Antagonistic Evangelism

Michael Spencer recently read I'm Okay -- And You're Not by John Shore and reviewed it:

In Shore’s opinion, American evangelicals have saturated our culture with the facts of the Gospel to the point that non-Christians are often filled with astounded dread that we keep telling them Jesus died for their sins and they must believe the Gospel to be saved. If that is the case, then Christians need to stop being annoyingly repetitive communicators (i.e. pressure sales, manipulation, rudeness, etc.) and start showing love, respect, concern, friendship and compassion to the non-Christians (”Normies”) they know.

[snip]

Shore ends each chapter with sets of extended comments from unbelievers on what they want to say to Christians. Shore calls these sections “Ouch,” and that’s what they are. These unbelievers are articulate, thoughtful and way out in front of many Christians on the subject of love, respect and dialog.

Shore appeals to Christians to ponder the nature of love, the importance of honest and mature Christian character and how relationships with non-Christians really look. Shore speaks so much common sense, and skips so much Christian-ese and predictable rhetoric that some Christians will be offended immediately. Younger, thoughtful, humble Christians who know something is very wrong will find Shore saying exactly what they’ve been thinking.

It sounds like an interesting book.

The Good Stuff, II

I previously listed music from my youth that resonated with me, and still do. Here are a few more:

Torn by Natalie Imbruglia


Unforgiven by Metallica


Unforgiven by Metallica as performed by cello quartet Apocalyptica


I've Been Waiting by Matthew Sweet


When You Really Love a Woman by Bryan Adams



Jeremy by Pearl Jam


I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith

Art Blogging: Tim Biskup

Tim Biskup is an American Pop painter and printmaker. He refers to his style as "baroque modernism" and celebrates the loud, the bizarre, and the kitchy. Like Keith Haring before him, Biskup markets countless materials that he designed at a boutique and an online store.

Django (Gouche on paper, 2001).






Hazel's Field (Acrylic and enamel on panel, 2004).

Gama-Go Yeti (Acrylic on masonite, 2003).

Appointing vs. Hiring Pastors

In a recent comment thread, Baptist reader Dan Trabue asked:

You know, there's a lot of things I appreciate about Methodists, but I never did get this whole appointment-of-pastors thing. Is it the case that churches don't have a say, or just not ultimate say on who their pastor is and how long he or she stays?

There are excellent responses to his query in the thread. I don't have time to lay out a complete argument for episcopal church government, but I would like to bring up a few points:

• Episcopal government (hypothetically) has greater capacity for church discipline. If, for example, a pastor is popular but abusing his office (e.g. theft, immoral behavior) or is teaching false doctrine, then a presiding bishop can yank him out regardless of his local authority. For example, within hours of a UMC pastor getting arrested, the District Superintendent will suspend him from office and have a qualified interim pastor installed until the next appointment cycle.
• Churches that hire the pastor that they want may not get the pastor that they need. Let us say that a local church has greatly bought into consumerist/health & wealth Christianity. If they have the power to choose their pastor, are they likely to hire what they need -- a pastor who will teach against this worldview? No.
• A pastor in an episcopal governing church is not vulnerable to a 51% vote of members to remove him. In a congregational government, the authority in the church is a board of deacons or elders, or 51% of members at a business meeting. In an episcopal government, the pastor is sent to the church representing the authority of the bishop. Although a United Methodist pastor can be driven out of a church if enough members make enough noise, an overnight coup d'etat that leaves the pastor unemployed in the morning cannot happen in the UMC.
• Episcopal government was how the early church, dating back to the Apostolic church, was led.

It is true that denominational authorities can abuse their power. Good ol' boys networks exist in some corners that protect immoral pastors or false teachers from their failure to uphold clergy standards. And congregational church governments have considerable advantages. But whatever system rules a denomination, it will become corrupt unless saturated with humble prayer and led by the Holy Spirit. That is an inevitability.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

Blogging has been light today, and probably will be tomorrow. I have a big paper to write on narrative Biblical criticism, and it's taking away time from more important things, like blogging and watching Star Trek.

WINNER: Tom Ream:

With her lead foot, lightning quick reflexes, and Interior Castle nobody could touch Sister Teresa at the Avila Carnival.

Been There, Done That

Pastors Switching Churches

In the United Methodist Church, it's appointment season -- when episcopal cabinets select who will pastor where. My own pastor has been informed that he will be moved but, quite appropriately, he won't tell us where he's going or who is coming in his place. And hopefully I'll have a student appointment in a few months. On these subjects, Allan Bevere writes about how a pastor should move to a new appointment gracefully:

1. Do not publicly criticize your predecessor. It is unprofessional and no one will be impressed with you. It may indeed be the case that you would do some things differently than she or he did, or you may become convinced that the previous pastor failed in some things, but keep your thoughts to yourself. When you criticize the former pastor your own insecurities will be revealed for all to see.

2. Make sure that you publicly express the appreciation you have for the former pastor. All pastors make some important contributions to the ministry of the church. Do not fail to mention such things when it is appropriate. Such compliments will discourage people from criticizing the former pastor to your face, and those who really appreciate your predecessor's ministry will begin to appreciate your professionalism and your acknowledgement of the importance of the pastor's ministry before you.

3. Continuity of ministry means that while there are things that you will do differently, there are also things that should remain the same. Pastors should not change things for the sake of change. If you change things without prayful consideration or if you change things too quickly, you will send the message to the congregation that the way they have been doing worship and/or ministry is wrong. Make sure that you do not simply brush aside the things they have come to deem as important. At the same time, the church moves forward most effectively when things change. Do not let the status quo who desire that nothing be done differently, hold you captive to moving the mission of the church forward.

Hat tip: MethoBlog

Art Blogging: Jim Flora

Jim Flora (1914-1998) was an American commercial illustrator. He studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and surged to fame in the 1950s when his LP album covers appeared across the country. He worked extensively in this field, as well as a children's book illustrator, throughout the 1970s, and labored at a daily, frenetic pace up until his death. He is best known for his frantic, loud imagery of jazz, urbanity, and technology. He was a major influence on the later work of Shag.

Jiving Teens, 1954.

Cover, Park East Magazine, January 1943.

Sweets and JJ Johnson.

Church vs. Family

A new study reveals that an increasing number of American Christians see time at church as a competitor with time devoted to the family. It attributes this trend to overcommitment in all spheres of life:

The phenomenon of overprogrammed kids in the last decade or so is well documented—to the point of satire. (A recent sitcom showed an alien begging off an invasion of Earth because his kid had "a thing.") What isn't so well documented is the effect this legion of extracurricular activities has on church life.

The pastors we surveyed report the overall busyness of families is keeping families away from church. Asked whether people are spending more discretionary time on family activities or church commitments, 76 percent said the scale tipped toward family activities. This contrasts with the perception of 62 percent of respondents that a generation ago, free time was more likely spent on church commitments. The balance has shifted.

Carol Welker, children's ministry pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida, says the impact has been felt especially in weekday programs.

"We stopped doing Wednesday night programs a couple of years ago after they just fell apart," she said. "We did a survey to find out why families stopped coming, and several said, 'That's the one and only night we have together as a family.'"

Al Mohler comments:

When "church time" is seen as a competitor to "family time," something is wrong at church. When family members hardly see each other at church activities, the congregation needs to take a quick inventory of its concept of ministry.

Indeed. As Andy Bryan observed some months ago, it is easy for the Church to become a place of busy-ness instead of Sabbath.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNERS:

Jeff the Baptist: Santa has started giving the especially naughty children depleted uranium for Christmas.

Quipper: Santa knows where everyone lives, even terrorists. What took the U.S. military so long to figure THAT out?

The Evolution of Homer Simpson

The Zombie Within

Gregory Lee extends the metaphor of being 'dead in sin' to being 'undead' in sin':

Finally! This zombie had a name! It was sin! This sin nature that was destroyed by the body and blood of Christ had risen again and continued to live a life of evil within Paul and within us all. This explained it all! In my own Christian walk, I had been attacked on many occasions by zombies. I fought back the best I could, but to no avail. Time and time again, the zombies controlled my actions, forcing me to turn away from God and to give in to the evil that they carried in their bodies. At the time, of course, I didn't know what was going on. I knew that I was a Christian. I knew that I had been washed in the blood of the lamb. I knew that my sins were forgiven. But, yet, that old sin nature, the same one that Paul said had been crucified on the cross with Christ, would come back to life at the most inopportune times, leading me into temptation and sin and evil until I cried out with Paul, "I do not know why I keep doing what I don't want to do!"

The Psychology of Blogrolling

Michael Spencer looks at how bloggers, particularly Christian bloggers, formulate blogrolls, and offers advice. A good read.

Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup # 108

...is up.

Memorable But Obscure Movie Quotes

Joe Carter has a list of memorable quotations from obscure movies.

It's a good list. One that comes to mind from my memory is from that underrated fantasy movie Krull. Bandit leader Torquil is advised to go on a dangerous adventure. His reward? He'll be famous.

Torquil: Fame? It's an empty purse. Count it, go broke. Eat it, go hungry. Seek it and go mad.


Indeed. What movie quotes are most memorable for you?

Art Blogging: Albin Polasek

After church yesterday, my wife and I visited the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in a suburb of Orlando. It is a lovely little museum built from the home and studio of the artist, a Czech-American sculptor and teacher who lived from 1879 to 1965. Polasek was born in what is now the Czech Republic and showed an early talent for art. He immigrated to the US at the age of 22 and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He won the Prix de Rome in 1910 and relocated to New York City. In 1916, he took at teaching position at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he remained for thirty years. Chicago features many of his monumental sculptures. In 1950 he moved to Winter Park, Florida, a suburb of Orlando, and married. After his death, his home was converted into a museum dedicated to his work.

Man Carving His Own Image. Polasek saw America as a land of unparalleled freedom and opportunity. This sculpture is a tribute to his adopted country. He wrote: "I am like a piece of rock which has been broken off of the Carpathian Mountains in the heart of Czechoslovakia. Later this crude stone was transported to the Land of the Free: the United States of America. This block of stone was myself. Through the opportunities that this country gave me, I started to carve out my destiny, to free myself from the rock so that I might be useful. No one knows the deep gratitude I feel for all that I have received. So if, as an immigrant, I have been able to contribute to some small part of American life, I know that I owe it to the opportunities this country has afforded me."

Emily Fountain. Polasek's wife died within two years of their marriage. This is his wedding present to his second wife, Emily. It depicts her, although obviously not the body of a 62-year old woman. The water flows out in rivulets where the harp strings would be. It is a beautiful work of devoted love from a husband to his wife.





Eternal Moment. Striding through the garden with my wife, hand in hand, I could not help but empathize with this work.







Forest Idyll.












The Sower. My favorite of Polasek's works (beyond his explicitly anti-Communist compositions, which push all of my ideological buttons), this immense bronze sculpture shows perfect classical depiction and fluid movement. The viewer gets the sense that the sower is about to walk out of the garden.

Methodist Blogger Profile: Christopher Gudger-Raines

Christopher Gudger-Raines of Among the Hills

My name is Christopher Gudger-Raines. I am a Licensed Local Pastor of a two-point charge in Morgantown, WV. My wife Meredith also has a two-point charge. We graduated from Drew Theological School in May 2006 and are almost through year #1 of our first appointments. We have no children, but two cats, Daisy and Pippa. Before seminary, I was a US-2, a Time for God worker and a Missionary-in-Residence for Young Adult Programs at the General Board of Global Ministries. I have been blogging since April of 2006.

Why do you blog?
Blogging gives me an audience to whom I am accountable (except no one reads my blog). It helps me stay faithful to regular reflection. Also, as a new pastor, I am learning that communicating my thoughts and beliefs is not as easy as I thought it would be. Blogging helps me articulate what I think, feel and believe.

What has been your best blogging experience?
I love it when my family and close friends comment.

What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Uhhh…I am a novice blogger. Otherwise, set a weekly standard (1 blog/week for example). This will keep you faithful. Also, find a niche that will give you something regular to work on (a la Lectionary Haikus).

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
Hillbilly Savants…the best blog on Appalachia…started by my childhood buddy.
We Blog Cartoons…clever, thoughtful, funny, British
Blue Ridge Muse…everyone needs a favorite photography blog to frequent…this is mine.

Who are your spiritual heroes?
Dr. David Deci…creator of MUSHROOM here in Morgantown, WV. He’s a professor here at WVU medical school. The guy is a walking encyclopedia of what he calls “street medicine”. He has traveled extensively studying how to give medicine to the homeless. What strikes me is how effective his kindness is. Ericka Parkinson…an old US-2 friend of mine. She was my first mature example of loving God with heart and mind. To care about something (or someone) and to understand it is a goal that I strive for. I am at my best for Christ when heart and mind are working together. Her influence still sticks with me today. Jeff and David Markay…brother pastors from New Jersey (David is now a missionary in Milan, Italy). I knew them at different times in my life. I love their pastoral presence, their deliberate opting for serenity, their self-differentiation and their calm but provocative preaching styles.

What are you reading at the moment?
My dCOM says that I gotta improve my understanding of atonement. So I’ve got 4 books on the topic, two of which I have begun: If Grace is True: Why God will Save Every Person, by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland; Violence, Hospitality, and the Cross by Hans Boersma. My churches’ Lenten study book is How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness by Harold Kushner.

What is your favorite hymn and why?
Be Thou My Vision…it was in my wedding. It will be in my funeral. As an Irish song, it also belongs in Appalachia, where I belong. One of my goals in life is to be one of those “old men who dream dreams”. It is a hymn of an intimately personal hope, a hope that never dies (“whatever befall…”). I strive to be a light of hope for others, so this hymn fits my life well.

Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've changed your mind?
Religion in public schools. I changed from no opinion to a strong opinion in favor. It seems a tragedy that so many Americans do not know about others’ religions. I am certain that religion in schools can be taught as an academic subject without watering down the “faith” aspect of religion. I witnessed the thoughtful and beneficial teaching of religion in British schools and know that it can be done here in a way that honors the Constitution and enriches our education.

What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
Right now, I gotta bone to pick with Original Sin. The notion that we are born sinful or that sex is inherently bad is crazy. I think we have inherited Augustine’s guilt, not Adam’s. The notion that my sins are Adam/Eve’s fault is irresponsible; every time I hear that I see the Church Lady going “The Devil made you do it.”. My sins are no one’s fault but my own. And when my baby comes out (no Mom, we’re not pregnant), you better not call him/her sinful.

If you could effect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
Universal Health Care…I keep wanting to say living wage, but living wage still won’t get you past the ER. It is the government’s responsibility to make available to all the basic elements of life so that the pursuit of happiness can actually be pursued. Gates surrounding health care, especially preventative care, are currently making that pursuit impossible for too many. That the church is largely silent on this is an outrage.

If you could effect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
I am thinking lately that it is an obstacle for Methodists to own so much property. Perhaps only mission agencies should own buildings. How much of our time is spent administering to buildings and increasing our property (prayer of jabez be damned)? Have they become an albatross around our necks? I hear time and again about young pastors who are ready to turn this world upside-down for Christ, living-water-style, who are choked to spiritual death by all the administrative crap that eats at our time. It pains me that a goal of many pastors (me included) is to find a “healthy balance” between administration and ministry. Does this balance honor the spirit that has been entrusted to us as the church? Or does it keep us from kicking the world’s butt-living water style-like we used to do? Sell the buildings. Imagine how prophetic it would be, in this age of mega-church addiction, to sell the buildings and recommit to something more basic and organic. Methodism again becomes a movement, about bringing a full salvation to the entire world. It is clubs and classes, out of the walls and in the streets, the hospitals, the orphanages and the prisons. That’s a church with guts, with no mission statements, but mission strategies…schemes that make right what is wrong in our world. Cut the cord UMC. Cut the cord and remember what is like to be on the frontiers of faith with a gospel that matters.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Find out first-hand what Jesus appreciated about the throw-aways of society. Get involved in direct service to the less fortunate. Some of the best theologians I have ever met are in homeless shelters and children’s homes. This population of society is refreshing, marked by honesty that is both brutal and astonishingly beautiful.

What, if anything, do you worry about?
I worry about losing the ambition I have as a young person. I thoroughly fear becoming a pastor who has become so inundated with the church that he has lost his zeal for Christ.

If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
I would probably pursue music as a career. And in my difficulties with getting ordained, I still ponder the possibility. I am at my most joyous when I am playing music and feel like people can’t know me until we share some common tunes. In my spirit is a constantly playing jukebox of tunes…a 10-gig ipod on constant random shuffle. My wife says I am the only person she knows with a discriminating taste in music who isn’t also a music-snob-dweeb. I like that compliment and try to live up to it.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
I used to live in Cambridge, UK. That has been the best place I have ever lived (which includes NYC). I would return there in a heartbeat. I loved the healthy lifestyle, the cycling culture, the greens where soccer was invented, the punting on the Cam, the trips to Ely, the constant flow of ale and ideas, the buskers, the fact that every corner had a college, a church and a pub.

What do you like doing in your spare time?
I like playing with my cats. I am trying my hand at gardening for the first time. I play guitar. I like my blog, too.

What is your most treasured possession?
My wedding ring.

What talent would you most like to have?
I want to learn to make stained glass windows. I also wish I was a more competent swimmer.

If you could have any three guests, past or present to dinner, who would they be?
I would answer with family, but only 3 guests would force me to leave someone out. Therefore, I will stick with those famous people who would interest both me and my wife.
1. Ann Curry, the most underappreciated journalist going I would ask her “Why do you keep going back to Darfur?”;
2. Arius; I would ask “What is the meaning of Communion?”;
3. Parker Palmer; I would ask “How can I get the most good out of the gifts God has given me?”.

The Zombie Episode of The Smurfs

I loved The Smurfs as a child. It was the definitive cartoon of my childhood. It's still tremendously entertaining.

This is one of my favorite episodes: when the Smurfs must struggle against an outbreak of zombieism in the village and fight for their very existence.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNER: John Battern:

The Message's, paraphrase of the Balaam & his donkey loses something in the translation.

Art Blogging: Henri Rousseau

Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) was a French Post-Impressionist painter. Post-Impressionism was a movement that, although affiliated with Impressionism, sought to correct its excesses. It called for a return to form, but not Academic naturalistic forms. Rousseau was a self-taught painter who worked as a customs officer until the age of 49, when he took up the brush full-time. He was a methodical and meticulous painter, who assembled layers of shapes and colors and stacked them on top of each other to create finished canvases. Rousseau was reviled by critics as a simplistic and untalented artist. Nevertheless, he significantly influenced the first generations of Surrealists who followed him.

Sleeping Gypsy (oil on canvas, 1897, at the MoMA). Although he never left France, most of Rousseau's images were of exotic settings and creatures.

The Repast of the Lion (oil on canvas, 1907, at the Met). Rousseau was particularly fond of jungle scenes, assembled from dozens of different shades of green.

Fight Between a Lion and a Buffalo (oil on fabric, 1908, at the Cleveland Museum of Art).

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNERS:

Quotidian Grace: Return To Sender.

Tom Jackson: Faced with new evidence of the nature of God, thousands turn to atheism.

The Good Stuff - A Bit Farther Back

I listed music videos from some of my youth in the previous post, and some of you objected to my suggestion that these were classic works from the past:

Willie Deuel:

That's the music of your youth?!? Dang I'm getting old.

Vicki:

Ditto Will. Gee. I did NOT need a reminder today of just how old I'm getting...thanks a heap, John.

Okay, we can go back in time a bit more to celebrate the music of their youth, and other readers:



Willie Deuel and Theresa Coleman have done their own compliations.

The Good Stuff

My wife and I were talking last night about the music of our youth. It's time for a flashback to old days when they really knew how to make music:

Foolish Games by Jewel


Stay by Lisa Loeb


One Headlight by the Wallflowers


Crash Into Me by the Dave Matthews Band


As I Lay Me Down by Sophie Hawkins [embed unavailable]

The Freshmen by Verve Pipe [a fanvid, not original video]


Groove Is In The Heart by Dee Lite

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNER:

Mark Winter: Batman had defeated the Joker, Penguin and Riddler...but he couldn't thwart the Freedom of Information Act.

Art Blogging: Shag

Shag it the chosen name of American illustrator Josh Agle (1962- ). I think that his work could be broadly classed as 'Pop Art'. They are celebrations of American cosmopolitanhood of the 1950s and 60s, an era better known as the Mod movement. Shag was born to a Mormon family in Utah and studied accounting at California State University at Long Beach. He began working as a successful commercial illustrator in the 1990s and had his first solo show in 1997. I love the vibrant, pastel colors of his work, and the free-flowing lines and forms rejoicing in the urbane pleasures of a lost, idealized era.

A Kind of Blue (2002, serigraph).

Desert Polynesia (2003, serigraph).

The Effects of Space Radiation On Man-On-The-Moon Marriages. (2002, serigraph).

The Virgin Birth, Prophecy, the Resurrection: Talking Past Each Other

We've had lively debates here at Locusts & Honey on the doctrine of the Virgin Birth and the meaning of prophecy. And now there's a new one at the MethoBlog right now about whether or not the Resurrection of Jesus happened, and does it matter if it didn't happen. If you've been reading me for a while, you can probably guess that I answer 'yes' to both issues.

In these debates, there seems to be an overall pattern. We talk past each other because we disagree on one fundamental presupposition: the inspiration of Scripture. I assume that the Bible is an accurate account of God's Word and my debating opponents assume it to be essentially a human work of no particular authority.

The prophecy debate was over whether a person, lacking mystical experiences of revelation by God, could claim to be a prophet. I looked at the Biblical portrait of the office of prophet and said 'no'. The general argument of my opponents was (my summary) "Well, I feel that I can be a prophet if I search the Scriptures and learn Biblical principles and apply them to today. It's not like the prophets actually had mystical experiences. That was only added later by mythologizing Biblical writers."

The Virgin Birth debate was of course about whether or not Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant with Jesus. I looked at what the Bible had to say on the matter and concluded 'yes'. Again, my opponents saw these passages as irrelevant attempts to mythologize the normal conception of Jesus by a human biological father.

Now over at The MethoBlog, I argue that the Resurrection of Jesus really did happen, again by showing Biblical passages about the life of Jesus which of course depict Jesus rising from the grave and appearing before his disciples --- even eating in front of them. Responses include notions that Jesus later died instead of ascending, or that the bones left his body when he was Resurrected and only his flesh moved about, or that he simply appeared in the minds of his disciples. All of these responses ignore the quite straight-forward Biblical narratives and the direct teachings of the Apostolic writers.

Essentially, we're talking past each other. To support my positions, I'm appealing to Scripture, presupposing that it is truthful document. My opponents are immune to such arguments because they lack that presupposition. I might as well be appealing to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or The New York Times.

And that's where the argument breaks down and progress stops. And again, I'm left quite perplexed.

UPDATE: I would like to highlight two excellent comments by Tim. Tim correctly points out something that I've wondered about. If one believes in (1) God, (2) the Bible, and (3) the supernatual, then why would anyone doubt the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, or the various miracle stories of the Bible? What possible reason is there. Well, Tim, the reason why they don't believe in these events is...no, I'd better not say it.

Other bloggers have picked up this subject, including Art Ruch, Allan Bevere, Willie Deuel, and Theresa Coleman. There may be some others, but that's all that I can find right now.

Are You Hungry, But You Don't Want to Stop Playing With Your Playstation?

Problem solved!



We live in a wonderful world of multitasking. Order yours from PeriBorg.

Hat tip: Engadget

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNERS:

Mark Winter: This cake looks like it's been whipped.

Tom Ream: Just one of the many items that can be purchased at the NOW gift shop.

Willie Deuel: Just find a place and GO already!

Art Blogging: Paul Landowski

Paul Landowski (1875-1961) was a French Art Deco monumental sculptor. Born in Paris, he was educated at the Academie des Beaux Arts. Landowski won the Prix de Rome in 1908 and became renowned as a sculptor of large monuments, erecting no less than thirty-five within Paris alone. Heavily influenced by Rodin, he was able to translate Rodin's breach with Classicism into Modernist norms.

The Sons of Cain (bronze, 1906, Le Jardin de Tuileries).

Christ the Redeemer (concrete, 1931, Mt. Corvacado). This 125-foot tall statue of Jesus overlooks Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

















Song of Songs (bronze, 2000).

Israelite Rhapsody

A retelling of the story of David and Goliath to the tune of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Very well made.

Hat tip: Gavin Richardson

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNERS:

Gavin Richardson: oh gosh i hope this picture wasn't taken in tennessee. it will set us back 5 years.

Brett Royal: Hopefully is was in the great state of Oklahoma. It would advance us 5 years.

Emotionally Manipulative God-Talk

David Wayne has quoted a print article by Peter Bloomfield about the prevalence of theologically-laden dialect in the place of normal language:

When the giant has an idea, he never calls it an idea, or plan, or suggestion. No, much too normal, those words." he goes to his "God-Talk" dictionary and uses much holier words and phrases, like "I have a vision", "I have a burden", "The Lord laid it on my heart", "I felt led", "I feel called of God", or the very authoritative "God told me". That man has "words of knowledge". When he describes the nitty-gritty of daily life it is never as normal as 'acting according to Biblical principles': rather it si the highly mysterious "being open to the leading of the Spirit". Though the giant still doesn't know what this means, it hopefully indicates that he "has an anointing", he has the "unction of the Spirit".

I've noticed that the Church can be a place of much emotional manipulation. It can be used to gain power over other people by usurping the authority of God:

Instead of using normal speech to say "there is something I'd like to say", the Giant resorts to 'God-Talk', saying "the Lord laid this on my heart", or "the Lord has placed this burden upon me", or "the Lord gave me this text, this vision, this calling". This is emotional blackmail. Instead of two parties sitting down on equal terms discussing their opinions, we now have class distinction. The ‘God-Talker’ has taken the high spiritual ground and is playing ‘Prophet’. The other (normal) person must sit with baited breath waiting for the pearls of inspired wisdom to drop from the lips of God’s hand picked messenger. Instead of a rational debate where both opinions can be challenged and improved or discarded, we have schism. How can I disagree with any opinion which God has sent? "I felt led" is 'God talk" for "I want to do". "The Lord gave me this text" is a pompous way of saying "a certain Bible truth really struck home to me". "I have a burden" is a pious way of saying "I have a genuine concern". So it is a fair question: can't Christians speak 'normal'? Let's finish as we started with an astute word from C. S. Lewis. "As words become exclusively emotional they cease to be words and therefore cease to perform any strictly linguistic function. They operate as growls or barks or tears . . . They die as words not because there is too much emotion in them but because there is too little - and finaly nothing at all - of anything else".

Emphasis added. As I've written before, don't claim to be a prophet unless you are. I'm thankful that building up an immunity to this kind of mind game has been an essential part of my seminary education. And again, it has been beneficial that I was an atheist into my adulthood because as much as I can understand these phrases, they are not a part of my normal vocabulary.

The Church Has Its Doors Open to Everyone -- Except Convicted Sex Offenders

Remember this United Church of Christ ad?


Ironically, another UCC congregation is struggling to welcome someone: a convicted sex offender:

And that opened a firestorm of emotion, dredging up memories of child abuse from several adult members and creating a debate over safety versus inclusiveness. Suddenly, a liberal, progressive church that prided itself on being welcoming to all people was struggling with what that really meant.

[snip]

Tears welled up as the pastor recounted the conversation. “Nothing in my almost 30 years of ministry has prepared me to turn somebody away,” he said.

When the church's preschool heard about Pliska, both from the service and later from a letter from the church, one of the parents was so outraged that she began a petition drive in protest.

“It's not appropriate to have him there,” said Jessica Muehlhausen of Vista. It doesn't matter to Muehlhausen that the preschool isn't open on Sundays or that her family does not attend the church. What matters to her is the risk.

“Mark Pliska has a right to worship,” she said. “He just needs to find an appropriate church that isn't attached to a children's center.”

Shockley said Pliska has since been evicted from his home and lost his job as a mechanic.

The pastor blames publicity and has stopped using his name. Muehlhausen blames Pliska. “People who commit crimes like this against children have this coming to them,” she said.

Emphasis added. This woman is obviously wrong. The Church cannot deny the Word and the sacraments to any repentant sinner. A colleague of mine at Asbury is associate pastor at a church with a similar member. He has very strict guidelines and when and where he can go and is held accountable for them. It's worked well, although some members of the church would prefer that he drop off the face of the earth.

What about you readers? Have you ever had to deal with issues of safety and welcoming for ex-convicts?

Hat tip: Christianity Today blog. But now I can't find the permalink anymore. Anyway, it was there.

Blogging Cat/ Catblogging

I normally find "I had toast for breakfast today" online diaries ghastly tedious, but Tele the Cat has an interesting perspective on life:

So I'm mostly over my fear of any kind of plan by my servants, but I do keep a closer eye on them now.... THis is how my days go:

THe Female servant leaves every day in the morning to get my affairs straightened out and to get me food, I then go to the manslave who is sometimes still asleep and try to use subliminal techniques to make him spill the beans, nothing, they must not have anything planned, I'm still gonna check tomorrow..... Talking about spilling the beans, I need to switch the manservant to dry food, he made big stinky last night that could have choked a cat, wait a minute, it did choke a cat... I'm feeling much better now, though...

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNER: Daniel McLain-Hixon:

While the humans continued their going to and fro, oblivious to the growing menace, only the cats stand ready to defend agaist the inevitable squirrel uprising on the local college campus...

Art Blogging: Jean Dunand

Jean Dunand (1887-1947) was a Swiss Art Deco sculptor and designer. He studied at the Ecole des Arts Industriels in Geneva before moving to Paris to design interior furnishings. Dunand excelled in creating works in bronze and lacquer. He is best known for dark colors and simple geometric forms. Dunand studied lacquerwork under Japanese master Seizo Sugawara and introduced that medium to the European scene.

Battle of the Angels (lacquer on wood, 1925-26, at the Met). Pieces of egg shell, mother-of-pearl and gold leaf are embedded in the may layers of lacquer, creating a richly textured surface.

Panel (lacquer on wood, 1928-1930, at the Met).











Fire Screen (lacquer on wood, 1929, at the Gallerie Jacques De Vos).

Weekend Rabbit Blogging

Just So You Know

By the way -- that I link to a post does not necessarily mean that I agree with its content.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Christians in the US Military

Keith McIlwain pondered Gen. Pace's recent remarks that gays can't serve in the US military because he considers their behavior immoral. Keith wonders why Christians aren't considered morally unfit for military service:

Hauerwas makes a point that is powerful and dripping with truth. Why aren't Christians ostracized by the military? Why doesn't the Army say, "We can't have Christians in our outfit; they won't kill another human being!"

Is Capital Punishment Compatible with Christian Values?

That was my Question of the Day a few weeks ago. Now Josh Tinley has a lengthy post explaining why he answers 'no'.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNERS:

Andy Bryan: Red, we've been meaning to tell you for some time now.

You're adopted.

Keith McIlwain: You know, they say it's about 1 out of every 10...

Political Humor That I Don't Agree With, But Is Still Quite Funny

The new Apple product.


George W. Bush Visits the TeleTubbies.

Art Blogging: René Lalique

Rene Lalique (1860-1945) was a French Art Nouveau and later Art Deco glassmaker and jeweler. Born in the region of Champagne, France, he grew up in Paris. Lalique studied art at the College Turgot and was later apprenticed to a master jeweler at the age of sixteen. He studied further at Syndeham Art College in London and developed his skills in naturalistic depiction. After his return to Paris, he received commissions from the great jewelry firms of that era: Cartier, Aucoc, Boucheron, Cartier, Destape, Gariod, Hamelin, and Jacta. By 1885, he had his own workshop in Paris.

Lalique's reputation grew gradually as he was increasingly recognized by art critics as an emerging master craftsman, and Art Nouveau rose in prominence. At the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition, his work was debuted to the entire world, and Lalique's name became famous. He applied glass to different settings, creating the marketing concept of selling perfume in ornate bottles instead of ordinary and designing elaborate glass interiors for luxury trains and ocean liners. In 1925 he designed the pavilion for the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes -- the exhibition that coined the term "Art Deco". Lalique continued to produce countless works right up until the closure of his shop after the Fall of France in 1940. He died two days before the end of World War II.

Centerpiece (Silver and glass, 1903-1905, Museu Calouste Gulbenkian). A delicately-crafted nymph emerges from a lily pond in this mytho-pastoral scene.

Pansy Brooch (glass, gold, enamel & sapphire, 1902-1904, at the Walters Art Museum). This gossamer masterpiece is representative of Lalique's frequent floral theme.

Hairpin (horn, gold, diamonds, 1902-1903, at the Rijksmuseum). Many of Lalique's works seem to brazenly defy the laws of tensile strength and gravity.

Reaching Out to Klingon Voters

Finnish parliament member Jyrki Kasvi is reaching out to Klingon voters by making his website available in their language. It's about time that politicians start taking the precious Klingon swing vote seriously.

Being In the World, Yet Not of the World

Gavin brings our attention to God Tube, a Christian alternative to You Tube. It's an interesting idea. He writes:

jonathon in our workshops we have done with youth & adults, have brought to light things like the "blasphemy challenge" and other videos and blogs that do not promote the Kingdom of God. we've challenged those folks to treat their time on the internet as part of their spiritual practices and create content that offers alternatives of love and grace where the people are watching and listening. these separate sites, they provide alternatives, but in the world we live in, it is only doing the harm of separating people. if i remember correctly, we harvest the wheat with the weeds, or we loose the wheat...

check it out for yourself and let me know what you think. are we called to be "of the internet" or "in the internet?"

UPDATE: Jeff adds:

The way to be "in the world" but not "of the world" is not to recreate what the world does in a separate Jesus friendly area. That is not "in the world." Being in the world but not of the world means taking Christ to the Christless. It means putting Christian videos up on YouTube, not creating a GodTube just for our own purposes.

Indeed. It also means, among other things, visiting non-Christian blogs and engaging in conversation.

Relocating a church

My church is facing the possibility of a relocation. The building has some problems related to being built cheaply 45 years ago, but is in a prime spot in a small but growing town. Because of our location, a major retail chain would love to have part of the land. If we sell to them, we would be forced to completely relocate (we don't have enough land to sell and rebuild on what is left).

If there is anyone out there who has taken a congregation through the process of relocation, I'd love to hear about your experiences, especially in terms of how to keep the decision making process a spiritual experience of seeking God's will rather than being driven by the allure of big bucks.

UPDATE BY JOHN: Cross-posted at The MethoBlog.

Was the Destruction of the Death Star an Inside Job?

In our modern age of American hyper-nationalism and emerging fascism, it's not popular to express certain points of view. But some brave investigators are skeptical about claims that the Rebel Alliance was responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. They have questions that must be answered:

1) Why were a handful of rebel fighters able to penetrate the defenses of a battle station that had the capability of destroying an entire planet and the defenses to ward off several fleets of battle ships?

2) Why did Grand Moff Tarkin refuse to deploy the station’s large fleet of TIE Fighters until it was too late? Was he acting on orders from somebody to not shoot down the rebel attack force? If so, who, and why?

3) Why was the rebel pilot who supposedly destroyed the Death Star reported to be on the Death Star days, maybe hours, prior to its destruction? Why was he allowed to escape, and why were several individuals dressed in Stormtrooper uniforms seen helping him?

4) Why has there not been an investigation into allegations that Darth Vader, the second-ranking member of the Imperial Government, is in fact the father of the pilot who allegedly destroyed the Death Star?

5) Why did Lord Vader decide to break all protocols and personally pilot a lightly armored TIE Fighter? Conveniently, this placed Lord Vader outside of the Death Star when it was destroyed, where he was also conveniently able to escape from a large-sized rebel fleet that had just routed the Imperial forces. Why would Lord Vader, one of the highest ranking members of the Imperial Government, suddenly decide to fly away from the Death Star in the middle of a battle? Did he know something that the rest of the Imperial Navy didn’t?

Hat tip: Garfield Ridge

Simpsons/Lord of the Rings Crossover

Bart and Lisa scam UPS out of thousands of boxes. UPS wants them back.

Art Blogging: Edgar Brandt

Edgar Brandt (1880-1960) was a French Art Deco metalworker. He was educated at the crafting school Ecole Nationale Professionelle de Vierzon and served in the army before opening his own shop in 1901. He won a Salon prize in 1908 and was popular throughout the 1920s and 30s. Additionally, he was an accomplished weapons designer, particularly in the domain of artillery.


Deer (bronze, 1920). What Erte did in bronze for people, Brandt did for the animal kingdom.




The Temptation (bronze, 1920s). Brandt recalls the fall from Edenic paradise with this serpent coiled around a luminescent fruit. The light glistens off the snake's scales, giving it a lustrous quality.

Like the Art Deco movement, and its preceding Arts and Crafts movement, most of Brandt's bronework was designed to be functional in the home; a sculpture is not simply a slab of metal taking up space, but a useful floor lamp.










Persian Grill (iron, 1923). Brandt was most famous for his ability to turn metal into feathery gossamer, as seen in the delicate work on this furnace screen.