iGod

I have finished listening to a series from LiquidChurch called iGod based on Romans 1-3. You can listen here, here and here. It is a great start at adjusting my view of God.

The first in the series dealt with putting God in a Box. My favorite quotes are...

"On the sixth day, God created man. On the seventh day, man returned the favor."
-- unknown (attributed to Pascal)

and

“You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
-- Anne Lamontt

Blog Psychology at it's best

It may be the blog version of Lucy (from Peanuts) Psychologist stand...

What Your Pizza Reveals

People may tell you that you have a small appetite... but you aren't under eating. You just aren't a pig. You aren't particularly picky about pizza. It's so good... how could you be? You fit in best in the Western part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices. You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna. The stereotype that best fits you is guy or girl next door. Hey, there's nothing wrong with being average.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

More Coverville Countdown 2007

Coverville just released numbers 24-17 of their countdown of best covers....

I was excited to see the song I nominated as number 22 -- Blake Morgan's version of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed". I was also happy to see Copper Box's version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb".

Coverville Countdown 2007

The Annual (I have listened for 3 years now) Coverville Countdown is underway -- 32 to 25 were released today and 40-33 released last Thursday.

My favorites from 40-33? Social Distortion's cover of "Ring of Fire", Joan Jet's cover of "Crimson and Clover", Rufas Wainwright's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and my favorite of the bunch, the Gypsy King's cover of "Hotel California".

From the lineup I see on the 32-25 list, I can already tell that I will enjoy The Clash's "I Fought The Law" and Bill Kirchen's "Hot Rod Lincoln" (I liked that one enough the first time I heard it I bought it).

While I am thinking about it, the Coverville Blog recently told us about "Yuletide Zeppelin", a mashup of Christmas songs with Led Zeppelin riffs playing in the back. You can read about the song here but download it (legally and free) here.

A National Treasure

We enjoyed the original "National Treasure" so much we took the opportunity to see the second one, "National Treasure -- Book of Secrets", we even hit the first showing today for the $5 tickets (at the Brighton Theater). If you saw the first one, most of the starring roles are reprised and the actors do a great job.

If you want to se a fun mystery it is a good choice.

Reviews?

I promised book reviews, get ready...

I was reminded of where I left off a couple of Sundays ago. The current sermon series is called "Kingdom of God: Grip It & Rip It" which is on the first chapters in Matthew. The first message was on the Genealogy of Christ, specifically how there are lots of people of ill repute but reformed characters in that lineage, specifically, Rahab, Ruth and Tamar. At one point in the sermon, it was mentioned that not to many people like genealogy. This brought back memories of the book I read when I quit giving reviews.

It is called "A Frederick Family Album: Memories, Pictures and Documents of an Iowa Farm Family" and was written and published by my aunt, Elizabeth VanderSchaaf.

This is not, by far, the first book she has written. In fact, she has more than 14 books behind her now, many of them dealing with my family history but all of them dealing with family history from my side of her family or her husband's side.

This was a fun book to read, especially when it started talking about those I was familiar with, my Grandmother (who died when I was 5) and my Grandfather, my great uncle Elmer, my Dad and Aunt. Of course, many of her memories were of my grandparents, my Father and herself.

There is quite a bit of historical information in there as well. For instance, I skipped over some of the legal documents that were included.

Now to tie things back to the sermon. One of the things that she always said was you tell family history, no matter how bad things looked. The point made by the pastor that Sunday was that you could tell that the lineage of Christ was real because it was not whitewashed but showed the good and the bad.

No More Whoppers?

Thanks to Greg at the Church Video Ideas blog, I had a flashback to my Junior High/High School years.


Youth for Christ held a roller skating night every month that we would go to enjoy. Often, on the way home, we visited the Burger King.

This video is shows what would happen if the Whopper was removed from the menu. I suspect that Burger King hopes this goes viral. I am doing my best to help out!

Joy

We were first told of the shootings at the YWAM campus in Arvada Sunday Morning. That morning Dave, who has done some teaching at YWAM, talked about joy during the music part of the worship service. Dave told us that Joy, unlike happiness, is a choice, not a feeling. Our worship during those services was passionate.

Today I read Psalm 33 (New Living Translation)

Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;
it is fitting for the pure to praise him.
Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing a new song of praise to him;
play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
For the word of the Lord holds true,
and we can trust everything he does.
He loves whatever is just and good;
the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
He assigned the sea its boundaries
and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
Let the whole world fear the Lord,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.
For when he spoke, the world began!
It appeared at his command.

Gospel What?

Sometimes we forget that there is a (more?) virbrant and (more?) active Christian community outside the enclave of the United States.

Today I ran across an interesting site called Gospel Reggae. It is very "island" flavored and, with snow on the ground, warms my heart.

The first tracks I listened to were from Ghana (west Africa). It also included tracks from Beliez as well. Artists you can sample include Kenneth Appiah and the Soul Winners, ZiggySoul and Katalys.

You can even visit their "Christafari" kids page.

This is cute -- "Baa We're Lambs"

More Pandora Podcast

In May, I blogged about the Pandora Podcast. They have not only given us audio but have started videos of "Great Places to see Live Music".

The latest of these is on "Red Rocks" and can be seen here.

Red Rocks is one of the places my parents visited on their honeymoon (if I remember right). The fun to watch as I have seen several concerts here as well.

Remiss - Book reviews

If you are wondering, I have not stopped reading. I just stopped mention that here!

I will fix that next month when I tell about the things I have been reading.

Similes and Metafors

One of the podcasts I have been listening to is Grammar Girl. Why?

When I was in college and trying to learn French, I contended that I couldn't learn a foreign language because I didn't know English well enough.

This podcast is a help! You can listen to the podcast I am blogging about here. This particular one is on Similes and Metafors. Within the podcast the speaker (not Grammar Girl this week) states:

People use these figures of speech when speaking romantically. “Dearest, your eyes sparkle as starlight in the water of a deep, cool well.” The speaker is drawing a parallel between his beloved’s eyes and starlight in a well. She doesn’t actually have wells for eyes; if she did, she would slosh when she walked. But her eyes do sparkle, and that is the connection he’s drawing.

I was amused to hear him say "She doesn't actually have wells for eyes; if she did, she would slosh when she walked."

Why are these important? We hear and use these language constructs all the time. Do we recognize them? Quite often not.

Thanksgvining so soon?

It is hard to believe this year has gone so fast. I think the whole family has been suprised by how fast the year has gone by.

Some of that is due to being busy (I have been less busy this year than last but things still go faster than planned).

I have been listening to s sermon series on "Sabbath Living". Not on taking Saturday off but on living inside the margins of your life. Allowing you to get some "space to breathe". I suspect I am on the outside of the margins in my life.

You can find the audio here, here, here and here.

A test of giving and pride

A friend and fellow musician on our worship bands gave me a gift last night that has tested my pride. He had gotten a pair of headphones, then found these, then got another pair of the original as a backup pair. Last night, he offered these to me. THANKS TODD.

I struggled with the gift, offered to pay him for them (he said he'd take a Coke or something). These are the most expensive headphones I have ever used but they also happen to be the clearest sounding headphones I have ever used. As Marj said... What an expression of extravagant love.

Feet washing

In the few days since I was introduced to this print, it is quickly becoming one of my favorites. To get the full story behind the picture, click on it. For the short version, this was used in a promotional campaign in Seattle for seminars on the character of God run by a ministry called Heavenly Sanctuary.

It shows several world leaders with their feet being washed by Christ. The most controversial thing about it is that Osama Bin-Laden is one of those sitting before Christ.
Before you react too harshly and become offended, think it for a bit. We are entering the Christmas season, named after Christ. His message was contrary to the Jewish leaders of his day, promoting love for those around him, rather than hatred. He did not endorse any of the political powers and yet, has influenced the world for 2000 years.

In the "reverse economy" of God, he told us to serve those around us, changing the relationship between ourselves and them from one of equals or, even one of power to one of servitude. This was not only a lecture to his diciples, he deomonstrated it to them (and through scripture, us).

Did Christ die for these people? Yes, each and every one of them. He also died for those they represent or rule. Can the most innocent or the most evil of these people be redeemed? Absolutely! Not through their own doing, however,

Last play... down but not out...

I am not an avid football fan but I have to give kudos to Trinity University in their last play against Milsap College.

The YouTube description reads:

Trinity wins the game on a 15 lateral play. Miracle in Mississippi Unbelievable last play "Miracle in Mississippi" Unbelievable last play of SCAC title game between Trinity University and Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday, October 27, 2007. Play began with 2 seconds remaining in the game Trinity used a total of 14 laterals to take the ball 61 yards for the game winning touchdown division III 3 texas

Here is the video:

Evan Almighty and Shoddy

We watched "Evan Amighty" tonight. Last weekend, we started a new series called "Shoddy". What do the two have to do with each other?

Evan Almighty is a movie about a newly elected US Senator who get's called by God to build an Ark. Like many of those that are called, he is understandably skeptical. As he get's closer to completing the ark, however, he gets sold out for the task given him. If you are expecting solid doctrine, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a feel good movie, this will not disappoint.

The sermon series, "Shoddy", is about the book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Malachi is sent to the people of Israel who were living shoddy lives. To God at that time, it means people who are doing all the right things but are not living the life God really has for them.

Why do I see the connection? In Evan Almight, Evan is asked to do something which is totally crazy. Ignore is duties to the country and build an Ark. As Evan settles down to the task, those around him mock him, he becomes a media freak show. You will, however, need to watch the movie to get the full story.

Throughout the Old Testament, God asks his prophets to perform actions that one person called "little dramas" to get the attention of the people around them. Unwilling to live "shoddy" lives, they do those things, many times, questioning God at the same time. What were some of those actions?

• Isaiah was asked to walk around naked for 3 years to illustrate the shame Israel would feel in captivity.
  
• Hosea was asked to marry a prostitute and later, buy her back out of slavery to illustrate God's forgiveness for Israel (the prostitute).
  
• Jonah lived out a drama showing God's forgiveness when he was asked to go to Ninivia to warn them to repent.

Questions that the movie (and the sermon series) are raising:

• How would I react if God asks me to do something unusual?
• How would those around me react if I start to follow what God asks?
  

The Rockies pulled it out.

I am not a huge baseball fan although I did get to a ballgame this year when we had an afternoon group outing. It was two games before the end of the season and we got to see a win.

In fact, at this point, the Rockies have won 19 of their last 20 games (it may be 20 of the last 21 -- as I said I am not a huge fan). That includes the first two pennant games (on the road), the 3 games to get them there and the one game that got them to the post-season play (they were tied for the wild card spot).

It has also been fun seeing my friends blogging about their success. That includes optional:g, and Rob (he posted here and here) as well as Rob's wife.

What I find interesting is this article titled "Batting for Jesus" that was published today in "The Independant", a newspaper in England. It starts out...

Most sports fans are used to praying for a win but one of baseball's rags-to-riches teams have more reason than most to believe a higher power is answering.

Click here to read the whole article.

Erwin McManis on being relevant

Last week the Catalyst conference was held in Dallas, Texas. This is a conference for Christian leadership development. Erwin McManis is one of the speakers. This is a clip.