Coming Attractions

There's a nifty book published in 1997 called Postmodern God (edited by Graham Ward). It is an anthology of essays that discuss the connection between postmodern thinkers and theology. I find the format of the book to be very helpful. Each postmodern thinker in the anthology has an essay, writings in their own words. But each essay is introduced by a lengthy discussion on the general nature of the thinker's philosophy and how their concerns might be related to theology. The essays and selections are top notch, and as such the text lends itself well to discussion of how postmodern thought relates to theology.....which makes it a great book to blog on.....so in the upcoming months, I would like to blog on some of the selections.

(Unfortunately, the book is a bit pricey, roughly $50. I purchased it at a better price a few years back. If you want to purchase the book, but find the price tag too high, check out used copies. I found one at Abe Books for only $19.78.)

Yes, friends, I am still going to continue blog on Galatians!

I have had a difficult time getting a specific commentary, so it has slowed my progress. However, in the next few weeks, I will have another post. In the meantime, you are welcome to check out the two prior posts. In Evangelistic we discussed Paul's gospel (as seen in Galatians in particular) and compared it with contemporary popular evangelism. My contention is that Paul's emphasis is not on a who's-in-and-who's-out, it is a gospel of reconciliation, that reconciliation has already occurred, it is not something we can "get" through faith. Faith is primarily a recognition of what already is.....I take a similar position when blogging on Galatians 4. In this text, the dichotomy between "believer" and "unbeliever" begins to break down. See Slaves and Heirs.

Also of significant interest are posts by our insightful friend Ktismatics (aka "John Doyle"). Ktismatics has one post on Galatians 6 that is of particular interest and that I recommend: New Creation in Paul. (He also has a post summarizing his view of some of the key elements of Paul's theology New Creation in Paul.)

Pay-as-you-go Church

My friend Nicole had a good idea that would resolve the division that exists among churches, encourage attendance, help the unity of Christians, encourage financial giving, facilitate worship service creativity, and help fend off boredom amongst Christians. Yes, an idea to speak to all of these issues, from my friend Nicole.

The idea, though profound, is quite simple: have people pay for the sermons.

Now, we are not suggesting something so crass or crude as to set a price tag on the sermon. Oh, heavens no! One should only give as they are led! All we are suggesting is that the offering plates are passed amongst the faithful after the service is over. The unstated understanding is that if the service was good, then the people can feel good about giving their hard earned American dollars to the cause. If the service was not good, then the clergy can give it another try next week.

We really need to utilize the forces of Adam Smith's invisible hand.

If Nicole's scenario existed, then Christians could feel free to visit other churches without having a "home church." When the services become a matter of routine, obligation, moralizing for the sake of moralizing, or in anyway dull and uninspiring, then the faithful can go to other churches where people have something interesting to say or do. In such a scenario, believers don't "belong" to a church--as if one church had all of the answers while all other believers are shadows of this perfection--rather, all believers belong together, and Sunday morning would become a matter of finding the gathering where the most energy seems to be present, where provocative challenges are presented, intellectual stimulation is evident, spiritual passion is alive, etc., etc.

The "church hop" already happens in America.....people go from church to church.....but Nicole's thought is that we should just let this idea reach its logical end. Right now people "join a church" (a horrible idea!) and then they have to completely break their ties with the old church (cancel their membership, etc.) before they can "join" the new church.

No more shame! Let each Sunday be a fresh start!

Go from church to church. Pass the plates at the end of the sermon, and then people can contribute to the ministry that has something going for it. Think of it like a cell phone plan: wouldn't it be great to use your phone and then at the end of the month just pay for the minutes you used???

Just shoot me

Last week I woke up with the dread that someone was trying to kill me. It was a feeling that I was being chased and pursued. Someone(s) was trying to shoot me. So, I was constantly on the lookout for snipers who would sink a bullet into my head. Who was trying to shoot me? I'm not sure, but I know they were Asian/Oriental. I'm thinking Chinese.

Do the snipers represent potential women interested in marriage? And do the bullets represent marriage and the death of me?

Is there a psychoanalyst in the house?

Berlusconi Rides Again

In world news, the headline reads Berlusconi Rides Again: "Only in Italy could Silvio Berlusconi, the country's richest and occasionally most outlandish man, be elected Prime Minister. Three times! Spry and combative as ever, the 71-year-old media mogul on Monday rolled to a clear-cut election victory just two years after Romano Prodi had ousted him from the job by a whisker's margin." Longtime readers of my blog might recall that we followed Berlusconi in the prior election when he made a no sex campaign promise to a religious leader, stating he would abstain until after the election. What an odd campaign promise, eh? Berlusconi lost that prior election, and yet one might suggest that the headline "Bersconi Rides Again" might well have applied both to this election and the prior, albeit with slightly different meanings.

In (loosely) related news....

High Testosterone Means High Profits: "You can almost hear Gordon Gekko cheer. Financial traders are widely seen as filthy rich, brash, and, well, ballsy. Now it turns out that there's cash in those cojones. According to new research from the University of Cambridge, a male trader's daily testosterone level is higher on days when he makes more than he would in an average day. What's more, the higher a trader's morning testosterone level, the more money he'll likely have netted before the close of business that day. Testosterone, in other words, can be good for business...." However, it's not all good times, as it were: "The effects triggered by chronically elevated levels of testosterone can eventually have the opposite effect. Animals observed in this same situation by scientists start to pick fights they ought to avoid, or to patrol a wider, more hazardous patch of territory. Perception of risk becomes blurred. For a trader on a roll in the midst of a bubble, for instance, that suggests 'several rounds of winning means testosterone so high they start taking stupid risks,' says John Coates, a former Wall Street trader turned senior research fellow at Cambridge, and lead author of the study. Amid today's volatile markets, chronically high levels of cortisol, which can conjure up feelings of anxiety and negative thoughts, are believed likely to squeeze a trader's stomach for risk, potentially perpetuating a market's fall still further."

Lastly, don't forget to join the bass fishing fantasy league. It makes following bass fishing so much more intriguing, even more fascinating than it already is. Now you can compete against other bass fishing enthusiasts and test your knowledge. But will fantasy bass fishing leagues spoil the purity of the sport? Bass fishing should be about a man, his rod, and the water. Has corporate America tainted the beauty and simplicity of following bass fishing?

"Go Feck Yourself!"

[begin infomercial]

[begin intro infomercial music]
[narrator]
Are you a Christian and conservative with your language? But do you still sometimes get mad at people and want to curse?

We'll we at Cursenomore have just the product for you.

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Life can be difficult. People will cut you off on the highway, cars can break down at the worst time, and sometimes it all just piles up on you! We at Cursenomore understand, and that's why we want you to have "Feck."
[fade out intro infomercial music]

[begin testimonial by well groomed, roundly shaped man in mid-thirties with slightly nerdy tone of voice]
My name is Tom. I am a pastor of a very nice church. I always listen to Christian music on the radio and want my children to grow up in a safe atmosphere. [pause, guilty look] But I do get angry sometimes with how people drive, and every once in a while a bad word will slip out of my mouth. [pause, even more guilty looking] I have used [bleeping out the word] and I sometimes have even said [bleeping out the word] and [bleeping out the word]. But since using Feck I've been a whole new person. I have not used [bleeping out the word], [bleeping out the word], or [bleeping out the word]. Not once. [look of relief and satisfaction] Feck has changed my life and made my car a safe place again for the kids to listen to Christian music or watch wholesome DVDs.
[end testimonial by well groomed, roundly shaped man in mid-thirties with slightly nerdy tone of voice]

[fade in upbeat infomercial music]
[narrator]
Just in the feck of time, you, too, can get rid of those nasty pofanities. Just like that, they can be gone--fecking gone!
[dim the upbeat infomercial music]

[begin testimonial from attractive, thin and trendy woman with wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights look]
There are sooooo many fecking good combinations. [little giggle] Uhhmmmmm, there's "Feck you," "What the Feck??!!" "Get the feck out of here!" "Feck that," Oh, and "Feck off!" You can just be so creative!
[end testimonial from attractive, thin and trendy woman with wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights look]

[fade in teary eyed, dramatic infomercial music]
[narrator]
Sometimes cursing can really be bad for you and others around you.
[begin testimonial by well groomed, roundly shaped man in mid-thirties with slightly nerdy tone of voice]
[really serious look] I know what it is like to drop the Fbomb....and I'm a Pastor. Imagine the fear I felt at the possibility that one day I would say [bleeping out the word] or even [bleeping out the word] and a person in my congregation would hear.
[end testimonial by well groomed, roundly shaped man in mid-thirties with slightly nerdy tone of voice]

[narrator]
But you don't have to curse. Not if you're Fecked!

[abrupt change to upbeat infomercial music]
[narrator]
Order today! You, too, can curse no more! The profanity can be gone in a Feck! The results are guaranteed. You will never have to curse again.

But that's not all! Be one of the first hundred callers and we'll also send you a bonus product. Pick up the phone and order right now and you'll also receive "Crum!"

[begin testimonial from man named James who is doing some electrical wiring around the house]
I do a lot of odd jobs and handyman work around the house, and sometimes I like to help out friends with jobs at their houses. Crum works great for those small jobs where things just don't go quite the way you had planned. I use Crum all the time for those little things. It works great. It's always right there, whenever I need an "Ah, crum!" or even just a quick "Crum" under my breath.
[end testimonial from man named James who is doing some electrical wiring around the house]

[narrator]
Feck is a real product with real results. And the results are guaranteed.

Being curse-free is just a phone call away. Call 1-800-Feck-Off to speak with a helpful service representative. Remember, Feck is guaranteed to make you curse-free. You can even try it risk-free for thirty days.

Get Feck today by calling 1-800-Feck-Off. That's 1-800-Feck-Off.

Call today!

Feck yourself right now: it's for your own good and the safety of those you love.

[end infomercial]



Main Entry: feck
Function:noun
Etymology:Middle English (Scots) fek, by shortening & alteration from Middle English 1effect

1 Scotland a : the greater share : MAJORITY usually used with the "the feck of the town council didn't fancy his backers" John Buchan b : PART, PORTION "took the best feck of a year" "sold the best feck of the litter"
2 Scotland : VALUE, WORTH "no feck would come from it"
3 Scotland : a number or quantity especially when large "a whole feck of them came"
[taken from Merriam-Webster]

Smoke pot, live longer

"Recreational drugs, including cocaine and heroin, are responsible for an estimated 10,000-20,000 American deaths per year....While approximately 10,000 per year die from the effects of illegal drugs, an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that an estimated 106,000 hospitalized patients die each year from drugs which, by medical standards, are properly prescribed and properly administered. More than two million suffer serious side effects."

From "Recreational Drugs Far Less Likely to Kill You than Prescribed Drugs"

In other words, your odds for living a longer life are better if you are a schmecker, taking on a number, on the pine, or a user of other such goods than if you are prescribed drugs at a hospital. Pass the reefer for the good of your health?!?!?

Miscellaneous Monday

I'm surprised by the recent politics. Barack is now in the forefront, having won in Iowa and now leading in New Hamp. I really thought Hillary would win the Dem. nomination, but things do not look good for her. For one thing, I think it is fair to say that Bill is not the same "Slick Willy" that he was in the 90's. The Clinton team was on a roll back then, and they took advantage of the various political opportunities. These days they have far more power and connections, but why can't they make it happen? Bill, for one thing, doesn't seem to have the energy and charisma. (Crf. this current article, "In New Hampshire, Bill Clinton Finds Less Spark") In some cases, he causes more political problems. It seems he is becoming something of an irritable old man!

I still think Romney is going to win from the other side. But who would win between Romney and Barack? I think Barack has a better shot than Hillary at beating a strong Republican candidate. But let's be realistic here, a black man with the name "Barack Obama" is still problematic for a general election.

Here is a photo of doggies in the snow. These are my brother's (Matt) puppies in Tahoe, CA.


House update:
I'm a bit tired, but I keep plugging away. I have been keeping a photo journal of the work I am doing on "this old house." My bedroom is nearly completed, which will be a major overhaul of what it used to be. Next is the living room. I need to have a professional come in to look at a small section of the wall where there is bad wood. But I'll be darned if I can't find anyone who is available!

Pics of me working on the house will be coming when the major projects are complete.

Finally, I would like to give a shout out to Mama Miller. I was in a conversation with some friends this weekend who informed me that you read this blog religiously. Keep Max out of trouble down south!

Rambunctious

The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for December 04, 2007 is:
rambunctious \ram-BUNK-shuss\ adjective

: marked by uncontrollable exuberance : unruly

Example Sentence:
By the time she finally got the three rambunctious children to bed, the babysitter was exhausted.

Did you know?
"Rambunctious" first appeared in print in 1830, at a time when the fast-growing United States was forging its identity and indulging in a fashion for colorful new coinages suggestive of the young nation's optimism and exuberance. "Rip-roaring," "scalawag," "hornswoggle," and "skedaddle" are other examples of the lively language of that era. Did Americans alter the largely British "rumbustious" because it sounded, well, British? That could be. "Rumbustious," which first appeared in Britain in the late 1700s, was probably based on "robustious," a much older adjective that meant both "robust" and "boisterous."

Where's Waldo????

The 2007 Eisenbrauns staff.

Like dog, like owner

A few, odd post-Thanksgiving observations:
Dogs take on the personality of their owners.
Married couples begin to look alike after several years of marriage. (Not to mention that they think and act alike.)
Dogs and their owners tend to look alike.
When co-workers have to read each other's handwriting on a regular basis, after several years their handwriting will begin to look the same.

News

To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit it and read it are old women over their tea. - Henry David Thoreau

Cold ain't so bad

I have never been one to enjoy the cold. I have always liked to be warm and toasty. Turn up the heat, layer up with sweats, and enjoy hot cocoa. In fact, I have not only wanted to be warm, but I have despised the cold.

However, last winter I began to make some changes. I embarked upon a mission to convince myself that I enjoy the cold; to transform myself from a warm person into a cold person. I kept the house a bit cooler than normal (saving heating $$$), and I ran year-round last year, even running during a blizzard. (It's not so bad, as long as you layer.)

Gradually, I think that I am convincing myself to become a cold person - to enjoy the changing of seasons. Embrace the cold, love the cold, and the cold will love you. The only problem is now people are complaining about coming over to my house because it is too cold....hhhhmmmm....I may have to nix having guests over to the house until next spring!

Stamp me stupid

Does anyone remember the danged stamp rate??? I've got like three or four different stamp types each with a frakin' different postage rate on it...I finally found one that says "First-Class" and "Forever," so hopefully that will work......

Always right on!

I received this Dilbert comic from a fellow blogger friend who said she thought of me when she saw it.



Ironically, we can quote her most recent post where she says of herself, "I am brilliant!" Perhaps she is projecting just a bit, eh???

Pillow talk

After being asleep for about two hours last night I woke up knowing that I needed to get rid of my pillow. For some reason I could no longer use it. A few hours later I awoke and realized I had no pillow and suddenly felt conflicted. On the one hand, I knew that I had a very good reason for discarding the pillow (bugs or poison or some such critical issue), yet on the other hand I could not remember why. I had no desire to sleep without a pillow, nor did I want to go hunting for a replacement. Soooooo......I just put my pillow back in to service.

Do you have any ideas of deeper meanings behind this episode last night? Any hidden truths that can be brought to bear upon me or my personality? Any interpretations that may aid my self-realization?!?!

Also, just like in Daniel chapter 2, I wonder if you could not only interpret the events, but also tell me what happened. That is, why I did I originally discard my pillow. I simply cannot recall. And yet I would have never gotten rid of my pillow (because I very much love my pillow, it being the perfect size and all) if I hadn't had a darned good reason.

Mount Tallac

A cool pic that my bro. took from Mount Tallac, which is in California, southwest of Lake Tahoe.

Doth anyone have a verse or rhyme to share that hath inspired them after viewing this majestic mountain top picture? This is in keeping with the new tone, which, incidentally, the new tone will probably not last long as it seems we are getting more and more votes for "the same down-in-the-mouth garble" and "think Pearl Jam and Emo Kids." Plus, I keep getting more ideas for down-in-the-mouth garble posts that I want to put up, as well as a lengthy post on Wittgenstein's biography (Monk) that I think will be interesting. Probably not too much time left for the Waterfalls of Love theme, so, if you have a word of inspiration on this Monday morning now is the time to share.

Random Photo, Random Story

I found this nice photograph over at Beautifully Profound.

Here's the task for your imagination. Take this seemingly random photo, which could be from anywhere in the world, and give me a story. What is going on? What is happening behind the scenes? Perhaps something is about to happen? Perhaps nothing has ever happened?

Let's see what our collective imaginations can conjure up.

Speling kuiz

Wich werd or werds ar mispeled in the folowing Oxferd Univercity Pres Publicashun?



The ferst 1 to get it rite wins!

(Hint: As of now I see two misspellings in the title!)

How Hesiak got religion

When I saw this I couldn't help but think of our friend, whom the ladies refer to as the Hesmaniak Heart Attack.

Obviously I need to blog more

Got a long way to go. I'm only 78% addicted to blogging. I need to up that another 22%.

78%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

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