This clip from King of the Hill is hilarious and uncomfortably accurate. That Hank Hill knows about a heck of a lot more than just propane. Enjoy.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
the question of laments
Many people today (musicians, worship leaders, authors, theologians, etc.) believe that every church needs to practice and embrace the act of lamenting as a part of its regular worship service.
In case you are unfamiliar with that word, here is dictionary.com's definition:
La - ment:
1. To express grief for or about; mourn: lament a death.
2. To grieve audibly; wail.
3. To express sorrow or regret.
4. A feeling or an expression of grief; a lamentation.
5. A song or poem expressing deep grief or mourning
(The last two are probably the best definitions for what we are talking about here.)
Now the reason why they believe this is simple: the Bible contains many laments. Most notably in the Psalms, Job, and Lamentations (I know, that last one's hard to believe). So if God's people sang them back then, shouldn't God's people sing them today? We certainly have much to lament about in this day and age. And if the world around us is so dark and fallen, then why are our church songs all so happy and in major key? And with this being true, how can the church be anything but delusional and out-of-touch? Thus, songs of lament are necessary for the balanced worship of any congregation.
That is thought process as I have seen/read/heard/ it laid out to me. But I am still not convinced it is necessary to write or lead congregational songs of lament. Good, appropriate, beneficial...okay. But necessary? I don't know. And the people who are saying this are people that I greatly respect and look up to. My friend Greg blogged about this over a year ago (if you want to read it, click his name and scroll down to Friday June 3, 2005 The Lost Art of Lament...it is a short post, but the discussion among the 25 or so comments is definately worth a glance).
The reason it is on my mind today is that I am reading Inside-Out Worship by Matt Redman and Friends. And the last three chapters I have read (written by Tim Hughes, Beth Redman and Sally Morgenthaler) have all been about this very subject.
They are all convinced. I am not there yet. I'm open to it. And I'm definately interested in thinking and reading and talking more about it. But I am not yet ready to say that it is something we have to do with our congregations in order to be biblical, balanced, relevant, healthy or honest. It may well be. I just don't know.
But I would love to hear your thoughts on it?
In case you are unfamiliar with that word, here is dictionary.com's definition:
La - ment:
1. To express grief for or about; mourn: lament a death.
2. To grieve audibly; wail.
3. To express sorrow or regret.
4. A feeling or an expression of grief; a lamentation.
5. A song or poem expressing deep grief or mourning
(The last two are probably the best definitions for what we are talking about here.)
Now the reason why they believe this is simple: the Bible contains many laments. Most notably in the Psalms, Job, and Lamentations (I know, that last one's hard to believe). So if God's people sang them back then, shouldn't God's people sing them today? We certainly have much to lament about in this day and age. And if the world around us is so dark and fallen, then why are our church songs all so happy and in major key? And with this being true, how can the church be anything but delusional and out-of-touch? Thus, songs of lament are necessary for the balanced worship of any congregation.
That is thought process as I have seen/read/heard/ it laid out to me. But I am still not convinced it is necessary to write or lead congregational songs of lament. Good, appropriate, beneficial...okay. But necessary? I don't know. And the people who are saying this are people that I greatly respect and look up to. My friend Greg blogged about this over a year ago (if you want to read it, click his name and scroll down to Friday June 3, 2005 The Lost Art of Lament...it is a short post, but the discussion among the 25 or so comments is definately worth a glance).
The reason it is on my mind today is that I am reading Inside-Out Worship by Matt Redman and Friends. And the last three chapters I have read (written by Tim Hughes, Beth Redman and Sally Morgenthaler) have all been about this very subject.
They are all convinced. I am not there yet. I'm open to it. And I'm definately interested in thinking and reading and talking more about it. But I am not yet ready to say that it is something we have to do with our congregations in order to be biblical, balanced, relevant, healthy or honest. It may well be. I just don't know.
But I would love to hear your thoughts on it?
Monday, June 26, 2006
my name is asher lev
Read this book.
Seriously.
Click the on the picture and buy it off of Amazon. Or go to your nearest Barnes & Noble. Or find Mark Nelson and borrow one of his many, many copies. But some how get your hands on this book and read it. Soon.
In the last two years, I have had many friends tell me I should read it. So it has been on my 'to read' list for awhile now. A couple weeks ago, while killing time at our nearest Barnes & Noble before seeing Lucky Number Sleven (which is a good movie, on a totally unrelated side-note), my friend Nick picked it up and said, "Have you read this? You really need to. It is amazing."
Well, that was the final nail that broke the camel's back. Or the final straw that made like a tree and got outta here. Or...something like that.
It is about a young Hasidic Jewish boy (named Asher Lev...go figure) who is born with an unparalleled ability to draw. A gift from God. A gift Asher is completely unable to supress. The book chronicles his journey from a 5 year old, whose father tells him to stop wasting his time with paper and pencils to a troubled twentysomething outcast by his family and religious community.
It is the story of passion threatening tradition. Art befuddling the religious.
It is the story of new wine breaking old wine skins.
Here are few excepts:
"He runs a great risk in becoming a member of a large society, for large bodies tend toward the leveling of individuality to a common consent, the forming and adherence to a creed."
"...every great artist is a man who has freed himself from his family, his nation, his race. Every man who has shown the world the way to beauty, to true culture, has been a rebel, a 'universal' without patriotism, without home, who has found his people everywhere."
"The artist should have a powerful will. He should be powerfully possessed by one idea. He should be intoxicated with the idea of the thing he wants to express."
Asher's own inner torment:
"Be a great painter, Asher Lev; that will bet the only justification for all the pain you will cause. But as a great painter I will cause pain again if I must. Then become a greater painter. But I will cause pain again. Then become a still greater painter. Master of the Universe, will I live this way the rest of my life? Yes, came the whisper from the branches of the trees. Now, journey with me, my Asher. Paint the anguish of all the world. Let people see the pain. But create your own molds and your own play of forms for the pain. We must give balance to the world."
Seriously. Go read it.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
gather ye rosebuds while ye may
I know the movie came out a hundred years ago. And I know that I have seen it a hundred times. But Dead Poets Society just keeps growing on me more and more each time I watch it.
After watching it again this past weekend, one scene has been playing over and over in my head. And that is what I love about this movie...each time I watch it another scene grabs me.
Well, this time it won't let go.
In the scene, Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) has just asked Todd (Ethan Hawke) to read aloud a poem that he had written for the class. Todd, being shy and ackward, says that he doesn't want to and didn't even write a poem. So Mr. Keating has him stand up in front of the class and points to a picture of Walt Whitman on the wall. The scene proceeds:
KEATING: The picture of Uncle Walt up there. What does he remind you of? Don't think. Answer. Go on.
(Keating begins to circle around Todd.)
TODD: A m-m-madman.
KEATING: What kind of madman? Don't think about it. Just answer again.
TODD: A c-crazy madman.
KEATING: No, you can do better than that. Free up your mind. Use your imagination. Say the first thing that pops into your head, even if it's total gibberish. Go on, go on.
TODD: Uh, uh, a sweaty-toothed madman.
KEATING: Good God, boy, there's a poet in you, after all. There, close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close 'em. Now, describe what you see.
(Keating puts his hands over Todd's eyes and they begin to slowly spin around.)
TODD: Uh, I-I close my eyes.
KEATING: Yes?
TODD: Uh, and this image floats beside me.
KEATING: A sweaty-toothed madman?
TODD: A sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain.
KEATING: Oh, that's excellent. Now, give him action. Make him do something.
TODD: H-His hands reach out and choke me.
KEATING: That's it. Wonderful. Wonderful.
(Keating removes his hands from Todd but Todd keeps his eyesclosed.)
TODD: And, and all the time he's mumbling.
KEATING: What's he mumbling?
TODD: M-Mumbling truth. Truth is like, like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold.
(The students begin to laugh and Todd opens his eyes. Keating quickly gestures for him to close them again.)
KEATING: Forget them, forget them. Stay with the blanket. Tell me about that blanket.
TODD: Y-Y-Y-You push it, stretch it, it'll never be enough. You kick at it, beat it, it'll never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying, it will just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream.
(Todd opens his eyes. The class is silent. Then they begin to clap and cheer.)
KEATING: (whispering to Todd) Don't you forget this.
What is it about that scene? Why have I been unable to escape it?
I think one reason is the awakening of giftedness. Beauty, truth, goodness...it all lies in us, asleep and futile. Until someone or something breathes life into it. In the scene it was almost as if Todd couldn't help but let the poetic imagery drip from his mouth like a maple tree first tapped. That moves me. As an artist. As a human.
Secondly, and on a much darker note, I love the way he desribes "truth". Well, I shouldn't say I love it. Actually I find it quite unsettling. Scroll up and read it again. A blanket that leaves your feet cold...pull it, stretch it...it will never be enough...it will never cover us...it will only cover our faces as we scream.
As a Christian, I cling to truth...to THE Truth. I must. But to be honest, in my darkest moments...the moments when doubt no longer creeps, but stampedes...I have often felt the same. That the Truth I hold so dearly is nothing more than a blanket that will never truly cover all of me. That its only real use is covering my eyes and ears as I scream, giving me the false illusion of safety and protection from the broken world around me.
Now, I know...with as much confidence as I know that I exist...that Todd's description of truth is, indeed, comletely inaccurate. And yet it connects with something inside of me. That is the beauty of poetry. It isn't science or math. It isn't formulaic or systematic. It isn't about right and wrong. That is what makes it dangerous. And that is what makes it beautiful. It is about giving voice to the deepest parts of what makes us alive...what makes us human.
...man, that is one good movie.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
mentos, diet coke, and lots of time
I mean, seriously...what's the good of being a couple of geniuses if you don't have fun with it, right??
Check these guys out.
Check these guys out.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
hurricane bill has subsided
I returned home from Long Beach, MS last night. It was a good trip.
I do need to make a correction on who I was working with, however. I was under the impression that it was Purdue Campus House. That was not in fact the case. It was two or three churches from the Lafayette, IN area. Many people were at one time or another involved with the Campus House, but it was not a Campus House trip. Sorry.
My confusion over who I was going down to lead worship for is understandable, though. The person orginally booked to go with them, cancelled last minute. They got my name from someone and called me on Wednesday afternoon. From that point on, my entire contact with them before the trip consisted of a couple 2 minute phone conversations and one e-mail. Needless to say, I had very little information. But my week was going to be relatively free and it all kinda felt right. So I made some last minute arrangements, grabbed my guitar and headed out of town Sunday after church, not knowing exactly where I was headed or who I was headed towards.
All I knew is that they wanted someone to lead worship and I can do that.
So I went and had an amazing experience. Made friends, hammered a lot of nails (albeit very poorly), met the mayor of Long Beach (true story), and hopefully blessed the churches there serving that area on their mission trip.
I must say, though, what made the biggest impression on me was the state of destruction that the Gulf Coast is still in. Katrina hit 10 months ago. 10 months! I had naively assumed that life had gotten back to normal...at least for the most part. I mean, CNN's coverage stopped awhile ago, its no longer on the cover of Time or Newsweek, Sean Penn's not roaming the streets with a shotgun and personal press photographer anymore...you just really don't hear anything about it now.
But oh my goodness.
It is unreal.
I wish I could explain it...but there really are no words.
And what is most amazing is that this same coast was hit by an extremely large hurricane in 1904, and then again by Hurricane Camille in 1969 (and of course, many smaller ones in between). These people have learned how to live in that enviroment. Their buildings and houses were built to withstand hurricanes. Steel frames, cement fencing, of lots trees to cushion the impact. They have very serious codes, regulations, and safety precautions for building anything that close to the coast...because they know the destructive power of hurricanes.
Or at least they thought they did.
Katrina made anything they have ever experienced before seem like a light summer breeze. These buildings were the best and strongest that man can build, and they were destroyed in an instant. She absolutely demolished everything. Most people believe it will take 30-40 years to rebuild. At this point, they are years away from even beginning to think about rebuilding. New codes and regulations are being written and rewritten and working their way through the long legislation process. And nothing can be built until they are passed. Debris is still being cleaned. The insurance companies are playing catch up.
Everything has changed.
And they are in a vicious circle, because so many people left and so many business went under. Now there isn't enough employment to get people back and with out the people back, the remaining business are struggling to stay afloat.
It really is sad.
On Thursday, I drove to New Orleans. And the devastation there is obviously every bit as horrible. I drove down Bourbon Street, Canal Street, and then over one of the levees that had broken into the part of town called the 9th Ward. The water marks on the buildings are nearly 20 feet high. Whole city blocks abandoned. It is an actual, present-day ghost town.
I didn't stay in New Orleans for too long, though. Because frankly, I was scared. I was alone and the city looks like a war zone. I don't even know where you would start rebuilding.
On the way back to Long Beach, instead of taking the interstate, I drove along the coast on Highway 90 (the Pacific Coast Highway of the Gulf Coast). I literally drove the path of the hurricane. I stopped and sat on a chunk of what used to be the boardwalk and stayed there for awhile, looking at the the trees sticking up out of the water. It was surreal and overwhelming.
That moment ended, though, when a seagull began dive-bombing my head and I screamed and ran to my car, arms flailing like little girl.
I needed to get back anway (at least that is what I told myself as I drove away trying to regain my manhood).
So what did I learn from all of this? I don't know. Nothing we all don't know already. That stuff is just that...stuff. That what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.
I also saw, in very disturbing realness, that as fast as you can build, accumulate, earn or buy is as fast as it can all be ripped away...and taken in such a manner to which there is no retaliation and no retribution. It is just gone.
And you know, that kinda makes you think about your priorities.
I do need to make a correction on who I was working with, however. I was under the impression that it was Purdue Campus House. That was not in fact the case. It was two or three churches from the Lafayette, IN area. Many people were at one time or another involved with the Campus House, but it was not a Campus House trip. Sorry.
My confusion over who I was going down to lead worship for is understandable, though. The person orginally booked to go with them, cancelled last minute. They got my name from someone and called me on Wednesday afternoon. From that point on, my entire contact with them before the trip consisted of a couple 2 minute phone conversations and one e-mail. Needless to say, I had very little information. But my week was going to be relatively free and it all kinda felt right. So I made some last minute arrangements, grabbed my guitar and headed out of town Sunday after church, not knowing exactly where I was headed or who I was headed towards.
All I knew is that they wanted someone to lead worship and I can do that.
So I went and had an amazing experience. Made friends, hammered a lot of nails (albeit very poorly), met the mayor of Long Beach (true story), and hopefully blessed the churches there serving that area on their mission trip.
I must say, though, what made the biggest impression on me was the state of destruction that the Gulf Coast is still in. Katrina hit 10 months ago. 10 months! I had naively assumed that life had gotten back to normal...at least for the most part. I mean, CNN's coverage stopped awhile ago, its no longer on the cover of Time or Newsweek, Sean Penn's not roaming the streets with a shotgun and personal press photographer anymore...you just really don't hear anything about it now.
But oh my goodness.
It is unreal.
I wish I could explain it...but there really are no words.
And what is most amazing is that this same coast was hit by an extremely large hurricane in 1904, and then again by Hurricane Camille in 1969 (and of course, many smaller ones in between). These people have learned how to live in that enviroment. Their buildings and houses were built to withstand hurricanes. Steel frames, cement fencing, of lots trees to cushion the impact. They have very serious codes, regulations, and safety precautions for building anything that close to the coast...because they know the destructive power of hurricanes.
Or at least they thought they did.
Katrina made anything they have ever experienced before seem like a light summer breeze. These buildings were the best and strongest that man can build, and they were destroyed in an instant. She absolutely demolished everything. Most people believe it will take 30-40 years to rebuild. At this point, they are years away from even beginning to think about rebuilding. New codes and regulations are being written and rewritten and working their way through the long legislation process. And nothing can be built until they are passed. Debris is still being cleaned. The insurance companies are playing catch up.
Everything has changed.
And they are in a vicious circle, because so many people left and so many business went under. Now there isn't enough employment to get people back and with out the people back, the remaining business are struggling to stay afloat.
It really is sad.
On Thursday, I drove to New Orleans. And the devastation there is obviously every bit as horrible. I drove down Bourbon Street, Canal Street, and then over one of the levees that had broken into the part of town called the 9th Ward. The water marks on the buildings are nearly 20 feet high. Whole city blocks abandoned. It is an actual, present-day ghost town.
I didn't stay in New Orleans for too long, though. Because frankly, I was scared. I was alone and the city looks like a war zone. I don't even know where you would start rebuilding.
On the way back to Long Beach, instead of taking the interstate, I drove along the coast on Highway 90 (the Pacific Coast Highway of the Gulf Coast). I literally drove the path of the hurricane. I stopped and sat on a chunk of what used to be the boardwalk and stayed there for awhile, looking at the the trees sticking up out of the water. It was surreal and overwhelming.
That moment ended, though, when a seagull began dive-bombing my head and I screamed and ran to my car, arms flailing like little girl.
I needed to get back anway (at least that is what I told myself as I drove away trying to regain my manhood).
So what did I learn from all of this? I don't know. Nothing we all don't know already. That stuff is just that...stuff. That what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.
I also saw, in very disturbing realness, that as fast as you can build, accumulate, earn or buy is as fast as it can all be ripped away...and taken in such a manner to which there is no retaliation and no retribution. It is just gone.
And you know, that kinda makes you think about your priorities.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
out of service
Hurricane Bill is set to hit the Gulf Coast tonight a little past midnight and will last until Friday morning. Due to the severity of this event, I will not be online until Saturday afternoon at the earliest.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
(I apologize for referring to myself in the third-person...and as a hurricane. I am leading worship for a Purdue Campus House Mission Trip and will in Long Beach, MI all week. But check back next week. I'm sure I'll have something deep and profound to share with you. Or at least something mildly entertaining.)
Sorry for the inconvenience.
(I apologize for referring to myself in the third-person...and as a hurricane. I am leading worship for a Purdue Campus House Mission Trip and will in Long Beach, MI all week. But check back next week. I'm sure I'll have something deep and profound to share with you. Or at least something mildly entertaining.)
Friday, June 09, 2006
move over, norris
I was planning on posting something new today. Little did I know that my work would be done for me as soon as I got online.
This is the story.
Because in life you have to have priorities, the first thing I do when I get to work everyday is check my 'myspace' page. I know...its pathetic. But at least that way I can get it out of the way and spend my day doing more productive things. Like blogging. Anyway, this morning I had a friend request from some guy named Ryne. I did not know this man. So, I went to his page and found out that he is 15 years old. In his profile picture, he is snuggling with a girl I recognized from the retreat I led worship for at Johnson Bible College this past spring. This girl had e-mailed me a couple months ago, requesting the chord charts to some of the songs on my CD. I sent them to her; she said thanks; end of story.
Until today.
I accepted Ryne's invitation, checked out his page and found that one of his blogs was entitled:
"When Bill Wolf plays Guitar EVERYBODY listens".
Understandably intrigued, I opened the blog to find that it was a list of "Random Bill Wolf Facts". Those of you who are familiar with "Random Chuck Norris Facts" can understand the sheer excitement and joy I experience upon this discovery. I don't know if this is good or bad. I don't know if this makes me a celebrity, or the butt of some youth's jokes. I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. Because I have a friggin list of Random Facts about me. In my book, that equals awesome.
Since Ryne is only 15, you have to be a friend to see his profile and read his blog. Otherwise, I would post a link to it and you could read it for yourself. Instead, I will copy and paste the list for you to read here. And you will have to trust me that I did not write these about myself. I know it is hard to believe...but this really isn't a joke. Here is the list. Enjoy.
1. When Bill Wolf plays guitar EVERYBODY listens.
2. Bill Wolf can play a guitar so fast only dogs can hear it.
3. Chuck Norris does have a weakness, Bill Wolf’s guitar.
4. Some mom's play music to there babies who are still in the womb to comfort them, Bill Wolf played music when he was in the womb to comfort his mom.
5. When Bill Wolf was a little kid he never played his hardest on guitar, so Jimi Hendrix wouldn't feel bad.
6. Bill Wolf can play the whole song Free Bird perfectly, in under thirty seconds.
7. When Bill Wolf plays an air guitar you can hear it.
8. If you have never heard of Bill Wolf it's because he doesn't want you to know who he is yet.
9. Bill Wolf's voice doesn't break glass, it breaks solid concrete walls.
10. Bill Wolf can sing above, and below the hearing spectrum.
11. Bill Wolf can make rain, with his hands.
12. When it's sunny outside Bill Wolf is playing a happy song; when it's gloomy he is playing a sad song; when Bill Wolf plays a mad song, Earthquakes happen.
13. Bill Wolf can play a guitar with his mind better than you can with your hands.
14. Bill Wolf's drummer can play drums, sing, write, read, browse the internet, and text message at the same time.
15. Bill Wolf knows which came first, the chicken or the egg.
16. Bill Wolf can mesmerize you with his guitar.
17. The qualifications to be in Bill Wolf's band include swimming the Atlantic Ocean, and being able to play atleast 30 instruments fluently.
18. Bill Wolf speaks the international language of rock.
19. Bill Wolf has written songs so amazing if he were to play them it would tear a whole in the fabric of the universe.
20. Bill Wolf's band plays even when the ship is sinking.
21. Bill Wolf's real name is so musical people couldn't stop singing it, so he changed his name to Bill.
22. Bill Wolf can play Mozart, with his armpits.
23. Bill Wolf has been known to play lead guitar with one hand, and Bass guitar with the other.
24. The keyboardist in Bill Wolf's band is the funniest man alive, period.
25. The keyboardist can make you laugh so hard that your heart actually stops.
26. Bill Wolf is better than you at everything, he just doesn't want you to feel bad.
This is the story.
Because in life you have to have priorities, the first thing I do when I get to work everyday is check my 'myspace' page. I know...its pathetic. But at least that way I can get it out of the way and spend my day doing more productive things. Like blogging. Anyway, this morning I had a friend request from some guy named Ryne. I did not know this man. So, I went to his page and found out that he is 15 years old. In his profile picture, he is snuggling with a girl I recognized from the retreat I led worship for at Johnson Bible College this past spring. This girl had e-mailed me a couple months ago, requesting the chord charts to some of the songs on my CD. I sent them to her; she said thanks; end of story.
Until today.
I accepted Ryne's invitation, checked out his page and found that one of his blogs was entitled:
"When Bill Wolf plays Guitar EVERYBODY listens".
Understandably intrigued, I opened the blog to find that it was a list of "Random Bill Wolf Facts". Those of you who are familiar with "Random Chuck Norris Facts" can understand the sheer excitement and joy I experience upon this discovery. I don't know if this is good or bad. I don't know if this makes me a celebrity, or the butt of some youth's jokes. I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. Because I have a friggin list of Random Facts about me. In my book, that equals awesome.
Since Ryne is only 15, you have to be a friend to see his profile and read his blog. Otherwise, I would post a link to it and you could read it for yourself. Instead, I will copy and paste the list for you to read here. And you will have to trust me that I did not write these about myself. I know it is hard to believe...but this really isn't a joke. Here is the list. Enjoy.
1. When Bill Wolf plays guitar EVERYBODY listens.
2. Bill Wolf can play a guitar so fast only dogs can hear it.
3. Chuck Norris does have a weakness, Bill Wolf’s guitar.
4. Some mom's play music to there babies who are still in the womb to comfort them, Bill Wolf played music when he was in the womb to comfort his mom.
5. When Bill Wolf was a little kid he never played his hardest on guitar, so Jimi Hendrix wouldn't feel bad.
6. Bill Wolf can play the whole song Free Bird perfectly, in under thirty seconds.
7. When Bill Wolf plays an air guitar you can hear it.
8. If you have never heard of Bill Wolf it's because he doesn't want you to know who he is yet.
9. Bill Wolf's voice doesn't break glass, it breaks solid concrete walls.
10. Bill Wolf can sing above, and below the hearing spectrum.
11. Bill Wolf can make rain, with his hands.
12. When it's sunny outside Bill Wolf is playing a happy song; when it's gloomy he is playing a sad song; when Bill Wolf plays a mad song, Earthquakes happen.
13. Bill Wolf can play a guitar with his mind better than you can with your hands.
14. Bill Wolf's drummer can play drums, sing, write, read, browse the internet, and text message at the same time.
15. Bill Wolf knows which came first, the chicken or the egg.
16. Bill Wolf can mesmerize you with his guitar.
17. The qualifications to be in Bill Wolf's band include swimming the Atlantic Ocean, and being able to play atleast 30 instruments fluently.
18. Bill Wolf speaks the international language of rock.
19. Bill Wolf has written songs so amazing if he were to play them it would tear a whole in the fabric of the universe.
20. Bill Wolf's band plays even when the ship is sinking.
21. Bill Wolf's real name is so musical people couldn't stop singing it, so he changed his name to Bill.
22. Bill Wolf can play Mozart, with his armpits.
23. Bill Wolf has been known to play lead guitar with one hand, and Bass guitar with the other.
24. The keyboardist in Bill Wolf's band is the funniest man alive, period.
25. The keyboardist can make you laugh so hard that your heart actually stops.
26. Bill Wolf is better than you at everything, he just doesn't want you to feel bad.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
house-church movement
This is a good article from the Washington Post about the house-church movement.
I still am not sure how I feel about the church moving in this direction.
On one hand, I think it is good and right. It does look a lot like what is modeled in the New Testament. And it certainly lends itself to being a life-style thing, as opposed to a Sunday morning from 9:00-10:00am thing.
But on the other hand, the apostle Paul did speak highly of church structure, organization, and leadership. He didn't seem to think that a bunch of people sitting in their living room enjoying fellowship and conversation was enough. In his first letter to Timothy, in the midst of instructions for corporate gatherings and qualifications for eldership, Paul stated that the reason he was writing was so the people in the Ephesian church would know how to, "conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar of foundation and truth". He obviously thought very highly of the organized local body of believers.
I wonder if we aren't just glorifying the way the church looked in the book of Acts, while almost ignoring the way it developed through out the rest of the New Testament.
I don't know...it seems like that sometimes.
Again, I am just not sure how I feel about the house-church movement. I absolutely agree that we need a new way of church. The suburban, evangelical, contemporary church is not the final frontier in the life of the Church. There is a new way out there. I just don't know if this is it.
I usually like to organize my thoughts better than this and at least say something definitive. But my thoughts on this subject simply are not yet well-developed. I'm really just looking for input.
Any thoughts?
I still am not sure how I feel about the church moving in this direction.
On one hand, I think it is good and right. It does look a lot like what is modeled in the New Testament. And it certainly lends itself to being a life-style thing, as opposed to a Sunday morning from 9:00-10:00am thing.
But on the other hand, the apostle Paul did speak highly of church structure, organization, and leadership. He didn't seem to think that a bunch of people sitting in their living room enjoying fellowship and conversation was enough. In his first letter to Timothy, in the midst of instructions for corporate gatherings and qualifications for eldership, Paul stated that the reason he was writing was so the people in the Ephesian church would know how to, "conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar of foundation and truth". He obviously thought very highly of the organized local body of believers.
I wonder if we aren't just glorifying the way the church looked in the book of Acts, while almost ignoring the way it developed through out the rest of the New Testament.
I don't know...it seems like that sometimes.
Again, I am just not sure how I feel about the house-church movement. I absolutely agree that we need a new way of church. The suburban, evangelical, contemporary church is not the final frontier in the life of the Church. There is a new way out there. I just don't know if this is it.
I usually like to organize my thoughts better than this and at least say something definitive. But my thoughts on this subject simply are not yet well-developed. I'm really just looking for input.
Any thoughts?
Saturday, June 03, 2006
sorry ladies...
Gunnar Malstrom is officially OFF of the market.For those of you who know Gunnar, yeah...that's right. He is engaged...to be married. I know, I didn't see it coming either. Of course, with Gunnar there are a lot of things you don't see coming.
For those of you who don't know Gunnar, let me catch you up. In honor of this exciting news, I will post a "Top 10 List of Crazy Gunnar Facts".
Here you go:
10. Gunnar is obsessed with "Top 10" lists. He spent large portion of his time in college creating them during class. I think that might be why it took him 7 years to graduate. I don't know, though. My favorite "Top 10" list: "Top 10 Gunnars of All Time". Among others, it included one of the Swedish kids from Mighty Ducks 2, as well as Gunnar Nelson. I'm sure you can guess who was #1.
9. Gunnar's real first name...on his birth certificate...is "Gunnar". It is not a nickname. His parents were watching Mission Impossible (the TV show) way back in the day and on that particular episode, one of the villains was named "Gunnar Malstrom". They were so excited that they promised eachother they would name their first born son "Gunnar". Well, they did. And gave him the middle name "Oscar" to boot, ensuring that he wouldn't grow up and choose to go by his middle name instead.
8. Gunnar has tried repeatedly to set-up his mother with 80's wrestling icon Mr. Fuji. Its true. We both worked with Mr. Fuji at a movie theatre while in college. He would buy us dinner and tell us stories from his life in the WWF. And while I was never really anything more than just "Hot Dog Boy" to Mr. Fuji (that was his nickname for me based on my usual choice of dinner), he and Gunnar became good friends. And to this day, Gunnar is still trying to convince him to marry his mother.
7. Gunnar almost fell asleep while streaking. He, our friend Jake, and another rather handsome individual (who will remain nameless) decided it would be fun to run around the campus of our Bible College in the middle of the night wearing nothing but ski-mask and tennis shoes. The rule: every man for himself. No one was hanging back to keep pace with a slower runner. This was a sprint. Gunnar, not being the swiftest of foot, lagged behind and lost sight of the other two. He saw headlights and darted for a bush. Scared of being caught in such a vulnerable position, he remained hidden for some time...that is until he began nodding off. Fearing he would fall asleep and be found in the morning, sprawled all over the sidewalk, he bravely trekked back through the parking lot and into his dorm room window.
6. Gunnar swears he invented the "7 Degrees" game. Only he didn't play it using Kevin Bacon. He played it with Denis Lawson. "Who?", you might ask. He is the actor that played "Wedge" in Star Wars, which happened to be Gunnar's favorite character. Never heard of him? Yeah, Gunnar has a favorite of everything, and it is usually something you've never heard of. But, he has played that game as long as I have known him and I have never seen him stumped. He even traced me back to Denis Lawson one time. I don't remember how, though.
5. Gunnar has been in 5 different bands that never played a single show. Despite having posters, websites, CDs, music videos, and even a small number of fans..."Gunnar and the Pistols", "Merlin's Dream", "The Other Side of Normal", "Pleasing Aroma", and "Homage" all broke-up before having ever played a show. "Homage", the band he played with while still in highschool, did have a catchy slogan though, "5 Guys, 4 Seniors, 3 Wrestlers, 2 Kens, 1 Eyebrow and 0 talent" (the band consisted of Gunnar, his two friends named Ken, and a couple of teammates from the wrestling team, one of which had a unabrow).
4. Gunnar has been pulled over for drunk-driving without having so much as an ounce of alcohol in his system...TWICE. Needless to say, we didn't let Gunnar drive on road trips often.
3. Gunnar was deeply saddened by the death of Christopher Reeves. And not because he was a fan of his "Superman" movies, but because he is a stand-up comedian and some of his best jokes were about Christopher Reeves being in a wheel-chair. Off-color? Yes...but hilarious. They just didn't get the same response, though, after his passing.
2. Gunnar's dirty underwear once caught on fire during a church service. Planning on doing laundry after church, Gunnar had a trunk full of dirty clothes. The light in his trunk had fallen and was hanging loose. Laying atop the mound of dirty laundry, it eventually caught fire. As church got out, the congregation walked outside to the sight of a car with smoke billowing from its trunk. One of the elders ran to the scene, pried the trunk open, and began flinging Gunnar's flaming, dirty underwear all over the church parking lot. That church has yet to regain its identity.
1. Gunnar is an good and incredibly loyal friend, who deserves to be happy and in love. So with that said, I want to extend to him a deep and heartfelt, "Omega Co-ooooode"!!! (I don't know why, but that has been Gunnar's chosen expression of excitement ever since that Casper Van Deen movie came out 7 years ago. I'm serious.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
