with a leaping womb, wondering what in the heck was going on? Asking herself, "What does my baby know, that I don't? Who is this child Mary speaks of?"

And Luke's statement reminds us of that reality. That John the Baptist truly leapt in the womb because of his deep anticipation and hope for who his cousin (second cousin, technically) would be.

Likewise, our invitation is that while we anticipate the birth of Jesus Christ, we can also "leap" because we know whom Jesus Christ is to become for us.

New Ministry Styles

World AIDs Day 2006