The Cubicle Reverend

Emergent Flow Chart

2009-07-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

HT Pyromaniacs
Think this is true? I think it depends on who you ask, but a lot of the leaders I think hold this pattern.

A Brief History Of Labor

2009-06-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

In a day
there was earth,

the bright vision,
seeing land
and sea
separate,

and all the
creatures in them.
In a day

the second labor,
pains and cries.
The work of hands

built a tabernacle
to be in the presence.
A home to hear
the later psalms

or a place to remember
the work of hands
and rest for a day.

Give Us A Shot

2009-03-02T10:43:00.001-08:00

One of the many things I enjoy about my church is the fact I can be myself. No more putting on airs, no more pretending to be so pious, and no more lying about feeling good when I don't. When I first started to attend a lot of things caught me off gaurd:

1) My pastor actually told me how he was really feeling when I asked.

2) Several members of the church were just as geeky as I am and I finally had some people in the church who not only knew Dr. Who and B Star G, but actually enjoyed the shows.

3) The elders would go to a local bar after their weekly meetings.

I think it was #3 that really threw me for a loop. I know a lot of churches have people who enjoy to have a beer or two, but are so afraid to admit it. In fact a good friend of mine likes to go up to people he goes to church with when he runs into them at a bar so they can know they are not the only ones and can finally come out of the closet. That being said, my church also doesn't flaunt the fact we enjoy a few beers. We also support several AA groups to help those who do struggle with the addiction. I am giving this little introduction because of a few videos I saw recently both using shot glasses as a form of reaching the lost. There are two videos that are pretty interesting. I know in the past I wrote a post about how sad I felt watching a bunch of college kids at pub I visited to hear my friends band perform. Sorry, I am way too lazy to actually look for it to link back to it. In short, I was watching a bunch of twenty-somethings seeking connections in the most negative manner imaginable. None of what they were experiencing was real. I never was in the bar culture even now let alone when I was their age so it became pretty obvious to me that this was a ministry opportunity which I had no idea how to fill. I don't see these "Give Us A Shot" ministries as bad things. I am curious to see how successful they are.

The Guild

2009-02-19T05:04:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. I am such a fan that one night when my friends came over we watched it several times with the musical commentary. I am also proud to say that I have gotten several of my other friends into it who aren't normally geeks like I am. It turns out that Felicia Day has her own web show called The Guild about a group of on-line gamers. Sadly it is all too accurate of a portrayal of gamers. I know people like this who are completely out of touch with reality and are more capable of talking through a web-mic than in real person. And it's very, very funny. Give it a watch. Most of episodes are only 5 minutes long. One of the characters also has a web show called Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine show about a Japanese tv host which is also very funny.

Lorine Niedecker

2009-02-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

I am long over due pulling Lorine Niedecker's collected poems off the shelf. The fact there is a new documentary about this wonderful poet only makes me all the more learn about her. Though her works stand for themselves and she had powerful friends like Cid Corman and William Carlos Williams she remained an outsider. While most authors these days go right from graduate school into various teaching programs she lived a life as an outsider in the poetry world. Heck, she was an outsider in the real world as well. She hid from academia, for whatever reason, and lived in poverty on a small island making a living as a maid. That seems almost incongruous to the literary life. If someone were to try that today they would die in obscurity. To be a poet (or any other sort of writer or artist for that matter) and pretty much avoid readings, writing seminars, and awards is a form of publishing suicide which most publishers won't stand for. Yet, it's one that sounds very attractive to me. As I figure out my role as a Christian and a poet I almost shun that typical literary life. Perhaps someday I'll get my MFA and settle in to some university job teaching kids about rhyme and meter and how our experiences can help us to shape humanity and seek out the truth in life we are aching to touch. My desire to seek God in such a silly and little way seems to override that desire to have people come up to me at a reading to get an autograph.

I knew a clean man

but he was not for me.

Now I sew green aprons

over covered seats. He

wades the muddy water fishing,

fall in, dries his last pay-check

in the sun, smooths it out

in Leaves Of Grass.

He'sthe one for me.

The death of my poor father

leaves debts

and two small houses.

To settle this estate

a thousand fees arise—

I enrich the law.

Before my own death is certified,

recorded, final judgement

judged

taxes taxed

I shall own a book

of old Chinese poems
and binoculars

to probe the river

trees.

Hipster Jesus

2009-02-09T05:17:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine sent me an article about New Calvinist uber-pastor Mark Driscoll. I have to admit my knowledge of Mark is very limited. In fact I got him confused with the emergent movement, but after reading the article I remembered he was part of New Calvinism which, for some reason, is attracting 20-somethings like mad. I attend a Calvinist church so it does suprise me that in a world of relativism to see young heads going to a church that has certain ideas and theology that can be hard to grasp or to wrap your mind around. It seems to work so good for him. I know when I was their age I would have loved to go to a church like Mars Hill where you are likely to find people who bought the newest Tom Waits album and can quote "Clerks". When you are young who wouldn't want to be with like minded people that you share a lot in common with? At my current church if I try to bring up my giddy joy that Over The Rhine is coming to a local theater most people's eyes glaze over, but they know what they believe and why they believe it. I can't tell you how many times when I made a statement people much smarter than I have asked, "So that's what you believe? Why?" Why do I have the feeling I wouldn't get such a challenge from Mars Hill? And to be around so many fellow hipsters sounds kind of annoying to me. I do not think I could handle week after week being around so many people who are just like me. I'd miss out on the encouragement, ribbings, and fun that I have with the men and women of my church who are, thank God, not like me in the least. Plus, I am tired of people trying to be controversial just for the sake of being controversial. I am no longer impressed by people trying to shake the tree to create a cult of personality. The best pastors and teachers I have ever experienced weren't particularly dynamic they just love the Lord and desire to equip and edify the body through scripture. Lastly, he has way too much power. To have one person be in so much control of a church that they can tell you to shun somebody just because they question some of your ideas is ridiculous. That is how the PC(USA) went from being a church steeped in scripture to the liberal mess it is today. In fact, a church I attended imploded for that very reason. Too much power given to a few who forgot the needs of the church. Perhaps Mark offers a lot of good things to the Christian buffet? I do not know. I am curious to read his blog and see what he has to say.

Weekly Geeks: Passion

2009-02-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

I like The Weekly Geek Challenge this time around. It's all about passionate about besides books. It's also kind of a difficult question for me to answer since most of what I am passionate about is in some way book related like keeping journals, writing poetry, and collecting autographs.

There is one thing that really comes to mind that since coming out has really become a big part of my recent life. Last year a little show came out called The Big Bang Theory. I have to admit I was a bit late on the uptake with this show. I don't know why since it seemed to have everything I was looking for in a show. A show about brilliant minds, many references to geek culture, and it is funny. After watching it for a few weeks I wondered if the producers had followed me around in highschool taking notes of me and my buddies. This show brought back so many fond memories of my days hanging out in my one friends basement playing D & D every weekend, going to Star Trek movies with a Klingon Dictionary, and all the other geekdoms of my life. In fact, it helped me to get back into the things that I loved so much during that time that, for one reason or another, I had gotten out of over the years. I am fortunate that I have friends I can still geek out over as we get giddy as a school girl over the next episode of B Star G or the new Watchmen movie that is coming out. It also makes me feel good that, at least for now, people do get who we are. Here are some good clips.

Sheldon's Christmas Story

Penny Tells Howard Off

Rock, Paper, Scizzors, Lizard, Spock

Superman.... I can't tell you all the times my friends and I would argue like this. I remember won time getting really heated with a few friends over who would win in a fight between Captain America and Batman.

R.I.P. - John Updike

2009-01-28T06:29:00.001-08:00

I'd be lying if I were to say I am terribly versed in John's books. In fact, my understanding of his writing is limited to say the very least. In fact, I think I should stop reading the book I am reading and change over to one of his books out of respect for him to aquaint myself better with this fine man of letters. In highschool I got to read one of his stories for a creative writing class and have since then only on occassion read a handful of his stories. Though I have no idea which one it was. I wish I could say why this is the case. One thing I do know is he does have the tendency to write about things that are very painful in a realistic fashion without giving us the easy out to feel better about ourselves afterwards. He was the rare write who could stare lifes ugliness in the eye without blinking, even when the other side pulled a gun. If his stories don't make you feel uncomfortable and make you squirm then you are probably not human. That is probably why I do not read more of his works. I do not want to be faced with the ugly side of my own humanity. That I can be just as much the adulterer given the chance as any of his protagonists. What a terrifying idea espcially as a Christian. One thing I do know for certain is that he was forever the bridesmaid and never the bride. He was often on the short list for the Nobel Prize never having received it. What a shame.

Very Naughty Children

2009-01-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

1) The Week In Geek challenged us to read a chapter from a classic book and write a short review. Ok, so what do I choose? It wouldn't be any fun to choose something that I had read before or an author of whom I am at least somewhat aware of their work. Oh no, that would be too easy. So what possessed me to read the first chapter of E. Nesbit's "The Phoenix and The Carpet"? One thing I should have realized by the title is that this was a story meant for children. Perhaps it is the time in which it was written or it's very British style that made it not translate well for me. For one thing the children were all so very, very naughty as is usually the case with stories like this. Look at the four children in "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". They too were very, very naughty. Perhaps this is meant to give them a certain charm that could make an adult like myself smirk at my own impishness as a youth if it weren't for the fact they are so darn proper about everything. All the exclamations of "Oh so sorry" and such just don't sit well for me. I am not reminded of a British Dennis the Menace, but instead come off as being very stuffy and not very charming. I couldn't wait for this chapter to be done and cannot say I will read any more. Who is this lady anyway?

2) I wouldn't say I am intimidated by classic literature. Difficulty in literature doesn't scare me since I probably would give up on the book with a sigh of "oh well!" and call it a day. I mostly want to understand what would make someone consider one book a classic over another? I attempted to read books like The Scarlet Letter, Ulysses, and Moby Dick usually getting frustrated for one reason or another. Out of all honesty I finished Ulysses, but couldn't tell you a damn thing what I read. It still sits by my bed stand begging for me to try again. Then there is Germinal by Zola which, for whatever reason, I have to force myself to even get halfway through though I find the work to be quite readable. I am not sure what books I would recommend. Just because I like them doesn't mean others will. Jules Verne "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" is a good if not plodding read. Conan Doyle's "Hound Of The Baskervilles" was entertaining, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn't seen the movie first.

Bye, Bye Dodge

2009-01-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent me an article on how the state of the economy will impact the 2010 Dodge Poetry Festival. I have many fond memories of my years making the long drive to central Jersey and going all poetry geek at meeting and getting autographs from some of my favorites. The atmosphere was relaxing and open to allow us to just enjoy the day. We could sit back outside the tent listening in the warm sun or take a nice stroll along the river. Then came my last visit this past September. I tried to blog about it after the fact, but a poet who was a speaker there didn't take too kindly to my representation of the festival. Trying to do the right thing and being a bit of a wuss I removed the post. Sadly I regret that because to this day I feel I was right. Long gone was the relaxed atmosphere that I enjoyed to be replaced with a more regimented schedule. Everywhere you turned there was something going on and instead of giving the poets the freedom to speak organically about their experiences as a poet and what the craft means to them allowing us, the attendees, dictate the direction of subject matter. No, now the directors created lectures so pretentious if it weren't for the talent of the poets speaking it would have died a quick and painful death. All this to say I was disappointed. I missed being able to walk along with a poet and discuss any such matter without feeling rushed, sitting under the trees with people I never met before and enjoying the moment, and I missed how relaxed I felt. I am not surprised in the least. I am sorry this is the case, but I am hoping that this will be a lesson they will learn to not take the reader for granted.

Big Bang Theory

2009-01-09T05:27:00.000-08:00

And this is why I love the show Big Bang Theory.

Reading Test

2009-01-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Hat tip to Geek Monkey for this one

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Book Snob
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_reader_are_you">What Kind of Reader Are You? http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Pimps In The Pulpit

2009-01-06T05:14:00.001-08:00

I regularly visit Pulpit Pimps sight because I had my ears tickled many years ago by the prosperity gospel's message. Melvin calls the video at the end of the post Pimps On Parade. I'd be hard pressed to disagree.

More Crap

2008-12-29T05:47:00.001-08:00

Yet another memoir has been proven to be a heaping pile of crap. This time it is about a couple meeting in a Nazi concentration camp. This is just one more in a long line of people making up stories, becoming famous for the lives they didn't live, then (suprise! suprise!) turn out to have made the whole thing up. About a year ago another such book was about to come out about a woman who grew up on the streets selling drugs of mixed spanish/indian heritage. There was one problem, she was a white girl from a rich suburb. And few people remember the story of JT Leroy who wrote a novel about being a young male prostitute at a truck stop. The problem, it was written by a woman who never lived such a life. And would it be any real shock that Oprah supported this book? Nope, she does have a habit of shouting hooray for someone without knowing where they come from. Seriously, how does she have any credibility left?

R.I.P. Cat Woman

2008-12-26T05:16:00.000-08:00

I didn't even know Eartha Kitt was a singer until I was an adult. I just remember as one of the people who played Cat Woman on the old Batman series. She had a grace that is lost on most female performers these days. She was one of a kind.

I Want To Be Evil

C'est Si Bon

Just An Old Fashioned Girl

Catwoman Is Dressed To Kill

Merry Christmas Part 2

2008-12-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

I love The Pogues Song "Fairytale Of New York" though I prefer the mis-title people place with it a lot better as "Christmas In The Drunk Tank". Recently I heard a wonderful version by KT Tunstall. Very respectful of The Pogues.

And a Merry Saturnalia from Big Bang Theory!

Merry Christmas Part 1

2008-12-19T05:16:00.001-08:00

I love to spend my time finding interesting little tid bits about Christmas. Over the next week I'll post some of my favorites.

Jeff Dunham has to be one of my favorite comedians. He recently produced a Christmas DVD which is some funny stuff. Here he is with his good friend Walter. And here is Walter Santa.

Mug Shots

2008-12-18T05:14:00.001-08:00

I love The Smoking Gun's mug shots of celebrities. They just compiled a list of some of their favorites.

Happy Birthday Adolf

2008-12-17T05:38:00.000-08:00

With all the pretentious a-hole names out there like Apple, Coco & Bronx I have to say that the one that takes the cake (pun intended) is Adolph Hitler Campbell. And he has a sister whose middle name is, I kid you not, Aryan Nation! I swear parents are just hoping their kids get the beat down on a regular basis. What is even worse is the father doesn't see what the big fuss is about over his children's names. Would it surprise anyone that there are Nazi memorabilia all over the house?

The New Rock, Paper, Scissors

2008-12-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

I am sure in our lives we have all played Rock, Paper, Scissors...

....have any of you played Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock?

Who's Line...

2008-12-11T05:29:00.000-08:00

This has to be one of the funniest clips from the great show Who's Line Is It Anyway. Part of what makes so funny is watching the reaction of the performers.

Three Things

2008-12-09T05:05:00.001-08:00

Over the past year or so I have noticed that certain areas of my life were lacking. After my bankruptcy ended and the majority of my financial and work problems were behind me I started to get this itch. I couldn't quite explain it at first, but I knew that I was feeling too complacent like I had kind of come to a sudden stop for no reason. Dealing with my mother's illness and death, going through financial ruin, losing my job, and having the church I loved pretty much implode made for a time of harsh reformation. That is why the book of Hosea is so important to me. As odd as it sounds that book gave me a lot of comfort during those difficult times. Since then things have been on the up swing. I am active in a new church serving in the youth and young adult ministries. After temping for three years I finally have a stable job at a medical supply company which I enjoy. Things are good. So the last thing I would have wanted was change. That was the problem. Just because things are now good I kind of allowed myself to become complacent. Being in the game, but only on the side lines happy to ride the bench while others got to play. That is when I came up with the first focus of my prayer: (1) To knock on all doors God puts before me. Over the years I have let a lot of great opportunities pass through my fingers because I was brilliant at talking myself out of whatever the opportunity happened to be. Whether it was professionally, religiously, artistically, or relationally I know I managed to miss many great chances to either further the kingdom or share in great opportunities with people. Then the second point came along: (2) Radical Inclusivity. I totally ripped this one off from Mike Yaconelli. At the risk at sounding like I am feeling sorry for myself it has been my experience with people I knew and considered friends to get to hear about the fun they had together after the fact. I usually ask myself, "Uhhh, why didn't you guys call me? I was around." It is never fun the be the last one picked or the one never considered. Working in youth ministry as long as I have that is a sad fact of life. There are always the few who do not quite belong and get ignored. Jesus always associated himself with many people who would be considered the unwanted ones. And finally the third point: (3) Don't keep me on the sidelines! While listening to the radio a few months ago a wizened older man kept talking about how he never wanted God to have him sit on the sidelines. This guy was 79 years old! He saw such a need for the kingdom's work to be done that he could never properly retire. Man, to be that vital and alive into old age like this incredible man of God! I never want to be taken out of the game. For as long as God has me on this earth I pray that I will always be useful for God's glory. So there you have it. Pretty risky things to pray for since God has the habit of following through with such prayers. I shake in fear and anticipation!

More Odetta

2008-12-04T14:27:00.001-08:00

I heard this NPR rememberance of Odetta last night. It's only 5 minutes long so it's well worth it.

R.I.P. Odetta

2008-12-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

She has the type of voice that makes you fall in love with her. Beautiful mix of soul and wisdom that uplifts our spirit while reminding us of both the beauty and ugliness of this world. It is unfortunate that she was not more famous in her later years. As great as her folk music was it wasn't until she started to develop a more bluesy style that brought out the true nature of her heart.

Singing "House Of The Rising Sun (Live)".

A wonderful blues standard "Careless Love (Live)".

A heartbreaking rendition of "What A Friend We Have In Jesus (Live)." With Tennessee Ernie Ford.

The Bigger Message

2008-11-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

Once in a while someone gives a sermon, writes a book, or whatever that strikes close to home. We all had an experience at one point where we are sitting in church and the pastor gives such a sermon where we say to ourselves, "He's talking about me." I had that experience a few years ago when my pastor showed a short video based on the book of Hosea. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend you follow the link in my post below. I can't tell you the last time where I have seen the essentials of the gospel broken down into a nugget so beautifully. This little video made me speechless. If you have spent any time with me you'd know that is a very rare occurrence. This video means a lot to me because during the time I was going through a horrible financial and personal crisis and I felt God had drawn away from me. During the dark night of my soul for some reason I was drawn to start reading the book of Hosea. Then I got to the second chapter. I felt as though a loving arm was put around my shoulder as God spoke to me through the vollowing verses:

Hosea 2
1 "Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.'

2 "Rebuke your mother, rebuke her,
for she is not my wife,
and I am not her husband.
Let her remove the adulterous look from her face
and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.

3 Otherwise I will strip her naked
and make her as bare as on the day she was born;
I will make her like a desert,
turn her into a parched land,
and slay her with thirst.

4 I will not show my love to her children,
because they are the children of adultery.

5 Their mother has been unfaithful
and has conceived them in disgrace.
She said, 'I will go after my lovers,
who give me my food and my water,
my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.'

6 Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;
I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.

7 She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
she will look for them but not find them.
Then she will say,
'I will go back to my husband as at first,
for then I was better off than now.'

8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one
who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
who lavished on her the silver and gold—
which they used for Baal.

9 "Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens,
and my new wine when it is ready.
I will take back my wool and my linen,
intended to cover her nakedness.

10 So now I will expose her lewdness
before the eyes of her lovers;
no one will take her out of my hands.

11 I will stop all her celebrations:
her yearly festivals, her New Moons,
her Sabbath days—all her appointed feasts.

12 I will ruin her vines and her fig trees,
which she said were her pay from her lovers;
I will make them a thicket,
and wild animals will devour them.

13 I will punish her for the days
she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but me she forgot,"
declares the LORD.

14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.

15 There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

16 "In that day," declares the LORD,
"you will call me 'my husband';
you will no longer call me 'my master.'

17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
no longer will their names be invoked.

18 In that day I will make a covenant for them
with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
I will abolish from the land,
so that all may lie down in safety.

19 I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.

20 I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

21 "In that day I will respond,"
declares the LORD—
"I will respond to the skies,
and they will respond to the earth;

22 and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.

23 I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one. '
I will say to those called 'Not my people, ' 'You are my people';
and they will say, 'You are my God.' "

So God just called me a big whore. For years I chased other god's though I proclaimed to be a Christian. How does that verse go? Though I proclaimed your name with my lips, my heart was far away from him? God rightly withdrew. In that moment God revealed to me that he was going to continue to withdraw from me, but in His time he was going to call me back as His bride. Just as Hosea paid a heavy price to get his wife back God through Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to bring me back to make me His pure bride.

Looking back on it now though God spoke directly to me in this message it is one that should speak to us all. This is the gospel. Jesus paid the price to bring His bride back home to Him so that we may call Him "our God" and He call us "my people". Which of us can hear something like that and not see it applies to us all. It's not just for the individual. For the non-believer it is a new hope to bring them into a relationship with the most high and righteous God. For the believer it is our ongoing hope to draw us closer to our Husband.

Again we can become God's beloved. How cool is that? For the second time in a day here's the video.

Grace

2008-11-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

A wonderful example of God's loving grace.
UPDATE:
My bad, here's the link.

How Do You Spell Awesome?

2008-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

W.H.O.
What could be better than seeing the 5th & 10th Doctor together? Man I love this show!

The Connection Of Art & Faith

2008-11-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

I am appreciate of Heather's video blogs because they have been helpful in guiding me on the path of my own work. Admittedly I was extremely frustrated having not written anything of substance in over six months and wondering "what's the point?". I even put it out there whether I was wasting my time and should focus more on helping the poor to which she very wiesely responded, "Why does it have to be one or the other?" Hmmm, good point. Or as another friend of mine put it, "You won't be able to give up poetry. As much as you say you want to you never will. Something will pull you back." Good point as well. The 6 month hiatus has been beneficial as it has forced me to work harder and write more compelling work. I am also greatful for the fact she accepted a few of my little poems. Thanks Heather. The fact she is a Jersey girl is just gravy.

Check out here new Video Blog.

Thanks For The Kind Words

2008-11-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

I appologize for not posting in a long while. In september I had blogged about my experiences at The Dodge Poetry Festival being very critical of the event coordinators. A poet who read at the event wrote me a note calling me to task and I folded very quickly. Though I was in the right and was not taking to task the poets who attended I took what was said and caved instead of standing up for what I felt was true. It kind of killed blogging for me. How could I fold on something that was unimportant and how will I stand up for something that is? This silly little blog of mine was started to create a place of conversation, for us to ask questions, and share in the things we enjoy. Sadly, the enjoyment was killed for me. I am hoping that eventually I will get over it, but for now there is nothing. I will try to post more often to at least keep everyone up to date. Thanks for your kind words and support. I appreciate you all.

God Bless,
Dave

Poems

2008-10-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

The one good thing about the Dodge is it did help my writers block and I wrote two new poems. Hope you enjoy.

Waterloo United Methodist Church
September 2008

I worshipped the images
of my youth,
first a story, wood panels
and stained glass.
Then only the word.
And then songs written
only for the voice and guitar.
Now, if not for the men working,
silence,
turning me back to the word.

The Bridge At Morris Canal
-for Maddy

I wanted to walk
across the old plank bridge,
to share with someone the river
and the path into the woods
just beyond.
Only it collapsed
at some unknown time.
I go home
knowing what I missed.

Religulous

2008-10-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Yep, I saw it. Was it funny? Sure. It was mostly sad. Imagine doing all sorts of research to prepare to interview people. Sure the information you are providing has been refuted since, oooh, the early 1900's, but it's new to us so the average person will not know it. Sure you could go to the various seminaries or religious institutions, but why would you when you can go to a truck stop chapel? It was sad. I know the people who were watching the movie with me thought he was spot on. Since he was only going against Joe Average on the street they would not stand a chance against him. He did his homework. Granted it was very dated and proved wrong. Bill is a coward. He hates all religion, but Christians in particular. He spent %95 of the movie talking to a prosperity preacher and people on the street of The Holy Land Experience. It was sad for him and an embarrassment. I hope it makes him feel good about himself. It'd be like me smacking around a 13 year old. I know I can beat him up and it's easier than taking on someone my own size.

Ha!

2008-10-07T11:30:00.001-07:00

Thanks LP for this one. It states so simply how I feel.

I also have a confession to make. Inspite of my recent jibes at Moleskine notebooks I had recently bought one of their pocket sized ones. I need something to cary around with me, but find most either too big, too flimsy or too expensive so I settled for the Moleskine. Actually, they had a softer leather one that seemed to fit my needs. So I brought it with me to the Dodge, made a whole bunch of notes in it, and even wrote two new poems. I recently did a load of laundry. Yep, that's right, I left it in my back pocket and it got ruined. Thankfully I had typed out the new poems before hand so I didn't lose those. I did lose all the notes I had made for a potential script idea a bunch of us are working on. I guess that'll teach me to mess with the mystic Moleskines! What is ironic, but what do I see all around the Dodge? More Moleskines! They were everywhere. Fortunately more were using the good old fashioned spiral bound notebooks.

R.I.P. Hayden Carruth

2008-10-03T05:38:00.000-07:00

One of my main pet peeves about the festival was it seems that many poets these days hadn't really earned the right to the title. Give them an MFA and they publish a book makes them all of a sudden a great sage of the world. Hayden Carruth is good proof of what happens when a life lived along with a ridiculous amount of talent really makes a poet. He didn't go the normal path of a writer and as I am sure you can see from the picture he lived life hard. What results is a body of work that should be envied by anyone wishing to become a poet. He deserves to read. He deserves to be respected and listened to. He was the real deal. Check out his web site and his page on the Academy of American Poets.

An Appology

2008-10-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in my attempt to just goof around and share some ideas with a few readers I often forget that someone may actually read this who doesn't come from inside my small circle and take offense at what I have to say. I have removed a recent post on my experiences at The Dodge because a poet whose work I respect read it and took me to task for not being responsible. And he was right. I do not take what I write here all that seriously and have probably developed a bad habit of not being careful with my words and writing things too much on the fly. It is my regret that what I wrote, quite frankly, deserved the stern talking too that I got. And quite frankly by my literary better. In the future I hope to take this more seriously and take into more of a consideration the feelings of those who may read it.

Blood! Not Funny

2008-09-24T05:13:00.001-07:00

This is a cute little video some guys at my youth group showed me this sunday. Kids come up with some of the funniest things.

Dodge Poetry Fest Here I Come

2008-09-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

I am leaving obsenely early this saturday morning to attend the Dodge Poetry Festival. It is the biggest poetry festival of its kind in the united states. I started attending it years ago and only missed one since then. And only one time would I have considered it a real dog. When I get back I'll post some of my thoughts on the event. And I think some of the writers block is slowly starting to lift.

9/11

2008-09-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of those where were you moments. I have heard people who are old enough ask that question about the day Kennedy was shot. Now I on occassion hear the same question asked for 9/11. Living a few hours away from Philly and DC I have very vivid memories of that day. The day was ordinary. Aren't they all? The weather was moderate, the sun was shining, and nothing special was going on. At that time I was working in a finance office for the state, a small closed off room sharing four desks. Each morning we'd listen to a morning program getting a few yucks when one of the mentioned a news report that a plane hit one of the WTC towers then kept going on their usual shtick. We all commented how it was probably some knuckle head who flew off course and didn't know what he was doing. We went on with our business and they interrupted again to mention how a second plane had hit the second tower. Now we knew there was something going on. Everyone in the courts kept working, but we all switched our radios to news stations and find a TV to see what happened. Now I wish I had never saw what happened. It is still upsetting for me to remember the images of desctruction and of people falling to their deaths. What made it worse is thinking about my father who works at a naval yard in Philly. I ran to the nearest phone to see if he was ok and to convince him to go home. I don't think he did. I remember where I was that day. I was probably planning on taking a walk on the AC board walk down the street from my office. Who knows?

So where were you?

Notebook Review

2008-09-09T05:30:00.001-07:00

In spite of my post yesterday, when I read a recent post on notebooks I had to reply. I admit I am a total notebook nerd. I love the way they look and when considering which one to buy I take into consideration things like will it fit in my bag or pocket, cost, quality of paper, and how easy would it be to write with on my lap if I didn't have a table at hand. I do not have a preference as to what type of notebook I will write in. Usually they are whatever I find or am given for a gift. I feel bad whenever people buy either expensive notebooks or pens because I either will lose them or they'll just fall apart. So I tend to go on the cheap picking up whatever is available at the local Borders in the bargain bin. I can usually find a decent hardbound for about 3 bucks, but they are hard to keep open and for some reason have alternating blank pages instead of lined. It's wierd. The good thing about them is they fit easily in any bag and I can usually last a year before buying a new one. I also use the marble composition books because I can find them at the dollar store. The problem with them is they are not very durable and fall apart too easily. Plus the paper bleeds if I use any type of pen other than a ball point. For a buck what can I expect? In spite of what people will have you believe ultimately it doesn't matter what you use. The brilliant sci-fi writer Octavia Butler once gave the advise that we try mixing it up from time to time. Don't be afraid to try out different notebooks. I do recommend you do not waste your money on Moleskines. They are so over rated. Besides being way too expensive they tend to fall apart. A few weeks ago when I was walking through Philly I saw a bunch of people all using the Moleskine hoping to tap into the mistique that Hemingway may have used that type of book (he hadn't). It makes me giggle. Save yourself 8 bucks and just buy yourself a composition book.

It's All So Quiet

2008-09-08T11:26:00.001-07:00

With the exception of some lame postings I have been real quet lately. Nothing is going on. Just some writers block. Perhaps I have said all I need to say? I do not know. This isn't a sebatical or another attempt at leaving this behind because every time I tried to I wind up coming back a few weeks later. I just got nothing right now. With all the considerations I have as far as career and life are concerned you'd think I'd have more to say.

Silliness

2008-08-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's good to have some Muppet in your life

Hat tip to Looking Closer

R.I.P. What's Going On?

2008-08-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

First it was Alexander.

Then Robert Hazard. Who wrote a fun little 80's ditty.

Then Bernie Mac. A brilliant comedian who made Oceans 11 all the more worthwhile.

And then Isaac "Chef" Hayes. Who, coincidentally, was working on a project with Bernie Mac of some sort.

And finally one of the greatest poets of any language Mahmoud Darwish.

R.I.P. Alexander Solzhenitsyn

2008-08-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Farewell Alex
You lived as an exiled from Russia for writing honestly about the hardships of life in the Soviet Union. Looks like you got the last laugh by being able to finish out your last days in the home country. I'd like to commemorate your passing by reading one of my favorite books. But I cannot find it. I'll have to settle to read "The Cancer Ward" until I can get a new copy. Darn it all!

Bacon and Bowser

2008-08-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Bacon to help you wake up in the morning? Oh yeah, I want one!

And Bowser gets owned!

Yes, I'm That Immature

2008-07-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Sure the game is kinda gross and deals with flatulence, but it it is also very addicting.

One Sentence Stories

2008-07-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Hat Tip to Ken for showing this one last night.

Good Question

2008-07-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Todd was asked a good question, and I was intrigued to see how I would answer.

What would you do with those 25 years?

The first one of course begins with a girl.... I wouldn't have acted like a hurt little puppy when Meghan turned me down when I asked her out. This girl was beyond cool. We met at county college. We'd cut class to get coffee. She drove me home when my car was busted. I asked her out and she didn't say no. She just said that she wasn't ready yet, but to keep being friends and when the time was right she'd be ready. I never talked to her again. What a jackass I was!
I'd have kept in better touch with Joe, Tim, and a few others from back in the day. We had a blast and hung out all the time.
I wouldn't have stayed as long as I did at the state and actually tried to stretch my wings a bit more.
Not been afraid to try stuff. I always wanted to go into Philly more when I was younger, but I was afraid I'd get lost and not find my way back.
I jumped around too many churches.
I'd have been nicer to certain people who actually turned out to be quite cool.
I'd have decked those guys in my earth space science class who picked on me every day for the year.
I'd have eaten healthier and actually exercised more.
I'd have kept up with the Karate. I'd be third degree black belt by know if I stuck with it.
I'd have studied literature like I wanted to in school.
I'd have spent that year in the Dominican Republic after graduation instead of going to college like I wanted to. I was told I'd always have time to do it later. Right.
I'd have told Emily and Meredith to cut the crap.
I'd have told Sharon to shut the hell up.
I'd have spent more time with my mom.
Talked more with my grandparents.
and believe it or not start to drink beer a lot younger. The good stuff, not the crap.
I'd have driven down to see Todd like I said I would several months ago instead of waiting for the right time to go. Sorry buddy.
If this were possible, I'd have hung out with Wes, Matt, Michelle, Jeff and Thom a lot more and spent less time in the AV room watching Fall Guy Re-runs.
Watched less TV period.
Taken more care of my yard even though I was tired all the time.
Appreciated the dark night of my soul more.

Ok, now i am obsessing. What would you guys put?

Funny!

2008-07-10T05:36:00.001-07:00

When I saw the new short by Pixar before Wall-E I nearly pissed myself! Though it is still CGI it is classic cartoon humor.

True Oil Freedom

2008-07-06T17:01:00.001-07:00

If only this were true.

And It Begins

2008-06-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

I thought old Dobsy would be a bit more quiet this time around since Mccain isn't really a Republican. Of course not. I mean look at him. He looks so reverent. So religious. So.... Ok, ok, I won't be so snipish this time around. Believe it or not I respect his work with mental health and faith. I read and learned a lot about life not always making sense from this man. His desire to stop pornography is a good thing. I want to believe what he is doing is for the better good of mankind and a desire to see God's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. The only problem is he lets his politics get in the way of his faith. The old boy doesn't quite have the same amount of power he had back in the day. That doesn't quite stop him from giving his opinion about a recent speech made by Obama. It starts. Actually, it started however many months ago when Hillary and Obama sniping back and forth over who will be the lesser evil. And all the while Mccain sat back and let the blood bath occur. So I get to look forward to several more months of this crap? Just don't interrupt my UFC and I'll be happy.

UPDATE: I just discovered there is a whole sight to people who want to say James Dobson doesn't speak for them. Just for the record, I don't think either one of them speak for me. Only I speak for me. I just hope it's filled with the Spirit of truth.

Scott Mcknight has a good post on the subject.

Can I Get A Witness?

2008-06-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

First there was the farting preacher:

Then the chipmunk preacher. Hat tip to Ken.

Now it's the cussing preacher!

The Visitor: Accidental Fatherhood

2008-06-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

For some reason the children at my church have started calling me Ice Cream Man. I don't know how the collective imagination of the average five year old has come to see me as The Ice Cream Man, nor does it really matter. All I know is whether I like it or not I will be seen as The Ice Cream Man until I am very old and grey. Today was no different than any other day and being fathers day one wished me a happy fathers day. I corrected the young lad that I wasn't a father, but thanks anyway. A nearby mother told me that to them I was their church father. She is probably right. Even though I tell them all the time I want nothing to do with them they probably see me as some sort of church parent. How accidental a thing to happen. I am just another guy at the church. They could have just as likely attached themselves to any of the other men in my church. Or is it so accidental? As a Christian I am not one who believes in just circumstance or chance. God ordains things to happen. He also calls us to be parents to the orphan. And it is amazing how it can happen. This brings to mind a new film out called The Visitor. This wonderful little film is chock full of accidents to lead a man to become the father to a young fatherless man. Let me take you through the accidents that lead to this relationship.

Accident: A widowed professor named Vale has to go to a conference in New York City in the place of someone else.
Result: He discovers living in his apartment a young couple named Tarek and Zainab who were cheated into renting the apartment. This leaves them temporarily homeless. Vale in the goodness of his heart lets them stay until they can get back on their feet again.

Accident: Vale discovers Tarek's drum in the living room and starts messing around with it.
Result: Tarek starts giving him lessons drawing them closer into a friendship.

Accident: Tarek gets arrested in the subway and detained as an illegal immigrant.
Result: Vale chooses to become a father to the fatherless. Fighting for his freedom. Giving him comfort in a time of hardship.

In many respects he becomes the ideal of what many of us think a father should be. He is caring, takes them in when they are need, gives them advise and encouragement, and gets real pissed off when someone messes with his kid. I am sure we could easily see all these things as accidental. Or we can see them as God ordained and an opportunity to reach out to those in need of fatherly love.

The Flying Car

2008-06-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

Kevin Smith offers the ongoing adventures of Dante and Randall.

The Next Benny Hinn

2008-06-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

It looks like the sensational escapism of faith is alive and well. We have a new Benny Hinn in our midst who is claiming to have cured people of cancer. Pulpit Pimps takes a different view of him.

Garfield Minus Garfield

2008-06-03T11:43:00.001-07:00

I have to admit I think I prefer the comis without Garfield.

Jesus For President: A Review

2008-05-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
If you have read Shane's first book you are getting much of the same. The positive of the book is it did make me ask about how I am using my time and finances. How do I look at the war? Treat the poor? etc. It has convicted me in a good sense and I am glad about that. Hopefully it'll reform my heart closer to God's will.

Now for the negative. A lot of his ideas to solve problems for helping the poor, to me, don't sound like they are really helping the poor. In creating a very temporary fix that in the long run does them no good. Feeding the poor is good. In my mind getting them off the streets for good whether through drug councelling, job placement, etc. is even better. They hand free pizza out to the homeless so they can continue to live on the street. That just seems wrong to me. Sure they got to feed them, but at the end of the day they are still homeless without prospects. Hey, I might be wrong. Plus there seems to be a lot of patting themselves on the back, but not nearly as much on their own backs. The desing of the book is great, but all the added little tidbits were a tad destracting. All in all it was a decent book. I'd have given it three stars, but the negative outweighed the positive. It still did teach me a few things.

View all my reviews.

R.I.P. Funny Man

2008-05-30T05:16:00.000-07:00

The hillarious Harvey Korman has passed. If you want to see him at some of his best you have to check out that spoof Hitchcock "High Anxiety" and "Blazing Saddles".

Harvey at the Dentist. Watch how hard he tries to keep a straight face, but ultimately loses it.

In Blazing Saddles.

Harvey meets a frog.

A Tribute.

The French Revolution.

Youtube: Gives voice to the voiceless

2008-05-26T18:11:00.001-07:00

I don't know if this is for real or not. I don't know if this girl did something she now regrets and cries rape to get out of it. Either way, it is sad that people have to resort to using youtube to get their problems out. What do you guys think?

So Funny and So Wrong! 2

2008-05-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

I knew it!

Hat tip to Jas for this one.

Meditationi: A Response

2008-05-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

I appreciate Jeff and Jefe's response to my post on meditation (see below). I like the idea of meditation being a mumbling type of working things out. That's exactly what my experience was like, trying to figure out the nature of God. Fat chance of that this side of heaven, but it's a nice thought. I kept going over and over in my mind the many names and ideas of God crammed into my head over my life. Then the questioning began. What do I know about God? How has my past experiences in the faith impacted positively or negatively my idea about who God is? Perhaps I wasn't even mediating in the strictest sense of the word. I was trying to figure things out. I also think Jeff's concerns about the role of meditation (or lack thereof) in a Christian's life. Especially coming from his background as a Buddhist. That is why whenever I try a new spiritual discipline or go back to one I haven't done in a while I try to not take it lightly. Let's face it, I could be very wrong about this and the last thing I want to do is cause my brother or sister to stray. If you feel that this is something that shouldn't be done, don't do it. If you think that as a brother I am in error then by all means give me council to help put me on the right path. Which is what I thought both Jefe and Jeff tried to do.

Spiritual Discipline: Meditation

2008-05-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

I need to do a better job blogging about the subject of Spiritual Discipline. It is extremely important to our spiritual growth, but for some reason I fail to actually write down my impressions about it. Or, in this case, my struggles with it. Meditation is kind of a thorny issue for people in and out of the church. I can't say I blame them. When I bring up the idea of meditation people start to think of Zen Meditation, Yoga, or the like. We lose ourselves to enter the great loss of self into the greater cloud of souls. Or something. We lose ourselves. While with the Christian version we are to try to enter the presence of God. At least, that's what I think we are supposed to do. Perhaps we can also spend it focussing on scripture. In this case I didn't start with anything in particular in mind. I tried to quite myself to hear the voice of God. Which lasted for all about five seconds as I started to wonder what I'll have for dinner. So I switched gears and tried to think about God, which moved onto the names of God, and then the greatness of God. I made a trail of thought from a vague idea as to who God is to the more specific God is the Lion of Judah! Does it help me gain a better understanding of God? Does it help me to know Him more? I do not know. This is such a foreign territory for me that I can't say whether it is being beneficial or not. On top of that I am not sure what benefit it will have for me and my spiritual growth. What I do know is I am inconsistent with practicing these disciplines and perhaps I'll gain a better understanding as I do them.

So Wrong! But So Funny!

2008-05-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

For all you Calvin and Hobbes fans out there.

A Year Of Biblical Living

2008-05-13T18:20:00.001-07:00

After reading this article I find myself wanting to read his book more.

The Gospel

2008-05-08T18:47:00.001-07:00

A few nights ago I had a meeting with the other leaders of the Young Adult group at my church. This is kind of a rant, but not. It's more saying the things I wanted to the other night, but never had the chance. Anyway... So far things have been going pretty positively, but we have lacked a certain level of direction to the group which has resulted in us mostly just floating along. We were spending just as much time figuring out what worked vs. what doesn't. Who have been worth wile speakers and those who weren't. One thing that one of the leaders kept bringing up was getting the speakers to give a gospel message. Since I picked the speakers I never exactly pushed the point for a few reasons. For one, when I hear someone ask for a gospel message immediately what comes to mind are the alter calls of almost ever charismatic service I have ever attended. And have you ever noticed that the people who usually go up for the alter calls are the people who usually need it the least? Thankfully, this isn't what he meant. Second, what does that mean? What is a gospel message? I think whether he wants to or not the idea of having a gospel message will mean it turning into, "If you want to know Christ as your saviour....". Is that a gospel message? Let me tell you why I am struggling with this whole identity of Gospel. Simply put, I have heard many people give me just as many different ideas as to what the gospel means. The gospel is helping the poor. The gospel is leading others to Christ so they may get to heaven. The gospel is seeking social justice (whatever that means). Voting the right party. Going to the right church. Being reformed vs. dispensationalist. Being word of faith. Being charismatic. Being emergent. It goes on and on. They want the group to be evangelistic. Great, so do I as long as the people we have coming are growing in Christ and can adequately answer the big question I just laid out. I also believe that the group will become evangelistic naturally if we keep teaching them to go in this route and to properly seek Christ, etc. And can't just about any message that has the ethic of Christ, whether he's mentioned or not be a gospel message? At our last meeting I had someone come who works with a ministry that helps support schools in Ghana. Can't that be just as much a gospel message as any? And even if not, isn't that our job as members of the group to share to people who may not be too sure? Lastly, it is my hope that the group becomes unnecessary. I want to see young adults become such a force in the church again and to have a true multi-generational service that we are a part of each others lives. We won't need a group to make it happen, because we'll do it naturally. Sigh. Perhaps I am wrong.

Why Amy? Why?

2008-05-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

Just stop it! Please, just stop. You are ruining your talent.

New Blog

2008-05-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to write about all the cheesey things that I enjoy in life so I have started a blog about it. If anyone wants to join up with it let me know and I'll figure out how to invite you to it.

Dr. Who Can Save The Church

2008-05-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

As a big time Dr. Who fan I have to admit I think this is pretty cool. I don't think I'd want a whole sermon series on it though. This could almost be a bad joke.

Where Are The People?

2008-04-22T11:45:00.001-07:00

I have been asking myself this question since I graduated highschool over 15 years ago. Though I think Ken is being too hard on himself by saying he killed the young adult group at our church (he me also be saying this tongue in cheek. It's hard to tell in blog form) because this is a trend that has pretty obviously been going on for years. I can't tell you all the times I have gone to churches where I am either the only person in my age group or been the only person under the age of 45. I appreciate what Ken has to say on the subject since I am the one he has seen fit to help run our small, but faithful young adult group. It is hard because what the married couples may have different needs than the college student. And the single working stiff may have different needs than them. On top of that I have people asking me what does it mean to be a young adult? Where does it end? I attend and am the oldest one there at 34. Though my role is different than the other people who attend. I am there to be spiritually fed as well as having the added burden of trying to decide how to best serve them.

National Poetry Month: John Berryman

2008-04-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dream Song 1: Huffy Henry hid the day
John Berryman

Huffy Henry hid the day,
unappeasable Henry sulked.
I see his point,—a trying to put things over.
It was the thought that they thought
they could do it made Henry wicked & away.
But he should have come out and talked.

All the world like a woolen lover
once did seem on Henry's side.
Then came a departure.
Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.
I don't see how Henry, pried
open for all the world to see, survived.

What he has now to say is a long
wonder the world can bear & be.
Once in a sycamore I was glad
all at the top, and I sang.
Hard on the land wears the strong sea
and empty grows every bed.

Another Spoof

2008-04-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry. I just don't find it funny.

Big Time Food Poisoning

2008-04-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Did you hear about the one where over a hundred mourners got poisoned by a dish made for mourning at a funeral? Seriously, you can't things like this up.

Shake Up At Willow Creek

2008-04-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Dorsey first made me aware of the big changes going on at Willow Creek. This is a huge deal. So many churches these days have pretty much borrowed the formula from them, while others out right stole every little thing they have done, and based their entire church structure on the Willow Creek method by having them be entirely seeker sensitive. Ummm, that's great, but what happens to them after they come in and start attending regularly? How will they grow if their church is meant only to get people in the door? That's the problem Willow found. Sure people were getting in the door and perhaps getting connected, but they weren't maturing. You may have numbers, but that can only do so much if the body stays immature. It makes me respect them all the more for realizing their mistakes. So the next question is will churches learn from these mistakes? I am sure there are a lot who will. As for the others? One can hope they will learn and grow in maturity.

Missing Nature

2008-04-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

I remember as a kid waking up early on a saturday morning and riding my bike to the local pond to fish all day. My parents never freaked out because they knew where I was and more than likely I'd be home by dinner time. Or meeting with some friends at the ravine after school to climb around rocks and jump across the little stream. My father would take me to Indian Guide camp to fish and take nature hikes and even shoot air rifles. Or I'd come home from school, drop my books off at home and leave a note for my parents telling them where I'd be and not coming home until dinner time. And my parents never worried. At least, they never let on that they worried. After listenign to Richard Louv on more than one occassion it makes me feel sorry for the kids of this generation for they are spending more time in front of one type of screen or another than they are outside getting fresh air. I work part-time at a video game store (I hate to say this) where a majority of the kids who come in there are seriously overweight. And it doesn't come from the parents, because the parents tended to be of a normal weight. This is why I think I am going to do what I can to support this orginization.

National Poetry Month: Lucille Clifton

2008-04-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

I was very fortunate to have seen her and Mark Doty give a lecture at the Dodge Poetry Festival a number of years ago. And one day while flipping through channels I saw that they were showing the lecture on a pbs station. This was pre-cable so the picture wasn't the greatest. I saw a guy stand up to ask a question, but I wasn't entirely paying attention. Until I realized the person was me.

telling our stories
the fox came every evening to my door
asking for nothing. my fear
trapped me inside, hoping to dismiss her
but she sat till morning, waiting.

at dawn we would, each of us,
rise from our haunches, look through the glass
then walk away.

did she gather her village around her
and sing of the hairless moon face,
the trembling snout, the ignorant eyes?

child, i tell you now it was not
the animal blood i was hiding from,
it was the poet in her, the poet and
the terrible stories she could tell.

National Poetry Month: William Carlos Williams

2008-04-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus
William Carlos Williams

According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry

of the year was
awake tingling
near

the edge of the sea
concerned
with itself

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

The Presidential Faithful

2008-04-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

While I do consider a presidents faith (or lack thereof) to be pretty important, I do appreciate LZ's point on the matter.

Happy National Poetry Month

2008-04-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I just remembered right now that it's national poetry month. Another thing which I should celebrate, but have no desire to. All kidding aside I do plan on talking about this a little more shortly.

To start off with here is a lecture I went to celebrating the 100th birthday of George Oppen. I really only stayed for about an hour when I realized the event was to go on for about 3 hours.

lame

2008-04-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Jenn (with 2 N's) for letting me know about this lame rip-off of a sight that I really don't look at to begin with. Can't we come up with anything that is original anymore?

The Gospel According To Oprah

2008-04-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! I cannot believe how far she has come! She is actually at a point where she is influencing peoples religious beliefs. This is scary. Hat tip to Pulpit-Pimps.

Pentacostals, Emergants, and You

2008-04-09T19:13:00.001-07:00

This guy just about covers the gambit of some of the more extreme ideas. I give him credit for being to sight those I've mentioned before and the Anabaptists! As a former pentecostal I found it intriguing. I visited my former church that was heavily pentecostal and have to say I no longer cared for it. If anything I found it to be a tad annoying. I remember thinking how spiritual I looked at that time because my hands were raised, I prayed in the spirit (so I thought), and was up at the alter ever week for prayer. Plus I went on Sunday nights and Wednesdays as well like a good Christian. Fortunately, there are many in the charismatic movement who do get it and are better off than I ever was. And I'll give extra points for the person who first tells me how many times he identifies the emergent movement. We in the emergent movement.... People who consider themselves emergent... etc.

Finding Beauty Among The Thorns

2008-04-07T18:29:00.001-07:00

Could you imagine walking through the subway on your way to work only to pass right on by one of the greatest living violinists in the world? I think it's pretty sad that we so quickly pass by the beauty of God's creation like that. How we are so clock and time driven, we have to be on schedule, be here or there at a certain time or else life will end! We pass it by every day. I know in my own jaunts through the city I've missed beautiful gardens, sculpture, Mosaics, and gifted musicians who I may throw in a buck or two as I rush on by. Once I saw an elderly Asian woman play a bamboo flute in the bitter cold. More recently it was a violinist with one person standing to listen to him play. I catch a half-listen. Maybe a quick glance as I walk on by. God gave them these abilities and the desire to share them with us. It is an opportunity to be uplifted, to transcend the mundane of my life, and I miss it. The funny thing is I know my parents taught me better. That's why the drug me off to art exhibits or Japanese tea gardens so that I may be moved by something greater than myself.

SONG.
by John Donne

GO and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.

If thou be'st born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me,
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear,
No where
Lives a woman true and fair.

If thou find'st one, let me know,
Such a pilgrimage were sweet;
Yet do not, I would not go,
Though at next door we might meet,
Though she were true, when you met her,
And last, till you write your letter,
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two, or three.

Just Because I can

2008-04-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Jealousy In The Pulpit

2008-04-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Did you hear the one about the lady in the choir who shot the other lady in the choir over getting too much attention from the pastor? Seriously man. What is going on here? Are we all so wordly that we allow these sins to get out of control in our lives? Sadly, this isn't even remotely the tip of the iceberg. I remember when a local Young Life youth pastor was charged with having a relationship with an underage girl. A camp I worked at one summer had the same issue the year before (something they neglected to tell me when I applied for the job). Thankfully, I know that these people are the exception, not the rule. There are more good people out there in the faith than ones like these wacko's. Still, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us pray for them.

Father Brown

2008-04-01T05:18:00.001-07:00

I am a sucker for lists. Whenever someone puts out a top 100 anything I always make it a try to listen to, read, or watch everything that is one the list. Admittedly I tend to skip the ones I already know or just have no interest with. When I came upon the Top 50 Crime Writers To Read Before You Die I was pretty intrigued. I am a total mystery fan. The first novel I read on my own was Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and have been hooked ever since. I have to admit I was suprised to see the first writer listed was G.K. Chesterton. Not so much for his talent or genious, he was an Inkling after all, but for the fact he is very overtly religious in his writing. He doesn't mince words nor try to hide below ground his ethic. In fact, it wouldn't suprise me if his most well known character, Father Brown, weren't his alter ego like Kilgore Trout is to Kurt Vonnegut. Very often this kindly priest uses faith, wisdom, and an uncanny understanding of the fallen nature of man to solve his crimes. Many times within a few minutes of the crime being committed, but for the sake of narrative they allow the search for the criminal continue. Primarily Chesterton wrote short stories so you won't even begin to get a good idea as to who this character is until after reading several stories. They are written more like a person telling annecdotes of an old friend which at times I found tiresome. I also notice how much like many crime writers they tend to cheat by not revealing information until the end that you'd have no way of ever knowing. Other times he followed a typical formula that made easy for me to figure out who did it. I am curious to read more of his stories to get a bigger picture not only of the little priest and Chesterton as well. A man of wit and intelligience that influenced C.S. Lewis. Also, I noticed that the priest never actually does any real work. He's always on vacation or travelling somewhere.

The Complete Father Brown Stories

Do We Choose Our Church?

2008-03-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

Does LZ make a good point? I hate to say it man, but I am not sure if I see this as serious as the Arminian Vs. Calvinistic argument. When I had painfully left my previous church I took about two years off of serious church attendance to decompress. After a while I new it was time for me to go back. I would never grow as a Christian if I stayed on my own being the lone ranger (as we called it back in the day). I visited quite a few churches in that day. Mostly independent non-denominational start-up seeker friendly services. Not quite what I was looking for. They were all good people. People I do believe, at least on a surface level, wanted to know God. Until I remembered visiting this Presbyterian church a number of years ago and kind of liking it. After visiting there a number of times I decided to become a member. The Arminian side of me wants to say I chose the church. It had a lot to offer, good preaching and music, friendly people, etc. But the Calvinistic side says the church chose me. There was a lot of need for me to serve there. They were coming out of a similar situation as my own and were hurting. Just like I was. Perhaps he is right. It isn't so easy that we choose a church. Sometimes we stay when it is difficult because we know over time God will lead us through it. Or the church will eventually seek to exist. Right now, I don't think I could leave my church even if I wanted to. Something would draw me back. Probably the Holy Spirit with the knowledge that a lot of great working is being done in God's name.

Rejected: Star Wars Merchandise

2008-03-26T11:13:00.001-07:00

I have to admit my inner geek is sorry that these items didn't make it into production. Just from the corniness factor they'd be worth having. Though I have to admit some of those things would look nice sitting next to my Dalek action figure.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

2008-03-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

How on earth have I waited so long to catch Curb Your Enthusiasm? How can I have let this happen? I am so ashamed! The show is on it's fifth season and I finally watched the complete first season this weekend. And it has to be one of the painful comedies for me to watch. Almost everything that happens to Larry is so cringing I have to look away, but it is such a train wreck you can't help watching! He is living proof that no good deed goes unpunished. Even when he tries to do things that are right like attend an incest survivors group or help a blind man move his television it almost always goes badly. And not just mildly wrong either. When things go bad, they go really bad! And forget about trying to fix the situation. No one seems to give the poor guy a chance to make amends going for the throat and not letting go. I feel for the guy. I can relate to him. Any TV show that starts off the first episode with getting into an argument with your best friends new girl friend and then sitting with your wife's friend while your pants have an unfortunate bunching at the crotch. It's good stuff.

Spiritual Disciplines: The Stations Of The Cross

2008-03-24T05:18:00.001-07:00

I do not know if this actually qualifies as a spiritual discipline, but there was a qaulity to it that makes me wish I could do it more often. I belong to a protestant church so the fact we are actually doing our own version of the stations is interesting. What is sad is that I have already done our stations of the cross more times in the three years at my current church than I ever did as a Catholic. I remember Sister Margaret taking my CCD class around my church's sanctuary going over each of the beautifully wooden hand carved stations. I can't tell you all the time I stared at those pictures totally ignoring mass. It wasn't so much out of spiritual curiosity, but more for the fact that they were kind of gruesome and pretty cool to look at. Our protestantized version didn't offer images. Instead each station was an object that allowed us to touh, taste, and smell the life of Christ. It made it more tangible and real to feel the ropes that bound his wrists, smell the perfume used to annoint him, and eat of the bread from the last supper. At the center of it all was a giant wooden cross we had to nail a piece of paper with a sin to. It is amazing to how meditating on a few objects to coincide with the life of Christ can really make Him more real in our lives. I can't recall the last time Christ felt more personal and alive to me. It was such an act of worship. So powerful. I think if I were to do it more than a few times a year it wouldn't have as much meaning as it does now. Unlike prayer or worship this is such a unique opportunity that it can become trite and meaningless with over use. It is amazing. When I was younger I tried so hard to get away from the older styles of worship, but now I look forward to the opportunity it brings to my spiritual life.

Aslan Reigns Supreme!

2008-03-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

You just can't keep a good lion down. In spite of the juggernaut Harry Potter has become and all the merchandise they have managed to squeeze out to poor unsuspecting parents (a chocolate frog about the size of a bite sized chocolate bar is about $3.00!) it looks like Aslan has pimp slapped some sense into Harry and taken his rightful place in the number one spot.

Good Coffee, Good Food, Good Company, Good Music

2008-03-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Out of all due respect for that certain someone who works at Starbucks and Left Cheek who has been having not the greatest coffee going experiences I have to say I am completely spoiled. Not only have I had consistently worthwhile coffee houses in my past like Flashback Java Joint, Ebeneezers Old World Cafe, Three Been, The Tree House, and believe it or not Borders (before they started to suck!). I can now add Barrington Coffee House to that list. Seriously, I am spoiled. I can walk there in under ten minutes, the food is pretty decent, they make a great cup of coffee and aren't afraid to try a wide range of roasts, but the company is excellent as well. I hate to admit I am a bit slow on the uptake going there. I visited once or twice, but never got in the habit of going on a regular basis. Now with new owners who are just lovely people I try to get there at least once a week. And to top it off they tend to have performers who are more than worth their salt. That is another area where I am spoiled. I have seen people on national tours or get signed to major record labels. I saw Feist and a few other members of Broken Social Scene for $5 once several years before her major label album came out. And this time is no exception. Except this time I got to see two great performers for $8!

Milton

Never heard of the guy. Man am I sorry I haven't before. Though his CD's do not do his voice justice. He has a great husky voice that makes me wish he went a little more blusie at times. Putting that aside he still has written some great music. It isn't often you see someone accompanied with an upright base which made a good complement to his softer folky style. Like so many artists he has been performing for years, flying under the radar while touring the country. It is a shame guys like this do not get much air play. Especially when you take into account how long he has been in the business for.

Carsie Blanton

I was told she looked like Betty Boop. I can safely say that is very true. She is cuter than a bugs ear, writes sweet, jazzy pop tunes that I found myself tapping my toes to. Thankfully she hasn't been jaded by the music business which would ruin her wonderful disposition and style. She is coming out in the right moment as artists like Ingrid Michaelson and Feist pave the way for her to follow in their path when she'll be able to break off from the group and forge a path of her own. She is long over due for a secone album. And I have become such a dork that when I saw her walking through Philly recently I yell out, "You are Carsie Minor!!!" Doh!

A Rant Against St. Patricks Day

2008-03-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

For the love of all things wonderful in the Emerald Isle I cannot begin to tell all of you how much I hate St. Patricks day. Actually, it isn't the day that bothers me, it is all the people pretending to be Irish for a day to give them another excuse to get so drunk they puke green. I am offended in two ways. First as a person of Irish descent who loves his heritage and was fortunate to have a few friends teach me some of the finer beauties of the culture. Between the history, music, and literature there is enough wonderful things to keep me busy for the rest of my life. Many of the people have never of let alone paid attention to O'Casey, Kavanaugh, Keane, The Wolfe Tones, The Chieftains (my dad once got free tickets to see them live though he had no idea who they were, but that's another story), The Hot House Flowers...! They do not know the signifigance of wearing green, the shamrock, or tasted a trully fine porter or dram of whiskey.

I am also insulted as a Christian. Much like Santa Clause, St. Patrick was a very real person. He isn't associated with leprachauns or pots of gold. He was a man of God who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slaver on Ireland. Though he managed to escape he felt lead by God in a vision to go back to Ireland and serve the people who once held him as a captive. He was a believer who gave up comfort and wealth to do the will of his Father God, his anam-cara (soul friend), and a pagan culture living in darkness. And for the record, the shamrock is significant because St. Patrick used it to explain the trinity to the pagan elders.

St. Patrick's Life

The Confession Of St. Patrick

Auralia's Colors: A Review

2008-03-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Jeff Overstreet - Auralia's Colors

I am sorry Jeff. I really tried to like your book more than I did. I really wanted to like it more. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Was it a decently written book? Yes. Was it a better than average written first book? I'd say so. Will I read the next book? Sadly, I am a huge book snob. I am also a writer. So I tend to look at many books I read as a writer. I can recognize brilliant writing and praise it, but I also become very critical when I see things being done in the same old way. First for the positive:

1) I was entertained. It kept my attention and wanted me to finish the book. I didn't feel pissed off after i read it. I didn't feel like I got ripped off from buying the book. I was entertained. I kind of hope it'll be optioned for a movie.

2) A few parts of the book caught me by suprise. Anytime I can read a book and say to myself "Didn't see that coming" is a good thing and doesn't happen all that much.

Now the negative:

1) I felt like I read the story before. I don't see this as him trying to rip a story off, but I do see a lot of fantasy writers taking the same story and re-telling it. The nobody who is secretly meant for greatness. The tirent imposing his will on the lessers. Etc. The characters were of a typical archtype and I am getting a little bored with it. This is why I rarely read sci-fi or fantasy anymore because I know what to expect. The minute they say someone has disapeared from a time long ago you know sooner or later that person will show up eventually.

2) A friend of mine and I used to have a description for anything we read where it felt like a lot of hands had gotten into a piece of work and the language felt unnatural or over stated. We called it workshopped. We'd share a poem we read of someone elses and ask, "Is it just me or does that poem/story/whatever feel workshopped to you?" So many of metaphors felt overboard that it detracted from the story. They were almost too poetic to feel like they came from the authors true voice. And the cleverness of the creatures (fangbear, wyrm, vawn, etc.) was a bit much. Especially when I wasn't given an adequate description of them.

As I said Jeff, I like you and what you are trying to do. For a first book it's well done. Please keep writing. I think ultimately your work will become actualized.

And To Keep Going With A Trend...

2008-03-04T05:14:00.000-08:00

It seems the idea of Christians and movies has been getting more and more press lately. Here are a few more takes on the subject.

Religion and Ethics News Weekly has a report called God and Hollywood. Apparently in spite of the fact that Passion Of The Christ earned major bucks and Hollywood's promise to capitilize on the trend little has happened as a result. Most of the movies produced were either uninspired or straight to dvd crap.

This is an older post from Looking Closer, but I had completely forgotten about it. Can you guys name 20 recent films that portray Christians in a positive light? A few on his list, as usual, suprised me. Though he seemed to have left off The Big Kahuna. At least now when we see a Christian on TV they aren't only as a psychotic wacko.

Looking Closer also looks at the top ten most redeeming films of the past year.

And again from Looking Closer... A list of 100 Writers Of Faith.

Hollywood, Not A Christian Wasteland

2008-03-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

BeliefeNet has a great post on who are the most powerful Christians in Hollywood. I have to admit that there are a few who suprised me.

And also look at the top films that have positive Christian Characters.

Angry White Man

2008-02-29T04:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like there wasn't a candidate who spoke for people like you? Do you feel like your voice is lost in the crowd? Ever wish someone would say "Enough!"? More than likely you are an Angry White Man. With a few exceptions I'd say that was me. With the election season coming upon us and a whole bunch of people promising change (seriously, I counted at least 30 or 40 times in one day the candidates used the term change) yet I still pay a butt load of property taxes. I can't seem to save enough money to go back to school. And it took me over three years to find regular work. I'm not going to lie. I am very ambivalent about all the choices.

Quizzo!

2008-02-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

I took a quiz recommended by my friend Ken. It says I am conservative. I want a recount!

What The...?

2008-02-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

It is very rare to find a few noteworthy pieces about Christianity on the NPR website. Not this time. Oh boy, I hit the mother load not with one story, but two stories.

First up is a story about a group of faithful Christians who have taken a step beyond See You At The Flagpole. Believe it or not, I find this a bit encouraging. So many people talk a good talk about getting involved and doing something. These people actually are.

And is there such a thing as a "Sin Free Sex Toy"? One Christian woman thinks so and she has a company to prove it. I am not so bold as to check out her sight. If any of you have the nerve to check it out please e-mail me and let me know what you find at cubicle.reverend@gmail.com.

Art Spiegelman & Returning To A Former World

2008-02-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

I have just returned to a world I have not been to in ages. I can't remember the last time I had been there or even peaked over the fence into the yard entering that world. The world I returned to is the literary world of readings and discussions. There was a time in my past where a week didn't go by where I attended an open mic poetry reading, or some local author event or other, sitting with other like minded individuals wanting to draw from the experience of the author hoping someday that would be us standing up there reading from our newest work. With the exception of going to see Michael Palin read, which was purely for entertainment, I can't tell you the last time I've gone to something like this. Man I missed it. At that time it became a bit of an idol for me. I loved being the guy who was ahead of the curve about music, books, art, etc. I loved being the guy people came to for an explanation about the movie Memento. Not anymore. I know longer know what bands are coming out or who has a new novel or whatever. A part of me is glad.

All that to say I stepped back into the world to listen to attend a lecture by Art Spiegelman:

This isn't my first experience with Spiegelman as I went to a showing of the original artwork for the graphic novels Maus. There were a few things that disapointed me:

1) He wasn't giving autographs because of logistical issues. Right, ok fine, I have a feeling like it was more because he didn't want to, but no big deal.

2) He hardly talked about Maus. This disapointment was quickly pushed aside.

He instead talked about the creation of the comic form and how it influenced him. I admit as much as a comic fan as I was during my childhood I didn't know there was a whole world of underground comic books. There is a wonderful streaming video of the event. Enjoy.

Warming about the vid.... there were some naughty pictures in it. not many, but they were there. Watch with caution.

Tony Campolo: Red Letter Christians

2008-02-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

As far as Tony Campolo's newest book is concerned:

Think I read this book before...

...I'm really not sure, but it sounds so familiar...

...Why does this book remind me of something I've read before?

Seriously, this is the fourth time I have read this book! He has written very similar books at least 4 times before, not including the other books he wrote that touch on similar topics. My feelings about the red letter christians are simple. Do we really need yet another Christian "movement" in this world? And to base one only off the red letters of Christ's words seems a bit shoddy to me. Sure it seemd to work for Tolstoy and Jefferson to take out the parts of the Bible that made them uncomfortable. Quite frankly, I'd rather be a Full Bible Christian. Or better yet, just Christian. And here is a vid of Campolo talking to Colbert on the subject.

Fear Not The Scroll

2008-02-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

I really dropped the ball on this one. I have been having a very bad habit lately of saying I'll blog about something, but not getting to it til several months later. It was so long ago that I planned on blogging about Kerouac's "The Scroll" I had to search like crazy to find the original post. Here it goes:

I expected another Kubla Khan, a dreamy psychotic half-understandable stream of conscience fit that would make James Joyce cry. I was wrong. The book is quite readable and in its way a fascinating story. One question I usually ask when reading anything is whether I can believe it or not. So many books, even ones claiming to be about the authors life, have the tendency to not ring true. I believed every word he wrote. What also suprised me was his strong desire to find God. I didn't realize how much he wanted to love and belief in something bigger than himself. For all the crossing and recrossing the country he could have settled down anywhere. For some reason he could not bring himself to do it. Why? Was it easier for him to run from all the questions and desires he held inside? Perhaps. The trip was unromantic in spite of every persons desire to put it on a romantic pedestal. You cannot ignore the heartache, the alcohol induced numbness, and this persons inability to settle down. One problem, as one reviewer put it, is that the book can be exhausting because there are no paragraph breaks helping to tell you when to stop. If you do decide to read it here's one piece of advice how to get through it. Much like Jack's travells just keep going until something stops you. Anything at all like running out of gas or needing to pick up supplies. You can always start the journey again tomorrow. One more thing, always pick up hitchikers.

Here's a vid of Kerouac discussing "On The Road".

Against Legalism

2008-02-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my church hosted the east coast Presbitery. Church representatives for the Evangelical Presbiterian Church from Florida to Maine came to my little church to discuss the future of the denomination. I was fortunate enough to hear Rob Norris from 4th Pres. in Bethesda Maryland preach. His stance is that legalism focusses on the little rules that we are able to accomplish versus the big ones which are harder to live by. There were a few things that pleased me about his preaching:

1) He read from a pretty expansive piece of scripture. Most churches I have been to may read one verse here and another there, if they quote from it at all.

2) He's Welsh. Listening to him read was incredible. He was so poetic and passionate about the word fo God.

Afterwards several pastors and I were able to go out for a pint afterwards. Never in my life have I gone out for a beer and left with homework.