The Speckled Mind

Preposterous Theological Statements: Episode 1

2008-07-04T09:40:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I am working my way toward a Ph.D. in Biblical studies. This involves, amongst other things, a ton of quality time in the library. A lot of the things I read are very good, but the process of winnowing can also be frustrating when the percentage of chaff of is very high. As a tribute to the theological chaff, I am starting a new series on the Speckled Mind called, "Preposterous Theological Statements." This will, I hope, help all of you to share the journey with me and participate in mocking and ridiculing Biblical scholars who have truly missed the point.

Our subject today is James M. Robinson, professor emeritus of religion at Claremont Graduate school in California. Robinson, a member of the Jesus seminar and prominent 'Q' theologian wrote the following preposterous theological statement:

"[Q is] the most important Christian document we have."

The preposterous nature of this statement is pretty evident. For those who don't know, Q is the proposed source material shared by Matthew and Luke that is not found in Mark. Basically the math works like this: If Matthew = Luke and does not = Mark, that = Q.

The biggest absurdity of the statement is that WE DON'T HAVE Q. It is a hypothetical source reconstructed by Biblical scholars who could find nothing better to do with their time. IF it ever existed--and some scholars consider that a big IF--it is lost and gone forever (oh, my darling Clementine).

Second, to say that it would be more important for the Christian layperson and scholar alike if we could reconstruct it with any certainty (which we can't) is just plain silly. How does a document with bare statements aid us more than the narrative beauty of the existing gospels?

Third, a hypothetical source is clearly NOT a 'document.' To say it is would be like referring to Pegasus as a farm animal. Which gives me an idea...

Mr. James Robinson--in your honor I have to assert that, "Pegasus is the most important farm animal we have."

How do these people get degrees?

I Think I Love My Wife's Football Team

2008-07-03T09:53:00.008-04:00

Ah, football season. You bring me so much anticipation of joy. And, as a career Vikings fan, you never fail to bring me bitter, bitter disappointment. Examples of the disappointment abound. There was the season that the Vikings started 6-0 and then missed the playoffs. Or the year that their sizzling offense was shut out 42-0 in the playoffs against a mediocre Giants team. And who could forget the debacle against the Falcons in the 1999 playoffs?

My commitment to the 'hometown' team has waxed and waned in the midst of these pratfalls. Some, my wife included, have applied the label, "bandwagon" to such tepid loyalty. And as a contrast, she has remained unwaveringly steadfast and faithful to her team through thick and thin. Like many other Packer fans, she will bleed green and gold until someone pries the myriad of Green Bay Superbowl wins from her cold, dead fingers. Even through the emotional roller coaster of Brett Favre's retirement, she remained steadfast. Granted, there was a period of mourning--3-4 months, if my memory serves me correctly. But she has ultimately moved to the 'acceptance' stage of grief and has prepared herself emotionally for the advent of the Aaron Rodgers era of Packer football.

But then a bomb was dropped yesterday. Perhaps I should let her speak for herself. This is an email that she sent to all of her Packer fan friends yesterday (edit: she sent this BEFORE Brett Favre's text message denying that he would return):

Subject Line: OMG

Hey friends,

So.....http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3471189.

Although it is completely hearsay, I have so many mixed feelings. ESPN speculated (let me repeat, speculated) about a denial from Green Bay and a Vikings team that would welcome Favre with open arms. Tim was giddy at that possibility! Although I can hardly blame him, I told him that might be really bad for our marriage.

What do you think? Are you excited, crying, unmoved, or just mad?

Jess

P.S. Is it just me, or is Brett Favre just like a stereotypical bad boyfriend? You love him, he breaks your heart, he leaves, then he calls saying he misses you.....hmmmm. I seriously don't know if I can take this all summer.

Now, granted, this email is dripping with sarcasm (and wit, I might add). But I think it illustrates rather well the differences in loyalty schemes between a Packer fan and a Viking fan. And, so does this (start listening at about the 2:45 mark).

So, what do you think, blog-reading faithful? Can our marriage survive Brett Favre in a Vikings uniform? I'd like to think it can. But, of course, I'm far more optimistic about the prospects of our marriage than I am about my football team.

Eye, Eye, Eye!

2008-06-26T09:48:00.003-04:00

Anyone else who has gone through an eye exam knows what a strange phenomenon it is.

"One or Two?"

"Is this better, or this."

"Just look straight ahead." (as we shine a blinding light into your eyeball)

"Take off your glasses and try to read the bottom line for me."

And I'm thinking--if I could read the bottom line without my glasses, I probably wouldn't be here in the first place.

But, I needed new contacts, and an eye exam is apparently a prerequisite to getting them. One of the things that always bugs me is that machine that shoots little air bullets into your eyeballs. How is that helpful? And, it would have been really nice if the "technician"--and I use that term in the loosest way possible--would have warned me that it was coming. It scared the hell out of me.

Oh well. At least it wasn't as stressful as my last eye exam.

What's A Month Between Friends?

2008-06-24T20:09:00.006-04:00

As promised, German is finished and I am officially back in the saddle. Unfortunately, the horse is blind and shaped like the letter "U". Oh well, you get what you pay for, I guess. Coincidentally, today's blog is also brought to you by the letter "U". Weird...

I digress...

There really is no better way to get back into the blogging groove than with one of my patented Bits and Pieces episodes. So, for better or worse, here's what I've done/learned in the past month:

1. One of the greatest epidemics facing America today is mumbling. Mumblers can be found just about anywhere, and you can certainly find them at Ebenezer's. A word to the wise--if you insist on mumbling while placing your order, and I respond by asking you to repeat what you just said, IT MEANS I WANT YOU TO ANNUNCIATE THE SECOND TIME YOU SPEAK. Mumbling a second time will only result in me asking what you just said a second time. We could repeat this little game ad nauseum--I really do have all day--or you could put in a little effort and stop placing your order like a primate. Just a suggestion...

-and I'm just getting warmed up!-

2. The German language is crazy. And not the good kind of crazy either. Oh, German, why must your words have 32 letters? Who came up with verbs that have separable prefixes? Why must you place the verb at the very end of the sentence? And, for that matter, why must you write sentences so long they would make Charles Dickens blush?

3. 2008 has been a good hear for music so far. Death Cab for Cutie, Tapes 'n' Tapes, Sigur Ros and Coldplay all have spectacular new albums, and those are just the big names. A host of other, more obscure bands have made my ears very happy this year--amongst them are: Amber Rubarth, Liam Finn, Headlights and Ghost in the Water.

4. Jess and I like visitors. A lot. Have you come to visit us in DC yet? If not, you are running out of time! ACT NOW!! THIS OFFER CAN'T LAST FOREVER!

5. The best movie I've seen in a long time: Lars and the Real Girl. If you haven't seen it yet, put it to the top of your Netflix queue. You won't be sorry. Hopefully I'll get to post something more extensive about this excellent film in the near future.

6. Movie to skip: Prince Caspian. The film version of the C.S. Lewis's excellent book is flaccid from start to finish. It boggles my mind why the director would have departed so much from the book and created motifs that are alien to Lewis's original story telling.

7. I had the privilege of attending Tim Russert's wake last week; Jess and I met his son and wife while we were there. So incredibly sad... He was one of the good guys in a world filled with blathering pundits. NBC won't be the same without him--he was the best in the business and an irreplaceable voice of reason amid the white noise.

8. Has anyone else noticed that the Twins are only 1 1/2 games out of first place? They're far exceeding my expectations for the year. I can't wait until they open the new stadium in 2010.

9. Speaking of sports, I'm happy for Kevin Garnett. It was good to see him get the monkey off his back; though he was well compensated while in the Twin Cities, dealing with Kevin McHale on a daily basis is its own special kind of hell. Congrats, Big Ticket.

10. (HT: Jessica Banti) Be sure to read this excellent and scathing op-ed piece by Thomas Friedman of the NY Times about the insanity of the Bush administration's current energy policy.

11. I confess that I have been regularly listening to NPR's "This American Life" lately. I'm officially an elitist. God have mercy on me...

12. Two of my favorite people came together in one place last week. Click here to see N.T. Wright's appearance on the Colbert Report.

Well, I best be getting to bed. I'm sure there's more to be said, but it will have to wait another day.

The Rumors of My Blog's Resurrection Were Greatly Exaggerated

2008-05-26T10:05:00.005-04:00

Geez.

I blink, and another two weeks have gone by. This time though, faithful readers, I have a decent excuse. Right now I'm taking a German reading class at Catholic University. The goal is to teach students how to read complicated German theological texts. AND you only get five weeks to learn how.

So, needless to say, the class is going at breakneck speed. After just four days of this stuff, we've learned more than a normal German class would learn in its first month and a half. Ich spreche gut Deutsche. Yeah, you heard me.

As a relief from all of the German, Jess and I went to the Nationals vs. Brewers game on Friday night with some friends. We left a bit late, so we were walking through the gates just as the national anthem was being played. The friend suggested that we stop and wait 'til the anthem was finished before proceeding to our seats. So we stood there and waited, and a million thoughts were running through my head:

"I wonder who's playing the anthem?"

"Is that Kenny G?!?!!"

"Why on earth would they have a soprano sax for a Saturday night game?"

"Geez--is he ever gonna breathe?"

"I never learned to circular breathe, but it would have been sweet."

"I guess it's not Kenny G, cause this guy is African American."

"I wonder if that instrument will ever shake the image of Kenny G..."

Before I knew it the anthem finished, and I was shaken from my daydreaming by a rather large man. He tapped me on the shoulder and said:

"Excuse me--are you an American?"

Surprised and confused by the question, I stammered, "Um..yes."

"Then you really should take your hat off during the national anthem."

The dude walked away, leaving me wondering--did that really just happen? I had totally just gotten shot down as a Commie.

All that to say, I want anyone who reads this blog to beware: with my German studying and my Communist hat wearing habits, the Government may consider you an accessory to whatever it is that I'm doing. Mr. McCarthy would like to ask you a few questions.

You just can't be too careful about your friends these days...

The Lapse Dance

2008-05-15T10:10:00.003-04:00

The fact that I kept my blog in the grave for two months after I wrote on The Resurrection is an irony that I assure you has not been lost on me. And, though it has become incredibly cliche to give reasons for not blogging--as if the whole world were depending upon fresh wit from this corner of the internets--I'm afraid I must offer a few.

The primary of these is I just haven't felt like it. I could say that I've been busy, and that would be true. But I haven't been TOO busy. I've probably just been lazy. I think this blogging thing has to happen in seasons, and I was ready to let my blog lie in the tomb for a bit. Fear not, it's Sunday (well, actually, it's Thursday. But we're speaking in metaphors here...and if there's one thing I know about metaphors, its that they're SOOO much more profound when you type twenty five extra words to explain them). So, yeah. Seasons.

I'd like to be back. I've got a lot to say, and some of it might even be interesting...to the three of you who had the patience to wait around for another post. There's some politics, some funny work related happenings, some theology, some sports, some music and some movies. Just more of the beautifully broad range of thought that you've come to expect from this renaissance man and his renaissance blog.

Speaking of that--I still like the name of my blog after 3+ years. That really surprises me. I thought that whole, "I'm pensive, eloquent and misunderstood" thing would have gotten old by now.

Who knew?

Surprised By Hope Part 7: Resurrection

2008-03-23T12:09:00.007-04:00

Well, friends, I'm afraid I'm going to have to end this series. Not because there's nothing more to say. Rather, these posts are pretty labor intensive, and I'm not sure I'm going to have the time to continue them any longer. To those that have accompanied me on the journey--both those who commented and those who did not--I owe you my deepest thanks. I wish there were more time to deeply explore some of the issues that have arisen in the past few weeks. Perhaps there will be at some point.

Part 7 seemed to be the perfect one on which to end this series (for those of you who are into Jewish numerology at least...). Also, it seemed right to post on this particular topic on Resurrection Sunday. Today, Christians everywhere rejoice in the fact that the tomb is empty, and that we worship the risen and exalted messiah, Jesus.

In terms of apologetics for the truth of the resurrection I will give only a few brief comments--here I am drawing heavily upon Wright's work. My hunch is that few readers of this blog doubt the historicity of this event, but these things are still worth mentioning. First, those that would doubt the truth of the bodily resurrection of Christ must explain the historical (and sociological) curiosity of the early Christian movement. If Jesus did not actually rise from the dead, why would his disciples have continued to proclaim him as the messiah? A crucified Jewish would-be messiah in the first century was a FAILED messiah. This point cannot be made too strongly, and there are plenty of historical examples to support it. The followers of that would-be messiah had two options: a) disband and forget the hope of liberation that the 'messiah' seemed to offer, or b) elect a new messianic candidate from within who would continue the cause of liberation. Curiously, the first Christians did neither of these things, instead proclaiming that Jesus had BODILY risen from the dead. Wright and others argue vehemently that such a proclamation is historically inconceivable unless Jesus actually did rise.

A second and very convincing argument for the truth of the resurrection accounts in the gospels is that women were the first witnesses of the event. In Part 6, I mentioned briefly the second class status afforded women in Jewish society. They were not allowed to testify in court--their recounting of events would have been worthless for legal purposes. Such a situation begs the question: If the evangelists were trying to author a convincing fiction and pass it off as history, why in the world would they have written women as the leading actresses of their accounts? It would have convinced no one. The only explanation for the gospel accounts reading as they do is that they are historically accurate.

So, having established the facticity of the gospel accounts, what can we say about how the disciples understood the event itself? What did it mean within the larger schema of Jewish eschatology? Here the road is a bit bumpier, and I will again recommend reading Surprised By Hope for yourself if you want to get a clearer picture. For our purposes, an all-too-brief summary will have to suffice.

First, most Jews expected a resurrection to occur (save the Sadducees); everyone knew that Yahweh would one day resurrect all people for judgment in anticipation of/preparation for the new heavens and new earth. Let me be clear, all expectation in this regard had an end of the world referent. For Jesus' disciples to claim that their Lord had been raised from the dead in the middle of history would have been a novel invention indeed (were it not true). So what did it mean? For Paul, the answer is clear.

It meant that death had been defeated; it meant that Yahweh's new creation had already been inaugurated in the person of Jesus.

Jesus was, in this sense, the "truly human one." He was the lone example of what human life in God's perfect new creation would look like. He was the person in whom the future was caught up in the present. Notice that there is nothing that can be 'spiritualized' about Jesus' resurrection. It was not another way of referring to life after death in another place. Nor was it an interesting description of an intense private spirituality. Rather it was the prototype for life after life after death on earth (this is Wright's way of putting the matter, and I think it's spectacular).

So what should we make of the fact that God's new creation has been set loose in the person of Jesus Christ? I suggest the most appropriate response is to find out how we can get in on the action. After all, if there are two types of creation going on all around us--one that is subject to death and decay and another that bears the beauty of the risen Christ--it would seem logical to shoot for the latter. It is, therefore, our privilege and pleasure to be "in Christ" in this way--that we reflect the agenda of God's certain and conclusive future redemption for the entire cosmos in the present.

Or, as Paul puts it, "If anyone is in Christ [there is] a New Creation!! Everything old has passed away; behold! everything has become new."

*****

So what does all of this mean in terms of practical action? How does a belief in the present power of new creation affect the things that are said and done on an every day basis? I'd be lying if I said I had ready made answers to these questions. What I can do is offer some thoughts I've had about being a Christian in this generation--especially since reading this book. Much of this might not strike you as novel, but it is what it is....

I've thought long and hard about the ways in which being "in Christ" should make me different from any other person walking down the DC streets. What should set me apart? What would cause people to recognize the surprising and beautiful existence of new creation in the middle of history when it was on display in my life? What would cause people to be persuaded that a commitment to Christ is anything more than a personal spiritual add-on to the existing status quo?

First, I think my generation has stopped asking the question "is it right?" and replaced it with, "does it work?" It is the generation of the postmodern pragmatist, concerned more with the agenda of human advancement and advantage than the characteristics of new creation. Therefore, I need to remember that "Does it work" always serves the cause of the powerful (they define what 'works' and what doesn't) and to take up the cause of those who are casualties of that agenda. My operating paradigm for action must be rooted in "is it right?".

Second, I need to learn to be loving. I need to resist the tendency to redefine love in terms of what I consider to be possible--to remake love in my own image, if you will. I need to give up my self perceived need to be right as a matter of course, realizing that "the right" are not listed amongst the blessed in Jesus economy.

Like I said, nothing particularly new. These are just a couple of things I've been kicking around and trying to put into practice since reading this book. Feel free to add your own to the list of 'what new creation looks like in the 21st century.'

To all: Happy Resurrection Day. HE IS RISEN!

Surprised by Hope Part 6: Symbol as Story as Action

2008-03-14T09:59:00.005-04:00

What about Jesus
Didn't he do it too?
Hang out with prostitutes
And have a drink or two.
Power of example
My mama said it and I heard
She says one ounce of action
Beats a ton of words.~~Martin Sexton

I have promised to describe in more detail the difference that seeing Jesus as a first century Jew has made in the way I read scripture. In this post, I will offer what I hope is a clear example of that. But first, a few words of introduction are in order.

Categorically speaking, the biggest shift I've experienced in this regard is a new awareness to the presence of (and importance of!) symbolism in the gospels. My theological heritage had taught me that symbols were 'bare'--they didn't actually do anything, and they didn't even say all that much except in a dry referential sort of way. My conversion on this issue has been a new birth into understanding symbol as story, and story as action. In short, speech is action; and, often times, actions say more than words ever could. I suggest that this was the operating paradigm with which we should approach the Biblical texts, and the gospels in particular.

Luke 10: 38-42 provides an excellent test case for examining synoptic symbolism:

38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

This passage has been used in many sermons as a defense for the priority that women must give to prayer and scripture study. "Remember, ladies," so it is said, "time in the Word is just as important as doing the laundry or dishes." Such a reading of this passage, however, does not do justice to the subversiveness of Jesus actions or Luke's special theological emphases.

First, we must remember that Jesus lived (and Luke wrote) in a highly patriarchal culture. Women had their place, and men had theirs--and the clearly defined boundaries of those realms were not to be transgressed. Thus, a number of things about this story should seem curious to the reader. First, what would have given Mary the audacity to think she had a right to sit at Jesus feet? Such a position symbolically implied an inclusion amongst Jesus' disciples. Only Men were allowed to sit at the feet of a rabbi. Mary didn't just get distracted while she was setting the table for dinner. Her action was intentional, and it rocked the social world in which she lived--that's why Martha was so outraged. It wasn't because she needed an extra pair of hands in the kitchen.

The second--and bigger--question: why in the world would Jesus allow Mary to do such a thing? Mary, as a 'foolish woman' could perhaps be excused for considering herself more highly than she should have.

But not a rabbi of Jesus' stature.

By allowing Mary to sit at his feet as he taught, Jesus was giving tacit approval to her actions. In Martha's view, Jesus was brining shame upon himself by allowing the situation to continue. By her questioning, Martha is attempting to restore the all important social order of a first century Jewish household. She, essentially, was reminding Jesus of who he was.

In this light, Jesus response is all the more remarkable for its symbolism. He did not scold Mary when her embarrassing actions were brought to light by Martha--who, by the way, was certainly just saying what the rest of the male disciples were thinking. Rather, Jesus affirmed both her desire and her right to be included amongst the disciples. Essentially, Jesus response explained to Martha that Mary had gotten it right by shaking up the social constraints of her culture; and--by extension--inviting Martha to live in the new reality into which her sister had already stepped. Jesus, essentially, was reminding Martha of who she was.

In my view the application of this passage is clear. Women have the same right to sit at the feet of the Great Rabbi as men. And, by extension, they have the same right to further the legacy of that Rabbi by teaching others. The fact that women are still consistently denied the right, duty and privilege of exercising their gifts to the fullest possible benefit of the church is troubling. It seems to me that those who would deny gifted women a preaching role (for instance) are simply echoing the voice of Martha--"Tell these women to remember their place!" And, I'm quite confident Jesus' gentle rebuke would be similar--"You are concerned about many things (i.e., maintenance of social tradition)...but they have chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from them."

Many, in their attempts to minimize the utter difference of this kind of reading, refer to this as a "deeper meaning." (I've described this problem in more detail elsewhere.) By this, they mean that it is nice for those who want to study the passage in a more extensive way, but that the normal reading also 'works just fine.' The reason that I chose the passage from Luke 10 is that it illustrates the folly of such dualism. What I've described above can't possibly be a 'deeper meaning' because it completely deconstructs the more common reading of the text. One reading says, "Don't forget to be pious while you accept the social norms handed to you;" the other says, "The social norms you've been handed--where women are viewed as second class citizenry--are not a part of the kingdom of God that is even now breaking in upon this world."

I think this is a good place to stop for the time being. But first, a word to those that disagree with the larger theological point I've made in this entry. I hope you see a pastoral heart in what otherwise might seem like a polemical bludgeon club. Certainly you could call up other scripture passages that may seem to oppose the point I've made here, and I'm confident it would make for an interesting discussion. What I'm primarily interested in, however, is: How would you render this passage differently in either meaning or application? And, if your reading is different, is it grounded in the concrete history of first century Judaism? I believe that the most fruitful discussions are to be had on those terms, and I sincerely thank you for indulging me if you feel differently.

Surprised by Hope Part 5: The Importance of Being Jewish

2008-03-12T08:54:00.016-04:00

The noise is coming out, and if it's not out now
Then tomorrow, tomorrow
They took your life apart and called you failure's art
They were wrong though, they won't know
'Til tomorrow~~Elliott Smith

I hope that Part 4 persuaded many of my readers (or reconfirmed already held beliefs) about the importance of studying the historical Jesus in correlation with the theological Jesus. My greatest hope in writing--the eschatology of this blog series, if you will--is that the artificial border between those two approaches to Jesus would lie down together in peace. Theology has nothing to fear from examining history, and history has nothing to fear in doing theology.

I hope this post will draw together some of the threads of earlier posts in its discussion of Jesus' Jewishness. I have already shown the problems with an ahistorical rendering of Jesus' Kingdom preaching in Part 3. Without a firm historical cornerstone, the theological building crumbles into a heap of Platonic metaphysical speculation about the afterlife. It could be argued, though, that this misunderstanding of "Kingdom" is an isolated example and that the majority of traditional theological reflection would be left unscathed by a closer study of history. I have often heard this objection raised, and I would like to answer it somewhat indirectly.
Of all the things that my Evangelical background did well (yes, there were many things!), making sense of the pre-passion gospel accounts was not amongst them. In short, I was quite clear on why Jesus died ("to forgive sins"), but rather fuzzy on why he lived (other than "to be sinless"). Further, it went as an unspoken assumption that Jesus death could have "worked" regardless of when he lived (period of history) or his ethnic heritage. Thus, if he had been Chinese, lived in the 200's B.C.E, spun pithy aphorisms and died a sacrificial death, it would have been just as well for those who seek "salvation."

I have since come to see such a view of Jesus as shortsighted for a number of reasons. I should be clear at this point, however, that the soteriology of my youth is something I still hold very dear. I still believe deeply and passionately that Jesus died to save sinners. Yet, that description of his mission alone is rendered impotent without the larger story that must accompany it--a story that answers all of the important worldview questions: who are we, where are we, what is wrong and what is the solution, (See Wright's NTPG, 123c). And, though Christians have developed interesting answers to those questions in modern times, I would argue that Jesus' answers to those questions in his own time were very different. Further, we only get a true understanding of the importance of Jesus when we see how his answers to these questions differed from those of his first century contemporaries. I would also argue that if we are to be Biblically faithful, our own answers to those questions must grow organically out of Jesus'.

Who Are We? For a first century Jew, this one was a no-brainer: We are the people of the one true, creator God--the God who made everything. All of us who are Jews by birth belong to a privileged order of God's humanity--the elected. In his wisdom,God has given us the covenant, the law and the temple.

Where Are We? & What Is Wrong? For a first century Jew, these questions were impossible to answer in isolation from one another: Some of us are back in the land that we were promised, but that land no longer looks like the one that we were promised. For starters, we are a vassal state under the crushing imperial power of Rome. Second, because of Roman rule we are taxed beyond the confines of what we can bear. Third, even our house of worship is controlled by the Herods, whom most of us despise. So, to put it bluntly, home isn't right, the power structures aren't right and worship isn't right. To put it even more bluntly: The exile is still ongoing. For whatever reason, Yahweh still allows this state of affairs to continue in relative silence.

What Is The Solution? It is important to note that there were a number of answers to this question, all of which will necessarily be oversimplified in what follows:

As a Zealot, I believe that Yahweh has not delivered us from oppression because we have not given him ample opportunity to display his power in battle. Therefore, it is our duty and privilege to provoke the Romans into an armed conflict, trusting that Yahweh will victoriously act on our behalf when we do. My favorite part of scripture is Daniel 7.
As a Pharisee, I believe that Yahweh has not delivered us from Roman oppression because the sin of the land is so great. The lack of personal commitments to holiness amongst the prostitutes, tax collectors, etc. is to blame for the condition we’re in. Only when Yahweh sees a systemic commitment to piety will he act decisively on our behalf and deliver us from Roman oppression. My favorite part of Scripture is the book of Leviticus.
As a Sadducee, I believe that we need to accept the present Roman oppression as a consequence of our past sins. Therefore, the wisest course of action is to accept Yahweh's judgment by making the best of the situation--after all, the more that Rome prospers, the more we will prosper along with it. My favorite part of Scripture is Jeremiah 29.
As an Essene, I believe that everything wrong with the so-called, ‘people of God’ is so bad as to be irreparable. In fact, not all those who call themselves, “Israel” really are the Israel that God has in mind. Therefore, the best we can hope for is to start again--away from all the evil in Jerusalem--by forming a remnant community along the Dead Sea in Qumran. Only in separation and isolation can holiness be achieved. My favorite part of Scripture is Isaiah 10.

However crude and reductionist, I believe this to be a historically accurate sketch of the Jewish worldview matrix into which Jesus stepped. His life, then, is best understood by examining the ways in which he affirmed, modified or opposed the ready made answers to the worldview questions posited by the different Judaisms of his day.

What follows is my understanding of how Jesus would have answered the same four worldview questions if they were posed to him:

Who Are We? "We" is a bit of a misnomer, because not everyone who is Jewish by ethnicity is amongst God's elect. As Isaiah prophesied, God has reserved a remnant for himself, and I have come to gather that remnant around me and to define it in relation to myself. The standards by which Israel has typically judged herself a part of the covenant community--Circumcision, Temple and Torah--are no longer reliable as efficacious symbols of corporate identity. God's Israel will be defined as those who love me by keeping my commands.

Where Are We? & What Is Wrong? We are at THE climactic moment in all of history. We are still in exile, and that means each person must make a choice. The first option is for those who insist upon clinging to their own nationalistic aspirations. The result of that choice will be judgment and destruction--it is as foolish a choice as waiting on the shore of the Red Sea as Pharaoh's army approaches. The second choice is to join the remnant by passing through the water--John has already symbolically initiated this by his baptisms in the desert. The result of that choice will be the experience of a new exodus--a new liberation from oppression. Certainly, though, most of ethnic Israel will not accept Yahweh's chosen mode of deliverance--they never do; and this is a symptom of the larger problem. Israel has mistaken her election as a matter of privilege when it was always intended as a matter of responsibility.

What Is The Solution? I am the solution. I am everything that Yahweh wanted Israel to be in the first place. I am the elect one--true Israel--because I have perfectly kept the covenant with Yahweh. I am the 'blessing to the nations of the earth' for through me, Yahweh will finally see his hope for the inclusion of the Gentiles realized. I am the "prophet like Moses" because I have come to lead a new exodus from the present oppression. I am the true temple because true worship of Yahweh happens in and through me.

*****

I suggest that this sketch of Jesus' worldview makes excellent sense of the life he lived--why he taught as he did, why he acted as he did and why he ultimately died as he did. A Jesus who believed and acted in this manner is believably follow-able because he provided a rare and convincing hope to his contemporaries. Further, this Jesus is believably crucifiable from both a Roman and a Jewish perspective. Worldviews do not shift easily, and Jesus' subversion of them would logically be met with fierce resistance from all the world's powers.

Some may object at this point that I still have not displayed any kind of interpretive cash-out for all the historical insight I've provided.

And those people are correct.

Unfortunately, due to the length of this post, those people will have to wait for the next edition. In Part 6 (which, God willing will be far shorter than Part 5) I will give some concrete examples of where the first century Jewish matrix I've sketched has made a difference in my readings of the texts. I felt that it would have been disingenuous to give those examples without first providing a clear foundation.

For those that made it clear to the bottom of this post, I thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to continuing our discussion.

Surprised by Hope Part 4: Jesus and His-Story

2008-03-05T15:33:00.006-05:00

"It is amazing that so many New Testament scholars write books about Jesus in which they discover that he agrees with their own version of Christianity…I am a liberal, modern, secularized Protestant, brought up in a church dominated by low Christology and the social gospel. I am proud of the things that that religious tradition stands for. I am not bold enough, however, to suppose that Jesus came to establish it, or that he died for the sake of its principles."~~E.P. Sanders

The desire to remake Jesus in our own image is irresistible. As Sanders so wryly notes, Biblical scholars are not immune from this disease--in fact, they are often the primary carriers. And, though artists are not always trying to depict reality as it actually is, the plethora of different renderings of Jesus' physical likeness serves as evidence that scholars are not alone in this tendency. Pastor and layperson alike also fall into the trap of imagining Jesus as a bit too much like themselves.

It's pervasive, and it is a problem--but where is the escape hatch?

It should be stated at the outset that I consider myself to be a carrier of this disease. I would never claim to have an objective standpoint from which I can critique others' views while leaving mine unsullied as 'the' correct view (nor would Wright). I do, however, want to see discussions about Jesus based on something other than religious impressionism.

And that 'something' is history.

Wright states the point with appropriate succinctness: "Christianity appeals to history; to history it must go." Despite the bumps in the road that the Quests for the Historical Jesus have incurred--one can hardly hear the words "Jesus" and "Seminar" in the same sentence anymore without a shiver--the followers of Jesus have nothing to fear in examining the historical context in which he lived. Let me reiterate--we have nothing to lose and everything to gain by questing for the historical Jesus, and letting his history determine our reading of scripture.

The apostle Paul would agree wholeheartedly with that proposal. In his words, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children." I love this verse because it holds together the story of God's salvation, sovereignty and timing (i.e., history) as a package deal. You can't have one without the others. Thus, the only Jesus that we should care about is the first century Jewish carpenter from Galilee. Certainly Jesus' status as God incarnate plays a role, but I would argue that you only get the latter in view when you've given appropriate effort to examining the significance of the former.

So where do we begin?

Millions of pages have been written on the historical Jesus, and hundreds of thousands more have been written in critique of those who have undertaken the quest. And, while most won't find all of the insights of those pages particularly helpful, one fact is inescapable and necessary for scholar and layperson alike: Jesus was a Jew.

I suspect I don't need to prove that to any of those who frequent this blog, but I would like to suggest that the implications of that small fact have rarely been considered by most pewsitters who read scripture.

As this post has already gone on too long, I would like to leave it here--looking forward to Part 5 in which I will discuss some of the Jewish aspects of Jesus that are too often ignored, why they matter and the personal difference that recognizing them has made in my own life. Part 5, then, will serve as a segue back into the issues more closely related to Surprised by Hope. Thus, Part 6 will examine the Jewish concept of resurrection and its relation to Jewish messianic thought. This will (I hope) bring us to the more practical implications of Wright's book for the mission of the church--maybe even in time for Easter! Wouldn't that be nice? I'd like to again thank all of you who are participating in the discussion and wrestling with the messy and beautiful business of living in a post-resurrection world.

May the life of Christ dwell in you richly.

Surprised by Hope Part 3: A King and a Kingdom

2008-02-29T09:27:00.010-05:00

There's no escape for you, except in someone else
Although you've already disappeared within yourself
The invisible man who's always changing clothes
It's all about taking the easy way out for you I suppose
~~Elliott Smith

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to comment thus far. It's been illuminating to get feedback and glean from your insights. I will try to answer as many of the questions as I can in turn.

JB noted that he wanted to hear more about a few of the points I made in my first post. Today I'd like to deal with some of the misconceptions that circle around the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven;" and, in doing so, I hope to answer some of the crucial points Cor brought up about "average Joe pewsitter." It should be noted that much of what will follow may be review for some of my readers, but I trust that you will all bear with me for the sake of those who may be new to this discussion.

The phrase "Kingdom of heaven" is only used in Matthew. It is an unquestioned fact of Biblical studies that the phrase "Kingdom of God" found in Mark and Luke are equivalent in both meaning and referent to Matthew's phrase. (The reason for Matthew's change from the text of Mark, which he likely used as a source, is an interesting topic but takes us too far afield at this point). And while most 'pewsitters' wouldn't question that fact, many read both phrases as referring to the afterlife because of the prevalent false understanding of the meaning of 'heaven' I discussed in Part 2. The practical result of this misreading is that all of Jesus' teaching that begins with the phrase, "The kingdom of God/heaven is like..." is read as a description of a posthumous spiritual reality.

Is such a reading warranted? If such a reading is not warranted, what is the right reading of such texts and how do we know? Does it really matter?

Having been shaped by Wright's writing over the past few years, I have come to the firm conclusion that such a reading is not warranted for a number of reasons (here I'm drawing on Wright's The New Testament and the People of God). First and foremost, the intracanonical evidence does not support such a reading. Whenever the idea is referenced in the Old Testament literature--particularly in the Psalms and in Isaiah, it always describes the idea of God once again becoming king of Israel (See in particular Psalms 145, 93, 96, 97 and Isaiah 33 and 52).

Second, no one within the world of first century Judaism would have understood the phrase that way. First century Jews were not looking for the end of the space time universe. Rather, they were anticipating God's deliverance from their present oppression. The phrase (or its lexical cousin "No King but God") were used in other first century writings, and it never referred to the end of the world--but rather, the end of the present state of affairs in which the Jews were ruled over by Gentile pagans. Wright comments on this in NTPG, p. 302:

"The kingdom of God" historically and theologically considered is a slogan whose basic meaning is the hope that Israel's God is going to rule Israel (and the whole world), and that Caesar, or Herod, or anyone else of their ilk, is not.

Interestingly enough, the enacting of this kingdom was not always associated with a messianic figure--an interesting discussion in its own right. Hopefully we can discuss that in a future post.

So, having established that neither history nor theology support a futuristic reading of the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven/God," what can we say are the affects of this popular misreading? First, such a reading neuters the radical call Jesus was making on his countrymen and contemporaries. Jesus favorite topic of teaching was the "Kingdom of God," and if he was just speaking about a new world order that will take place in the distant future, there is little reason anyone in his time would have been very upset about it. Or, to use Wright's terminology from Jesus and the Victory of God, such a Jesus would not have been "crucifiable." If the Jesus we read in the gospels wasn't a Jesus who radically challenged the power structures of his own time, we're reading a different gospel. And, by extension (and this is where it really hits the average 'pewsitter') if Jesus didn't radically challenge the power structures and priorities of his own time by inaugurating the rule and reign of God through his teaching of the kingdom, he has little hope of doing so in our own time.

Second, such a reading creates the impression that God did something powerful in and through Jesus 2000 years ago, but He hasn't shown any particular interest in humanity since--and he won't again until the end of time. A Jesus whose kingdom preaching refers only to end of time realities is a Jesus who has colluded with deists--he is an absentee landlord that can only help his followers endure the present evil instead of seeking to transform it. He is a Jesus who, with regard to the two important questions about salvation--"From What?" and "To What?"--can only answer the former with any kind convincing authority. He is a Jesus who reduces the work of the Holy Spirit to an afterthought. Bluntly, he is not a Jesus that can, in any sense, claim the title of "Lord" over this present world.

Let me be clear--Jesus will finally and ultimately institute the rule and reign of God in the new heavens and new earth. But to pretend that the bulk of Jesus' teaching was about this subject stretches the bounds of historical and theological plausibility beyond the breaking point. Our world needs a group of people, empowered by the Spirit, to join the mission of God by living every day in the realities that were made possible by Jesus' kingdom inauguration; it needs Christians to be people of the resurrection. It is to that vocation that scholar and pewsitter alike are called.

Surprised by Hope Part 2: Heaven Is A Place On Earth?

2008-02-27T15:51:00.008-05:00

Everybody knows
Everybody knows
Everybody knows
You only live a day
But it's brilliant anyway ~ Elliott Smith

No one debates the inescapable nature of death. As certain as taxes, each day we draw one day closer to our ultimate demise. So what follows that demise?

Let's just say the aforementioned universal consensus ends at that point.

Answers to the question range widely, but one very popular answer centers around the idea of "heaven." Most Christians would give this response concerning their own destiny, but Wright notes that the conceptions of heaven amongst Christians often bares little resemblance to that of the Biblical authors. What follows are some of the important places of departure between the prevailing Christian view of heaven and the Biblical accounts:

1. The most important thing about heaven is its essence, not it's geography. In the Jewish conception, heaven was that place where God's will for God's creation happened perfectly. Thus, the state of affairs of that place--its Lordship, if you will--was the primary thing of interest to the Biblical authors when they referred to heaven .

2. It follows from this that when the reign of God is enacted on earth, heaven and earth can and do overlap. The places of that overlap can be seen throughout the scriptures, most notably in the holy of holies in the Jewish temple. Not to mention, Jesus taught his followers to pray for that overlap--"...Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

3. The eternal dwelling place of the faithful is not heaven. Rather, a post-resurrection new heavens and new earth (a la Isaiah 65 - 66; Revelation 21 - 22) are God's plan for the future. Probably my favorite quote from the book stems from this truth: "Heaven is nice, but it's not the end of the world."

4. The idea of humans leaving earth at the end of time is a misnomer with no Biblical evidence to support it. The new Jerusalem, the heavenly city, comes down to earth. Thus,the overlap of heaven and earth will be ultimately be perfected.

So what's the problem? Are these misconceptions really that big of a deal? I would argue that, when combined with the spirit/matter dualism (Gnosticism) described in my last post, the results can be disastrous, not least in the musical worship of our churches.

As a worship leader, I have noticed how often this dualistic Gnosticism plagues the writing of our hymns and choruses. Here are some of the more egregious examples:

When the shadows of this life have grown, I'll fly away
Like a bird from these prison walls, I’ll fly, I'll fly away
I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away (in the morning)
When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away (From I'll Fly Away)

God is bigger than the air I breathe
The world we'll leave
God will save the day and all will say
My glorious! (From My Glorious)

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine (From Christ Tomlin's Amazing Grace)

Certainly, the effects have been felt in the preaching realm just as much as that of music. But I figured this would be a good start to the discussion. Do you agree that there is a heaven confusion? If so, where have you seen it happen?

Surprised by Hope Part 1: A Gnostic in Orthodox Clothing?

2008-02-26T08:29:00.005-05:00

N.T. Wright’s new book on heaven, resurrection and the basis for Christian hope was borne out of his conviction that there are two broad misunderstandings currently at work with regard to popular Christian eschatology. In this post, I will treat the first which I have called "A Gnostic in Orthodox Clothing."

This view is (typically) that of the conservative Biblicist who, though he/she believes firmly in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, misunderstands greatly the significance and implications of that event. For this group of people, Jesus’ rise from the grave amounts to little more than a decisive demonstration of God’s power--a confirmation of the atoning efficaciousness of Good Friday. Further, the logic of this group usually follows the pattern that, "Jesus resurrection proves that there is a heaven, and the reward of every Christian soul will be to (someday) follow Jesus to that place after death."

In the interest of evenhandedness, I'll point out a few of the strengths of this position:

Belief in the power of God to raise Jesus from the dead (over-against those who dismiss such an accomplishment on 'scientific' grounds)
A commitment to reading the gospel accounts as if they (more or less) accurately record actual historical events
Belief in God's commitment to the plight of human beings and His atoning action

There may be others, but these are the major ones that I see. Now, let's look at some of the weaknesses of this position:

An insufficient understanding of Jesus' Jewishness and the significance thereof
A shallow understanding of the history of Israel with regard to the categorical importance of the title "Messiah" or "Christ"
A complete misunderstanding of the function of 'resurrection' in the minds of the Biblical authors
A misreading of many parables and Matthews phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" as having an "end times" referent
In the more extreme versions of this position (see the absurdly popular "Left Behind" series as a categorical exemplar), a complete abdication of earthly Christan responsibility to any other task than "soul-saving"
An intractable spirit/matter dualism--more the product of Platonic heritage than Biblical study--in which the important aspect of salvation is the soul's eventual escape to an otherworldly paradise (heaven).

There are other weakness of this position, friends. And I wish I could say Wright is off course in his assessment. The problem is that this kind of eschatology is my heritage--and it is certainly the heritage of many within my Non-denominational/Evangelical Free/Baptist tradition.

Out of the entire list, the last is the most disturbing of all because it unknowingly dismantles the basis for and the sustenance of Christian hope. The logic often goes something like this:

We are saved (to a non-physical heaven in the future)
by grace through faith (so none or our deeds actually matter in an eternal sense)
and nothing can snatch us from the Father's hand. (so endure this difficult physical life and look forward to the spiritual life of the future)
And, someday, when we get to heaven (the really important thing about living life in the first place)
we'll just praise God all day long (because we're unclear about what life hereafter would entail other than that).

Granted, there are variations within this stream of thought; but I'm confident that the above description is not a straw man. In the coming days I will treat each of the issues this position raises in greater detail.

It should be said at this point that my own interaction with Wright's book is one of (nearly) unanimous agreement. For those who have discussed these issues with me in the past, that will come as little surprise for two reasons. First you've heard me squawk endlessly about the need for a shift in Christian eschatological view and praxis. Wright simply stated the issues in a more eloquent, organized and succinct manner than I could have. Second, Wright is as good a Biblical scholar as there is in the field--his depth of wisdom and insight is the product of both lifelong academic study and lifelong pastoral responsibility. His commitment to both is the reason I've come to trust his point of view to such a large extent.

I look forward to interaction with any and everyone on these issues. As Christians, I firmly believe we can't make sense of the present until we know where it's going.

Surprised by Hope: An Introduction

2008-02-25T18:33:00.004-05:00

Hello, Friends.

To my memory, I have never made an explicit book recommendation on this blog--117 entries, according to blogger, and not once have I suggested some light reading for those of you who love/tolerate the (far too infrequent) posts in this little corner of cyberspace.

All of that is changing today.

N.T. Wright's new book, Surprised By Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection and the Mission of the Church, should be required reading for all those who submit to the Lordship of Jesus--and all of those who have dismissed Christianity because of the apparent disconnect between the teachings of its leader and the actions of his followers.

For those who may be turned off by heady works of academic theology, fear not. This book is written at a popular level so that academic and parishioner alike can rejoice together in the wisdom it contains. No elitism here.

I will be discussing this book in some detail in the coming days on this blog, and I would love to have others join in the conversation. Note--you are welcome and encouraged to discuss regardless of whether or not you've read the book. But I am confident you will all benefit deeply from reading.

I'll beg if I have to, but hopefully it won't come to that.

I Leave Town for FIVE MINUTES...

2008-02-20T22:51:00.002-05:00

...AND YOU BURN DOWN MY FAVORITE PUB!?!

This is like a bad dream.

Seriously.

I want to know who's responsible for this. Brad? Jerod? Alan or Naomi? Dave? Perhaps Zach?

Whichever one of you forgot to blow out your candle last night must step forward and fess up immediately. And, I demand that you kids get that mess cleaned up before I get back to town.

The clock's ticking.

Blah Di Blah

2008-02-19T20:07:00.001-05:00

Sorry, friends. I just haven't felt like writing much lately. I'll get back on the horse eventually, I promise.

Hmmm...

2008-02-04T21:39:00.000-05:00

I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking, "He was just looking for an excuse to use that graphic. He can't possibly have a relevant reason for posting that (other than it being very, very funny)."

Well, friends, you're only half right in that assessment of my motivations. I was, indeed looking for a reason to use that graphic, and today I hit the relevance jackpot.

Apparently running into internationally renown people is becoming a habit for me. Today, I was minding my own business at work--and who should ask for a large, skim, decaf latte but Rick Warren. Wow. I thought being one of the world's best selling authors would allow a person to live it up a bit more. Maybe Skim and Decaf are the price of fame...

Regardless...

Mr. Warren grabbed my hand, gave it a hearty shake and announced his name to me. The only similarity to my meeting with Bono is that I didn't really know what to say to this guy either--but for totally different reasons. With Bono, I was flat out star struck. With Warren I was just ambivalent. So, I said the only thing that came to mind:

"I enjoyed your interview on the Colbert Report."

He smiled uncomfortably as if to say I had brought up an awkward subject. It seems as if Mr. Warren was feeling some ambivalence of his own. I did, however, refrain from commenting about the 'B-list' guests on the comedy shows these days (with the writer's strike and all). I guess you take what you can get, right? And nothing is more 'purpose driven' than that.

Moving On In Stupid Optimism

2008-02-04T07:50:00.000-05:00

There was a sporting event last night.

The underdogs won, the seemingly unbeatable titans fell...

Blah, Blah, Blah.

And, even though it was one of the most excitingly competitive Super Bowls in recent memory, the best play of the game (in my opinion) was Eli Manning kneeling down on that final play. Not because it secured victory for the Giants, but because it symbolized and signaled an even greater existential truth:

IT'S BASEBALL SEASON!!!

That's right friends. No matter which MLB team you follow you have reason to cheer--after all, your team is currently undefeated and in first place in its division. Your team is just as likely as any other team in its division to go to the playoffs.

Now, if that sounds like the delusions of a Santana-less Twins fan...it is. I may be grasping at straws here, but I need some kind of hope, and the freshness of a new season provides that for me. So, for all of you 'seam-heads' out there, I got you a little gift to help bide your time between now and the first Spring Training game. You're welcome.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.7is7.com/otto/countdown.html?year=2008&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;month=3&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;date=28&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hrs=12&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ts=24&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;min=05&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;sec=0&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;tz=local&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;title=Twins%20Baseball%20Begins%20In...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lang=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;show=dhms&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;mode=r&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;cdir=down&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;bgcolor=%23CCFFFF&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;fgcolor=%23000000"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Twins Baseball Begins In...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

In Which My Posture Towards Pop Culture Gets Deconstructed

2008-02-01T17:51:00.001-05:00

You know...I've often been accused of music snobbery. And, I have to admit it's justified. One need only to peruse the music related entries on this blog to see it.

However, it's good to know that--not only am I in good company--but someone was clever enough to encapsulate the "indie rock elitist mentality" in a diagram on a t-shirt.

Absolutely brilliant.

I hear that this t-shirt is standard issue at Pitchfork.

In Which My Sports Related Ire Is Evoked

2008-01-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

If this story is true, and I have little reason to believe it isn't, I am angry.

Let's get this straight. We traded the best pitcher in baseball for four guys who haven't seen an inning of major league baseball. And, we didn't even get the best guy that the Mets had to offer.

How could this have happened??!! In December there were packages led by Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester and Phil Hughes. And now we get four no-names that MAY AT SOME POINT be ready for the major leagues?

I'm too upset to type more.

In Which I Forget This Day Ever Happened

2008-01-28T16:41:00.000-05:00

Things that happened to me today at work:

I dropped an unopened gallon of whole milk onto the floor. It broke open and spilled everywhere. And, I do mean everywhere.
I cleaned up that spilled milk but DID NOT cry over it.
I had to boot out a bunch of high school kids who, despite management's best efforts to the contrary, insist upon using Ebenezer's Coffeehouse as their lunchroom. I did my best to be civil; but I'm afraid that in the end it came across as something akin to, "YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN!!!"
I got into a brief and bizarre argument with a deaf mute over a large iced tea. I could explain the details of that one, but it wouldn't make any more sense than the one sentence description I just gave.

On days like this I just have to go home, shake my head and remember that tomorrow is a fresh day with fresh possibilities.

EEEElioooott!

2008-01-26T16:58:00.000-05:00

I think cobwebs were beginning to form in this corner of cyberspace, friends. Sorry for the blogging lapse--while I accomplished very little that benefited the Speckled Mind, I (hopefully) just cleared the last hurdle for my Master's Degree by finishing my Statement of Faith.

But enough about me. Let's talk about music that I like.

At the end of last year, I got an issue of Rolling Stone that listed Liam Finn as an up and coming artist. Usually I don't find RS to be a very good barometer for new and exciting music (note--they did a feature on the Sex Pistols earlier this year. Way to stay relevant, folks). But, in this case I have to tip my hat to them. They described Liam Finn formula as follows:And in my opinion, any time you put Elliott Smith into the equation, you're bound to come out in the black.

It really is an apt description of Finn. There are places on his new album, I'll Be Lightning, when he sounds so much like the late Elliott Smith that it's spooky. Like "Elliott came back to life and found a new body to live in" spooky. He's not quite the guitarist that Smith was, but Finn's vocals are stronger and the tunefulness of the two is a dead heat (or was that "Heatmiser?")

I bought the CD on Tuesday and haven't stopped listening to it yet. The single, 'Second Chance' is spectacular even after dozens of listens (free download here). To be honest, there isn't a skippable track on the album. I think my favorite though is the last track on this record, 'Shadow of Your Man.' It's a hauntingly beautiful and weighty piano ballad about the unrequited love for a friend's girlfriend. Whatever you do, pay the 99 cents for that song.

Hope you Liam Finn as much as I do.

Holiness of God...

2008-01-18T09:47:00.001-05:00

I'm working on my Statement of Faith right now (so that I can graduate from Bethel), and a thought occurred to me. I would love to get feedback from others who like to wax theological.

Are the attributes 'holy' and 'unchangeable' really just two ways of saying the same thing when used in reference to God?

After all, God ordered the universe and set it up according to the laws and principles which he deemed right/just/good. Thus, God's adherence to the maintenance of everything in accordance with rightness/justness/goodness which we often call 'holiness' is nothing more than consistent adherence to the system He created.

Basically, then, God's 'holiness' boils down to nothing more than this: God always plays the game by the rules.

It's just a musing...thought I'd cast it out there and see what ya'll think.

Why Does The Mississippi River Flow South?

2008-01-17T20:21:00.000-05:00

Ah, Iowa.

Jess and I had to unexpectedly return to the Midwest this past week to mourn the passing of her 95 year old grandma, Jeanne Spellmeyer.

A number of interesting things happened while we were there. First--and I can't possibly say this forcefully enough--it is impossible to get a decent cup of coffee in the state of Iowa. What they refer to as 'coffee' is little more than hot brown water (light brown). Weak coffee always puzzles me immensely. Why can't everyone just make stronger coffee and then ADD WATER TO IT later if they like it weaker?! It's far better to do it that way, because if it's made weak, I have no options for making it stronger.

I did finally find a Starbucks on our way out of the state though...which was better, but it still had weak coffee for a Starbucks...

Second, be sure to take a close look at the photo in this post (from a restaurant menu). It was taken at a restaurant in Eagle Grove, IA (the ONLY restaurant in Eagle Grove, I might add); it was called 'The Family Table.' Apparently a 'veggie burger' in Iowa still includes a 1/3 lb. patty of ground beef. Also note that it was strategically placed on the menu between the 'Bacon Cheeseburger' and 'The Tonner'. Absolutely spectacular.

Third, one thing I did appreciate about Iowa was its cheap movie tickets. A few of the Ovel cousins and I saw I Am Legend at a theater in Clarion, IA. It cost 2 bucks. Just think--if I lived in Iowa I could see 8 movies on the big screen for the cost of one flick as a DC resident.

But then, of course, I'd have to live in Iowa (insert joke here).

"Bluetooth" or "Crazy?"

2008-01-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

You know what, friends?

Not everyone who uses a bluetooth headset is as suave or put together as this guy.

In fact, I've been rather confused lately by the lack of distinction between bluetooth users and the completely insane street people of Washington DC.

Now, at first you might think it would be easy to tell if a person is having a conversation with someone over their cellular device or they are schizophrenic.

But I gotta tell ya, these Washingtonians are throwing me for a loop. It's gotten to the point that I can't judge whether it's 'bluetooth' or 'crazy' from a distance of more than twenty feet. And, of course, there is always the very real possibility that the answer to the question is 'both'...like this guy.

So This Is The New Year...

2008-01-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

*strums guitar*

"...and I don't feel any different."

Seriously--how else was I going to start my first post of 2008? Besides, Death Cab for Cutie deserve my advertising--and they've got a new album set to release in May of this year.

Lots of other things to say, many of which could fill a post of their own..but who's got the time? So, without further ado, here's another edition of the Speckled Mind's often-imitated but never duplicated "Bits and Pieces."

Jess and I celebrated our five year anniversary yesterday. She makes me happy in ways I can't express in words. My speechlessness should be evidence enough of how remarkable a woman she is.
Speaking of Jess, she was typing an email the other day that referenced 'Bethel.' The dictionary didn't recognize that word, and in its place suggested she change it to 'Brothel.' This confirms many of the suspicions I had about the undergrad female dress code while I was employed there.
I got a lot of comments on my post about meeting Bono. But none of them funnier than this one from Peter:
tim - i don't know you, i'm friends with matt glatzel. but i have to say that meeting bono is cool, even if you did end you post with some of the worst writing bono's ever done. that's the shittiest u2 song ever.
Well, 'Peter whom I don't know', there were a number of U2 song titles that just didn't make the thematic cut. "Where the Streets Have No Name" seemed silly because it happened on the corner of F and 2nd. "Mysterious Ways" was also a bad choice--Bono seemed like a pretty normal guy. "With or Without You" seemed a bit melodramatic for the occasion. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" would have been odd because the incident happened on a relatively peaceful Friday afternoon. I could go on and on here Peter. The point is that the title fit the theme I was shooting for, regardless of the song's relative 'shittiness' in comparison to others Bono has written.
Thanks to all who read and commented on my Best of 2007 music blog. I enjoyed all of your comments immensely and appreciated those of you who took time to craft a list of your own. 2007 was a great year for music; I'm looking forward to many new releases in 2008; among them--Anathallo, Death Cab for Cutie, and Counting Crows (first new LP in 6 years!).
I really hope the Twins trade Santana soon so I can get on with the rest of my life. Please, please, please don't blow this, Bill Smith. Please.
Speaking of Baseball, The first Twins spring training game is less than 8 weeks away. Not that my favorite squad will necessarily be a contender this year. I'm just glad it's gonna be baseball season again soon.
I bought a new battery for my laptop while I was in Minneapolis. It makes me smile--I went from 12 minutes of battery life to 5 1/2 hours of battery life.
Call it 'Tapas,' call it 'Dim Sum' or call it anything else you like. It's a fantastic way to have a meal. We had tapas with some friends tonight in Alexandria at a restaurant called 'La Tosca' and it was sublime.
The Daily show and The Colbert Report are coming back with new episodes (minus their writers, of course) on Monday. As luck would have it, Jess and I get comedy central in our apartment for free. It's good that something is free in this city.
Congrats to all my recently engaged friends, including Brad and Christine, Chris and Tara, Andrew and Emily, Rob and Mindy. Seems like a good summer for weddings. I *really* appreciate you all waiting until I moved thousands of miles away to plan an event those events...
I hope to do a 'New Year's Resolution' blog sometime soon, so I won't pull back the curtain on those just yet.

I guess that'll do for now. If you stop by here and read the posts, I'd love to get your feedback. Just say hello if nothing else. It's good to know who's on the receiving end of these blogs.

Guest Blogging

2007-12-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

giiii n nhyhbrzfdn M< me bn mhn nkv

********

That guest blog was brought to you by my 5 month old nephew, Philip Johnson. What can I say, the kid's got a future...

Good Music Year: Best of 2007

2007-12-14T16:16:00.001-05:00

Another year is drawing to a close, friends, and that means it's time once again to review this year's good music. There was a lot of it this year. In fact, there was too much good music to limit to a 'top ten' list, so I'm gonna go with my top 15 this year. I hope you'll join me as I run them down. A few things before we begin:

Last year's housekeeping items apply to this year as well.
Paste Magazine published their top 100.
Metacritic has tabulated the 30 Best Reviewed Albums of 2007.
Pitchfork published their top 50.
The 89.3 The Current will be counting down their top 89 albums of the year on January 1, playing one song from each of the albums. Last year it was spectacular. I encourage you not to miss it (you can stream it online here).
The (ever-snobby) NPR podcast has an hour breakdown of their favorites of the year.

Now, without further ado...

*****

15. A Weekend In The City by Bloc Party

Bloc Party is a relatively new band to me. Their 2005 debut album, Silent Alarm garnered wide praise from a number of critics. I, however was not one who took notice of the band that year. What can I say, there were just so many other good albums occupying my attention that year. Nevertheless, when I heard 'Waiting for the 7.18' for the first time, I was hooked. Bloc Party is lyrically provocative ('Where is Home'), rhythmically and harmonically creative ('The Prayer') and can rock out with the best of 'em (Song for Clay [Disappear Here]). And, of course, lead singer Kele Okereke is dreamy. You can't go wrong with these guys right now, and I have a feeling that their best days are still ahead of them.

Standout Album Track: 'Song For Clay [Disappear Here]'

14. 'Once' Soundtrack by Glen Hansard et al.

Watch this film. Seriously. I promise that doing so will make you a better musician by osmosis (sort of like what happens if you happen to shake hands with Bono). Both Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova give amazing performances in what might be the best musical of our generation. And, if you think that's an overstatement, watch the film. But, as I found out when I saw it for the first time, you'll be better off if you can watch it with subtitles; some of the accents are impossible to decode without them.

The soundtrack to the film is beautifully minimalistic, preserving the journey of the two fragile main characters in a profoundly authentic way. The songs on this album have a delicacy and honesty to them that dramatically outshines the versions found on The Frames' (Hansard's band) 2007 album The Cost. If you see the film and want to preserve the memory in musical form, I highly recommend getting the soundtrack to the film instead of the full band interpretations found on The Cost.

Standout Track: 'When Your Mind's Made Up'

13. Mice Parade by Mice Parade

Paste Magazine turned me on to this fun little experimental - electronica - post-rock band from New York. And if you're thinking, "Hmmm...Mice Parade is a strange name for a band," you're right. It turns out that the brainchild of this project, Adam Pierce, couldn't come up with a good band name, so he made an anagram out of his own name. Brilliant.

If you like music that's creative but very laid back and pretty user-friendly, Mice Parade is a great band to check out. The tracks on this album--which, though it is self-titled, is actually the band's seventh release--range from the haunting ('Double Dolphins on the Nickel') to the beautiful ('Circle None'). And, speaking of 'the beautiful,' this is definitely one of my favorite album covers of the year.

Standout Track: 'The Tales of Las Negras'

12. The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

For those of you who have never visited before, welcome to Beirut! I am admittedly a bit late to the party on this band. Beirut's 2006 effort Gulag Orkestar didn't cross my radar screen until it was far too late to be included in my 'Best of 2006' list; it certainly would have gotten a nod had my head not been in the sand.

So what does young this band sound like? Imagine you and all of your middle-aged Balkan Gypsy friends went to a bar together, each of you brought an instrument (trumpet, accordion, guitar, etc.), you had about four drinks each and were still able to make beautiful music. That's what Beirut sounds like. The weird part is that Zach Condon is a 21 year old kid from Sante Fe, New Mexico. I should give a disclaimer--this band is not for everyone. My wife, for instance, would second the description I gave minus the 'beautiful music' part. Getting into this band takes work, but I promise it will be worth it. Beirut is making music unlike anything else you'll find.

Standout Track: 'In The Mausoleum'

11. In Our Bedroom After The War By Stars

The band Stars is part of the burgeoning Canadian indie rock scene that has produced such acts as The Arcade Fire, Feist, Metric and Broken Social Scene. Stars' sound is best described as 'Chamber Pop'--a delicate blend of indie and classical music sensibilities. Lead singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Milan seamlessly interact in many of the songs, creating a call and response aesthetic on such tracks as 'Personal' and 'Midnight Coward.' If you're looking for sheer vocal beauty, it doesn't get much better than Stars' unique brand of tunefulness. However, in the interest of full disclosure, if you're going to purchase one Stars album, make it 2005's Set Yourself On Fire. You won't be sorry.

Standout Track: 'Midnight Coward'

10. Cassadaga By Bright Eyes

Conor Oberst got all 'new-age' on me this year. This album is full of references to energy, psychics, palm readings, etc. Dude is crazy. He's also skinny, pretty, misunderstood, angry, and sad...which means that he's still making great indie rock music.

Making great music, of course, is something to which the 27 year old Oberst has grown very accustomed. Cassadaga is his 10th full length album under the Bright Eyes moniker (not to mention a few dozen singles/EP's), and he has recorded a host of other albums under different band names; his creative output is startling. Even more startling is the number of songs/albums that are of the highest quality and integrity. Oberst has become the poster child for the emo/indie rock scene and has drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan for his ability to wax poetically on all the pertinent social issues of the day. For those unfamiliar with his work, I highly recommend picking up this album--it is one of the most accessible he has made and shows a marked increase in the maturity of an already mature singer/ songwriter/ producer/ record label pioneer. Oh, and I couldn't finish this entry without my favorite lyric of the year (from 'Soul Singer in a Session Band')

I had a lengthy discussion about the power of myth
With a postmodern author who didn't exist
In this fictitious world all reality twists
I was a hopeless romantic, now I'm just turning tricks

Standout Track: 'Coat Check Dream Song'

9. Sky Blue Sky By Wilco

Like Conor Oberst, Jeff Tweedy is another seasoned veteran in the music business; Sky Blue Sky is his sixth studio LP under the Wilco banner. Almost everyone I know who is 'really into music' likes Wilco, but until recently I had held out on getting into this band. After all, how many bands can one person really follow?

Apparently one more.

My friend Zach handed me this album earlier this year and said, "You'll be hooked after the first seven seconds." So I put Sky Blue Sky in my car's CD player on the way home and listened as Jeff Tweedy's voice delicately sang the first line of 'Either Way', "Maybe the sun will shine today...." Zach was spot-on. I was hooked, and you will be too--it turns out that there's a lot more to like on Sky Blue Sky than just the first seven seconds.

Standout Track: 'Either Way'

8. Sound of Silver By LCD Soundsystem

This is not the kind of music I usually go for. It's basically a dance album. But this isn't your average Britney Spears (now, if that's not a contradiction in terms, I don't know what is...) dance album. On this nine track disc, James Murphy combines the rhythmical attention to detail of someone like Jimmy Tamborello with the biting lyrical wit of someone like Ben Folds and then dusts the whole thing with indie rock sensibilities of a group like Death Cab for Cutie. If that amalgamation sounds interesting to you, LCD Soundsystem is a band you should check out. Many critics have referred to this record as being "perfectly crafted," and I can't help but agree. It's just one great track after another. If there hadn't been so many good records this year, Sound of Silver definitely would have been in my top five.

Oh, and for as much as my wife hates Beirut, she loves this band. I don't think she's listened to anything else since I bought it last month.

Standout Track: 'New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down'

7. The Reminder By Feist

Time for a bit of honesty, friends. Everyone who bought this album because the iPod commercial featuring '1234' told them to, you can confess under the Comments section at the end of this post.

Just kidding.

There really is no bad reason to buy this album, and there are over a dozen good ones. Leslie Feist is definitely on her way up, thanks in no small part to the aforementioned advertising and some spectacular musical sensibilities. The Reminder was recorded in an old country house just outside of Paris. Feist wanted to get a big, spacious feel to these laid back tunes, so she put microphones all over the place and just let them record the ambient noise as she played. Fortunately for her (and for us), the tactic achieved the exact effect she was hoping for. So, whether you're looking for sweet pop ('1234'), indie folk ('Intuition') or the musical equivalent of sipping your favorite drink at a pub ('Brandy Alexander') you can't go wrong with The Reminder.

Standout Track: Brandy Alexander

6. The Shepherd's Dog By Iron & Wine

Sam Beam, the man responsible for the brilliance of Iron & Wine, has a number of things going for him. First, he is a phenomenal songwriter, producer and performer. Second, he has a beard that can sport up to eight or nine woodland creatures at a time. Seriously--look at that thing. It's amazing. I think they could film an entire Disney movie inside of that guy's beard.

Beam is remarkable in terms of both beard and bard, and the latter has never been more evident than on his new album The Shepherd's Dog. Though it's more eclectic, high-fi and adventurous (in terms of arrangements), Iron & Wine has lost nothing of the musical sensibility that made 2002's The Creek Drank the Cradle or 2004's Our Endless Numbered Days a hit with folk lovers everywhere. The haunting and hypnotic single, 'Boy With a Coin' is easily my favorite track of the year.

Standout Track: 'Boy With a Coin'

5. Armchair Apocrypha By Andrew Bird

If there's one guy who can challenge The Decemberists' front man, Colin Meloy, for the title 'King of Lit. Rock,' it's Andrew Bird. Bird approaches the songwriting task with a mind-boggling aptitude for rhyming couplet novelty. Here are just a few: sycophants/elephants; closeness/mitosis; mezzanine/Dramamine; Sarmacians/Thracians. The best part about this literary fortitude is that it isn't gratuitous--Bird's vocabulary serves him well as he twists tales about the rise and fall of military machines ('Scythian Empires'), existence and location of the soul ('Darkmatter') or fear of dying in a plane crash ('Fiery Crash').

Did I mention he can whistle?

Andrew Bird commented in a recent article that the California whistling champion once contacted him and asked him, "Do you want to jam sometime?" So, whether you're looking for great songwriting, whistling skills or more ten dollar words than you can shake a stick at, Armchair Apocrypha is an album you shouldn't pass up.

Standout Track: 'Scythian Empires'

4. Marry Me By St. Vincent

Many of you probably haven't heard of Annie Clark before; you're also unlikely to have heard of her band, St. Vincent. But that certainly doesn't mean she's a newcomer to the indie rock scene. In fact, she's done time in some very well known groups in the past few years, including The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens' Illinoisemakers. But it would appear she is through playing second fiddle.

On this, her first full length album, Clark explodes onto the scene as an artist who demands to be known by her contemporaries. Marry Me is an intelligent, tactful and highly creative art-rock album that often defies conceptualization. I don't want to give the impression that Marry Me has a steep learning curve--it is actually surprisingly accessible. On this record, Clark doesn't just write songs, she paints pictures--and each one is the kind of artwork a person could stare at all day long without experiencing the fullness therein.

Standout Track: 'Now , Now'

3. In Rainbows By Radiohead

Much has been said about the ways in which Radiohead have single-handedly changed the music industry with their approach to this album. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the short version--rather than signing on with a new record label to record, promote and release In Rainbows, Radiohead decided to do it all themselves...and to allow users to decide how much they wanted to pay for the digital download of In Rainbows' ten tracks. Rumors have flown hot and heavy about how much the band made in the first couple of days this experiment, but the band hasn't yet released any stats, so we'll have to wait and see how it turned out (if they ever decide to tell us).

One thing is for certain, however. Radiohead still makes great music. Really great music, and they are doing it exactly how they want in terms of the creative process, the recording and the marketing. Radiohead are in many ways determining the future of the music industry with their every action--it should be fun to watch what the next few years will bring in that respect. Was this experiment a novelty or the way of the future? Only time will tell. But don't make the mistake of thinking that this was some kind of publicity stunt to cover for a weak album. In Rainbows is a tour de force of things I've always enjoyed about the band (and it manages to avoid many of the things that turned me off about them). And, though the band's website is no longer allowing digital downloads of the album (and iTunes doesn't sell it) I'm quite confident you'll be able to find it somewhere else on the world wide web.

Standout Track: 'Weird Fishes/Arpeggi'

2. New Moon By Elliott Smith

There's just so much that can be said about Elliott Smith. And, since he's been dead for four years now--this being his SECOND posthumous record (and I don't expect another anytime soon)--I hope you'll indulge me while I ramble on about this record and why Elliott Smith is my favorite artist of all time.

New Moon is a 2 disc collection (24 songs) of some of Elliott Smith's songs that didn't make it onto his other LP's or EP'; some are primitive versions of songs that did make it onto those other records (notable are early versions of 'Pretty Mary K' and the Good Will Hunting theme, 'Miss Misery'). If you're anything like me (and you're probably not) you will gawk as you listen to this record thinking, "How in the world did songs this good hit the cutting room floor?!"

Most of these tracks are just Elliott and his guitar--not that they lose anything from the minimalism of the production. He can create higher emotional highs and lower emotional lows with sparser instrumentation than anyone I've ever heard. 'Talking to Mary' is a great example. When the song climaxes at the bridge, "It's no problem, I'll just keep quiet if it's easier for you..." you can't help but feel your heart will break from emotional loneliness along with his. Though melancholy is the primary emotion of the album, it's not all sadness on New Moon--songs like 'Thirteen,' 'Either/Or' and 'First Timer' bring about a pleasant existential nostalgia.

Elliott Smith's shockingly sad suicide in October of 2003 left the musical world with a void it has yet to fill. Rest in peace, Elliott. Thanks for one last album.

Standout Track: 'New Monkey'

1. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank By Modest Mouse

...and the winner is Modest Mouse! Congrats to Isaac Brock and the rest of the boys. First of all, if you've been a half-hearted fan of this band or flat out disliked them, We Were Dead... provides a great opportunity to jump (back) in--the water has never been more perfect (that's my subtle nod to the ever present nautical/aquatic theme that pervades this album...)! Nor, for that matter, has this band's songwriting, arranging, lyrics or production.

Adding notable Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr plays a big part in helping the ease of access factor for new listeners on this album. Also helpful is the fact that Brock sings more and keeps the grunting and screaming--usually a staple of MM fare--to a minimum. There is an undeniable tunefulness in this album that I'm confident will win over anyone to Modest Mouse fandom.

I think the thing that impresses me most about We Were Dead... is its depth and complexity. There is a new place to get lost every time you listen to it. Particularly impressive in this respect are the band's lyrics. Subtle lyrical changes in the chorus lyrics of 'Dashboard' and 'We've Got Everything' (with great background vocals by James Mercer of The Shins) keep these songs from getting tired after multiple listens. Also contributing to the beauty of this album is Brock's grasp of imagery and irony in his lyric writing. Aspiring songwriters should take note of the way Brock twists a tale.

I think this album will continue to get frequent play on my iPod well into the 2008 and 2009 musical years. I honestly never tire of it, and I trust you won't either.

Standout Track: 'Spitting Venom'

*****

Some of you may have noticed that I always provide links to buy the 'Standout Tracks' on iTunes. It turns out that iTunes also allows you to customize a playlist in their store. So, if you find my music tastes to be worthwhile, you can click here and buy all my 'Standout Tracks' from 2007 (excluding Radiohead, which is unavailable on iTunes and Once, which is only available as a full album).

Happy 2007, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

Some Days Are Better Than Others

2007-12-14T12:52:00.000-05:00

So there I was.

Like any other Friday at 11:40 I was heading home from work, walking through Union Station toward the Metro, when I was stopped suddenly in my tracks.

It was like I had walked into a brick wall.

At first, I thought I was mistaken. Was it really him, or just someone that looked like him? But any doubt in my mind was instantly erased by the sunglasses he was wearing (indoors) and the guitar he was carrying.

"Holy expletive," I thought. "I just walked past Bono."

Seriously, THE Bono. The one, the only. The rockstar, the maker of world peace, the founder of the One campaign. The subject of many, many blog entries by the myriad of crazy U2 fan-boys. So, I did what any self respecting music fan would have done at that point.

I turned around and followed him.

Fortunately I didn't have to stalk him for very long. He was just getting in line at the cab stand outside of Union Station. That's when the debate began. Because, I didn't want to be that guy. You know which one I'm talking about. The one who goes up to a well-known celebrity and makes a complete ass of himself.

And believe me, friends, I have the potential to be that guy.

At first, I decided I would just walk away. Maybe it was enough to tell my friends that I had seen Bono. But then I realized I could never forgive myself if I didn't at least say hello. So, abandoning my fears and throwing caution to the wind, I walked up to the most famous rock star in the world.

I said hello and then told him, "I have a number of friends who would literally kill me if I didn't at least shake your hand."

He laughed, shook my hand, looked into my eyes and said, "Be Well." I thanked him and walked away (with my dignity intact, I might add).

The moments following that meeting are still a bit foggy to me. I think I just wandered aimlessly around Union Station saying to myself (or, possibly out loud--I don't really remember), "Did I really just shake Bono's hand?!"

It was one of the most surreal moments of my life. Words fail me; I'll let Bono take it from here:

Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others

In Which My Old Man Calls Me Out...

2007-12-12T13:39:00.000-05:00

I got an email from my dad this morning:

Tim-
So, the Colorado church shootings deal: Was one of the big questions for you- Why was there an armed guard at the church...what does the church need an armed guard that considers killing as OK- and where are you in this non-violent discussion?
DAD

Some of you may recall the non-violence discussion my dad was referencing from a blog I posted last month. It's a good question, and I definitely appreciate that my dad is trying to keep me honest to the real world as I work through the issue of the Christian's duty to be nonviolent in a violent world. So, a few thoughts on this issue.

First, it should be said that this was a terrible situation for all involved. We lament the passing of all the deceased, including the antagonist in this situation.

Second, I would love to hear some more background (as my dad alluded to in his email)--what led to the decision to have a guard on the church's campus? What led to having an ARMED guard on the church's campus? Etc., etc., etc. I want to hear a full explanation of the church's rationale for feeling that they needed that kind of protection. Then, I would be interested to find out if these issues arose as a product of managing a church as large as New Life. After all, I've never heard of a church of 200 - 500 people having an armed guard. My suspicion is that the factors leading to the church having an armed guard were not directly related to the gospel of Christ or the Kingdom of God but had a lot to do with managing the realities of a church of 10,000 people. It's just a hunch.

Third, in terms of a discussion about nonviolence as a Christian norm, we must not allow this issue to be framed as a 'lesser of two evils' quandary. Our only options here should not have been 1) Shoot the gunman so that he doesn't kill any more church members; or 2) Refrain from a violent response and allow the gunman to kill more church members. Such binary reductionist thinking does not take into consideration any of the questions listed above. Such thinking is also fatalistic in the extreme because it does not consider what could have been done to prevent such a situation in the first place. It's a bit like three men getting lost in the wilderness because they didn't bring a map for their journey, burning all of their food to stay warm and then having the audacity to assume that their only options are 1) to starve; or 2) to draw straws to see which of them will be killed and eaten. The decisions made further upstream must occupy the thrust of our attention with regard to the ethics of the situation.

So, with all of these things in mind, I think it's wise to turn to scripture. Two passages came to mind immediately. First, Luke 19: 41 - 44:

41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

I could spend ten pages on the exegesis of these verses, but I think only a few things bear specific mention. First, Jesus is clearly referring to the impending destruction of both the temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. He wept because he knew that the Zealots would incite violence against the Romans, trusting that God would protect them and His holy city. However, their confidence was sorely misplaced, as both Jesus' prophecy and history clearly show. Second, Jesus weeps not because of the judgment about to fall on Jerusalem, but because she had ample opportunity to embrace 'the things that make for peace' but instead chose her own way and trusted God to bless that way instead of the way that truly brought His kingdom on earth.

The application is obvious--there were very likely things that could have led to peace in the situation at New Life Church, but they instead chose the false either/or of 1) helplessness against an armed assailant or 2) violence as a constant, ever-ready option to be used. I think Jesus wept over the meeting in which New Life church leadership discussed this absurd duo of violence-laden choices.

The second passage that came to mind was Matthew 26: 47 - 52:

47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." 49Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
50Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
52"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." [italics mine]

Again, much to be said. First, we must not deny the particularity of this passage. Obviously Jesus was speaking a specific message to a specific person and was not giving some sort of timeless truth in verse 52. Also, although all four gospels record this account, only Matthew preserved the saying in this verse. That being said, I think Jesus was speaking (in some regard) about the cyclical nature of violence. As both past history and current events illustrate, violence tends to beget violence...which, in turn, begets further violence. This is why 'just war' theory (or a 'just violence' theory) never quite rings true for me--it is not on a trajectory toward the good future God has in mind in which (Isaiah 2: 4),

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Even if the disturbed young man from Colorado took aim at New Life members because he loathed their genuine love and faithful adherence to the gospel (which I doubt), I still don't think the armed guard's violent response was the right answer. For, then the church's duty should have been to, with the New Testament apostles, consider suffering for the name of Christ to be an honor and a delight.

Of course, I'm not under the illusion that such a course of action is easy. Nor do I recall our Lord claiming it would be. Quite the opposite, in fact. Yet, the difficult, imaginative, humbling, frustrating and wrath-absorbing way of non-violence is the way of Jesus to which each of us has been called. The path that leads to violence is wide and easy. May we all seek the more narrow way.

Christmas Happenings

2007-12-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

Hi, friends.

Christmas in DC is off to a very good start. Last night, Jess surprised me by getting tickets to Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral. The sound was absolutely amazing--transcendent, one might even say. A couple of etiquette issues bear mention though:

First, you cannot possibly whisper quietly enough to be unobtrusive in a venue like this. So...SHUT UP! If you want to talk, go to a bar.

Second, if a concert venue has beautiful natural reverb, DO NOT start clapping until the final chord has completely ceased.

In other Christmas news, Jess and I got our first real Christmas tree. It smells wonderful. It was surprisingly easy to set up and decorate--we got it level in about two minutes. In fact, the only awkward part of the process was loading the tree on top of my Honda and driving it back to the apartment. For those of you keeping score at home, the number of odd things I've hauled in/on my Honda are: a Christmas tree and an Ikea recliner. The latter was a spectacular bit of spacial engineering on my part, if I do say so myself.

And I do.

Oh, one more bit of Christmas related material--I bought my first eggnog of the season. I bought the 'Light 'Nog' version, so as not to die an early death. I hope that, in heaven, eggnog will be fat free. Until then, I will have to settle for the lite stuff as a concession--part of the 'not yet' of the eggnong eschatological tension.

I'm Dreaming of A...Complete Overreaction?

2007-12-05T18:10:00.000-05:00

Well, friends, it's snowing like crazy here.

And by 'like crazy,' of course, I mean an inch and a half. And they're closing everything. The schools closed at 12:00 this afternoon in anticipation of the inch and a half of snow that would soon arrive. My place of employment had me salt the sidewalks so that 'no accidents would occur.'

Jessica and I may brave the weather and walk down to our local grocery store. There, we will stock up on canned goods and inquire about the possibilities of getting a generator.

Just remember, all ye hardy mid-westerners--these bunch of lightweights are daily making decisions that affect everyone in the world.

Did I mention it's supposed to reach 63 degrees on Monday?

Hot Stove Update

2007-12-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

Apparently the Red Sox are starting to see things my way.

Ladies and gentlemen, we may be getting a new center fielder from Boston very soon.

And his name won't remind you of a breakfast cereal.

Drop It Like It's Hot Stove

2007-12-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

Sports, Sports, Sports, Sports, Sports (consider yourself warned, Brad).

Even though the new season of MLB is three months away, it has been on the forefront of my interests lately. A big part of that is the central place the Twins have in Hot Stove discussions in all corners of the country right now.

Torii Hunter? Gone. Is it a big deal? Maybe not. I'll be very interested to see the kind of numbers Torii puts up this year for the Angels. Usually guys like Torii see a major downturn in production the year after signing a big free agent contract (Copyright Alfonso Soriano). And my guess is that he doesn't make it the whole season without an extended DL stint (ditto Copyright Alfonso Soriano). We'll see about that.

The Twins big trade with the Rays was both surprising and refreshing for long time fans of the club. It was good to see the long time "we don't trade pitching prospects" stance soften under the leadership of new G.M. Bill Smith. The fact of the matter is that it doesn't do you a lot of good to have a team with Santana, Liriano and Garza if you're going to lose every game 2-1 due to a lack of offensive production.

Delmon Young is an intriguing young player...when he's not throwing bats at umpires.

Hopefully he's got that out of his system. I just think it's a beautiful thing to have a young outfielder that has the potential to put up genuinely huge offensive numbers. Not to mention his durability--he's one of the youngest players ever (22) to play all 162 games in his rookie season. Hopefully that will continue. Though, I'm a little worried about him roaming the Metrodome outfield, as he's known to be a below -par outfielder. Hopefully we won't see another Lew Ford style 'giving a fat guy an inside the park homer' situation this year. One of those is enough for a lifetime.

And now on to the granddaddy of Hot Stove speculation--what about Johan Santana? My inkling is that we have seen Santana pitch his last game in a Twins uniform. With the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Mariners, Dodgers and Angels all seeking his services, it's likely that one of those teams will do what it takes to land the two-time Cy Young award winner. A few people have asked me if I think it's 'good' or 'bad' that the Twins are going to trade Santana, but I don't think you can put it in those categories. It's just a fact; the Twins often have to trade off marquee players at the peak of their careers because Carl Pohlad is the stingiest billionaire in the country. But it's hard to blame the Twins on this one. Santana will be looking for a deal somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 years/$120 million. That's a lot of coin.

The best trade scenario for the Twins would be to work a deal with the Mets that would bring Jose Reyes to Minneapolis. Mets GM, Omar Minaya, has balked at the idea whenever it's discussed, but that doesn't mean it's out of the question. The fact is, the Mets DESPERATELY need a top shelf starter--far more than any of the other teams listed. I still think it's a very long shot, but anything can happen at the winter meetings next week.

The next best option would be to trade him to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera, Ian Kennedy and Philip Hughes. Not only would that send two great young pitchers to Minneapolis, it would also guarantee that, between Cabrera, Cuddyer and Young, the Twins would have the best stable of outfield arms in all of MLB.

The Boston deal is out of the question unless it includes Jacoby Ellsbury, whom the Red Sox seem completely unwilling to give up. Their loss. If they want the best pitcher on the planet to be a Yankee, their blood is on their own heads.

I guess that's about all for now. The GM winter meetings start on Sunday in Nashville, so the few of you who made it to the end of this post should stay tuned for more information. With any luck, there will be much more Twins news to discuss in the coming days.

Woe

2007-11-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

Upon arriving at work and flipping on the coffee house TV's, I saw a blurb about this story on CNN. The short version, for those who don't have time to read it, is as follows:

In 2006, a Saudi woman was kidnapped from a mall and gang raped by a group of 7 men. The court which heard the case against the men convicted them and gave them a relatively light prison sentence (considering that they could have been beheaded under the law for their crime). Along with the conviction of these men was a sentence of 90 lashes for the rape victim. This sentence was said to be 'just' because she broke the Saudi law which prohibits a woman from being in the company of a man who is not her direct relative. The woman appealed her sentence and the court, rather than declaring her original sentence unjust, doubled the number of lashes and sentenced her to six months in prison.

The atrocities in this story are self-evident, and they need little elucidation. This is a serious perversion of human rights--one which we would expect President Bush to staunchly condemn. We would expect him, as the leader of the free world, to call King Abdullah out and demand that the fallacious charges against the woman be dropped. So...how did the US government's rhetoric live up to our expectations?

"This is a part of a judicial procedure overseas in the court of a sovereign country..."

"Most would find this relatively astonishing that something like this happens."

"It is within the power of the Saudi government to take a look at the verdict and change it."

"I don't have anything else to offer."

Way to go, USA. If this government had any ethical fortitude to begin with, it has long been left by the wayside of political utilitarianism. It should not matter that we 'need' Saudi Arabia in one way or another. Wrong is wrong. And the Saudi court's sentence is certainly wrong, as is our president's apprehension to condemn it.

After seeing the story, this was the first thing that came to mind:

20 Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight...
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.

Woe to our government, and woe to us all. Lord be merciful to that woman.

Sports Tidbits

2007-11-19T22:34:00.000-05:00

For those of you who chastise me every time I post something sports related--do yourself a favor and just stop reading right now. I like sports. Many people who read this blog regularly also like sports. If you don't like sports, repent. There, I said it.

In case you just landed on this planet and haven't been watching the NFL, the Patriots are freaking ridiculous. I have never, EVER seen anything like this in professional football. I honestly can't believe there are still people who think the Patriots will lose a game this season. They WILL go 16-0. They will win the Superbowl. Count on it.
I'm getting anxious and frustrated by the relative inaction of the Twins so far this off-season. Detroit goes out and signs Edgar Renteria right away. Then today, the White Sox trade for Orlando Cabrera. Meanwhile, it's unlikely we'll be able to sign Torii Hunter or even Carlos Silva. Though, for the money Silva's sure to get, I'm not sure we want him. One way or another, I have a very bad feeling about this off-season for my favorite squad.
As a related note to number one--not bad being a fan of Boston sports lately, eh? Kevin Garnett looks pretty good in green.
Lay off Barry Bonds. He took steroids during a period when HGH was not illegal in the game. Besides--how many of the pitchers throwing to him were also juicing? It seems ridiculous to make him the whipping boy for a bad era of baseball.
Enjoy jail, Michael Vick.
Oh, and the Packers are a pretty good football team (just don't tell my wife I said it...)

Do You Hair What I Hair?

2007-11-15T17:12:00.000-05:00

A bald Vietnamese guy named Vinnie gave me a haircut today.

No kidding.

Pretty good haircut too, if I do say so myself. Oh, and instead of shaving the back of my neck with the electric razor, he did it with a straight edge. I was terrified, but I left the place unscathed.

Also unscathed is my beard. I wasn't about to go all the way on that one.

Oh, and they were playing Christmas music in the background already. Last I checked, it ISN'T EVEN THANKSGIVING YET. Seriously.

War and Peace

2007-11-14T18:28:00.000-05:00

I have to work at 6:30 am most weak days. I'm not complaining. I actually really like my new job. Working at 6:30 means I arrive at the Metro Station at about 6:00. Part of the ritual is that I get my free Washington Post Express paper right outside of the Van Ness Metro and read it on the way to Union Station.

This morning, something in the paper hit me like a sledge hammer. The headline read:

Report: War Costs Total $1.6 Trillion

That is an astonishing figure. The article put it in perspective--that's about $21,000 for every family of four in the US.

The Iraq war's unpopularity is not new--many people probably saw that figure today and weren't a bit surprised. I guess the whole issue of war has become a bit more pertinent for me lately. I'm taking a Christian Ethics class in which we've been considering the viability of a 'just war' philosophy under the lordship of Jesus. One of our texts for the class, Richard Hays' The Moral Vision of the New Testament, argues that there is no such thing as a 'just' act of violence for those who are part of Jesus' new creation. Stanly Hauerwas argues similarly in his text The Peaceable Kingdom.

I have to say I'm becoming convinced. Both texts make a strong case that an ethic of nonviolence is a mandatory part of the Christian life. Jesus way, as both Hauerwas and Hays suggest is that of 'turning the other cheek and going the second mile.'

Hays mentioned that he often gets asked by his students, "What if none of the Christians in America had stood up to fight against Hitler?" It's easily the most frequent question that advocates of nonviolence get asked. After all, is it really 'Christian' to stand idly by in the face of obvious injustice when the only route to peace is some kind of armed conflict? In response to the question Hays, like a good rabbi, answers the question with a question of his own:

"What if none of the Christians in Germany had agreed to fight for Hitler?"

Now, that may seem like the easy way out, but I don't think it is. In fact, I think Hays is deconstructing the false either-or the original question presupposes: Violent Resistance or Doing Nothing. Bono (as cliche as it has become to invoke his name in a blog post) hit on a similar theme in the most recent issue of Rolling Stone:

"Isn't it cheaper and smarter to make friends out of potential enemies than to defend yourself against them later?"

To me, that sounds more like the way of Jesus. And, I think I'll have an easier time in the future explaining to my kids why I'm a pacifist than explaining why our family has paid $21,000 for a senseless, ill-conceived war.

Get Your Free Music Fix

2007-11-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

I often get asked the question, "Where did you hear about this band?"

In response, I usually recommend a couple of free podcasts which I find to be informative. NPR's, "All Songs Considered" is one of these. Although a bit snobbish, they usually do a pretty good job of scouring the indie rock world and finding bands worthy of airplay. Another is The Current's "Song of the Day" podcast. Probably my favorite free podcast is the "Paste Magazine Culture Club"--the informative, hard-working and creative editorial staff at Paste Magazine never fail to unearth talented artists from the depths of obscurity.

The Paste podcast has a print counterpart that is even more brilliant. Paste Magazine is consistently relevant, savvy and well-written. As an added bonus, every issue comes with a companion CD containing a 12-15 tracks from emerging artists. Quite frankly, Rolling Stone doesn't hold a candle to these guys. And, though I've always liked the magazine, I never bothered to subscribe. What can I say, even 20 bucks a year seems like a lot while you're in school and on a tight budget.

But, dear friends, all of that changed today. Why, you ask? Well, it seems that the good folks at Paste took a card from Radiohead's play book. That's right. You can name your price for a year's subscription to Paste. What is a gateway to some of the best music in the world worth to you? It's your decision. One way or another, I highly HIGHLY recommend that you take advantage of this offer while it lasts. I honestly can't believe they are doing this.

********

In other news--and I've mentioned this before--another great way to keep up on good music is to regularly visit Peter Carlson's blog. Why you ask? Well, for one, he puts a lot of free music up on his blog. And, more importantly, he's always one step ahead of me. Or, in this case five days ahead of me...

Who But A-Rod? Part 1

2007-11-01T09:56:00.000-04:00

Who But A-Rod...

I think that's an antecedent that will become more and more familiar to baseball fans as this winter wears on. In fact, I think I will start a series on this blog dedicated to the inflated ego, inflated numbers and (soon to be) inflated salary of America's favorite love-to-hate guy.

Today's topic: Who but A-Rod could generate this kind of holistic speculation? Nate Silver of baseballprospectus.com ranked all 30 teams in the order of how likely they are to pursue and sign the slugger. It's good writing and is done as a clever metaphor for the 2008 presidential election.

In case you're wondering, my beloved Twins are ranked 28th and placed in the "Mike Gravel/Tom Tancredo no shot in bloody hell" category. It's a shame. We really need a third baseman.

Got A Bad Case of the Yuki? Try Vicks.

2007-10-31T09:28:00.000-04:00

So what do you do if you're an indie band, you're ready to record a new album, but you don't have money to pay for studio time? Do you record it in your friend's basement (again)?

Not if the pharmaceutical industry has anything to say about it.

Turns out that some indie-music-savvy producer from Vicks wanted to use one of Anathallo's songs for a thirty second commercial this fall. It also turns out that thirty seconds of your music from your last album--when it is used by a company with deep pockets--is enough to pay for your entire next album.

Way to go, kids.

Check out this new (and very artistically tasteful, I might add) commercial by Vicks featuring the music from Anathallo's Yuki! Yuki! Yuki! from their 2006 release, "Floating World."

No Coffee Drinker Left Behind

2007-10-27T12:47:00.000-04:00

A couple of odd things that happened yesterday at my place of employment.

First I had a midmorning encounter with evil of Tim Lahaye proportions. Around 10:00, I had a customer order three beverages.

Her price total--$6.66

After announcing the cost of the items, she and I joked about it as I made her latte. Then, the next customer steps up to the counter and orders two beverages, a scone and a newspaper.

His price total--$6.66

Two in a row. Now, THAT is creepy. Left Behind Ministries will be investigating the matter shortly.

The other strange bit was the 60 year old gentleman who ordered a mocha and tried to pay with his Starbucks gift card.

"Do you take these here?"

"No, sir, this isn't a Starbucks."

"I know, I just wanted to check if I could pay with it here."

Apparently the person that gave him the card didn't tell him that it was a card for a particular coffee establishment. I honestly think he believed it to be a universal coffee card. Which gives me an idea...

Wouldn't it be great if we had a barcode on or a computer chip implanted in our foreheads that was a universal gift card for coffee? That would be amazing...but would surely prompt another investigation by Left Behind Ministries.

To MLB Or Not To MLB?

2007-10-24T21:21:00.000-04:00

Any of you who have known me for more than five minutes are aware that I love baseball. It is easily my favorite sport--I think I could watch a nine inning pitchers duel between the two worst teams in MLB.

So, when it comes time for the World Series, I'm all over it. I've been waiting for this all year; and, even though my Twins have no place in the conversation about MLB's best team, the series still greatly intrigues me.

I suppose my love for baseball was impressed upon me at an early age. I vividly remember watching the Twins play in the 1987 and 1991 world series. I'm almost positive that I watched every second of those games as a seven and eleven year old--they are some of my fondest father/son childhood memories.

Of course, that was back in the day when a kid was able to watch the world series...

Now? Well, now the games start really late, and the prognosticators blather on pointlessly for a half hour pre-game show. Josh Beckett didn't throw the first pitch tonight until 8:34 EST. That seems ridiculous to me. Sure, the networks will get their ratings, but WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS???

Oh well. To hell with the kids, right FOX? Who cares if they grow up to love baseball. Or, to speak your language, who cares if the kids grow up loving the game enough to buy merchandise, go to the ballpark or watch the world series in 20 years. Word to the wise--maybe you should care, FOX.

One way or another, I'm going to enjoy this series. Lots of great story lines--small market v. big market, Todd Helton finally getting to the series, the Rockies 20 out of 21 streak, Josh Beckett as the best post season pitcher of all time, Manny Ramirez's hair--I could go on and on.

There's just so much to love about baseball. But, of course, I've been raised to think that way.

New Faith Rising

2007-10-21T11:48:00.001-04:00

It seems we've found a church.

I can't even express how glad I am that we're done church shopping. For multiple reasons--(1) it's very trying on the patience. And, (2) the term 'church shopping,' being accepted vernacular in America, betrays that the church in this country has been hopelessly co opted by the same materialistic values with which we are called to live in contrast. But I digress...

Ok. About the church--for those who attend Hope--if you can imagine what Hope would be like if it did liturgy, you'd have Church of the Resurrection. They have the same commitment to church planting, to discipleship and they have an eerily similar demographic. Even the building reminds me of Hope (when we met on the U of M campus).

The differences--first, they do liturgy, as I already mentioned. I have to say after being in non-liturgical churches for such a long time, this is a really nice change. Liturgy, when it is done well, does a great job of telling the whole Biblical story every week.

I also really like that they do communion every week. And the way the service is ordered, it serves as the culmination of the time of worship. It's a beautiful thing. Oh, and another difference is the denomination. It is a part of the Anglican church of Rwanda--basically it is an African church plant. According to the pastor (or 'rector') the Anglican church in Africa began to send missionaries to the United States because of the Episcopal church's crisis over the authority of scripture (amongst other issues). According to the Bishop of Rwanda (and I'm paraphrasing here), "During the crisis of genocide in Rwanda, the United States turned its back on Africa. Now, in the spiritual crisis the United states is experiencing, we will NOT return the favor."

Pretty powerful stuff. It really turns the ethnocentric Christianity of America on its head.

That's all I've got for now. Happy Monday, everyone.

Wildlife gone...wild?

2007-10-13T22:20:00.000-04:00

I saw this guy today.

And how do I know it was a 'guy', you ask? Quite simple. I'm fairly confident that a female panda would have more discretion than to spread its legs and scratch its genitals for eight straight minutes.

Seriously.

Not that we should blame the panda. I'm pretty sure he was just doing it to spite the guy who had been pounding on the glass for ten minutes, trying to rouse the enormous animal. I could just just hear that inner monologue--"You're tired of me just laying around? You want me to do something? I've got your 'something' right here."

We also saw this, front and center as we passed the turtle exhibit. Some reptiles have no shame. Seriously.

So, all in all it was a good day for a biology lesson....complete with the inevitable question, "What is that turtle doing to that other turtle, Daddy."

...and the inevitable, "They're just playing a little game, sweetheart" response. It was funny.

Oh, and we also saw a lioness eat grass for about ten minutes, and then dry heave for about five minutes. You think it's gross when your cat coughs up a hairball. We could hear her majesty hawking it up from half a mile away.

The Smithsonian National Zoo is only 10 blocks from our apartment, so we'll definitely have to spend some more time there later. Who knows what we'll see next time...

Real Tim of Genius

2007-10-10T09:52:00.000-04:00

Well, friends, I've done it. I've landed that big job I've been looking for.

Except, replace "big" with "part-time"...

And replace "job" with "pleasant, paid diversion from studying"...

And replace "looking for" with "stumbled upon"...

There. That looks better.

The truth of the matter is that I am the proud new owner of the title, "Barista." And before you mock me or pontificate on the stereotypical nature of this situation, I have two words for you:

Shut up.

Besides--no matter how well you can say it, someone else has already beaten you to the punch.

Just replace "Master's degree in Art History" with "Master's degree in Theology"...

R-I-AA...It's fun to make fun of R-I-AA

2007-10-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

Well, the case has come back from the jury, and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lost.

That's right, I said they lost.

Sure, you're going to see all kinds of news stories tomorrow morning about this case. And they will tell you that a single mom from Brainerd, Jammie Thomas, now owes the RIAA $220,000 in fines and damages. You will be told that this is a landmark, precedent setting case. You will hear from record executives all over the country that justice has finally been served, that the tide has been stemmed, and that internet users will soon terminate their illegal file sharing behaviors.

That's what they'll tell you.

But they're wrong about all of it. Except Jammie Thomas and her fine--she's (to quote Shrek 2)
"up a chocolate river without a Popsicle stick." But the RIAA did not win for the long term. Today's court decision was one of the final nails in the coffin for an industry that has shown itself consistently unable to be imaginative or forward thinking. Seriously--how messed up is it (from a marketing standpoint) to sue your potential customers? It's unprecedented, and it spells further doom for Sony, Virgin and the others. Because, the truth is, people are waking up to the reality that they DON'T NEED record companies to find music anymore. And, as online music stores like iTunes and myspace continue to crop up and synchronize file formats, people won't need the record companies to buy music either.

If you want further evidence that the RIAA is in its final throes, read Peter Carlson's excellent blog about Radiohead's plan for their new album. The short version: they are releasing it independently and are allowing downloaders to choose how much they will pay for it. Thus, if you value it, you'll drop 10 bucks or more. If you're just checking them out for the first time, you can download it for free with no guilt involved.

So, just to be clear: Record Labels=dying; Radiohead=brilliant.

When this pans out financially for RH--and I'm sure it will--there will be execs at the major labels turning their ties into nooses. A decade of reactionary and antagonistic behavior toward its consumers combined with an utter lack of imagination has guaranteed the end.

It's a...nice day to....START AGAIN!!!

2007-10-03T21:15:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen--Billy Idol.

That might have been a little contrived. But is there really a good way to get back into this after not blogging for almost 4 months? Maybe that's unfair. I didn't blog here for four months. For any of you who missed it and are interested, the blog from our month in Europe can be found here.

There are a host of reasons why I've been absent from this corner of cyberspace, but none of them are particularly blog-worthy. The most important development in all of it is that Jess and I are now living in Washington, DC. It's crazy really. I already have a host of tales to tell, but I'll try to spin them one yarn at a time in the coming days. The most important thing for now is that DC really is a place to, in the words of Mr. Idol, "start again."

Right before I started at the University of Minnesota, one of the orientation speakers told us, "This is one of the few times in your life where you can make a clean break from your past and truly become someone new." It was good advice that caused me to think about the person I was and the person I wanted to become. This week I've felt the gravity of that same opportunity pressing down on me. And, unlike freshman year of college, I'm going to take it seriously this time.

So...I've started exercising. It's been almost a week of running and lifting weights, and tonight was the first time that I felt genuinely energized by the experience. It actually felt good to exercise. I'm also hardwiring study habits and locations--getting into a schedule to ensure that I'm as productive as possible. It's a beautiful thing.

With any luck, I'll be smart and beautiful in a few weeks time.

I guess that's about all for now. I hope I can lure some of my past readers back to me. I promise to make blog writing one of my new areas of concentrated discipline. Should be exciting.

D'oh!!-ly Crap

2007-06-22T11:04:00.000-04:00

I don't know if this will be included in the DVD extras for the upcoming Simpson's Movie....but it definitely should be.

Pope My Ride?

2007-06-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

Is it a sin to go 10 mph over the speed limit while driving on a freeway? How about 7? How about 2? Does it matter if you're passing someone?

Well, just in case you've ever wondered about this and other such driving related moral predicaments, fear not. The pope has spoken.

Below you will find the list of the Vatican's "Driver's Ten Commandments."

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

So...what do we think? Necessary correction or unfettered legalism? And what exactly is commandment #2 supposed to mean?

Premature Speculation

2007-06-13T11:30:00.001-04:00

What a difference a day makes for my perspective on the Twins. Great win for the boys last night. The middle of the line-up stepped up, the piranhas did their thing, the starting pitching was great and the bullpen was characteristically solid. If wanted to sell you all some hope, as I have been known to do, I would agree with Jim Souhan:

We should be immune to snap judgments during a 162-game season, but when the Twins started the home stand with consecutive losses to Jason Simontacchi and Levale Speigner, they hardly looked like contenders. Two victories later, the perspective has changed: The Twins have yet to get hot, play inspired baseball, call up top pitching prospect Matt Garza or see Johan Santana at his best, and yet they are only 5½ games out of first.

I don't know if it's believable or not. The important thing is that I want to believe it.

The end?

2007-06-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

Well, well, well...

It has been a long time, hasn't it. What exactly is it that keeps a person from blogging? Laziness, I think. At least to start with. Shortly thereafter, pure momentum kicks in and the breakneck force of doing nothing becomes irreversible.

I am truly ashamed, which is a response that a number of people have told me is appropriate. So, if I have any readers left--and it's entirely possible that I don't--here is what you've been half-heartedly waiting for.

This will, of course, be another 'Bits and Pieces' post; this time we'll focus on things that have recently ended or will be ending soon:

My blogging hiatus. It was...fun while it lasted? I'll try to be more regular. Do they make blogging prunes?
The internet. I found it. It was everything I hoped it would be.
My brother's losing streak in the North Suburban Church Softball League. Including last year's playoffs, Hope II had lost 29 consecutive games. Their victory this past weekend was a beautiful, beautiful thing. Was it a coincidence that Steve Treichler DID NOT play in that game?
Inventory. This has been the major reason (read *excuse*) for my absence from this little corner of the blogosphere. It's not a stretch to say that I would rather have two fingers and one of my earlobes surgically removed than do another year of inventory at the Bethel Campus Store.
My employment at the aforementioned establishment. August 3rd will be my last day. And, yes, I am counting them down.
My time as the music director at Hope Community Church. July 29th will be my last Sunday. I'm already mourning this. Jess and I will greatly miss Hope in our yearlong absence.
The Twins playoff hopes...? I hope I'm wrong on this one, but the signs are NOT good.
My attention devoted to this task.
This blog entry.

iCan't Believe It's Not Satire

2007-04-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

(HT: glumbert.com)

Hmmmm....

To Do List

2007-04-16T14:21:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time. Almost a month. I know. I'm sorry. I realize many people still check here on a regular basis (most of whom have chided me for my absence) and I owe them at least a minute or two of what passes for entertainment.

I could give excuses. Baseball season started two weeks ago, Easter and Spring Retreat on consecutive weekends. But at best they're just excuses. Blogging really has been on my To Do List, but other things have gotten in the way (not the least of which is a lack of creativity to devote to this task).

Anyway, now that I'm crossing something off of my To Do List, I'd like to add a few things to yours. Here goes, in no particular order.

Pray for the students of Virginia Tech University and their families. Words fail...this is absolutely gut-wrenching.
If you live in Minnesota (or anywhere else where the earth has finally figured out this global warming thing) get outside and enjoy the weather today.
Buy the new Bright Eyes album, Cassadaga. Few people write with the creativity and passion of Conor Oberst. You can get a couple of free samples from the album here and here.
Read Peter Carlson's blog. I thought I was good at finding great music...until I met Peter. Now I realize that he's more indie than I could ever be, which only intensifies the stereotypical indie rock pout I was already sporting. Seriously though--if you want to find great music--and often get free mp3's, make sure you check out his blog with regularity.
As a spin-off of #4--listen to The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers; I found out about them from Peter. I picked bought their 2005 album, The Mother of Love Emulates the Shapes of Cynthia and I doubt I will hear anything more impressive this year. I HIGHLY encourage you to visit their myspace page and listen to a few of the tracks.
Cheer for the Twins.
Hate the Yankees.

Did I miss anything?

Bits and Pieces

2007-03-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

There are a few things I've been meaning to blog about, none of which deserve their own entry. So, here goes:

1. Jessica and I were walking through Barnes and Noble in Duluth this past weekend. As we were about to exit the store, I noticed a table of books marked, "Easter is Coming Soon!" As we approached, I noticed the following books: The Jesus Papers, The Davinci Code, The Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Mary and Jesus by Marcus Borg. Because apparently the employees of Barnes and Noble feel there is no better way to celebrate a Savior who is alive and well than with a table full of books that deny the historicity of His resurrection.

2. As Jess and I were driving to said book selling establishment, we saw three buildings on the side of the road. The first was a Christian radio station and the third was a Planned Parenthood clinic. In between? A legal firm. It's good to see that irony is alive and well in Duluth.

3. Part (I think) four in our ongoing 'For those about to waste time, I solute you' series is this curious little Russian website. Click on the red square in the middle and move it to avoid both the moving blue squares and the static black border. I've been told that if you can do it for 18 seconds or more you are a genius. I can't best 8 seconds.

What do Tim and Iran Have in Common?

2007-03-16T10:57:00.000-04:00

Apparently we both had second thoughts about the movie 300. Of course, mine were somewhat rational and not nearly as adaptable to a Daily Show spot as Iran's.

300 Ways to Die Trying

2007-03-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

I saw 300 last night and am still reeling from it. Though I usually like to have thoughts fully formed before blogging, I haven't posted in a long time...

...which may tell you about how many thoughts I've fully formed in the last two weeks.

This movie appealed to me in a base kind of way. There's just something about being a dude that gives you an insatiable urge to watch movies with exploding buildings, fast cars or ripped heroes picking a fight.

So...was it good? Critics were mixed in their evaluations, and after leaving the theater I had similarly mixed feelings. The movie was undeniably gorgeous from a cinematography perspective. While the dialogue was often predictable, it mattered little in the wake of the visual elegance. But something about this film has left me feeling empty.

About halfway through the film, I noticed myself longing to see the Spartans spill the blood of their enemies. The arrogance, cruelty and blasphemy of Xerxes and his minions begged for a taste of true justice, and who better to administer it than the Spartans? After all, they were in the right, simply protecting their land, women and children. Fighting for freedom. Protecting Justice. Ensuring liberty.

But something about these slogans and their trappings rang painfully hollow as I thought back on the film this morning. Sure, the Spartans were presented in the film as the protagonists. As heroes. As liberators.

But were they?

Exactly what sort of freedom, justice and liberty were the Spartans aiming to protect by King Leonidas' ill fated march against the Persians? Justice that snatches the most beautiful young girls from the city and subjects them to a wasted life of pseudo prostitution as oracles? Liberty that casts all 'undesirable' babies to their death and instills an insatiable blood lust in the desirable ones? Freedom that ultimately begins and ends with the one who wields the mightiest sword?

Is anything truly gained by substituting one form of tyranny for another? Is there really any difference between the 'benevolent' rule of Leonidas and the 'benevolent' rule of Xerxes? Is there really any sort of freedom that doesn't come at the expense of systemic bondage? Shouldn't evil be identified as such irregardless of personal or national familiarity with it?

The parallels to our own situation almost go without saying and, though it has become fashionable to criticize current United States foreign policy, the implied questions are still worth asking irrespective of fashion. But, I'll leave those questions implied for the moment.

Tut, tut. It Looks Like Snow

2007-03-01T23:37:00.000-05:00

For those of you keeping score at home, it's still snowing. We're hovering around 14" outside of my house right now, and I expect over 20" by the time I wake up tomorrow morning. The only thing in Minnesota exceeding the snowfall amounts today was (sadly) Carlos Silva's ERA--a whopping 22.50. Perhaps he was showing sympathy to his home state. That, or he's just a terrible pitcher. Logic and experience force me to lean toward the latter.

I'm soooooo not going to work tomorrow. But it's OK. I have The Departed and Syriana to keep me warm.

Go Go Gadget Flute!

2007-02-21T13:07:00.000-05:00

Q: What's the difference between a flute and a lawn mower?
A: You can tune a lawn mower.

Q: What is the range of a flute?
A: About twenty yards if you have a good arm.

Q: How do you get two flute players to play in tune?
A: Shoot one.

Okay, now that I have that out of my system, I can say some positive things about flute playing. Though I have a natural disdain for the instrument, this video is pretty darn cool. What doesn't youtube have?

I Need to Take a Shirt...

2007-02-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

...from this website.

For those of you keeping score at home, that's two posts in one day.

Poet or Heretic: You Decide

2007-02-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

This Friday, there will be an event at Hope Community Church called 'Soulwell'. This once a month event aims to be a different worship experience than a typical Sunday morning. A lot of music and reflection time, no preaching, flexible schedule, soft ambiance, etc. The original vision of this ministry is that those who have a difficult time connecting to the format of a typical Sunday morning would (perhaps) feel more at home in this kind of setting.

This semester (yes, we still operate on a college student calendar due to our primary demographic) we are exploring 'Reclaiming Whole-Life Faith: tasting freedom from compartmentalized Christianity'. Hopefully the event lives up to the ambitiousness of its title.

Oh, and the irony of trying to eliminate compartmentalization AT AN EVENT is not lost on me.

Anyway, this Friday we will be exploring the idea of prayer. Without delving into it too much, we want to be honest about how difficult this spiritual discipline is for many people and perhaps chart a course forward.

We will be using the Lord's prayer as part of our liturgy for the event. But in exploring its meaning, we found that much of the intended story-world of Jesus' instructions about communication with the Father were lost in a sea of over-familiarity. So...I did a new translation. I'd be interested to get some feedback on it.

Our Father--the One who will ultimately bring justice and renew all of creation--
Set apart Your unique and holy name from amongst the myriad of worthless idols
Bring Your kingdom crashing into our earthly reality
Actualize Your dreams for Your creation in our midst just as they happen in Your heaven
Feed us from the bread of life that you graciously give to sustain both body and soul
Extend Your perfect grace to us, that we may know how to respond gracefully toward others
Be mindful of how much temptation we can bear and do not press us beyond it
For You are the world's true King, the only One who can wield power justly,
Deserving the recognition, adoration and worship of those who bear Your image
Until the end of time and thereafter.
Amen

On Justice, Mercy and Customer Service

2007-02-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has worked in a customer service position understands: the customer is always right...unless they're wrong. Unfortunately, they are often wrong. And when they are, it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to use the business end of my size 12's.

January and February at the bookstore always have a way of bringing about vindictiveness in me. I mean, there are plenty of good reasons to be angry, right? I was unjustly accused. I was yelled at. I was called a liar. I was stolen from. The Christian kids at Bethel should know better. They should know better.

And then it happens. I do something reprehensible...and I should have known better. And at that point, it's unthinkable to me that the offended party wouldn't immediately forgive me. Because, apparently, I deserve it...

And there is my double standard, my two-facedness, my hypocrisy. My natural reaction is to lobby for swift, definitive justice when others have done wrong and yet to invoke mercy when the error is mine. Certainly this is the opposite of Christ-like character and love. After all, Christ did not tell us to take up our cross so that we could impale others at will. Rather, we carry the cross so that we can die to ourselves--to our self-perceived rights and entitlement--that we might always view conflict through the lens of grace and mercy. I have so far to go.

Life is Getting Easier by the Day

2007-02-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wish that you could think EVEN LESS than you currently do?

Yeah, me too.

A couple of things made that possible yesterday. First was the disco very of a program called iConcertCal. Basically, it's a plug-in that you download to iTunes. Once it's installed, it surveys your music library and creates a concert calendar based on when your favorite artists are coming to your city. The calendar gives information about time, venue, etc. It's absolutely beautiful and, though there are probably some concerts it won't detect (smaller venues, smaller bands), it seems to work great. I HIGHLY recommend taking 1 minute to download this plug-in.

Oh, and the other thing that made my life easier is that I didn't even have to find out about this myself. Thanks, Zalm.

One small step for women...

2007-01-31T13:08:00.000-05:00

...one giant faceplant for gender equality

Actually overheard today at Bethel:

"Books are so expensive. I'm just gonna be a trophy wife."

Sigh...

Sick

2007-01-29T19:55:00.000-05:00

I hate being sick. All I can do is sit around, watch TV and wait for the fever to subside. Maybe more cowbell would help.

It's weird though...I didn't even have coffee with Joel this time. Guess I should've gotten a flu shot.

In Which My Sports Options Are Limited...For Now

2007-01-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

Football season, while still ongoing, has been dead in Minnesota since about mid October. Let's face it, folks--this was about the worst season of Vikings football in Minnesota's history. The worst part is that the future looks about as bright as Ralph Wiggum taking an abstract algebra exam.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, friends. Baseball season--and with it the return of our beloved Minnesota Twins--is not as far away as one might think. Twins Spring Training begins soon, with pitchers and catchers reporting in mid February, and the first pre-season game on February 28th vs. Boston.

Now, you may be thinking, "Who cares about spring training?". Well, I do...and you should too. After all, it relieves us all from the dreaded sports dry spell in which our only options are the NBA, the NHL, or...Nascar. And, in case you're like me and need something objective to help you measure how long you will need to endure the aforementioned three sports, I have embedded a handy dandy countdown clock in the sidebar. Who says a music major can't figure out HTML code?

For those who do still care about football--who are you picking to win the Super Bowl? My money--were I a betting man--would be on the Colts. I think Peyton Manning will find a way to get it done this year, despite the America-feel-good-storyline that would occur with a New Orleans win. Step right up and place your 'nothing to gain but bragging rights' bets, folks.

Pan's Labyrinth

2007-01-11T14:19:00.000-05:00

I'm going to see this movie tonight. I pretty much could not be more excited about it. Check here for a plot synopsis. The cinematography and storytelling are supposed to be amazing. Speaking of amazing--my wife got four free tickets for the show at the Lagoon in Uptown tonight. What's more, it's a pre-screening, so I get to have that feeling of superiority and exclusivity--ultra important when watching an art film.

Seriously though...

Check out the trailer below and tell me this doesn't look amazing. Jess said it got a 20 minute standing ovation at the Cannes film festival this year. I am absolutely giddy.

Word to Your Mother

2007-01-08T22:51:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering, "plutoed" was voted as the word of the year for 2006. So...if you ever get demoted from...say, a planet to some lesser heavenly body, you can say that you've officially been 'plutoed'. This is a big step forward from last year's winner--"Truthiness".

I just hope astronomers never downgrade Uranus.

I Demand A Recount

2006-12-28T19:41:00.000-05:00

As much as I would like to let my most work intensive blog of the year dwell at the top of the Speckled Mind, I couldn't go another minute without blogging about this.

Time Magazine has been naming a 'Person of the Year' for decades now. (Disclaimer: I realize that it used to be 'Man' of the year) Figures as different as Adolf Hitler, Bono and George W. Bush have graced the front page under that prestigious heading. Not because we necessarily like them or respect them, but simply because the planet was formed in a profound way by them in a given calendar year.

The winner this year?

You. And me. And everyone we know. Now, I should give the writers of Time their fair due. The article is pretty well written and reasoned. But do we really deserve this? So we make the most of Facebook, MySpace and Blogger. Does that really qualify any of us for 'person of the year' status? Time magazine thinks so, and many have called it a clever move on their part.

But something strikes me as terribly wrong about all of this. Admittedly, I could be worrying over nothing. But isn't this award just an illustration of how self-focused and "I'm Ok, You're Ok" our culture has gotten? The cover of that magazine brings up thoughts of those children's soccer tournaments in which every kid gets a trophy regardless of his/her place in the competition. Is this kind of pandering really helping the kids? Or could it be that Dash (from The Incredibles) was right: "Saying that everyone is special is just another way of saying that no one is."

So...I've decided not to accept this award. And I hope you won't either.

Let's face it, as proud as I am of this little corner of cyberspace, it's just a blog. I'm just a guy with a couple of ideas in my head, a decent English writing class under my belt, a bit too much free time on my hands, and an unscratchable itch for an audience. In my opinion that doesn't make me remarkable, though I fear it is starting to define what makes an American.

Time Magazine is attempting to enchant us with its Siren call of middle class American narcissism. Cover your ears, friends, and let your voice be heard. If not me, if not you--then who? Who do you nominate for person of the year in 2006?

Good Music Year: Best of 2006

2006-12-13T21:10:00.000-05:00

It's that time again, ladies and gentlemen. Maybe you haven't been anticipating this in quite the same way I have. But believe me--I look forward to this all year long. I am convinced that asking someone, "What do you like to listen to?" is the best get-to-know-you question in my arsenal. You can learn so much about a person from their music tastes, which means I completely distrust people who say, "Oh, I pretty much like everything."

A couple of housekeeping items.

First I am admittedly a music snob. I make no claims to the contrary. So if you find yourself thinking, "Lame. I haven't even heard of most of these bands," fret not. Just keep telling yourself, "Well, Tim has to do something with his music degree." And who knows--you might even find something on this list that trips your fancy.

Second I'm not claiming that this list accurately reflects the ten best albums from 2006. Rather, of the albums I purchased this year, these are the ten that I enjoyed the most. Give 'em a spin. maybe you'll see it my way.

Now, without further ado...

*****

10. Good Monsters by Jars of Clay

The Jars' 1995 self-titled release was almost single-handedly responsible for the advent of respectable Christian music. In the 11 years since that album's release, the band has proven over and over that 'Christian band' and 'good art' need not be mutually exclusive terms (with the exception of 2005's hideous and predictable 'Redemption Songs'). 'Good Monsters' is in many ways a culmination of what has come before it, taking elements of the band's early acoustic folk sound, and combining them with its more recent gospel and new wave rock influences. Few other bands could pull off such an eclectic effort without giving the listener musical whiplash. With Dan Haseltine's unmistakable voice as an anchor, the Jars have proven that after over a decade they are at the top of their game. In a time when 'Christian music' is seen as monstrous by many people it is comforting to know that at least some of the monsters are good.

Standout Track: 'Oh My God'

9. Nightcrawler by Pete Yorn

There is something about Pete Yorn's voice that has always demanded my attention when I hear it on the radio. It's got this 'gritty but fragile' quality to it that epitomizes what I like about alternative music. Like 2001's 'Musicforthemorningafter' and 2003's 'Day I Forgot', Nightcrawler dances back and forth between the shininess of pop melodies and the sensibilities of alternative rock. Pete gets a little help on the pop side of things on the song 'The Man' from Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks fame. The meshing of these two voices is a match made in pop music heaven, and is certainly the strongest track on the album. All things considered, the three year wait between albums was worth it, though I hope Pete's next hiatus will be a bit shorter.

Standout Track: 'The Man'

8. Dusk and Summer by Dashboard Confessional

I know what you're thinking--"Don't you have to be a 13 year-old girl to like this band?" Good question. And the answer is NO, you don't. The proof? I'm a 26 year-old heterosexual, married man and I think Chris Carrabba writes incredible music. I rest my case. Seriously, though, this guy is a gifted songwriter and a perfectionist when it comes to recording. Rumor has it that this album was finished at the beginning of 2005 but he wasn't happy with it, so he scrapped the entire project and wrote a brand new batch of songs. And though much of the lyrical territory isn't particularly novel, Carrabba's tunesmithing has never been stronger. In fact, I dare anyone to listen to these songs a few times and not sing along. Plus if you ever need to let off a bit of angst, just pull up this record on your iPod and go for a drive. You'll come back without a voice, but you'll feel a whole lot better. Face it, there's a little emo in all of us just waiting to get out.

Standout Track: 'Reason to Believe'

7. Weightless by Katie Herzig

Katie Herzig is my STOP THE PRESSES!!! artist of the year, because I just discovered her music last week. I was listening to the Paste Magazine podcast, and her song 'Charlie Chaplin' froze me in my tracks as it floated across the airwaves. The folksy, singer/songwriter recorded 14 gems on this album--her second since leaving Newcomers Home a few years ago. This is an excerpt from the song 'Jack and Jill':

She wore that dress like it was a Saturday
Pretty as a summer rose picked in the morning
And he held her hand like she was a mystery
One he couldn’t quite believe, was walking with him
They were high up on a hill with something to say
And daylight to kill
Time slips away the way that it will...

Lyrics like these were the reason I fell in love with Katie's music immediately. And trust me, there's plenty more where that came from on Weightless. In short, it's tough to find good whimsy these days, but Weightless will fill the void if you find yourself deficient on your daily recommended allowance of whimsy.

Standout Track: 'Crazy'

6. How We Operate By Gomez

The members of Gomez, a five piece from Southport England, are known for their creative musicianship and multi-instrumental abilities. In an interview the band described their song writing process as follows:

"Who wants to sing this one? Who wants to play drums? Guitar? Bass? Cool. Are we all set?"

My friend TJ refers to this type of band as 'talent rock.' How We Operate is the band's fifth full-length release and has proven to be its strongest effort. Great all around songcraft--melody writing, instrumentation and production. What you won't find on this album is a ton of lyrical depth. The fifth track on the record, 'Girlshapedlovedrug', is paradigmatic in this sense--the whole song can be boiled down to one line: "The girlshapedlovedrug messes with my mind." Well said, gentlemen. Well said.

Standout Track: 'Notice'

5. Continuum By John Mayer

I know what you're thinking...again. And AGAIN, you don't have to be a 13 year old girl to like John Mayer. And, no, I'm not afraid of losing my indie-savvy-cred by asserting my love for this guy's music. In fact, I saw John Mayer play at The Quest BEFORE he signed to a major label. Okay, now that I've got that off my chest...

Buy this record. If you didn't like John Mayer before, there is enough discontinuity from his past to allow you an avenue into the music--forays into R&B and jazz serve him well on Continuum. If you did like his music before, you'll notice more of the same types of impressive chord progressions, cool guitar riffs and creative lyrics that mad you a fan of his work in the first place. I suppose that's what the name of the record is all about--a continuity between past, present and future. Yes, he's a pretty boy. Yes, he did once write a song called 'Your Body Is A Wonderland' that made me want to poke my eyes out. But any guy who has the mettle to cover Hendrix's Bold As Love--and does it as well as Mayer does on this record--is a man worth listening to.

Standout Track: 'Belief'

4. Eyes Open By Snow Patrol

A lot of things surprised me about this album. The first was the overarching consistency of this record. Whereas 2004's Final Straw sounded like just a collection of semi-related songs, this album has a distinct cohesion to it. I emerged from the first few listens having a feeling of what the band was trying to get at with this group of songs. The second thing that surprised me was the amount of seemingly spiritual themes that kept popping up everywhere on this record. "Shut your eyes and sing to me," Gary Lightbody croons with a full chorus to back him on the son 'Shut Your Eyes'. Or, perhaps more poignantly on the song 'Make This Go On Forever':

And I don't know where to look
My words just break and melt
Please just save me from this darkness
Please just save me from this darkness

These lyrics serve as the contemplative epilogue to a song that builds from simple piano chords to a relentlessly driving primal rhythm. It's an amazing display of patience and maturity that I didn't expect from this band. Eyes Open fits neatly into the 'Pleasant Surprise' category of this year's top 10.

Standout Track: 'Make This Go On Forever'

3. Through Toledo By Greg Laswell

I've already gushed about the greatness of Greg Laswell, but since I've never been one to heed the dangers of overkill, here goes round two. Through Toledo is Laswell's first record, and it is a very impressive debut. He wrote this group of tunes in response to/reflection on his wife's sudden and unexpected divorce request. There is probably nothing worse than having the person you love most betray you with no desire for reconciliation. Of course, the places of pain are often the catalyst for the best art. Such is the case on this record. Laswell takes the listener through his journey of pain, and surprisingly does so without a hint of bitterness. Where one would expect that kind of anger, Laswell gives a tear-jerking assessment of the situation: he just misses his best friend. Laswell's lyrics are couched in some of the most tactful songwriting I've heard this year. Tasty riffs, great builds and delicacy in all the right places. Oh, and he plays all of the instruments on the record by himself. In short--just about everything I found in this record amazed me. I trust it will do the same for you.

Standout Track: 'Sing Theresa Says'

2. Floating World By Anathall0

Like Katie Herzig, credit for the discovery of this band goes to the Paste Magazine podcast. How exactly does one describe Anathallo? I've heard 'The Polyphonic Spree meets Sufjan Stevens'. I've also heard 'A marching band gone horribly wrong'. This six person ensemble draws many analogies, but nothing quite gets to the heart of how unique they are. Eclectic, creative and sometimes strange, Anathallo's music takes the listener on a journey unlike anything else out there. Mike Devereaux, Peter Carlson and I saw the band play live at the Varsity Theater in October and we were all very impressed; Dev was almost speechless. I've never seen six people play so many instruments in one show. From drums to bells to brass, back to drums, to vocals to Velcro. Yes, that's right. Velcro. And that was just one of the guys in the band. For anyone that has grown tired of music that all sounds the same, Anathallo is my highest recommendation. Oh, and though I always link the iTunes store for purchasing, I would recommend buying a hard copy of this one. The artwork, created for the band by Greg Leppert, is up for a Plug award.

Standout Track: Hanasakajijii (four: a great wind, more ash)

1. The Crane Wife By The Decemberists

Here it is, friends--the best album I purchased this year. Don't let the understated album cover fool you. The musical and lyrical complexity of The Crane Wife make it as good an album as you could have purchased in 2006--and I have a posse of NPR listeners to back me up on this one.

When I heard that The Decemberists had signed with a major label last year, I didn't know quite what to expect. Such an action is often the beginning of the end with regard to artistic integrity. But I couldn't help but thinking, "What would the Decemberists sound like if they weren't telling Cautionary Tales or describing the Mariner's Revenge?" Fortunately I didn't have to find out. To my relief, Colin Meloy still twists tales of romance, intrigue, villainy and tomfoolery. And, as I said last year, you are guaranteed to increase your vocabulary just by listening to a Decemberists album. My favorite Crane Wife word is 'dirigible', which Meloy ably rhymes with 'untraceable'. I seriously don't know how he comes up with this stuff, but I'm glad he does. When a vacation is out of my price range and a good novel is out of my free-time range, it is a beautiful thing to be able to step into the crazed mind of Colin Meloy and find there a world unlike any I could imagine on my own.

Standout Track: 'The Perfect Crime #2'

*****

Happy 2006, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

In Case You Were Wondering

2006-12-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

...and you can too!! Just click here. It's fun, it's free and--best of all--if you submit your list, you could win an 80 gig video iPod! I mean, you probably won't win...but it's a good incentive to go there and vote. The Current will be counting down the top 89 albums (according to listener votes) starting at 10:00 a.m. on New Year's day. It will be fanciful.

This is not just an advertisement for The Current. It's also a foreshadowing of things to come. I will be posting my top 10 albums of 2006 very soon ('soon' being a flexible term). I challenge everyone else to do the same.

So, if you bought one album or 20, post the ones you liked on your blog. I had fun doing it last year and I hope we'll all enjoy it together this year.

Hermeneutics Reflections: Part 1

2006-12-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

...or 'Why I Began My Presentation With A Beer Commercial Yesterday'

Obviously the guys in this Coors Light spot were not in the room when the original press conference was taking place. But there they are--asking Dick Vermeil their questions and receiving answers just as if they had been there all along. Just as if they belonged there. Just as if the press conference was intended to answer their questions.

The problem?

Nothing if our aim is comic relief...which is, I'm assuming, what Coors was hoping for with this ad. But it's no laughing matter when a similar situation occurs in Biblical interpretation.

My contention is that this kind of phenomena happens all too often in our readings of the Bible. Each person comes to the text hoping to get something that will speak to them personally, as if that was the text's primary concern, giving no credence to the pertinent historical/cultural background. What does God have to say to me today??? Just open the Bible at random and point. Let's confess, friends. We've all done it.

But what if...

What if our questions are not the questions the text is trying to answer? What if our questions are of relatively little importance in light of the themes the text is trying to bring to light? What if the text was not written, as has been so often assumed, to us? What if, instead it was written for us.

But have we really been missing things? I mean important things in our readings of scripture? How is that even possible? I think the Coors ad answers these question well. On one level, it really seems like Dick Vermeil is answering a question about onion dip. Both he and the 'reporters' are using language about 'making something' and showing some sort of uncertainty about the whole situation. Someone who knows absolutely nothing about American football may be satisfied at this point. But how about those who have played and/or watched football frequently? I bet those people can venture a guess what the original question was about. It probably had something to do with making or not making a touchdown or field goal...and nothing to do with onion dip.

These are some of the questions I've been working through lately. I think they're very important and, despite the objections I expect this post to illicit, I don't think the implied answers make Biblical study into an elitist exercise. But it does mean the task of interpretation needs to be undertaken more seriously and with more care. I fear that if we do not begin to ask some of these hard questions about the way(s) we read the Bible we run the risk of asking questions of God's word that have little more relevance than 'Doesn't this guy's hat look awesome backwards?'

Lord have mercy on me--the chief of sinners.

Mondays Need Beauty

2006-12-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

I've got nothing profound to say this morning, but I did come across something beautiful, and I thought I'd share (for those who haven't seen them). The bottom line is that more advertising needs to go the direction of becoming better artwork in and of itself. I have a hunch that fewer people would be Tivo-ing past commercials if they were as good as these two for Sony Bravia. It also doesn't hurt to have Jose Gonzalez enlisted for the soundtrack.

This is last year's ad and probably my favorite of the two. (Click here for the hi-res version from the website--I highly recommend you see it that way.) Below is the 2006 edition.

Again, I recommend seeing it in hi-res. If you're interested in seeing how the thing was executed, you can also do that.

I encourage everyone, on this bleak winter day to notice something beautiful...and blog about it. The gauntlet has been, as they say, thrown down. Are you up to the challenge?

Give a Man a Fish and He'll Deprive the Starving Street Kids of India...

2006-11-30T14:04:00.000-05:00

...or, "How the Irony Was Not Lost on Me During Lunch Today."

The Bethel dining center is my eating establishment of choice for lunches every weekday. It is convenient, the price is low and the food is relatively good (said as one who ate 3 squares a day at the U of M dorm cafeterias for two years). But my taste in cuisine is hardly the point of this episode.

As I waded through the private school masses during lunch today I saw a sign that caught my attention: "FISH SANDWICH." Due to my wife's general distaste for seafood, I almost never make fish at home. Thus, even a lackluster piece of sea fare sets my mouth to watering like an overeager gardener in a greenhouse. I promptly got in line and was soon face to face with one of the kind-faced Sodexho employees.

"Could I just get a piece of fish without the bun?"

"No," she replied.

"Are you serious?"

At this point she directed my attention to the sign which (in her defense) clearly read FISH SANDWICH.

Never one to shy away from an argument, I persisted.

"I'm not going to eat the bun. Seriously, I'm just going to set it aside when I get to the table."

At this point, she gave me the finger. And by 'gave me the finger', I mean 'pointed once more at the sign' which, if you recall, clearly read FISH SANDWICH.

"I would seriously rather not throw the bun away. It seems wasteful. Can I just have a piece of fish"

"Here's your fish," she said as she handed me a plate which contained a bun-intact fish sandwich.

Puzzled and bewildered I took my tray to the table, dislodged the fish and set the bun aside. The fish was actually pretty good, if you were wondering. As I chewed though, I couldn't help but think of how wasteful my eating enterprise would be today. After negotiating with myself about how many carrots I had to endure before I could eat dessert, eating those carrots (12, if you were wondering) and eating the dessert, I got up to put my tray away. At the dish washing area I once again lamented wasting a quarter loaf of French bread, but then put the thought out of my mind.

Quickly (because, how else would I work off that dessert) I trotted down the stairs back to my office. Right after I exited the stairs, a well-designed display caught my eye. I walked over and silently read the bold print at the top of the sign, "WANT TO HELP FEED THE STARVING STREET KIDS OF INDIA?" A kind-faced sophomore audibly posed the same question as I stood there confused as to why someone else's voice had invaded my inner monologue. She repeated the question as I snapped out of my daze:

"Do you want to help feed the starving street kids of India?"

"Who...me? Sure," I said as I dislodged a dollar bill from my pocket and brushed away the lint.

I placed the dollar in the donation box and walked away as the kind young undergrad continued to smile, looking for the her program's next benefactor. On the way back to my office I couldn't help but wonder if at any point in the near future Bethel's right hand will figure out what its left hand is doing.

To the University of Minnesota Garbage Truck Driver...

2006-11-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry that it took me one extra millisecond to hit the gas when that light turned green this morning. Your honking was perfectly understandable given your relative busy-ness and my complete obliviousness. In fact, I'd like to thank you for honking. I was wasting my life there for a second...er, less than a second, and you saved me from futility.

Thanks for reinforcing the overworked, overstressed, under-rested economy that we have all grown to know and love in America. I <3 you. Ten points for your team.

But...

I don't suppose you have a clean pair of boxers in that truck of yours...cause you scared the expletive out of me. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tim Johnson

Good Music Thursday: Volume 6

2006-11-09T15:24:00.000-05:00

I didn't go to see them.

They were an afterthought. I had heard the name before, but never seen them play live. Never heard any of their records. A couple of my friends had mentioned the name before--friends with great musical taste, no less. But did I listen? Nooooo...

The band, ladies and gentlemen, is called Fitzgerald. Anathallo was the main event and the reason I went to the the Varsity Theatre last Sunday, but Fitzgerald was a pleasant surprise; they proved to be a lifeboat in a sea of otherwise sketchy opening bands. Fitzgerald is composed of the husband and wife duo Nathan and Mandy Tensen-Woolery...and whatever other musicians happen to be joining them on stage or in the studio. If only all high school relationships could result in the kind of beautiful music these two produce....

It's a very rare occurrence that a live show so impresses me that I run over to the merch table acting all awkward and puberty-ish. But I did with Fitzgerald. I was like, "You guys are really good and stuff." Fortunately Nathan saw that I had cash in hand and diffused the situation by putting 'Raised by Wolves' in my hand and relieving me of my $10. Then, before I could say "sweet" I was walking away. I hope it was as special for them as it was for me.

The short version: These guys are a local indie band, so all you Minneapolis-ites go see them next time they play 'round these parts. They play a great live show (check out the video). As always, if you need to see (and by see, I mean 'hear') before believing, let me help your unbelief. You can download a couple of tracks from 'Raised by Wolves' free. Also, to get more information on the band, check here.

Happy Thursday, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

Just Close Your Eyes and Point

2006-11-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know today is election day. Controversy is just under the surface everywhere you go. Let's face it, politics is just one of those things you shouldn't talk about in polite conversation. So, I thought as a reprieve from all the controversy, we could all discuss something more pleasant...something a bit less contentious.

How about Religion?

Ok, maybe just a little politics. It is election day, after all. I'll play my hand.

Me and Pauly Shore Are Like This (crosses fingers)

2006-11-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

If you aren't annoyed yet, you haven't looked closely enough at the picture directly to the left of these words. Why, you ask, would I do something so heartless as to put a picture of Pauly Shore on my blog?

Well...

Pauly and I have been brethren of sorts for the last week. No, I haven't been watching Biodome or Son in Law incessantly. I've actually been serving Jury Duty in Hennepin County. OK, I know that's a pretty random (and lame) reference. But seriously, how often do you get a decent excuse to put Pauly Shore on your blog?

Anyway, it's the only reason I've got for the pathetic lack of blogging in the past week. My apologies about the lapse in 'Good Music Thursday'. I've got some great ideas in the hopper; hopefully I'll be able to get back at it next week.

In case you're wondering, I am currently serving on a criminal case...and I can't tell you any more information about it, otherwise I'd have to kill you. In which case I would be the defendant in a criminal case. Then there would be a SERIOUS lack of blogging....

I was going to leave you alll with a Pauly Shore quote, but the picture is annoying enough...buuuddy!

Good Music Thursday: Volume 5

2006-10-26T17:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome back, friends. Because of this blasted thing, I almost neglected to do Good Music Thursday this week. But, never fear. Tim is hear (*it's a pun!*) with more good music for your listening pleasure.

Our subject this week is a San Diego native named Greg Laswell. Never heard of him? Neither had I, until The Curren t turned me on to his music. It's very rare that I need to pull the car over to the side of the road because the music is so profound, but that's exactly what happened the first time I heard the song "Do What I Can" off his 2006 release "Through Toledo."

This album was written from a very real place of pain. One day his wife walked in and informed him that she was leaving. Just like that. He didn't intend to write an album about the experience, but before he knew it, there were 12 great songs just waiting to be recorded.

So, record he did.

And they're amazing. It's not just the songcraft, or the musicianship, or the fact that he plays all (yes, that's right--ALL) of the instruments on this recording that make it a standout record. I think it's that his voice has an absolutely haunting quality that sticks with you all day long--kind of like what your parents promised would happen in your stomach if you ate peanut butter for breakfast.

Whether you like peanut butter or not, I encourage you to feast on this album. There's a ton of places to get lost--and the view has never been better from the 'middle of nowhere' than it is on "Through Toledo." As per always, I wouldn't leave you without a few freebies to sample the musical greatness. Check here for a live, in studio performance at The Current from earlier this fall. Or, you can look at Greg's myspace page (yes, we're on a first name basis) which has three of the tunes off the new record ready to impress you.

Happy Thursday, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

For Those About To Waste Time I Solute You: Part III

2006-10-25T16:55:00.000-04:00

Click here at your own risk. You've been warned. It's addictive. You will play multiple times. I expect reports about your best score. I haven't cracked 100 yet. But I will soon.

Smashing Pumpkin Records

2006-10-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

Life is good in Boston. Many thanks to Sarah and Giuseppe for their hospitality and tour guide-ing skills, as well as their uncanny ability to make it through RIDICULOUS traffic without incident.

Jessica and I got to see many of the sights that make Boston what it is. Fenway Park, the Freedom Trail, Harvard (pronounced, 'Hah-vahd', in case you were wondering...)--the normal tourist fare, made all the more genuine by Jess's frequent photo stops.

One thing that came as an interesting surprise,however was the presence of 30,000 pumpkins in the middle of Boston Commons. Well, there wasn't actually that many when we first arrived on Friday night. In fact, there was just a bunch of half filled scaffolding and nervous looking people wearing "life is good" shirts. One of them approached Joe, Jessica and I. The conversation went something like this:

Him: Do you guys want to play with knives and help raise money for kids with cancer?

Us: OK....

Him: It's free! Just go carve a pumpkin over there.

Us: OK...

Truth be told, it takes very little convincing to get me to play with knives. So, we headed over to the tents and carved away. I decided to depict a phoenix rising from the ashes on my pumpkin. But, due to lack of space on the pumpkin (and by 'space', I mean 'skills') I settled on a face with triangle eyes, nose and a toothless smile.

Everyone had a good time (see below) and in the end Boston set the Guinness record for most lit pumpkins (30,128), raising $554, 211 for kids with cancer in the process. It was a beautiful thing in many ways. Check here to see more great pictures from the festival.

On Hiatus

2006-10-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

Hey friends. I've never been to Boston in the Fall, but all that is about to change. Aaron Engler is getting married out there tomorrow!! Thus, I apologize for my lack of blogging this week, but I have more important things to attend to. Good music Thursday will return...you guessed it, next Thursday. Have a good week, all.

Good Music Thursday: Volume 4

2006-10-12T15:49:00.000-04:00

It's good to hear that some people have been enjoying Thursdays at the Speckled Mind. Testimonials fuel me. There is so much good new music to talk about. This week, however, I'd like to take a trip through memory lane and pay tribute to a band that is on its last legs.

Earlier this fall I got this sad bit of news from Nickel Creek's website:

Dearest Listener,
After seven years of extensive touring in support of three records (seventeen years as a band), we've decided to take a break of indefinite length at the end of 2007 to preserve the environment we've sought so hard to create and to pursue other interests. It has been a pleasure to write, record, and perform for you through the years and we'd like to heartily thank you for your invaluable contribution to our musical lives.

Yours,

Nickel Creek
(Sean, Sara, and Chris)
P.S. Read more here

Seventeen years. Can you believe that? I think eating and breathing are about the only things I've sustained for that long.

For those of you unfamiliar with Nickel Creek, shame on you. Fortunately, your remedial course can be streamed on-line. The bottom line: there is more talent in this band than should be allowed by law. It's sort of like a bluegrass-meets-pop-meets-folk-meets-rock kind of music. Sara, Sean and Chris do a beautiful sort of genre blurring that I wish more artists were brave enough to attempt. I am glad, however, that more artists don't attempt their harmonies.

I'll spare you the biography, though it makes for a very interesting read. As was noted above, the band will only be touring until the end of 2007, so catch them while you can. Their live performances are always worth the price of admission. Oh, and if you listen to nothing else from this blog entry, be sure to visit their MySpace page and listen to the cover of Britney Spears' 'Toxic'. What an unholy marriage.

Happy Thursday, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

Underwear?!??!!!

2006-10-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

Do you remember that feeling of anticipation you used to get in the weeks leading up to Christmas? Not the one you get now. Not the, 'hooray, I get a few days off from that time-sucking black hole I call a job' feeling. Not that one. I'm talking about the one you got when you were young. The 'I don't know what's wrapped under that tree, but I just might blow a coronary if I have to wait any longer to open it' feeling. That's the one.

The sensation is a beautiful thing in itself. That level of unrestricted excitement rarely occurs in adulthood.

Think back again. Gift wrap flying into the air at the mercy of tiny but eager hands. Your mom nervously begging you to be careful. Your old man priding himself on his spectacular wrapping job. Your brother freaking out when he realized it was HIS gift you were opening.

Good times.

When I was in early grade school, there was nothing I wanted more than He-Man action figures. I can't remember what the allure was about those things. Maybe it was a subconscious aspiration to look like a steroid infested body builder who rode a tiger and had magical friends. Maybe it was a desire to participate in the cosmic struggle of good vs. evil. More likely, I just wanted to identify with a man who found it socially acceptable to walk around in his underwear and carry a battleaxe with him wherever he went.

Mom never did let me have a battleaxe.

Nevertheless. Do you remember the year you didn't get what you wanted? That fateful year when the packages that had held so much promise actually contained something you didn't ask for. The ritual described above proceeded in much the same way, but instead of pulling a new Ram-man or Orko from the cellophane you got....underwear.

"Underwear?!??!!!"

There's nothing inherently wrong with underwear. It wasn't even that I particularly disliked it--after all, it worked for He-Man. The worst part was that feeling of unfulfilled expectations. And then, having to thank the giver of the gift for something that was CLEARLY a disappointment.

That's how autumn has been in Minneapolis this year. I so looked forward to the beautiful hues and unending weeks of low 60's temps--not too warm, not too cold. But that's not what we've gotten. Instead there were a few days of nice tempatures accompanied by stiff winds that blew all the leaves from the trees before they could be enjoyed. What should have been a reddish-orange delight to my eyes is now a brown crunchy mess under my feet.

This morning was dark and sleety. Tomorrow will be the same. Friday will be the same. Autumn is supposed to be the season that makes a life in Minnesota worthwhile, and it hardly made an appearance this year.

Sigh.

All my hopes for He-Man action figures have ended in underwear this Fall.

Oh, and the irony of a similar fate befalling my beloved Twins is not lost on me.

Mondays Need Laughs...

2006-10-09T12:44:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Zalm for alerting me to these little jewels of religious education. Check out the whole library on issues such as tithing, WWJD, pastors and worship.

Good Music Thursday: Volume 3

2006-10-05T11:21:00.000-04:00

You've had your two week trial of free music. Now it's time to pay up. That's right, the Speckled Mind is just like that 'free' one year subscription you got to Sports Illustrated when you signed up for a Capital One Visa. That card has now been charged the full fee...which is collecting interest at 29.9%, I might add. You should have remembered to cancel; we knew you'd forget. Hooray for shady capitalistic dealings!

Seriously, this one will cost you. But it is definitely worth your $9.99 on iTunes (or, you can stream it here for free) Our subject today is the Decemberists new LP "The Crane Wife."

For those unfamiliar with this band, it is fronted by nerdy, arty, folky English-Lit.-Major-Guy, Colin Meloy. Colin's songwriting, like many others of our time, centers around relationships--young love and broken hearts.

The similarities, however, end there.

Colin usually couches these stories of romance and tragedy in language best suited to the British Literature section of Barnes & Noble. I challenge you to find another songwriter that has written a love song sung from the dual perspectives of a dead Civil War soldier and his pregnant, forlorn girlfriend. That track ('Yankee Bayonet--I Will Be Home Then') features the brilliant Laura Veirs and is one of the highlights of the new LP.

Another very...interesing song is called, "The Shankhill Butchers." You won't find anything like this from any other artist. Like all of Colin's songs, it walks the fine line between historical truth and fiction. One thing that is absolutely factual--this is the creepiest children's lullaby you'll ever hear.

The Shankill butchers ride tonight
You better shut your windows tight
Theyre sharpening their cleavers and their knives
And taking all their whisky by the pint
Cuz everybody knows
If you dont mind your mother's words
A wicked wind will blow
Your ribbons from your curls
Everybody moan everybody shake
The shankill butchers wanna catch you
Awake

They used to be just like me and you
They used to be sweet little boys
But something went horribly askew
Now killing is their only source of joy
Cuz everybodys knows...

The shankill butchers on the rise
Theyre waiting till the dead of night
Theyre picking at their fingers with their knives
And wiping off their cleavers on their thighs
Cuz everybod knows...

The shankill butchers wanna kill you
The shankill butchers wanna cut you
The shankill butchers wanna catch you
Awake
Awake
Awake
Awake

Sleep tight, kids. If you're interested in learning more about the album, Pitchfork did an excellent review.

All in all this album marks an excellent departure from the indie world and rebirth in the land of Capitol Records. The band managed to maintain its artistic integrity and uniqueness despite the pressure to fit a niche that usually accompanies migration to a major label.

If you want to get a free taste of Colin and his brilliance before ponying up your bucks, check out the live show he did for NPR (avaialble for streaming here). My favorite line from that show, "I think it's time that we move right into the gypsy material."

Happy Thursday, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

It's October 2nd. Do you know where your Twins are?

2006-10-02T10:32:00.000-04:00

Oh, you knew it was coming.

I'm pretty sure I still fall short of the Biblical requirements for a prophet. But, you'd have to admit I was pretty close to accurate in my assessment of the Twins that I gave on the first day of the regular season. And for the record, I have been with them through thick and thin--a fact to which my wife will attest (sometimes with and sometimes without rolling her eyes).

How does one sum up a season this remarkable? The stats speak for themselves, for the most part. The Twins finished first in batting, second in pitching and third in fielding in the American League.

Oh, yeah. And let's not forget first in the A.L. Central. A fact for which we need to thank a host of people. We would like to thank the White Sox for choking. We would also like to thank the Tigers for choking. Probably most of all, we would like to thank the Royals for NOT choking. A bit of luck, a bit of skill. Perhaps more the former than the latter. But either way, our boys are staying home instead of flying to New York. And that is a VERY good thing. A couple of other notables:

Joe Mauer became the first American League catcher to win the batting title.
Johan Santana will, without a doubt, win the Cy Young award
Gardenhire will finish in the top two (with Jim Leyland) and may win the American League Manger of the Year award.
Justin Morneau will finish in the top three for American League MVP voting (with Derek Jeter and David Ortiz) and DESERVES to win the award
Never before has a team taken over sole possession of first place in a division on the last day of the regular season.
Santana became the first player to snag the pitching quadruple crown (best in Strikeouts, ERA, Innings Pitched and Wins) since Hal Newhouser in 1945.

I could go on and on. But I won't...right now. Here's the important thing--the first playoff game is tomorrow at 12:00 against Oakland. Whatever you are doing at that point, stop and listen to the game. Cheer. Yell at your radio. Heck, skip work and go to the game. These guys deserve our support.

Oh yeah. Cheer for the Tigers too. They need it right now.

Good Music Thursday: Volume 2

2006-09-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

Let's see a show of hands. Who is way too busy right now?

**Raises hand and grunts "oooh, oooh" in second grader 'I have to go to pee' style**

You too, huh?

Well, even busy-ness is no excuse to pass on good, free music. Thus, I bring you Volume 2 of my (hopefully) ongoing series 'Good Music Thursday.'

Derek Webb sang with Caedmon's Call for over a decade, but decided to leave the band after its (excellent) 2003 release Back Home. By all accounts, it was a friendly split caused completely by artistic differences rather than bad band chemistry. Derek quickly became the musical voice of progressive Christianity championed by folks like Donald Miller and Shane Claiborne. Derek's lyrics pull no punches on subjects such as:

Evangelicalism's unhealthy alignment with the Republican party
Jesus' commitment to the poor and his hope that his followers would be likewise committed
The correct Christian role in war discussions
The Church's wrong desire to live by the Law rather than the Spirit

A prophet? A heretic? You be the judge. Right now, you can download Derek's new album "Mockingbird" in its entirety for free. Just click here or on the banner above. The tracks are yours to keep, forever at no cost. This is a very intersting move for an artist, and I would encourage you to check out why Derek decided to do this. One of his reasons was to promote discussion amongst churches, small groups, etc. I would love to know what some of you think about what Derek has to say.

Happy Thursday, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

Good Music Thursday: Volume 1

2006-09-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

I'm going to try to be a bit more thematic with my blogging this fall. Thursday seems like a good day to talk music, agreed? Alright, it's official. Thursday shall be the day when all my music snobbery comes to the foreground and I go on and on about artists of whom you may never have heard...or may never care to hear.

Hey, if a guy can't be a music snob, what is he supposed to do with his music degree?

Actually the idea for this kind of blog came about after talking with a few of my friends about music. I frequently get asked if I will write down/email them what I've been listening to. Well (Brad), now you have it in the immortal annals of Al Gore's precious gift to us.

Ok, where were we. Ah yes, music. How about something free for Volume 1? Thought that might catch your interest.

Listening to the KCRW Top Tune podcast has quickly become one of my favorite daily rituals--right up there with coffee and fantasy baseball. Through this free (did I mention it was free?) podcast I've discovered some great new (to me) artists including: Cibelle, Lisa Germano and Devics. KCRW also does a great job of following well known artists with new stuff on the horizon such as: Pete Yorn, Ani Difranco, Sigur Ros and My Morning Jacket. The track by Ani Difranco alone is worth the two seconds it will take you to subscribe to this podcast. Try it. You'll like it.

Happy Thursday, Speckled Mind readers. And remember--life is too short to listen to bad music.

To Do List: 1. Pray More

2006-09-16T10:56:00.000-04:00

There was a night of prayer at Hope last night, and about 25 people attended to pray for the coming year--for Hope, Hiawatha and our missionaries here and abroad.

Now, I've never been good at prayer. In its simplicity, it still remains one of the most mysterious aspects of the Christian faith to me. I know the pat answers--we pray to further our relationship with the Father. Simple communication with the Creator.

I get that.

How/if our prayers move God to action, however, is a topic for which I have no pat answers. The interplay of sovereign foreknowledge and divinely motivated intervention is something that I don't pretend to understand. One thing I know for sure, though, is the importance of praying for Hiawatha Church as they begin doing ministry in South Minneapolis.

As I sit in the Riverview Cafe this morning, I can't help but be nervous/excited/awed by the task facing the leadership of Hiawatha church. Even now, two women are having a discussion behind me about the benefits of universalism and that it is nearly identical to Christianity. One of them has a book entitled Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions laying open on the table. A man across the room is reading a bit of Marx with his morning coffee. Hiawatha Church--welcome to your Athens.

Please join me in continual prayer for Hiawatha Church as they proclaim the love and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to a community that is 'very religious in every way'.

Burning Up on Re-entry?

2006-09-12T09:50:00.000-04:00

After one has been away for so long, is there really a wrong direction to go?

Maybe so.

I guess this post will be the determining factor.

For those who had the patience to wait out the month I've been away, thank you for still checking in occasionally. This place has more cobwebs than John Kerry's campaign headquarters--a situation I hope to rectify soon. Not Kerry's campaign...I think that's officially dead. I hope to revive this blog by bringing it back to the height of its former greatness..

er...I mean tolerableness

er...ok-ness?

Perhaps I'll just shoot for a pleasant way to waste five of your minutes. You didn't have anything better to do anyway, right? Would you be reading this if you did?

OK. That was all very silly. I will try to be more serious. Here goes: I vow to blog at least twice a week this semester starting now. And by 'vow', of course I mean 'do my best'. And by 'do my best', of course, I mean 'will likely fail at accomplishing but please continue to frequent this corner of the blogosphere anyway'. I hope that is sufficiently clear. If not, clear, at least translucent. If it was opaque, I suggest a hacksaw.

This is what happens when I view a Monty Python clip before 10:00 a.m. At least I'm back, right?

Good Night and Good Luck

2006-07-31T13:01:00.000-04:00

Dear Kyle:

What can I say? We've had some good times together, you and I. Oh, wait. I can't say that. Because it would be a lie. And lying is wrong, Kyle.

You know what else is wrong? The way you've pitched in your career with the Twins. Especially this year. With an ERA over 7.00, I didn't think anyone would take you, but fortunately the Reds organization had a little leaguer available that they were willing to give up. I'd say we got the better end of the deal--that kid has got all the potential in the world. In truth, I think Terry Ryan would have taken a sandwich and a dinner roll in exchange for your 'talents'.

I hope the folks in Cincinnatti enjoy your composure, skills and personality as much as we did. Today is a very good day for every red-blooded Twins fan. Oh, and Kyle--don't let the door hit you on your way out.

Good night and good luck,

Tim Johnson

Riggs, Rigging and the Hope Brokers

2006-07-14T10:53:00.000-04:00

I used to work with a guy named Riggs at the local butcher shop when I was in high school. Riggs was a middle aged guy with an unhealthy interest in firearms, women to whom he wasn't married and meat. I guess his interest in meat wasn't unhealthy, per se, but he did lose part of a finger in the meat saw once. Anyway, Riggs was also an armchair conspiracy theorist--the kind who was convinced that Big Brother was always looking over his shoulder and that Tupac lived. All things told, I think his time in 'Nam had something to do with the bizarre way he viewed reality. I never took his rants too seriously though, and I often had a good laugh at his expense.

One of the most curious conspiracy theories Riggs held was that EVERY sports game was rigged. The players weren't actually trying to win a game as much as they were following a script. From the fumbled snap to the finger tip catch, every Football game was planned in advance. From the shootout to the headbutt, every Futbol match was crafted by the higher-ups. The strikeouts. The grand slams. All part of some larger plan. Oddly enough, Riggs was still an avid sports (read *Packers*) fan. It seemed to me that the emergence of this theory correlated a little too closely with the Packers' loss to the lowly Colts in 1997. One way or another, the whole idea seemed crazy. If the purpose of sports is not pure, unpredictable entertainment what's the point? After all, who could possibly benefit from such a grand organized system?

The 'Hope Brokers', that's who.

Stick with me on this one. After watching the Twins and the Vikings for a number of years, I think Riggs might be on to something...either that or cheering for Minnesota sports teams has finally gotten the best of my sanity. What else could explain the 'on again, off again' talent of these teams? How else do the Twins look like nation's best team in June and then lose with Liriano on the mound last night? How else do the Vikings lose with Dante calling plays and then burgeon with a 40 year old white guy at the helm?

So here's the deal. I don't think "they" are trying to entertain us, as much as they are selling us a measurable quantity of Hope like it's an addictive substance. That's the reason we keep coming back. Not because we like the Vikings. Not because we like the Twins. Not because we like the Yankees...okay, that one is a given. Rather, it is because we all need something to hope in. And what's great about sports teams is that you can look in the morning paper and see if your hope was realized or held in vain. There's been more vanity than realization with me and the Twins this summer...a bit more more Ecclesiastes than Revelation in that sense. But every morning, I come back like a junkie looking for his fix.

So what if the Twins are 12 games back in the Central? So what if the Vikings have a team full of no-names. I am a man who has plucked Hope from the Tree of Knowledge and eaten my fill; now no amount of morning-after statistics in the paper can cover the shame of my addiction. "They" have lured me into the Hope vaccuum, and I am now a captive consumer of a phenomenon.

So maybe Riggs was right. Maybe he was insane. One thing is for sure--I like the Twins' chances tonight against Cleveland.

For the Love of the City

2006-07-07T09:49:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been listening through the audio archives from the Reform and Resurgence conference that took place at Mars Hill Church in Seattle this Spring. It's a pretty cool thing that I didn't have to fly to the West Coast or pay a single shiny dime to get all the goods from this conference; though after listening, it would have been worth a number of shiny dimes to attend...even if they were MY shiny dimes.

The average looking white guy directly above this sentence is Dr. Timothy Keller. Rather than recite his bio, I'll just directe you to the Wikipedia article. The short version is that Dr. Keller is one of the country's biggest advocates for Urban Christianity. The following quote is taken from this audio program, which I highly recommend for your edification.

"Christians should be living in cities in far greater numbers than they are now because they want to...not out of guilt. There's nothing in the Bible that says you have to live in cities. But there's everything in the Bible that says you ought to want to."

This is just one of a hundred quotable moments in the program. Did I mention that I highly recommend listening to it? I can hardly think of a better way to spend the next hour and twenty-two minutes...of course, my imagination has never been that impressive.

In another thought provoking part of the presentation Dr. Keller talked about Churches becoming dynamic counter-cultures in society. In his words, as Christians we are called to be "radically the same and radically different" with regard to the people who live in our cities. The key is to choose carefully--and on a Biblical basis--which aspects of culture can be adopted, which aspects can be adapted, and which aspects should be ultimately rejected. Said differently, none of H. Richard Neibuhr 's categories is sufficient in and of itself.

So that got me thinking.

Where do we take our stand? What are the core issues of Christian belief on which we must stand firm against howling cultural winds? What are the issues that have been forced into the core of Christian belief that should not be there? How does this all affect the way we should live within culture?

I'd love to hear feedback on this. I'll try to post some of mine as well.

Had Enough of Illinois?

2006-06-26T10:46:00.000-04:00

Neither have I. If you loved Sufjan's last album as much as I did, you'll be excited to know that he has a second album of material from the Illinois sessions coming out July 11. The album is called "The Avalanche." Props to Zalm for finding this--if you can't wait a few more weeks for some fresh Sufjan, you'll be happy to see that Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of "The Avalanche" are available for streaming online RIGHT NOW. Woohoo!!

In other music news, I have really been enjoying the new Gomez album, "How We Operate." Good song craft--poppy but not too poppy. I also like the 'everyone does everything' approach that Gomez takes. A few different guys sing lead, and I think all the band members can play just about any instrument with equal greatness. My two favorite tracks are probaby "Notice" and "Girlshapedlovedrug." Clever Brits.

In other, other music news, if you're a fan of David Bazan (former lead singer of Pedro the Lion), you will likely appreciate this. I like tape-friendly artists! His new E.P can be found here, or you can listen to it for free online here.

Artists that are coming out with new albums in 2006 that excite me:

Dashboard Confessional, David Crowder* Band (June)
Ani Difranco, Thom Yorke, John Mayer (July)
Pete Yorn, M Ward (August)
Jars of Clay (September)
The Decemberists, Evanescence (October)

There is also talk of a new Smashing Pumpkins record that may or may not come out this year. Either way, it should be a good Summer/Fall for music.

Some Speckled Politics

2006-06-19T10:46:00.000-04:00

Those of you who frequent this blog know that I don't get political very often. It's not a primary area of interest for me and, to be honest, I'm not that politically adept. That being said, when politics ventures into the realm of good comedy (as it often does), it's fair game. Check out this video:

Here's the transcript:

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?

Q I can take them off.

THE PRESIDENT: I’m interested in the shade look, seriously.

Q All right, I’ll keep it, then.

THE PRESIDENT: For the viewers, there’s no sun. (Laughter.)

Q I guess it depends on your perspective. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Touche. (Laughter.)

So why, you ask, do I bring up this situation? Well, it turns out that this reporter is legally blind, and wears the sunglasses because of his condition. Way to George W. I guess it's not the first time our president has stormed into a situation with guns blazing before knowing the sensitive nature of a situation. **Shrug**

The Straw Man and the Nature of Theological Language Games

2006-06-13T15:41:00.000-04:00

With a title like that, this post had better be good.

The short version is this: I've grown tired of conflict, division and strife within the community of God. That which follows isn't the only reason for ecclesiological fracture, but I believe it plays a large role. I'll try to cite examples from multiple perspectives, and at the end everyone will likely be alienated...

Possibly causing more division...

The irony is not lost on me.

Here goes. First some information about the Straw Man from Wikipedia so that we are all on the same page:

A straw man argument is a rhetorical technique based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position. To "set up a straw man" or "set up a straw-man argument" is to create a position that is easy to refute, then attribute that position to the opponent. A straw-man argument can be a successful rhetorical technique (that is, it may succeed in persuading people) but it is in fact misleading, since the argument actually presented by the opponent has not been refuted.

The entry goes on to list possible ways this technique can be used.

1. Present a misrepresentation of the opponent's position, refute it, and pretend that the opponent's actual position has been refuted.
2. Present someone who defends a position poorly as the defender, refute that person's arguments, and pretend that every upholder of that position, and thus the position itself, has been defeated.
3. Invent a fictitious persona with actions or beliefs that are criticized, and pretend that the person represents a group of whom the speaker is critical.

Is all this starting to sound familiar? I know being in seminary turns a person into a bit of an idiot savant with regard to theology. But still, I believe this is important for everyone to realize; this tactic is not just used in master's level theology books--it is dripping into the mainstream in many places right now. If you hear or read anyone starting statements with any of these phrases, beware:

Evangelicals tend to...
I knew someone who was big into the emergent church and...
Progressive Christianity's agenda is to...
Most churches under represent Jesus teaching on the kingdom of God because...
The institutional church is not what God intended because...

I'm sure there are others that could be added, both in the political and the theological realm--not to mention the interplay between the two. Please bear with me on a few more thoughts on this issue.

First, I am a big fat ugly sinner on this one. I'm sure you could read back through this blog and find plenty of examples in which I've erected a straw man only to burn him in effigy. Let's face it, it's easy to hit one out of the park when you're playing T-Ball twenty feet from the fence. That said, I repent.

Second, if you are doing this kind of thing--especially if you are currently in or aspire to church leadership--knock it off and repent. You're causing division. If you think there are problems with 'the Church' or 'Evangelical Christianity' or 'Liberal Christianity' or any other expression of the kingdom, do something about it. And by "do something about it," I'm not saying blog about. I'm not saying run off at the mouth to friends to present the image that everyone else has got it wrong and you've got it right. I AM saying that everyone should act according to the Spirit's leading and conscience.

Third--and this is important--there is a reason that other people believe differently on theological issues than you. If you catch yourself thinking that these differences are always due to stupidity or ignorance, you need to repent. Your sin is pride, and it's just as bad (or worse) than stupidity or ignorance.

The goal of Christian Community is unity in the Spirit. If you feel like you've been critical of other Christians lately, regardless of their position on certain issues, take a long hard look at Ephesians 4 in the near future. What Paul is describing in that passage is NOT tolerance. Tolerance is a shallow, mess-free substitute for true Christian unity. Instead of tolerance then, we need to cling to the truth and transforming power of the Scriptures, and let them be the inspiration, motivation and guide for our Christian discourse.

Leave the Straw Men in the field where they belong. Straw Men are for the birds.

A New Law

2006-06-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

This song of Derek Webb's has been haunting me for months now. Please take a minute and read the lyrics, then watch the video. It's incredibly powerful. Ok, there's a lot more I could say about it, but I'll let others make comments first.

Don’t teach me about politics and government
Just tell me who to vote for
Don’t teach me about truth and beauty
Just label my music
Don’t teach me how to live like a free man
Just give me a new law

I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me

I want a new law
I want a new law
Gimme that new law

Don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
I prefer a shot of grape juice
Don’t teach me about loving my enemies
Don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
Just give me a new law

I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me

I want a new law
I want a new law
Gimme that new law

What’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
For one you can that cannot get you anything
Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid

Living The Dream--But Not This Week

2006-05-24T09:11:00.000-04:00

Hey friends. Brad and Jerod often joke about how I am "living the dream." They say this for any number of reasons, but one of the major pieces of evidence for their assertion is that I don't actually "work" at my job. In many ways I feel like the guy from Office Space.

Jess's job is very different. She bills her time in 8 minute increments. I was thinking how funny it would be if I did the same. It would look something like this:

8:00-8:08 : Drank coffee and stared at my desk
8:08-8:16 : See above
8: 16-8:24 : Checked email and fantasy baseball results
8:24-8:32 : Set fantasy baseball lineup for the current day and cursed Jason Giambi's recent ineptitude
8:32-8:40 : Drank coffee and stared at my desk
8:40-8:48 : See above
8:48-8:56 : Groaned and sighed while staring at my desk

It would go on like this pretty much the whole day...in a normal week.

But not this week.

This week, I will be working like every other normal, red-blooded American. I will proudly (read 'begrudgingly') put in my 40 hours of honest, real labor. So, sorry for the blogging lapse. I promise it will get better again soon.

A Week Gone By...

2006-05-11T14:15:00.000-04:00

I have been so lazy lately. It's pathetic really. It's not that I haven't had anything to write about...I just haven't managed to discipline myself enough to write in a witty and eloquent manner. Because I'm still not feeling particualrly witty, I'll just share in list form a few of the things on my mind this past week. This is a blog after all. I'm allowed to do that, right? Well, here goes.

1. We had our first week of softball on Sunday evening. Somehow I'm never as talented as I remember being the previous year. Curious. We took one out of two and I batted 'just ok.' If you want to see the team's stats, you can check them out here. What you won't see is my strikeout count. I have a mean underhand spinner, that leaves hitters as clueless as Johan Santana's changeup. Ok, maybe it's not quite that good, but I still struck out 5 batters over the two games.

2. I like the Twins. Even when they suck. Which they haven't lately. Kyle Lohse only gave up one run yesterday. I was surprised. Torii Hunter is on a ten game hitting streak. I like the Twins.

3. The new Snow Patrol album is tasty. Pretty standard rock album, but there's enough in there to keep it high in my playlist. Good riffs, surprisingly intelligent chord progressions and a shoutout to Sufjan Stevens.

'Put Sufjan Stevens on
and we'll play your favorite song
"Chicago" bursts to life and your
sweet smile remembers you...'

Who could ask for more. OH, and it has one of the best digital booklets iTunes has ever seen. It's like 30 pages--most of which are photos of the band in the studio. The rest of the booklet includes explanations about the creative process behind each song. I really dig that kind of stuff.

4. I'd like to continue with my series on Mythology. I have a few ideas, but I don't want to force it. I think it stifles the creative process when I force myself to write on a particular subject. For those of who that have enjoyed it so far, there will be more--I promise. For those who haven't enjoyed it--stop reading my blog and go make me a sandwich.

5. Speaking of Sufjan, I ran across this quote of his and thought it was absolutely stunning.

"On an aesthetic level, faith and art are a dangerous match. Today, they can quickly lead to devotional artifice or didactic crap. This would summarize the Christian publishing world or the Christian music industry. If you are an artist of faith (a Methodist or a Jew), then you have the responsibility to manage the principles of your faith wisely lest they be reduced to stereotype, which is patronizing to the church and to the world, and, perhaps, to God."

Any thoughts on this? Call me a bandwagoner. This guy can do little wrong in my mind.

6. I might change the look of my blog if I can figure out how to do it. I'm not what you would call "Technologically Literate." I'm hardly literate at all. If I do change the template and you like it, let me know. If not--yep, you guessed it--you can go and make me a sandwich.

The Speckled Mind

Preposterous Theological Statements: Episode 1

I Think I Love My Wife's Football Team

Eye, Eye, Eye!

What's A Month Between Friends?

The Rumors of My Blog's Resurrection Were Greatly Exaggerated

The Lapse Dance

Surprised By Hope Part 7: Resurrection

Surprised by Hope Part 6: Symbol as Story as Action

Surprised by Hope Part 5: The Importance of Being Jewish

Surprised by Hope Part 4: Jesus and His-Story

Surprised by Hope Part 3: A King and a Kingdom

Surprised by Hope Part 2: Heaven Is A Place On Earth?

Surprised by Hope Part 1: A Gnostic in Orthodox Clothing?

Surprised by Hope: An Introduction

I Leave Town for FIVE MINUTES...

Blah Di Blah

Hmmm...

Moving On In Stupid Optimism

In Which My Posture Towards Pop Culture Gets Deconstructed

In Which My Sports Related Ire Is Evoked

In Which I Forget This Day Ever Happened

EEEElioooott!

Holiness of God...

Why Does The Mississippi River Flow South?

"Bluetooth" or "Crazy?"

So This Is The New Year...

Guest Blogging

Good Music Year: Best of 2007

Some Days Are Better Than Others

In Which My Old Man Calls Me Out...

Christmas Happenings

I'm Dreaming of A...Complete Overreaction?

Hot Stove Update

Drop It Like It's Hot Stove

Woe

Sports Tidbits

Do You Hair What I Hair?

War and Peace

Get Your Free Music Fix

Who But A-Rod? Part 1

Got A Bad Case of the Yuki? Try Vicks.

No Coffee Drinker Left Behind

To MLB Or Not To MLB?

New Faith Rising

Wildlife gone...wild?

Real Tim of Genius

R-I-AA...It's fun to make fun of R-I-AA

It's a...nice day to....START AGAIN!!!

D'oh!!-ly Crap

Pope My Ride?

Premature Speculation

The end?

iCan't Believe It's Not Satire

To Do List

Bits and Pieces

What do Tim and Iran Have in Common?

300 Ways to Die Trying

Tut, tut. It Looks Like Snow

Go Go Gadget Flute!

I Need to Take a Shirt...

Poet or Heretic: You Decide

On Justice, Mercy and Customer Service

Life is Getting Easier by the Day

One small step for women...

Sick

In Which My Sports Options Are Limited...For Now

Pan's Labyrinth

Word to Your Mother

I Demand A Recount

Good Music Year: Best of 2006

In Case You Were Wondering

Hermeneutics Reflections: Part 1

Mondays Need Beauty

Give a Man a Fish and He'll Deprive the Starving Street Kids of India...

To the University of Minnesota Garbage Truck Driver...

Good Music Thursday: Volume 6

Just Close Your Eyes and Point

Me and Pauly Shore Are Like This (*crosses fingers*)

Good Music Thursday: Volume 5

Me and Pauly Shore Are Like This (crosses fingers)