Somebody Smarter Said - 13

"The success of love is in the loving - it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done." - Mother Theresa

Somebody Smarter Said - 12

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela

Somebody Smarter Said - 11

"The Bible is a collection of stories that teach us about what it looks like when God is at work through actual people." - Rob Bell

Hey Neat-O - 8

I have a problem. I like to listen to music.
But I have too much music to fit on my puny laptop harddrive. So I have an external hard drive. But I don't feel like lugging it around everywhere I go. So I really appreciate Pandora.
It's like an online radio. You type in the name of a song or artist and it plays music in the same vein for you. So far, I've been listening to the 'lifehouse' station, and have enjoyed it a lot. Right now it's actually playing Take Me Away, one of my favorite songs.
Best of all? It's free.

Pandora

Somebody Smarter Said - 10

"Distance does not decide who is your brother and who is not. The church is going to have to become the conscience of the free market if it's to have any meaning in this world - and stop being its apologist." - Bono

Hey Neat-O - 7

Sometimes I need a reason to write.
Sometimes, I need to be reminded to just stop writing.

101 Reasons to Stop Writing

Somebody Smarter Said - 9

"I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night." -Tony Campolo

Hey Neat-O - 6

Every now and then, it's cool to check on crazy, subversive, different art. And whether that's unique bookcase designs or information on the painter Banksy, WebUrbanist is the place to go.

Web Urbanist

Somebody Smarter Said - 8

"Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow." - Mahatma Gandhi

Hey Neat-O - 5

I love Television Without Pity, or TWOP. It's full of reviews for almost every episode of any good tv show. And not just full of reviews, but full of snarky reviews. It's great if you miss an episode and need to catch up or even if you just want to relive some of your favorite moments.

Television Without Pity

Somebody Smarter Said - 7

"The writing itself can provide the solace, the illumination, the direction, the self-awareness... and it can open your heart. And there's nothing more important than that." - Anne Lamott

Hey Neat-O - 4

Fan of Donald Miller?
Check out this website he started, which advertises itself as "an online magazine presenting an alternative to franchise faith." It updates every Monday.

Burnside Writers Collective

Watch This - 2

Random Thoughts - 11

An Autobiography of Reading:

Bruce Coville
Bruce writes children's books, and I read them until I was 9 or 10. Loved them. Where else do you learn that aliens do indeed fart?
K.A. Applegate
Applegate was the author behind the Animorphs books, which I read until the series ended. They were a bridge to more adult books; the Animorphs dealt with some staggeringly adult themes; war and loss and ethics.
Christopher Pike
These were my real transition books. I remember reading one, and there was a swear word in the first chapter. I put the book away, terrified my parents would get mad at me. Eventually, I kept reading. I don't remember these books adding anything of value to my life, but they did prepare me for the next step.
Dean Koontz
Aah, the mindless thriller. Loved Dean Koontz. Still do, as a matter of fact. Something about his writing lets me just forget what it is I'm doing or what it is I'm worrying about. Some of his newer stuff has some good things to say against bioethics and stuff, so nowadays I don't see him as too much of a guilty pleasure.
Stephen King
And then we get to some of the heavyweights. King's books range from the terrifying to the thoughtful, and it was first through King that I learned that a story that stays with you is one that doesn't wrap up all the neat ends. I hate(d) that King would kill off certain characters, and I wanted to rewrite the story so that they lived. And then I realized how effective that was; I was so disturbed by the book that I found myself thinking about it long after I had read it. IT and The Stand are two of the best horror books I've ever read, and they have so much more to offer than just chills down your back.
COLLEGE
Funny enough, but I didn't read much of anything when I was in college. If I was reading, it was certainly for class, and not for the sake of reading.
Rob Bell
My first introduction into postmodernism, and I loved it. I fell too deep into it for a little while, and I needed to actually remember to read the Bible to make sure I wasn't just making crap up. Rob helped me to see postmodernity in a good light and how to balance it with the Bible.
Anne Lamott
I debated whether or not to put Donald Miller here, but I decided it would be more appropriate to go with Lamott. Lamott inspired Miller, afterall. And on my first reading of Blue Like Jazz, I didn't like it. I loved Bird by Bird (by Lamott) on the first read. I loved the realistic combined with the poetic, and the honest emotions. It helped inspire me to write Ashram, and ultimately to continue writing.

What's next?

Somebody Smarter Said - 6

"There's a fine line between healthy mistrust of humanity and outright paranoia." - Scott Adams

Watch This - 1

New Creation from FC Post on Vimeo.

Came from the reliably awesome Jim.

Writing Tips - 3

Clip Clip Clip.
Save ideas.
Clip them from newspapers, from magazines.
Highlight them in books. Bookmark them on websites.
If somebody says something you like, and you don't have the ability to write it down, take out your phone, and text it to yourself.
For example, I was listening to a sermon at Every Tuesday from a missionary. He used a phrase that I loved.
He called a little kid who was annoying him a "muppet."
Which is such a cool phrase to use in a derogatory fashion.
But I didn't have a chance to write it down, so I had to text it to myself.
And some day, I'll use that phrase in a book.
But if I hadn't saved it, I wouldn't ever use it.
So save some stuff.

Somebody Smarter Said - 5

"As any great artist will attest, it is the focus that begins the process of creating a great masterpiece; there are plenty of artists who imagine great works but never do anything." - Shawn Wood

Hey Neat-O - 3

If you're interested in being a good writer, you probably should avoid cliche's.
But how to avoid them if you don't even recognize them? Try this website; it generates a random list of 10 new cliches every time you visit.

Ten Random Cliche's!

Random Thoughts - 10

To him who is able to do immeasurably more...
To God be the glory...
Praise God from whom all blessings flow...
To the only God our Saviour be glory...
Forever and ever Amen...

Benedictions are a beautiful amazing thing.
And so I wonder what sort of benediction I'll use at my church someday.
I want to write something new and beautiful, and I want to honor the tradition of the old.

Here's my first stab:

To the God who is Life to all who believe,
To you we ascribe Glory and Honor and Power
May you teach every day to be more like you
until your Glory is achieved to the fullest.
Amen.

Random Thoughts - 9

The NotePocalypse - Why I'm Choosing Obama and Why You Should To...

Ground Rules - I'm not writing anything without backing it up.I'm posting this on Facebook and on Blogspot, and the blogspot (andyszymas.blogspot.com) will have the links and sources. Facebook won't, because facebook notes don't have great ability to incorporate links. Please stick to the subjects I've mentioned here, because I want to reach some consensus on these issues before we start talking about anything else.
One last thing. If you say anything stupid, I'll still be your friend, but I'll just think you're stupid. I reserve the right to call anything stupid by the name "stupid."

So why am I writing this? Well, to be honest, I'm seeing a lot of facebook notes with a lot of blatant misinformation and misconceptions on both sides. There are some stupid democrats and some stupid republicans, and that frustrated me enough to finally come out of the political closet and let you all know publicly who I'm supporting. So I'm rereading some of the notes and addressing what they've said on some of the issues. So with all that said, to the issues:

Abortion. The standard thinking is that McCain is pro-life because he values the sanctity of human life, while Obama is pro-choice and wants to eat your babies. Let's examine that a bit closer. So how does McCain intend to be pro-life? Well, I searched quite a bit on the internet, and all I could really find was from McCain's own website. McCain says he would nominate justices in the model of John Roberts and Samuel Alito, two supreme court justices who are pro-life in belief. I find it interesting that McCain intends to nominate a justice in the vein of Roberts, who is one of the more conservative justices on the bench. Oops, guess McCain forgot to tell you that Roberts himself said he wouldn't overturn abortion. And of course, McCain has said he wouldn't make abortion his litmus test for nominating a judge. Also, McCain should mention he voted in favor for the two most liberal justices on the bench. And finally, let's not forget that he's been pretty flip floppy on this issue.
Obama? Yeah, he's pro-choice. But unlike McCain, Obama has a plan to reduce abortions. The 95/10 initiative calls for government policy and legislation to reduce abortions by 95% in 1o years. So Obama has an actual plan in place, and it's a plan he's been committed to for some time.

Vice President - One of the silliest arguments I read was that Palin would be okay for veep because she was governor of the largest state in the USA. Well, that's a pretty dumb argument. I'm calling that one stupid. Alaska is the 47th least populated state. It's has approximately twice as many people as the city of Charleston, SC. And lest you think I'm being biased, Delaware is the 45th least populated state. So clearly, if we're talking about the size of the body you've ruled, Palin and Biden are poor choices.

Change - Here's a direct quote from a facebook note: "Obama is "changing" for whatever the people and the media want you to see. McCain is an honorable man to the core...which is why he has not spoken or attacked sooner."
This is a great example of saying something that isn't true and hoping by saying it that it becomes true. Obama has been the straight man here; he hasn't flipped any of his policies or ideas for political gain. The most you can argue is that he left a church, after the pastor embarassed himself. Obama's policies and ideas and political beliefs are still the same. I already highlighted in the above Abortion section how McCain has flipflopped on Abortion, so I don't really see the need to cite any more sources. Obviously, McCain is doing the very thing that this quote is saying he doesn't do but Obama does do. Also, McCain's not speaking or attacking sooner? The first mention of a negative ad that I can find was released by McCain. Also, did you watch the second presidential debate? It was very honorable for McCain to blatantly misquote Obama about Pakistan. Check it out; search for Katie Hamm's question, and read Obama's response. Then read what McCain has to say.

I think that's about it for this round. I'm tempted to start a discussion about war theory, and whether Jesus would bomb countries that attacked him. I'm tempted to start talking about economics, but from what I've seen, there's plenty of finger pointing going around, and noone seems to agree on anything. Republicans say everything needs to be deregulated, and democrats say everything needs to be regulated. Since we have no one's word to take but their own, I find that debate meaningless. If you want some fodder for reading on the economic side, check this out - Scott Adams did a survey of Economists, polling them about politics.

New Post Schedule

Here's some of what you can expect on this new blog initiative:

Random Thoughts - Random musings on random events and news. These will technically be published randomly, but they'll comprise the bulk of my postings.

Hey Neat-O - A cool website I've found. Expect one every Monday.

Writing Tips - Something I'm learning about writing. One should appear every Tuesday.

Somebody Smarter Said - Quotes from somebody smarter than me. There will be one at least every wednesday.

In Honor Of - A tribute to someone or something meaningful in my life. I'll post a new one every Friday.

Also, you can expect infrequent updates about my writing projects and life in general. I also learned the fine art of scheduling posts from my good friend Jim. So I should be able to post even in the midst of crazy life stuff and other writing obligations. (Nanowrimo, I'm looking at you!)

So hope you enjoy it.

In Honor of - 1

You probably have never heard of Bruce Coville.
Even if you remember what books you read as a kid, chances are you remember the megahits - the Goosebumps and the Animorphs and the Hardy Boys. All of which I read and all of which I enjoyed.
But Bruce Coville was the guy who first taught me the importance of reading.
The second book I ever read was "Aliens Ate My Homework." (If you're interested, the first was the novelization of Jurassic Park, which just proves that people don't change too much, they just get taller).
And I devoured the book. I loved it. Besides the juvenile "ha-I-don't-have-homework-to-turn-in-because-of-aliens" it was real.
I could feel the descriptions. I still, sixteen years later, can remember details of the final battle, with little green aliens on jetpacks flying around, and some dude got punched in the nose.
And so I started to read more by Mr. Coville. And I discovered that not only could books be enthralling, but they could be meaningful.
I read his My Teacher Is An Alien series and learned about the horrors of war. I read The A.I. Gang and learned about how important it is to think for yourself. I read his Magic Shop series and learned that sometimes advice is given for a reason.
I finished the "Aliens Ate My Homework" series and learned the importance of fathers and mentors.
All of that, and I learned that Aliens also pick their noses.
So here's to you, Mr Coville. You started me on a journey that got me reading, that got me thinking, and eventually, got me writing. And may other kids be blessed by your books.

Somebody Smarter Said - 4

"Omnipotence which can lay its hand so heavily upon the world can also make its touch so light that the creature receives independence." - Soren Kierkegaard

Writing Tips - 2

Read.
Seriously.
Just read.
Read something you would never have imagined yourself reading before.
I'm really bad at this.
I read a lot.
But I read the same books over and over.
And I rarely take a chance on a book.
So I'm not immune to this difficulty.
But here's the thing - If you're always pouring out, and never pouring in, you're empty.
Your writing will be empty.
And if you're not reading anything but what you know you would like, you'll never grow as a writer. Think of some of the more successful books and authors you know. How many of them 'rose to prominence' in a genre?
Probably very few. They busted the genre by taking it in a new direction.
And you will never be able to go in a new direction if you don't know any other directions.

Somebody Smarter Said - 3

"Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can't expect to become a good writer." - Stephen King

Writing Tips - 1

How do you become a writer?
It's one of the things I wrestle with. What makes me a writer? What makes me a good writer?
What makes me a great writer?
I'll tell you what sort of writer I want to be. I want to be CS Lewis and Mark Twain's freakish literary step child. I want the diversity and consistency of Lewis and the irreverent humor of Twain.
And I've been trying to figure out how to do that.
And there's one thing I've figured out so far.
It's so simple.
Write.
Just sit down and write.
Whatever words come out, use them.
Stephen King is, no matter what you think of him, a very prolific writer. And I read once that he said that if you aren't willing to write for four hours a day, writing isn't for you. I'll try to look up the exact quote and post it.
But four hours a day of just writing.... Wow.
I don't even come close to that. I'm making strides. It's my current commitment to write in three different places every day - blog, books, journals, etc.
If four hours a day is the yardstick, I'm doing poorly. But I'm doing better than I ever used to be.

Somebody Smarter Said - 2

"I found that I was just as likely to meet God in the sewers of the ghetto as in the halls of academia. I learned more about God from the tears of the homeless mothers than any systematic theology ever taught me." - Shane Claiborne

Random Thoughts - 8

Article on CNN.com today: Expert's Ponder Link Between Creativity, Mood Disorders

Interesting.

Doesn't it certainly fall into a category of news that you could title - "Not so surprising?"

After all, think of the most boring and sane people you know. They're the accountants, the lawyers, the managers. They aren't creative, and you on any given day know how they will act. They don't have a flair for the dramatic.

Now think of those around you that are authors, actors, singers.

They're the weirdest people you'll ever meet.

Certainly, this is playing into stereotypes a bit. I'm a writer, but I don't think of myself as overtly dramatic. And I know a few worship leaders who are very low key people.

But what does this mean? How could you interpret this information? Is there a way, based on this knowledge, to unleash creativity?

I think so, and it's based partially on my own experience. You see, what the article suggests is that mood disorders and creativity are not causally related - one doesn't cause the other. But they both have a common link - reflection.

The article does a better job of explaining this than I could, but I think that's a key to being creative. What is it that is eating your mind? Taking your time? Where are all of your trains of thought being rerouted to?

Once you've figured it out, write it. Or sing it. Or paint it. That's what I've done - Ashram arose because of a single story that I could absolutely not get out of my head. Different poems I've written have been because of things that were stealing my mind. My current projects fall in line with things that I find myself thinking about when I'm daydreaming.

So use those reflections. And if you don't reflect, well, you've got other problems.

Random Thoughts - 7

This post follows a deep conversation i had with a friend yesterday. She was desperately trying to figure out how much a person's family background should matter in a relationship. If they come from a screwed up family, and screwed-up-ness runs in the genes, is it bad to avoid a significant relationship with that person?
As someone who comes from a screwed-up family, I have some interesting thoughts on the issue. Some of that stuff does run in the family. However, I believe we all have the ability to overcome those issues.
And that was the advice I offered her. Whoever this guy is, he can't control how his family is. It would be supremely unfair to judge someone based on factors they can't control (in fact, isn't that the basis of racism and sexism?). But, if this guy is handling the matters in a way that will lead him to be replicate the problems of his family, then that's an issue.
A person can't control their family. You don't choose your parents, or your genes.
But you do choose how to react.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians Review

Jesus Wants to Save Christians
Rob Bell and Don Golden

I bought Rob Bell and Don Golden's new book recently. You might remember I posted a preview of the book, and thought it sounded very intriguing. I didn't know what to expect. And this book defied my expectations - it wasn't what I thought it was going to be at all.
Basically, Rob and Don outline a New Exodus theology. They describe how the entire Bible can be told in parallel to the story of the Exodus, and the Passover in particular.
I always sort of understood that the passover was significant, but I never paid attention to it. I have always been interested in the power of communion, and I never made the connection, like the authors do, between communion and passover. There is a reason that Jesus initiates communion on the Passover; he is drawing connection between his person and the lamb slain at passover.
If you're unfamiliar with New Exodus theology, this is a great book to start with. As far as I understand, this acts like a basic primer to this theology. For those who want to paint Rob (and Mars Hill) into an emergent and theological-less corner, this book closes that idea pretty thoroughly. Rob obviously has a theology, and here he has articulated it clearly.
Some thoughts:
There are some scathing indictments of America in here, so if your the ultra-patriotic America-is-God type, you may not enjoy this. There are also some jabs at the modern evangelical church.
Ben Witherington III has a great review. He points out some of the great thinking, as well as some of the issues where Rob and Don are off the mark, specifically regarding Philip and the Ethiopian.
I think that "Blood on the Doorposts of the Universe" is an appropriately epic chapter title.
If you were used to Rob's storytelling approach, you may be in for some shock here. This book has none of the stories that Rob used to such great extent in Sex God and Velvet Elvis. Another reason why it was not what I expected.
The Bottom line:
I really liked this book. Definitely Recommend it. I would make sure, as with all things, to do some research and not just blindly accept everything it it (another reason to read Ben Witherington). But bottom line - read it.

Random Thoughts - 6

?Who is the church for?
That's a pretty normal question in church circles. In seminary circles especially. Different Pastors have different views. I read Mark Driscoll say that the church exists for the member's who aren't there yet. I hear Rob Bell say that the church is for the oppressed. I hear Greg Surratt say the church is for the development of fully devoted followers of Christ. I hear (this morning) that the Church should be involved in meeting the needs of it's followers. So what is the answer?
It usually boils down to whether a church exists for seekers or for followers or for outreach. Is the church there to' save' people, and bring in 'new' christians? Is the church there to disciple the already-there people? Is the church there to be the light of the world, to bring hope to the hopeless?
So let's ask the question. Who owns the church?
As I've been reflecting on this, the answer is this - the church is for all of them. But none of them own it.
It's certainly for the people who aren't there yet. It's definitely for the the people who are there. And it's for the people who would never have the opportunity to be there.
But it's not.
None of these groups have the corner on 'owning' the church.
God owns the church.
And the church exists for God.
The other people matter to the extent that they matter to God.
Just something to think about.

Back

I've come to a decision. If I fancy myself a writer, I should probably actually write. So I'm committing to writing on this blog every day FOREVER. Okay, not forever. But at least the next month. So for the entire month of October, I am committing to writing a post every day. For the post to count, it can't be a review or an update, like this one. We'll see how it goes.

Other Updates:
I have started sending Ashram to agents. One rejection so far.
I am a third of the way through 300. It's now called 337.
I started writing about my Mom's death. I'm through 2 chapters.
I am planning on attempting nanowrimo this year. Basically, I need to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.
I have written 3 poems in the last month. More will come as inspiration comes.

Random Thoughts - 5

I recently had an experience unlike any other: My first kiss. It was unique (to me) for obvious reasons; I had never kissed anyone before. It was unique for a few other reasons.

I walked Jan to her car. I care about Jan deeply. I have told Jan I love her, and she has said the same to me. Jan is also not her real name, if you're wondering. Jan and I have a long and complicated relationship. I thought things were going to perhaps stabilize once I moved back to the area, and they did, for a week. We started to casually date, and I was actually playing cards with her parents the night I walked her to her car. As we got to her car, she dropped a bombshell.

"I don't want you as much as you want me. I'm not sure; don't know if I'll ever be sure. I think we should just be friends. I'm sorry. I wish that it was easier. I wish I could be sure. I want to want you more than I do. You're not the boy I dream about."

And I am dumbfounded, blindsided by the uncertainty. As I look into the stars, there is no proper response. So I said "Screw it." and then I kissed her.

So that was my first kiss. The rest of that particular story and relationship remains to be told, but I want to focus on just that story. Because as I have been reflecting and agonizing on this, I keep coming back to the Cross.

Doesn't the story of the Cross seem to parallel this story a bit? I am certainly not comparing myself to Jesus, but I think I learned a bit about the love it must have taken to step out in faith. Let me illustrate it for you.

God and People have a long and complicated relationship. God has told People that he loved them, and People have responded in kind. But for whatever reason, People are never able to fully commit. Sin and Idolatry and Adultery keep coming in between them. God moves to the area in Jesus, and hopes for things to stabilize. But People still don't realize the love of God, and are desperately pushing Jesus away. In one last ditch effort, Jesus dies on the cross for the People who don't want him.

Maybe it's sacrilegious, but I wonder if Jesus saying "Screw it, I'll die anyway," is a stretch.

Hey Neat-O - 2

Check this out:

This website creates four strip comics out of dreams. At first it's crazy, but the more you read, the more absurdly familiar they become. It's sort of like dreaming while awake.

http://slowwave.com/index.php

Post Schedule

Here's the general time frame of what I'll be posting and when:

Saturday: Movie Review.
Monday: Cool Link.
Tuesday: Random Thoughts.
Wednesday: Book Review
Thursday: Quote.

And other random stuff to appear... randomly.

Update 10/10
Ignore everything above. Check the New Post Schedule.

Somebody Smarter Said - 1

"Few people are interested in a religion that has nothing to say to the world and offers them only life after death, when what people are really wondering is whether there is life before death." - Shane Claiborne.

Writing

Well, work on 300 stalled at the gate. I wasn't ready to start it, and until I feel the absolute need to write it, it will probably remain stalled. I'm still working through the second draft of Ashram, and that is going well. I'm allowing more people to read it, and am getting some good criticisms (positive and negative). I might start a few small personal projects, but I'm not sure. I'll let you know if anything else comes up.

Narnia: Prince Caspian Review

This is where everyone calls me a bad christian, because I didn't like Narnia.
Yeah, so shoot me.
The allegory is heavy handed. Aslan is not my favorite picture of God. The elements that are good are underdeveloped - in particular the leadership conflict between Caspian and Peter. Edmund, my favorite kid from the first movie, has very little to do here. He does have one nice moment, which plays off his arc from the first movie, but thats about it.
I also did not thoroughly enjoy the first movie, but it did a nice job of introducing the world. In this movie, Narnia doesn't feel magical anymore. It's true, that supposedly 1300 years have passed and the magic is suppposed to be gone, but that was the greatest appeal from the first movie for me.
So... I'd pass and wait for DVD. If you liked the first movie, or if you loved the books, you'll probably like it. I'd rather catch Iron Man again.

Speed Racer Review

This movie is like crack cocaine for your eyes.
I think the movie was not very good, as far as movies go. As far as experiences go, it was pretty sweet. My roommates and I caught the midnight opening, and chugged Red Bulls and Pop Rocks throughout. So it was crazy!
I left, convinced I was going to be able to make my car do backflips.
But... The storyline is slow at parts. When they weren't racing, I was fairly bored. Also, the live action 'anime' didn't really appeal to me. I think it made some bold choices, and was full of great visuals, but overall, I'd recommend Iron Man first.

Juno Review

Juno is such a sweet hearted movie. It's funny, it's warm, and it's caring. It's also really funny.
Ellen Page is hilarious, and she reminds me of some friends in great ways. Except most of my friends aren't pregnant sixteen year olds.
That's the plot, really. A young girl sleeps with her friend, because shes bored. Then she's pregnant, and decides to give it up for adoption.
It's so funny too. And sweet. I definitly recommend it.

Iron Man Review

Heck yes!
If the rest of the summer can be this awesome, we're in for a heck of a ride. Looking at the line up of upcoming movies, I'm now wondering if we might have started off spoiled.
Because Iron Man was awesome.
It's a great (perfect?) superhero movie.
Do you remember when you saw the first Spiderman movie? Well I do, and I remember being blown away that someone had done a good comic book movie. That they had brought Spiderman to life. Well, here, they've done just as well, if not better. I know absolutely zero about Iron Man mythology, so I can talk about the little sly nods to fans, but I do know this - any sequel of Iron Man just jumped into my must see list.
Robert Downey Jr is perfect as Tony Stark. He's batman, but never bothered to learn any sissy martial arts. Just decided to create a human tank. Terence Howard is also pretty awesome as his friend Rhodes, and his line at the end - "Next time baby..." That is such a perfect set up for a sequel that I love it. Everyone in the theater knew it too, and loved it.
Here's the best praise I can give for Iron Man - immediately after seeing it, my desire to learn how to weld went up a hundred fold - simply so I can make my own Iron Man suit.

Random Thoughts - 4

Is it wrong to get my life together so aspects of my life I'm really enjoying aren't screwed up?
I don't know that that makes sense. Let me explain.
If I'm reading my bible, simply because I don't want to reap the consequences of not reading it. I'm worried that something bad could happen in the good stuff in my life that I really like, so I'm reading my bible on a regular basis. I dont want, in a sense, bad karma.
Is that a sin? Or a problem?
I know when I was a jr. high leader, we would encourage students to read the Bible just to read it, so it would be habit forming. But I wonder if a good habit formed for a bad reason is still a good habit.
There is the idea that good things done for the wrong reasons are wrong, which worries me. But I'm not sure what the correct answer is. Obviously, I shouldn't just stop reading my Bible because I'm worried about my motives. And if my motives are bad, then it's a problem.
Typing this out has helped me. What I need to do is get my motive's right. It's not an action/behavior problem. It's a motive problem.

Random Thoughts - 3

I think the way we see God a lot has to do with Paradigms.
It's clear that some people just relate to God in different ways. I relate differently than my roommate. Than my pastor friend. Than my best friend. Than my college buddy.
And I think it has to do with this idea of paradigm.
Because God is so much bigger than any one idea, but one idea sticks with us. God is father and shepherd and groom and lover and protector all at once. There are a billion names for God in the Bible. And I think we all have one that we relate to more than any other.
For example, I have a friend who thinks of God as her groom. And that has deep meaning for her. Personally, I struggle with that paradigm, because I don't like picturing myself as a bride.
For me, I see God most closely in the idea of community. The idea that God is a perfect, three-in-one community, that our community with God was broken in the fall, and that God has been striving to restore our community - through the work of Jesus.
That's my paradigm. Whats yours?

300

That's the tentative title of my next writing project. I'm halfway through a second draft of Ashram, but I feel the need to write something new. It's kinda like I need a breath of fresh air, to get out of the madness that is editing.
So I'm going to write "300."
It will be a different type of book; more of a journey than a story. Ashram was something that had happened to me, 300 will be a chronicle of what is happening to me.
I don't want to reveal too much about the content. Suffice it to say that it will be very personal, and hopefully there will be a difference at the end of it.
Wish me luck.

Description of Rob Bell's Next Book:

Jesus Wants To Save Christians
by Rob Bell and Don Golden

There is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building.

Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty.

This is a book about those two numbers.

It's a book about faith and fear,

wealth and war,

poverty, power, safety, terror,

Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity,

It's about empty empires and the truth that everybody's a priest, it's about oppression, occupation, and what happens when Christians support, animate and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.

It's about what it means to be a part of the church of Jesus in a world where some people fly planes into buildings while others pick up groceries in Hummers.


October, 2008

I am Legend Review

I never bothered to review I Am Legend when it came out in December. Mostly because I thought it was a 2/3rds great movie, with some flawed sequences. I liked some of the religious connotations in it, and I think its a darn near perfect movie, but it misses on two important sequences. The sequence where Will Smith's character Robert tries to commit suicide is confusingly edited, and not very exciting. There is very little tension to it. And the finale... it's stitched together altogether too fast. Robert dies a hero's death, but he hasn't done anything to make us think he deserves it. He hands the woman a magical bottle of his blood, which it only took him three years to figure out is the antidote. And then blows himself up. The end. Not very good.
Well, yesterday, I watched the alternate cut. And it's different, but I think I like it more. The suicide sequence doesn't change, so I still have that complaint. But the original ending plays - where Robert realizes that the vampire/zombie/things actually are regaining human emotions, making him the monster.
And here's my beef - at the end of this version, Robert lives. Even though he now seems to deserve death. So if you're following, in one version he dies and shouldn't. In another, he doesnt die but should.
I still think I Am Legend is a good film(s). But if they had managed to nail those two sequences, it would have been note perfect.

Hey Neat-O - 1

You've probably seen those demotivator posters, right? Maybe even run into a few that people made on their own. Well, now there's a website where you can create your own. You load a digital pic, type in the text, and it creates it for you. I plan to get a lot of use out of this. You can check it out here:

Motivational Posters

Random Thoughts - 2

This is one of those great big metathings happening in christianity right now. Who's right? The new Emergent church? The traditional Evangelical church? And let's not even talk about the fundamentalists!
Since everyone is clamoring for my take, here it is. I think that there isn't a right or a wrong. Someday, 20 years from now, we'll have synthesized the good from both into a better christianity. I think the Emergent church has... emerged... to show the Evangelical community what it is lacking. And because it is focused on what the Evangelicals are lacking, it is itself lacking.
Just like Paul and James. You wouldn't have a complete understanding of the relationship of Grace and Works without them. If Paul had never wrote, we would be stuck in a legalistic works driven world. Without James, we'd all be grace nuts and sinning left and right. They exist in tension, to create the room between where we can grow and move on.
Emergent theology has risen to create a tension in Evangelicals, to bring us to a more centered point of view. It's the very definition of synthesis.
So what does this mean for us? We move on to a point where we find the good in Emergent theologies and the good in Evangelical theologies. We don't bow down to theology, to ideas, but we use them to give us a better understanding of God and a better way to be church.

Magnum Opus

It's done.
16 chapters.
111 pages.
1,577 paragraphs.
37,164 words.
It's strangely relieving, and terribly depressing.
I want to cry and shout for joy.

Of course, I can't forget that I'm just getting started. After all, all I have is a first draft. I have to edit edit edit. And try to get it published.

For now though, I'm just going to sit back and relax.

U23D Review

3d is no longer a cheap gimmick.
It's pretty sweet.
U23D was one of the coolest experiences I've had in a cinema. It looked like Bono was right there, singing to me. The Edge was being awesome on guitar right in front of me.
If you're not a U2 fan, you might still be able to enjoy the technical aspects of the 3d. I'd probably wait until Journey to the Center of the Earth to really enjoy the 3d, but this was pretty cool.
If you are a U2 fan... then you should definitly see this. They do all the classics. Beautiful Day, Vertigo, Where the Streets have no Name, Sunday Bloody Sunday... All of those plus more. The Fly made an appearance, and the ended with "With or Without You" which has special meaning to me.
I highly recommend it in your local 3d theater.

Random Thoughts - 1

I'm decidedly against abortion, to clarify.
However, I don't think our government should be legislating morality. It doesn't work. I've reached a point where I'm pro-life, but not anti Roe vs Wade.
Does that make sense?
The fight to stop abortion cannot be won on a legal level. The main problem with abortion is decidedly an ethical decision, and ethical decisions are based on worldview questions, which the government should remain silent on.
When we, as the church, try to fight abortion on a legal level, we too often give up on the personal level. People can make ethical decisions, people can choose to abide by morality, a government cannnot.
And that is where I think it is flawed to try to overturn Roe vs Wade. The consequences would be radically different than most evangelical churches would like to admit - it wouldnt end abortion, just put it in the states hands. As evidenced by the massive amount of people who flocked to California for a legal gay marriage, people would still just go where abortions would be legal - in the majority of more liberal states.
And that's only the people who would attempt to abide by the law; that doesnt include those who would simply have illegal abortions.
So... I think it would be unwise to overturn Roe vs Wade. I would argue that you shouldn't allow it to be expanded - Partial Birth abortions should be outlawed.
My basic understanding is that overturning the law would not fix the problem. It would compound it. The solution is not the law - the solution is the effect that the church has in people's lives. If the church has so little effect on their members lives that they cannot stop their members from having sex willy nilly and abortions to cover it up, then how can we think the government can stop it?

Rambo Review

Rambo is unapologetically a man's movie. At one point, Rambo singlehandedly destroys an army. How do you top that?
Stallone is back as John Rambo, the haunted vietnam vet. He is living just south of Burma, selling snakes to make a living. When some missionaries want to go into the warzone that is Burma, he reluctantly takes them. When their mission goes awry, he leads a band of mercenaries to rescue them. The plot is that simple.
Stallone does a great job of acting; Rambo is clearly weary of the world. He is waiting to die. When he finally has something to live for, it's a sight to behold.
The film is outright brutal - from its cringe inducing first scene. People are killed onscreen in crazy ways, and Rambo just ups the violence to ultra realistic levels.
So what do I think? I think Rambo is an interesting movie. It shows the horror that is war as realistically as Saving Private Ryan did. Unfortunately, the other theme that comes across is the futility of hope. It is implied that hope could never save Burma - only a man willing to kill hundreds of people in a bloodbath could stop killing. And that's the problem - killing leads to more killing, which in turn leads to more. If Rambo didn't have a missionary killing someone in the end to save himself, I could have recommended it as a man's movie. Now it's a man's movie that tries to show a worldview that only ends in death.

Cloverfield Review

Cloverfield. I can't really say it's a great movie. In my mind, a great movie is one I buy on DVD the day it comes out, and I watch it frequently. I'm talking about watching it beyond the two week excitement period, where you watch the same movie four or five times. Jaws, for example, is a great movie. Cloverfield... I can't imagine Cloverfield will work on DVD. So it's not a great movie.
But it's an awesome movie.
I will sit here and tell you it ranks as one of my top five theater experiences of my life. One of the best times I've had in a movie theater ever.
In case you don't know anything about it, it's premise is pretty simple. Rob likes Beth. Rob sleeps with Beth, never calls her back. Beth comes to Rob's party, leaves early. Rob pines for Beth. Giant monster attacks New York. And so on.
It's told in that hand held camera style, originally used in The Blair Witch Project. There is no music, no explanation, no panning camera shots. It is just the footage that these people shot.
And that makes it a very exciting movie experience. Some movies, you might talk at the screen. Tell a character that they are obviously about to make a big mistake. This movie, I was screaming at the screen, because I was so involved. At one point, I involuntarily yelled "Whoa!"
This is a brave movie. JJ Abrams and Matt Reeves do things here that are amazing. You never get an explanation for the monster - you just follow this group of friends as they try to survive and rescue a friend. It is exactly what you would say or do in this situation.
Like I said before, it probably won't stack up on DVD. But if you see movies in the theater at all, see Cloverfield.