Random Thoughts and Observations

Jason Boyett - one of the best bloggers out there - but not for now...

2011-12-05T16:20:00.001-05:00

So, a few years back I opened up one of the magazines to which I subscribe to find an article that I thoroughly enjoyed.

A google search later, and I find the writer, Jason Boyett, had a cool blog and some great books - like The Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse (I laughed so hard I didn't even realize I was learning!)

I e-mailed Jason to let him know how much I enjoyed his writing - he responded - and the next thing you know, we're exchanging ideas and information on a regular basis.

Jason is a truly talented writer (check out O Me of Little Faith), an exemplary blogger, and a thoughtful and intelligent person.

Here's a few random things I've learned from Jason:

1. It takes humility and skill to have a real discussion involving people from a wide variety of positions

On more than a few occasions, Jason's blogs have been places where deeply religious people have debated each other and atheists, agnostics, and people of various faiths have joined in the discussions. Jason seemed to always welcome good discussion and did everything he could to make all feel comfortable and treat them with respect.

2. It's OK to be wrong and it's important to acknowledge it

In September of 2010, Calvin College cancelled a scheduled performance by The New Pornographers - Jason wrote about it, criticizing the move - then he got more information and posted one of the most complete, comprehensive apologies I've ever read.

3. Humor helps in almost all situations

Whether it's expressed as a snarky observation or it's used to keep people interested in what could otherwise be a dry subject or to diffuse a potentially volatile subject - humor helps communicate in ways that straight prose might not - Jason's writing uses those humor tools extremely well.

There's a lot more, but you get the idea.

Earlier this year, Jason ended his blog on faith and doubt and focused on his blog about fatherhood.

This month, he's brought that blog to a close.

I am saddened by this.

I understand what he's doing (focusing on things that pay the bills and that more people will read), and I know I'll still get to enjoy the occasional article, book, TV interview, etc. - but I'll miss the regular updates, the insightful observations, and the example of fine writing on a regular basis.

I hope Jason returns to blogging when the time is right for him and his family.

For now, I just want to offer a heartfelt "Thank You" on behalf of myself (and I assume your other readers) for inspiring, educating, entertaining, and encouraging. You've got a real gift and we appreciate you sharing it.

Jewelry on Video!

2011-04-18T10:01:00.000-04:00

The Lovely Bride will have her jewelry available for viewing and/or purchasing this Saturday, April 23 - from 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM at Bella Vista in Pike Creek (Click Here for details and directions).

So, THIS is exciting - we shot our first jewelry video!

I told the three starlets I was going after the look and feel of "Antique Road Show" - I think they nailed it:

Five years after I had my son kidnapped...

2011-03-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

My son is 18 years old today (Yes, I feel old).

So, it was five years ago that about 20 guys got together and kidnapped Justin, took him out to a barn about 20 miles away, and put him through a series of tests.

Yes, I helped organize the whole thing (although the end result was so much more than I could have envisioned thanks to the awesome offerings from all the others involved).

Yes, Justin had "asked" for this adventure (though he didn't know exactly what he had asked for at the time) - and he had control during the entire experience - and all went well (I hope to have the full story to post soon)

Five years later...

Justin has embarked on several adventures, he's shown initiative, demonstrated compassion, and lived loyalty to friends and family - and yes, he's had a few "learning experiences" along the way.

Justin is quite the musician, an impressive performer with a quick mind and ability to work with a crowd.

Justin has spent a considerable amount of time volunteering for a variety of organizations in the area, he has a knack for helping people address real issues - one time he was at the Empowerment Center in Newark and made sure two men got the job applications and interviews they needed - I think he was 15 at the time.

This year, Justin has been spending his Wednesday evenings as a camera operator for a local television show and an exciting venture known as IndiFilmNight.com - cool stuff.

Let me say this - I am both proud and impressed with my son - who he is, how he thinks, and what he does.

Allow me to follow that with this - I am both proud and impressed with the incredible community of friends and family we have who continue to teach, support, encourage, correct, help, and grow with us. I cannot express how much I appreciate all of the men who were part of the kidnapping five years ago - and I cannot tell you how blown away I am by all who make a difference in Justin's life.

Happy Birthday to Justin - I can't wait to see more of your life's adventure!

Questioning God

2011-02-19T09:27:00.000-05:00

I want to introduce you to Jon Boulet.

Jon is one of the most thoughtful, intelligent, and insightful individuals I know - He's served numerous tours as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force throughout the Middle East - and he's one of the pastors at the church my family calls "home".

Jon is also a key person in making LOMA Coffee a reality.

So, starting this coming Wednesday evening at 7:00 - Jon is holding a series of conversations called "Questioning God" at LOMA Coffee - yes, there will be free coffee and dessert - but more importantly, I believe there will be thoughtful, intelligent, insightful discussion about that place where our thoughts about God and spirituality meet the reality of life.

Here's Jon to offer the invitation:

If you're up for some really good discussions - I hope you'll come to LOMA Coffee (3rd & Market Streets, Wilmington) any Wednesday evening at 7:00.

Special Election - Thursday, January 13

2011-01-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, I've worked in politics and I've worked with probably a couple of hundred campaigns (state, county, municipal, even helped my daughter get elected class representative a few years back).

I can tell you that while almost all I have worked with have been good, decent people - there are only a rare few who rise to the level of "truly inspirational" - Thursday, one of those men will be on the ballot for a special election in New Castle County - that man is Tom Kovach.

Below you will see an e-mail from Andye Daley - I echo and affirm everything she says.

Tom Kovach is that rare individual who knows the issues, can work with all sides, and get the job done.

Tom Kovach has demonstrated real leadership in such areas as the Delaware Film Initiative and the Delaware Social Media Initiative - he is someone who "gets it" when it comes to job creation, transparent government, and service to taxpayers.

I cannot emphasize how important your vote can be Thursday - I expect extremely low turnout for this election - which means YOU can make a difference.

Please, if you live in New Castle County, vote for Tom Kovach.

Please, if you know people who live in New Castle County, ask them to vote for Tom Kovach.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Ken

______________

There is an important Special Election tomorrow for NCCo Council President. It is to take the open seat left when Chris Coons won the Senate Seat in November. In full disclosure, I have been working on the campaign for Tom Kovach, and obviously, I fully endorse him. I encourage you all to read up on both candidates and make an informed decision.

I am backing Tom Kovach for many reasons, mainly because he will provide the much needed balance to a very lopsided Council. He is against High Density housing because of the sever lack of infrastructure and already over crowed schools. He's against any more tax increases and will work to repeal the damaging Workforce Housing ordinance. He is a Chemical Engineer and an Attorney working to turn Brownfeilds ( broken down properties once developed and now out of business) to productive properties. Here are some recent links that have articles on the candidates just writen in the last 2 days:

http://www.middletowntranscript.com/county_news/x1314137050/As-vote-nears-council-candidates-ramp-up-rhetoric

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110112/OPINION05/101120306/County-s-doctored-news-releases-only-make-cops-look-dishonest

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110111/OPINION09/101110320/It-s-time-to-stop-county-s-excessive-spending-habit

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110112/NEWS02/101120344/1007/Candidates-debate-status-quo-of-council

Please take the time to vote Thursday the 13th at your regular polling location between 7am and 8pm. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at any time.

Thank you in advance for voting!
Andye Daley

photos from the Hockessin show

2010-11-22T13:38:00.000-05:00

The Lovely Bride is part of the Early Learning Center's Home-Based Business and Products Holiday Expo - here's some great photos (photos submitted by Barbara Perry):

Proud parent moment

2010-11-04T13:50:00.000-04:00

So, my son is 17, my daughter is 16 - they aren't old enough to vote, yet.

But, that did not stop them from working the polls on Election Day.

They went through the training with the Delaware Department of Elections, got up well before the crack of dawn on election day, and helped people vote from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm.

The next day, Rick Jensen talked with them on WDEL (1150 AM) about the experience - here's the interview:

Rainbows all the way - to 1858!

2010-08-28T12:10:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm really loving the whole Double Rainbow thing - from Hungrybear9562's original cries of glee to Schoyoho's autotune to the countless variations (seriously, I've heard the acoustic, metal, rap, and spoken-word versions of this thing - all awesome in their own way).

Of course, we know that it was just a couple of decades ago that Kermit the frog sang about the Rainbow Connection (note, Willie Nelson also does a great version).

Then there's Judy Garland singing about that place Somewhere Over The Rainbow (note: Jeff Beck does an awesome version of this one!)

But, this morning my lovely bride brought this to my attention - she's reading Charlotte Bronte's 1858 novel, "The Professor" - and in chapter 19, the title character, William Crimsworth, says this:

"I had before me the arch of an even rainbow; a perfect rainbow - high, wide, vivid. I looked long; my eye drank in the scene, and I suppose my brain must have absorbed it... the mighty rainbow."

I think there's only one way to describe all of this - it's so - what's the word I'm looking for - oh, yea, Intense!

Music School of Delaware!

2010-08-10T14:54:00.002-04:00

It seems like every time I turn around, I discover another incredible gem in Delaware!

I'd like to share with you the beauty that is The Music School of Delaware!

First, here's a look at the Music School of Delaware from WHYY's program FIRST:

Watch the full episode. See more First.

Next, here's some clips put together by the brilliant minds at the Delaware Film Company:

Suzuki Academy from The Music School Of Delaware on Vimeo.

Private Instruction from The Music School Of Delaware on Vimeo.

Finally, here's a chance to get involved in the first 5K run/walk for the Music School of Delaware - and if you want to know more about the school, click here.

An evening with Roseanne Cash and Michele Rollins

2010-08-09T11:11:00.001-04:00

I've been to my share of concerts and performances, but rarely have I enjoyed the kind of evening that was held Saturday at the Smyrna Opera House.

Roseanne Cash was gracious and charming - she spent time before the show with a roomful of loyal fans. She was kind enough to autograph a copy of her new book "Composed" for my daughter and we got to meet Roseanne's daughter, too.

This was also my first time at the Smyrna Opera House - and it reinforces my prejudice that Delaware is not only a gem of a state, but that we have precious gems in every part of the state - the Smyrna Opera House is a terrific venue, extremely comfortable with great acoustics, I look forward to more shows there.

While the audience filled the Opera House, the concert had the intimate feel of a family gathering in a living room.

So, why was Roseanne Cash performing in Smyrna? Because her friend, Michele Rollins, asked her to.

Throughout the evening we got to hear great stories about time spent between the Cash and Rollins families - including Roseanne reading a portion of her new book about shared family vacations.

And yes, there was excitement about Michele Rollins' campaign - Roseanne Cash made it clear throughout the evening that even though she's a vocal supporter of many in the Democrat Party, she knows Michele Rollins and knows she has the brains and the guts needed to be a positive force in the U.S. Congress.

Friday - Art Loop - Riverfront Blues Festival - WOW!

2010-08-05T07:57:00.001-04:00

The Wilmington Art Loop is consistently one of the best events to attend in Delaware - a chance to go out for an evening to enjoy great art and music in a variety of venues - normally with good food and drink - and all for free - but this Friday night the city just cranked up the goodies!

OK, so when you normally do the Art Loop you get your magazine stamped at five different locations, then trade that in for tickets to Theatre N (how cool is that!) or free drinks or some other cool prize - BUT - this Friday, you can trade in your stamped magazine and get a free ticket to the Riverfront Blues Festival that evening to see The Delta Groove Harp Blast featuring Al Blake, Randy Chortkoff, Mitch Kashmar, Jimi Bott, Willie Campbell, Frank Goldwasser & Kirk Fletcher - How Cool Is THAT!?

So, picture this - Friday evening, get started around 5:30 at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts (again, see e-mail below) - visit a whole bunch of great venues, enjoy art, music, food - collect at least five stamps, then head over to the Tubman-Garrett Park (between the train station and the Riverfront Market) for awesome live blues - I don't know about you, but that sounds like a great way to spend a Friday evening!

I hope to see many of you there!

Oh, here's a sample of Kirk Fletcher's work:

I feel so much better now

2010-08-02T08:18:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has had to work with me knows that I don't have the neatest office/desk/workspace in the world.

Whether it's the home office, the work office, the car office - I have my own sense of organization (really, the file is right there, under the pile with the articles I'm planning on reading when I get some free time...)

A good friend and co-worker just shared this with me:

I feel much better now.

Photos were captured from Jerry Pournelle

Jewelry as seen on Oprah's web site featured in Glasgow Wednesday

2010-04-26T16:56:00.002-04:00

Our friend Maya Paveza just auditioned to have her own show on Oprah's network - you can see the audition and vote for Maya by clicking here. In that video, check out the great necklace Maya's wearing - that's right - that's a Kristin Grant Original!

Come out to Whereabouts Cafe in Peoples Plaza in Glasgow on Wednesday, June 23, between 5:00 and 9:00 - enjoy great food, coffee, gelato, and check out some of the best hand-crafted jewelry in the region!

Here's the best part - 10% of EVERYTHING you purchase - sandwiches, salads, coffee, gelato, jewelry - will go towards Family Promise - an organization of local congregations that provide food and shelter for homeless children and families.

WHAT: Jewelry Night
WHERE: Whereabouts Cafe
214 Peoples Plaza
WHEN: Wed., June 23
5:00 - 9:00 PM

Prices range from $10 - $50

Quick Clarification: Some people think that by arriving they are somehow obligated to purchase something - that is not the case, you can come and just hang out with us - no purchase necessary.

Book Review and Interview - O me of little faith by Jason Boyett

2010-04-21T15:20:00.003-04:00

Disclaimer #1: While I've never met Jason Boyett face to face, or talked with him on the phone, I have corresponded with him via e-mail, twitter, facebook, and his blog - I have copies of all of the Pocket Guides and refer to them regularly when I want to sound particularly knowledgeable and/or witty.

Disclaimer #2: The fine people at Zondervan (specifically Assistant Marketing Director Mike Salisbury) sent me an advance copy of “O me of little faith” with a nice letter asking me to consider posting a review on my blog.

Let me be the first to say that this book is not for everyone - if you are so strong in your faith that you cannot comprehend someone raised in a church setting expressing honest doubt about the basis of everything upon which Christianity is founded (including the very existence of a divine being), then you probably should not frustrate yourself with this book. If you are a staunch atheist convinced that anyone who holds to a belief system that involves a deity cannot be a deep thinker or is living in denial and you wish to maintain that prejudice, do not read this book.

Allow me to now speak for a significant number of us - the ones who are immersed in American Christianity, were probably raised going to church, have had the proverbial “mountaintop experiences” with God, but still find ourselves wondering, “is it really real?” The unfortunate truth is that many of us are uncomfortable bringing those questions up with our friends, family, and especially not with those who share our faith (weak as it may be). For everyone who has wondered, “Am I the only one asking these questions?” - stop reading this review, go here and get this book now (then come back and read the rest of the review).

Jason has a way of writing that is inviting, entertaining, and informative - I've often told people that when you read the Pocket Guides (Bible, Sainthood, Apocalypse, Afterlife), you find yourself laughing your way through page after page and then all of a sudden realize that you're learning great information at the same time.

Jason maintains the great writing skills in “O me of little faith” - but he adds a layer of vulnerability and openness that is more than a little challenging. Jason's chapter on prayer - “Reverse Brick-Laying” - is one of the most honest, insightful accounts I've read on the subject - and thanks to that chapter I now have a copy of the Book of Common Prayer on its way to my home. The following chapter - “Insanity at 900 Feet” - will shake you to your core. Seriously.

I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say this - Jason does an incredible job with each chapter of introducing a concept, taking you down a winding path and bringing you back at the end of the chapter with the destination clear. But don't expect that with the book as a whole - Jason doesn't take you by the hand and say, “come this way, I think I've got this figured out now, we should go in this direction...” rather, he seems to say, “thanks for listening, let's keep trying to figure this out together.”

My recommendation, read the book and engage in the conversation here.

OK, that does it for the review portion - now the Interview:

Jason, pull up that yellow chair of yours, let's chat about this book of yours.

First, I'm going to ask for your assessment - right now we can walk into most book stores and find shelves of books that either take on the God/Atheist debate or explore the personal side of Faith and Doubt - you even reference some of these in your book - how would you compare OMOLF with the other books out there? And, in light of those other books on the market, do you believe we're seeing a fad, a trend, a movement, or something else?

Yes, I think we are seeing something of a trend. In fact, one of the most distressing things I've red on a blog or two discussing my book has been the concern that books about doubt have become a fad among certain kinds of Christians, and my book is an attempt to capitalize on that fad. Oof. THAT certainly makes me feel good about myself. Glad I was able to time my personal struggles to peak at just the right moment so I could get this book written!

I'll stop being snarky now. The truth is that books like mine -- call them confessional faith memoirs, street-level apologetics or, simply, doubt books -- have indeed become something of a trend in recent years. Starting with Blue Like Jazz, we've seen an uptick in Christian books that aren't afraid to ask hard questions of the faith without offering any definitive answers. Instead of logical propositions, we tell stories. Instead of certainty, we offer honesty and transparency. And I'll admit that O Me of Little Faith does fit into this genre. And I would explain the genre by citing postmodernism or a reaction to Baby Boomer rationalism, but one of the best books in this "movement" was The Myth of Certainty, written 25 years ago by Dan Taylor. And John Ortberg has written a great book about doubt, too, and he's my parents' age. So it's not as tidy of a movement as we think.

Another interesting pattern is the way people who have grown up in the Protestant/Evangelical camp are finding real meaning and comfort in the Liturgy from the High Church camp (observing Lent, Liturgical prayers, etc.). Can you offer a little more about what these kinds of explorations have done for you - and again, any thoughts on whether we're just seeing this as a couple of isolated cases or do you see a trend that might bring some denominations together around something more substantial than a political agenda?

I think the gradual movement from low-church worship to high-church worship -- from loose evangelicalism to liturgy -- is certainly a trend, and one we've been observing for a couple of decades. I grew up Southern Baptist. In terms of church membership and attendance, I'm still Southern Baptist. And yet my family observes Lent, because we've found it deepens our experience of Easter. I pray from the Book of Common Prayer and other liturgy because I get so annoyed by the cliches of public prayer (mine, and others'). We've found that these ancient practices offer a nice counterbalance to some of the silly shallowness of the contemporary Christian subculture. It propels us beyond self-centered spiritual practices and toward the traditions of the last two thousand years of Christian community. That's a good thing.

Of course, my anecdotal experience doesn't mean much by itself. But based on the studies I've seen, there's definitely a trend in the direction of liturgy. If it means a more thoughtful, deeper expression of Christianity, I'm all for it.

I have to be honest, some of the things you write about from your childhood/teen/20something days and the beliefs you held were both way too familiar and more than a little uncomfortable for some readers who may read this and think "wait a minute, I thought I was the only one who went through that and live every day regretting those beliefs/actions/etc." Um, I mean, hypothetically, someone could maybe think something like that... so the question is, how much did you struggle with the idea of exposing so much - and how difficult was/is it to put those slices of your internal life out there for public consumption?

Yes, I struggled with how much internal stuff to reveal. The Brazil story, in particular, is something I'd never shared with anyone other than a few close friends. I worried a little about what people would think about some of the uncomfortably transparent stuff -- like my family members, or people I grew up with at church -- but what's the use of writing a faith memoir if I'm going to gloss over the truth? I had to tell it right, even if the honesty made certain readers uncomfortable. Or if it made me uncomfortable.

But something I'm discovering about my personality is that it's much easier for me to share stuff like that in a book or blog post than to explain it in person. Maybe it's because I'm such an introvert. I'm much more comfortable hiding behind that degree of separation that the written word offers beyond face-to-face interaction. (In the same way, I prefer email to phone calls.)

You do a great job throughout the book of covering the predictable responses from those who might want to help you let go of your doubt (read this book, watch that video, claim these scriptures) - since the book has gone to print have you received any new advice (good, bad, or indifferent) from those trying to help? Is there a message you'd like to convey to those individuals?

I haven't gotten much advice yet. The worst up to this point has been the insinuations from some, prior to reading, that doubt was a wussy thing to get worked up about. Like I should just "man up" and believe harder. A few others have suggested that the best way to deal with my doubts was to "get in the Word." That suggestion floors me, because I'm pretty sure at least half of my doubts come from reading the Bible -- dealing with its stories, its varied perspectives, and its complexities. I'm not sure what Bible the "get in the Word" people are reading, but when I read Scripture I tend to come away with more questions than answers.

My message for them? Jude 22: "Show mercy to those who doubt." I didn't just flip a switch and start doubting, and I can't flip the switch the other direction and stop doubting. Uncertainty has settled in after years of historical study, theology, practice, and personality. If any of the easy answers helped, they would have worked by now. Doubters don't need to be given shallow instructions about how to get better. Doubters need to be shown grace -- just like everyone else.

You've connected with quite a few people from different faith backgrounds and some great atheists on your blog - any indications that as you've admitted your lack of faith some of our atheist friends might be willing to admit to some dabbling with faith of some kind? (I know, not exactly a fair question - just a thought)

Interesting question. My willingness to ask hard questions has made me more approachable, I think, among my atheist/agnostic friends. They know I'm not going to immediately shut them down in conversations about God (or about there not being a God), because my own uncertainty has given me a tolerance and understanding of their viewpoint. I'm willing to entertain their questions without getting defensive or spoiling for a fight. And most of the non-theists I've met are quite knowledgeable about these questions and issues...often more so than believers. However, my tolerance for their perspective doesn't guarantee they'll respond the same way to me, and suddenly develop a new-found respect for theism. People dig trenches for protection, and it's hard to abandon those trenches even when the battlefield is safer. Still, my goal has always been conversation, and it's easier to have a conversation if you make the environment safe for everyone involved. A willingness to listen to opposing viewpoints is a good step toward that kind of safety. You can't have a conversation if everyone's shouting at each other, so I tend to approach these topics with humility, patience, and respect. And the funny thing is, that approach works. Grace goes a long way. But I don't have expectations. To say "I've dabbled with agnosticism! Now it's your turn to dabble in faith!" would probably be unreasonable.

Do you see yourself eventually (30 years down the road) writing something like "How my faith grew exponentially - and how yours can, too"?

Ha! I don't see myself ever writing a book with the subtitle "And Yours Can, Too!" because that requires too many assumptions, the least of which is that what you need in life is to be more like me. (Of course, as a raging egomaniac, I think it all the time. But I'd never put it in print.) That said, I'd love to someday be able to write a book about how I arrived at a solid faith and how I finally put it all together. That would certainly be an answer to prayer. But I'm not sure it would make for as interesting of a book.

Thanks, Jason, for writing the book and for participating in the interview - I'll let you get back to your own blog now.

UPDATE: Several other people have been offering reviews of Jason's book (so you don't have to just take my word for it) - here's the links:

Pastor David Kenney
ThatGuyKC
Make Seriously
New Ways Forward
Tess Mallory
Danny J Bixby
CPYU
Rachel Held Evans

The wife's jewelry - the Valentine's Show!

2010-02-08T06:21:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: NEW SHOW ADDED!!!

WHAT: New Jewelry Show (she's making more jewelry every day!)

WHERE: OverCoffee Cafe, Lantana Square, Hockessin, DE

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 12 - 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

---------------------

OK, a message to the guys - seriously, Valentine's Day is this Sunday - come on, don't be lame, she can tell if you just ran to the drug store and grabbed something off the shelf at the last minute. Which means you'll get the "yea, thanks, love you too" response. Here's the thing, she wants something she can show off to her friends and say, "This is unique, my man got it for me!" and here's the great part - just come on over to OverCoffee Cafe in Lantana Square this Friday, tell Kristin a little bit about what your wife/girlfriend normally wears (what colors, basic styles, etc.) and she will help you find the jewelry that is perfect for her.

What you see here is just a sample of what's available.

Of course, the big question everyone has is, does my wife have a web site to display her jewelry - short answer, "no" - long answer, "no, and she doesn't want to yet." Which means come out Friday or you're out of luck until the next show.

So, in lieu of her own site, I'm going to simply post some photos taken by Maya (you rock, Maya!) - if you're not doing so already, you need to follow Maya by clicking here.

Book review - "Primal" with Mark Batterson

2009-12-16T10:09:00.002-05:00

First, a couple of items in the "full disclosure" category:

The good folks at Random House provided me with a free copy of the book "Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity" By Mark Batterson to review and post here (thanks Liz - you're the best!)
I've enjoyed Mark Batterson's previous books, his blog, and even his Twitter Updates for a while (and have led a men's class discussion on his book "Wild Goose Chase")
I am part of the group that's organizing a Men's Conference featuring Mark Batterson on Feb. 12 & 13 in Hockessin, DE

So, here's the review:

It is clear from the opening pages that Mark Batterson is not interested in just selling some books and offering tidbits of wisdom and insight to make the reader feel more comfortable, more secure, and more spiritual for reading the book.

Almost every page is a call to action - whether Batterson is sharing some of his own struggles or the experiences of others who have taken unbelievable risks, he seems to be consistently challenging the reader to do something: Live, Risk, Love, Give, Lead, Explore, Move.

It appears that Mr. Batterson is more interested in inspiring a movement than anything else - all I can say is that if enough leaders and future leaders take this message and make it their own, then we will see a very different world in a short period of time.

My challenge to anyone reading this review is simple - get a copy of this book, open it to any page and start reading - let me know if you don't then feel like doing something daring, something life changing, something Primal.

If you're going to buy something for the holiday...

2009-11-23T13:51:00.003-05:00

I don't think this qualifies as shameless self promotion - since I'm not really promoting myself. I am promoting my wife's incredible jewelry, though.

OK, here's the deal - my lovely bride started making jewelry a couple of years ago and she is Really Good at it (I'm no expert, I'm just going by what I hear from so many other people who seem to know jewelry). I can tell you that my wife will work for hours on a necklace, bracelet, and/or earrings, and because they don't meet her standards, she will take them apart and start all over again - she's committed to making sure everything she produces is a high-quality piece of jewelry that will compliment the wearer.

This Saturday, Nov. 28, you can check out the jewelry for yourself at OverCoffee Cafe in Lantana Square in Hockessin between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

WHAT: Jewelry Show
WHERE: OverCoffee Cafe in Lantana Square in Hockessin
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 28 - 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Now, here's the selfish part - when you come, make sure you tell my wife that you found out about this through twitter, facebook, or other social media - it will just help me out - thanks!

preparing for Frank Schaeffer's visit to Delaware

2009-11-11T09:03:00.003-05:00

So, a couple of years ago I sent an e-mail to Frank Schaeffer, just letting him know that I appreciated his writings and that I would be using some of his material in a discussion I was leading at the time.

Frank responded and, next thing you know, we're exchanging e-mails from time to time - most of my e-mails ended with something like, "let me know if you're coming to the Philadelphia/Baltimore area for a book-signing or anything" - a few months ago Frank sent me an e-mail saying his new book would be published soon and I should see if anyone would want to bring him in as part of the book tour.

A couple of phone calls and e-mails later, and the great folks at the Community for Integrative Learning said, "Yes, we'd love to bring Frank Schaeffer to Wilmington!"

As we're preparing for his visit this Friday, I find myself reflecting on just how much of an impact Frank has had on my thinking - it was Frank's writings that introduced me to an appreciation for great art, film, history, writing, and clear thinking. It was also because of Frank that I discovered P.J. O'Rourke, which led to enjoying Christopher Buckley. Ironically, it was this time last year that I went to see Christopher Buckley in Philadelphia - and he and Frank have both been criticized heavily by people who used to appreciate them for the same reason, both men openly endorsed Obama in the '08 Presidential Race.

If you get a chance, check out my Twitter postings this Friday - I'll be getting Frank to his interviews during the day - first, Radio Times on WHYY at 11:00 AM, then Rick Jensen on WDEL at 2:00 - and, of course, the discussion Friday evening at First and Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington.

You can read a great article about Frank by Gary Soulsman here.
You can read more about Frank on his web site here.
You can find out more about Friday evening's event here (please come on out - walk-ins are welcome).

How about a Newark Freeze this Friday?

2009-08-31T13:19:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: Check out the News Journal Story - Causing a scene on Main Street

UPDATE: If you are on Facebook, Go here to sign up!

Do you want to do something really cool this Friday?

A couple of us are thinking about putting together a Giant Freeze this Friday.

What's a Giant Freeze? you may be asking - well, here's probably your best introduction

For those that are having a hard time accessing Youtube, the idea is simple, a number of people, doing average, normal stuff in a very public place, simply freeze at the same time and remain perfectly still for a couple of minutes (long enough for a crowd to start wondering what the heck is going on - then, at a set time, they simply resume doing whatever they were doing before they "froze."

We're thinking Main Street, Newark would be a great location.

But, to do this properly, we need a lot of people (I think 40 is a minimum) - if it's just 2 or 3 of us, well, that's kind of lame.

In addition to those who will "freeze" we will need people willing to take photos and video of the event (because we have to share this fun stuff with the world).

So, if you're interested, please post below or e-mail me directly - "ken.grant7(at)gmail.com".

Oh, and yes, by all means, invite others to be a part of this as well!

Here's what we'll need to know:

1. Are you available on Friday around 11:00 AM (that's the tentative time I'm thinking - not set in stone)?

2. Are you willing to come to Newark, go walking down Main Street, and "freeze" for about 3 minutes?

3. Really? Seriously? If you're going to chicken out at the last minute, let me know now.

If it helps, think about doing this with a couple of friends (it really looks good when you have a few people engaged in conversation and "freezing" together) so you're not just standing there by yourself.

OK, there's the idea - it's in your hands now - let me know if you're in.

Oh, and no, there's no reason, purpose, or cause for this - it's purely for our own fun and amusement.

Community Matters Networking Group

2009-03-05T07:24:00.003-05:00

Has it really just been two weeks?!

Just two weeks ago I was writing about this great core group of people - Rodney, Alison, Ed, Greg, and Bill - who took on the formation of this job networking group.

During the 1:00 hour this afternoon (Thursday) - the group will be featured on WDEL's Rick Jensen Show (1150 AM - WDEL.com).

And, the News Journal, Community News, and WHYY-TV all plan on being at the Friday meeting (9:30 AM at Hockessin Baptist Church).

Why all of this interest?

Well, things are happening - major employers in the area are interested in working with the group (everything from recruiting to offering help and expertise to donating time and equipment for training).

If you or anyone you know is looking for a job, has some skill or talent to share with the group, or just want to find out more, please contact the Community Matters Networking Group and get involved now!

The Networking Group is Up and Running!

2009-02-19T07:37:00.001-05:00

True Confession Time:

When Bill Barto, Jon Boulet, and I first met to discuss the possibility of setting up a networking group for employment opportunities, I was pretty nervous - I mean, it sounds good, but what if nobody shows up? What if those who do aren't interested in participating? What if it all falls flat?

So, I put up the post, sent out a couple of e-mails, posted on facebook, linkedIn, and twitter - and the next thing you know, I'm getting e-mails from people saying they're planning on coming - then the meeting is featured in the News Journal and on WJBR radio - and then the meeting time came.

About 50 people packed the room.

And for 90 minutes a spirit of pure energy and generousity permeated the room - people shared their experiences, talked about exciting ideas, and connected in ways I don't think any of us expected. While the formal meeting ended at 8:30, the sharing and networking continued for another hour.

So, what's next? I'm glad you asked!

The next meeting is scheduled for this Friday morning, February 20, at 9:30 AM - the good people at Hockessin Baptist Church have agreed to host this group.

I'm also excited because a number of people contacted me after seeing the article in the paper and let me know they've either just started a similar group or are getting ready to start one - I see some real potential for networking among the neetworks coming up!

If you are curious, want to help, want to see what this is about, please come out Friday and stay tuned - there's going to be a web site created soon -- I'll keep things updated here as well.

Let me just say this to everyone who was there last night and to everyone who couldn't make it but called or e-mailed: THANK YOU!!! You have already played a significant role in making this group a huge success!

P.S. Big thanks to Libby Foester for the great photo - check out her stuff here: http://libbyportraits.com/

Net - Working

2009-02-15T20:14:00.003-05:00

I would dare argue that there isn't a person reading this post who doesn't know someone who has been impacted by the recent economy - be it someone who has been laid off from a job to someone whose small business is facing unprecedented challenges.

While the situation may seem overwhelming, I am confident that by combining resources we can make a real difference. Personally, I'm a big believer in Teddy Roosevelt's admonition to do the best you can with what you have where you are.

So, here's the plan:

There is going to be a meeting on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:00 PM to explore ways to network together - this meeting is open to all who are looking for a job, may be looking for a job, may be looking for employees, feel as though they have something to offer to help those looking for jobs (resume writing, interview skills, etc.), or those who simply want to try to do something to help - in other words, if you're reading this post then you're invited. The meeting will be held at Hockessin Baptist Church - 505 Schoolhouse Road, Hockessin, DE 19707.

Here's just some of the ideas we'll explore:
1) Growing a support system
2) Networking - giving everyone a chance to share about opportunities (job fairs, openings, etc.)
3) Tool Share - help each other with resumes, social media, interviewing skills, etc.

If you can't make the meeting but have some advice, ideas, questions, or suggestions - please feel free to post them here. Hopefully this meeting will lead to several networking opportunities.

WHAT: Networking meeting for jobs
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7:00 PM
WHERE: Hockessin Baptist Church - 505 Schoolhouse Road, Hockessin, DE

Looking forward to hearing your ideas!

Has John Cleese seen my company's video?

2009-02-11T12:03:00.002-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows all about the fun video our company put together a few months back:

So the question now is, has John Cleese seen this?

Here's the evidence I have that indicates he may have:

1) I sent a comment to his blog which needs to have approval before being published, after weeks of waiting, the submission is now posted - click here for exhibit A (scroll down to comment #12)

2) I just received a google alert showing that the video was added to the Cleese page on Funny or Die - click here for exhibit B (scroll down to the 9th video - feel free to give it a "funny" vote while you're there)

So, what do you think? Have you seen or heard anything that indicates he (or any of the other members of Monty Python) have seen this video?

I appreciate any thoughts/insights anyone can offer.

Coolest Family Around!

2008-11-12T18:13:00.000-05:00

So, the other night my friend Terry from the Herman's Bridge project asked me over to meet a couple of people who were staying with him and his wife.

I had the privilege of spending the next couple of hours hanging out with this really cool family from Portland, Oregon who decided to sell their stuff, get into an RV fueled by used veggie oil and travel around helping different people and organizations.

Check out the Coulombe family by clicking here.

My son - the guitarist

2008-11-12T17:20:00.000-05:00

It's been about a year since Justin got his hands on his very own guitar - and he rarely is seen without it, he's even taking a couple of guitar classes at school.

So, now he's got "gigs" lined up - OK, a "gig" - he'll be performing at a local coffee shop on Friday, Nov. 21 - it should be fun.

Return Day!

2008-11-08T12:53:00.000-05:00

Return Day is a uniquely Delaware tradition - two days after Election Day, all candidates (winners and losers) - come to Georgetown, Delaware to participate in a parade, enjoy the ceremonial burying of the hatchet, and going from place to place for parties.

This year was kind of a mess - I appreciate the fact that Senator/Vice President-elect Joe Biden wanted to still be a part of this tradition (which he's done for the past 30+ years), but for the first time ever we had to deal with long security lines and limited mobility.

Regardless, we had a good time and even had some of our crew involved with the parade. Oh, our group included my lovely bride, Kristin, the best General Manager in the world, Steven Miles, a respected man-of-the-cloth, Dave Jones, a Sussex County native, Jim Carrey, and a couple of artistic geniuses, Brian Sowards and Chris Stout.

Meeting Christopher Buckley

2008-11-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

Christopher Buckley is a great writer - some of you might be familiar with the movie that came out a couple of years ago - "Thank you for Smoking" - that was bsed on the book Christopher Buckley wrote.

Mr. Buckley writes great satire and his latest book, "Supreme Courtship" is a lot of fun - especially since he based one of his lead characters on our very own Senator/Vice President-elect Joe Biden (a cosmetically-enhanced U.S. Senator who has run for president in the past and has a habit of letting his mouth get him into trouble).

Mr. Buckley made an appearance at the Free Library of Philadelphia the day after Election Day, and Rick Jensen and I decided to go on up to see him - we heard some fun stories about Mr. Buckley's days as a speech writer for then Vice President George H.W. Bush, writing fictitious book reviews for the New Yorker, and the time he "Shushed" the director of the FBI.

If you are looking for something fun to read, pick up anything by Christopher Buckley - would especially recommend "Little Green Men" - which is apparently in the process of being filmed with John Malkovich.

Adventures of Ana L\'Tech

2008-09-22T15:42:00.001-04:00

Adventures of Ana L'Tech

Posted using ShareThis

Jason's linking to me - I have got to update this thing!

2008-05-05T16:08:00.002-04:00

I know, I know - I've been a terrible blogger - haven't added any new posts in forever (and I can justify such lack of blogging by showing all the direct e-mail communications I've done - but neither of us have time for that).

So now I'm updating because Jason Boyett just posted a link to here -- and the last time I checked, when Jason links to you, things happen.

I promise to get back to regular blogging soon (with some really exciting news and wacky observations).

So, if you're here because of Jason - WELCOME! tkae a look around and ignore the fact that I haven't posted in a while (you can also sign up for updates to the left - once I get back into the swing of things you'll get an occasional e-mail from me (2 a month, tops).

Peace!

Have you heard the latest about Hillary, Obama, Bush, and McCain?

2008-02-23T13:10:00.002-05:00

What do the following stories have in common:

- Hillary Clinton helped free two Black Panthers accused of torturing and murdering Alex Rackley
- President Bush paid for the funeral of a 6-year-old boy who drowned near his ranch in Crawford, Texas
- Illinois Senator Barack Obama is a radical Muslim

Two things - First, I have received all of these stories via e-mail several times (and many more like them). Second, they are all verifiably false.

These kinds of things get to be particularly ubiquitous during election years. And, if you've ever received these e-mails or anything like them, then you know that the e-mails are normally sent to you and a whole bunch of other people - and you probably notice that your simply the latest group to get this thing forwarded to you. My parents even received one of these in their snail-mail (anonymously, of course).

Friends, here's the thing - when you receive one of these e-mails, the first thing you should do is go to www.snopes.com and check to see what the validity of the claim is. Now, here's the funny part - some of the worst offenders will actually claim in the e-mail that their story has been verified by snopes.com - do not believe them! Check it out for yourself.

Quick Tip: if any variation of the following phrases are used, red flags should be going up:

- this is a story you won't read in the media
- this is something ____ doesn't want you to know about
- forward this to everyone you know

Um, chances are that if you won't read it in the media it's because someone actually did a little fact-checking and found the claims to be lacking in credibility (just a thought).

If, by chance, the information you have received is completely true, then feel free to forward at will.

If, however, the e-mail is verifiably false or if it contains half-truths mixed in with innuendo and speculation, then I highly recommend hitting the “Reply All” button and explaining to everyone (in a nice way) that the information contained in the e-mail is not entirely accurate.

Here's the frustrating part - at times I have replied to completely false e-mails and I've been told by the person who sent it to me, “it may not be completely true, but it's a good story anyway.” Um, folks, that's called lying - or “bearing false witness” as it's put in Exodus (you know, one of the Big Ten!).

Look, you can be opposed to someone's policies without having to forward lies about their character.

Please, use a little bit of common sense when you see these things.

OK, I'm going to get down from this soap box now - please forward this to all of your friends, you probably won't read this in the media, it contains information they don't want you to know.

Most Redeeming Films of 2007

2008-02-15T16:46:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I really enjoy good films - I mean, if I could I would watch two movies a day every day.

So, I was pleasantly surprised a couple of years ago when I discovered the film reviews offered by the folks at Christianity Today. I was expecting to see some rather lame reviews complete with a "naughty word count" or some such nonsense - what I found is a site that consistently offers thoughtful and insightful reviews.

One thing I find myself looking forward to every year now is their "Most Redeeming Films of the Year" list.

This year's list includes some truly great films (at least I can vouch for about half of them - I'm looking forward to catching the rest in the next few months).

I'm especially looking forward to seeing Lars and the Real Girl, Into Great Silence, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

My wife and I both enjoyed Bella - which says an awful lot (we don't tend to get excited over the same movies very often).

The #3 movie on the list - Juno - I've already seen twice in theaters (not something I normally do) - if you haven't seen it yet, check it out.

Check out the complete list here.

Share your thoughts - what would you say are some of the most redeeming movies you've seen?

More Cowbell!

2008-02-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

I just have to share this one - my lovely bride and I were out last weekend enjoying a great evening of art and music on Wilmington's Art Loop. By the end of the evening we were enjoying some great jazz music from the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble.

So, after one song, the leader says he's going to prove that everyone has some musical talent - and to do that he needed the least musically talented person in the room to come up on stage - my wife looked at me and simply said, "Go."

I hesitated for a moment, but then thought about the fact that I've been telling the guys in the men's class at HBC to "do something you've never done before" - well, I knew I had to go up.

Imagine my surprise when I was handed a Cowbell and told to go to town on it! This is an experience everyone should have at least once in their lives.

And yes, the entire time all I could think was:

I have a fever - and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!

Funniest Satan Video Ever

2008-02-05T12:49:00.000-05:00

I don't care what you're doing right now, you have to click here and watch this video.

Next time you feel like quitting...

2008-01-12T11:29:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching the movie "Dodgeball" -- a fun little comedy romp. The plot involves your basic group of underdog misfits trying to accomplish something big (in this case the national dodgeball championship - hey, it's a goal).

Anyhow, there's an incredible scene where the team leader -- Peter LaFleur played by Vince Vaughn -- decides to quit just before the final game, he doesn't even tell his team-mates, he just sits at the hotel bar.

That's when Lance Armstrong comes up to the bar to order some water, recognizes Peter and tells him he's been watching the Dodgeball games and that he's pulling for Peter's team -- and Peter tells Lance that he's decided to quit, and the following discussion takes place:

Lance Armstrong: Quit? You know, once I was thinking about quitting… when I was diagnosed with brain, lung, and testicular cancer – all at the same
time.

But with the love and support of my friends and family, I got back on the bike and I won the Tour de France five times in a row.
But I’m sure you have a good reason to quit…

So, what are you dying from that’s keeping you from the finals?

Peter LaFleur: Right now, it feels a little bit like… shame.

Lance Armstrong: Well, I guess if a person never quit when the going got tough, they wouldn’t have anything to regret for the rest of their life.

But good luck to you, Peter. I’m sure this decision won’t haunt you forever.

Is that great or what!

So, print out Lance's words and the next time you feel like giving up, well, I'm sure that decision won't haunt you forever.

A truly incredible weekend

2008-01-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

2008 got off to an awesome start for me -- the first weekend of '08 was spent with my father and my son at a men's retreat with approximately 160 other men from Evangelical Free Church of Hershey, PA.

Of course, the question came up more than a few times -- what's three guys from Newark, DE doing with this group from Hershey, PA? The answer to that one is simple, we came to see the guest speaker - John Fischer.

I have been reading John's books and listening to his music for probably 20 years now - his insight is pretty darned impressive. If you ever get a chance to see him in concert or attend a seminar or retreat weekend where he is speaking, just do it - you will be challenged and encouraged. In the meantime, try to get one if his books and sign up to get "The Daily Catch" - a daily e-mail from John that helps put a lot of things into perspective.

Just to give a very simple, scratching the surface kind of review of some of the things John spoke about this weekend:

1) Christians should have a fearless faith - ready to see the world through a wider lens, appreciate more of the creativity, truth, and beauty that exists regardless of the conduit through which it arrives

2) to quote from Proverbs 25:2 - "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings" - so search (or ask, seek, and knock)

3) People today are searching for transcendence, significance, and community -- ideally that is exactly what a church based on the gospel should be offering, you fill in the rest

4) Many of us might need to look into a 12-step program for pharisees (myself included)

As an added bonus, I had the privilege of serving on a Saturday afternoon political panel with former Pennsylvania State Representative Jeff Coleman, Ron Hostetler (former candidate for U.S. Congress), and Steve Hoke (truly brilliant mind - knows more about Constitutional principles than most will ever hear about in their lifetimes). The discussion was moderated by Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute.

The weekend was also awesome on a personal level -- as mentioned before, this was time spent with both my father and my son -- it was great to get a "guy's weekend" together. We got to talk, share, play Risk, and enjoy a great time meeting dozens of quality people together.

A quick note to the guys at Evangelical Free Church -- you guys put on an excellent event, every detail was well planned and executed, thank you for doing all you did to make this such an awesome experience!

To see several photos from the weekend (including the midnight dodge ball games, the lost hikers, and concert shots), click here.

About the school prayer thing...

2008-01-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

I recently came across a great piece concerning the school prayer issue, here's an excerpt:

And now let’s add to that the attempts by misguided school officials to compose “nonsectarian” prayers that would pass constitutional muster (“We affirm our Supreme Being, creator of the Universe,” things of that sort), and you have to assume that we’re well beyond 100,000 attempts to circumvent the court’s unambiguous ruling that you can’t pray in school, period.

And by the way, that very first Supreme Court school prayer case, Engel v. Vitale, revolved around a 22-word “nonsectarian” prayer that’s perhaps the lamest one ever written. It’s impossible to write a lamer one or a less offensive one, so just stop trying! Don’t believe me? Okay, I’m gonna go ahead and quote it:

“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country.”

That’s it. That’s the entire New York State Regents’ Prayer. That’s the prayer that the Supreme Court struck down as a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Anyone who went to a New York public school in the fifties had to recite that every day, to the point that baby boomers, if reminded of it today, can’t get the annoying echo out of their head, like a bad Barry Manilow song—which is fitting, because Barry Manilow himself was actually one of those kids who had to recite the prayer beginning in the third grade and continuing through his graduation from Eastern District High School in Brooklyn. For all we know it’s the source of his lyrical inspiration.

I invite you to check out the whole piece here, then check back to share your thoughts...

List of possibilities...

2008-01-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

First, the disclaimer, I'm blatantly stealing this from another blog:

Click here to check out Anonymous Opinion.

Now that that's out of the way, here's a fun little exercise -- go down the list and check off everything you have done, then think about things you might want to do, of course there's items on here no one would actually want to do as well.

Feel free to share any thoughts. I went through this and can say that 67 of the items apply to me -- so far.

Enjoy!

And, may 2008 bring about many adventures, opportunities, and blessings!

Ken

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm.
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Really Random Stuff

2007-12-19T14:38:00.000-05:00

There's this great store on Main Street in Newark that sells all kinds of great stuff. One thing is this collection of buttons with witty messages on them. I can't help but buy a few almost every time I go in the store. I've given away many - you know, you see the perfect one for a friend or relative, you have to get it for them. It's also a treat for my kids, “Go ahead, pick out a button, I'll buy it for you.”

My main collection (the ones I kept for myself) is scattered around my computer screen at home - I figured I'd share with you the little messages I have hanging around my place:

“Another Deadline, Another Miracle”

“Power corrupts, Absolute power is kind of neat.”

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts”

“You people and your quaint little categories”

“Angst-Free Zone: no wallowing!”

“If you're going to walk on thin ice, you might as well DANCE”

“Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice”

“Tact is for people who aren't witty enough for sarcasm”

“If your coalition isn't driving you crazy, it isn't broad enough”

“I'm one of THEM, and I vote”

“Little chance of success, Certainty of death. What are we waiting for?”

This is what Redemption is all about...

2007-12-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

NPR has this series called "This I Believe" which encourages people to submit essays about their core beliefs. I enjoy the vast majority of them. This one just stopped me in my tracks.

To listen to the essay read by the author or to learn more, click here.

I believe in the power of redemption.

I was an interrogator at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I don't have any torture stories to share. I think many people would be surprised at the civilized lifestyle I experienced in Guantanamo. The detainees I worked with were murderers and rapists. You never forgot for a moment that, given the chance, they'd kill you to get out. Some committed crimes so horrific that I lost sleep wondering what would happen if they were set free.

But that is not the only reason I could not sleep; I had spent 18 months in Iraq just before my arrival in Cuba. First I served as a soldier for a year, and then returned as a civilian contractor because I felt I hadn't done enough to make a difference the first time. After the Abu Ghraib scandal broke, I left because I felt I could not make any difference anymore. Those events simply undermined all of our work.

I felt defeated and frightened and tired, and I hoped I could redeem myself by making a difference in Guantanamo. Still, I couldn't sleep. I was plagued with dreams of explosions and screaming. After being sleepless for more than 48 hours, I began to hallucinate. I thought people were planting bombs outside my house in Guantanamo. That was the night my roommate brought me to the hospital.

When I returned to work, I began to meet again with my clients, which is what I chose to call my detainees. We were all exhausted. Many of them came back from a war having lost friends, too. I wondered how many of them still heard screaming at night like I did.

My job was to obtain information that would help keep U.S. soldiers safe. We'd meet, play dominoes, I'd bring chocolate and we'd talk a lot. There was one detainee, Mustafa, who joked that I was his favorite interrogator in the world, and I joked back that he was my favorite terrorist — and he was. He'd committed murders and did things we all wished he could take back. He asked me one day, suddenly serious, "You know everything about me, but still you do not hate me. Why?"

His question stopped me cold. I said "Everyone has done things in their past that they're not proud of. I know I have, but I also know God still expects me to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. That means you."

Mustafa started to cry. "That's what my God says, too," he said.

Accepting Mustafa helped me accept myself again. My clients may never know this, but my year with them helped me to finally heal. My nightmares stopped.

I don't know what kind of a difference I made to the mission in Guantanamo. But I found redemption in caring for my clients, and I believe it saved my life — or at least my sanity. People say, "Hate the sin, not the sinner." That is easier said than done, but I learned that there is true freedom in accepting others unconditionally.

I believe we help to redeem each other through the power of acceptance. It is powerful to those who receive it and more powerful to those who give it.

Wrapping up 2007

2007-12-10T20:37:00.000-05:00

Quick disclaimer:

I am fully aware that the calendar system we all use is pretty arbitrary, I am fully aware that the division of a year into 12 months and marking the point where we watch the numbers change on the year as January 1 has almost nothing to do with anything. For a comprehensive look at the whole measuring-time-calendar thing, I highly recommend the book "Questioning the Millennium" by Stephen Jay Gould -- it is incredible.

OK, now that that's out of the way, let me say this:

I love the whole concept of New Year's Day. This is something I actually mark in my own way for a couple of weeks.

I love spending time thinking about all that has occured in the year, I love everyone's year-end lists -- Best movies, best records (or CDs or whatever the kids are calling them these days), best books of the year, greatest triumphs, biggest embarassments, you name it, I love it!

I can tell you that 2007 has been an incredible year for me. From starting the year off on the unemployment line (well, actually had to wait until January 2 for that, the unemployment office wasn't open on Jan. 1) to spending the first half of the year wondering if I'd ever have a regular, full time job again to getting to spend some great time with family and friends to landing a job that turned out to be better than I ever could have imagined or hoped to getting to do some really neat side projects -- this year has been so much more than I ever could have dreamed a year ago.

Which leads to all kinds of thoughts about 2008!

Oh, one other thing -- I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions. I mean the new year is a great time to try something new, try to start a new ritual or something. But for Pete's sake, if you're going to eat less and exercise more, than just do it -- if you're going to quit smoking, just do it. Stop setting unrealistic expectations on a date, just do whatever you want to do -- really, do it, now!

So, how did 2007 treat you? What are your thoughts about 2008?

A kinder, gentler Christmas message

2007-12-10T20:24:00.000-05:00

I think in most areas I can be diplomatic and tactful -- of course then there's the Christmas thing (see previous post).

Thankfully, I have some great people like Bill Barto willing to send along things that kind of carry the same message, but in a nicer way.

It appears that this is one of those e-mails someone created and has since made its rounds (in other words, I don't know who wrote it), but it seems to work. So, here's the nice version:

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival.

Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on . If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember : I LOVE YOU, JESUS

I REALLY don't like Christmas

2007-11-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

OK, I was going to hold off on this until December, but certain people have called me out, so here it is.

I hate Christmas -- that's right, I hate Christmas -- not the commercialization (although that stinks, too), I truly, genuinely, down to my bones hate Christmas.

To help you understand this, I'm posting a copy of a piece that ran in the local newspaper last year -- and this is the "nice" version (I still have the original piece I wrote which is a little harsher -- OK, much harsher).

Anyhow, here's the nice version -- feel free to post whatever comments you wish about what a mean, awful, terrible person I am...

Why Christmas?

Confessions of a self-professed Grinch

By Ken Grant

Every December, when that great song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" comes on, my kids demand that I turn up the radio so they can sing – or gleefully scream – the lyrics at me.

Grinch, Scrooge, the Anti-Claus, take your pick of titles – I gladly wear them all.

I honestly do not like Christmas, I do not enjoy any aspect of it, and I'm finding that more and more people are admitting that they're not all that thrilled with it, either.

I can already hear the cries of heresy coming from faithful Christians and even not-so-faithful-but-we-show-up-for-church-twice-a-year types alike. But, if we take a moment to look at the origins of Christmas, we might find that the truly Christian thing to do might be to shift our focus to something more substantive and meaningful every December.

Nowhere in scripture are Christians commanded to celebrate the birth of Christ. I challenge anyone to find a scriptural reference to the First Century Church celebrating Christmas. In fact, two of the four canonized gospels don't even mention the birth of Jesus.

By contrast, the followers of Christ are admonished to observe two things: Communion and Baptism. All other feasts, festivals, and observances are entirely optional (see Colossians 2:16).

So, when did we start this Christmas tradition? Allow me to quote from George W. Cornell:

For more than 300 years after Jesus' time, Christians didn't celebrate his birth. The observance began in fourth century Rome, timed to coincide with a mid-winter pagan festival honoring the pagan gods Mithra and Saturn. The December date was simply taken over to commemorate Jesus' birth, since its exact date isn't known. Consequently, the fusion of the sacred and the profane characterized the celebration from the start.

The reality is that celebrating new life following the winter solstice is something that's been done for some time – much more than 2,000 years. Switching the celebration from Ra the Egyptian sun-god, Adonis the Syrian god, Mithras the Persian sun-god, and any number of Norse gods (Oden being the most prevalent) to the birth of Christ seemed to have occurred almost seamlessly – in fact, nearly EVERYTHING that we associate with the Christmas tradition (evergreen trees, holy, lights, candles, etc.) can be traced back to one or more of these pagan origins.

To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know how ministers go through this every year. Let's think about this for a moment. The average minister has 52 Sundays a year to teach, to preach, to explore the deep and rich mysteries of scripture found throughout the Bible. Out of those 52 Sundays, the minister is forced by tradition to focus on a small handful of passages for at least four of those Sundays every year – re-hashing the same themes year after year after year.

And again, this is for something that really has very little to do with the crux of Christianity . I challenge anyone to show me where Peter preached about the importance of the birth of Christ. How about an epistle from Paul where he explains to a growing church the need to have a manger scene set up by the second week of December?

The message of Christ is profound – he did not call his disciples to look at his baby pictures . He told his followers to pick up their crosses and follow him to death. Paul tells us that presenting ourselves as living sacrifices is our reasonable act of worship. Peter's sermon at Pentecost focused exclusively on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Again, the two practices Christians are ordered to observe – baptism and communion – are symbols of sacrifice, death, and resurrection – not of incarnation and birth.

Of course, it makes sense for just about anyone to be more comfortable focusing time and attention on a harmless, cute baby than to deal with the man who calls you to sacrifice your pride and your ego to follow him to an uncertain future.

I am not advocating that everyone quit celebrating Christmas. But I am asking for two things. First, figure out what it is you are celebrating and why you are celebrating it. If it's just tradition or a warm, fuzzy feeling, that's OK – just be honest about it. Second, please don't tell me that I "must" celebrate with you.

By the way, the kids don't seem to mind the fact that their father is a Grinch.

Let's open the books!

2007-11-08T17:57:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I really can't stand certain individuals who claim to preach about the God of the Bible while actually preaching a message that is contrary to scripture (God wants to give you money) and living a lifestyle that Robin Leach would consider excessive.

Well, it looks like Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is starting to ask some of these people to open their books to justify their tax-exempt status.

Again, anyone who knows me knows that I am normally opposed to government interfering with anything very much. But, in this case I believe this may be a good thing.

I guess the only thing that frustrates me is the fact that no matter what happens there will always be another group of charlatans and liars ready to fleece the foolish -- and another group of people ready to hand over their cash.

Click here to read Sen. Grassley's press release and copies of the letters he wrote.

Where do you live?

2007-11-08T12:44:00.000-05:00

I have some truly interesting, insightful, and talented friends (chances are that if you are reading this you are one of the interesting, insightful, talented people in my life).

I just wanted to share something one of those friends has written (he said it was OK to post it here). Let me know what you think -- and which floor you see yourself on...

Recovery From Pride
By Brad Bosler
October 24, 2007

I lived on the seventeenth floor of a building before. When you have to walk up all seventeen floors using the stairs, you realize what it means to raise yourself up on your own power! When you make it, you feel like you have accomplished something. The building of life, though, is much higher. When adversity eventually brought me down, I realized the stairs I once bounded up with the energy of Pride, were now tougher in humiliation. When I reached out for help, someone showed me another option- the up elevator of grace. Having been raised up, I now want to offer the same option to the homeless of Elkton, Md.

I am in “recovery” from Pride. When I was young, around 18, I lived high on the building of life! Pride energized me. It took me up, high enough to where the view was great! I thought life could not be any better than what I had made out of it. It was as if I was living in a skyscraper. Everyone moved below me. In the distance, the horizon stretched for miles all around, and from my viewpoint, I could see that every road emanated from me. In my arrogance, I believed everyone below me was inferior, and if I wanted to help someone, it was to raise them up to my level because they were less than me.

I was full of pride. Adversity, then, was what I needed to become humble. It would not have been my choice, though. Through a series of adversities, mostly as a result of my arrogant actions, I began to fall down. Sometimes it was down the steps. Other times, I was plummeting in the down elevator. On my way down, I saw those I once thought I towered over become farther above me while I continued to fall. As sadness and humiliation grew, I desperately wanted to stop falling. However, as time passed, I began to see that there was much farther I could fall! Ground level would not be the bottom! That’s when I reached out for help, stopped falling, and got out on whatever floor I was at. I was closer to street level than I had ever thought I would be in my life. If I was full of pride before, adversity showed me I had room to grow.

In a famous poem by Langston Hughes called Mother to Son, the mother who has seen hard times tells her son, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor—Bare. But all the time I’s been a-climbin’ on…” When I reached my bottom and reached out, I found those same hard stairs she was talking about. For me, life had been crystal stairs, but now, at the bottom, getting back to those stairs seemed impossible. The stairs at the bottom are rough and filled with splinters. The steps I once bounded up with the energy of Pride, now seemed impossible in darkness of humiliation. Despite how low I felt, I did begin to trudge upwards. I was determined to get back up to that towering view, to regain what I once had. The beauty of that view and the serenity of the height enticed me. Yet, as much as I tried, I could not seem to make much progress.

Trudging slowly up the steps, I realized I could only raise myself so far on my own energy. I needed help. I needed a lift. Through personal struggle and the guidance of others who had fallen, I realized I needed a power greater than myself, one that I could fully trust. That’s when I made the decision to step onto the up elevator of grace. Giving up on believing I could get myself back to the top, I found myself raised up. The ride up was easy, freeing, and exhilarating. But too soon it stopped. The doors opened, and I was let out somewhere in the middle. I wasn’t on the top floor. In fact, I could still see the ground easily. Furthermore, I could look up and see that there were plenty of floors above me. The view was nice, and I could see some roads and their apparent directions, but I was more confused as to why I was not raised any higher! I did not get my pride back! Instead, my heart still felt broken, yet it did seem somehow strengthened as a result of my fall. It was then that I realized that I was not supposed to stay on this floor. I was now supposed go back down and lead others to where I had been raised.

That is where I find myself now- drawn to homeless people on the streets of Elkton, Maryland, at Grace Community Church, a church dedicated to reaching the lost. Not all homeless people are all criminals, mental patients, and drug addicts. Some of them are just lost, stuck in the down elevator not knowing that they can get off, let alone aware of the fact that there is a way back up. Many seem to have gotten off on ground level. From there, all they see are the bottoms of the buildings, as they look no farther than their next meal or a warm place to stay that night. They don’t even want to think about the heights they can rise to or the beautiful view above. Some don’t even know how to find the door so they can get in and start climbing again. Opening the door is the goal of our church. If we can feed them and give them a place to stay, maybe they can look a little farther up. Maybe they will decide to start climbing the steps with our help. Better yet, maybe they will decide to take the up elevator and be raised up.

Throughout my life, adversity led me to the down elevator, especially when I half-heartedly tried the up. Fortunately, people reached out to me when I was falling and showed me the way back up. Having been lifted from my fall, I feel like I have been saved. I want to tell those on the bottom floors, those whose vision is so obstructed by the immediate walls around them, that there is a higher floor, one that reveals a vision of this world that is breath taking. Likewise, I also want to go up and tell those who are so high they have lost sight of the ground to remember those below who are in need, those like the homeless people in Elkton. As a result of my “recovery” from Pride, I am living on the middle floor. It’s high enough to see the view, low enough to see the street, temporary enough that I know I am not supposed to stay there forever.

My attempt at a book review

2007-11-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading the book "Crazy for God" by Frank Schaeffer and tried to write a review for Amazon.com (it wouldn't take, long story).

So, here's the review:

Imagine trying to explain your life - good, bad, inconsistent, embarrassments - everything.

That's pretty much what Frank Schaeffer has done in “Crazy for God.”

Having read many of the criticisms from those who can't seem to come to grips with the concept of Francis and Edith Schaeffer being less than models of perfection, I have to question whether those individuals finished reading this memoir. I find a Frank Schaeffer who painstakingly tries to share his struggles, doubts, shortcomings, regrets, failures, and - finally - his coming to terms with his father, mother, wife, children, and faith. I find Mr. Schaeffer to be much harder on himself (and his work) in this book than on anyone else.

Schaeffer does something else - he allows us to get the perspectives of his friends, siblings, and children. He seems to give them all the room they need to share their memories and offer their slants on the events in their shared experiences.

Chapter 25 is a must read for everyone who has ever attended a prayer meeting.

Having more than a passing familiarity with at least two of the worlds Mr. Schaeffer exposes (the political and the evangelical), I find his accounts to ring with more truth than most in either camp would care to admit.

In the end, we find a man who is more interested in dealing with life in all of its inconsistencies and nuances than in defining everything in a simplistic “black/white - us/them” fashion.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is ready to wrestle with some of their own preconceived notions about themselves and their beliefs.

UPDATE: While Amazon wouldn't work with me -- Barnes and Noble did, click here to see the site.

Torah class!

2007-11-01T07:07:00.000-04:00

It seems like a lifetime ago (actually about 10 years) when I told some friends that I was interested in learning more about the Jewish faith. I told them I would be interested in attending some services and classes but didn't know where to begin. They both ridiculed me and told me that my curiosity would not be welcomed. I believed them.

Fast Forward to the summer of 2006.

I'm talking with my friend, Brad, who tells me about how he's going to start taking Torah classes on Thursday nights. My eyes lit up -- here was my chance -- I asked Brad if there was any way I might be able to come, too.

So it was that last fall I started going to the local Temple on Thursday nights to soak up as much as I could from Rabbi David.

I would come home each Thursday night and tell my wife about what I had learned -- the "new" concepts I was exploring (only things that have been discussed and debated for about 5,000 years now).

The classes went through the early part of this year.

Now, I get to go again!

I think it's safe to say you will be reading a lot about these classes in the months to come.

Shalom.

Just for fun

2007-10-31T12:50:00.000-04:00

Just for fun -- take this quiz -- then cut and paste the results in the comments section.

Why do we love Paul Potts?

2007-10-31T12:19:00.000-04:00

Last week I forwarded a link to a couple of videos featuring Paul Potts (click here to see the first video).

The responses to this video have been overwhelming -- several people have been e-mailing me to thank me for sending them the link (that doesn't normally happen) and many have passed the link along to others who are expressing their gratitude.

I have some theories about why this video means so much, but I'm curious to know what you think.

Questioning Authority -- 490 years ago

2007-10-31T12:12:00.000-04:00

I know, for most people October 31 means costumes and trick-or-treating -- but for me, it means good, old fashioned authority questioning.

That's right, it was October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany.

Let's take a moment to think about this -- by asking some questions, by pointing out some troubling inconsistencies in an institution, one person radically changed the course of history.

I think that's amazing -- how about you?

Rob Bell in Philadelphia Nov. 26

2007-10-17T07:31:00.000-04:00

I've been a big fan of Rob Bell for a couple of years now, so I'm pretty excited about seeing him in Philadelphia next month.

If you have not yet read Velvet Elvis or Sex God, go out and get them and read them (seriously). If you have not seen any of the Nooma videos, let me know and I'll show you a sample. If you have never heard Rob Bell, download some of his sermons here (Check out "Gnats and Camels" -- there's some great stuff there)

Now, if you'd like to go to Philly to get the full presentation, let me know. The tickets are $16 (+$6.50 for "processing fees" don't get me started). This will be the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. I'm hoping we can get a group to carpool (save on gas, parking, etc.).

You can order tickets by clicking here, or let me know and I'll order a whole bunch at once (General Admission seating, so we should be able to sit together as a group).

take a survey - help a friend

2007-10-17T07:21:00.000-04:00

I know how much you all love surveys (seriously, it's the most popular feature on here -- you guys are just survey taking maniacs!) -- so here's a way to take a survey and help a good friend earn his masters degree:

As part of my Psychology masters course I have to go out and survey people about their thoughts on pleasure and their views on what is a good life. This survey was written by one of our professors and takes about 15mins to do - it's all multiple choice except for one question which asks you to think a little about life and respond. We were given the assignment tonight. The deadline is Sunday. We were sent a 12 page illegible word document to ask people to fill in. My friend and cohort mate Alan thought compiling it into a "surveymonkey" might be easier, so he did. Bless him!

If you found a moment to help me out here at some point this week that would be amazing.

Here's the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ZyNdkxp4N2srep_2fK5eorVw_3d_3d

Let me know if you have any questions about the survey (except for Better Life vs Pleasurable Life). Some of the question wording is a little weird for which I apologize. It's entirely anonymous. There's no right or wrong answers and no need to think too hard about anything in it. Just make sure you put "Brian" in the first field.

No pressure at all. Let me know if you did take it, so I can tell Alan that X number of the surveys are my data.

This came from a visiting professor, so I don't know what he's getting at yet. But I promise to explain it to you if you want to know after his lectures in November.

If you actually enjoyed this, feel free to send it on to other friends, as long as they put "Brian" in the first box.

Thank you - Brian

So, take the survey and just make a little notation in the comments section here so Brian can have an accurate count (you can remain anonymous and I'm not even going to ask how you answered any of the questions).

The separation of legal and moral

2007-10-17T07:19:00.000-04:00

If you haven't done so already, go ahead and take the world's smallest political quiz by clicking here.

Some of you have been asking, “Gee, Ken, where do you fall on that scale?” Well, I'm happy to report that I am a fairly consistent Libertarian in my political views.

So, some of you are reading this and trying to figure out how someone who claims to attempt to live his life through a biblical perspective could possibly identify himself with a political philosophy that would lobby for the legalization of recreational drug use, prostitution, and people driving without seat belts.

Let's start with something simple - a few years ago the state of Delaware passed the smoking ban. This ban prohibits the smoking of tobacco inside any public building, restaurant, bar, outhouse, etc.

I spoke out against that legislation at every turn.

AND I DON'T SMOKE!

I'll go a step further. I believe the tobacco industry is despicable and traffics in addiction and human misery.

But, the fact remains that we're supposed to have property rights in this country. Which, in my humble opinion, means the state government would be entirely within its rights to ban smoking in state buildings. But, it does NOT mean the state government has the right to tell a private property owner that he cannot allow his patrons to engage in a legal activity in his establishment.

On principle, this is wrong.

Hopefully, you can see how I can hold a personal view against a certain industry (tobacco), choose not to engage in a certain activity (smoking), and yet argue against legislation that would ban said activity and impact said industry.

So, what about recreational drug use and prostitution (or insert other activity you may find offensive, abhorrent, or just plain "icky")?

In these cases I believe the “respectable” masses are using the law as a shortcut to public morality - in other words, we are more interested in using the police, courts, and correctional system than our true convictions to make us feel comfortable.

You see, it's easier to get the legislation passed to get “those undesirable elements” arrested, prosecuted, and locked away than it is for us to try to address the underlying issues that might lead a person to make such destructive choices.

Don't worry, I know that my societal dreams won't come to pass in our lifetimes, and the cruel irony is that if all the Libertarians in the country were to gather and organize… well, that's just it, they wouldn't… by our very nature Libertarians are individualists who can't really work together as a large group. So you can all rest easy that the politicians, police, judges, and guards will continue to protect you from those undesirable elements.

Seriously, let's have a conversation on this - let's just explore this concept together…

Actions Speak

2007-10-17T07:15:00.000-04:00

The other week I woke up with this obsessive thought running through my head (yea, my wife gets to put up with my obsessive thoughts all day - have pity on her). All I could think about was how focused we are in this society on hearing the right words - how actions really don't matter - how people are just listening for the right “code words” to be spoken so they can feel good about the person they are dealing with.

Christians are particularly bad about this.

A friend of mine who is involved with politics in another state told me about a seminar for candidates where they were being taught which phrases to use to get the “church” vote - I'm not making this up. Just look at all the article and books out about the faith of each of the presidential candidates. What these people DO doesn't matter, just as long as they use the right WORDS.

I think Jesus pretty much nailed where the priorities should be in this passage:

There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.”

“I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.

He answered, “I will, sir,” but he did not go.

Which of the two did what his father wanted?

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

Matthew 21: 28-31

So, the same day that I woke up with this obsession (which led me to looking up the above) I read the following (emphasis mine):

Under the influence of modernity, the Church became obsessed by definitions and seamless doctrine. Modernity was based on a scientific and rational reasoning that everything could be proven by human experimentation and that this exploration of the scientific field could come up with a superior world and a greatly improved human being. In many ways, this worldview was seen as a huge threat to the mystery of faith. Modernism was driving out the mysteries and belief in a supernatural unseen world, one that was being replaced by a world that could be explained in clear scientific terms. That Christianity should be taken captive by such a system of thought seems a little incongruous, but it led to a couple of centuries of clear systematic theology, apologetics, and an overemphasis on the word spoken and written in the communication of Christian truth. Most of these things in themselves are great aids to Christianity's case in the world, but the loss of mystery, experience and any artistic representation of the Gospel was detrimental.

The Bible uses a wide array of creative ways to communicate truth: law, history, poems, songs, literature, lament, prophesy, proverbs, dreams, angels, miracles, parables, preaching, epistles, and visions. When the evangelicals of the world decided that the Word preached was God's most efficient way of communicating, they overlooked the fact that when Jesus was born, God was saying, among other things, that those ways were not sufficient and that the Word had to become flesh (John 1:1, 14). God's Word is much more than words. Modernity coerced Christianity into taking the flesh and making it into words again. Art suffered. It was not a clearly defined and conclusive kind of rationalism. It left feelings hanging. Stories or songs might stress some points of theological truth and fail to cover other aspects of the Gospel. They missed the fact that Jesus left the crucial doctrine of atonement out of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus, in fact, was much more an artist than a preacher, preferring stories to open the truth and in sometimes oblique ways promising the disciples that those with ears to hear would hear. It could be said that the only writer in the Bible with any interest in theological definition is the apostle Paul, and though we thank God for him and the theological explanation of his letters, we must never lose the balance between this and art.

Steve Stockman
“Walk On”

So, what do you think? Are we more concerned with words than we should be?

Water, Bread, and Wine

2007-10-17T07:11:00.000-04:00

My daughter is going to be baptized this Sunday!

Our discussions about baptism started me thinking…

If you read the gospels thoroughly and look at the context, you find a Jesus who consistently challenged, redefined, destroyed, and/or nullified just about every tradition and ritual the religious leaders of the day valued. From washing rituals to Sabbath restriction to public prayers, Jesus cut to the heart of the matter and either showed the practices as the hollow exercises that all rituals can become or challenged the individuals to live up to the true meaning of what they were symbolically declaring.

So, when this same Jesus sets out two rituals for his followers, should we maybe take a closer look at those rituals and what he's trying to tell us?

The two rituals are simple: Baptism and Communion (or Lord's Supper or Eucharist).

Hmmm… what's the significance of these two? Wait a minute, “two” - wasn't there something about all the commandments being wrapped into “two” commandments? Oh yea, "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength" - and "love your neighbor as yourself."

Hey, what if the ritual of baptism (symbolically dying to self) is supposed to be a reference to the first commandment (loving God with everything you are)?

And what if communion (symbolically taking of the body and blood of Christ in an act of unity) is supposed to be a reference to the second commandment (loving your neighbor as yourself)?

Just a thought.

Needless to say, I am incredibly proud of Kelsey and the decision she has made. I can't wait for Sunday!

Are you a Dog Theologian or a Cat Theologian?

2007-10-17T07:10:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back I read this interesting piece in the News Journal about an upcoming series on Cat and Dog Theology.

I decided to check it out and I'm so glad I did.

First, I've met some truly great people at Newark United Methodist Church (the classes are held there on Sunday nights). This group has welcomed me and my family with open arms. They are willing to indulge some of my thoughts, observations, and theories -- and they have some incredible insight they are willing to share.

Second, the material is great. I would like to think that I regularly adhere to Dog Theology, but I have to admit the times I find myself acting more like a Cat (check out the material to find out what I'm talking about).

Embracing the Conflicts

2007-09-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

The other night I went to my son's high school to go from class to class and meet his teachers -- the usual fall experience known as "Open House."

It was a pretty good experience - especially meeting his English teacher.

This is a woman who has a clear love of the English language and of literature - I hope my son learns from her.

One of the things she talked about was teaching her students about the elements of a good story - the settings, characters, conflict, climax, and resolution.

Here's the interesting part - she said that she could use the same test for any number of books. It doesn't matter whether they're reading Jane Austen, Mark Twain, or S.E. Hinton - she could ask the same questions and they would still apply.

Somehow, I think all of our lives are like that. We all have our stories and we all think they're unique - but the reality is we could all be given the same set of questions and they would apply.

Here's the thing, though, while we all have settings and characters and conflict leading to a climax and resolution - I think most people just want to skip ahead to the resolution. They want to just live “the dream” - peaceful retirement, no problems, no worries, tee time at 10:30, nice weather, every day a holiday.

Or, maybe there's a desire to live just for the climax - to score the winning touchdown, get the true love's kiss, slay the dragon, or win the race. Some almost seem to throw their lives into chaos in an attempt to create that moment over and over again.

I wonder if we should maybe focus a little more of our attention on the conflict - really work through it - in order to give the climax and the resolution more of an impact.

I mean, think of your favorite story - it could be a book or a movie, it could be an adventure, a romance, anything. Now, imagine sharing that story with a friend, but just skipping to the end:

“…and she married Mr. Darcy and they lived happily ever after!”

“…and Luke blew up the deathstar and the Rebels won!”

“… and Neo just blew Agent Smith to pieces and the other guys ran away - it was so cool!”

Pretty lame storytelling, huh?

I think if our lives were just climaxes and resolutions they would be pretty lame, too.

So, here's to embracing some of those conflicts - may they make the climaxes and resolutions that much better.

Does It Matter?

2007-09-24T10:33:00.000-04:00

So, does what we believe really matter?

This is a question with which I've been wrestling for some time.

I mean, as long as we're not killing each other, does it really matter what our belief system is? I'm limiting this hypothetical to the world in which we currently live - let's not go into anything about rewards or punishments in an afterlife - I want to look just at the here and now. Does your belief system make a difference?

But wait - before we start with that discussion - we first have to determine what our current belief system actually is.

Based on my analysis of the visits to this blog (yes, I do check these things out) - I think it's safe to say that 80% of those of you reading this would identify yourselves as having a Judeo-Christian worldview. About 15% would probably call yourselves “spiritual” without feeling comfortable with a specific label. And yes, I know that about 5% of you would place yourself into the Atheist/Agnostic/Pantheist category. Quite frankly, I hope there are some who are reading this who would call themselves Buddhists or Muslims, because I would love to get your take on this conversation.

You will notice that I referred to how people would identify themselves, not their belief systems. Maybe it's just me, but I get a feeling that if we were to poll the vast majority of those who claim to hold a “Christian” worldview - I believe we would find most actually hold a belief system that's closer to an Eastern understanding of Karma, an Ancient Egyptian view of judgment, and/or some sense of cosmic justice. There seems to be this sense that if something bad happens to someone (especially someone we don't particularly like), then they are getting what they deserve. By the same token, we somehow believe that if good things are happening to us it's because we're doing the right things.

If you take some time to really examine the Judeo-Christian God, you are left with something altogether different - confounding, simple, complicated, frustrating, liberating - Grace.

T Bone Burnett is known these days as the musical genius behind such music as the soundtracks to “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “Walk The Line.” Mr. Burnett has always been an interesting musician and an incredible songwriter. In 1988 he recorded a song called “The Wild Truth” (if you ever get a chance to purchase “The Talking Animals” by T Bone Burnett, do - it is an awesome recording). Anyhow, the song ends with these lines:

Are was supposed to take all this greed and fear and hatred seriously?
It's like watching dust settle.
It never changes.
It's too consistent.

Mercy is not consistent.
It's like the wind.
It goes where it will.
Mercy is comic,
and it's the only thing worth taking seriously.

I need the wild truth.

So, do any of us really, truly believe in this mercy, this grace? I am more convinced than ever that this is the concept that must be experienced (both receiving and offering) in order to truly claim to have a Judeo-Christian belief system.

Back to the original question - does it matter what we believe?

I mean, if I believe that everyone is getting whatever they deserve, then when I go to the grocery store and the person in front of me in line starts yelling at the cashier and rudely walks away, then I simply purchase my items and go on with my day. But if I believe in grace, then I might offer a smile to the cashier and maybe an encouraging word. I know, kind of a cheap example, but you get the idea.

I was recently checking out a web site that had this little game. It was an environmental web site, and the game is designed to make you think about your impact on the world. You simply put in how you live - what kind of house you live in, how far you drive, whether you carpool or use public transportation, etc. - and the program would figure out how it would look if everyone on the planet lived like you live.

I wonder what it would be like to have a game like that set up for belief systems - what would the world look like if everyone had the same belief system as you?

I welcome any thoughts…

World's Smallest Political Quiz

2007-09-07T11:29:00.000-04:00

OK, quick disclaimer -- this quiz does not come from a neutral organization.

Having said that, it's an interesting exercise that should only take a minute or two to complete.

Take the world's smallest political quiz here.

Then come on back to post your score (or at least let us know where you're leaning).

After a couple of your responses, I'll reveal mine (feel free to take some guesses).

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

2007-08-28T10:28:00.000-04:00

One of the interesting things about not having cable television is not actually seeing shows that are being written about in magazines and what-not.

So, lately I'm hearing about this Jeff Foxworthy show asking if you're smarter than a 5th grader -- I haven't watched the show yet, but I found this fun little online quiz:

Take the quiz here.

After taking it, come on back here an post your score (I'll tell you right now I got 90%).

Have fun!

An Extremely Dangerous Book

2007-08-27T19:46:00.000-04:00

A few months ago my family and I traveled to Western Maryland to join in the celebration as my cousin crossed the threshold from mere mortal to "Doctor William Robert Cooper."

That morning, my cousin was officially conferred as a Doctor of Ministry by Antietam Bible College, Biblical Seminary & Graduate School. That afternoon, as we were all celebrating this impressive achievement and having a good time, I asked Doctor Cooper what the most interesting or surprising thing was that he learned in seminary.

His answer - he was surprised at how much stuff was in the Bible that he had not heard or read before.

Now keep in mind, this is a young man who was raised in the church, read his Bible faithfully, and has probably already sat through more sermons, teachings, and classes than most people three times his age.

And I know exactly what he means.

You see, there's A LOT of stuff that people who hold to a simplistic understanding of faith would not be comfortable dealing with in the Bible - from the basic sex and violence (trust me on this one, there's A LOT of sex and violence) to some truly disturbing questions about morality, reward, punishment, ethics, and the meaning of life.

I joke around with some of my minister friends from time to time, asking them why they don't try preaching a sermon on the incest that led to a whole new group of people (including the great-great-great-[add a few more greats] grandmother of Jesus)? Or how about the righteous woman who tricked her father-in-law into having sex with her by posing as a prostitute? Or the great hero of Israel who shoved a three-foot long sword into the belly of the very fat king who was oppressing the land? Of course, the reality is that all of these stories have significance and meaning, but it would be difficult to convey these deeper truths in a 20 minute sermon.

Frank Schaeffer wrote something in 1990 - I remember reading it at the time thinking there was a note of truth to it. Now that I've read a little more of the Bible, I can say that I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Schaeffer's assessment:

Only by giving the Bible a devotional spin when we read it, by taking isolated verses out of context and ignoring the raw whole, by filtering and interpreting, do we "civilize" it. Civilized, the Bible has become a devotional prop of middle-class values instead of being the rude challenge to false propriety it actually is. The Bible is a dangerous, uncivilized, abrasive, raw, complicated, aggressive, scandalous, and offensive book.

The Bible is the literature of God, and literature, as every book burner knows, is dangerous.

The Bible is the drama of God; it is God's Hamlet, Canterbury Tales, and Wuthering Heights.

The Bible is, among other things, about God, men, women, sex, lies, truth, sin, goodness, fornication, adultery, murder, childbearing, virgins, whores, blasphemy, prayer, wine, food, history, nature, poetry, rape, love, salvation, damnation, temptation, and angels.

Today the Bible is widely venerated but rarely read.

If the Bible were a film, it would be R-rated in some parts, X-rated in others.

The Bible is not middle class. The Bible is not "nice." The Bible's tone is closer to that of the late Lenny Bruce than to that of the hushed piety of some ministers.

In some centuries, the church did not allow the common people to read the Bible. Now by spiritualizing it and taming it through devotional and theological interpretations, the church once again muzzles the book in a "damage control" exercise.

We now study the Bible but through a filter of piety that castrates its virility.

Seriously, there are times when I read the Bible these days and wonder how we ever ended up with some of the cheap, shallow, flimsy stuff that passes as faith today. I would argue that at least 90% of the people who claim they are "Bible-believing Christians" really don't have the foggiest idea what the Bible contains (at best, some might be able to spout off a handful of memorized verses).

So, I encourage you, dive in, really read what this book has to say - wrestle with it - don't treat it like a collection of sayings from a fortune cookie factory or read it like you're trying to imitate someone reading in Victorian England - ask some of the tough questions. Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart? Why did God love Jacob and not Esau? Why are there two prostitutes in the lineage of Jesus? There's hundreds more where those came from - and believe me, if you're willing to dig and not settle for simplistic explanations that don't fit, you will find some real treasures in the answers!

OK, I'm going to get back to reading that dangerous, uncivilized, abrasive, raw, complicated, aggressive, scandalous, and offensive book now.

By the way, here's a link to my cousin's church in Western Maryland -- if you're in the area, stop in and say, "Hi."

What's the Motivation?

2007-08-27T12:31:00.000-04:00

A few months back, a good friend came up with an interesting idea -- she had some key people in her life that all felt like they were meant/destined for "something big" but not sure what, and not sure what to do about it (I think most of us can relate). So, she wanted to start an e-mail discussion group to explore this concept.

The discussions were insightful and thought-provoking. I checked with the key people in the group and they graciously agreed to let me share some of these thoughts on this new blog. So, here's the first of some of those discussions:

One thing I've thought about all my life is how exciting it is to be alive at this point in history (I know, sounds corny, please hear me out). Think for a moment about the ideas, concepts, and communications available to people throughout history. Up until just a couple of generations ago, your thoughts and ideas could only realistically be shared with people in your town (maybe county, possibly more if you were good enough to write a regular column or be featured on a regular broadcast). Today, the whole world is open to us.

I meet with a good friend who has traveled the world and lived in Brazil for at least 30 years. He's now settled in Delaware, but keeps in contact with his friends in Brazil, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia (his son lives and works in China). Whenever I meet with Dave, he is able to give me real insights into things happening all over the world -- normally I see news reports from CNN days or weeks later relating to some of these insights. There is no way this kind of communication and interaction could ever have taken place just a few decades ago. This excites me (I know, I'm a geek).

Anyhow, more to the point of feeling "destined" for "something" -- as I think about this, I realize that my mind is going in about 10 different directions. Normally, when that happens, I start to think "multi-part series!"

So, let's dig in with part one: Motivation

If we feel that we are to be part of "something big" -- why? Do we want to get personal glory from it? Do we want to be able to show all those nay-sayers in high school that we could amount to something? Do we want our ego stroked?

Or, do we recognize that things could be better somehow, and we want to do what we can to make that happen, regardless of who gets the credit?

In my opinion, it is only when we get to the point where we say, "OK, I don't care what happens to me, I believe this needs to happen" that we're ready to do whatever it is we're supposed to do.

So, one by one, what motivates you to try and find a way to try and "do something" towards improving the world around you?

ONLY for those with a sense of humor

2007-08-24T11:16:00.000-04:00

Some of you know about the Wittenburg Door (yes, it's misspelled on purpose). I remember getting my first issue at a bookstore in Lancaster 20 years ago and getting hooked (I've got a pretty decent collection of old issues at home).

The Door has been described as Christianity Today meets Mad Magazine.

OK, the disclaimer -- this humor is not for everyone. Some people get offended when someone points out that the Emperor (or, in this case, religious leader) might need some covering.

But, if you're ready to enjoy some really funny stuff, you might want to click here and subscribe to the free e-newsletter from the Door.

Enjoy!

Check out this blog, too!

2007-08-19T14:48:00.000-04:00

Friends warned me that this blogging thing would be addictive -- and it is.

Apparently, it's also a great way to share thoughts, questions, and insights.

Click here to check out a great blog from Terry Foester.

I'll recommend more blogs and other sites as a regular feature here.

Billy Graham, Bono, and Mary

2007-08-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

I’m struck today by three incredible examples of humanity – Billy Graham, Bono, and a woman who calls us every week named Mary.

While picking up some breakfast food at the market, I see the latest Time Magazine with a cover story on Billy Graham. I was struck as I read the story about some of the doubts this evangelist has wrestled with and some of the mistakes he has fumbled through over the years.

I have an incredible amount of respect for Billy Graham, and I don’t think anyone can argue with the assertion that he has had a profound and lasting impact on the world.

After breakfast, I check the mail and a kind soul had sent me a couple of U2 DVDs (Thank you, Denise, you're the best) – so my daughter and I sat down to watch U2’s concert from Sydney, Australia filmed back in November of 1993. I started to explain to my daughter about the evolution of U2 when something struck me – like Billy Graham, these guys from Dublin have been pretty transparent about their searching, their doubts, and their mistakes.

The thing that hit me is something I think we all intuitively know, but just need to be reminded about from time to time – you only have a lasting impact on the world if you’re willing to take some risks, willing to make mistakes, and willing to be as transparent as possible in the process.

As Kelsey and I were watching Bono singing on the screen, our phone rang and Kelsey answered. It was Mary, and Mary asked Kelsey to hang up so she could call back and leave her message.

You see, our family has only met Mary a couple of times – she attends one of the local churches, she’s getting up there in years, she has a bad case of arthritis, and she can barely see. But Mary does something special. Every week, Mary calls a list of people, waits for their answering machines to pick up, then reads a verse of scripture, offers words of encouragement, and sometimes sings a song. I get a lot out of Mary’s messages.

Mary puts many of us to shame – I know none of us are gifted orators like Billy Graham or international rock stars like Bono, so we think that gets us off the hook for trying to make a difference in the world. But then there’s Mary, she doesn’t have her health, she doesn’t have her sight, all she has is who she is – and she’s willing to put that out there!

By the way, the second paragraph of the Time cover story on Billy Graham contains this line in describing the various people who have visited the Graham family in their home over the years:

“Bono once showed up and played songs on the piano in the living room”

And the song my daughter and I were listening to Bono singing when Mary called –

“Love is Blindness.”

May all of us follow the examples of these individuals.

Which Positive Quality Are You?

2007-08-17T13:16:00.000-04:00

OK, we had some fun with the "nerd" test last week (and Cynical Cypress, I think I know who you are!) but since then, I discovered that I don't have to sit down and put these quizzes together -- someone else has already done just that (isn't the Internet cool!).

So, take a moment to take this quiz here, then click back to post what your positive quality is (I know, it seems kind of juvenile, but I actually found some of the questions thought-provoking).

After a few of you post, I'll reveal the results of my own test.

Let it out!

2007-08-16T15:56:00.000-04:00

OK, you're going to have to work with me on this one.

I've been thinking more and more about this concept that every relationship we have with those around us (spouse, parent, child, friend, co-worker, boss, stranger on the street, everybody) is both a reflection of and something to learn about our relationship with God.

Ponder that one for a moment.

I'll expand on that idea in a future post, but for now I just want to start with that premise and move into the relationship I have with my lovely bride.

Now, this is one that you can't argue with, because if you've been to more than a couple of weddings, you've most likely heard the verse:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church…
This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5: 25a, 32

So, allow me to share something interesting about the relationship Kristin and I have.

You see, one of the things I've always enjoyed about Kristin (we've known each other since 1989, you do the math) is her sense of style - she wears the most interesting clothes and jewelry. Some would call her style "funky", others "interesting", still others "wild." She loves the color orange and she makes her own unique jewelry.

Kristin also has an incredible voice - seriously, I could sit and listen to her sing every day for hours.

Unfortunately, Kristin has dated guys in the past who didn't really care for her sense of style, and some who didn't want her singing too loud in church. It would appear that some of these guys weren't too comfortable with Kristin really being herself.

When Kristin and I first got married a little over two years ago, I remember her asking regularly if I was OK with her wearing certain outfits or jewelry, or making sure I was really enjoying her singing.

I believe my message to her has been consistent - I want her to be more of herself than she's ever been before.

Here's the cool part.

She is more of herself now than when we first got married. She loves being able to express who she is - she seems to love knowing how much delight I take in being with her as she does everything that makes her feel like more of herself.

So, is it possible that God is like that with us?

Could it be that while we're listening to people telling us not to sing too loud or to dress a certain way - maybe God is saying, "wait a minute, I like your voice - I like your sense of style - I want you to be the YOU you were meant to be!"

I think so, and I don't think I'm alone…

…as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall God rejoice over you

Isaiah 62:5b

What makes you unique? What is inside of you that you really want to let out? I believe the God who put that creative spark inside you wants to see it come out - wants to delight in what happens when you become more of who you are meant to be.

"Getting" God

2007-08-13T12:40:00.000-04:00

Have you ever started talking with someone and feel that almost instant connection - they mention a book or movie or something that they really enjoy and your first thought is, "Hey, I thought I was the only one who liked that!"

And you quickly realize that the two of you "get" each other and a bond of friendship is instantly formed.

And it doesn't have to be over something really deep or important.

For instance, when Bill Berger and I discovered we were both fans of Bruce Campbell, and that we both had a special appreciation for the movie "Bubba Ho-Tep" - well, that pretty much bonded us. I knew as we started quoting lines from that great movie about two senior citizens in a nursing home (Elvis and John F. Kennedy) fighting an Egyptian mummy in cowboy boots -- that Bill and I "got" each other.

And as we discussed the deeper cultural commentaries the movie made beyond the fun, irony, and adventure, well, that just strengthened the bond exponentially.

So, do you think God might be like that?

In 2 Chronicles 16:9, the prophet Hanani tells King Asa of Judah that

"the eyes of the LORD range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose hearts are truly His."

Could we read that as God is looking for those who "get" Him?

You see, there's some interesting instances when God is recorded as speaking for Himself in scripture.

First, you have the creation account with God declaring his creation "good" and, in one instance, "very good."

Then you have God responding to Job in chapters 38 and 39 of that incredibly deep book. And let's take a look at that in context - I think we can all imagine a hypothetical situation where a husband is complaining to his wife because he felt she didn't take care of some minor thing (ironing a shirt or whatever) and the wife's response is something like,

"Do you have any idea what I've taken care of? After cooking breakfast for the entire family I took the kids to their appointments, took your stuff to the copy store for your big presentation, re-negotiated the mortgage with the bank to save us thousands of dollars, took care of the grocery shopping, cleaned the bathrooms, dusted and vacuumed the house, cooked dinner for you and the kids, helped the kids with their homework, stuffed the folders for you to hand out at your presentation tomorrow, and packed your lunch. Now, do you think you can iron your own shirt?!"

(again, purely hypothetical - I've never actually been part of a conversation like this myself.)

Now, what is the wife really saying in this scenario? Isn't she saying, "gee, it would really be nice if you noticed what I have done around here"?

That's kind of what I see with this section of Job - in the midst of God "putting Job in his place" there's this under-current of "hey, look at what I've done - can't you appreciate how fast the wild donkey is, or how powerful an ox is… or how about that stupid ostrich? It doesn't have a bit of sense, but isn't it awesome to watch it run with its wings outspread? How about the horse and the hawk - aren't they just the coolest things ever?"

Do you get the feeling that God is looking for people who can look at His creation and say, "Yea, that's pretty cool!"

Maybe this is why David is referred to as a man after God's own heart - I can't even count the number of times he refers to God's character and creation throughout his writings. Could it be that God saw this young shepherd boy who "got" Him? Not only did David "get" God, he was able to express an appreciation for what God created and how God works.

Imagine for a moment how God might respond to someone who is able to look at creation and say, "Wow, this is really cool!"

Think about how God might delight when an individual learns a little more about the universe in which we live, about the way stars are formed and planets are shaped and the incredible timing of comets that come streaking through the solar system on a set schedule, and that person recognizes how awesome that is.

Contemplate for a moment how God might look at someone who is peering into a microscope and discovering the intricate ways that cells interact and that person is struck with wonder.

Let's take it a step further.

I wonder if the God who is searching for those whose hearts are truly His might be looking for a person who is looking at a group of people and saying, "wow, that person's smile is incredible - it really lights up a room. And that man's commitment to detail, I could never have the patience to build the kinds of models he builds - that's pretty neat. And that kid that always seems to get into trouble, I just had a conversation with him and he's actually got some interesting ideas, I think there's something special there."

Is it possible that in trying to look at things from a different perspective, we might catch God's attention and He'll respond with, "hey, I was waiting for someone else to notice that, let me show you some other neat stuff."

If there's even a hint of truth in these musings, I hope we all get a chance to somehow "get" God.

P.S. Bill Berger agreed to let me use his name in this posting -- Bill's currently battling cancer, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

But it's for the children...

2007-08-11T21:01:00.000-04:00

Samuel Johnson wrote, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” While I have no doubt about the truth of that assertion during Mr. Johnson’s lifetime (1709-1784), I have to argue that Patriotism has been replaced as the refuge of last resort for just about everybody, not just scoundrels.

To properly identify this refuge, I’m going to attempt to coin a new term – “Childrenism” – as in “Childrenism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”

So, if I’m going to have the audacity to create a new term, I guess I have to offer up a working definition. Let’s try this one on for size:

child-ren-ism noun (2007) 1: any attempt to restrict personal freedom,
infringe on public liberties, or forward an agenda “for the children” 2: any use of the rhetorical question “what about the children?” to justify a weak argument 3: filler

Be honest, how many times have you listened to, or even engaged in, an exchange of ideas and you’ve heard the person proposing something truly pathetic – or even abhorrent – as being an absolute necessity “for the sake of the children”? By the way, when you say “for the sake of the children”, “What about the children?” or any other phrase associated with childrenism, you must do so with an extremely earnest expression on your face and in your voice – you know, almost whine it out of your very being.

One of the most common uses of childrenism is in the realm of censorship and broadcasting. We’ve all heard the conversation:

Self-Appointed Moralist: You have to sign this petition to the FCC! We have to make sure that these radio stations keep their language clean and stop making crude jokes!

Free-Market Advocate: Um, if you don’t like what they’re broadcasting, why don’t you just switch to another station – I mean, I’m not interested in listening to some of this stuff, either, so I just don’t
listen.

Self-Appointed Moralist: Well, yes, you and I can do that –
But What About the Children?

That’s it, end of discussion, thank you for playing, you can pick up your parting gift at the door.

Now let’s go into something a little meatier.

I have two teen-aged children attending a local public school. A while back there were two incidents, one involving some girls taking over-the-counter cough medicine to get high, the other involving a student bringing a starter pistol to school.

The school administration and PTA held a meeting with parents to discuss these incidents and address any questions or concerns we parents had. As you can imagine, there was much more of a focus on the gun incident than the cough medicine. Personally, I found the administration’s approach and answers to be informative, forthcoming, and reasonable.

Then, it happened. One of the other parents started asking about the possibility of installing metal detectors in the school. That’s right, metal detectors in a middle school in Newark, Delaware.

And why would we need metal detectors in a middle school in Newark? Why, for the sake of the children!

Like I said, I’m a parent. I have two children attending this school. If this school were to install metal detectors, it is somewhere in the realm of possibility that at some point a student bringing a gun into the school could be stopped and my children would be safer. If I oppose this idea, then am I saying that I would rather my children live with that risk hanging over their heads?

Yes, I am willing to put them at risk of physical harm. I would rather have them live with that risk than be trained and conditioned to sacrifice their freedom for some added sense of security. And yes, I’m willing to fight for the rights of every broadcast radio and television station to air whatever they think the market will bear even if it means my kids might happen to hear a few naughty words and an obnoxious shock jock once in a while.

Why? Why would I have this attitude? Why would I choose a course of action that could risk my children’s physical and mental health? Well, for starters I would rather they lived with a sense of freedom than a sense of security. I would rather they think for themselves than try to create a false world around them.

Yes, I am doing all of this for the children.

By the way, Samuel Johnson wrote something else, and this one remains true today and will most likely remain true until the end of time: “Hell is paved with good intentions.”

How nerdy are you?

2007-08-10T08:18:00.000-04:00

Rick Reynolds said something that rings true for me. He said, “The smart people I know are a lot funnier than the stupid people I know.”

Last night, my kids and I were at a gathering of several hundred smart, funny people - or at least smart people with a good appreciation for humor.

That's right, we were at a Weird Al Yankovic concert.

Mr. Yankovic's latest hit song is titled “White & Nerdy” - and that was the audience, we are the white and nerdy.

The concert was incredible, if you ever get the chance to see Weird Al live you will not be disappointed - from the video clips to the costume changes to the sing-a-longs and polkas, this show has it all!

So, let's take a moment to rate ourselves on the “White & Nerdy” scale.

This is simple, below you will find the lyrics to the song. In parenthesis, I've assigned a point value for each nerdy trait. Just add up the number of points that apply to you and check your score at the bottom. If you'd care to share your score and/or any details about your nerdy-ness, please do so in the comments section. Good luck!

White & Nerdy
Lyrics by Al Yankovic (2 points if you can name at least three songs by Weird Al, 5 points if you own any of his recordings)

First in my class there at MIT (5 points if you've been to MIT, 50 points if you've attended MIT as a student, 10,000 points if you were, in fact, first in your class at MIT - subtract one point if you don't know what MIT is)

Got skills, I'm a champion at D&D (5 points if you've ever played D&D, 20 points if you've ever been a “dungeon master” - subtract one point if you don't know what D&D is)

MC Escher, that's my favorite MC (2 points if you can describe a work by Escher, 10 points if you've ever owned anything with Escher's work on it - subtract one point if you don't know who MC Escher is)

Keep your 40, I'll just have an Earl Grey tea (2 points if you've ever had Earl Grey tea, 10 points if you know who regularly requests Earl Grey tea - “hot” - subtract one point if you're scratching your head on this one)

My rims never spin - to the contrary
You'll find that they're quite stationary (3 points if the rims on your car do not spin - subtract 20 points if they do)

All of my action figures are cherry (2 points if you've ever collected action figures, 10 points if you still have at least one in the original package)

Stephen Hawking's in my library (5 points if you've ever owned a book by Stephen Hawking, 40 points if you've ever read it - subtract 20 points if you don't know who Stephen Hawking is)

My MySpace page is totally pimped out
Got people beggin for my Top 8 spaces (5 points if you have a MySpace page, 10 points if it's “pimped out” - subtract 3 points if you've never seen a MySpace page)

Yo, I know pi to a thousand places (40 points if you've ever figured out pi to at least 15 places, subtract 10 points if you think we're talking about something with crust and a filling)

Ain't got grills, but I still wear braces (if you're over the age of 20 and have braces, give yourself 10 points)

I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise (3 points)

I'm a whiz at Minesweeper, I could play for days
Once you see my sweet moves, you're going to stay amazed
My fingers movin' so fast, I'll set the place ablaze (5 points if you've ever played Minesweeper for more than 2 hours in a sitting)

There's no killer app I haven't run
At Pascall well, I'm number one (20 points if you've ever used Pascall)

Do vector calculus just for fun (30 points if you've done calculus “just for fun”)

I ain't got a gat but I got a soldering gun (10 points if you own a soldering gun, 20 points if you use it - subtract 20 points if you're thinking there should be legislation to ban the sale of soldering gun ammo)

“Happy Days” is my favorite theme song (5 points if you can remember the words and/or the tune to “Happy Days”, 20 points if you can remember what was originally used as the theme song from the black and white days - subtract 5 points if you don't know who “The Fonz” is)

I could sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong (5 points if you have ever played ping pong, 10 points if you are good at it, 30 points if you've ever played in an organized tournament)

I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on (10 points if you've ever won a game of trivial pursuit)

I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon (30 points if you know anything about Java, 50 points if you can say at least two words in Klingon)

I've been browsin', inspectin'
X-Men comics, you know I collect 'em (30 points if you have a collection of comic books, 50 points if you keep them in their plastic covers)

The pens in my pocket, I must protect 'em (30 points if you actually use a pocket protector)

My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored (20 points if you've ever owned an ergonomic keyboard, 35 points if you're using one right now)

Shoppin' online for deals on some writable media (15 points)

I edit Wikipedia (20 points if you've ever contributed or edited a Wikipedia entry)

I memorized “Holy Grail” really well
I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL (5 points for every time you've watched “Grail”, 25 points if you can recite at least three lines right now - subtract 20 points if you have no idea what this is about)

I got a business doin web sites
When my friends need some code, who do they call?
I do HTML for 'em all
Even made a home page for my dog (10 points if you work in the computer industry, 15 points if you use HTML, 40 points if you've ever made a web page for a pet)

Yo, I got myself a fanny pack (20 points if you use a fanny pack)
They were havin a sale down at The Gap (20 more points if you bought it at The Gap)

Spend my nights with a roll of buble wrap
Pop, pop, hope no one sees me…getting freaky (10 points if you've ever popped a roll of buble wrap)

I'm nerdy in the extreme and whiter than sour cream
I was in A/V Club and Glee Club and even the Chess Team (20 points for each organization you've joined)

Only question I ever thought was hard
Was, do I like Kirk or do I like Picard? (10 points if you had to think about that question, 20 points if you've thought about it in the past and already made up your mind - subtract 40 points if you have no idea what the line is about)

Spend every weekend at the Renaissance Faire (10 points for every time you've ever been to a Renaissance Fair, 30 points for every time you dressed for it)

Got my name on my underwear (Um, I really don't want to know, so we just won't count this one)

If you scored:

650 or more - You are the “poster child” for White & Nerdy - I'll be sure to give you a call when I need help understanding quantum physics

450 - 650 - It's safe to assume you've been to your share of conventions, keep an eye out for some of my friends at PhilCon and BaltiCon

250 - 450 - You're in the “borderline” area, you might be able to hang out with the nerdy elite, but some of their conversations go over your head from time to time

100 - 250 - You're probably accepted in polite society and don't ever get any strange looks when you make your observations out loud

10 - 100 - You might want to actually read a book from time to time

less than 10 - Um, are you sure you know how to use a computer?

Thought for the day -- August 8, 2007

2007-08-08T08:44:00.001-04:00

The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish.
- Robert Jackson

God doesn't like bricks, so don't be a brick

2007-08-05T17:08:00.000-04:00

So, I’m listening to a sermon recently that focused in on the story of the tower of Babel found in Genesis 11 – the point of the sermon was dealing with man’s use of technology. You see, for that time and that people, the brick was high technology. Because you could make all these bricks the same size and shape, building something – say, for instance, a tower – becomes a lot easier than using rocks or stones.

This got me to thinking – I don’t think there’s too many references to bricks in the bible.

So I looked it up.

Guess how many times the word “brick” is used in the bible – eleven – now that’s not to say that there’s eleven times where the bible talks about bricks, that’s eleven times that the word is even used. The vast majority of those eleven times are contained in two episodes – first, the aforementioned Tower of Babel, second, the bricks the Israelite slaves make in Egypt. Neither case is very positive.

So, what seems to be the building material of choice in the bible?

Well, a quick check shows more than 130 uses of the word “rock” or “rocks” and more than 340 uses of the word “stone” or “stones.” Now, obviously all of those uses aren’t in reference to building something – you have the stone that Jacob used as a pillow, the stone Jacob then moved from the mouth of a well so his future wife’s sheep could drink. Then there’s the stones used as memorials to remind people of things God did for them in certain places and there’s the stone a young shepherd used to take down a giant. Apparently stones can be used for a lot of things.

Immediately I started thinking, but of course, God doesn’t want to use manufactured, uniform bricks – every one looking the same, feeling the same, weighing the same, made the same. God likes using stones and rocks – every one with a different size, shape, weight, and texture.

As I looked a little further into this, I found out some other interesting things.

According to the midrashic commentary on the Torah concerning the construction of the Tower of Babel:

A rabbinic legend relates that people paid no mind if a worker on the tower fell to his death. If a brick fell, however, they lamented the delay in their building project.

Then, according to the p’shat commentary on the Torah concerning the making of bricks in Exodus 5:

Chopped straw or stubble was a crucial ingredient in the manufacture of bricks.
It was added to mud from the Nile, then shaped in a mold and left to dry in the sun. The straw acted as a binder, and the acid released by the decay of the vegetable matter greatly enhanced the plastic and cohesive properties of the brick, thus preventing shrinking, cracking, and loss of shape.

In other words, bricks thrive off of the decay of once living things.

So, it would seem that we have a God who would much rather put in the effort to pick the right rocks and stones to build something worthwhile as opposed to taking the easy, convenient way of using identically manufactured bricks that gain strength from the decomposition of once living things.

Now, here’s the tough part – are we willing to treat people as the precious stones that they are, looking for the areas where they will fit best in the building of our community – or do we want to treat everyone like a brick, forcing them into a uniform mold and killing any living thing inside of them?

The stone that the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone

Psalm 118:22

Faith and Relevance

2007-08-05T16:46:00.000-04:00

I’ve been reading an excellent book by John Fischer called “Fearless Faith” (I highly recommend anything John Fischer writes – he is normally very thought-provoking and interesting). The basic premise of the book is that Christians today do not regularly engage themselves with the world and culture around them, but have instead created a safe Christian sub-culture where we can live without fear of having our preconceived notions challenged.

I still struggle with what relevance Christianity has to today’s culture and society. It frustrates me to know that for many, the stereotype of a modern Christian is someone who has disengaged their brain for simplistic, bumper-sticker slogans. It frustrates me even more when I see Christians who live up to that stereotype (trust me, none of you fit in this category). How are Christians supposed to be light and salt to a world that can so easily ignore the trite garbage that many Christians throw around (“the bible says it, I believe it, that settles it”). Again, let me emphasize that none of you even come close to these kind of offenses – but let’s face it, we’ve all seen and heard this kind of stuff.

Allow me to quote from the book now:

“Christians need to become familiar with more than just the Christian point of view … I think, in this regard, of Daniel and his three friends who served in a pagan king’s court and of how well versed they were in the thinking of their day. It says of them that ‘God gave [them] knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning…In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom’ (Daniel 1:17, 20). In other words, they knew everything their contemporaries knew, and then some.

For some Christians today, it’s almost as if they are afraid of being corrupted by a thought they haven’t already had, as if they have already made up their minds about everything. A Christian may have made up her mind about the basic doctrines of the gospel, but she is always in the process of figuring out how that doctrine fits into the life she leads in the real world. That’s why the discussion has to go on, and in that discussion, opportunities to dialogue with the world will always come up.

Jesus commands us in Mark 12:30 to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That means, when properly used, the mind is something to love God with.”

This struck a major chord with me and I remembered something someone had mentioned about that passage in Mark, so I did a little looking and here’s the rundown on what we’ve got:

Jesus was answering a scribe who came into the middle of a game of “gotcha” between the Sadducees and Jesus (the Sadducees were losing)
The scribe simply asked which was the greatest commandment
Jesus answered by quoting Deut. 6:4-5 – BUT, he added something. The passage in Deuteronomy commands us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength – Jesus said we were to also love God with our mind (also noted in Matt 22:37)
The word “Mind” used here (and in Matthew) is the Greek word “dianoia” which Strong’s translates as “deep thought – the faculty (mind or its disposition) by impl. its exercise – imagination, mind, understanding”
Jesus then added the second command from Lev. 19:18 – to love your neighbor as yourself. I had always assumed these two commandments were found in the same place in the Old Testament. I did not realize before that Jesus had taken these two commands from two different parts of the Old Testament and put them together like this
The scribe then compliments Jesus for his answer and adds “this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices”
Jesus then compliments the scribe, saying “You are not far from the kingdom of God”
After that, no one said a thing.

Think about this for a minute: Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our mind – our thoughts, our imagination, our understanding. Not only that, but this scribe who started off challenging Jesus – maybe he was trying to trick him, maybe the scribe was genuinely impressed by the way Jesus was handling the Sadducees and really wanted an answer – either way, he asked the question that lead to the revelation of this great commandment – and by the time the conversation ends, Jesus declares that this scribe is almost at the kingdom of God.

In the middle of all of this, I started thinking about how I relate to my children. Obviously, I appreciate it when they obey my wishes without complaint. Yes, I enjoy it when they express their love and affection for me. But, there is nothing like getting into a conversation with them – when they reveal something they’ve discovered, thought about, read, wondered about – when they ask the tough questions and want to struggle through to find a real answer. I can’t help but think that maybe God is like that. Yes, he enjoys our obedience and praise, but is He waiting for us to engage Him with our mind?

Is this why Jesus encouraged us to ask, seek, and knock? Does He want us to wrestle with those tough questions knowing that the answers we find will help us grow into something more than we ever imagined?

What do you think? Is any of this legitimate?

William Safire on the book of Job

2007-08-05T16:39:00.000-04:00

William Safire wrote a great book called "The First Dissident" -- it's an analysis of the book of Job that is well worth your time to explore.

What follows is a list of some of my favorite quotes from that book -- seriously, get a copy and read it:

The essence of Jobanism is to refuse to accept injustice from any source – family, culture, nation, or God – and to press inquiry into inequity beyond what others accept as the limits of the knowable.

To belong to the political club of Joban dissidents a person must (a) have suffered grievously either by circumstance or by a personal decision to support an unpopular cause; (b) have reacted angrily while in the wilderness or prison to the immorality of such hardship inflicted by those in aloof authority or cruel command; (c) have refused to be browbeaten or tortured or intimidated by anyone into silence or acceptance of unjust punishment; and on rare occasion and not requisite for membership, (d) have been reconciled to Authority after having glimpsed the big picture or after having gained some share of its power. Members of the dissidents’ club are required not to understand why any of these disasters has happened to them, though it is the custom to repeatedly demand, “Why me?”

Consensus in international relations is agreement by the lowest common denominator, the way too many undemocratic regional groups arrive at secret covenants. Perhaps because their culture distrusts revelation of dissension, the consensualists resist an open vote and a clear decision. Instead, the minority is given not just a voice, but a veto; nobody loses face, but the group must sail as if in convoy, with the speed of the group dictated by the slowest ship. Agreements by consensus are fuzzy and deniable, rarely subject to what President Woodrow Wilson, urging “open covenants openly arrived at”, called “the white light of publicity.”

Diplomats tend to embrace consensus as their goal, just as they see “the process” as a goal. But the process is not a goal; a “peace process” is not as important as the furtherance of freedom or the advancement of right, neither of which should be considered a “war process”.

Consensus in American domestic politics was a term associated with Lyndon Johnson, who, as Senate Majority Leader before he became President, was a famed deal-maker. His ideas competed in a cloakroom rather than a marketplace. Although that technique often gets things done, it does not get issues thrashed out, and the lack of a clear-cut and public victory by a majority makes such legislative deals easy to unmake.

Today political consensus is most often synonymous with “conventional wisdom”. John Kenneth Galbraith’s coinage, updating religion’s “received wisdom”, denotes the average of the trendy and voguish. This suspect mean calls to mind the humorist Garrison Keillor’s report of the politician who promised to provide a school system in which every child was above average.

The trouble with consensus decision-making today is that everyone has to agree on some watered-down version of any move. I dropped in at the meeting of the planning commission of the town of Frederick, Maryland, and was told I could not observe their discussion before a vote – that behind closed doors, “they’re consensing.” If this actionless verb describes the emerging voice of the people, we could look forward only to weak bleats of hesitant agreement in place of the healthy roar of controversy. Fortunately, Jobans refuse to consense.

Here is a paradox: What enables basic change to take place peacefully is not the inviolability of order but the possibility of conflict. We all hasten to articulate our preference for non-violent change, but in the end it is the credible threat of an uprising that breaks the center’s shackles.

Two guys are lined up against a wall in front of a firing squad. One starts to protest and the other whispers to him, “Don’t make trouble.”
Those are diametrically different ways of looking at the universe. People can be divided into trouble makers and trouble averters, those who make waves and those who pour oil on wavy waters, the governed who will risk chaos to gain freedom and the governed who will risk totalitarianism to achieve stability. In an age that celebrates ambiguity – where some of us are of two minds about using a word like ambivalence – fear of being simplistic too often steers us away from the simple. But the simple truth is that all of us lean one way or the other – toward moral rebellion or submission.
When does a dissident put his conscious above the law? Poet-Job has a few answers: when the matter is not trivial, but about a bedrock principle; when nobody else seems to give a damn about innocent suffering; when disobedience noisily proclaimed will call attention to injustice; and when the objector is prepared to suffer the law’s effect to dramatize the need to change the law.

If the book of Job reaches across two and a half millennia to teach anything to men and women who consider themselves normal, decent human beings, it is this: Human beings are sure to wander in ignorance and to fall into error, and it is better – more righteous in the eyes of God – for them to react by questioning rather than accepting. Confronted with inexplicable injustice, it is better to be irate than resigned. Job would not be intimidated or silenced until his God permitted him to see – to understand – how much he did not yet know. Only then did he submit, and it may have been too soon. Job teaches that it is for each person who assigns his portion of sovereignty to a higher authority, spiritual or temporal, to renegotiate the terms of submission so that we can see beyond our present ken.