I think I found the perfect theme for our next Servants' Retreat (NOT). Watch this video called meCHURCH.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: you should finish what you're drinking before watching this. I wouldn't want you to get pop on your computer screen.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Thursday, December 29, 2005
The Christmas Cookie or "That's where those 4 lbs. came from"
A tradition we have in our family every Christmas is decorating Christmas cookies. The girls have a great time and we generally trash the entire kitchen. I was voted messiest cook by my family. This year was especially fun because Daddy was home to help us. He is usually stuck at the Mall at Christmas time. What a blessing to have him home!
Monday, December 26, 2005
The Lion, the Witch, and the Turkish Delight
My wife and I wrestled with whether or not to take our kids to see Disney's latest release, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We were worried that they might have nightmares after seeing some of the scary images. After checking it out at screenit.com, we decided to go ahead and take them. We thought that with the right preparation and discussion afterward, they would benefit from the overall experience. That did turn out to be the case with our kids. No nightmares and a good reference point for helping them understand the gospel.
I took a look around the web to see what Christians were saying about the whole thing. The majority of reviews were good. There was one site, however, that claimed that C.S. Lewis wrote the popular series to teach children how to worship pagan deities and eventually turn them to Satanism. Oookaaay!?
There was a really good review called The Success of C. S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia by Amber Cowart on a C.S. Lewis fan site that included a letter from Lewis to a young reader:
In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the fifth book of the series, Aslan tells the children that although they must return to their own world, they can find him there also (Hooper 123). Aslan says, "There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there" (Hooper 123). Some of Lewis' readers wonder what the significance of this statement is and begin to search for Aslan here on earth. Hila, an eleven year old girl from the United States asked Lewis what Aslan's name is in this world (Dorsett 31-32). His response was this:As to Aslan's other name, well I want you to guess. Has there never been anyone in this world who (1.) Arrived at the same time as Father Christmas. (2.) Said he was the son of the great Emperor. (3.) gave himself up for someone else's fault to be jeered at and killed by wicked people. (4.) Came to life again. (5.) Is sometimes spoken of as a Lamb.... Don't you really know His name in this world. Think it over and let me know your answer! (Dorsett 32)When Lewis' readers find Aslan in the real world, they will find out that his true name is Jesus Christ.
In the story, one of the brothers, Edmund, turns on the others in exchange for some "sweeties" as they call them. Specifically, he turns traitor for a sweet called Turkish delight. Oddly enough, the next day, one of my advertisers gave me a box of these same unusual candies for me and my family. I liked them, but Julie and the girls had an experience similar to this account I found while looking up the recipe for this exotic treat:
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund Pevensie gobbled up several pounds of this treat in one sitting and clamored for more. The evil White Witch, Jadis, had magicked it up to win his fealty. As a child in Indiana, I hadn't realized that the confection actually existed. (Nor did I think that "wardrobes" existed anymore—surely, I reasoned, British people had closets by now.) I thought C.S. Lewis had invented it, knowing how much more vivid an imagined pleasure can be than a real one. But I loved to think about what it must taste like. I thought it would be crumbly and buttery and warm, like shortbread with walnuts, just out of the oven, with a rich, molten filling inside. "Each piece was sweet and light to the very center and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious," Lewis wrote.
And so, with anticipation, I took a bite of the Turkish Delight. And a second later, spat it into my hand. It tasted like soap rolled in plaster dust, or like a lump of Renuzit air freshener: The texture was both waxy and filling-looseningly chewy. This … this? ... was the sweetmeat that led Edmund to betray his siblings and doomed Aslan to death on a stone slab? Watching the movie last week, I cringed watching Edmund push piece after squidgy red piece into his drooling mouth, shuddering to think that children in theaters everywhere were bound to start yammering for the candy and that on Christmas morning or Hanukkah nights, their faces would crumple with disappointment as their teeth sank into the vile jelly they had thought they wanted.
Funny, isn't it? The girls have decided they would like to work the Narnia series into our bedtime reading schedule. I hope they like it more than they did the Turkish Delights.
A Different Christmas
This was an unusual Christmas for our family. It was my first
Christmas of not working in a retail environment for over 11 years.
My kids, the oldest being only eight, think it's cool that I don't
have to work extra hours around Christmas this year. In fact, things
are a little slower than normal this week. I had forgotten how nice
it is to have a Christmas Eve not worried about an emergency at the
store or working to get in that last sale before the returns start
coming in.
This Christmas also fell on a Sunday. It was different; taking a
break in our usual traditions to go to church. My wife and I were a
little thrown off by it, but the kids seemed to adapt quite well...
except for Emma right before church. I don't think I'll ever care to
blog about that! :-) The bottom line is, what better way to teach our
children that Christmas is not supposed to be the commercialized
materialism-fest that it has become than by stopping in the middle of
our usual Christmas morning traditions to go to Worship the Savior
whose birth we claim we are celebrating? It was a good change.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
The Author of Salvation took on flesh …
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. But, through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.
It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
We rejoice that in our Creator and Savior, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
– Genesis 1:1, 31; Romans 5:12; Hebrews 2:10, 14, 15; Ephesians 1:7
It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
We rejoice that in our Creator and Savior, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
– Genesis 1:1, 31; Romans 5:12; Hebrews 2:10, 14, 15; Ephesians 1:7
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Pushy Sales People
Today is Thursday. Every Thursday I begin my day with a 7:00 a.m. Networking Group meeting in Dearborn. Woooo Hoooo! I love networking at dawn! Not really. But it's good for business, so I do it. Well, today I was invited to attend a competing networking group's meeting right after my normal meeting. I stopped in out of curiosity. They also have their meeting at the local coffee shop where I usually go to do email right after my meeting. I was going to be there anyway.
There were only five people there; they are trying to begin a new chapter here in Dearborn. Right away, and several times during the meeting, this group talked disparagingly about the group to which I already belong. My groups has 32 members. I received enough referrals in my first two visits to pay for five years of membership dues. They picked a bad strategy for trying to win me to their group.
I explained that I already belong to this other group and as a part of my membership agreement, I cannot belong to another group like it (the group works if you belong to because you all loyally refer business to one another). They just kept pushing. I'm a really easy going guy, but it kinda made me angry. I felt like I was getting Amway'ed. Some of you know what I mean by that. During my nine years at FranklinCovey , I frequently had Amway distributors try to recruit me, especially when they learned that I attended a large church. Bottom Line: I was reminded that graciously taking no for an answer is the way to go when I'm selling my business. I may not win the sale, but I maintain my reputation. In the long run, that has to be good for business.
There were only five people there; they are trying to begin a new chapter here in Dearborn. Right away, and several times during the meeting, this group talked disparagingly about the group to which I already belong. My groups has 32 members. I received enough referrals in my first two visits to pay for five years of membership dues. They picked a bad strategy for trying to win me to their group.
I explained that I already belong to this other group and as a part of my membership agreement, I cannot belong to another group like it (the group works if you belong to because you all loyally refer business to one another). They just kept pushing. I'm a really easy going guy, but it kinda made me angry. I felt like I was getting Amway'ed. Some of you know what I mean by that. During my nine years at FranklinCovey , I frequently had Amway distributors try to recruit me, especially when they learned that I attended a large church. Bottom Line: I was reminded that graciously taking no for an answer is the way to go when I'm selling my business. I may not win the sale, but I maintain my reputation. In the long run, that has to be good for business.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Saturday, December 03, 2005
AiG
If you know me, you know that one of my favorite topics is creationism. I'm facinated with God's power and wisdom displayed in His creation. If you haven't been to the new Answers in Gensis website lately, you're missing out on a great resource. I don't care what your question about the Bible and science is, you'll find the answer there (fast and easy). Check it out for yourself and mark it in your browser. It's such a good tool to help you be ready to give an answer for the hope you have in Christ.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Ah, The 80's
This like totally made me crack up!
You grew up in the 80's if
1. You’ve ever ended a sentence with the word “SIKE”
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the “Fresh Prince of Belair” and can do the
“Carlton”.
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5 You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start
a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil’ Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that “WOAH ” comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched “Fraggle Rock”
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars… and “spokey-dokes” or
playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to “DuckTales ” (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch
cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ” on the big
screen…and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class
at school.
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your !
shirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game “MASH ” (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear….need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to “JEM ” in Kindergarten.(She’s
truly outrageous.)
21. You remember reading “Tales of a fourth grade nothing” and all the
Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of “WAX ON, WAX OFF”
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us…head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose
fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school… and traded Garbage Pail kids in
the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say “NOT ” after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because y! o u
exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (and like 24 .. probably in
neon colors, too)
35. After you saw Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure you kept saying “I know you
are, but what am I?”
36. You remember “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline
skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You’ve gone through this nodding your head in agreement or shaking
your head in embarassed memories.
42. You remember Popples.
43. “Don’t worry, be happy”
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top
Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do… getting
yelled at by “younger hip” members of the family)
46. You remember boom boxes. . and walking around with one on your
shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both “Gremlins ” movies.
48. You know what it meant to say “Care Bear Stare!!”
49. You remember watching “Rainbow Bright” and “My Little Pony Tales”
50. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool.. and don’t
even flinch when people refer to them as “NKOTB”.
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on “Saved
By The Bell,” The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet!
60. You still sing “We are the World”
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a bannana clip.
63. You remember “Where’s the Beef?”
64. You used to (and probably still do) say “What you talkin’ bout Willis?”
65. You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You’re still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren’t you!!!
You grew up in the 80's if
1. You’ve ever ended a sentence with the word “SIKE”
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the “Fresh Prince of Belair” and can do the
“Carlton”.
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5 You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start
a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil’ Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that “WOAH ” comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched “Fraggle Rock”
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars… and “spokey-dokes” or
playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to “DuckTales ” (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch
cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ” on the big
screen…and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class
at school.
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your !
shirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game “MASH ” (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear….need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to “JEM ” in Kindergarten.(She’s
truly outrageous.)
21. You remember reading “Tales of a fourth grade nothing” and all the
Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of “WAX ON, WAX OFF”
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us…head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose
fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school… and traded Garbage Pail kids in
the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say “NOT ” after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because y! o u
exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (and like 24 .. probably in
neon colors, too)
35. After you saw Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure you kept saying “I know you
are, but what am I?”
36. You remember “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline
skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You’ve gone through this nodding your head in agreement or shaking
your head in embarassed memories.
42. You remember Popples.
43. “Don’t worry, be happy”
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top
Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do… getting
yelled at by “younger hip” members of the family)
46. You remember boom boxes. . and walking around with one on your
shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both “Gremlins ” movies.
48. You know what it meant to say “Care Bear Stare!!”
49. You remember watching “Rainbow Bright” and “My Little Pony Tales”
50. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool.. and don’t
even flinch when people refer to them as “NKOTB”.
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on “Saved
By The Bell,” The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet!
60. You still sing “We are the World”
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a bannana clip.
63. You remember “Where’s the Beef?”
64. You used to (and probably still do) say “What you talkin’ bout Willis?”
65. You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You’re still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren’t you!!!
Bye-Bye Big Mac
My wife just finished watching Super Size Me. I don't think we're going to McDonald's ever again. I guess I'll live. I just hope she doesn't try to get me to go vegan! :-)
Monday, November 28, 2005
@!$%^#
I just finished reading "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. Yes, it was an Oprah book of the month. I don't usually read her recommended books because of the language and content. But this one was an autobiography so I thought I would give it go. The book made me think and Larry and I did have some interesting discussions. (Another post for another day) One thing it made me think about was language and how it is used. The book is full of crass words. You name it and it is in there. After a while my mind would just skip over the f-word like it was a place holder. It was used as a noun, adjective, verb, exclamation. You get the idea.
So what makes a bad word a bad word? Is it how we use the word in our culture? Is it the value we place on a word? When I taught Third grade one of my students asked if Indians (Native Americans) had swear words. I told him I didn't know, but most cultures do have what we would call swear words. One of the other kids piped up with his version of an Indian swear word. Something like shokypocky. It made me laugh at the time.
Our Pastor's kid had her own version of a bad word when she was a rebel toddler. She made up her own anger bad word. Whenever she was mad at her mom she would use it. Sounds funny and we might be tempted to laugh at our kid if they did that, but Pastor's wife was wise to see the motivation behind the language and didn't allow her to use her word.
Take the word suck. Many of us would consider "That sucks" to be crass and we wouldn't say it. But many high school kids today don't even know the connotation of that phrase. So is it still a bad word? Will it be crass in 20 years? Or will it be the same as "that stinks"?
My kids don't really know what bad words are. We have never pointed them out. (I am not talking about using God's name in vain here.) Yesterday afternoon while we were watching a movie on a cable channel one of the movie commentators slipped in the a-word. The girls didn't even notice. Larry and I were a bit surprised. It was 4 o clock in the afternoon. We didn't say anything about it. We just ignored it. Sometimes Claire, who listens carefully and picks up vocabulary easily, will ask what a bad word means. We tell her it is a crass way to say what you really mean.
I know what the Bible tells me about my language. It mirrors what is in my heart. And maybe I am not using socially unacceptable words, but when I get angry what comes out of my mouth? Is it acceptable to God?
So what makes a bad word a bad word? Is it how we use the word in our culture? Is it the value we place on a word? When I taught Third grade one of my students asked if Indians (Native Americans) had swear words. I told him I didn't know, but most cultures do have what we would call swear words. One of the other kids piped up with his version of an Indian swear word. Something like shokypocky. It made me laugh at the time.
Our Pastor's kid had her own version of a bad word when she was a rebel toddler. She made up her own anger bad word. Whenever she was mad at her mom she would use it. Sounds funny and we might be tempted to laugh at our kid if they did that, but Pastor's wife was wise to see the motivation behind the language and didn't allow her to use her word.
Take the word suck. Many of us would consider "That sucks" to be crass and we wouldn't say it. But many high school kids today don't even know the connotation of that phrase. So is it still a bad word? Will it be crass in 20 years? Or will it be the same as "that stinks"?
My kids don't really know what bad words are. We have never pointed them out. (I am not talking about using God's name in vain here.) Yesterday afternoon while we were watching a movie on a cable channel one of the movie commentators slipped in the a-word. The girls didn't even notice. Larry and I were a bit surprised. It was 4 o clock in the afternoon. We didn't say anything about it. We just ignored it. Sometimes Claire, who listens carefully and picks up vocabulary easily, will ask what a bad word means. We tell her it is a crass way to say what you really mean.
I know what the Bible tells me about my language. It mirrors what is in my heart. And maybe I am not using socially unacceptable words, but when I get angry what comes out of my mouth? Is it acceptable to God?
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Old Friends, New Memories
We had a great time visiting with Scott and Cheryl Donnelly this past Friday. It's been a long time since we've had a chance to sit and talk with them. We talked about old times, what's going on now and exchanged ministry stories and tips. Our kids loved having additional audience members for their nightly shows!
It was good to see you guys. I hope we can do it again sometime in the near future.
It was good to see you guys. I hope we can do it again sometime in the near future.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Decomposition
I read an interesting article that I thought was worth discussing. I apologize for the long post, but check this out and let us know what you think.
Let Us Decompose
by Mike Duran
G.K. Chesterton said, “Art is the signature of man.” Some believe men rose from monkeys. But let the record show, monkeys have no interest in sketching men. It is precisely our urge to sketch monkeys, which separates us from them. As the apologist wrote, if man was “an ordinary product of biological growth, like any other beast or bird, then it is all the more extraordinary that he was not in the least like any other beast or bird.” When ancient man first dipped his thumb into the blood of berries and scraped that red swath across cool granite, he distanced himself from elks and orangutans.
Human history is one of composition. Of course, we’ve come a long way from dancing reindeer and stick men on blackened cave walls. Today, the cave walls are digital and the stick men dance in cyberspace. But whether it’s Mozart or 50 Cent, Rembrandt or Warhol, Aesop or Spielberg, the urge to compose—to create new beings and worlds, new stories and songs—is unique to us. We write, paint, carve and mold; we sit hunched over parchments and tape recorders, laptops and canvas, searching for the right word, the right sound, the right image, yearning to rise above our earthly origins and distance ourselves from elks and orangutans.
Yet the creative spark reveals more about us than just our dissimilarity to animals. In a way, all composition is really decomposition. The word “decompose” simply means “to separate into components or basic elements.” It is to categorize, quantify, sort and stack; it is to break something down to its lowest common denominator.
In reality, we never really create anything: we reassemble existing parts, cut and paste objects and ideas from the known world, reshuffle the deck. Even abstracts are just extracts of the ordinary. I mean, when was the last time a new primary color was invented or a missing musical note discovered? Genuine originality, it’s been said, is rare. I’d venture to say, it’s extinct, dead with the first chisel strike or quill stroke. “There’s nothing new under the sun,” King Solomon said, without crediting his source. Maybe this is why plotlines follow the same basic patterns. Prime time TV is a constant karmic retread of new faces trapped in the same tired tales. Even Hollywood, the summit of artistic inclination, cannot rise above the remake. Musicians are judged by who they sound like (part Bob, Beck and Bruce), actors by who they look like (she’s got Jessica’s hair, Nicole’s eyes and Angelina’s lips) and books by how they read (think Harry Potter with a dash of Steele). Even fantasy worlds look like ours and superheroes like us—with a little tweaking. All our creations are re-creations, omelettes whipped up from yesterday’s leftovers.
For all our ingenuity and technical advances, no matter how many edits and remakes, we cannot rise above the Story Board. We are as fixed to its laws as Frodo is to Middle Earth. We stitch and sketch, dream up and hammer out, but we cannot transcend.
“In the beginning, God created ...” He composed. He assembled parts ex nihilo, “out of nothing.” He spread out the canvas and drew His thumb across the celestial swath. We live in that Composition, on that Canvas; we are the parts He assembled. Herein lies our glory and our deficiency.
We create because we are like Him, but we cannot create like Him.
Unlike God, we cannot make something from nothing. Everything we shape, form, order and arrange requires something else. Like a celluloid hero, the laws of the medium bind us. Poets need language and its laws, for without it their craft is made moot. Some musical forms may push the boundaries, but sour notes are not tolerable—even by the most sophisticated. Architecture can be innovative, as long as the foundation is solid. Characters can be fresh, as long as they are believable. Art must correspond to Reality—in fact, it cannot do anything but that.
If art is the signature of man, as Chesterton suggested, then man is the signature of God. And every film, song, poem or novel, no matter how tired or twisted, is an echo of His original act. So let us borrow, bleed and recast the old, tell the Tale a thousand times over. Let us crush the berries, raise the chisel and strike up the band, for tonight we decompose.
This Article is from RelevantMagazine.com.
Let Us Decompose
by Mike Duran
G.K. Chesterton said, “Art is the signature of man.” Some believe men rose from monkeys. But let the record show, monkeys have no interest in sketching men. It is precisely our urge to sketch monkeys, which separates us from them. As the apologist wrote, if man was “an ordinary product of biological growth, like any other beast or bird, then it is all the more extraordinary that he was not in the least like any other beast or bird.” When ancient man first dipped his thumb into the blood of berries and scraped that red swath across cool granite, he distanced himself from elks and orangutans.
Human history is one of composition. Of course, we’ve come a long way from dancing reindeer and stick men on blackened cave walls. Today, the cave walls are digital and the stick men dance in cyberspace. But whether it’s Mozart or 50 Cent, Rembrandt or Warhol, Aesop or Spielberg, the urge to compose—to create new beings and worlds, new stories and songs—is unique to us. We write, paint, carve and mold; we sit hunched over parchments and tape recorders, laptops and canvas, searching for the right word, the right sound, the right image, yearning to rise above our earthly origins and distance ourselves from elks and orangutans.
Yet the creative spark reveals more about us than just our dissimilarity to animals. In a way, all composition is really decomposition. The word “decompose” simply means “to separate into components or basic elements.” It is to categorize, quantify, sort and stack; it is to break something down to its lowest common denominator.
In reality, we never really create anything: we reassemble existing parts, cut and paste objects and ideas from the known world, reshuffle the deck. Even abstracts are just extracts of the ordinary. I mean, when was the last time a new primary color was invented or a missing musical note discovered? Genuine originality, it’s been said, is rare. I’d venture to say, it’s extinct, dead with the first chisel strike or quill stroke. “There’s nothing new under the sun,” King Solomon said, without crediting his source. Maybe this is why plotlines follow the same basic patterns. Prime time TV is a constant karmic retread of new faces trapped in the same tired tales. Even Hollywood, the summit of artistic inclination, cannot rise above the remake. Musicians are judged by who they sound like (part Bob, Beck and Bruce), actors by who they look like (she’s got Jessica’s hair, Nicole’s eyes and Angelina’s lips) and books by how they read (think Harry Potter with a dash of Steele). Even fantasy worlds look like ours and superheroes like us—with a little tweaking. All our creations are re-creations, omelettes whipped up from yesterday’s leftovers.
For all our ingenuity and technical advances, no matter how many edits and remakes, we cannot rise above the Story Board. We are as fixed to its laws as Frodo is to Middle Earth. We stitch and sketch, dream up and hammer out, but we cannot transcend.
“In the beginning, God created ...” He composed. He assembled parts ex nihilo, “out of nothing.” He spread out the canvas and drew His thumb across the celestial swath. We live in that Composition, on that Canvas; we are the parts He assembled. Herein lies our glory and our deficiency.
We create because we are like Him, but we cannot create like Him.
Unlike God, we cannot make something from nothing. Everything we shape, form, order and arrange requires something else. Like a celluloid hero, the laws of the medium bind us. Poets need language and its laws, for without it their craft is made moot. Some musical forms may push the boundaries, but sour notes are not tolerable—even by the most sophisticated. Architecture can be innovative, as long as the foundation is solid. Characters can be fresh, as long as they are believable. Art must correspond to Reality—in fact, it cannot do anything but that.
If art is the signature of man, as Chesterton suggested, then man is the signature of God. And every film, song, poem or novel, no matter how tired or twisted, is an echo of His original act. So let us borrow, bleed and recast the old, tell the Tale a thousand times over. Let us crush the berries, raise the chisel and strike up the band, for tonight we decompose.
This Article is from RelevantMagazine.com.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
The Alma Mater
My alma mater is 40 years old this year. They are having a special program and they asked some graduates to write testimonies of what the school has meant to them. I was one of the "lucky" ones asked. I wrote this sappy tribute.
Imagine my delight and surprise last week when my 5 year old came home from school singing "Hail to thee, O Inter-City!" at the top of her lungs. I had to suppress my giggles when she changes the second line to "Gold and pretty proudly stand." I can remember singing that song at Graduations and services. That one line made me think of all that Inter-City has meant in my family's life.
My parents were saved when I was in first grade attending a public school. They in their wisdom saw a need to send my brother and I to a school where we could learn the Word of God, not just is Bible class, but in all subjects. My teachers were examples of Godly men and women who understood the importance of service and sacrifice to further God's mission. I think of Mrs. Cindy Stratford, Mr .Don Bowman, Mrs. Carla Mungons and Miss Karen Flora and the influence they had on my future as a teacher and mother.
The greatest blessing I received from Inter-City was meeting my future husband there. His life was dramatically changed because of the ministry and time teachers spent with him.
After college I came back to Inter-City to teach for 4 1/2 years. My last class is graduating this year. And although they are almost grown men and women now, I still picture them as those little third graders in room 204. My daughter now attends Kindergarten at Inter-City and, Lord willing, one day all of my daughters will graduate and carry on the legacy.
I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to attend Inter-City Baptist Schools . And as the school song says I have been truly "blessed by God beyond all measure."
Here's a couple of old pictures from our graduation. Be careful of your comments, I have lots of old pictures in my basement.
Imagine my delight and surprise last week when my 5 year old came home from school singing "Hail to thee, O Inter-City!" at the top of her lungs. I had to suppress my giggles when she changes the second line to "Gold and pretty proudly stand." I can remember singing that song at Graduations and services. That one line made me think of all that Inter-City has meant in my family's life.
My parents were saved when I was in first grade attending a public school. They in their wisdom saw a need to send my brother and I to a school where we could learn the Word of God, not just is Bible class, but in all subjects. My teachers were examples of Godly men and women who understood the importance of service and sacrifice to further God's mission. I think of Mrs. Cindy Stratford, Mr .Don Bowman, Mrs. Carla Mungons and Miss Karen Flora and the influence they had on my future as a teacher and mother.
The greatest blessing I received from Inter-City was meeting my future husband there. His life was dramatically changed because of the ministry and time teachers spent with him.
After college I came back to Inter-City to teach for 4 1/2 years. My last class is graduating this year. And although they are almost grown men and women now, I still picture them as those little third graders in room 204. My daughter now attends Kindergarten at Inter-City and, Lord willing, one day all of my daughters will graduate and carry on the legacy.
I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to attend Inter-City Baptist Schools . And as the school song says I have been truly "blessed by God beyond all measure."
Here's a couple of old pictures from our graduation. Be careful of your comments, I have lots of old pictures in my basement.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
You Have The Right To Remain...Vocal!
We have the privilege of having a great mix of teens in our Youth Group. Some go to local public schools, some to a local Christian School. They each bring unique experiences and opportunities to our group.
More than a few times I've heard from the teens in our group that go to public schools about subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) instances of school officials instructing students to refrain from certain religious expressions. For example, a student was actually instructed that she is not allowed to bring a Bible to school. Hopefully the teaching giving these instructions was simply misinformed about the law in this area. I think that is probably the case in many instances. However, the reason is really not relevant. The bottom line is that students cannot rely on the school officials to protect their rights in this area.
The only way for you to know your free speech and expression of religion rights in your school is to check into it for yourself. You can find a helpful article here. Take a look and see if your rights are being infringed upon. Contrary to what you might be hearing from your school, you have the right to remain vocal!
More than a few times I've heard from the teens in our group that go to public schools about subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) instances of school officials instructing students to refrain from certain religious expressions. For example, a student was actually instructed that she is not allowed to bring a Bible to school. Hopefully the teaching giving these instructions was simply misinformed about the law in this area. I think that is probably the case in many instances. However, the reason is really not relevant. The bottom line is that students cannot rely on the school officials to protect their rights in this area.
The only way for you to know your free speech and expression of religion rights in your school is to check into it for yourself. You can find a helpful article here. Take a look and see if your rights are being infringed upon. Contrary to what you might be hearing from your school, you have the right to remain vocal!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Blessed Be Your Name
We learned a new song in church recently. It is based on what Job says after loosing everything he had. It says:
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me,
When the world’s all as it should be
Blessed be Your name,
And blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering,
Blessed be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise,
When the darkness closes in
Lord still I will say,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your glorious name.
I frequently think about my life and am overwhelmed with all that God has blessed me. I love my life. I'm actually tempted to be so taken with the gifts God has given me that I get distracted from the God that gave them.
That's why I admire Job's example. He lost it all. When it all was striped away, his love for and trust in the God that gave it all remained and was his anchor. It seems like every day I have to remind myself to loosen my grip on the blessings and cling more closely to the blesser. They might be gone in an instant, but He will always be there.
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me,
When the world’s all as it should be
Blessed be Your name,
And blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering,
Blessed be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise,
When the darkness closes in
Lord still I will say,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your glorious name.
I frequently think about my life and am overwhelmed with all that God has blessed me. I love my life. I'm actually tempted to be so taken with the gifts God has given me that I get distracted from the God that gave them.
That's why I admire Job's example. He lost it all. When it all was striped away, his love for and trust in the God that gave it all remained and was his anchor. It seems like every day I have to remind myself to loosen my grip on the blessings and cling more closely to the blesser. They might be gone in an instant, but He will always be there.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Definitely a East Coast Girl
My friend Scott of the Ramblin'Scotzman is on a cross country trip right now. (Insert Jealous look here) His trip inspired me to post a map of all the states I have been too. I've only crossed the Mississippi to visit my Brother. And I'm not sure if I can count Minnesota because I just had a layover there. Someday I would like to hit all 50. Maybe when the gas prices go down.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Happy Family
When our latest batch of videos from Blockbuster Online showed up Thursday, there was something for everyone. We all wanted to run to the mailbox to get our goodies.
For the children, the latest installment of Maya & Miguel. Mama was excited to get Martha's Classic Thanksgiving and for Daddy, the final installment in the Star Wars Saga...the just released Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith!
Yes, it doesn't take much to get us excited.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The Evil Coffee Empire
I have a friend who frequently refers to Starbucks as "The Evil Coffee Empire" in his blog. I've never traced his use of that name back to find out exactly what he means by it and I have never asked him. I just think it's funny. I read two articles recently that made me think of him and that I thought were worth sharing. You can read them here and here.
So here's the question: Do you buy coffee from someone who openly supports such an unbiblical agenda or not? Frankly, I'm not big on boycotts and I think there are much more important things to be doing to support my biblical mission than finding companies to NOT do business with. I guess I tend to take the approach that says, "Stay out of my face and I'll stay out of yours." However, since Starbucks is getting loud about thier positions on some hot button issues, I'm wondering if it is not a stretch to voice my opinion back with my money. What do you think?
As I think about it, the more pressing question is "What posesses any of us to pay four bucks for a cup of coffee anyway?" :-)
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