I ran across this cool website today. It is LibraryThing.com. Think MySpace for book worms. It allows the user to list books that are in one's library. You can list 200 for free, but have to pay to list more. You can interact with others who have similar reading interests. They have a powerful search engine when listing books. Check it out.
I posted this last January. It's worth a second look. Please, take the time to watch this video from Voice of the Martyrs.
None of us wants to be rejected. We want others to accept us. Yesterday, I was accepted into graduate school to pursue my master's degree in history. Next spring, I will begin a journey toward that goal.
Thanks, Dilbert. There is so much truth in Scott Adams' comic strip. For some reason, this one struck me this morning. My wife took a new job last May, and she is dealing with "people who have time."
The first two games of the World Series are in the books. The Red Sox seem to be rolling. Could this be another short series? Since the early 1990s, there have only been three World Series that went the full seven games ('97, '01, and '02). 2004 and 2005 saw sweeps, while last year there were only five games.
I am still able to stay awake for only about the first half of the game. My kids are able to catch about 1 or 2 innings. Is that what you want, Dud Selig? Do you want kids to miss the World Series? The World Series contain some great memories from childhood for me.
Anymore, it really isn't enough to know our century. It's more like: "Do we know our decade?" I graduated from high school a mere decade and half ago. What worked in youth ministry in my day is met with looks of "Oh, please!" now.
A fellow blogger left this comment on the previous post: "One of my rules for living is 'When form supersedes function, we have lost our purpose.'"
A couple years ago, I went to the Servant Evangelism Conference in Cincinnati hosted by Steve Sjogren. In the early 80s, Sjogren was a missionary to Norway. We was struck one day when the Salvation Army band came marching down the street playing a tune. No one even bothered to look up as they did their duty to God.
In the late 1800s, the Salvation Army found it useful to send a band down the street. People would be curious and follow the band. When people gathered they would share the Gospel with them. That was a fantastic idea, in the late 1800s. No one paid attention any more. The form had outlived its usefulness.
I have been saying for years that there will never be another Billy Graham. Not because Graham was so special, but because his form of evangelism will no longer work.
Do we know our century? Do we know our decade?
I am reading a somewhat interesting on the Reformation of the sixteenth century, entitled Reformation and Society in Sixteenth-Century Europe by A. G. Dickens. Chapter four concludes as follows:
"When Martin Bucer of Strassburg somewhat piggishly urged the Wittenburg theologians to get out into the world and preach [Martin] Luther replied in the pregnant words: 'We do that with our books.' He knew his century."
The printing press was a relatively new invention at the time. Literacy was on the rise even among merchant and laboring classes. People were eager to read. Luther sought to fill the demand by getting his message out. "He knew his century." He operated outside the normal way of getting one's message out.
The question we need to ask ourselves is: "Do we know our century?" Are we communicating the message in a way that our century understands? Are we communicating our message in a way that our generation is eager to receive it?
One of the problems that we often face in ministry is the battle between methods. Do we do what we have always done because it once worked? Or do we try something new to reach a new generation?
Our message must never change, but we often have to alter the way in which it is communicated.
Do we know our century?
In a continuing effort to destroy baseball, Bud Selig has left open to the general managers the question of instant replay.
I would like to put in my two cents: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Instant replay would destroy the flow of the game.
What on earth is Bud trying to do?
To the prophets of doom, death and destruction this hurricane season has been another bust. The last couple years, we have been treated to continued predictions of devastating hurricane after devastating hurricane. Not so this year. There have been thirteen named storms this year, with a whopping four hurricanes. Sure Mexico got hammered by two of them, but it was nowhere near the predictions of destruction.
The global warming crowd has been saying for years that we will have more and more hurricanes. It seems to me (but, I'm not an expert) that we are heading into a cycle where the number and intensity of tropical storm systems decreases.
No, not the End Times!
I mean, have you ever had a realization that your life is changing? That you're getting "older"?
I have noticed two things over the last couple weeks.
First, my daughter no longer sits with us or my parents at church. She sits with her friends. That is fine; it is one of those rites of passage.
Second, I am a zombie at 10:00 PM. I cannot stay awake past 10 or 10:30. I used to be able to stay up and catch the beginning of Leno or Letterman. No more!
What's next? Do I move to Florida and wear Bermuda shorts with black socks and sandals, then hit the "Sizzler" at 4:00 for the early bird special?
My hair is still falling out, too.
Yesterday, I was at the car dealership getting my oil changed. I was sitting in the waiting room reading a book. One lady stood up and walked around the small room handing out the tract seen in the picture. She said nothing as she thrust each tract at all four of us sitting there. I politely said, "Thank you," and went back to reading.
When I got home, I looked at it. I was intrigued by the "Admit One" ticket on the front. Is that what our view of salvation is about? Are we only interested in getting people a free ride to heaven? Is that all there is to the Christian life? We get our "Admit One" ticket that we can hand to St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. Then we go around handing out tracts without saying a word. Is that what it's all about?
What about Jesus inviting on an adventure? What about bringing the Kingdom of God to people on earth, here and now? What about relationships? What about relationships with others, including icky sinners? What about a relationship with the King of the Universe? It is all a present reality, not just a future hope.
I was able actually watch a post-season baseball game last night, thanks to the good folks at Fox Sports. Boston put the smack-down on Cleveland. Boston looked determined. Manny and Big Papi reached base 10 of 10 plate appearances.
Like I mentioned before, I have not watched the MLB playoffs due to the fact that they are on cable (wise move, Selig). I am glad to see that the pinstripes of the Yankees will be hanging in the closet until spring training.
So it's Boston vs. Cleveland and Arizona vs. Colorado. I don't have a dog in this fight. (I'm not sure if Michael Vick does.)
The NLCS is on cable (wise move, Selig), so I won't be watching that. I probably will only be able to watch the first 4 or 5 innings of the ALCS because they start so late (wise move, Selig).
In April, I went on a three-day rant about the fear that exists in the Church of the Nazarene about the Emerging Church. Here are the links:
Ugh! (4/17/07)
People of the Night (4/18/07)
Revising and Extending My Comments (4/19/07)
Today, I received in the mail my copy of Preacher's Magazine. The article on page 34 roused by interest. In was written by Dr. Henry H. Knight, III of St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. His article is entitled "John Wesley and the Emerging Church." I do not believe Dr. Knight is Nazarene, but the article is published in an official publication of the Church of the Nazarene. I would like to quote a few lines from the second paragraph. Perhaps Dr. Nina Gunter will read this so as to alleviate her inordinate fear of all things emerging.
"I believe Wesleyans should welcome the emerging church... Wesleyans should support this new movement because the purposes and values emerging churches seek to embody--their vision of discipleship, church, and mission--is highly congruent with those of the Wesleyan tradition."
Wow. I never thought I would read anything so "heretical" in an official publication of a church stuck in 1953.
I think there are times that city councils actually sit around and think, "What sort of stupid thing can we come up with next?"
Our city fathers (or, the city closest to our domicile) have decided in their infinite stupidity to enact a new ordinance. The new ordinance states something like that if you have graffiti on your property and fail to remove it remove after 10 days you will be fined. That's just great. Let's punish the victim of the crime rather than the thugs who perpetrated the crime.
What's next? If my car is stolen, will I have to pay the speeding ticket that the thief gets?
Marion Jones has admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. She was involved with the BALCO labs where Barry Bonds (among other major leaguers) was a client.
Go ahead, Barry. Get it off your chest. You will feel better. Don't worry, nothing will happen to you. Marion Jones is going to lose her medals, but the spineless Bud Selig will do nothing to you. He will probably give you a medal.
Confession is a good thing.
C'mon, Barry.
My son is playing flag football this year for the first time. Last night he had a game. Wow. It's funny to watch a bunch of seven year olds play football. It is like watching a bunch of uncaged hamsters running around on the field. Football is a rather complicated game to play, which makes it all the more hilarious to watch the game. Afterwards, I asked him if they won. His reply was, "I don't know." He did have fun.
Like most bloggers, I have a bit of wanna-be in me. I'm a wanna be journalist. I will be posting my thoughts about the Major League Baseball post season periodically over the month of October.
Tonight you have a one game play off between Colorado and San Diego. And, thanks to the utter stupidity of Bud Selig and the other money-grubbing clowns at MLB headquarters, I can't watch the game unless I open my wallet. I have to either get cable, the dish or shell out $15 to MLB in order to watch the game.
Hey Bud! Have you ever wondered why the NFL has long surpassed baseball as America's favorite sport? It's because they show their games on broadcast television.
Get a clue, or go the way of the NHL. (Is there even an NHL anymore?)
