Monthly Archives: June 2007

General

Part IV and V

Ooops! I didn’t post a Simpsons article last week because of Work Camp so I’m making up for it today by bringing you the forth and fifth installment on Why I Love The Simpsons.

Part 4: The Flandereses Aren’t Geeks

Ok Rod and Todd are and Maude has a thing for Homer which she hides behind a low… but there isn’t a better neighbor in the world then Ned Flanders.

Born to a couple of freaky beatniks, Ned Flanders is the patron saint of Springfield. In Mark Pinsky’s wonderful book, The Gospel According to The Simpsons, he writes about Flanders saying,

Religion and morality inform nearly every aspect of Flanders’ life, from the door bell that alternates chimes of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” and “Bringing in the Sheaves,” to his air horn that blares the “Hallelujah” chorus at football games. Together with his family, he prays at meals and before bed. He attends his church three times a week and tithes, contributing to seven other congregations just to be on the safe side. He belongs to a Bible study group and keeps his notes stuck on the refrigerator with a fish magnet, and he turns his basement into a Christian youth hostel from time to time. Like many believers, he thanks God often for his blessings, for things as small as a beautiful day. He calls on the Almighty for everything from a better performance of Guys and Dolls at the local dinner theater to the backstage players-those who work behind the scenes to make the production work. The family carves Bible dioramas out of pumpkins at Halloween and gives out hugs instead of candy to trick-or-treaters.

What I love about Flanders is that he is no a one-dimensional evangelical stereotype. He is multi-layered and the writers allow us to see him get angry and flustered and act like a human being. We see Ned struggling with the death of his wife and raising two sons on his own. We see him losing his temper from time to time and we see Homer push every one of his buttons. Yet every-time Ned’s faith stands strong.

To see Ned’s Greatest Hits check out the following episodes:
Homer Loves Flanders
In Marge We Trust
Hurricane Neddy

Part 5: Maybe You’d Like Some Unitarian Ice Cream?
Religion plays a huge part in the Simpsons. More than any other show on television the Simpsons openly discuss religion of all shapes and sizes. Apu is a Hindu. Lisa has become a Buddhist. Krusty “Herschel Pinkus Yerucham” Krustofski is a Jew. Stange cult leaders have even made appearances from time to time.

However, most everyone else in town attends The First Church of Springfield which is a off shoot of “the western branch of American Reformed Presbylutheranism.”

Name me another show on TV where the main characters regularly attend church. You can’t. 7th Heaven is off the air and Edith Bunker is in reruns. Name me another show where religion is examined, talked about, and often placed at the center of the episode. Again, you can’t do it.

The next couple of installments in this series will deal directly with the religion found in the Simpsons. That should make for some interesting discussions.

Next Week: BMIN 4F18 – The Simpsons Episode Every Minister Must See

Music, Review

Hearing Music In The Air

I think you can divide serious music lovers into two distinct camps:

Those who prefer John Lennon and those who love Paul McCartney.

I am a Paul man myself.

That is why I have been very excited to hear Paul’s latest, Memory Almost Full. I greatly enjoyed Chaos and Creation in the Backyard but I felt that it fell short of his past efforts. Everything that I was hearing about this new album though lead me to believe that Memory Almost Full would deliver the goods.

Make no mistake, Memory Almost Full does indeed deliver. I pre-ordered it from iTunes after Scott sent me a link to the video for the first track, “Dance Tonight.” There is nothing particularly special about the song except that is it a simple toe-tapping romp complete with whistling and a mandolin.

The second track, Ever Present Past sums up what I think Sir Paul is trying to say with this whole project.

I’’ve got too much on my plate
Don’’t have no time to be a decent lover
I hope it isn’t too late
Searching for the time that has gone so fast
The time that I thought would last
My ever present past

I’’ve got too much on my mind
I think of everything to be discovered
I hope there’s something to find
Searching for the time that has gone so fast
The time that I thought would last
My ever present past

The things I think I did
I d.i. d.i. did
The things I think I did
When I was a kid

I couldn’’t understand a word that they were saying
But still I hung around and took it all in
I wouldn’’t join in with the games that they were playing
It went by it went by in a flash
It flew by it flew by
In a flash

This soon-to-be 65 year old has looked back on his life and realized that it flown by right before his eyes. Life is like that. One minute you’re in your early 20s taking the world by storm and the next you’re an elder statesmen. Where does the time go?

Ever Present Past isn’t the only song to tackle life and legacy. The End of the End is, right now, my favorite track. You could call this track Yesterday Part 2. It is hard to believe that McCartney wrote Yesterday at the age of 24. In that song Paul is singing about what has gone on before him. He is stuck looking backward.

Forty years later Paul now looks ahead. In The End of the End he sings about the end of his life and even gives instructions about his funeral. Nothing macabre here though just beautiful images and rich lyrics.

At the end of the end
It’’s the start of a journey
To a much better place
And this wasn’t bad
So a much better place
Would have to be special
No need to be sad

On the day that I die
I’d like jokes to be told
And stories of old
To be rolled out like carpets
That children have played on
And laid on while listening
To stories of old

Stunning. It is with that last image that I see McCartney coming to grips with his place in history. His stories aren’t the first nor the last. What has been will be again. He just desires a place on the carpet where they can be unrolled again and again as generation after generation share stories and songs and life. It is a great reminder to us that we will leave a legacy. Is your legacy one that you would want sung on “blankets that lovers have played on/ and laid on while listening/ to songs that were sung?”

At the end of the end Sir Paul says that there is “No reason to cry/ No need to be sad.” I’m sure that when that day comes there will be a few tears and a few sad faces. Radio stations will play Yesterday, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Maybe I’m Amazed and all the rest. I just think that they could and should play anything from this album as well.

I believe Memory Almost Full will stand the test of time. It could very well be Paul’s best solo work to date.

Download: Ever Present Past, Only Mama Knows, House of Wax, The End of the End

General, The Word, Youth Ministry

Nothing New Under The Sun

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We started studying the book of James last Sunday. As I have been preparing for the class I have been struck by just how relevant this 2000 year old letter is. Just read the first chapter:

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Greetings.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord; they are double–minded and unstable in all they do.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each of you is tempted when you are dragged away by your own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Those who listen to the word but do not do what it says are like people who look at their faces in a mirrorand, after looking at themselves, go away and immediately forget what they look like. But those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continue in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:1-27 TNIV)

Ethos, Leadership, Ministry, Remarkable

Remarkable

Seth Godin has made a living on encouraging businesses, churches, teams, and individuals to give people something truly Remarkable. You don’t attract new business by being as good as the other guy. You don’t make an impact on someone’s life by doing the ordinary. You can’t create a culture of winning by going through the motions. You can’t stand out by just getting by.

I believe in being Remarkable. I don’t like doing the same old same old and I tend to steer clear of organizations who do. My time and my efforts are precious commodities. If you want them you have to show me that you are at least willing to become Remarkable.

Example of the Remarkable:
There was a white box waiting for me in my office this morning. I noticed that the Catalyst logo was on one side and so I immediately tore the box wide open.

I have attended the Catalyst Conference for 4 out of the last 5 years. It has been one of the highlights of the year for me because each year it gets better and better. The conference delivers big time in content and character. I hear amazing speakers and see amazing things which in turn feeds my creativity so I can be a better leader. Since Catalyst always aims to surprise I wondered what would be in the box.

The Tube

What I found inside was a brightly colored metal canister. This year’s theme is Reverb. The art work featured noise lines and loud colors and the words “effect big.” One side of the drum had instructions on how to register and another side listed the featured speakers. I was already excited about this pacakage and I hadn’t even fully opened it yet!

A Whole Mess o' Catalyst

Inside I found a whole mess of Catalyst swag.

Window Stick-Ons and Reverb Magnets

There were window clings and those rattle magnets.

The World's Longest Event Poster

Inside I found atomic fire balls and 8 of the World’s Longest Event Brochures.

Catalyst Calendar

There was also a calendar poster so I can count down the days until Catalyst begins.

On top of all this there were also a couple of other little items and an event DVD.

They could of just sent a brochure and a registration card. Instead they sent a story.

Instead of sending me what was expected they sent me something Remarkable.

Faith in Action, Work Camp, Youth Ministry

Work Camp 2007

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We had a great week. The kids in Group 5 worked with out one complaint. We didn’t get a lot of pictures during Work Camp because we were, well… working but here are a few:

Work Camp 2007

Work Camp 07

We had our work cut out for us as you can see. believe it or not, this was the good side of the house! There were rotted boards everywhere and the old paint was barely hanging on.

On The Run

Arlington Work Camp has happened every summer for 13 years. This was the first year that it was hit with rain. We really were only able to work on our house for half of the three days that we were scheduled to because thunderstorms forced us off the work sites. My wife took this shot as we were driving away from the storms.

All Done

Work Camp 2007 Group 5

Here is the finish product. I was so proud of our group. You guys rocked it this week. Way to go!!!