broken eikon

Hey you guys! I’m not quite sure exactly how many of you read the blog (I think somewhere between 5-6 million), but I wonder if you would help me with an experiment. I was thinking about doing a video blog similar to an old blog that I used to do on myspace. First, there would be a call for questions (spiritual, theological, pastoral, or otherwise). Then, I would collect the billions of questions and choose some to answer. Then I would do a video blog answering the questions. That simple. So send me your questions, from the theology of Karl Barth to the proper way to evangelize a Christian. This should be fun…

This article by Micheal Moore is really good. Don’t get me wrong, I am not what you would consider a fan of his. Even when I want to like him, I struggle to find him compelling. But when someone, anyone, gets Jesus right, I am committed to being the trumpeter. So check it out.

I have found facebook fairly useful. However, there is one thing that is causing me some confusion. I have friends that I have had for a long time. People I love very very dearly, that are now on Facebook. What I notice is that many of these people post purposefully inflammatory stuff, via status updates, links, videos, polls, etc… I am wondering what people are asking for when they post these things. Do they want those who agree to say so? Do they want dissenters to bring it up? Perhaps this is overly generous, but perhaps they want to invite public discussion? Given that when I see people who dissagree post, it seems to always end poorly, I can’t see discussion really being wanted.

When I post, I desire people to think. I try to not say “believe this”, or “X person is stone cold stupid”. I would like for people to get their hands on dirty, subversive little things called facts, wrestle with them in public forums, and see how things end up for them.  My problem is also thus, however: When i see someone make a comment, or insinuate something I consider erroneous or misleading, I feel the need to correct it, since these people posting as my friends makes me feel like I give passive assent to their comments by my own inaction.

I just get tired of picking on the same friends for posting the same agendized, non-helpful pot-stirring stuff. And actually, I just don’t like it when Christians do it. My other friends I actually don’t care. But Christ followers should know better.

And before you ask, Scott, I am not talking about you. I think you are funny in your passion. Plus, I agree a lot. But not always. But you are still funny then.

So… this is how I feel sometimes talking to some people about faith/scripture….

I know, I know. I need to listen to more music. But to be honest, I haven’t exhausted the bands I like yet. So I suppose Fiver Iron Frenzy, Sixpence, Zeppelin, and BNL will continue to get lyric time on my blog.

I love this song.

Despite our selfish selves
Despite all loss of hope
Despite our lack of faith
Despite our stony hearts
Despite the waning moon
Despite the ebbing tide
Of how we think this world should be

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye Heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

A calling is not what God has preordained for you to do. Therefore no one has just one “calling”. A calling is what happens when you marry your passion and your abilities into something that furthers God’s kingdom.

I have found my calling.

Apparently, I am the best karaoke singer around. Sure, there are others with better voices, but no one knows their source material as good as me, really owns the song, and interacts with the crowd. My unique background as a pastor (making me comfortable upfront), love of 80’s music, and retarded devotion to analyzing  song lyrics has made me a karaoke monster. Now to use it for the kingdom…

Rush Limbaugh has switched sides! The end times are near! Check it out here for yourself!

So this one time I was hanging out with a girl for a week. The soundtrack to the week was Bob Marley. I really dug this girl, but she ignored me/talked about the guy she liked all week. So for a long time I didn’t give Marley a chance because she introduced me to him and it made me think about that week.

However, there is a rummage sale this week at the Presbyterian church, and someone was selling a “Legend” cassette (Marley’s greatest hits) and since I only have a cassette player in my car, I bought it. I must admit, now that I am going through my Bob Marley phase (as Joseph calls it), I really resonate with a lot of his stuff. The below example is… well an example. The language is foreign, certainly not the Queen’s english, but the heart is really on target. His songs seems to mix criticism of colonial Christianity with African American liberation motives with a srong hebraic understanding of God, but also some messianic themes. Here is a song called Redemption Song. Enjoy.

Old pirates, yes, they rob I;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.

But my hand was made strong
By the and of the almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.

Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
cause none of them can stop the time.

How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? ooh!
Some say “its just a part of it:
We’ve got to fulfill de book.

Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

“Love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah”

I have been listening to Cohen’s Hallelujah for a few months now, and always this line gives me pause. Is this what love is? Its funny because on the face of it, I want to disagree. Isn’t love our victory march after all? Then I think otherwise. Love would never declare victory. In the context of the song, to be so hurt and sad, yet to praise God, even through cold and broken prisms, is very much how I feel much of the time. Perhaps love will win. But it wont be like winning a war. It will be like people putting down thier weapons, realizing how many of thier own family they have killed with them. The way of God can and will bring about peace, but in our world now, there is so much brokenness and loss, I can barely squeek out my praise sometimes. But squeek it out I do. Hallelujah.

The Green Lantern movie is being helmed by the dude who did Casino Royale. Anyone see that one? Is my man going to be in a good movie or a sucktastic one? Check it out here.