Having read a couple of his books and attended lectures, listened to podcasts, etc., I highly respect Brian McLaren. Having said that, I don’t agree with everything he says (and I am not sure he agrees with everything he says). The Davinci Code is a lot a mosquito that just won’t stop. I thought its hype would have been its own demise but I thought the same thing about American Idol (and yeah, I’ve watched from time to time. I watch now just to laugh at that idiot Taylor. Pick anyone, Chris, that Brunette, bring back the airhead Kelly, but if this 52 year old weirdo wins, there is no hope for the Amercian public). Anyway, I digress, Brian McLaren on the DaVinci Code: (full article linked to title).

“With The Da Vinci Code poised to go from bestseller list to the big screen on May 19, pastor and writer (and Sojourners board member) Brian McLaren talks about why he thinks there’s truth in the controversial book’s fiction.

What do you think the popularity of The Da Vinci Code reveals about pop culture attitudes toward Christianity and the church?

Brian McLaren: I think a lot of people have read the book, not just as a popular page-turner but also as an experience in shared frustration with status-quo, male-dominated, power-oriented, cover-up-prone organized Christian religion. We need to ask ourselves why the vision of Jesus hinted at in Dan Brown’s book is more interesting, attractive, and intriguing to these people than the standard vision of Jesus they hear about in church. Why would so many people be disappointed to find that Brown’s version of Jesus has been largely discredited as fanciful and inaccurate, leaving only the church’s conventional version? Is it possible that, even though Brown’s fictional version misleads in many ways, it at least serves to open up the possibility that the church’s conventional version of Jesus may not do him justice?” …

“The Tram car is now leaving for the sanctionary. Parishoners, please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times.”

Too funny.

Those Philly fans …

By JACK CURRY
Published: May 6, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, May 5 — When Barry Bonds jogged to left field in the first inning here, some fans unfurled a huge banner with a message that he could not miss…

(Click title for full art.)

Jill makes a great illustration of one of my favorite pieces of art – Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son. I actually had the blessing of seeing it last year. Loved it, enjoyed this article in light of it.

5/5/06

Gallery statistics report that the average time a person spends looking at
a particular work of art is three seconds. To those who spend their lives
caring for the great art museums of the world, I imagine this is a
disheartening sight to behold day after day. It would have been
interesting to hear the thoughts of the St. Petersburg curators who
watched as Henri Nouwen sat before Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal
Son for more than four hours.

I wonder how often I am more like the three-second viewer than a
captivated Nouwen, moving through my days with my eyes barely open. How
often am I surrounded by the presence of God, but unaware and
unseeing-missing, in my absence, the bigger picture? One of my favorite
poems begins with the lines, “Lord, not you, it is I who am absent.”(1)

The parable of the prodigal son is typically understood as a story that
speaks to us when we have wandered away from God in belief or obedience.
It is a story we often apply to a specific time in our lives–a momentous
return to faith, a homecoming back to the church, a particular event that
caused us to remember God’s grace personally and powerfully. It is a
parable that at one time or another describes many of us. Perhaps it is
also a parable that describes us daily. In the daily struggle to
see, the constant battle to be present and conscious of the presence of
God in this place, we come and go like prodigals. …

Read the rest by clicking on the title.

This is too funnny.

Last night I watched United 93. Incredibly intense and you leave the theater speechless.
The question surrounding the movie is “Was it released too soon?” There is even disagreement within the families of those involved in this horrific event. For me, it wasn’t too soon but this movie is very difficult to watch so I would caution any movie-goer. It’s not like the Passion where we see Jesus resurrected after the gory crucifixion. It’s not like Schindler’s List where there’s resolve in the end. I am not really sure what it’s like. Raw is the only word that seems to come to mind.

The acting is different – they shot long improvisations (one lasted 40 minutes) because the intent was to be as real and as chaotic as it was on that fateful Tuesday. A couple of the actors are not professional and FAA Ben Sliney plays himself. Personally, I thought highly of the authenticity of the characters from those in the control rooms and especially the passengers. The men who played the terrorists were very convincing as well. You really believe that they believe in this disillusion to give glory to Allah in this most evil of ways.

Again, this movie may not be for everyone. But as difficult as it was to watch, I could not help but be moved by these courageous passengers who stormed the cockpit. Still can’t really wrap my mind around it.

A couple reviews:
http://dickstaub.com/links_view.php?record_id=5173

http://www.infuzemag.com/reviews/movies
/archives/2006/05/united_93.html

A brief post on Dick Staub’s blog by Lou Carlozo of the Chicago Tribune.

“UNTIL CHRISTIAN MUSIC STRESSES ART OVER AGENDA, IT CAN NEVER BE ANYTHING BUT SECOND RATE (my emphasis). As a music editor at the Chicago Tribune, I have a responsibility to turn my readers on to the best art out there. And as a Christian, I have an obligation to tell the truth at all costs, as I see it. If it’s bad, awkward, mawkish art that Nashville keeps shipping to me like so many day-glo W.W.J.D. bracelets, what choice do I have? I would rather be the voice of one crying out in the wilderness than win the approval of any cabal that is convinced–for all the wrong reasons–that the majority of “Christian” music serves a noble purpose.

Michelangelo makes us cry by depicting the finger-touch of creation in a majestic image. Johnny Cash could break your heart by revealing the serrated edges of his brokenness. Bono makes you wrestle and challenges all assumptions that God is of the right or left wing. None of this is a “business model” to be emulated. These are ways of approaching art and life we are talking about, meant to be done with all the fear and trembling of someone trying to point the way to a higher truth while walking a narrow path.”

Below is my response to a post on Out of Ur critcizing the image of “Gen-X” pastors.

I do not doubt that you know some people who need this but I think you are being very unfair to so many “X’ers”. Many of us already know that image isn’t everything. But some think that image is nothing (which is just as terrible) – like those with the comb-overs, in old suits, preaching KJV with the terrible halitosis.

You have heard a thousand times and the question remains is what does a Christian look like? I can hear someone now explaining that they don’t have tattoos, they wear pleated khaki’s, drown themselves in Old Spice cologne, drink sweet tea, and only clap on 1 and 3 (because the beat is obviously more consistent with the doctrine of the Trinity). The crazy thing is even in spite of all that, many of these guys are being used by to reach their fellow peers. The same courtesy should be extended to the Next Gen’ers (X’ers, Emergents, whatever you want to call us).

Also, I hope no one is deluding themselves assuming that they are not concerned with appearances when too many in the Boomer Generation are obsessed with not wearing jeans to church, where the carpets are always vacuumed, and the offering plates are always shiny. (And there’s nothing wrong with that, I’m merely pointing out that image-consciousness) Do I need to remind you which generation brought us televangelism? And to the posters that question the authenticity of the X’er, I hope you do not think that this is unique to this generation. Furthermore in my experience, it’s the X’ers who are trying their hardest to show their transparency.

Listen, to the loving admonition of insuring that all of us (you old geezers included) don’t take our image too seriously, yeah, I agree but these two articles seemed to be much more than that – criticizing sharp-looking websites to church names. Furthermore, where does this paragraph come from:
“Though you are seeking excellence, make sure no one knows how much work you have put in. This takes away from the impact. Make it look effortless and that it was just thrown together….”
Are you kidding? A generation raised on choreographed music videos and concert tours knows that very little with any quality is ever thrown together. Even further, a generation that buys their jeans already faded (distressed) and frayed knows that very well!

“Maybe some of what I have described thus far bothers you. Aren’t we as Christians supposed to be less focused on appearances and more concerned with the heart?”

Yes! A hundred times yes! So why are you questioning others by their appearances?

It’s great to see progress though there is so much more to be done.

Sweeter Dreams
HIV infections decline in Zimbabwe.
by Isaac Phiri | posted 04/28/2006 10:00 a.m.

Good news from and about Zimbabwe is rare. But this February, a new study revealed a dramatic drop in new HIV infections among Zimbabwe’s 12 million people, 1.8 million of whom are already HIV positive. The disease’s prevalence dropped from 23 percent to 20.5 percent of the population.

Zimbabwe’s first study was done between 1998 and 2000. A team of British scientists collected blood samples in the eastern part of the country. The sample collecting was followed up with a questionnaire on behavior. The research was repeated in 2003.

The most dramatic changes were in behavior. The percentage of women, aged 15 and 17, who reported a sexual experience during the previous 12 months dropped from 21 percent to 9 percent. Older men and women also reported changes in behavior. The number of people who’d had casual sex recently dropped from 49 percent to 22 percent.

Geoffrey Garnett, a coauthor of the study, says “increases in condom use” could explain the decline in HIV infections. But Edward Green, an American researcher known for his study of the role of abstinence and fidelity in reducing HIV rates, told CT, “Zimbabwe seems to be following the same path as Uganda and Kenya.” Christians in Uganda, Kenya, and other African states have supported the so-called ABC strategy for reducing infection rates.

Green said the Zimbabwe study shows that “the primary change again seems to be B [be faithful], partner reduction; followed by A [abstinence]; followed by C [consistent condom use].” Zimbabwe has 900,000 children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS deaths, which occur at the rate of more than 1,000 each week.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
April 2006, Vol. 50, No. 4, Page 93

“Case of Afghan convert causes some to question democracy push in the Middle East.
by Rob Moll | posted 04/24/2006 09:30 a.m.

The case of Abdul Rahman—the Afghan Christian convert who was arrested for apostasy before being released and given asylum in Italy—has been long expected by religious freedom observers. Despite few guarantees of religious freedom, evangelicals have largely supported democratization in the Middle East. But, some evangelical leaders say, that support may not last if more Christians are sentenced to death.

In his BreakPoint commentary, Chuck Colson said, “I have supported the Bush administration’s foreign policy because I came to believe that the best way to stop Islamo-fascism was by promoting democracy. But if we can’t guarantee fundamental religious freedoms in the countries where we establish democratic reforms, then the whole credibility of our foreign policy is thrown into serious question.”

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said, “How can we congratulate ourselves for liberating Afghanistan from the rule of jihadists only to be ruled by Islamists who kill Christians? … Americans will not give their blood and treasure to prop up new Islamic fundamentalist regimes. Democracy is more than purple thumbs.”…”