Mar 30, 2006

Mar 29, 2006

two shoutouts.

1) to Mark Driscoll, who on Monday publicly apologized on his website regarding his comments towards Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt a while back.

2) to Andre Daley, who's website is now one of my favs to read, mainly b/c he is the kind of critic that emergent really needs but hasn't had yet. Check out his comments on being "post-emergent," on "neophilia,", the slow-to-develop praxis of emergent,and the conversation's lack of diversity, among others. He also was how I found the Driscoll apology, which he linked.

Mar 28, 2006

does government exist for the people? US Politics say no. Again.



I would post more on politics if I didn't feel so ignorant of the issues. (Mainly b/c it's hard for me to take the time to keep up on current events. I really try, though.) But the immigration hoopla is getting pretty big. Yesterday whole highways were blocked off by protesters in LA.

The debate is intriguing to me...as is the vehemence with which some supporters of the new bill appear to have towards the goal of keeping out illegal immigrants and punishing those that are already here. I remember a few years ago when Bush first proposed the guest-worker plan, and thought it was a good compromise that at least attempted to deal with the reality of the issue. Seems that the Senate has other ideas.

I'm admittedly not a Bush-ite, but I respect his views on immigration laws. I just wish he would take a more defiant stand against his own party, which unfortunately, too often, believes it runs the country.

Read the BBC article here.

Again, the issue is people...people who getting lost in the mix of a political war. A pattern that repeats far too often.

give me your tired, your poor, huddled masses yearning to be free...

Mar 24, 2006

I did it too. My spidey sense is tingling...

Your results:
You are Spider-Man
























Spider-Man
90%
Superman
75%
The Flash
70%
Robin
62%
Catwoman
60%
Hulk
55%
Supergirl
47%
Green Lantern
45%
Iron Man
45%
Wonder Woman
42%
Batman
35%
You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.


Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

Mar 20, 2006

Mar 16, 2006

aggies get big win over syracuse.




On a night where I'm supposed to be up all night writing a paper, I'm finding plenty of diversions. Including learning of the fact that the Texas A&M Aggies, my alma mater, has just upset #5 Syracuse in the NCAA tournament, marking our first win in the tourney since 1980. Considering that we were winless in the Big 12 just two years ago (and last place in the Big 12 every year since its inception!), this is a remarkable accomplishment.

Gig'em, and BTHO LSU!

Mar 8, 2006

End of the quarter time.

Welp, it's that time again. Particularly sad for me, since this quarter marked the beginnings of much more fruitful blog-ologue than before...but it is unlikely that I'll be adding any new posts until after my finals are done and papers turned in. So sad...I'm gonna try to keep up w/ the lenten devotional, and I may make a random posting here and there, but don't expect much.

That said, I have several things I want to dialogue about w/ people when the next quarter gets underway:

1) Keeping on the "embrace" conversation, and w/ Kyle's related "fav" word, "ubuntu"
2) the importance (and the distortions) of personal piety/devotion.
3) a vision of a socioeconomically diverse church.
4) what to do w/ this 100$ I keep toting around (see "kingdom assignment" post)
5) (if anyone's interested) philsophical discussion of human composition, existence of a soul, and a "spiritosomatic" unity)
6) why the Spurs are the best team in the NBA (and will always be better than the Lakers.)

#5 sounds strange; it comes from some thoughts I've developed from my class with Nancey Murphy this last quarter regarding Anglo-American postmodern philsophical thought. That last term in #5 is one I made up, and is an idea I'm speculating about, so I don't expect much feedback about that as of yet. I would like to hear any thoughts regarding 1-4 from others (inc. the wino Texas law student :) ) who might have thoughts. Post 'em here and I will post my thoughts in response when I emerge from my study lair.

In conclusion, Benny Hinn is a putz.

Addendum to conclusion: Sam, spare me w/ telling me how the Clippers beat us last night. I know you're not a Clipper. You're gold and evil purple through and through. And I give the Clips my utmost respect. Now we'll wait till Friday.

Mar 1, 2006

inner dialogue.

Voice in my head #1: I really hate it when people respond to posts by saying, "Are you stupid? Of course that's wrong!" They just shut down a conversation right off the bat by doing so. Crazy fundies.

Voice #2: What about you? Didn't you just hear yourself? You're no better than they are!

Voice #1: Well, I'm just being honest.

Voice #2: And they aren't? I mean, you do a lot of talking about honesty; can you really fault someone for simply sharing their opinion?

Voice #1: It's their opinion that they subject onto other people that's the problem. But I guess you're right in the sense that I'm no better. I just want sincere dialogue to happen.

Voice #2: And how, exactly, is sincere dialogue supposed to happen, if people are afraid of sharing how they truly feel about something? If someone thinks they're right and everyone else is wrong, why shouldn't they be allowed to say so?

Voice #1: I guess I feel like it can't be sincere honesty unless is willing to contend with another position. I don't mind that someone disagrees with me, but if they make a qualitative distinction of who I am based solely on an opinion I have, then they have shut the door to a space where real, honest dialogue can occur.

Voice #2: And you don't make qualitative distinctions of others as a result of their opinions?

Voice #1: I try not to. Sometimes I do, and I often do so as a defense mechanism in the face of a slammed door to conversation, as my first comment illustrated. That's not a good thing, but I suppose it helps me understand those who have such venemous opinions...they are probably reacting against some kind of exclusionary act which they have faced in the past, or still face. So I guess what I want is for the cycle to be broken, so that we can really learn from each other. And that will take a heaping of humility to go with our honesty.

Voice #2:...

Voice #2: You're such an idiot.

Lent begins. hunger sets in.

Today is the first day of Lent, and about the only thing that I have done to celebrate was to eat pancakes last night for Fat Tuesday (Is that a real tradition? I think it was just an excuse my friends gave so we could go eat pancakes.) I missed Fuller's chapel this morning where they had an Ash Wednesday service. I really needed to go running w/ Jonathan this morning. I've been getting antsy. And fat. (Those pancakes certainly didn't help.)

I plan on participating in this Lenten weblog devoted to reflections on Miroslav Volf's new book, Free of Charge. I got the book for free for being part of the Emergent Conversation with Volf in early February. The book is the official 2006 Lenten Devotional as designated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It's an important book for our day and age, dealing with issues of giving and forgiving, both of which are very difficult for those of us mired in the modern world. Yet these are central concepts of our Christian faith. I encourage you all to get this book... Exclusion and Embrace is amazing, but this book is much more accessible for casual reading.

I'm spiritually starving. I really don't know how to explain how I'm feeling better than that. (Maybe it's because I go to Fuller.) This past weekend Kyle, my good friend from Texas A&M, came to come ski and visit, and we got all beat up and had great fun. But Sunday I had a profound experience: we went in the morning (per my typical Sunday ritual) to the Church in the Park to help feed people who are homeless, and I took notice of the obvious starvation that many of these kind and grateful people faced...those who had their spoons in their mouths while still in line for more food. The other half of my Sunday ritual (minus Ultimate frisbee, which I skipped) is going to Warehouse, my church, and this particular evening focused on reflection and worship music, and culminated in communion. And the sense that I had as I sat in a trance-like prayer (which is really strange for me) prior to taking communion was that I was starving, with a yearning for grace that was not unlike one would yearn for food, but finding myself at best reluctant to receive that grace. It was surreal, and the kind of experience that I have not had in a long time. I'm hoping that this Lenten season will help me understand God's grace better, and how I can rightly respond to it, as someone who is trying to be a faithful disciple.