Grand Torino

This was an intense movie. It leaves you with a question; what do I think about this?

First off, everyone is intensely racist, sexist, and all sorts of vulgar. That said, there are people like those portrayed in the movie. While this story has probably never unfolded in reality, I'm sure the initial situation exists. The guy is a Korean War veteran who nobody likes and who doesn't like anybody. Since it's a movie things change and he eventually gets friends, but throughout the whole thing there are so many racial slurs that are used it is almost unbearable (more unbearable because some folks laughed at these situations, hopefully because they were too startled to know how to react).

Secondly, terrible things happen. I mean just awful, gut wrenching, evil things. You can't help but pray that these things do not happen in reality. Please Lord, don't let people go through that. These terrible things demand justice. Demand it. You will yearn so much for justice, I guarantee it. And you wonder if or how it will be accomplished, since movies these days seem to let the bad guy off so much and it's too easy to have a vigilante hero who does things you don't really approve of.

Basically, Grand Torino is a really heavy movie that many folks will dislike and others will love. It is very intense. I think in the end, you have a respect for most all the characters who matter, but it's a tough one to watch. Email me if you want to hear about the religious tones of the movie.

Thinking Versus Doing

I've recently come to the realization that I think too much. Thinking is good, but not at the expense of doing. I must do also. This idea has lit up James 1:22. Not taking away from it's intended meaning, but enriching it.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

How Can Your Church Battle Biblical Illiteracy

Take Your Vitamin Z is pretty much my favorite blog. He said this today:

Ray Ortlund with some ideas for how the church can decrease Biblical illiteracy:

1. Memorize the Bible together, as a church. One verse per week in your service. It can be fun, and it provides a moment of connectedness and participation together. It says a lot to guests about what your church is passionate for.

2. Gather a small group of eager men and go deeper. I believe every man should be able to think his way through the argument of the book of Romans, for example. That can happen, with great effect, in a small group.

3. Read the Bible in every worship service. Is this too obvious to say? I don't think so. And end the reading with the faith-filled declaration, "This is God's Word." That solemnizes the moment in a gentle, non-spectacular, factual way. It's a tactful way of saying, "Okay y'all, now we've got to deal with this for what it is."

4. Preach from the Bible, and from the Bible only. Again, does this need to be said? One thing's for sure. The Bible is fascinating, disturbing, offensive, sweet, alarming, comforting, stretching, shocking, controversial, caressing, strengthening. No way are you and I that interesting. Let's put the Bible front and center and let it be itself and do its thing, whatever the impact. Submerging the Bible for the sake of our cool personas isn't really cool at all. It's a way of avoiding risk, chickening out.

5. Approach church problems and opportunities with explicit reference to the Bible, chapter and verse. Some may expect us to preach from the Bible but will be surprised if we lean hard on the Bible when everything is on the line. A corporate experience of realigning ourselves with the help of a specific, powerful and relevant verse of Scripture at an important moment in a church's journey can be unforgettable.

6. Saturate your church's children and youth with the Bible faithfully and enthusiastically, week by week, year by year, and they will still be drawing strength from it fifty years from now. They might not remember our names, but we will still be there in their lives, speaking the Bible into their hearts and minds and consciences.

Personal Questions

How do you respond to personal questions asked in a public medium?

I try to use email.

Guitar Picks

I greatly appreciate the versatility of the medium guitar pick (the orange ones). However, I have recently come to love the heavy picks even more. The crisp sound is just too good for me to let go. It helps a lot that the one that I am currently using is the best color ever (everyone knows that this is green, I'm only saying it for the sake of young children and the color blind).

Also, my mandolin sounds about 4 times better when I use the heavy instead of the medium. I'm just sayin'.

Update:
After further comparison, I see that heavy picks are not well suited for playing quietly. Maybe I should just say that I love how different picks give a different sound and stop with that.

Theology Changed My Life

I was at home today to celebrate my dad's birthday. My mom wanted me to clean my room (even though I don't live there), so I walked in and there were a bunch of Knowing God Personally booklets from my Campus Crusade for Christ days. My sister, who is currently involved with them on her campus, made a comment about them. I then told her that I had found a better way to share the Gospel; know it.

This really got me thinking. Throughout all college I never really had a confidence in explaining what the Gospel is. However, since I've started getting involved at BBC and really delving into theology, my understanding and appreciation of the Gospel has exploded! To think that the Son of God, God himself, would come, take a human body (Christmas anyone?), suffer and die a vicious, cruel death all for the sake of his people! That is good news indeed! By his sacrificial death, I can now approach the throne of the Almighty God with confidence, knowing that Jesus' righteous life counts for my own and the wrath that all my many many many sins deserve was poured out on Christ on the cross. And that Jesus did this out of love, a love so intense that physical pain was no obstacle, that the constant resisting of temptation wasn't too much to bear, and that his death was not too big a price to pay for my salvation. I heard the song "Jesus Paid It All" today on the radio. It was well timed.

All that just to say that theology has so enriched my relationship with God that I would commend really studying the Bible to everyone. The Gospel has come alive like it never has before. I love Jesus.

New Years Parade

There is a fun story at Donald Miller's blog. I mainly like it because I continuously fight against boredom in my own life, and it's encouraging to hear a story where they have so much success. Here's a little excerpt:

One of my favorite stories was told to me by my friend Bob Goff. It’s a true story and it’s about a parade.

Bob lives in San Diego, and when his three children were young they were sitting around on New Years Day, bored. And Bob thought it was a crime anybody should be bored on New Years Day. (Let’s face it, unless you are a football fan, there’s not a whole lot to do.)

Bob asked the kids what they could do to honor the fact God gave them a day. And eventually Bob and his wife Maria, and their children, came up with the idea of a parade. So they set out to have a parade on their street. They went house to house telling their neighbors they were going to have a parade. And the neighbors must have indulged the children by saying they would watch. But the Goff’s had a better idea than just a parade people would watch. They decided nobody could watch the parade. They could only be in the parade.

Read the rest.

Church Discipline

I thought that this article was a really good look at church discipline in action. I respect a church willing to follow through on their commitments. Make sure you read the letter the elders sent before you make your own judgement.

Scripture Memory

I was very touched by the sermon at BBC this weekend. Pastor John preached on John 15:1-8 but really focused on verse 7. "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you". He began the sermon by quoting scripture for 10-15 minutes. It was beautiful. It was especially poignant for me because the night before I heard the sermon, I was convicted of how I do not store up God's Word in my heart. So in light of this, I have a proposal.

Lets all memorize scripture together! A passage per week sounds good to me, but what's especially important is that we speak it to each other when we see one another. I'll probably go along with the BBC Fighter Verses usually, but this week I really wanted to use a passage that was very meaningful from my small group.

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks [4] to the Father, who has qualified you [5] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:9-14

When you finish, write it in the comments from memory!

Random Update

I have not been posting as regularly as I have committed to. I repent of my sin and will now explain what was distracting me. I was just on a family trip to Montana for skiing (where I skied the best that I have in my life), followed by a family get together (where I did not win the Cribbage tournament for the second year running), followed by a week of laziness and random activities. I've been off work for the last two weeks, so it'll be good to get back into the swing of things.

I resolve to join the YWCA by my house on Monday, get a haircut tomorrow (Sunday), and ask a girl to this movie that I have free tickets to. I would have already asked, but for my cowardice. I rationalize by claiming a lack of opportunity, but this is a lie. I fully expect an excuse, but would rejoice if a "yes" were obtained. If you know her, please convince her to say yes (or something to that effect).

I just watched Almost Famous at 2520 and can fully relate to the last scene with the other rock critic where they discuss being "uncool". This is my life. I am uncool.

And why does my house smell like summer sausage??