Does The Pottery Barn Catalogue Count As Summer Reading?

"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

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.

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SimChurch

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

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

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.