Blog Schmog

Does The Pottery Barn Catalogue Count As Summer Reading?

2008-06-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

"Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is." ~Charles M. Schulz

I could have spent the last two months pursuing a great many edifying projects. I could have finished the five or six John Piper books I stopped reading after two chapters. I could have memorized "Rhapsody in Blue." I could have learned how to cook a pot roast. I could have planted an herb garden. I could have picked up conversational French. Sadly, I didn't do any of these things. Instead, I spent the last two months scouring the internet for home decorating ideas.

Thus, I can't post on Piper's insights, Gershwin's genius, a pot roast recipe that will make your mouth water, the health benefits of thyme or how to order strawberries with whipped cream in French. However, I can show you all of the adorable home decor objects I discovered.

I know that I'm swimming in the shallow end of the pool, but think of the benefits you might receive because of my intellectual sacrifice. Since I've already done the heavy lifting, you can just skim through the following links and perhaps find something for your place while still having time to finish Anna Karenina.

Disneyland Attraction Posters. Many of you know that proximity to Disneyland was a major deciding factor in my choice of college. As a little kid I always liked looking at the attraction posters in the entrance tunnel and eagerly planning which attraction I'd ride first. Now you can hang one of these posters in your very own home. They come as large as 36" x 48" and feature all your favorites including "Autopia" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" as well as classics like "Adventures Through Inner Space." I'm planning on hanging the "Peoplemover" poster in my guest room.

Marimekko Tea Towels. I've been a big Marimekko fan since high school, but haven't found a way to incorporate their crisp and colorful fabrics into my decorating until now. Anna at Door Sixteen had the brilliant idea of framing a tea towel (they're huge - 18.5 x 27.5!). It's a wonderful alternative to a poster and gives a room a nice punch of 1960's whimsy without overwhelming it. Plus, the tea towels are under $20. I particularly like the "Mansikka" print with the gorgeous strawberries.

Anthropologie Bowls. I've never understood how some people are able to skip breakfast. Even when I had early morning classes in college, I always made sure I woke up in time to run to the cafeteria and grab a sourdough bagel smothered in peanut butter and honey. (On Saturdays I substituted the honey for handfuls of white chocolate chips - don't knock it 'til you try it.) I still eat breakfast every day and have recently taken to meals of hot chocolate, nectarines, and oatmeal. Eating out of any one of these bowls (especially the Pink Inside Out Bowl - it's microwave safe!) will ensure that breakfast won't just be the most important meal of the day, it will be the most glamorous.

Prestidigitation Artwork. This is some of the coolest children's artwork I've seen and if I ever have kids, I desperately want to decorate the nursery with the alphabet series. Where else can you find prints such as "A Is For Alligators Who Wear Too Much Argyle" or "X Is For Xiphias And X Marks The Spot?" There's also some great prints of interesting words like "Dactylonomy" and "Intertessellation," featuring their definitions, pronunciations, and the way to form the letters in American Sign Language. "Circumambulation" is one of my favorites and would look splendid in my bedroom.

Target Monogram Doormat. I adore monograms and if I could, I'd incorporate my initials in every room. (Frighteningly narcissistic or delightfully whimsical? You be the judge.) This doormat allows me to tastefully indulge my monogram mania without going overboard.

So there are a few ideas to get you started. Enjoy Anna Karenina. I need to get back to the Crate And Barrel Summer Sale catalogue.

Form, Schmorm

2008-06-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned that I tend to be behind the times (I don't know how to work an iPod, I record shows with my VCR, I say "nifty", etc.) and apparently this also applies to commenting on blogs.

I recently read an interesting article on why guys dislike church, which spawned a rash of comments. One commenter suggested eliminating kids' Sunday school, which spawned even more comments. Not surprisingly, this children's director was riled up and I decided to compose an airtight defense of the institution. I mulled over my arguments for days and was eventually ready to post my brilliant and life changing rebuttal. Unfortunately, there were at least five new articles on the site and no one was commenting about Sunday school anymore. My brilliance would have to go to waste.

It was at this point that I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be great if you had some sort of personal web based forum where you could post your thoughts and ideas whenever you wanted?" And then I thought, "Wait a minute. Didn't you used to have one of these personal web based forums? And didn't you post somewhat faithfully until you bought a condo and devoted your life to painting and choosing light fixtures?"

And so I dusted off my laptop, logged into Blogger and prepared to write "The Case For Sunday School" (this title would undoubtedly be replaced by something cuter, probably referencing a song title.) But as my confident little fingers hit the keys, a new thought suddenly entered my mind. I thoroughly believe that my church should provide programs for kids on Sunday mornings. But maybe some other churches shouldn't. Given the make-up and culture of the congregation, it might be more effective for some churches to keep kids in the main service. Maybe (gasp!) both options can be right (and this comes from a girl who believes that ones choice of ice cream flavor is an issue of right or wrong.)

This got me thinking about form. It seems we place a strong emphasis on right and wrong ways of "doing church." (Incidentally, I love how the word "doing" adds gravitas to anything. I'm going to start throwing around phrases like, "doing shopping for shoes" or "doing eating my cheeseburger.") For instance: Purchasing a permanent building vs. meeting in a public space. Megachurches vs. home churches. Age specific classes vs. integrated worship. 30 minute sermons vs. 90 minute sermons. Pews vs. chairs. This all seems to suggest that if you can just embrace the right form, you'll do church the right way.

I disagree. While the New Testament has many commands concerning the mission and behavior of the church, it has far less to say about the specific form of the church. We need to cover the essentials, but there appears to be a lot of freedom in how local churches choose to implement these essentials. A program that effectively disciples children at one church may be a complete flop at another. Meeting in a coffee shop or bar might draw lots of new people in one city and might alienate people in another.

I think that the way each individual church applies God's commands needs to be informed by its specific community and culture. And perhaps less informed by books and conferences. Maybe there is more than one right way to run a church.

Let me know what you think. Perhaps I'm wrong and you're right. Or maybe you're wrong and I'm right. Or maybe we're both right.

Won't Somebody Please Think Of The Children?

2008-06-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

In The Know: Are Our Children Learning Enough About Whales?

Excuses Bay Area Residents Use To Justify Paying Four Times The National Average In Housing: Part One

2008-05-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Heath Bar, Caramel and Hot Fudge Sundaes at Fenton's. Rest assured that I lapped up every drop of that pool of chocolate on the plate.

SimChurch

2008-04-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

The early 90’s were truly the golden age of computer games. I spent many an afternoon attempting to uncover “Where in the USA is Carmen San Diego?” (Given that I can’t locate anything in Eastern Europe, “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” might have been a better option.) I loved “Jeopardy” and learned many cheerful facts (including that prostitution is also known as the world’s oldest profession.) I took daily journeys down the “Oregon Trail” and always named my passengers John, Laurie, Jenny, Jeffrey, and Cassie (after my rabbit.) Sadly, it pained me much more to read that my rabbit had cholera or diphtheria than my brother or parents. Seeing “Cassie is dead” emblazoned at the bottom of the screen brought a little lump to my throat.

The one game I never liked was “SimCity” (I’m not a big civil engineering enthusiast), but my brother and cousins spent hours constructing residential areas, factories, and parks. Well, for your enjoyment and edification, I’ve constructed a little game called “SimChurch” (and by "game" I mean "question you can ponder and then comment about on this blog.")

The more I read the New Testament, the more I realize how much freedom we have in conducting large group church meetings. So what would you do if you got to design a service from the ground up? What traditional elements might you exclude? What new elements might you embrace? How long would it be? How often would it be? Would you include kids and teenagers?

Here’s my tentative SimChurch plan:

11:00-11:10: Personal Testimony/Open Praise and Thanksgiving Sharing
11:10-11:20: Corporate Prayer Concerning Community, Nation, Church Members, Missionaries, Persecuted Church, etc.
11:20-11:40: Sermon
11:40-11:50: Questions and Discussion About the Sermon
11:50-12:00: Music and Communion
12:00: A Hearty Lunch and Sports/Games

I think we'd include all ages in this gathering and then have a midweek synagogue school style meeting for the kids.

I'd love to read your ideas. Post away!

Captain Vegetable

2008-03-18T17:17:00.001-07:00

Corn and potatoes are the only vegetables I really enjoy, and I've been informed that they're technically starches. So it's no wonder that the "Captain Vegetable" sketch on Sesame Street terrified me as a child. A creepy rabbit turning poor little kids' delicious food into carrots and celery? That's the stuff of nightmares.

Mission Statement: Impossible

2008-02-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

The year was 2002. Everyone was listening to a promising new artist named Alicia Keys. The Osbournes won an Emmy for best reality show. Scientists reported a new type of black hole. A little indie movie called My Big Fat Greek Wedding struck box office gold. Martha Stewart was accused of insider trading. And I was an idealistic young children's director, fresh out of college and ready to change the world.

According to some experts, I couldn't change the world until I'd written a mission statement (not to be confused with a vision statement, which I apparently also needed.) So I got right to work. I toiled over those mission and vision statements. I wanted them to encapsulate every single conviction about children's ministry that I'd come to embrace over four years of college. And I didn't want them to sound like everyone else's mission and vision statements. Mine had to be unique. Distinctive. Awe-inspiring. To put it bluntly: the best children's ministry mission and vision statements ever written.

So after much labor, I finally produced two dazzling statements. And then I forgot them a week later. To this day, I really don't know what our children's ministry mission and vision statements are. I think they might have something to do with discipleship, but I could be wrong.

Thus, I think Isaac Watts' amazing hymn, Let Children Hear The Mighty Deeds is going to become our new mission statement. It pretty much sums up my major convictions about children's ministry and it rhymes!

Let children hear the mighty deeds
Which God performed of old;
Which in our younger years we saw,
And which our fathers told.

He bids us make His glories known,
His works of power and grace;
And we’ll convey His wonders down
Through every rising race.

Our lips shall tell them to our sons,
And they again to theirs;
That generations yet unborn
May teach them to their heirs.

Thus shall they learn in God alone,
Their hope securely stands;
That they may ne’er forget His works,
But practice His commands.

Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Vote

2008-02-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

As I've said before, I think voting is pretty swell and not just because you get a nifty "I Voted" sticker (although I always wear that sticker for the entirety of election day.) So, it's no surprise that I was rather miffed when I read that Dr. James Dobson plans not to vote in the 2008 election if Senator John McCain receives the Republican nomination.

I'm tempted to launch into an "everyone and their brother needs to vote" rant, but I'm discovering the importance of thinking before I blog. Therefore, I'll put a few questions to you instead.

1. Do you think it's ever appropriate to abstain from voting? If so, when?

2. What potential good could come from abstaining from voting?

Your thoughts and opinions would be most appreciated. And a quick shout out to JP Sander! See, now you've been mentioned on a blog.

I've Got The Music In Me

2008-02-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

"How Can I Keep From Singing?" is not only an excellent hymn by Robert Lowry, but it could also be the title of my autobiography. I seriously sing all the time. I sing "Jenny, that was so stupid" to myself when I do something stupid. I sing harmony to every song on the radio (with the exception of any wretched tune by James Blunt or Snow Patrol.) I sing "Why are we going so slow?" when I'm behind a driver doing 30 in a 65 mph zone. I sing "I'm so excited!" if a friend tells me we're going out for ice cream. I sing "Let's go out to the lobby, let's go out to the lobby, let's go out to the lobby, and have ourselves a story" when I'm coaxing my Sunday schoolers to come out for story time (they're even faster if I threaten to continue singing.)

While you may not enjoy spending half of your day in song, I hope you enjoy this fantastic hymn. It's climbing the charts and may actually break into my top ten (it's currently neck and neck with "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.")

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul,
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His,
How can I keep from singing?

It's A Bird, It's a Plane . . .

2008-02-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

It's Super Tuesday!

I truly enjoy voting and went to the polls this morning all bright eyed and bushy tailed.

When I gave my address and last name to one of the volunteers, he looked at his roster and then said "Republican" in a slightly surprised tone.

I jokingly remarked, "Yeah, I think I'm probably one of three in this area" to which the other volunteer replied, "Actually, I think there are six."

Vote early, and vote often!

Queue And A

2008-01-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

I hate winter. I hate the bitterly cold days (granted, in the Bay Area “bitterly cold” is technically anything under 60 degrees, but still . . .) I hate how night begins at 4:30 p.m. and ends at 8:00 a.m. I hate that I can’t wear any of my adorable short sleeved blouses. And most of all, I hate the abysmal winter movie season.

It’s no secret that movie studios choose to unload their lousiest movies during the winter months. I guess it makes sense strategically. It’s way too early to release the Oscar contenders and the big budget popcorn flicks will probably make more in spring and summer. But couldn’t those studio executives show us poor moviegoers some compassion? We’re already freezing and stressed out about taxes, do we really need to sit through a romantic comedy with Abigail Breslin?

If you’d like to avoid the winter onslaught of mediocre movies but still want a way to unwind on a Friday night, let me suggest you add some of the following films to your Netflix queue. Or you could always go see Paris Hilton’s latest, The Hottie and the Nottie.

My Kid Could Paint That: This documentary was one of my favorite films of 2007. It tells the story of child artist Marla Olmstead, who sold her first painting at age four and became an overnight media sensation only to fall from grace when 60 Minutes suggested that she might not be sole creator of her work. It’s a fascinating story and probes questions such as “Who decides what makes art good?” “Is modern art a sham?” and “What ethical standards govern documentary making?” Plus, the Olmstead children are quite possibly the cutest kids to ever roam the earth. Watch it with friends and then go out for coffee and discuss.

Stardust: I’m a sucker for fairy tales and damsels in distress and this August 2007 release is a winner. I think it’s the best of its genre since The Princess Bride and it actually made me like Claire Danes, which is high praise. It’s funny and sweet and doesn’t take itself too seriously – a great little jewel of a film.

Sketches of Frank Gehry: I pride myself on knowing a little bit about a lot of things and I’m not afraid to fake my way through lots of conversations on that small amount of information. However, there are three subjects that I won’t even attempt to discuss: Geography, Baseball, and Architecture. But now that I’ve seen Sydney Pollack’s sharp documentary on architect Frank Gehry, I might be able to fake my way through a few more discussions. The film is an interesting look at Gehry’s creative process and was highly instructional and entertaining. Plus, I think it might help me up my Jeopardy score.

Once: Let it be known that I have absolutely no problem with a character suddenly breaking into a song and dance routine in a busy street in the middle of a movie. However, I understand that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Once is one of those rare musicals for people who don’t like musicals. It’s realistic and thoughtful, the songs never feel out of place, and the music is simply gorgeous. The movie develops gently, but I sobbed through the last two minutes. If you don’t rent it, at the very least download “Falling Slowly” from the soundtrack.

So those are my picks. What are yours?

Jane's Addiction

2008-01-05T13:04:00.001-08:00

Mark your calendars, because Masterpiece Theater is about to present the BEST SERIES EVER.

The Peanut Butter And Jelly Of Carols

2007-12-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

Macaroni and Cheese. Rogers and Hammerstein (or Hart). Ben and Jerry. Batman and Robin. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Brown and Pink. Chocolate Chips and Cookie Dough. These are just a few of history's dynamic duos, and I think we should add Charles Welsey and Felix Mendelssohn to the list. Wesley's brilliant lyrics and Mendelssohn's gorgeous tune make "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" one of the greatest hymns of all time. Yet had these genuises had their way, this perfect pairing would never have been.

Wesley wrote the lyrics in 1739 and wanted them coupled with a solemn tune. Mendelssohn wrote the music in 1840 as part of a cantata commemorating Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press and specifically requested that the music not accompany sacred choruses. Thankfully, both men's wishes were ignored, resulting in this fantastic carol.

I'm posting the lyrics once again. Enjoy -particularly the last two verses.

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come, offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Come, Desire of nations, come, fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power, ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart, formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Why Christians Should Take The Christ Out Of Christmas

2007-12-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

My freshly watered Christmas tree topiary is currently resting in my sink beneath my handmade apple and cranberry Christmas wreath across from my freshly baked Christmas cookies. As I plug in my Christmas lights and gaze at the gold and cream Christmas ornaments arranged in soda fountain glasses on my bookshelf, I begin to wonder what would happen if Christians decided to take the Christ out of Christmas. By this I mean that Christians stopped treating Christmas as a Christian holiday and simply viewed it as a cultural phenomenon. I’m pondering this for several reasons:

1. Christmas is not an ancient Christian holiday. The Bible never tells us to remember and celebrate Christ’s birth. Many Christmas traditions are rooted in pagan winter festivals. Christians did not celebrate Christmas until the 4th century, when the established Church declared December 25th to be Christ’s birthday. At the time of the Reformation, Protestants refused to celebrate Christmas because they considered it a Catholic holiday. Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans cancelled Christmas in England in 1645 because of the drunken and debauched celebrations. American Puritans outlawed Christmas in Boston from 1659-1681. The celebration of Christmas was not widespread in America until the 19th century.

2. American Christmas traditions have nothing to do with Jesus’ birth. There are easier ways to dwell on the incarnation than decorating trees, making cookies, and wrapping presents.

3. Viewing Christmas as a Christian holiday gives us license to embrace many traditions that aren’t necessarily biblical because the holiday is linked to Jesus. Presents, decorating, parties and the like become almost religious observances.

4. Christmas is full of many fantastical characters (Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, etc.) and we have to work extra hard to explain to children that Jesus was a real person. There are more productive ways to teach this story.

It seems that trying to remember Jesus’ birth in the midst of all these traditions is fighting a losing battle. So what if we just stopped trying? What if we treated Christmas like any other secular holiday (Thanksgiving, Independence Day, New Year’s Day, etc.)? I see the following potential benefits:

1. We use Christmas as an opportunity to show solidarity with our friends and neighbors. Christians no longer worry about the secularization of Christmas or fill their schedule with church activities and pageants. Instead we wholeheartedly embrace community holiday celebrations. We attend office parties, host neighborhood desserts, support Christmas school concerts, and go to city tree lightings and parades, all with the intention of building relationships with our community for the sake of spreading the gospel.

2. If Christmas is a secular holiday, there’s no obligation to put up a tree, buy presents, or make cookies. Instead we decide which traditions we want to embrace in light of the whole counsel of Scripture. Decorating your home and throwing parties might stem from a biblical conviction about the importance of hospitality. You may choose not to buy gifts or limit your gift giving based on the Bible’s teaching about good stewardship. You might decorate dozens of cookies with your children because of a biblical conviction about parenting. Instead of trying to push a square peg into a round hole and forcing the story of Jesus’ birth to apply to our traditions, we examine what the Bible says about each tradition and develop convictions about what we should embrace and what we should discard.

3. We use Christmas as a way to teach our children biblical principles that actually relate to our celebrations. For instance, “Mom, why are we buying presents for Grandma?” “Well Sally, buying presents is one way that we can show Grandma we love her. I’m so glad that God has blessed us with such a wonderful family. What do you think are some other ways we can show love to our families?” or “Kids, you are doing such a great job decorating this Christmas tree! Isn’t it fun to have an actual tree in our house? I’m so glad that God made different trees for us to enjoy. And doesn’t this tree smell good? I’m happy that God made so many different smells. God is so creative!”

4. We don’t view the incarnation through the rose colored glasses of Christmas. If we stop connecting Jesus’ birth with family, presents, soft lights, and cinnamon buns, we can read the story more accurately as a scary, harsh, and beautiful piece of history.

5. Pastors don’t have to devote a month of each year to the same story and can focus on the specific needs of their church.

Treating Christmas as a secular holiday does not mean that we forget about Christ’s birth. Perhaps we just choose to celebrate it in different ways. For instance:

1. We listen to and sing music about the birth of Jesus all year long at home and at church. Some of the best hymns ever written are songs about Jesus’ birth.

2. We reflect on Jesus’ birth whenever it comes up in our personal Bible study or a pastor’s sermon series.

3. If we want to focus on the incarnation during December, we refuse to link it with Christmas celebrations and treat it as something separate.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think. I'm going to drink some egg nog and rock around my Christmas topiary (my apartment was really too small for a tree.)

About A Boycott

2007-12-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

I love going to the movies. I love going with my parents and whispering jokes about the dialogue to my mom. I love going with my friends and discussing the movie over hot chocolate or Coldstone. I even love going by myself occasionally, which can be a deliciously freeing experience. I love giant bags of popcorn. I love medium sized Diet Cokes with a little bit of Cherry Coke at the top. I love watching previews (sometimes more than the actual movie). I love huge multiplexes. I love small independent theaters. I love summer blockbuster season. I love fall art house season. I love holiday Oscar season. I loathe the January-April "let's release films that wrapped three years ago" season, but will still see those films because I love going to the movies.

All that to say, I have a question about movies and I need your help (don't you feel important and affirmed?) As many of you know, "The Golden Compass" is causing a bit of hubbub in the Christian world (my brother just wrote two excellent posts about this film on his blog) and some Christians are encouraging others to boycott. While I don't think that all Christians need to avoid this particular movie, it raises the question if there are any movies that all Christians should avoid. Are there any movies that would be across the board sinful for every Christian to see or does it always depend on the individual's conscience? And if there are indeed movies that no Christian should see, what is the criteria by which we judge these movies?

Once again, I'm forcing you to do the dirty work and help me develop a solid opinion, while I get to sit back and eat Salt and Pepper Kettle Chips. So here are my specific questions to you:

1. Are there any movies that no Christian should see?
2. If so, what criteria would you use to decide whether or not Christians should see that movie?
3. What criteria do you personally use to decide which movies you will or won't see?

Put on those thinking caps and let me know what you think! Meanwhile, I have some television to watch.

Well, I Know The Answer's Jesus, But I Still Think It's A Squirrel

2007-12-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

I'm currently teaching my Sunday school kids about the Biblical basis behind various Christmas carols and this morning we discussed "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen."

During our review time I asked, "What country was "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" written in?" and one bright eyed little kindergartner immediately responded, "God!"

Sigh.

Paint It Black Friday

2007-11-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

I feel a bit guilty for not doing my part to bolster America's economy on the busiest shopping day of the year (I did purchase an Entertainment Weekly and some green apples, but I don't think that really counts.) To atone for my lack of shopping, I thought I'd post some gift ideas that will encourage my readers to spend their hard earned cash and hopefully eliminate some of the stress that comes with the search for the perfect Christmas present. I'll post a variety of suggestions over the next month. Here are this week's picks:

A Measuring Gaggle: About a week ago, I was unwinding on my couch with a copy of the latest Anthropologie catalogue when I spied this adorable quartet of goose shaped bone china measuring cups. I actually exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, those are so cute!" (talking to yourself is one of the delightful/disturbing things about living alone.) Your mom/sister/girlfriend/wife would probably never think of buying something as frivolous as goose measuring cups, but just imagine how darling they would look resting on her kitchen shelf. And how they'll add a touch of whimsy to even the most mundane culinary chores. And they're microwave and dishwasher safe. Sheesh, I've convinced myself. I think I'm going to order a set tonight.

Artwork: This gift requires a solid grasp of the giftee's design aesthetic, but can be a fun and unexpected present. For some unique ideas, check out etsy.com, a website where thousands of artisans sell their handmade wares. I'm fond of John Golden's digital prints, especially the By Order Of The Management series, Lunastrella Record Player, Lowtops On Baby Blue, and Mind Your P's And Q's.

Personal Stationary: I was raised by one of the most gracious women I know, yet somehow I can't seem to write a proper thank you note. I understand that lack of cute stationary is no excuse for my rudeness, but perhaps I'd be a bit more on the ball if I had some lovely cards to send. Personal stationary is a great gift because it's a luxury most people wouldn't think to buy for themselves, it's practical, there's a plethora of options, and people will enjoy it regardless of their shoe size, taste in music, or 2008 diet plans. I'm particularly enamored with Paper+Cup's OldSchool Numbered Note Card and Framed Silo Note Card and Erin Condren Design's Sugar Spots Note Card (they even come with matching return address labels!)

A National Geographic Magazine From The Month And Year They Were Born: This gift comes across as incredibly sensitive and thoughtful, yet all you really have to know is the giftee's birthday. It's always fun to look back on the events and trends of your birth year and it may spark some fascinating stories on Christmas morning. Check out National Geographic to learn how to order back issues.

On Top Of The World Globe: This globe won't be everyone's cup of tea and it's fairly expensive, but it could be a super buy for any vintage lovers or travel enthusiasts on your list. Restoration Hardware's nifty replica is modeled after globes on the desks of 1950s travel agents and would look gorgeous on a coffee table.

Happy Shopping!

We Gather Together To Read This New Blog Post

2007-11-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

On this Thanksgiving day, I'd like to take a moment to express my gratitude for the following things that are consistently excellent: Christopher Guest movies, Bittersweet Cafe hot chocolate, my mom's jokes, Stephen Sondheim musicals, Martha Stewart DIY projects, my dad's sermons, Zachary's deep dish pepperoni pizza, Tim Keller Bible studies, Anthropologie sweaters, discussions at my small group, Project Runway, Amy Butler textiles, Tim Goodman's column in the SF Chronicle, service at San Leandro Honda, Safeway, Mimi's buttermilk spice muffins, Spark on PBS, Disneyland, Discount School Supply products, and Isaac Watts' hymns, including "Is This The Kind Return." I thought it was particularly appropriate for today. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Is this the kind return,
And these the thanks we owe,
Thus to abuse eternal love,
Whence all our blessings flow?

To what a stubborn frame
Has sin reduced our mind!
What strange rebellious wretches we,
And God as strangely kind!

On us He bids the sun
Shed his reviving rays;
For us the skies their circles run,
To lengthen out our days.

The brutes obey their God,
And bow their necks to men;
But we, more base, more brutish things,
Reject His easy reign.

Turn, turn us, mighty God,
And mold our souls afresh;
Break, sov’reign grace, these hearts of stone,
And give us hearts of flesh.

Let old ingratitude
Provoke our weeping eyes,
And hourly as new mercies fall
Let hourly thanks arise.

You Can't Judge A Carol By Its First Verse

2007-11-17T21:22:00.001-08:00

I'm not a fan of Christmas carols like "Angels We Have Heard On High" or "The First Noel" that simply tell the Christmas story with no additional teaching or insight. You know, the carols that start "there were some important people in a special place," followed by a chorus of "alleluia" or "noel," followed by a second verse that explains "some other important people came to see them," followed by another chorus of "alleluia" or "noel," followed by a third verse that tells how "some other neat stuff happened," and finally closing with two rousing choruses of "alleluia" or "noel."

For years I foolishly grouped "Once In Royal David's City" with these types of carols, only to discover that it may be the sweetest children's song ever written. Cecil F. Alexander included it in Hymns For Little Children in 1848 and it's the first time I've seen Hebrews 4:14-16 specifically applied to children. I teared up when I read the lyrics today and I hope they encourage you as well.

Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from Heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

And, through all His wondrous childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

For He is our childhood’s pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in Heav’n above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in Heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

You Kids Today Are So Spoiled . . .

2007-11-17T11:33:00.001-08:00

In my day we didn't have any of those slick "Veggie Tales" videos with catchy songs and Monty Python inspired quips. All we had was the crudely animated "Flying House" series. And we had to walk five miles in the snow to watch it. Barefoot. Uphill. With wolves chasing us.

I Think I Should Take This As A Compliment

2007-11-04T12:27:00.001-08:00

This morning in Sunday school, I received one of the greatest accolades a second grade girl can bestow. Cassie looked at me and said, "You look a little bit like Hannah Montana."

Merry Reformation Day Eve!

2007-10-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. "Reformation Day is less than five hours away and I still haven't bought Aunt Betty's gift! And I don't have any activities prepared for my child's class party! And I have no idea what to serve for dinner!" Never fear, oldlutheran.com is here to help. Check out their 2007 Reformation Party Kit.

Or, you could simply read "In The Bonds Of Death He Lay," an amazing hymn by Martin Luther.

In the bonds of death He lay,
Who for our offense was slain,
But the Lord is risen today,
Christ hath brought us life again;
Wherefore let us all rejoice,
Singing loud with cheerful voice.

Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son,
Came at last our foe to smite,
All our sins away hath done,
Done away death’s power and right;
Only the form of death is left,
Of his sting he is bereft.

’Twas a wondrous war I trow,
Life and death together fought,
But life hath triumphed o’er his foe,
Death is mocked, and set at naught;
Yea, ’tis as the Scripture saith,
Christ through death hath conquered death.

Now our Paschal Lamb is He,
And by Him alone we live,
Who to death upon the tree
For our sake Himself did give.
Faith His blood strikes on our door,
Death dares never harm us more.

On this day, most blest of days,
Let us keep high festival,
For our God hath showed His grace,
And His sun hath risen on all,
And our hearts rejoice to see
Sin and night before Him flee.

To the supper of the Lord
Gladly will we come today;
The word of peace is now restored,
The old leaven is put away;
Christ will be our food alone,
Faith no life but His will own.

Great Taste Is What It's All About

2007-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

At least that's what Thomas Keller thinks. The chef and owner of the French Laundry, considered by many critics to be one of the best restaurants in the world, had this to say about my favorite eatery:

"I really respect a company that holds its ground when there is so much pressure to follow the "what’s next, what’s new" trend. In-N-Out’s quality lies in the simplicity of what it promises and delivers. To be able to do something over and over with integrity and excellence, even if it is fast food, is something to be truly admired."

The Best Educational Film Since "Dynamite: The Silent Killer"

2007-10-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Although it's probably not as good as "Lead Paint: Delicious But Deadly."

Check out El Corazon.

Halloween And Christmas: Part 3

2007-10-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

The third in last year's three part series about the similarities between Halloween and Christmas and thoughts on how Christians celebrate each holiday.

There are positive aspects to both holidays.

Pros for Halloween include:

1. Neighbors spend time together and get to know each other as everyone opens up their homes for one night. It's a prime time to build relationships within the community.

2. Children experience the fun of planning their costumes and dressing up. It's a delightful tradition that they look forward to all year long.

3. Parents bond with their children as they take them trick or treating.

Pros for Christmas include:

1. It encourages people to reflect on Christ's birth, which is always a good thing.

2. In our frantic individualistic society, Christmas is a holiday when people actually spend extended time with their family and friends.

3. Christmas encourages the development of family traditions, which can bond families and bring joy to children.

4. Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolates.

There are also negative aspects to both holidays.

Cons for Halloween include:

1. An emphasis on witchcraft and the devil.

2. Frightening and evil images on television, in the movies, on people's front lawns, and on first graders.

3. Some people use this day to celebrate things that are evil.

Cons for Christmas include:

1. Disrespect for the Bible including: children's stories told from the donkey's point of view, countless Christmas cards with pictures of a lily white Jesus and angels that look nothing like their description in the Bible, and the presence of wise men in every nativity scene when they weren't actually present at Jesus' birth.

2. Rampant materialism and greed. We spend hundreds of dollars and rack up credit card debt on things we don't need or will soon throw away, often while ignoring the basic needs of others.

3. A confusing collection of traditions and stories combined into one holiday so Santa and Jesus have equal standing.

It seems that Christians often want to abandon Halloween while embracing Christmas. Yet both holidays share roots in paganism, a fairly secular history in America, and can at times blatantly disrespect God's Word. When both holidays have so much in common, it seems inconsistent to heap praise on one and condemnation on the other. I think we may need a more balanced approach - making sure we don't throw the baby out with the bath water in the case of Halloween and making sure the baby doesn't drown in the bath water in the case of Christmas.

For example, Halloween is a prime time to build relationships with our neighbors. Christians are called to share the gospel with our community and Halloween provides a fun and natural way to connect with others, whether by trick or treating together or greeting people at the door. Maybe Christians should stay in their homes, hand out candy, and get to know their neighbors on Halloween. (Disclaimer: While people often see Halloween as simply a fun evening for children, the holiday can have demonic connotations for others. Those whose consciences are troubled by involvement in Halloween activites should absolutely not participate.)

There are some Christmas traditions that we might want to rethink, such as overspending. Instead of going into debt for presents, what if Christians donated their money to people in need? I know of a family that adopted another family that was struggling financially. When the parents bought their children Christmas presents, they made sure to buy presents for the kids in their adopted family as well. We could also be more careful of how we communicate the Christmas story, especially to children. We can make sure we focus on the facts of the Bible (not adding extra characters like the mean innkeeper or the little drummer boy) and make Jesus the main character (as opposed to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the talking cow in the barn, the littlest angel, the star who could never do anything right but on one special night got the chance to shine . . .)

Halloween and Christmas share checkered pasts and some less than admirable traditions. They also present great opportunities to further God's Kingdom. I believe that if we approach each holiday with thought, care, and biblical conviction, we can use them to show love to our communities and bring honor to God.

Halloween and Christmas: Part 2

2007-10-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

The second in last year's three part series about the similarities between Halloween and Christmas and thoughts on how Christians celebrate each holiday.

There are several more similarities between Halloween and Christmas.

Neither are mentioned in the Bible.

Christians have opposed both holidays.

European immigrants brought their Halloween traditions to America during colonial times, but most of New England refused to celebrate the day due the Puritan influence in that area. Many Christians also oppose the celebration of Halloween today.

At the time of the Reformation, the Protestants refused to celebrate Christmas because they considered it a holiday concocted by the Catholic Church. The Puritans also opposed the celebration of Christmas and often with good reason. In England, people would dutifully go to church and then celebrate the holiday in a drunken, Mardi Gras like atmosphere. In 1645, Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans wanted to rid England of her decadence and Christmas was cancelled until the reign of Charles II. The American Puritan settlers did not practice Christmas and the holiday was actually outlawed in Boston from 1659 to 1681. Anyone showing Christmas spirit would be fined five shillings.

The American incarnations of each holiday bear little resemblance to the original religious celebrations.

Interestingly, the American incarnations of each holiday were not embraced out of religious convictions, but rather because of their supposed benefits to the community.

European immigrants brought many of their Halloween customs to America and the flood of Irish immigrants in 1846 helped popularize the holiday. Americans began to dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for food and money. This practice waned during the nineteenth century when the holiday was primarily celebrated with parties in homes, but became popular again between the 1920's and 50's. By this time, Halloween had lost most of its religious undertones and became a secular and community centered holiday directed primarily at children. Today most children have no concept of the religious origins of dressing in costume or trick or treating. Witches do still cast spells and perform rituals on October 31st, but it is in celebration of Samhain, not Halloween.

The celebration of Christmas in America was not widespread until the 19th century (it wasn't even a federal holiday until 1870) and the celebration of the holiday was greatly influenced by two authors: Washington Irving and Charles Dickens. Both wrote Christmas stories which emphasized charity, goodwill, and kindness to the poor and evoked old English Christmas customs. This struck a chord in a time of great class conflict and the Victorians saw the benefit of celebrating the holiday.

Both holidays are essential to America's economy.

Halloween is America's second largest commerical holiday and Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion a year. Christmas is America's largest commercial holiday and Americans spend over $200 billion a year.

Each holiday has its own heartwarming Peanuts special involving Linus discovering a great truth.

All right, this isn't really relevant. But it's true.

Check back tomorrow to find out the problem with nativity sets.

Vintage Blog Schmog

2007-10-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Over the next three days I'm going to repost last year's series on Christmas and Halloween, and lest you think I'm just being lazy, check out the four rock solid reasons supporting my decision:

1. The holiday season is fast approaching and it's good to ponder these issues.
2. Since my readership has doubled over the past year, there are probably two people who haven't read this series yet.
3. I started my blog last October and reposting is rather nostalgic.
4. I'm lazy.

So, without further ado, here's "Halloween and Christmas: Separated At Birth?"

At first glance, it seems that Halloween and Christmas couldn't be more different. After all, Halloween appears to celebrate death, evil, and witchcraft while Christmas celebrates the birth of the perfect Savior of the world. But when you think about it, Halloween and Christmas share some striking similarities.

Both have roots in paganism.

The roots of Halloween date back to about two thousand years ago. The Celts who lived in what is now Ireland celebrated their new year on November 1st. This heralded the beginning of winter, which was commonly associated with human death. The Celts believed that ghosts of the dead returned to earth on October 31st and their presence made it easier to predict the future. During this holiday the Druid priests made predictions and the Celts built huge bonfires where they sacrificed crops and animals and dressed in animal heads and skins. When the Romans conquered the Celtic territory in A.D. 43, they incorporated two of their festivals into Samhain.

For many years, people were frightened that they might encounter a ghost if they left their homes, so they wore masks after dark in hopes that the ghosts wouldn't recognize them and believe they were fellow spirits. People also placed bowls of food outside their homes to keep ghosts from entering.

Pagan midwinter festivals existed long before Christmas. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia the week before the winter solstice and the festival lasted an entire month. This holiday honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and included drinking, feasting, and the closing of schools and businesses. The Romans decorated their homes with boughs of evergreen to illustrate how Saturn would soon make their land fruitful. The Germans celebrated the god Oden during this time and the Norse held a celebration called Yule, which involved burning large logs.

Both were established by the Catholic Church.

The holiday known as Halloween was actually created by the established Church. Christianity eventually spread to the Celtic lands and in the seventh century, the Church instituted All Saints' Day or All-Hallows on November 1st. This day was set aside to honor saints and martyrs and some believe it was the pope's attempt to replace Samhain. October 31st was referred to as All-Hallows Eve, which eventually became Halloween. In A.D. 998, the Church designated November 2nd as All Souls' Day, a day to remember and pray for souls in purgatory. Some say that dressing up as devils, saints, and angels was a common practice on this day and the celebration also involved bonfires and parades.

The tradition of "trick or treating" most likely stems from All Souls' Day parades in England. During the celebration, poor citizens would beg for food and the wealthy would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for a promise to pray for the family's dead relatives in purgatory. Eventually, children took up this practice and traveled to different houses where they received food, ale, and money. This custom was referred to as "going a-souling."

Christmas was first celebrated in the fourth century when the Church chose December 25th as the date of Christ's birth. No one is sure why this particular date was chosen, but some believe it was due to the fact that this was already a public holiday for pagan celebrations. This would increase the chance that Christianity would be publicly embraced. The celebration spread to Egypt in A.D. 432, to England in the sixth century and to Scandinavia by the end of the eighth century.

Both tend to distort the truth.

Halloween turns witches and the devil into cute and cuddly characters and chubby cheeked toddlers seem to have no qualms about trick or treating dressed as Satan. Christmas takes the frightening, harsh, and beautiful story of Christ's birth and transforms it into a cozy little tale about a cheerful barn, some happy animals, and a little baby who didn't cry.

Check back tomorrow to find out what else Halloween and Christmas have in common, including their connection to Linus Van Pelt.

Ghosts Of Halloween Past

2007-10-12T20:42:00.001-07:00

Halloween is only nineteen days away and I have no idea what to wear. Perhaps I can draw some inspiration from the costumes of my childhood.

My very first trick or treating experience. Don't I look excited? And I love my pillowcase treat bag.

Another adorable costume sewn by my talented mother. I need a hat like that.

I completely botched the accessories with this princess outfit. While my friend Becky wisely chose refined pearls and ballet slippers, I wore very grimy tennis shoes and a homemade necklace of fishline and beads.

Again, my mom is amazing. Not only did she sew the costume (and a Raggedy Andy costume for my brother), but she made the wig too.

This costume was inspired by "Meet Molly," a book about a little girl growing up during World War II. In the book, Molly and her friends dress as hula dancers for Halloween, only to be sprayed with a hose by Molly's pesky older brother, Ricky. Thankfully, my Halloween experience was much drier.

I loved my poodle skirt, but my brother's He-Man get up may the best costume in the history of the world. "By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!"

Here's an example of a perfectly darling costume ruined by improper make-up application. "Just stuck her face in a cake" was not quite the look I was going for.

I will never understand what possessed a girl who is mortally afraid of balloons to go as a bunch of grapes for Halloween.

"Aren't you a little old to be trick or treating?" Yes, but Pippi Longstocking was one of my favorite costumes. I wish I could still get my hair to do that.

"What Is The Use Of A Book," Thought Alice, "Without Pictures Or Conversations?"

2007-10-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here, which means the return of high waisted jeans, appointment television (Project Runway starts November 14th!), pumpkin pie, art house films, and school. In honor of the fall semester, I thought it would be fun to ponder six of the most formative books I’ve read. Some are scholarly, some are frivolous, and all have had a major impact on my life.

The Bible: I was going to make this a list of the six most formative books I’ve read besides the Bible, but decided that I didn’t want to mention the most formative book in my life in passing. I was enthralled by the story of the Golden Calf when I was five. Learning the TOPICAL Bible study method in middle school changed my life. I discovered the richness of reading the Bible in context in college. I fell in love with the unified story of the Bible as I started writing kids’ curriculum. And I’ve recently wondered how I could have missed the overarching theme of God’s Kingdom after all those years of Bible study.

Disneyland: Inside Story: My zealous devotion to Disneyland (I chose my college partly because it was fifteen minutes away from Anaheim) was forged during the Bruce family’s annual trek to the park. Each year I spent eleven months and three weeks in eager anticipation of our trip and devoured every book about Disneyland I could find at the San Leandro Library. My favorite was Disneyland: Inside Story, which I checked out countless times. I would curl up on my heater and spend hours reading about Disneyland’s history from Walt’s vision of a place where “parents and children could have fun together” to the unveiling of Star Tours. It sounds silly, but Disneyland: Inside Story had a greater influence on my vision for children’s ministry than any practical ministry book I’ve read. The concepts of paying attention to small details, creating meaningful experiences for people and making decisions based on personal passions instead of trends have definitely informed my philosophy and I think Christian Education departments should make this book required reading.

The Knowledge Of The Holy: I read A.W. Tozer’s classic during my senior year of college and it changed the way I view God, the way I praise God, the way I pray, the way I teach children, and the way I read the Bible. Although I read many of the "great books" in college, The Knowledge of the Holy is one of the few that I'll still reread.

The Penny Whistle Party Planner: I’ve always liked planning things. I was a highly unromantic child, but spent hours designing my future wedding dress (along with the bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, naturally.) When I got a little older, I wrote course catalogues for the fine arts academy I dreamed of founding one day. I started to solidify my college major as a high school freshman. One of my favorite college activities was planning my classes for the next semester as soon as the new schedule arrived in my mailbox. So, it will come as no surprise that The Penny Whistle Party Planner by Meredith Brokaw and Annie Gilbar appealed to me when I was younger. It was chock full of creative themed kids’ party ideas (like a cheerleading party, a ballet party, and an orchestra party) with lots of do it yourself decorations, games, and crafts. Planning weekly Sunday school curriculum is sort of like planning a party (with crafts, games, science experiments, and drama activities all revolving around one theme) and I think that consistently reading The Penny Whistle Party Planner as a child helped prime the pump for my current profession.

Nicomachean Ethics/Desiring God: No one should read Plato during their first year of college. As a very ignorant (and practically minded) freshman, I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. I mean, the guy was clearly crazy. All right, the cave analogy in “The Republic” was kind of cool, but FORMS? There’s really a perfect chair hovering around somewhere in the universe and all other chairs are just copies of it? This was more than my little eighteen year old brain could manage. Thus I was delighted to discover that Aristotle thought forms were irrelevant and was much more in line with my practical sensibilities than his wacky mentor. I was particularly intrigued by his position that happiness was man’s highest good and excited by how this corresponded with John Piper’s ideas about Christian hedonism in Desiring God. I’d never really thought about enjoying God before and developed a much deeper understanding of man’s ultimate purpose and God’s character by reading Nicomachean Ethics and Desiring God concurrently.

Evidence That Demands A Verdict: I became a Christian when I was three years old and never thought much about the validity of my worldview until I was a teenager. Suddenly I began to worry that the beliefs I’d embraced might not be true. My wise dad suggested I read Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands A Verdict and for the first time I saw that Christianity was reasonable and based on historical fact. Mr. McDowell gave me a lot of comfort and I still use his evidences for the resurrection with my kids.

So those are my six. What are some of the most formative books in your life?

Ain't No Small Group Like A Creekside Small Group

2007-10-05T16:21:00.001-07:00

Directing two kids' plays has recently cut into my blogging time, but I promise that soon I will post something more thoughtful than videos I find on YouTube. In the meantime, here's a promotional video that my awesome small group recently filmed for our church. Enjoy!

YouTube Time Capsule, Part 3

2007-09-16T20:27:00.001-07:00

It's hard to pick just one Muppet segment from Sesame Street. Guy Smiley, Cookie Monster, Meryl Sheep, Don Music - they're all fantastic. But this might be one of the sweetest clips of all.

YouTube Time Capsule, Part 2

2007-09-16T20:20:00.001-07:00

This Sesame Street segment absolutely enthralled me as a child. I was amazed by a) the fact that this little girl had a llama for a pet and b) that this little girl was allowed to walk the streets of New York alone. After watching it again I am also amazed that the mullet was once deemed an appropriate hairstyle.

YouTube Time Capsule

2007-09-16T20:10:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday I officially entered my upper twenties. Turning twenty seven has made me wax nostalgic about my blissful eighties childhood and thankfully YouTube has footage from all my favorite television shows. Here are three of the most formative clips, starting with the "Things To Do" rap from the brilliant "Reading Rainbow." It completely inspired me when I was a kid and I think we'll make bleach bottle birdhouses in Sunday school next week.

Why I Bought Boot Cut Jeans Two Years After They Became Popular

2007-09-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm somewhat of a late adapter. I still don't have a DVD player and am now forced to borrow videos from the library. When I was in college, I consistently called my cordless phone a cell phone because I’d never owned a cordless phone. I loathe text messaging. I grew to appreciate nineties alternative rock a decade after most songs were released. I just got a phone with a camera (and only because I cracked my old phone in two and that model is no longer available.) Thus, it should come as no surprise that I'm about to blog about a subject that everyone else blogged about a year and a half ago. Hey, I've got to be me.

Here are some statistics that Mark Driscoll posted on the Resurgance in May of last year. I'm sure you'll recognize them from about twenty seven other blogs that dealt with this issue in a timely manner:

*Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
*Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
*Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
*Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
*Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
*Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.

As I drove to Trader Joe's this evening (since the contents of my refrigerator consisted of nectarines, pears, oranges, apples, peanut butter, parmesan cheese, semi-sweet chocolate chips and one miniature pepperoni pizza, I figured it was probably time to buy groceries), I listened to callers on a Christian radio show discuss pastor's wives who attend different churches than their husbands. Apparently, some pastor's wives are under so much strain that they feel they must leave their husband's church for the sake of their own spiritual health. This led the host to cite some of the above statistics.

As I listened, I began to wonder why ministry takes such a toll on pastors and their families. My warm, compassionate side (the one that cried at the end of "Ratatouille") acknowledged that many churches have unrealistic expectations of pastors since the role of the American pastor has grown to include CEO, marketing strategist and comedian, among other things. As a pastor's kid, I've definitely seen the hardships and discouragement that come with full time ministry. However, my cold, critical side (the one that laughed at the end of "Titanic") wondered if modern pastors are a bit (for lack of a better word) wussy. It's no surprise that ministry is tough. Consider Paul's description of his ministry in 2 Corinthians 11:26-29:

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is a daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

And this was a man who was able to say in 2 Timothy 4:5-8 near the end of his life:

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure as come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Are these statistics an indictment of the spiritual maturity of churches or an indictment of the spiritual maturity of pastors? Do we need to rethink how we treat our pastors and their families or do pastors need a more realistic understanding of the trials of ministry? Or both? Or neither?

I’m an opinionated person longing for an opinion on this issue. Please help me form one by posting your thoughts. In the meantime, I need to learn how to take pictures with my phone. I still can’t figure out where you’re supposed to load the film.

My Wildest Dreams Fulfilled

2007-08-19T21:17:00.001-07:00

If you're anything like me, you've spent many a sleepless night pondering what you'd look like as a character on "The Simpsons." Well, ponder no more! Visit this fun little site and find out! Here's my Springfieldian alter-ego. I think the resemblance is uncanny.

Sunday School Bloodbath

2007-08-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

So in the midst of a lesson about how the Holy Spirit empowers us to be good examples to others, my Sunday school class started discussing the movie "Facing the Giants." I pointed out that a church made that film and we began to brainstorm what sort of movie Creekside could make. My class decided that it should be about them. Then they decided that it should involve jellybeans. And somewhere along the way, it became the the bloodbath known as "Sunday School and the Fight with Countess Jellybean." Eleven year old Madison wrote this script and I'm impressed how she still managed to tie in the morning's lesson while killing me off.

Combatting Listlessness

2007-08-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a pretty easy girl to read. If I wear a dress to work, it means that I haven't done laundry in three and a half weeks and have no clean jeans or socks. Or if I start rapidly pushing my hair behind my ears, it means I see a balloon nearby and am terrified that it's going to pop. And if I post a list on my blog, it means that I have nothing thoughtful or creative to say but still feel that I should post something. And if that list is somewhat spiritual in nature, it means that I'm atoning for lauding the works of Nick Lachey in a previous post. Thus, here are my TOP TEN FAVORITE HYMNS.

10. Hallelujah! What A Savior. Words and Music by Philip P. Bliss. Of all the hymns in this list, I think I've loved this one the longest. It's succinct and beautiful and I think we should sing it at every Good Friday service.

9. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. Words by Charles Wesley. Music by Rowland H. Prichard. "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" is one of those hymns with fifty alternate melodies and I think Prichard's lilting tune is not only the loveliest of the bunch but also one of my favorites in all of hymnody. And Wesley's lyrics aren't bad either.

8. And Can It Be?. Words by Charles Wesley. Music by Bob Kauflin. Remember that horrible Michael Jackson song, "Heal the World?" I remember that my mom would always laugh at the lyric, "There are people dying" because the melody was so cheery. The original version of "And Can It Be?" suffers from the same problem: weighty lyrics and a sugary sweet tune. Thankfully, Bob Kauflin fixed this when he inserted a more contemplative melody and the result is incredibly moving.

7. For The Beauty Of The Earth. Words by Folliot S. Pierpoint. Music by Conrad Kocher. I tend to worry about the future, so lately I've tried to focus on the present and relish each of God's gifts moment by moment. A cup of 72% cacao hot chocolate. A crystal clear blue sky. The birds that like to chirp outside my window at 2:00 a.m. "For The Beauty of the Earth" is a wonderful reminder of God's daily blessings and "the beauty of each hour." And it's gorgeous acapella (watch "Little Women" and you'll agree.)

6. I Sing The Mighty Power Of God. Words by Isaac Watts. Music arranged by Ralph Vaughn Williams. This may be my favorite hymn about the sovereignty of God and there are three things I particularly like about it. 1. It's originally from the hymnbook, "Divine and Moral Songs for Children." It's heartening to think of children singing lyrics like "I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day; the moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey." 2. The old English tune was arranged by Ralph Vaughn Williams, who's like the king of old English tune arrangements. 3. It ends with this amazing lyric, "While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care; and everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there."

5. The Hymn From "Jupiter." Music by Gustav Holst. All right, so this isn't a hymn in the traditional sense. But the middle section from the "Jupiter" movement of Holst's "The Planets" practically begs for us to write lyrics and sing it in church.

4. Arise, My Soul, Arise. Words by Charles Wesley. Music by Bob Kauflin. Here's another Wesley hymn suffering from "Heal the World" syndrome that's revitalized by a gorgeous Bob Kauflin tune. There's a reason that nearly half of my favorite hymns were written by Charles Wesley. He's a master lyricist and his lyrics in this hymn are poignant without being sappy, theological without being dry, and simple without being trite. It's a brilliant song.

3. All Creatures Of Our God And King. Words by Francis of Assisi. Music by Peter Von Brachel. I believe that a majority of musical problems could be solved if composers simply wrote everything in 6/8. I always liked this hymn, but it jumped into a whole new category when I heard it in 6/8. And I love the concept of all creation praising the Lord.

2. The Master Has Come. Words by Sarah Doudney. One of the most inspiring hymns I know. I'm encouraged to fight the good fight each time I hear it.

1. Hark The Herald Angels Sing. Words by Charles Wesley. Music by Felix Mendelsshon. It's a crime that we only get to sing this song once a year. We should seriously sing it every Sunday. Lyrics don't get much better than "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Diety" and "Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die."

That's my list. What are your favorite hymns?

Albi The Racist Dragon

2007-08-05T18:25:00.001-07:00

This could give Veggie Tales a run for its money.

Swell Saturday: Musical Twinkies

2007-07-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I posted my musical equivalent of a bag of Ruffles potato chips - songs that I can listen to ten times in a row. On this swell Saturday, I'll reveal my musical equivalent of a deep fried Twinkie - my favorite guilty pleasure songs. Please don't judge too harshly.

Photograph: I've always giggled at Nickelback, and I find this song particularly amusing. Those boys from Canada try so hard to rock while singing about the girliest of subjects: looking at old photo albums. Still, the chorus is incredibly catchy and I could listen to Chad Kroeger's voice all day long.

Lips Of An Angel: One of my favorite memories of this year so far was driving to Long Beach to look at bridesmaid dresses with my beautiful sister in law and belting this song together. (I still think she and my brother should have used it for their first dance.) The most awesome thing about Hinder's ballad is that lead singer Austin Winkler is supposed to be whispering to his ex-girlfriend while his current girlfriend is in the next room, yet he practically screams, "It's really good to hear your voice, saying my name it sounds so sweet."

Rich Girl: I'll be the first to say that I'm not a fan of Gwen Stefani's voice. Or her clothing line. Or her dance moves. But she sure can write a catchy song. "Rich Girl's" great beat and happy vibe almost make me forget that Stefani is desecrating one of musical theatre's greatest hits.

How Can We Be Lovers: While most of my grade school chums were swooning over the New Kids on the Block, I was singing along to Michael Bolton. Being an innocent little fourth grader, I had no qualms about belting out the following lyrics: "How can we be lovers if we can't be friends? How can we start over when the fighting never ends? How can we make love if we can't make amends?" It was my favorite song on the whole tape.

Proud To Be An American: I know it's cheesy, but I do get a little misty whenever I hear this song. Especially if it's accompanied by fireworks.

Wanted: Dead Or Alive: My brother introduced me to this song when he serenaded my parents with it every night during his senior year of high school. You can always count on Bon Jovi to deliver ridiculously dramatic lyrics and this song has some gems. My favorites include "Sometimes you tell the day by the bottle that you drink and times when you're alone and all you do is think" and "I've been everywhere, still I'm standing tall. I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all." Plus Richie Sambora's harmonies are brilliant.

She's So High Above Me: Remember the band Fastball? That's what I thought. But I still love this song. I used to warble "She's so high above me, like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite" to my roommate Holly because she slept on the top bunk. Clever, no?

Love Shack: How can you not love a song with lyrics like, "Hop in my Chrysler, it's as big as a whale and it's about to set sail!" Plus the "Bang, bang, bang on the door" finish is easily one of my favorite pop music finales.

What's Left Of Me: I hated the boy band craze of the late nineties. And of all the boy bands, I hated 98 Degrees the most. So I was shocked to discover that this rather lovely little ditty was performed by none other than Nick Lachey. Yes, the lyrics are inane ("I'm half the man I thought I would be, but you can have what's left of me" doesn't exactly make me swoon), but it's a truly pretty song.

So there you have it. What are your guilty pleasure songs?

Wesley Wednesday: Unlikely Lyrics Edition

2007-07-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

I love lyrics that use odd words. Like "For poor ornery sinners like you and like I" in "I Wonder As I Wander." Or "A love as pure as breath, as permanent as death, implacable as stone" in Stephen Sondheim's "I Wish I Could Forget You." Or "I want to tell her that I love her but the point is probably moot" in Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl." This great Charles Wesley hymn uses two seldom used words (at least in hymns): antepast and dragon. And the rest of the words are pretty good too. Enjoy "Where Shall My Wondering Soul Begin?"

Where shall my wondering soul begin?
How shall I all to heaven aspire?
A slave redeemed from death and sin,
A brand plucked from eternal fire,
How shall I equal triumphs raise,
Or sing my great Deliverer’s praise?

O how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which Thou to me hast showed?
That I, a child of wrath and hell,
I should be called a child of God,
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blessed with this antepast of Heaven!

And shall I slight my Father’s love?
Or basely fear His gifts to own?
Unmindful of His favors prove?
Shall I, the hallowed cross to shun,
Refuse His righteousness to impart,
By hiding it within my heart?

No! though the ancient dragon rage,
And call forth all his host to war,
Though earth’s self-righteous sons engage
Them and their god alike I dare;
Jesus, the sinner’s friend, proclaim;
Jesus, to sinners still the same.

Outcasts of men, to you I call,
Harlots, and publicans, and thieves!
He spreads His arms to embrace you all;
Sinners alone His grace receives;
No need of Him the righteous have;
He came the lost to seek and save.

Come, O my guilty brethren, come,
Groaning beneath your load of sin,
His bleeding heart shall make you room,
His open side shall take you in;
He calls you now, invites you home;
Come, O my guilty brethren, come!

For you the purple current flowed
In pardons from His wounded side,
Languished for you the eternal God,
For you the Prince of glory died:
Believe, and all your sin’s forgiven;
Only believe, and yours is Heaven!

Obscure Bible Facts Challenge: Pauline Epistles Edition

2007-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

After church this morning, I've come to the conclusion that the Pauline Epistles are the most difficult books to teach third grade boys. Hopefully this quiz will be slightly less difficult.

Alexander did Paul much harm. What was Alexander's vocation?

In which letter did Paul greet Archippus?

Where was Titus when Paul was writing 2 Timothy?

A widow was to be put on the list only if she had done all of the following except for what?

In which letter is Timothy not mentioned?

Which letter contains the sentence: "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love"?

Which letter features the word "Maranatha"?

According to Ephesians 4:31, all of these vices should be put away except for what?

Which letter does not mention Demas?

According to Titus, bondslaves should do all of the following except for what?

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Swell Saturday

2007-07-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's time once again to laud five more sultans of swell. Here are this week's favorites in no particular order.

The Wailin’ Jennys: My mom has fantastic taste in music, so I’m constantly borrowing (or stealing) her CDs. My most recent snatch is The Wailin’ Jennys' “40 Days” and I’ve listened to it every day this week. Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta, and Ruth Moody make up the pop/folk band and besides having one of the best names in the music business, they also write their own songs, play their own instruments, and sing impeccable three part harmony. Although they sometimes remind me of the soundtrack to a CW show (but a really classy CW show like the first season of "Felicity"), their songs are lovely and melancholy and the perfect accompaniment to a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

Blueprint Magazine: A few months ago, everyone in my small group Bible study shared their favorite way to relax. I was amazed at the mature responses: go on a walk, work out, read a good book, etc. Alas, my answer wasn’t quite as impressive. I usually buy a giant salami sandwich and Diet Pepsi at Safeway and then eat it on my couch while reading a magazine. (And when I'm feeling really lazy, I lie on my couch and balance the plate on my stomach.) So while my friends exercise their bodies or their minds while they relax, I manage to damage them both at the same time. However, Blueprint magazine helps me feel a little better about my sloth. While many magazines aimed at 20-30 something women feature articles like “What’s Your Flirting Style?” or “The Best Jeans for Your Body Type”, Blueprint is a breath of fresh air. Consider the topics in this month’s issue:

-Bridesmaid Revisited: How to transform an old bridesmaid dress into haute couture with fabric paint and sponge paintbrushes.
-The Cutting Room: Creative ways to use wallpaper in your home, such as insets for your doors or a headboard.
-100 Reasons to Hit the Road: Their picks include the All Night Flea Market in Wheaton, IL, Congress Avenue Bats (1.5 million bats take flight at sunset) in Austin, TX, and In’N’Out Burger.
-The Guide to Surefire Grilling: Did you know that you can grill pizza?

Say what you will about Martha Stewart, she knows how to produce a great magazine.

Hairspray: Let’s face it. Hollywood hasn’t had much luck with the movie musical in recent years. After the brilliant “Chicago,” it’s been a string of critical and box office failures including “Rent”, “The Producers” (which was much better than critics would have you believe), the painfully tedious “Dreamgirls”, and in a strange way, "Spiderman 3". I thought “Hairspray” would be another nail in the movie musical’s coffin. I was wrong. “Hairspray” is my favorite movie of the summer and perhaps my favorite movie of the year so far. It’s a master class on how to make a movie musical (take notes, “Dreamgirls”) and I couldn’t stop smiling the entire two hours. The visuals were stunning, the choreography was brilliant, it was both sweet and sardonic, and John Travolta was a revelation. And with Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" currently in production, I'd say that the future of the movie musical looks pretty bright.

Threadless: This website combines two of my great loves: capitalism and democracy. Anyone can submit a t-shirt design, the public votes on their favorites and Threadless posts the winners each week, which you can purchase for about $15. My current favorite is the "I Listen To Bands That Don't Even Exist Yet" shirt.

The Following Quote: Here’s how writer-producer Al Jean sums up “The Simpsons Movie” in Entertainment Weekly, “As an event, I think it’ll be somewhere between Sgt. Pepper’s the album and Sgt. Pepper’s the movie.”

100 Ways To Confuse A Child: Lesson 32

2007-07-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

I find that whenever I try to be exceptionally clever in my Sunday school lessons, I end up skewing children's theology.

I taught the kids about Paul and Lydia a few months ago and had the brilliant idea of using dipping something into dye as a picture of water baptism. I now wonder if my primary motivation for giving this example was the fact that I thought tie-dying socks would be super fun. In any case, the kids were pretty confused and over the next month whenever I asked, "What is baptism?" one little boy always confidently replied, "It's when you dip yourself in dye." Sigh.

Ben Witherington III probably never had a Sunday school teacher with a sick need to tie-dye socks, thus he has a solid grasp on the meaning of baptism and a new book called "Troubled Waters: Rethinking the Theology of Baptism."

Check out this link for a few of his thoughts on the subject and let me know what you think.

Hit 'Em Up Style

2007-07-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Elements of Style, that is.

I consider myself a classic Type A personality, but lately I’ve wondered if that only applies to the insignificant areas of my life. For instance, I’ll spend two hours agonizing over a font for a flier, but take a year to compose a thank you note. I can’t stand misplaced apostrophes, but have the worst time returning library books when they’re due. I must hang my towels so the tags face inward, but can’t use my trunk because it’s full of year old craft supplies.

One of my more trivial obsessions is writing and grammar and William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White are my heroes. Their classic, “The Elements of Style” is chock full of delightfully phrased advice about style, misused words and expressions, basic rules of grammar, principles of composition and more. So in the interest of good writing everywhere, I decided to share a few of my favorite quotes.

Write with Nouns and Verbs.
“Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn’t been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place . . . it is nouns and verbs, not their assistants, that give good writing its toughness and color.” (page 71)

Avoid the Use of Qualifiers.
“Rather, very, little, pretty – these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words.” (page 73)

Put Statements in Positive Form.
“Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language. Use the word not as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion.” For example: “He was not very often on time” versus “He usually came late.” (page 19)

Omit Needless Words.
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” Examples include “her story is a strange one” versus “her story is strange” or “owing to the fact that” versus “since.” (page 23)

Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody, Everywhere!

2007-07-17T18:36:00.001-07:00

Given that I moved into my own place almost five years ago, I realized that it was probably time for me to clean out my old room. During the process I found a few treasures from my youth and I thought sharing them with you would help mortify my pride. Let the humbling begin!

Ah, another Dickensian Christmas with the Bruces. I often wonder what happened to that beautiful white fireplace.

A page from a little book I made at Pioneer Girls in third grade. Sadly, my handwriting still looks like this.

Prom 1997. My date and I made our entire group about two hours late when we decided to order the dessert sampler.

My first attempt at keeping a diary. It was an utter failure, considering that my first entry is dated four years later.

My brother as "Indiana Jeff" at the very first Camp O' Fun. Of all the incomprehensible skit plots we've had, this one takes the cake.

A Japanese print I made in art class in fourth grade. I especially like my music note stamp. If only someone had encouraged my artistic talent, who knows where I'd be today?

At the end of junior year, I had the brilliant idea of packing up all my bedding a day too soon. This was the result.

My official nickname during summer musicals.

My first big ballet recital picture. I particularly like the lovely silk plant in the background.

A thank you note from one of my first events as a Children's Director. I'm still proud of the fact that my party was the best time ever in a child's whole life.

A page from a college notebook. It appears to have served dual purposes: Greek drill sheet and lipstick blotter.

Obscure Bible Facts Challenge: Children Edition

2007-07-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

For the three of you who may have worried that I'd given up blogging forever, never fear! I've been living in the land of Camp O' Fun for a few weeks now, but I'm back and ready to blog. After spending the last week with ninety first through fifth graders, I was inspired to write a little Bible quiz about children. Enjoy!

Children Are The Future, Today Belongs To Me!

2007-06-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

I made a shocking discovery a few weeks ago. After spending eight years under the delusion that I was an ESTJ (in the Myers Briggs personality type test), I learned that I am in fact an ENFP! Apparently every major life decision I’ve made over nearly a decade was based on faulty information. Maybe I should drive a Jetta instead of an Accord. Perhaps I should wear flats instead of heels. Could it be that I actually like vegetables more than fruit? Clearly, I have a lot of soul searching to do.

In reading about my personality type, I discovered that ENFPs are energized by new ideas and love to start things. So it should come as no surprise that I have quite a few projects on the back burner. Unfortunately ENFPs also have a difficult time finishing things, thus the odds of me actually accomplishing any these ideas aren't great. But I thought that sharing them with you might be a catalyst for action. Here are four projects I would like to finish in the future:

Write a Series of Children’s Books: I’m a huge fan of children’s literature. The “Betsy-Tacy” series, the “Shoe” books, “Half Magic”, “Magic By The Lake”, and every other book by Edward Eager, “Mrs. Piggle Wiggle” and the “Series of Unfortunate Events” all line the top of my bookshelf. For about four years I’ve played around with the idea of writing a series of children’s books that would combat various heresies in a child friendly way. I’d call it “The Adventures of Theo Logian” and it would feature a plucky little boy named Theo Logian who is constantly using his keen intellect and expansive knowledge of the Bible and church history to correct the misinformed ideas of his buddy Harry C. Oh, and he has a time machine too. The first book in the series would be a treatise against polytheism called “THEO LOGIAN AND TOO MANY GODS” with more books to follow. (The next book might be a study of the emergent church called “THEO LOGIAN AND TOO MANY CANDLES.”) Anyone interested in illustrating?

Compete On “The Amazing Race” With My Dad: Ok, so competing on a reality show with my father isn’t too likely considering it would take both of us away from our jobs for more than a month, but it would be so awesome. We'd make a great team - he could do all the physical challenges and figure out the puzzles and I could stand by and be super encouraging. America would love us (or hate us, depending on the editing) and I’m sure we’d get at least third place.

Write a Sociological Study: When I was in college, my first taste of a great sociological study was Christina Hoff Sommer’s “The War Against Boys”. It was well researched, well written, well argued and has definitely influenced how I treat the boys in my Sunday school classes. I've been in love with sociological studies ever since. Some of my favorites include, "The Second Family" by Ron Taffel and Melinda Blau, "Snobbery: The American Version" by Joseph Epstein and "Queen Bees and Wannabees" by Rosalind Wiseman. I'm currently reading, "One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding" by Rebecca Mead and it's a fascinating look at the wedding industry. When I read a good sociological study, I'm often inspired to go out into the world, do lots of research, draw conclusions and write a book. Given that my college papers consisted almost entirely of quotes and footnotes, I think this type of writing would suit me. Right now I'm interested in studying women's ministries in various churches and drawing some brilliant conclusion about the state of women's ministry in the 21st century.

Write, Direct, and Edit a Short Film: I'd call it "Meet Cute" (except that the title would look like "meet cute") and it would be a series of vingettes in which a girl (played by me in an assortment of darling Anthropologie outfits) falls in love with various guys through trite plot devices often used in bad romantic comedies. For instance, they might accidentally run into each other in the hall at work and have to bend down and pick up their papers, only to suddenly lock eyes and fall instantly in love. Or she might be picketing the gigantic small business killing bookstore his family owns, only to suddenly lock eyes with him and fall instantly in love. Or they might be walking their dogs at the dog park and get their dog leashes tangled up, only to suddenly lock eyes and fall instantly in love. You get the idea. Then in the last scene, she'd meet a guy at a party, they would make really boring small talk about their jobs and she would excuse herself. Then the screen would read, "Bobby and Susie were married three months later." Cute, right? Hey, at least it would give me a chance to wear adorable clothes. And that's half the reason I want to make the film.

Those are my four future projects. Hopefully I'll finish at least one some day. Or perhaps someone with a personality type that's good at finishing things could finish it for me.

What projects do you have on the back burner?

Flight of the Conchords

2007-06-17T16:27:00.001-07:00

Flight of the Conchords is "New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo" featuring Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. These guys produce some of the funniest material I've seen in a long time. Here is the "I'm Not Crying" video from the pilot of their new HBO show. Enjoy!

Swell Saturday: Fantastic Fathers Edition

2007-06-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

It probably would have been better if I'd posted this on Friday, because then it could have been "Fantastic Fathers Friday" but oh well.

My dad is a very humble guy (I know you’re asking yourself, “How did he produce someone like Jenny?”) and would never brag about himself, so I’m going to have to do the job for him. I warn you now that this is an unabashedly gushy post.

If my mom is a Proverbs 31 woman, my dad is definitely a First Timothy 3:1-7 man. I read through these qualifications for overseers a few days ago and was struck by how much they reminded me of my dad. So in honor of Fathers' Day, please indulge me as I show how my dad is indeed a First Timothy 3:1-7 man.

“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife”: Each morning, my dad gets up early, makes a cup of Caffe De Vita (or Coffee of Life as we say in our family) and brings it to my mom. This is just one of thousands of ways that my dad serves and cares for her each day. He has set the great husband bar remarkably high.

“Temperate”: When I was a kid, my dad and I joked about “buffeting our bodies and making them our slaves,” (pronouncing “buffet” like “buh-fey”) and would laugh at the idea of gorging ourselves with food to produce self discipline. But while I still enjoy “buh-feying”my body, my dad has truly made his body his slave. He isn’t controlled by sleep; he wakes up before sunrise every day to study his Bible and pray. He isn’t controlled by leisure; he works out with a master’s swim team, is in great shape, and has a killer Butterfly stroke. He isn’t controlled by his stomach; the healthy food that he enjoys puts my regular diet of burgers and fries to shame. He isn’t controlled by the television; he spends an amazing amount of time reading and contemplating new ideas. I’m in awe of his self control.

“Prudent”: Our church staff meetings begin with prayer requests and when one of us is struggling with a particularly tough problem, most of us will make very concerned faces, sympathize with what that person is going through, and earnestly say, “That must be hard – we’ll pray for that.” Often my dad will then speak up and say something like, “Have you tried writing a letter to explain your concerns?” or “Have you looked into different scholarship programs – I know a few websites you could check out.” or “We experienced that a few years ago and this helped us.” The troubled staff member’s eyes suddenly light up and he or she will say, “I never thought of doing that. I’ll give it a try!” My dad has a wealth of practical wisdom.

“Respectable”: Even when I was young, I sensed that people respected my dad. He's honorable, doesn't compromise on what he knows is right and never goes back on his word or wavers.

“Hospitable”: Growing up, we always had people over at our house. Whether it was a small group Bible study on Wednesday nights, our annual Christmas party, or emergency counseling appointments, my dad was constantly willing to open our home to others. He’s a truly fantastic host and comes up with the best party activities. “Full Contact Pictionary” remains one of my favorite party games ever.

“Able to Teach”: I continually hear about my dad’s preaching. At my weekly small group someone always says, “This reminds me of what John talked about last week. Wasn’t that a helpful sermon?” When I talk with members of our congregation I hear, “Your dad’s sermon was so good this morning. I felt like he was speaking right to me.” When I travel and meet people who knew my dad when he was with Campus Crusade they’ll often say, “Your dad was an amazing Bible teacher. I learned so much from him.” My dad’s sermons are a wonderful mix of in depth Bible study, great storytelling, and practical application. I leave his talks with a better understanding of Scripture, strong conviction of my own sin, and appreciation for my Lord. Plus, he gives every sermon completely from MEMORY. I’d like to see Jonathan Edwards do that.

“Not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable”: As much as I like to think of myself as sweet and gentle, I can be pretty pugnacious. Whether someone cuts me off on the freeway, disagrees with an argument I think is airtight, or is condescending in any way, I’m ready to duke it out right there. Even though my dad’s opinions are just as strong as mine, I’m amazed at how well he handles conflict. He believes the best about people. He gives people the benefit of the doubt. He’s patient and kind. He’s able to diffuse tense situations and cut right to the heart of the matter without getting personally offended. I could learn a lot from his example.

“Free from the love of money”: I never thought about money as a kid because I never heard my parents talk about it. I now know that money was pretty tight at times, but my dad never made it an issue. He always trusted God to provide and saw money as a tool to help others and further God’s Kingdom. He remains unfailingly generous and constantly treats people to lunch.

“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity.”: I can’t remember a time that my dad was not actively discipling me. In preschool, my favorite game was “Ethical Questions” where my dad would describe a difficult moral situation and I would have to figure out the best way to handle it. (I remember asking him for a really tough one and he gave me the “Is lying ever right/hiding Jews in your basement in Nazi Germany” question.) As an elementary schooler, he told me Bible stories all the time. He was a master in setting up a story and I was so excited to hear about what happened to the Israelites after they made the Golden Calf or what happened to Esther after Xerxes held his nationwide beauty pageant. In junior high, he taught me the inductive Bible study method (I think I still have some of my old notes). Before my first dance in high school, my dad and mom helped me think through how I would handle every potential situation that could occur. I still constantly go to him for counsel.

“And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”: My dad has always cared about serving the greater community and supports it in various ways including working as the swim coach at the local high school a few years ago, spearheading a movement of community service at our church, tutoring fourth graders in reading, beautifying a playground, and much more.

So there you have it. I love you, Dad! Happy Fathers' Day!

They Fight For What's Right In Whatever They Do

2007-06-08T22:53:00.001-07:00

I grew up in the Golden Age of cartoons. "Rainbow Brite", "Duck Tales", "Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers", "G.I. Joe", "Transformers", Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Darkwing Duck", "Strawberry Shortcake", "Pound Puppies", "My Little Pony" - the list goes on and on.

My favorite cartoon was "Gummi Bears" and here is the inspiring theme song for you to enjoy.

My mother thinks it sounds eerily like modern praise music.

The Music Glutton

2007-06-07T18:04:00.001-07:00

I believe that the Ruffles potato chip may be the world’s most perfect food. It’s not made from the finest ingredients or cooked by a master chef or served elegantly, but I could eat an entire bag in one sitting. The following list is the musical equivalent of a bag of Ruffles. They’re not the most beautiful, thoughtful, or creative songs ever written but I could listen to each of them ten times in a row.

Back In Black: I’ll admit it. I love AC/DC. I love the sheer ridiculousness of their lyrics ("TNT, I’m dynamite. TNT, and I’ll win the fight!") and the fact that they don’t take themselves seriously (they’d never dream of writing lyrics like “there’s a hole in the world tonight, don’t let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.” Thanks a lot, Eagles.) "Back in Black" is my favorite AC/DC song and it always makes me want to put on dark shades and a long black leather jacket and walk very slowly towards something.

Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most: I’ve said before that I adore tragic love songs and this is one of the greats. This ballad by Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf is sweeter than “The Man That Got Away”, subtler than “Crazy” and absolutely heartbreaking when sung by jazz chanteuse Jane Monheit. Lyrics like “All alone, the party is over. Old man winter was a gracious host. But when you keep praying for snow to hide the clover, spring can really hang you up the most” keep me coming back to this song of lost love again and again.

Good Vibrations: As much as I like the Beatles, my loyalty lies with the Beach Boys. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed "Good Vibrations" at number 6 on their list of the "500 Best Songs of All Time" and I'd have to agree that it's brilliant.

Hoedown: Aaron Copland pretty much invented what we now think of as "American music" and his pieces evoke this country at its most idealized - brave, optimistic, adventerous, joyful, and free. Although his "Appalachian Spring" is one of my favorite pieces of music, I can listen to "Hoedown" every day. This rollicking square dance (of "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" fame) makes me want to explore new frontiers, conquer obstacles in my path, and eat lots of red meat.

Tear My Stillhouse Down: This song by folk singer Gillian Welch took me by complete surprise the first time I heard it. The opening lines of “Put no stone at my head, no flowers on my tomb, no gold plated sign in a marble pillared room” made me think it was going to be another great folk funeral song. I sat back and was prepared to be edified when I heard the next lyric, “There’s one thing I ask when they lay me in the ground, when I die tear my stillhouse down.” Never before have I so completely misjudged a song – it turns out the whole thing is about the evils of moonshine. It’s quickly become one of the most frequently played songs in my car (I listened to it twice in a row today) and it’s probably the best musical polemic against brewing your own whisky I’ve ever heard.

O Fortuna: If I was to list the most amazing events of my life so far, singing "Carmina Burana" with the Biola Chorale and Orchestra would definitely be in the top ten. I like both my rock and my classical music loud and driving and "O Fortuna" (which bookends Carl Orff's masterpiece) always makes my heart race. From the foreboding first chord to the triumphant finish, it's a two minute thrill ride of a piece.

You Get What You Give: The New Radicals were your classic one hit wonder, but I could listen to that one hit ten times a day. Although it came out in the late nineties, it has an awesome seventies vibe and even The Edge told TIME that he wished he’d written it.

Intergalactic: The first year of college will make you do some crazy things. Like belt out all the lyrics to “A Pirate’s Life for Me” while riding Pirates of the Caribbean (my sincere apologies to anyone who was unfortunate enough to be stuck on that ride with my roommates and me during our freshman year.) Or think that a peanut butter and honey sandwich with a side of animal crackers drenched in peanut butter and honey is a nutritious dinner. Or change your major twice in one semester. Or have Beastie Boys dance parties in your dorm room. “Intergalactic” always takes me back to my freshman year when we’d blow off steam by turning off the lights, jumping all over the room and yelling out “another dimension, another dimension.”

Liz On Top Of The World: This track from Dario Marianelli's gorgeous "Pride and Prejudice" score has the ability to make me sob every single time I hear it. In just a few minutes it manages to express the emotion of longing better than almost any music I've heard.

September: I sometimes regret the fact that I didn't get to live through the seventies. After all, this is the decade that gave us “Annie Hall,” “Kashmir,” and Steve Martin on Saturday Night Live. It also gave us Earth, Wind, and Fire and “September” never fails to put me in a good mood. I’m a sucker for big horn sections and songs involving my birth month so thankfully the old school R&B station plays it almost daily.

So that's my list. Let me know what's in your musical bag of Ruffles.

Swell Saturday: Road Trip Edition

2007-06-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

School is almost out and the season of road trips is nearly upon us. Whether you're visiting your parents, planning a trip to Disneyland with your kids, driving cross country with your best friend, or just going to Target, here are some of the Bruce family's favorite car games to help make your trip a bit sweller.

Rhyme Out: The only thing more satisfying than gloating is gloating through song. Therein lies the genius of "Rhyme Out", one of the Bruce siblings' all time favorite car games. While watching "Sesame Street" one morning, I was enthralled by a segment where Big Bird and Maria traded rhymes until one of them ran out of words. The winner then sang, "I rhymed you out, that's what the game's about! You ran out of time to think of a rhyme, it's rhyme out, rhyme out." A game that involved singing and vocabulary: what a winning combination! My brother and I started playing this constantly and I think it helped my verbal score on the SATs more than Latin, vocabulary cards, and Princeton Review practice tests put together.

GHOST: The rules are simple enough. The players spell out a word with each person adding one letter at a time. If you end the word, you receive a "G." If you do it again, you get an "H", then an "O" and so on. If you end the word five times, you become a "Ghost" and can no longer win the game. To add insult to injury, no one can talk to a Ghost or they'll receive a letter. I used to think this game was fun until I was soundly beaten by every other person in the car on a trip back from Santa Cruz last summer. Now I believe that "GHOST" is cruel and potentially damaging to your psyche. Not only did I have to live with the fact that everyone else's spelling and vocabulary skills were ten times better than mine, I spent the rest of the game trying to engage people in conversation only to be passionately ignored. As you can probably imagine, these wounds cut deep. But I'm slowly healing by plotting my revenge and memorizing the dictionary.

Create a Chord: My family loves The Eagles and we're determined to one day perform "Seven Bridges Road" in perfect harmony (just like the Von Trapps!) I think our Create a Chord game will help us achieve our goal. One person sings a note, a second person adds another note and so on until we create a chord. We then pat ourselves on the back and talk about how lovely that chord was before we try to sing an even better one. My brother and I have a sick version of this game where we try to sing the most revolting chord we can think of. Unfortunately for everyone else in the car, this may be my most loved road trip pastime of all. The great thing about Create a Chord is that you can play it by yourself too! I harmonize to the radio all the time (I mean, The Fray's "Cable Car" is just begging for someone to sing a fourth above the last note of the song.)

Got You Last: As a child I was dazzled by stories of my mother's youth and one of her most intriguing tales involved a game that she and her four sisters played called "You're It, I Quit." This was a rather sadistic exercise which consisted of tagging someone and then saying you quit before they could tag you back. Inspired, I began my own version of this game by tagging my brother, yelling "got you last" and running away before he could tag me. This evolved into a more sophisticated road trip version in which we attempted to tag each other twice but make it feel like just one tag. That way the other person would only tag back once, never knowing that they had just lost the game by not tagging back twice. Because of this game, there were four or five years where Jeff and I could not shake hands, hug, or even accidentally brush up against each other in the hall without tagging the other person back.

Obscure Bible Facts Challenge: Love and Marriage Edition

2007-05-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, my wonderful brother is marrying the amazing, astounding and beautiful Kashelle on Saturday. In honor of their impending nuptials, I've written a little quiz on love and marriage in the Bible. Enjoy!

How many camels did Abraham's servant take with him on his journey to find Isaac a wife?

Which woman was not one of David's wives?

What was the name of Deborah the prophetess' husband?

How many measures of barley did Boaz give to Ruth after she lay at his feet?

What blessing did the people of the town give to Boaz?

Solomon referred to his bride's teeth as "a flock of newly shorn ewes" who did all except what?

Which woman was not married to Esau?

If a man took a captive as his wife, she was to do all of the following except for what?

What was the name of Rahab's husband?

How much time separated King Xerxes' banquet and his marriage to Esther?

I'm Feeling Snarky About The Arky

2007-05-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

There are many movies I'm looking forward to seeing this summer. "Evan Almighty" is not one of them. My reasons for avoiding this film include:

1. I hate movies with animals. (Well, all right. I love two animal movies: "Best in Show" and "Old Yeller," who truly was the best doggone dog in the west.)
2. I hate movies that are rated PG. (Although there are some glowing exceptions, the PG rating seems to be a haven for slapped together plots, booger jokes, poorly executed slapstick and A-list actors slumming it. But that's just my opinion.)
3. I hate movies that remake God in our image and then pass it off as family fare. (To be fair, I haven't seen this film and maybe it presents a perfectly biblical picture of God. But I'm not holding my breath.)

All this to say, I hadn't really given "Evan Almighty" much thought until yesterday evening when I picked up my mail and found a flier from Youth Specialties. It featured a picture of a scene from the aforementioned film and the caption: "All God asked Evan to do was build an ark. He's asking you to change to world." This was followed by a quick blurb about something called Ark Almighty.

Intrigued, I did a little research and discovered that Ark Almighty is an "Evan Almighty" inspired program for churches. Ark stands for "Acts of Random Kindness" and the program takes many of its cues from Steve Sjogren's book, "Conspiracy of Kindness." Ark Almighty functions sort of like Craigslist and matches up needs in your congregation and community to the talents and skills of members of your church. Partners for this program include the Willow Creek Association, Youth Specialties, Outreach Inc., and the International Bible Society. To learn more about it, click here.

When your church signs up, you receive a four week curriculum designed by Youth Specialties, an instructional DVD starring "Evan Almighty" star John Goodman, t-shirts, hats, a banner and more. And you can disperse promotional materials throughout your neighborhood that tie in with the film.

So I'm in a bit of a quandry. I don't have a staunch conviction about whether or not I agree with this program. And I have staunch convictions about EVERYTHING including ice cream (Coldstone over Baskin Robbins), clothing (natural over synthetic fibers), 19th century American writers (Melville over Emerson) and so on.

On the one hand, there are some things I really like about the Ark Almighty concept:
1. I like the idea of churches being outward focused and caring for the people in their communities.
2. I like the idea of a system for uncovering the needs in your community.
3. I like that people could see the church's good works and glorify God.

On the other hand, there are some things that really bother me about the concept:
1. I'm all about partnering with secular organizations, but I'm uneasy about partnering with a movie distribution company that is primarily interested in making money.
2. I don't like giving the Christian stamp of approval (which Ark Almighty absolutely does - you can even watch an "Evan Almighty" preview on the website) to a movie that could be disrespectful to God. Or just be lousy.
3. I don't like the church functioning as a free marketing tool for Universal Pictures.

What do you all think? Is Ark Almighty an example of becoming all things to all men? Is it an unholy union between the church and Hollywood? Does the good outweigh the bad? Am I being difficult just because I hate animal movies? I'd love to hear your staunch convictions on the subject, although developing opinions are welcome as well.

Anselm: He's So Hot Right Now

2007-05-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

In honor of the theologian, I will now write the introduction to a quote from “Why God Became Man” (or Cur Deus Homo for all you Latin lovers out there) in the style of Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109).

Jenny: I enjoyed reading the major works of Anselm in college and he really deepened my understanding of the atonement.

Boso: You are absolutely correct, Jenny. Anselm was a brilliant thinker and you are also brilliant for recognizing this.

Jenny: You can see Anselm’s influence in the works of theologians such as John Piper.

Boso: I completely agree! What an astute observation!

Jenny: I thought I would post point thirteen of Anselm’s classic, “Why God Became Man” as I appreciate his take on the nature of sin.

Boso: You have undeniably chosen a wonderful quote. What a brilliant addition to your already fantastic blog!

Jenny: Thank you, Boso. I hope that everyone enjoys the quote.

Boso: It is unfathomable that they would not.

"13. That there is nothing in the universal order more intolerable than that a creature should take away from the Creator the honour due to him, and not repay what he takes away.

Anselm: There is nothing more intolerable in the universal order than that a creature should take away honour from the creator and not repay what he takes away.

Boso: Nothing is more self-evident than this.

Anselm: There is nothing, furthermore, which is more unjust to tolerate than the most intolerable thing in the universal order.

Boso: That, too, is very clear.

Anselm: I think, therefore, that you will not say that God ought to tolerate something which it is the greatest injustice in the universe to tolerate, namely: that a creature should not give back to God what he takes away.

Boso: No, on the contrary, I see that this needs to be utterly denied.

Anselm: Likewise, if there is nothing greater and nothing better than God, then there is nothing, in the government of the universe, which the supreme justice, which is none other than God himself, preserves more justly than God’s honour.

Boso: This too is perfectly plain.

Anselm: There is nothing, therefore, which God preserves more justly than the honour of his dignity.

Boso: I must grant this to be so.

Anselm: Does it seem to you that he is preserving his honor intact if he allows it to be taken from himself on such terms that, on the one had, it is not repaid him, and, on the other, he does not punish the person who takes it?

Boso: I dare not say so.

Anselm: It is a necessary consequence, therefore, that either the honour which has been taken away should be repaid, or punishment should follow. Otherwise, either God will not be just to himself, or he will be without the power to enforce either of the two options; and it is an abominable sin even to consider this possibility."

The Surefire Antidote For Intellectual Pride . . .

2007-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

. . . is reading your old college notes. After looking over my book notes from four years at Biola University, I began to wonder why they chose to award me a Bachelor of Arts. So in the interest of personal growth, I’ve decided to post some of my most cringe worthy thoughts as an undergraduate. Enjoy!

Thoughts on Edmund Spenser’s The Fairie Queen

Spenser: “When those accursed messengers of hell, that feigning dreame, and that faire-forged Spright came to their wicked master, and gan tell their booteless paines, and ill succeeding night.”

Me: “What is going on?”

Spenser: “The Sprite then gan more boldly him to wake. . .”

Me: “Are they trying to wake the Knight?”

Spenser: “He bad awake black Plutoes grisly Dame, and cursed heaven, and spake reproachful shame.”

Me: “Wait, is he a bad hermit?”

Spenser: “That I must rue his undeserved wrong: help thou my weak wit, and sharpen my dull tongue.”

Me: “So Homeric!”

Thoughts on Virgil’s The Aenead

Virgil: “It was only a picture, but sighing deeply he let his thoughts feed on it, and his face was wet with a stream of tears.”

Me: “Why are these men always so emotional?”

Thoughts on Homer’s The Odyssey

Homer: “His trustiest weapon women’s twisted wiles.”

Me: “Mortal women are either good or bad.”

Homer: “Under the echoing porch he tethered these, then turned on Odysseus once again with cutting insults, “Still alive? Still hounding your betters, begging round the house?”

Me: “What is this guy’s problem?"

Thoughts on The Works of John Donne

Donne: “When I am dead, and the doctors know not why. . .”

Me: “It is really all that healthy to dwell on things like this?”

Donne: “May he dream treason, and believe, that he meant to perform it, and confess and die.”

Me: “He’s pretty creative in his revenge fantasies.”

Donne: “Twice or thrice had I loved thee, before I knew thy face or name”

Me: “This seems a bit sappy – I like him when he’s being witty.”

Thoughts on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle: “For we should not seek the same degree of exactness in all sorts of arguments alike, any more than in the products of different crafts.”

Me: “Why does he keep bringing up crafts?”

Thoughts on Plato’s Phaedo

Plato: “I think that a man who has truly spent his life in philosophy is probably right to be of good cheer in the face of death.”

Me: “What is so wonderful about philosophy?”

Plato: “Yes, by Zeus, Phaedo, and they were right, I think he made these things wonderfully clear to anyone of even small intelligence.”

Me: “It’s not clear to me.”

Obscure Bible Facts Challenge: Books of the Law Edition!

2007-05-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, I wasted time taking quizzes with names like "What Breed of Dog Are You?" "Who's Your Celebrity Dream Date?" and "What Color is Your Aura?" Now I waste my time writing quizzes for other people to take. Which is a greater waste of time? You decide. But while you're deciding, test your Biblical knowledge on my Books of the Law quiz.

Which tribes of Israel settled on the east side of the Jordan River?

What was the name of Joseph's wife?

What sort of seed was manna like?

If a woman gave birth to a daughter, how long was she regarded as unclean?

Two weeks

Three weeks

One week

Four weeks
While in the wilderness, the Israelites longed for all these Egyptian foods except for what?

Nimrod (of Tower of Babel fame) was the descendent of which of Noah's sons?

What were the names of the God fearing Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1?

Which of his sons did Jacob say was "a strong donkey."

At what age were Levites to retire from performing service in the work of the tent of meeting?

What were the names of Aaron's sons who "offered strange fire before the Lord."

The Mother Of All Swell Saturdays

2007-05-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

Being that tomorrow is Mother's Day, I thought I'd devote this Swell Saturday to the swellest woman I know - my wonderful mother. In addition to being exceptionally good looking, unfailingly charming, incredibly godly, a fantastic conversationalist, an amazing seamstress, a caring and thoughtful friend, a lover of God's Word and the baker of the best chocolate chip cookies in the history of the world, my mother is also exceedingly wise. So in honor of her, I'd like to share forty pearls of wisdom that I've learned from my mom.

1. Weeping may endure for the night but a shout of joy comes in the morning.
2. A British accent makes every situation funnier.
3. If you're feeling depressed ask, "How's my time with God been lately?"
4. Always under bake your cookies and double the chocolate chips for best results.
5. Ask thoughtful follow up questions.
6. Make the call now!
7. Always prepare more than enough food.
8. Read your Bible in the morning.
9. Strive for excellence.
10. Clean house, happy house.
11. Utilize odd numbers when you decorate.
12. Fold French corners when you make your bed.
13. Don't buy it unless the plaids match.
14. A great haircut is worth every cent.
15. Be nice to your brother.
16. Discipleship is a vital part of ministry.
17. Pursue a hobby.
18. Practice good grooming every day.
19. Invest in people more than programs.
20. Shave daily.
21. Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.
22. Treat people to lunch.
23. Don't worry about what others think about you. (I don't care what they say!)
24. Remember God's faithfulness.
25. Listen to classical music.
26. Plan ahead.
27. Stay politically informed.
28. Do thoughtful, unexpected acts for others.
29. Make your home a beautiful and unique place.
30. Remain curious.
31. Speak like a lady.
32. Pray about your worries.
33. Your relationship with God should influence every decision you make.
34. Make events special for people.
35. Join the Biola Chorale.
36. Don't show all your cards at once.
37. Use creativity in teaching.
38. Sing whenever you can.
39. Think critically.
40. Always fold your towels so the tag does not show.

I love you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day!

Swell Saturday Strikes Again!

2007-05-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

It’s time once again to wade into the shallow end of the pool for another installment of Swell Saturday! Here are this week’s winners:

Lean Cuisine: There’s a scene in uber chick flick “The Wedding Planner” when Jennifer Lopez’s character comes home to her empty apartment after a long day of work, microwaves her dinner and eats it while watching “Antiques Road Show.” This is all supposed to convey a sense of sadness and isolation, but when you think about it, doesn’t that sound like an awesome evening? You have the pleasure of a quiet night to yourself after a stressful day, you get to watch your favorite show and dinner only took you three minutes to prepare! Too long have microwaveable dinners been synonymous with loneliness and desperation! I think it’s time they get the respect they deserve. Cooking a gourmet meal is fine and dandy but sometimes your full and meaningful life doesn’t allow you the time or energy. Lean Cuisine always comes to the rescue with yummy (and often preservative free!) pastas and pizzas that cost two bucks and are ready in under five minutes. That leaves me with lots of extra time for a life of excitement and purpose. Or at least extra time for “Antiques Road Show.”

1001 Free Fonts: Some girls collect shoes. Others collect bags. I collect fonts. Pizza Dude, Anatevka Caps, Chocolate Box, A Yummy Apology, Bachelor Pad – I love them all. I currently have a sweet little collection of about three hundred and constantly feel the need to add more. But unlike shoes or bags, my obsession costs me nothing thanks to 1001 Free Fonts. I can download as many fonts as I want for absolutely free. When I’m working on a church event flier and need one font that will appeal simultaneously to older single women with a penchant for foreign films, teenage male soccer players, and couples who hate gardening, I know I’ll find it at 1001 Free Fonts.

Awesome God: One of my favorite things to do as a child was put on dress up clothes, play Christian kids’ music, and sing in front of my full length mirror. (I’ll admit that staring at oneself for hours was probably not the ideal way to digest the meaning of those songs, but there you go.) At age five or six, I was particularly troubled by the refrain of the song “Love Never Fails” from “The Music Machine.” It went “love never fails, love never fails, there ain’t nothing love can’t do, aren’t you glad that God loves you.” After listening to this chorus I promptly told my dad, “I know something that love can’t do. Not love.” I just purchased a fantastic children’s CD called “Awesome God” that is bound to help kids ponder deeper issues than what love can or cannot do. Each song is wonderfully God-centered and teaches great theological concepts. Consider the lyrics to “Mighty Mighty Savior”: “Sin is too strong, for me to conquer on my own. I need someone to help me. I am too weak, I cannot change my evil heart, I need someone to cleanse me.” Or the chorus to “Sovereign One”: “Sovereign One, You work all things to Your plan. Sovereign One, You hold all things in Your hands.” I listened to “Three in One” (which sounds strangely like Everclear) almost ten times today and I think it may be my favorite song ever about the Trinity. “Awesome God” is produced by Sovereign Grace Ministries and it definitely deserves a place on the shelf next to “Singsational Servants” and “Bullfrogs and Butterflies.”

Hooray For Hollywood!

2007-05-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

May 4th is a momentous day. It is a day I’ve eagerly awaited since the beginning of this year. It is a day of great hope and expectation. It is the opening day of Spider Man 3, which ushers in the most wonderful time of the year: Summer Movie Season!

No longer will our viewing choices be limited to trite romantic comedies that studios waited two years to release, cheap slasher flicks, and films involving time travel and Sandra Bullock. For the next four months, movie theatres will be filled with new multimillion dollar epics, smart indies, and brilliant sleeper hits every weekend! I can already taste the popcorn.

With eleven major sequels (Spiderman 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Shrek the Third, Twenty Eight Weeks Later, Ocean’s Thirteen, Live Free or Die Hard, Evan Almighty, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Rush Hour 3) plus a host of other long anticipated movies (including Transformers and The Simpsons Movie), some say that this may be the biggest summer in movie history! That may be a bit of a stretch, but then again – THE SIMPSONS MOVIE.

Here are the five movies I'm looking foward to the most. Happy viewing!

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – Opens May 25th
When I was a little kid, I dreamed of being kidnapped by pirates and I still love a good pirate yarn. I thought the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was fantastic, I loathed last summer’s sequel, and I’m hoping that this final installment will redeem the trilogy (just like Revenge of the Sith totally redeemed the Star Wars prequels . . . oh, wait.) I think the inspired casting of Keith Richards as Jack Sparrow’s father is a good sign.

Ocean’s 13 – Opens June 8th
This series isn’t so much about plot and dialogue as it is watching cool kids get paid millions to goof off in exotic locations. But when the cool kids are George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Carl Reiner, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, and Al Pacino and they’re directed by Steven Soderbergh, I’ll pay nine bucks to see it.

The Simpsons Movie – Opens July 27th
Let’s just say that my expectations for this movie are very high. If they are not met, it could make for a very long and sad rest of the summer.

The Bourne Ultimatum – Opens August 3rd
Unlike your typical bullet proof action hero, I always felt that Jason Bourne was a vulnerable kid who could actually get hurt, which made me root for him all the more. I’m hoping that this film is as good as the first two.

Becoming Jane – Opens August 3rd
1. It’s about a young Jane Austen.
2. It stars Anne Hathaway.
3. There will be lots of beautiful clothes.

It's May, It's May, It's Time For Wesley Wednesday!

2007-05-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to discuss with kids is how Jesus will one day create a new heaven and earth. The younger ones never fail to be amazed at the idea of a perfect world and the older kids often ask, "How do we know that we won't rebel in the new world just like Adam and Eve?" which is fun to chew on.

I recently told my kindergarten through third graders how the new world will be free from death and how we can swim with sharks without fear. This prompted a question from Alexandra who asked, "Will we be able to pet the sharks?"

"How Glorious Is The Life Above" is a wonderful Wesley hymn that will whet your appetite for the new world even more than the prospect of petting sharks. Enjoy!

How glorious is the life above
Which in this ordinance we taste,
That fullness of celestial love,
That joy which shall for ever last!

That heavenly life in Christ concealed
These earthen vessels could not bear;
The part which now we find revealed
No tongue of angels can declare.

The light of life eternal darts
Into our souls a dazzling ray;
A drop of Heaven o’erflows our hearts,
And deluges the house of clay.

Sure pledge of ecstasies unknown
Shall this divine communion be:
The ray shall rise into a sun,
The drop shall swell into a sea.

Singled Out

2007-04-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending the "Children Desiring God" conference in Minnesota last week and not only got to hear John Piper, Wayne Grudem, and C.J. Mahaney talk about how to teach the gospel to kids, but also attended Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday and was blessed by Piper's amazing sermon on the theology of singleness. It actually made me cry. However, "When Harry Met Sally" also made me cry, so maybe that's not saying a whole lot.

In any case, I'm singling out "Single in Christ: A Name Better than Sons or Daughters" as a wonderful sermon. Read it and let me know what you think!

Introducing: Swell Saturday!

2007-04-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

I love alliteration (or should I say, adore alliteration.) Thus Wesley Wednesdays now has a new sibling: Swell Saturdays. Each Saturday I’ll attempt to write about different things that I found particularly swell that week. Here are this week's winners:

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones: This might be the best children’s Bible I’ve ever seen. Lloyd Jones begins by explaining that the Bible tells one big story and that Jesus is the hero of that story. She then artfully connects each individual story to the overall plot of the Bible, so kids begin to see God's Word as a cohesive whole rather than a book of random tales. Her storytelling skills are fantastic, her theology is solid, and the illustrations are gorgeous (the forbidden fruit looks nothing like an apple and the people look like they could actually be from the Middle East!)

Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”: This is an unlikely choice for Swell Saturday. Not only do I generally dislike country music, but I was a huge Bo Bice fan during the fourth season of American Idol and was crushed by his defeat at the hands of Carrie Underwood. Yet I absolutely love her new single. I’ve never been cheated on, been involved in an even remotely tragic relationship, or harbored any resentment towards men, but for some reason I’m always drawn to bitter songs about ill fated love affairs (“The Man That Got Away,” “I Wish I Could Forget You,” “But Not For Me,” etc.) and Underwood’s sassy ode to revenge on an unfaithful boyfriend is no exception. Whenever it comes on the radio, I’ll always turn the volume way up and belt out the lyrics, “I took a Louisville Slugger to both headlights and slashed a hole in all four tires and maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats” at the top of my lungs.

PBS Late Night Documentaries: I’ve had a difficult time getting to bed at a decent hour and I blame PBS for airing such fascinating documentaries at 11:00 p.m. I’ll be just about ready to head to bed when I flip through the channels and see, “Once considered to be the Mediterranean of California, the Salton Sea is now one of the greatest ecological disasters of our generation. Discover this beautifully awful and awfully beautiful place tonight on Truly California.” How can I resist that? These documentaries are short, snappy, and absolutely gripping. So far I’ve learned all about the development of organic farming in the United States and the saga of the Imperial Valley’s Salton Sea. Leave it to the network that taught me how to count in Spanish when I was in preschool to now teach me about the benefits of community agriculture.

The Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements Series: I have a love/hate relationship with the stairmaster in my apartment building’s workout room. I love that I can burn a ton of calories in only thirty minutes and that I don’t have to pay for a gym. I hate that it involves thirty minutes of painful and boring exercise in a tiny stuffy room with no television or music. I’m tempted to quit about every five minutes, but reading the Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements while I’m exercising helps me persevere and finish my workout. This awesome series features short books about various cults such as Mormonism, Mind Sciences, and “Jesus Only” churches. Each book is written completely in outline form, perfect for someone who is trying to simultaneously read and gasp for air. The books do a great job of explaining the differences between each cult and Christianity and provide good scriptural and philosophical arguments against the cults’ claims. I highly recommend the series, even to people who choose not to read it on the Stairmaster 3000.

Tuscan Three Cheese Kettle Chips: In my opinion, Kettle Chips are to potato chips what Haagen Dazs is to ice cream. And my new favorite variety is the Tuscan Three Cheese. As the bag says, it’s a “Mediterranean Vacation In A Bag.” Plus, the very chic celery colored bag coordinates perfectly with my kitchen. A Mediterranean vacation and color coordination – who could ask for more?

Video Killed the Sunday School Star

2007-04-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

I’m a hypocrite. There I was on a Saturday night, exhausted from a weekend of kids’ theatre performances and no curriculum prepared for Sunday morning. I had two choices: stay up all night and write a thoughtful introduction to Proverbs or show up fifteen minutes before the 9:00 a.m. service and pop in a video. Although one of my favorite soapboxes is the peril of using movies in Sunday school, fatigue won out over righteous indignation and our elementary schoolers spent that Sunday watching the “Jesus” film for kids (which is basically a shorter version of the “Jesus” film with spliced in scenes of kids saying things like, “Who are all these people?” and “What’s going on now?”)

The kids’ reaction to the video was amazing. Their eyes glazed over and they stared at the screen, quietly munching their popcorn. They didn’t throw clay at the walls or grab my shoes or punch their siblings or attempt to crawl out of the room every five seconds when they thought I wasn’t looking. They were remarkably well behaved. I left church that afternoon with conflicting emotions – frustrated that I chose to go against my convictions and show a video and thrilled that my classes were so delightfully calm after a crazy weekend.

Using video as a teaching tool is a growing children’s ministry trend and I can definitely see the appeal. The kids are quiet, they’re entertained, they pay attention, and they probably remember a good chunk of what they see. Some proponents of this method argue that they’re simply adapting their teaching style to meet the needs of a generation raised on video games and Sponge Bob.

However, I think relying on multimedia to teach kids the Bible can be dangerous. Not only does it reinforce kids’ already incredibly short attention spans (if they can’t learn to sit and listen to a ten minute story, how will they be able to sit and read their Bibles for ten minutes?), I believe it also makes the Bible seem less credible. If a child’s primary biblical instruction is packaged like a Saturday morning cartoon, I wonder if that child will grow up thinking that the Bible is simply a book of fun stories. Plus, I think there is educational benefit in kids interacting with biblical concepts through discussion, art, and games as opposed to passively receiving information through a video.

This leads me to my question. When should the church change its methods to keep up with cultural trends and when should it ignore those trends? For instance, I think that church websites are a great idea. We’re an increasingly web based society and I believe that the ability to download sermons, check out a church calendar, and read a statement of faith online can be a wonderful evangelistic tool and a practical help to a congregation. On the other hand, I don’t want to follow our culture and show videos in Sunday school (except on occasions when the children’s director did not budget her time well and has no lesson prepared.) What should be the church's criteria for embracing or ignoring cultural trends?

I’d love to hear your opinions on this issue. In the meantime, I’d better finish up my lesson on the Psalms so my kids don’t end up watching my old copy of “The Flying House” on Sunday.

Wesley Wednesday: Awesome Welsh Towns Edition

2007-04-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Wesley Wednesday! This week's installment features, "Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise," a beautiful Easter hymn that our kids' choir sang on Sunday (they only sang four of the ten verses, but they did get a standing ovation.)

This hymn's tune was composed by a man named Robert Williams (1782-1818), a blind basket maker from Anglesey County in North Wales. The name of the tune is "Llanfair" and is apparently named after Williams’ home town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllandtysiliogogogoch. In English, the name means “church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel near the rapid whirlpool of the Church of St. Tysillio by the red cave.” I challenge you to find a more awesome name for a town than that. Enjoy another great Wesley hymn!

Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!
To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Reascends His native heaven, Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits, Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
Christ hath conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in, Alleluia!

Circled round with angel powers, Alleluia!
Their triumphant Lord, and ours, Alleluia!
Conqueror over death and sin, Alleluia!
“Take the King of glory in! Alleluia!”

Him though highest Heav’n receives, Alleluia!
Still He loves the earth He leaves, Alleluia!
Though returning to His throne, Alleluia!
Still He calls mankind His own, Alleluia!

See! He lifts His hands above, Alleluia!
See! He shows the prints of love, Alleluia!
Hark! His gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
Blessings on His church below, Alleluia!

Still for us His death He pleads, Alleluia!
Prevalent He intercedes, Alleluia!
Near Himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
Harbinger of human race, Alleluia!

Master, (will we ever say), Alleluia!
Taken from our head to day, Alleluia!
See Thy faithful servants, see, Alleluia!
Ever gazing up to Thee, Alleluia!

Grant, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
Far above yon azure height, Alleluia!
Grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
Seeking Thee beyond the skies, Alleluia!

Ever upward let us move, Alleluia!
Wafted on the wings of love, Alleluia!
Looking when our Lord shall come, Alleluia!
Longing, gasping after home, Alleluia!

There we shall with Thee remain, Alleluia!
Partners of Thy endless reign, Alleluia!
There Thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!
Find our heaven of heavens in Thee, Alleluia!

The G Stands For Gilbert

2007-03-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Sheesh. How many cheerful and witty Christian writers known primarily by their initials did England turn out during the 20th century? G.K. Chesterton lived from 1874-1936 and was a journalist, theologian, philosopher, playwright, and mystery writer. Here’s a nifty quote from his brilliant work “Orthodoxy.”

“A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun and every evening “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.”

A Public Service Announcement

2007-03-25T17:18:00.001-07:00

I think this is my favorite public service announcement since Zach Braff's warning against smothering on "Scrubs." Enjoy this video from thechurchyouknow.com

Happy National Puppy Day!

2007-03-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Did you know that March 23rd is National Puppy Day? I know what you're thinking: "It's National Puppy Day already? Oh no, I didn't even get Jenny a present!"

Never fear. I have found the perfect gift. You could also give it to me for Arbor Day, Flag Day, Guy Fawkes Day, etc. Check out the BEST SOCKS EVER at the Concordia Publishing House site.

The Battle of the Pascals: Adam: 1 - Blaise: 0

2007-03-12T17:49:00.001-07:00

Since I have a group of junior high girls over to my place for dinner on Thursday nights, I thought it might be good to write inspiring quotes on my adorable Ikea chalkboard in the entryway. Hopefully, these great thoughts would stimulate their preteen brains and encourage conversation.

The last quote definitely stimulated their preteen brains. My quote from Blaise Pascal inspired one of my girls to think of her favorite movie star crush and write "ADAM PASCAL IS HOT!" next to Blaise's brilliant quote.

Apparently, Blaise's critique of the human condition is no match for Adam's raspy tenor and boyish charm.

Maybe I need to start quoting cuter people. I wonder if Hugh Jackman has said anything interesting about determinism.

Welcome To The Jungle, We've Got Fun And Games

2007-03-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Faithful readers of my blog may wonder where I've been over the past month. Have I taken a research sabbatical to study children's ministry trends in Hawaii? Have I decided to simplify my life by throwing out all electronic devices? Have I given up blogging to devote more time to spring's awesome reality television line-up? Let me set two inquiring minds at ease.

I've spent the last month putting the finishing touches on Creekside Kids' Theatre's production of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book." The cast of fifty-five first through eighth graders performed over the weekend and I'm still bursting with pride over their great work. Here are a few photos of the fantastic cast. Enjoy!

You'd Think That People Would Have Had Enough Of Silly Love Songs. . .

2007-02-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

. . . I look around me and I see it isn't so.

Take Clay Aiken's "Invisible" for instance: "If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room. If I was invincible, I'd make you mine tonight. If hearts were unbreakable, then I could just tell you where I stand. I would be the smartest man. If I was invisible (Wait..I already am.)" What girl doesn't dream of being stalked by an invisible man?

Or how about the brilliance of LFO's hit, "Summer Girls": "There was a good man named Paul Revere, I feel much better baby when you're near. You love fun dip and cherry Coke, I like the way you laugh when I tell a joke. When I met you I said my name was Rich, you look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch." This reminds me of when my brother and I used to play "Rhyme Out" and tried to rhyme as many words as we could. I actually wouldn't be surprised if this entire song was the result of a few rounds of "Rhyme Out."

And who could forget Brian McKnight's touching, "Back At One": "One, you're like a dream come true. Two, just wanna be with you. Three, girl it's plain to see that you're the only one for me. Four, repeat steps one through three. Five, make you fall in love with me. If ever I believe my work is done, then I start back at one." I'm still confused about the number of steps this plan actually entails.

Enough of silly love songs. Charles Wesley's "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" is an incredible song about love and the perfect antidote to the songs I just mentioned.

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

The Ancient Christian Version of "Spin the Bottle"

2007-02-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

I've always liked Valentines Day. In second grade I loved going to the store and carefully selecting my valentines (Disney Princesses? Strawberry Shortcake? Pound Puppies? Rainbow Bright? The possibilities were endless.) In junior high I loved eating mass quantities of candy hearts. In college I loved eating an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's while watching romantic movies with my girlfriends. And now I love wearing extremely girly clothes and decorating sugar cookies with the kids I work with. Any holiday that encourages the consumption of dark chocolate and the wearing of pink gets my full support.

I decided to do a little sleuthing about the origins of Valentines Day and discovered (gasp!) an ancient Roman holiday and (another gasp!) an attempt to Christianize it. Apparently the Romans celebrated a fertility holiday in February called Lupercalia. Beginning on February 15th, an order of Roman priests called the Luperci would sacrifice a goat (for fertility) and a dog (for purification) at the cave where Romulus and Remus were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The boys of the town then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in blood and went around the city gently slapping women and fields of crops. This was supposed to make them fertile for the coming year.

According to legend, when the goat hide slapping came to an end, the Roman women placed their names in a large urn. The bachelors of the city would then choose a name out of the urn and be paired with that woman for a year. These matches often resulted in marriage.

The early Christians weren't so crazy about most of these rituals and Pope Gelasius I (492-496) outlawed Lupercalia. However, the people seemed to like the drawing the name out of the urn idea, so they started the custom of drawing the names of saints out of a box. You were supposed to try to emulate the saint that you drew for the next year. That means if you picked Simeon Stylites, you got to spend a year on top of a pillar. Hey, this could be a great "spin the bottle" option for youth groups!

So if you are without a significant other on Valentines Day, be grateful that you are not being slapped with a piece of bloody goat. There are worse things than being single.

Happy Chocolate Day!

Jenny's Exciting Friday Night Date

2007-01-19T21:58:00.001-08:00

Or dates, to be exact. I've always loved history, but have never been very good at recalling dates. That's why I love this nifty map from www.mapsofwar.com. It shows the history of religion in a mere ninety seconds and includes the dates in a way that makes them easy to remember. It's perfect for anyone who struggles with dating (well, at least the dating of historical events.) Enjoy!

And Can It Be That Wesley Wednesdays Are Back Again?

2007-01-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

Yes it can!

And can it be that "And Can It Be" is our featured hymn of the week?

Yes again!

And can it be that I've included all six verses for your edification?

You've got it!

Enjoy one of my all time favorites.

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

101 Galatians

2007-01-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hey, that's actually not a bad idea for a kids' movie. I can see it now: "The Apostle Paul gives birth to an adorable brood of young Galatian Christians only to have them snatched away by the frightening Circumcision DeVille! Will Paul ever get his precious Galatians back? Find out this spring when the studio that brought you "Larryboy and the Rumor Weed" and "Dave and the Giant Pickle" presents "101 Galatians!"

So my small group Bible study is currently studying Galatians and a question came up a few weeks ago when we discussed 2:11-21. When Peter starts distorting the gospel by refusing to eat with the Gentiles, Paul calls him on it in public - "But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?" (Galatians 2:14)

It seems Paul's harsh and public rebuke was necessary given that Peter's actions were presenting false teaching about the gospel and were influencing the other Jews. This makes me wonder if and when we should publicly rebuke false teaching. For instance, suppose you hear a pastor teach that we're not really free from sin. Or that you'll always prosper financially if you are walking with God. Or that God isn't sovereign. Do you stand up in the middle of service and rebuke them? Do you wait until the service is over and gently take them aside? Do you chalk it up to a bad Sunday and ignore it all together?

I currently don't have a thoughtful or developed opinion on this subject and I'd love to hear people's thoughts. Do you think it's appropriate to publicly rebuke the false teaching of another Christian? If so, when? What criteria would you use in deciding whether to publicly or privately address false teaching? Any comments would be much appreciated.

In the meantime, I'm going to call the VeggieTales people about my movie idea. Those DVDs are going to sell like hotcakes.

A Blaise of Glory

2007-01-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

I love going to parties where the main course is a large variety of appetizers, like cheese fondue, mini quiches, artichoke dip with sourdough bread, etc. You're more than adequately nourished and you get to sample lots of different flavors and textures. Plus, if you hate one appetizer, there's usually nine or ten more to choose from. And you don't even need silverware! When it comes to dinner, I want ease and options.

My taste in food definitely mirrors my taste in literature. I like lots of small bites as opposed to one large meal. I'm much more satisfied reading a few Flannery O' Connor short stories in one afternoon than spending a month completing "Great Expectations." That's probably one of the reasons I love "Pensees" by 17th century French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher Blaise Pascal.

"Pensees" (thoughts) contains hundreds of Pascal's brilliant thoughts on God, imagination, the state of man, vanity, and more. They're the literary equivalent of a great appetizer: nourishing, delicious, and small enough that you can finish one in less than a minute.

I like reading a few of Pascal's thoughts from time to time and here are two that I've recently enjoyed. Bon Appetit!

#172. We do not rest satisfied with the present. We anticipate the future as too slow in coming, as if in order to hasten its course; or we recall the past, to stop its too rapid flight. So imprudent are we that we wander in the times which are not ours and do not think of the only one which belongs to us; and so idle are we that we dream of those times which are no more and thoughtlessly overlook that which alone exists. For the present is generally painful to us. We conceal it from our sight, because it troubles us; and, if it be delightful to us, we regret to see it pass away. We try to sustain it by the future and think of arranging matters which are not in our power, for a time which we have no certainty of reaching. Let each one examine his thoughts, and he will find them all occupied with the past and the future. We scarcely ever think of the present; and if we think of it, it is only to take light from it to arrange the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end. So we never live, but we hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable we should never be so.

#181. We are so unfortunate that we can only take pleasure in a thing on condition of being annoyed if it turn out ill, as a thousand things can do, and do every hour. He who should find the secret of rejoicing in the good, without troubling himself with its contrary evil, would have hit the mark. It is perpetual motion.

"The Time Has Come," The Walrus Said, "To Talk Of Shallow Things . . ."

2007-01-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

One of the great minds of our time once said, “We are living in a material world and I am a material girl.” The other night, I was thinking about the material things that daily give me pleasure and I realized that many of them are under $5. Then I thought, why not write about my favorite products so others can share the joy? (Plus, maybe Target or Trader Joe’s will give me a discount if they hear I’m hawking their wares.) So, without further ado, here are four of my favorite material possessions.

1. Trader Joe’s French Liquid Soap. You know how single women in movies always live in those adorable apartments filled with shabby chic furniture and fresh daisies and pink kitchen utensils? And how they have different coordinating shoes and purses for every single outfit? And how they have successful careers doing darling things like owning children’s bookstores or planning weddings? And how they eat cheeseburgers and entire pints of Ben and Jerry’s all the time, yet never seem to gain any weight? Trader Joe’s French Liquid Soap makes me feel like I am this sort of girl. It comes in three delightful varieties: Lavender, Orange Blossom Honey, and Shea Butter and it is truly the perfect single girl soap. The cute packaging, feminine scents, and fact that it’s made in France say, “I’m stylish and trendy, in a unique and whimsical way that doesn’t look like I care about being stylish and trendy,” but the cheap Trader Joe’s price says, “I’m just a normal, working class girl.” Whenever I wash my hands, I think my hair looks a little like Meg Ryan’s.

2. Annie’s Microwaveable White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. At the end of a long day, the last thing I want to do is cook dinner. Annie’s Mac and Cheese comes to my rescue every time. It’s delicious, organic (which somehow makes me feel all right about making my dinner from a packet), and only takes one half a cup of water and three minutes to prepare. You can dress it up with olive oil and parmesan cheese, but it’s great on its own too. Best of all, you can buy a box of five servings for under $3. It’s like a tastier, healthier, and much more sophisticated version of Top Ramen.

3. Method Pink Grapefruit Dishwashing Soap. Who knew that I would grow to feel so passionately about a dishwashing soap? There are three things that I particularly love. First, the bottle is surprisingly aesthetically pleasing. I never thought about bottle design as an art form until I saw the Method bottle. It's the first soap I've been proud to display on my counter. Second, the scent is fresh and light and makes my kitchen smell so clean. Third, the soap is a perfect shade of pink and totally coordinates with the rest of my kitchen.

4. Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. My philosophy has always been: the darker the chocolate, the better the chocolate. That’s why these chocolate chips are so amazing - they’re the perfect combination of sweet and tart. I would feel sort of guilty about eating an entire chocolate bar every day, but have no qualms about consuming mass quantities of these chips because they’re so small (ah, the tricks my mind can play.) They hit the spot whenever I’m craving chocolate and they’re especially delicious at the bottom of a cup of hot chocolate.

Those are my four favorites. Although hand soap and macaroni and cheese are just cheap, material things, they did get me thinking about enjoying life. There are so many daily gifts that I completely miss because I’m discontented about something. I don’t think about the delicious flavor of the perfect chocolate chip or thank God for giving us taste buds because I’m too busy comparing myself to my friends. I don’t stop and take in the wonderful smells that surround me each day because I’m preoccupied with the things that I want and don’t have. It’s amazing that my day is filled with hundreds of gifts to enjoy, yet I still feel sorry for myself or like God owes me something. It’s not only ungrateful; it’s not living in reality.

So go to Target, buy some Method, and take time to stop and smell the dishwashing liquid.

Jonathan Edwards: Self Esteem Crusher

2007-01-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

Just when you've made your New Year's resolutions and are feeling pretty good about yourself, Jonathan Edwards comes along and makes you feel like crud.

For example, compare one of my recent resolutions to one of Edwards':

Jenny: "Plan a monthly social event for all my friends."

Edwards: "Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it."

See what I mean? Edwards wrote seventy resolutions between 1722 and 1723 and they're inspiring, practical, and warrant frequent review. They're also extraordinarily humbling when you consider that Edwards wrote them between the ages of 19 and 20. I mean, it took me until I was 25 to come up with "eat five fruits and vegetables a day."

If you'd like some help forming your list of New Year's resolutions, you can check out Edwards' at http://www.reformed.org/documents/Edwards/index.html
Here are a few that particularly resonated with me.

Resolution #5: Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolution #8: Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

Resolution #17: Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

Resolution #25: Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

Resolution #54: Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it.

Resolution #57: Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin.

Happy New Year!

The Best Christmas Eve Day Present Ever!

2006-12-24T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well, technically the best Christmas Eve Day present ever was the In-N-Out gift certificate I received this morning, but this one is a close second. It's two more verses of my favorite Christmas carol, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." And unlike many little known fourth and fifth verses of popular hymns, they're as good as the first three verses! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

A Pagan Holiday and the Godliest Man I Know

2006-12-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

December 21st is significant for two reasons. First, it's the date of the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year. But more importantly, it's the birthday of the wisest, godliest, and most compassionate man that I know. I thank God daily for my wonderful dad and I've been blessed to spend twenty-six years gleaning insights on ministry, relationships, and life in general from his example. So, on the eve of his birthday, I thought I'd share forty lessons I've learned from my dad. I hope you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom!

1. Buy lunch for people.
2. The passive voice is to be avoided.
3. Always ask, "Where does it say that in Scripture?"
4. Buffet your body and make it your slave.
5. Write your own curriculum.
6. Don't base your decisions on your emotions.
7. Set goals.
8. Even watching television can be a family bonding event.
9. Relationships are the most important part of ministry.
10. Be willing to face the fear of the unknown.
11. The NASB is hands down the best Bible translation.
12. READ, READ, READ!
13. Don't fear your enemies.
14. Be patient with others.
15. Make the most of your time.
16. Read the Bible in context.
17. Never stop learning.
18. Don't seek comfort.
19. Have a wide variety of interests.
20. You can win pretty much any debate if you have the entire Bible memorized.
21. Order room service.
22. Be optimistic!
23. Write succinctly.
24. Be active in finding solutions to your problems.
25. Never lose your love of adventure.
26. A little competition never hurt anyone.
27. Take your children on weekly adventures.
28. Do not put your hope in temporal things.
29. You can be theologically correct and practical at the same time.
30. Ask ethical questions.
31. Keep your head down and focus on body rotation in freestyle.
32. You must care for the person that God puts in your path.
33. Work hard.
34. Look out for the interests of others.
35. A great leader must be a great servant.
36. Don't plan on retiring.
37. Find inspiration in the things that you liked as a kid.
38. Look for the best in people.
39. Teach children the story of the Bible.
40. Always find ways to share the gospel.

There are thousands of other lessons I've learned from my dad, but given that he is celebrating his fortieth birthday tomorrow, forty lessons seemed appropriate.

Dad, thanks for inspiring and encouraging me each day. I couldn't ask for a better father. Happy Birthday!

It's No "Pharaoh, Pharaoh," But It's Still A Pretty Great Song

2006-12-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

I love Christian kids' music. I grew up listening to Psalty the Singing Songbook and the Kids' Praise tapes and most of the scripture I have memorized is a direct result of listening to Psalty. (I still get the songs stuck in my head when I read those passages of the Bible.) I remember wearing dress-up clothes and standing in front of the full length mirror in my room (hmm, that might provide some insight into the roots of my vanity) and belting out "Jesus Put The Song In My Heart," with Charity Churchmouse.

Now that I work with kids, I'm always trying to find fun songs with good scriptural content. So you can imagine how excited I was to discover "Young Men and Maidens Raise," a Charles Wesley hymn written especially for kids! Well, excited and humbled. While my kids sing one Bible verse followed by five minutes of "Na, na, na," the children of Wesley's day sang, "Him Three in One and One in Three, extol to all eternity." Sheesh.

You know, this song might be a little over the heads of the kids I work with, but if we changed the tune to something like, "Yellow Submarine" and added a couple choruses of na, na, nas or maybe a dance break, this could be the hit of camp this summer. You never know.

Young men and maidens, raise
Your tuneful voices high;
Old men and children, praise
The Lord of earth and sky;
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

The universal King
Let all the world proclaim;
Let every creature sing
His attributes and Name!
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

In His great Name alone
All excellencies meet,
Who sits upon the throne,
And shall forever sit;
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

Glory to God belongs;
Glory to God be given,
Above the noblest songs
Of all in earth or heaven!
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

The History of the Boar's Head Carol or Yet Another Reason Why Aristotle is the Best Philosopher Ever

2006-12-12T19:39:00.000-08:00

Not only can reading Aristotle enrich your mind, it might just save your life! Legend has it that centuries ago, a student at The Queen's College, Oxford was walking through the woods on Christmas day and reading Aristotle. Suddenly, a wild boar charged him. Having no other weapon, the resourceful student saved his life by quickly thrusting his Aristotle down the boar's throat. That night the boar's head was finely dressed and garnished and served to all the students at The Queen's College. Apparently, the students then sang, "The Boar's Head Carol," which was published in 1521 and is still sung today. I think I'm going to start carrying Nichomachean Ethics with me wherever I go. You just can't be too careful.

THE BOAR'S HEAD CAROL

The boar's head in hand bear I

Bedecked with bays and rosemary

I pray you, my masters, be merry

Quot estis in convivio (so many as are in the feast)

CHORUS: Caput apri defero, Reddens laudes domino (the boar's head I bring, giving praises to God)

The boar's head, as I understand,

Is the rarest dish in all this land,

Which thus bedecked with a gay garland

Let us servire cantico. (let us serve with a song)

CHORUS

Our steward hath provided this

In honor of the King of bliss

Which, on this day to be served is

In Reginensi atrio. (in the Queen's hall)

He's Going the Distance. He's Going for Creeds!

2006-12-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

I'm a pretty low church gal. I'm fine with grape juice at Communion. I'm not really into following the church year. I've never attended a church where the pastor wore any sort of robe. I haven't actually attended a church where anyone even wears a tie. However, there are some high church customs that I truly like and reciting great creeds of our faith is one of them.

I think it's beautiful for a group of Christians to stand together and proclaim the same statements of faith that Christians proclaimed thousands of years ago. Reciting creeds connects us with our history and reminds us of fundamental doctrine. I've always loved the Apostles Creed in particular:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.

Wait, what? He descended into hell? I was with you up through crucified, dead, and buried, but where did this come from? What's the biblical basis? And how did it make it into this creed?

In the past, I've dealt with my confusion on the whole descended into hell issue by simply not saying that line of the creed. However, I think the time has come for me to arrive at some conclusion. Thus, I'm going to start examining the basis for the idea that Jesus descended into hell and try to discover why it was so important to include this piece of information in a foundational creed.

So, stay tuned. And if anyone has already figured out this issue - I would be willing to give up the joys of thoughtful and time consuming personal study for the immediate gratification of a quick answer. For the sake of everyone else, of course.

Just When You Thought There Couldn't Be Any More Christmas Carols With "Angel" In The Title . . .

2006-12-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

They're floating on top of trees, wishing peace and goodwill on Christmas cards, adorning Martha Stewart gift wrap and starring in your local church production. And they're also featured in "Let Angels and Archangels Sing," another wonderful Charles Wesley Christmas carol!

Let angels and archangels sing
The wonderful Immanuel’s Name,
Adore with us our new-born King,
And still the joyful news proclaim;
All earth and Heav’n be ever joined
To praise the Savior of mankind.

The everlasting God comes down
To sojourn with the sons of men;
Without His majesty or crown,
The great Invisible is seen;
Of all His dazzling glories shorn
The everlasting God is born!

Angels, behold that Infant’s face,
With rapturous awe the Godhead own;
’Tis all your heav’n on Him to gaze,
And cast your crowns before His throne;
Though now He on His footstool lies,
Ye know He built both earth and skies.

By Him into existence brought,
Ye sang the all-creating Word;
Ye heard Him call our world from naught;
Again, in honor of your Lord,
Ye morning-stars your hymns employ,
And shout, ye sons of God, for joy.

Vocabulary, Schmocabulary

2006-12-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

In hopes of making everyone's vocabulary a bit more whimsical, I thought I'd post nifty slang words and their definitions from time to time. Try to find ways to incorporate them into your daily conversations. You might start a trend! The following swell phrases are from the 1920's.

Prom-Trotter: A student who attends all social functions

Know One's Onions: To know what one is talking about

Oliver Twist: A skilled dancer

Punch the Bag: Small talk

Hot Socks!: Great!

Let George Do It: A work evading phrase

Mind Your Potatoes: Mind your own business

Rain Pitchforks: A downpour

If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words, Then Why Can't I Paint Jesus?

2006-12-02T00:03:00.000-08:00

So, I had my group of four adorable and brilliant sixth graders over for dinner on Thursday night. We enjoyed Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (I ate some leftovers directly out of the pot and one of the girls informed me that eating dinner directly out of the pot is what "young people with careers" normally do) and sampled Sticky Toffee Pudding Ice Cream, which we awarded a respectable 8 out of 10 (we rate a new ice cream each Thursday), before settling into our weekly theological discussion.

So far, these girls have asked how Jesus can be eternal if He died on the cross, wrestled with the problem of evil, shared how the Spirit is helping them say no to sin, and posited that Jesus may have had colic as a baby because smart babies sometimes have colic. I think they're on their way to becoming the next Luther, Wesley, Calvin, and Edwards (hopefully without rejecting the book of James, embracing Christian perfectionism, burning people at the stake, or being preoccupied with spiders.)

Thursday's discussion was predictably thoughtful and lively. One of the girls asked a great question: How did we get different races if everyone came from Adam and Eve and Adam and Eve were white?

We talked about how the Bible doesn't say what Adam and Eve's skin tone was like, which led the girls to pull out my children's Bibles and we all lamented the fact that Adam and Eve always look pretty Nordic. (The girls also think it's funny that Eve is always pictured with conveniently long hair.)

This got me thinking about children's Bibles and if they might do more harm than good. My bright little sixth grader has probably thought that Adam and Eve were white for a long time. I doubt anyone actually taught her this, but those pictures in children's Bibles made a lasting impression and she assumed that Adam and Eve looked like the picture in her Bible. Since we don't know what Esther, Moses, or Jesus really looked like (except that they probably weren't the chestnut brown haired Europeans pictured in many Bibles), is it all right to put false images into the minds of kids?

On the one hand, children's picture Bibles introduce young kids to God and His plan, keep them interested and engaged in the story, and are sensitive to their developmental stage. It's difficult to get young kids to sit and listen if there is nothing visual to keep their attention. On the other hand, these Bibles can also lead kids to develop false conceptions of historical figures and events (this may explain why so many kids believe that the forbidden fruit was an apple) and perhaps even encourage a subtle racism (given that most of the heroes of the Bible look pretty European.)

And then there's the issue of drawing the Son of God. Even though people have been painting Jesus for centuries, there's something about this that makes me uncomfortable. No painting, picture or sculpture can accurately present what Jesus really looked like. If it's idolatry to present God as something other than what He is, I wonder if it's right to even attempt to pictorially represent Jesus. And even if this isn't idolatry, I'm concerned that so many kids picture the Son of God as a handsome and very clean guy with long flowing hair and a red sash.

As a director of children's ministries, I'm starting to dig myself into a hole. We use a children's Bible in our preschool class every week and if I really believe what I just wrote, I need to start thinking about some storytelling alternatives that will present the Bible accurately and keep in mind our preschoolers' two second attention span.

One idea I'm tossing around is using pictures of objects to tell the story instead of pictures of people. For instance, if a teacher is telling the kids about Jesus feeding the five thousand, he might show them pictures of fish, loaves, and baskets (or better yet, show the kids real fish and bread) instead of showing a picture of Jesus with the fish and loaves. I think the lack of pictures may allow the kids to develop a more biblical conception of Jesus.

What do you think? Should children's Bibles be outlawed? Should I be fired for even suggesting such a thing? Is there a way to pictorially represent the people of the Bible in an accurate and helpful manner? I'd love to hear your opinions and ideas.

Let's Reorganize the Christmas Carol Canon!

2006-11-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

I'm sure we all have one or two Christmas carols that we'd like to throw out of the Christmas carol canon. My picks are "O Holy Night," "Angels We Have Heard On High," and "The Little Drummer Boy." I'm sure we also have a couple of Christmas carols we'd like to sing more often during December. I propose that we add Charles Wesley's Let Earth and Heaven Combine to the list.

I've always loved the line "veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity" in Wesley's Hark the Herald Angels Sing, so I was very excited to discover that Wesley wrote an entire hymn about the incarnation. The melody needs some work, but the lyrics are stellar.

So, enjoy this great hymn and let me know what other carols you think should be thrown out or added to the canon.

Let earth and Heaven combine,
Angels and men agree,
To praise in songs divine
The incarnate Deity,
Our God contracted to a span,
Incomprehensibly made Man.

He laid His glory by,
He wrapped Him in our clay;
Unmarked by human eye,
The latent Godhead lay;
Infant of days He here became,
And bore the mild Immanuel’s Name.

See in that Infant’s face
The depths of deity,
And labor while ye gaze
To sound the mystery
In vain; ye angels gaze no more,
But fall, and silently adore.

Unsearchable the love
That hath the Savior brought;
The grace is far above
Of men or angels’ thought:
Suffice for us that God, we know,
Our God, is manifest below.

He deigns in flesh t’appear,
Widest extremes to join;
To bring our vileness near,
And make us all divine:
And we the life of God shall know,
For God is manifest below.

Made perfect first in love,
And sanctified by grace,
We shall from earth remove,
And see His glorious face:
His love shall then be fully showed,
And man shall all be lost in God.

Merry Christmas, Cows of Bashan!

2006-11-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over and we've officially entered the season of peace, love, and excess! Now, don't get me wrong. I absolutely love Christmas shopping. I love going into the city on a cold, crisp night and sipping my hot chocolate as I decide which store to visit next. I love finding a gift that a friend would never buy for herself, but will end up using everyday. I love hearing the Nordstrom pianist play Christmas carols (granted, this is the ONLY store where I like to hear Christmas music.) I love bringing all my gifts home and choosing the perfect wrapping paper for each one. But each year I happily spend money on my family and friends without giving the slightest thought to the poor in my community.

So I started thinking about the prophet Amos and what he might say about how I celebrate Christmas. The book of Amos is decidedly un-Christmasy, but I think it has some helpful ideas to chew on while I'm battling the crowds at the Gap.

Amos was written to the Northern Kingdom of Israel between 790 and 753 BC during the reign of Jereboam II. This was Israel's "Silver Age," a time of great peace and prosperity. The major world power of Assyria was experiencing a temporary decline and didn't present a great threat, the Arameans were fighting a civil war, and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were actually getting along. Israel's territory expanded, trade and commerce increased and a small and affluent upper class thrived.

Sadly, this prosperity was accompanied by great sins against the poor. Amos 4:1 speaks to the wealthy women of Israel and says, "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy." 5:11 states that the wealthy “impose heavy rent on the poor” and 5:12 says, "they turn aside the poor in the gate." 8:5 –6 describes how dealers cheated the poor and sold “the refuse of the wheat” and thus “trample the needy.” 2:8 states that "on garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar." God's law said that if you lent widows money, you could not take their coats as a pledge. (Deuteronomy 24:17) This protected the poor, who would only have one coat and needed it to keep them warm at night.

Amos goes on to explain that this gross neglect and oppression of the poor (as well as pagan religious practices and overall lack of respect for God's law) will result in judgement for Israel. And in about 722 BC, Israel was conquered by the Assyrians.

Amos reveals how deeply God cares for the poor and wants us to show compassion to those who are in need. While I'm not stealing people's coats or imposing unfair rent, I'm a bit disturbed at the amount of time and energy I spend helping the poor at Christmas time compared to the time and energy I spend looking for rainbow knee socks (which would actually be really cool . . .)

I don't think I need to give up buying gifts for family and friends, but I do think I need to be a bit more balanced and look for ways I can help those in need as well.

Here are a couple of nifty ideas I found:

1. Samaritan's Purse has a Christmas gift catalogue chock full of things you can give to people all over the world. For $4 you can give a baby milk for a week. You can also give a family a water filter so they can have clean water to drink, give blankets to little kids, provide temporary shelter for victims of natural disasters and more. Check out the Samaritan's Purse website at www.samaritanspurse.com.

2. Compassion International is an awesome organization that helps people sponsor kids in need all over the world. You can also make one time donations to provide Christmas gifts, help unsponsored children, aid victims of disasters and more. Make donations at https://www.compassion.com/contribution/default.htm.

3. Talk with your local Salvation Army or homeless shelter and see if you can buy gifts for any of the kids staying there.

Another Wesley Wednesday

2006-11-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday again and time for another great Wesley hymn. Since the first Sunday of Advent is merely a week and a half away, I think it's time to break out the Christmas carols! (Of course, I'm ready to break out the Christmas carols in June.) Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus is not only a very appropriate song for the season of Advent, it's also one of my favorite carols of all time.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Welcome to Wesley Wednesdays!

2006-11-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

Given my love of alliteration and Charles Wesley, I've decided to post the lyrics to a different Wesley hymn each Wednesday. This week it's the incredible Arise, My Soul, Arise.

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

Was Karl Marx Right? or Say No to Drugs and Yes to Reading Your Bible

2006-11-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

So in the midst of pondering the "are women more easily deceived" question (which I'll continue to address in future posts), I started thinking about Karl Marx and his claim that religion is the opiate of the masses. What Marx actually said in his Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right is:

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions."

It seems that Marx was arguing that the world's economic situation was so painful that people needed the drug of religion to provide both relief and a hope of happiness in the next life. If the root economic causes of people's pain and suffering were dealt with, people would no longer need religion.

While I heartily disagree that Christianity is designed to keep people numb to the realities of the world, I wonder if Christians hold some beliefs that serve as an opiate. These are beliefs that lack a biblical foundation but are commonly considered to be "Christian." We cling to these ideas not because they are true and scriptural, but rather because they make us feel good about ourselves and our choices.

One opiate that I think is currently popular among Christians is the idea that Christians have no power over sin. We love Romans 7:22-24 where Paul says, "For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"

We read this and think, "Paul has completely captured the Christian experience! Even though I want to follow God, I continually fall into sin. I guess this is just something I'll have to deal with until I get to heaven." This makes us feel so much better about ourselves! I mean, if the apostle Paul didn't really have power over sin, there's no way we non-apostles can have any hope of conquering it. There's no need to worry about diligently addressing areas of sin in our lives, because we'll never really defeat sin this side of heaven.

Although this line of thinking may make us feel better about sinning, it's tough to reconcile it with Scripture. Romans 6:5-7 is pretty clear, "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin." The New Testament is chock full of admonitions to follow Christ and conquer sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. And when read in context with chapters 6-8, I think Romans 7 actually supports the idea that Christians have power over sin.

This is just one opiate that I thought about, but I know there are many more and I'd like to get your thoughts. What do you think are some common opiates that are plaguing Christianity? And how do you think the church can become drug free? I'd love to read what you have to say.

In the meantime, I'm off to overthrow the bourgeoisie. Just kidding.

Are Women More Easily Deceived?: Part Three

2006-10-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

So I've been mulling over a few things since my last post and thought I'd share some ideas before I go back to discussing what much smarter people have said about this issue.

I'm becoming less convinced that Paul is arguing that women are more easily deceived than men in 1 Timothy 2:14. It seems that Eve's deception did not stem from a lack of intellectual understanding, but rather from a lack of trust in God's good plan. The fact that Satan's promise that, "Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil" (Genesis 3:5) appealed to Eve indicates that she was not content with her current situation. Instead of trusting that God's plan would bring her happiness, Eve was deceived into believing that eating the fruit would bring her more joy and make her life better.

I think that we allow ourselves to be deceived every time we sin. We willfully go against God's commands because we don't believe that following them will result in our good. We are deceived into believing that we must go outside of God's commands to find happiness or fulfillment. If I choose to gossip, it's because I've deceived myself into believing that gossiping will somehow make me happier than if I decided to abstain. Although I might not be thinking this at the time, my actions demonstrate that I don't really trust God's plan.

I think that all sin involves a certain amount of self-deception and refusal to trust that God's plan is good. Thus, Eve's deception seems like something that is common to everyone when they sin. If this is the case, arguing that women are more easily deceived than men from the example of Eve would appear to say that women are more prone to sin than men. Although this would be an awesome argument against women teaching and exercising authority over men, I don't think we have the biblical evidence to back this up. And it brings up a whole load of issues including: Was Jesus' work on the cross less powerful in women than in men? Is the Holy Spirit less active in women than in men? Are women as culpable for sin as men? Plus, if women were more prone to sin than men, why would they still be allowed to teach other women and children? It would make more sense for men to do all the teaching.

I think that Paul definitely uses Eve's sin in the garden to argue that women should not teach or exercise authority over men in the context of the church. I just don't think he's arguing that women shouldn't do these things because they are more easily deceived.

But, I could be wrong. Stay tuned to hear what some people with a few more degrees hanging on their walls have to say.

Are Women More Easily Deceived?: Part Two

2006-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

The second in a series examining if 1 Timothy 2:14 teaches that women are more easily deceived than men.

Today I’ll look at scholar Thomas R. Schreiner’s take on this issue. Schreiner contributes the chapter “A Dialogue with Scholarship” to the book Women in the Church: A Fresh Analysis of 1 Timothy 2:9-15. (Andreas J. Kostenberger, Thomas R. Schreiner, and H. Scott Baldwin, eds. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995) The entire book addresses the interpretation of this much debated passage and defends the historical reading (women should not teach or exercise authority over men in the context of the church.)

Verse by verse, Schreiner examines both the historical reading of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and the progressive reading (which states that the passage is not intended as a universal mandate against women teaching or exercising authority over men.)

Schreiner begins his discussion of 1 Timothy 2:14 by examining the progressive interpretation of the verse. Many proponents of this view argue that the women at Timothy’s church in Ephesus were under the influence of false teachers and were spreading heresy. Paul’s admonition that they not teach was not a universal mandate for all women, but a caution to these particular women until they were better educated. Progressives say that the reference to Eve’s deception indicates that the women at Ephesus were being deceived by false teachers and teaching others the heresy. Some progressives argue that Adam knew of God’s prohibition firsthand, while Eve only knew of it from Adam. Because she was uneducated about God’s command, she fell into sin. Therefore, the issue at hand was not that women as a whole should not teach, but rather uneducated women should be educated by men before they teach so they will not spread heresy.

Schreiner points out several flaws with this interpretation.
1. Nothing in the Bible ever suggests that Eve taught Adam. The focus is on Eve’s deception – not her teaching Adam. This verse can be used to argue that women were listening to heresy, but not that they were teaching it.
2. It doesn’t make much sense to argue that the women were deceived because they lacked knowledge. This implies that Adam must have severely bungled his explanation of God’s command for Eve to have been deceived by Satan. If Eve sinned because Adam didn’t communicate God’s command accurately, then why would Paul recommend that the women of Ephesus be educated by men before they teach?
3. Genesis 3 is clear that Eve was deceived by Satan, not Adam. And her deception was not out of ignorance but rather because Satan promised her that she could be like God and be independent of Him. Eve was deceived not because she was uneducated, but because she failed morally.

Schreiner effectively points out the problems with the progressive interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:14. He then explains that though the historical view (Paul forbids women from teaching because they are more likely to be deceived than men) is likely to offend modern audiences, it is much less speculative than the progressive view.

Schreiner believes one of the reasons Satan approached Eve instead of Adam was because of their different inclinations. Schreiner states, “Generally speaking, women are more relational and nurturing and men are more given to relational analysis and objectivity. Women are less prone than men to see the importance of doctrinal formulations, especially when it comes to the issue of identifying heresy and making a stand for the truth.” (145) Schreiner continues to argue that women are “less likely to draw a line on doctrinal non-negotiables” and are more likely to let heresy enter the church. This is why Paul admonishes that women should not teach doctrine to men.

While I appreciate Schreiner’s commitment to the Bible and agree with him about the holes in the progressive view, I have some problems with his explanation of the passage. Schreiner’s views on women’s inclinations seem to stem more from personal experience than evidence from Scripture. The Bible has great examples of women who were bold and accurate in their handling of God’s truth (see Deborah’s exhortation in Judges 4 and 5, Mary’s song in Luke 1, Priscilla in Acts 18) but I don’t find many women who allowed others to spout heresy because of their gentler nature.

I agree that women tend to be more relational and nurturing, but I don’t see why this would prevent them from valuing doctrine. Some of the most nurturing women I know are also very strong in their views on right doctrine and would speak up if someone wasn't handling God's Word accurately.

I think that Schreiner does a great job defending the historical view of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, but his explanation of 2:14 is a bit of a let down after such rigorous scholarship. I'm absolutely not ready to accept the progressive take on 2:14, but I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace Schreiner's take either. I'm not saying I adamantly disagree with him at this point, but I'd like to look at some other viewpoints before making a decision.

In the meantime, I'm still using my "whitening power" toothpaste and not seeing any results. However, I've found that I can deceive myself and others into thinking I have whiter teeth by wearing really red lipstick. And is that really so bad?

Trust Me, Skinny Jeans Look Great on Every Body Type or Are Women More Easily Deceived?

2006-10-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

"And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." 1 Timothy 2:14

I look at my own life and have no problem believing that women are easily deceived. If a pair of pants fit me perfectly and are technically the same size as all my other pants, but are labeled one size larger, I refuse to buy them. I always buy toothpaste with "teeth whitening action", even though my teeth aren't any whiter after almost a year of use. I almost always buy name brand products, even if studies have shown that the cheaper versions work just as well. Women can absolutely be easily deceived. My question is, are women more easily deceived than men?

I started thinking about this question after reading an article about wives submitting to their husbands. As a fellow complementarian, I agreed with almost everything the author said, but one comment irked me. Most likely referring to 1 Timothy 2:14, the author explained that one reason women needed the protection of God and their husbands is because they are more easily deceived than men. "That's absolutely untrue!" I fumed to myself, "I see men being deceived all the time! You know, I'm going to post about this on my blog and show the world that 1 Timothy 2:14 is so not about women being more easily deceived."

So just like Martin Luther (who is said to have done his best theology when he was angry), I sat down to write my scathingly brilliant (at least in my mind) article. However, as I thought about it, I realized that my negative reactions to this comment weren't really based on anything biblical. Instead they were rooted in my personal experience - not the best grid for interpreting Scripture. Could it be that *gasp*, I've been deceived about women not being more easily deceived? Or does the Bible support what I've thought all along? I want to find out.

For the next few posts, I'll be delving into the concept of women being more easily deceived than men. I'll look at what smart people on both sides of the issue have said and hopefully come to a biblical conclusion.

And maybe next time I find the perfect pair of pants, I'll ignore the size on the tag and buy them. Or I'll just write a smaller size on the tag in Sharpie.

Halloween and Christmas: Part 3

2006-10-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

The last in a three part series about the similarities between Halloween and Christmas and thoughts on how Christians celebrate each holiday.

There are positive aspects to both holidays.

Pros for Halloween include:

1. Neighbors spend time together and get to know each other as everyone opens up their homes for one night. It's a prime time to build relationships within the community.

2. Children experience the fun of planning their costumes and dressing up. It's a delightful tradition that they look forward to all year long.

3. Parents bond with their children as they take them trick or treating.

Pros for Christmas include:

1. It encourages people to reflect on Christ's birth, which is always a good thing.

2. In our frantic individualistic society, Christmas is a holiday when people actually spend extended time with their family and friends.

3. Christmas encourages the development of family traditions, which can bond families and bring joy to children.

4. Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolates.

There are also negative aspects to both holidays.

Cons for Halloween include:

1. An emphasis on witchcraft and the devil.

2. Frightening and evil images on television, in the movies, on people's front lawns, and on first graders.

3. Some people use this day to celebrate things that are evil.

Cons for Christmas include:

1. Disrespect for the Bible including: children's stories told from the donkey's point of view, countless Christmas cards with pictures of a lily white Jesus and angels that look nothing like their description in the Bible, and the presence of wise men in every nativity scene when they weren't actually present at Jesus' birth.

2. Rampant materialism and greed. We spend hundreds of dollars and rack up credit card debt on things we don't need or will soon throw away, often while ignoring the basic needs of others.

3. A confusing collection of traditions and stories combined into one holiday so Santa and Jesus have equal standing.

It seems that Christians often want to abandon Halloween while embracing Christmas. Yet both holidays share roots in paganism, a fairly secular history in America, and can at times blatantly disrespect God's Word. When both holidays have so much in common, it seems inconsistent to heap praise on one and condemnation on the other. I think we may need a more balanced approach - making sure we don't throw the baby out with the bath water in the case of Halloween and making sure the baby doesn't drown in the bath water in the case of Christmas.

For example, Halloween is a prime time to build relationships with our neighbors. Christians are called to share the gospel with our community and Halloween provides a fun and natural way to connect with others, whether by trick or treating together or greeting people at the door. Maybe Christians should stay in their homes, hand out candy, and get to know their neighbors on Halloween. (Disclaimer: While people often see Halloween as simply a fun evening for children, the holiday can have demonic connotations for others. Those whose consciences are troubled by involvement in Halloween activites should absolutely not participate.)

There are some Christmas traditions that we might want to rethink, such as overspending. Instead of going into debt for presents, what if Christians donated their money to people in need? I know of a family that adopted another family that was struggling financially. When the parents bought their children Christmas presents, they made sure to buy presents for the kids in their adopted family as well. We could also be more careful of how we communicate the Christmas story, especially to children. We can make sure we focus on the facts of the Bible (not adding extra characters like the mean innkeeper or the little drummer boy) and make Jesus the main character (as opposed to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the talking cow in the barn, the littlest angel, the star who could never do anything right but on one special night got the chance to shine . . .)

Halloween and Christmas share checkered pasts and some less than admirable traditions. They also present great opportunities to further God's Kingdom. I believe that if we approach each holiday with thought, care, and biblical conviction, we can use them to show love to our communities and bring honor to God.

Halloween and Christmas: Part 2

2006-10-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

The second in a three part series about the similarities between Halloween and Christmas and thoughts on how Christians celebrate each holiday.

There are several more similarities between Halloween and Christmas.

Neither are mentioned in the Bible.

Christians have opposed both holidays.

European immigrants brought their Halloween traditions to America during colonial times, but most of New England refused to celebrate the day due the Puritan influence in that area. Many Christians also oppose the celebration of Halloween today.

At the time of the Reformation, the Protestants refused to celebrate Christmas because they considered it a holiday concocted by the Catholic Church. The Puritans also opposed the celebration of Christmas and often with good reason. In England, people would dutifully go to church and then celebrate the holiday in a drunken, Mardi Gras like atmosphere. In 1645, Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans wanted to rid England of her decadence and Christmas was cancelled until the reign of Charles II. The American Puritan settlers did not practice Christmas and the holiday was actually outlawed in Boston from 1659 to 1681. Anyone showing Christmas spirit would be fined five shillings.

The American incarnations of each holiday bear little resemblance to the original religious celebrations.

Interestingly, the American incarnations of each holiday were not embraced out of religious convictions, but rather because of their supposed benefits to the community.

European immigrants brought many of their Halloween customs to America and the flood of Irish immigrants in 1846 helped popularize the holiday. Americans began to dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for food and money. This practice waned during the nineteenth century when the holiday was primarily celebrated with parties in homes, but became popular again between the 1920's and 50's. By this time, Halloween had lost most of its religious undertones and became a secular and community centered holiday directed primarily at children. Today most children have no concept of the religious origins of dressing in costume or trick or treating. Witches do still cast spells and perform rituals on October 31st, but it is in celebration of Samhain, not Halloween.

The celebration of Christmas in America was not widespread until the 19th century (it wasn't even a federal holiday until 1870) and the celebration of the holiday was greatly influenced by two authors: Washington Irving and Charles Dickens. Both wrote Christmas stories which emphasized charity, goodwill, and kindness to the poor and evoked old English Christmas customs. This struck a chord in a time of great class conflict and the Victorians saw the benefit of celebrating the holiday.

Both holidays are essential to America's economy.

Halloween is America's second largest commerical holiday and Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion a year. Christmas is America's largest commercial holiday and Americans spend over $200 billion a year.

Each holiday has its own heartwarming Peanuts special involving Linus discovering a great truth.

All right, this isn't really relevant. But it's true.

Check back tomorrow to find out the problem with nativity sets.

Halloween and Christmas: Separated at Birth?

2006-10-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

At first glance, it seems that Halloween and Christmas couldn't be more different. After all, Halloween appears to celebrate death, evil, and witchcraft while Christmas celebrates the birth of the perfect Savior of the world. But when you think about it, Halloween and Christmas share some striking similarities.

Both have roots in paganism.

The roots of Halloween date back to about two thousand years ago. The Celts who lived in what is now Ireland celebrated their new year on November 1st. This heralded the beginning of winter, which was commonly associated with human death. The Celts believed that ghosts of the dead returned to earth on October 31st and their presence made it easier to predict the future. During this holiday the Druid priests made predictions and the Celts built huge bonfires where they sacrificed crops and animals and dressed in animal heads and skins. When the Romans conquered the Celtic territory in A.D. 43, they incorporated two of their festivals into Samhain.

For many years, people were frightened that they might encounter a ghost if they left their homes, so they wore masks after dark in hopes that the ghosts wouldn't recognize them and believe they were fellow spirits. People also placed bowls of food outside their homes to keep ghosts from entering.

Pagan midwinter festivals existed long before Christmas. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia the week before the winter solstice and the festival lasted an entire month. This holiday honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and included drinking, feasting, and the closing of schools and businesses. The Romans decorated their homes with boughs of evergreen to illustrate how Saturn would soon make their land fruitful. The Germans celebrated the god Oden during this time and the Norse held a celebration called Yule, which involved burning large logs.

Both were established by the Catholic Church.

The holiday known as Halloween was actually created by the established Church. Christianity eventually spread to the Celtic lands and in the seventh century, the Church instituted All Saints' Day or All-Hallows on November 1st. This day was set aside to honor saints and martyrs and some believe it was the pope's attempt to replace Samhain. October 31st was referred to as All-Hallows Eve, which eventually became Halloween. In A.D. 998, the Church designated November 2nd as All Souls' Day, a day to remember and pray for souls in purgatory. Some say that dressing up as devils, saints, and angels was a common practice on this day and the celebration also involved bonfires and parades.

The tradition of "trick or treating" most likely stems from All Souls' Day parades in England. During the celebration, poor citizens would beg for food and the wealthy would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for a promise to pray for the family's dead relatives in purgatory. Eventually, children took up this practice and traveled to different houses where they received food, ale, and money. This custom was referred to as "going a-souling."

Christmas was first celebrated in the fourth century when the Church chose December 25th as the date of Christ's birth. No one is sure why this particular date was chosen, but some believe it was due to the fact that this was already a public holiday for pagan celebrations. This would increase the chance that Christianity would be publicly embraced. The celebration spread to Egypt in A.D. 432, to England in the sixth century and to Scandinavia by the end of the eighth century.

Both tend to distort the truth.

Halloween turns witches and the devil into cute and cuddly characters and chubby cheeked toddlers seem to have no qualms about trick or treating dressed as Satan. Christmas takes the frightening, harsh, and beautiful story of Christ's birth and transforms it into a cozy little tale about a cheerful barn, some happy animals, and a little baby who didn't cry.

Check back tomorrow to find out what else Christmas and Halloween have in common, including their connection to Linus Van Pelt.

Welcome To My Blog

2006-10-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I always tend to be two to four years behind the times.

I didn't get a CD player until they stopped selling audio cassettes. I didn't know how to use the internet for research until after I graduated from college in 2002. I can no longer rent from Blockbuster because they don't carry videos.

So now that everyone else in the world has been blogging for years, I figured it was finally time to join them.

Stay tuned for thoughts on current events, ministry, or where to find a really swell hot chocolate as well as links to articles and websites I find interesting.

And please take it all with several grains of salt.

Hopefully, I'll be able to continue this blog two to three years after blogs become obsolete.