Parable :: 10 :: Dead Things

My wife and I pulled off the freeway,
half way down the off ramp was some road kill.

My wife exclaimed, “Look a dead thing!”

Less than a block later we drove by a church.

I joked, “Look a dead thing.”

Pondering :: 23 :: Education vs. Technology

I ran across this article:

Prep star’s pick to play in Europe causes waves

While I don’t really have any thoughts on whether he should be able to enter the NBA draft after high school.

I was blown away by this line:

“The biggest knock against Tyler’s decision, of course, is that he’s walking away from his education and that’s bad for his development as a person.

“But this ain’t 1950,” his father said. “I mean, everything is online.”

What exactly does he mean by saying, “everything is online”?

It seems from the context of the article that his father thinks his son doesn’t need to finish his education, because if he needs to learn something it is online.

“Everything is online.”

Really?

Is this a line of thinking that is becoming more popular?

Why go through the process of getting an education and training your mind (like a basketball player does his body), when everything is online?

Do people really think that education is irrelevant because they have the internet?

I find so many things wrong with that line.

Everything is online…

I don’t think so.

Discovery :: 32 :: Surveys

I read this article on MSNBC.

Survey: Americans switch faiths often

I’m never quite sure what to think of surveys.

35,000 people surveyed.

But the article kept referring to America and Americans…

But there is more than 35,000 people in Spokane and how many in the U.S.?

So that part of surveys always rubs me the wrong way.

Some of the stuff in the article was interesting.

Some of was not.

I think the thing that annoyed me the most about the article is the title.

How can you say Americans are switching faiths and then talk about how all they are doing is changing denominations?

And I’m tired of people considering Catholicism something different than Christianity or at least making it sound like it is (whether intentionally or not).

Catholics and Protestants and the Orthodox are all Christians.

So I didn’t really like the article.

I know people are moving around within Christianity.

I have myself.

I wouldn’t call it ‘Religion a la carte.’

Especially because it involves one religion.

I don’t see it as a la carte, instead I see it more as burning the cart down.

I am part of one holy catholic and apostolic church.

And I’m free to be a part of what ever part of it I like. And to learn from what ever part I want.

I know I should have some stability and should be a part of a community, which I am, but don’t stick me in some box any smaller than the largeness of Christianity.

I don’t care what denomination I am a part of anymore.

So I don’t see why the surveyors do.

Discovery :: 31 :: Karl Barth

This is a video of one of my professor’s kids pretending to be Karl Barth.

Pondering :: 22 :: Naming

enjoy this tune while pondering :: Slow Jam by Four Tet

Names…

titles…

what we call certain things and persons…

I found this fascinating today.

Why?

Because a song I was listening to referred to God as Dad.

That made me realize that we rarely refer to God as Dad.

God the Father,

but not God the Dad.

Why?

I know Father is more official sounding,

more reverent, and so on, but…

is not Dad a term full of love.

Does not Dad convey a stronger sense of relationship between the father and child?

The last time I heard someone in a conversation refer to God as Dad I thought it sounded weird.

But why?

Is it because I never hear God referred to as Dad or…

because I think something is wrong with the term?

Truthfully, not sure.

Dad.

Daddy.

Father.

Which one is correct?

Is it as complicated in other languages or just English?

Discovery :: 30 :: Book Cover

We love judging books by their covers.

But…

there are times

when we are reminded

that we shouldn’t.

Parable :: 9 :: Betrayal

I heard about a man once.

Others have heard of him too.

Sometimes they even talk about him.

They talk about…
his ministry…
his words…
and all the things he did and didn’t do.

They talk about how he lived a long time ago,
and somewhere a lot of us haven’t been.

They like to say he doesn’t look how Hollywood portrays him,
and others say we hardly know the man.

We rarely name our sons after him these days,
and it’s always odd if you do meet someone with his name.

Words have been written about him,
both back then and today.

I wonder if we will ever know more about him?

Will a historical search reveal more about him?

Will we meet him someday?

Will he be as we have imagined?

Dark hair, tan skin.

Will we be shocked at his humanness?

Will we hate him?

Will we dare to speak his name?

Judas.

Pondering :: 21 :: The Margins

This might be my favorite picture from The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus.

It certainly leaves one pondering where ones location on that page is.

Discovery :: 29 :: Thought Provoking Pictures

Here is a fascinating blog someone shared with me.

The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus

Discovery :: 28 :: More on “Drops Like Stars”

Check out this link for even more about the “Drops Like Stars” Tour by Rob Bell.

And in the interview Rob talks about an event this summer featuring himself, Shane Hipps, and Peter Rollins.

I’m pretty sure that it is going to be the best conference ever, but…

I don’t have money to go.

Talk about suffering.