Psalm 145

The weekend of Feb 16 -17, I have a very cool speaking opportunity. The verse I was asked to speak on is Psalm 145. It is a great passage with lots of cool history. I will be team teaching with another Elmbrook staff member, Dick Robinson. I am really excited to teach with Dick. He is one of the best story tellers that I know, and is a regular Indiana Jones of Christian Missions. He is also a first rate scholar. Our styles are quite different, so at the very minimum people should be entertained by the contrast, but hopefully the something is gained by our interplay.

There are two verses that really stood out to me as I have read through the passage. The first is:

Psalm 145:4 One generation commends your works to another;

 they tell of your mighty acts.

this is part of why I am team teaching with Dick. It seemed appropriate to have this verse tangible demonstrated on the stage even as it is being taught about. Should be interesting.

The second verse is:

Psalm 145:16 You open your hand

 and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

On the surface this verse is one of the clearest in scripture about God's gracious provision for all.

Also, the whole passage is part of a Hebrew liturgical prayer known as the Ashrei.

I have lots of ideas about the passage, but still have not really nailed down what it looks like to me as a message...

If you have a few moments, you should read it and let me know what you think is significant about the passage:

Dead Hard Drive Blues...

This summer my computer took a little jump off of a picnic table (ie was knocked off the table by someone else) and now has a massive dent in it.

I have been backing it up...

but the last full back up that I have is from July...

... which is really sad because yesterday my Hard Drive died...

...Isn't it amazing how such a little thing can cause so much pain!

I am hoping that some of it will be reclaimable by a data recovery specialist... and that it won't cost more than I can afford to pay.


Is it wrong to pray for my hard drive to be healed?

Brandon's Celebrity Video (Part of the Paparazzi series.)

Ok, so it still has a few typos and timing issues to fix, but, it is good enough for youtube... so here is the latest video offering....

Once again, another example of Middle students putting together a phenomenal show. They are so talented. I wrote and directed this video, but the real stars of the close to 50 students who were part of it.

I have a really cool job.

Thanks:Todd, Brad, Tom, Dave, Kristina, Katie, Drew, Mike, and the many others who helped out in the filming process.

This is part of a series of 3-4 videos... I will post the rest whenever I get them done.

Brandon's Visual Old Testament Quiz

Ok... There are like 20 of you each day drop by to visit your favorite internet squirrel, and never say hi. That's ok... but this time you must participate

The image in this post is part of a curriculum that I am writing on the old testament. Each image represents a story in the Bible's Old Testament.

So please give it your best shot and see how many you can guess!

This is really more of a test of my ridiculous artistic ability that your knowledge of the OT!!!

Sheep with out a Shepherd.

Imagine a 7 year old pondering how "sexy" she is, and you see the true poison our cultures obsession with "sexiness" is.

"Am I hot?" While the culturally uneducated may think this question has to do with weather or possible heath, in fact it has nothing to do with either. It has become one of the most significant questions that teens, and even pre-teens wonder about themselves. Note the shift: this is not a question of whether or not they are pretty, cute, or even beautiful. They question is whether they are physically attractive...

"Am I hot", might as well be, "am I sexy."

This is sad.

It is sad that cute lost out to hot, and even more to the point, that people feel more pressure to appear attractive than to actually be good... to look right rather than to make a difference.

I think that in these matters, young students are largely, "Sheep without a Shepherd." Adults are often to embarrassed or ignorant to really engage them, so they are left to figure it out with their peers and the TV.

I think that if you wait until students are facing the issues, then it is most likely too late. Somehow, you have to plant the seeds they need before they need them. That said, I also think that it makes sense that many students would not know how to talk about it. Most students have probably not had much instruction in this area of their life at all.

I think it is really important to find a way to talk about these issues for a few reasons.

#1 The culture is not waiting. They push their values on students from birth, and no matter how sheltered we try or wish students were, they are being bombarded every day. I know in my life that I had already made many decisions regarding modesty and purity by the time I got to 8th grade.

#2 This topic is not sinful or wrong to talk about. Part of the reason the church has lost such ground on these issues is that we blush and look nervously at our shoes whenever it comes up. This communicates the wrong thing about a topic that the Bible speaks so abundantly and clearly about. (Bible stories are full of sex, prostitutes, virgins, and talk about anatomy, humility and modesty.)

#3 Students are at the age where they are already experimenting with their standards for modesty and purity and they need our help.
In many ways they are like sheep without a shepherd when it comes to this area of life. If we do not talk about it now, they will (and already are) learn about it from their peers, media, and the celebrities they read and hear about. This is our small chance to make a difference so that students do not make mistakes out of pure ignorance.

My Wife is an AWESOME gift giver.... (and she is beautiful too!)

Without a doubt, Emily is one of the best gift givers I know, (and I know some great ones such as Tory and Mathias).

She gets that gifts are about the person you are giving them to, and not about the person giving them.
This is not a obvious as it may seem... I have received lots of gifts that have made me wonder what sort of taste that I am projecting to the world!

But Emily really gets me, and her gifts to me are always carefully thought out based on what she knows I want.


She has gone to great lengths to figure out which swords I wanted, what foosball table would solve my obsession, and even which clothes will make me feel comfortable.

But this Christmas she really nailed me.

She had our friend Tory take like a million pictures of her!

It was exactly what I would want, and even though Emily is one of the least vain people that I know, she was willing to be the center of Tory's Camera's attention for a few hours so I could have a new centerpiece in my office...

Who is the best gift giver that you know?

Christians & Chlorophyl: Death to Life Story

So Kudos to my friend Charlie for making me aware of this, but apparently a recent myth busters episode brought new sonic integrity to an age old fundamentalist myth.

If you grew up in a legalistic faith you probably have heard many times about the evils of Rock music... about how rock music contains the drum beats of the devil and how the devil's temptations are strengthened by beats.
Charlie notes that:

I was actually taught in my Baptist school that if you played rock albums you were, in effect summoning the devil. In fact, one of the stories that we were told, illustrating the destructiveness of rock music, is that there was an experiment done where they played rock music and classical music to plants, and after some time, the plants exposed to the classical music thrived, while the music exposed the the rock music was withered and puny.

Bummer... I guess I have to burn all my beat laden music... No wait... Didn't King David more or less say that all instruments are capable of being played, strummed or beaten to the Glory of God?

Apparently David was right, and now there is some research to back it up.

Enter MythBusters.

While doing some research to determine if plants that were spoken to actually grew better, they also found that plants which were exposed to large amounts of “death metal” grew the best (even better than classical music & silence).

Charlie notes:

"I wonder what else I was lied to about as a child in the name of religion?"

Juno Movie Review.

Ok, so last weekend Emily and I had the opportunity to see the movie Juno. Ever since I saw the trailer I have been looking forward to it!

First off, the movie is about a 16 year old girl who gets pregnant after having sex with her good friend. The encounter is basically an experiment for both.

Spoiler Warning: If you are going to see the movie, you might spoil it if you keep reading, as I am going to give away lots of details.

SO, after taking 3 pregnancy tests in the drug store bathroom, Juno realizes that the unyielding little plus sign is "one doodle that can't be undid."

Her first response is to get an abortion. So she heads to the abortion clinic that does not require parental consent. In the parking lot a Christian Classmate is protesting abortion all by herself. She tells Juno that her baby already has finger nails. This simple truth is enough that Juno in the end cannot go through with her abortion.

So... she turns to adoption.

SO on the negative side, perhaps the movie does give an overly rosy view of how well that teenage pregnancy will turn out... I think though that much of what Juno goes through is anything but glamorous.

On the other hand, it deals with some very mature and interesting issues.

The Beauty of Life
Abortion vs. Adoption
Infidelity, divorce, and marriage.
the effects of casual sex
The effects of self-centeredness on relationships,
Prolonged adolescence
How stupid aging 30-something guys can be dealing with young girls
Relationships and Love
Maturity
Family

One of the best lines, is when Juno's mom asks her where she had been and Juno replies, "Dealing with things way beyond my maturity level."

Overall, I found the acting awesome to be awesome, the script to be great, and the soundtrack perfect. It is a well constructed and thoughtful movie, that deals with some very mature and relevant issues in a way that cuts through many of the stereotypical preconceptions.

Help Needed

Ok... so I am working on a new series with my Middle school students and need a little help with it.

#1 How would you define Modesty?


#2 I am not sure which of the graphics I like better. Which is your favorite.

#3 The byline: "Modesty is not a sin" is still open for negotiation...

Here are some other ideas:
"I See London..."
"Modest is the Hottest..."
"Bringing Modest Back..."
"Modest is the new hot"
"Modesty Redefined."
"Redefining modesty"
"Naked Modesty"
"Revealing modesty"
"Modesty is back, baby."

What do you think?

A Modern Christmas Story.

As I have said many times, I have the great privilege of working with middle school students. They are so awesome! Recently a few of my students wrote and acted in a Modern Day retelling of the birth of Jesus. Since, it is highly likely that Jesus was born to a teenager, this video is strangely compelling to think about.

Brandon the INVENTOR!

My friend Michael challenged me to take this personality test today... so I thought I would publish the results here... Do you think they fit me?


Here is how they describe my type:

"ENTPs are idea people. Their perceptive abilities cause them to see possibilities everywhere. They get excited and enthusiastic about their ideas, and are able to spread their enthusiasm to others. In this way, they get the support that they need to fulfill their visions"
- Portrait of an ENTP (The Personality Page)

"It is so natural for these individuals to practice devising gadgets and mechanisms, that they start doing it even as young children. And they get such a kick out of it that they really never stop exercising their inventive bent"
- The Portrait of the Inventor Rational (Keirsey)

"ENTPs are usually verbally as well as cerebrally quick, and generally love to argue--both for its own sake, and to show off their often-impressive skills... argument as a sport."
- ENTP Profile (TypeLogic)

"ENTPs contribute an innovative, versatile, and enterprising approach to work. They view limitations as challenges to be overcome and look for new ways to do things. They need to find a niche for themselves in order to be free to maneuver. They prefer the start-up phase of a project rather than the followthrough or maintenance phase. Once the project is designed, they prefer to turn it over to someone else."
- ENTP - The Innovator (Lifexplore)

"...attention seeking, experience junky, insensitive, adaptable, not easily offended, messy, carefree, dangerous, fearless, careless..."
- Jung Type Descriptions (ENTP) (similarminds.com)

Did You Know Video

Since I have been talking about Communication a lot lately, I thought I would include one more video... it has been making the blog rounds lately... I say it on both marko's and michael's blogs...



As always, let me know what you think...

Brownsquirrel Classic Rewind: The Story Begins..

This is the first real post ever published concerning the legend of the brown squirrel...

Checking his pack again, the brown squirrel set out on his journey... He had everything, yet nothing that he needed... a strange paradox common in this time. "@#$%," he thought, "how's a squirrel supposed to find his way in the world without a map." He had a map, of course. The very same map that had been used by the travelers before him and then passed on, stained & scribbled over with "helpful" instructions by all its previous owners. The map "spoke" with all of their voices, but loudly and at the same time. Rather than helpful, the deeply layered directions nearly always led nowhere, or more to the point, led everywhere, while at the same time warning the reader not to go there...

"I wish I could look at this map without all of these scribbles," said squirrel while swearing under his breath. The frustration of so much sitting still was really getting to him, but did he dare journey onward with such great perils all around him?

Before the brown squirrel could take even a step upon the trail before him, he heard someone walking up behind him.

"Hello Friend," came the greeting from what appeared to be a wayward raccoon. The raccoon had a slick appearance, like a used car salesman, and was carrying a briefcase. Squirrel had never seen a raccoon so slick and professional looking.

"Have you lost your way?" asked the raccoon.

"Sorta," replied the squirrel, "it's just that the way is not as clear as some have said, and my map is covered with all of this conflicting directions."

"Well," snorted the raccoon, "Have no fears at all... I am an expert in these here parts... I have known them well since my birth... where is it you want to go? Hand my your map..."

The Squirrel was very uncomfortable with this raccoon... he had not asked for help, nor did he really want this over slicked "friend" to further complicate his map...

Deep inside of him the tension was building to near explosive dimensions. On the one hand, the voice of niceness was telling him that he had to be civil and friendly to this person.

On the other hand, he wanted to push him away and run. Caught in this in-between moment of life, Squirrel had no concept of the true implications of this decision. If he again allowed appropriate niceness to govern the day, he would have to forfeit his map and listen once more to the advice of another "slick perfect answer man." He had done that before, always to frustration and discouragement. What was the solution... could he run... would his conscience allow it...?

According to Legend, the squirrel ran... but I am not sure if I believe it

Larry Lessig on User Generated Content.

I found this Presentation on the website Presentation Zen. Ok... it is 18 minutes long... so you are most likely not going to watch the whole thing... though you should... but at least check out the first 2 minutes.

He starts off by talking about how the "talking machine" showed up in the early 1900's created quite a stir in its day.

"In 1906 [John Sousa] traveled to [the United Stated capital], to talk about [a] technology that he called 'the talking machines.' Sousa was not a fan of the talking machines (phonographs). This is what he had to say 'these talking machines are going to ruin the artistic development of music in this country. When I was a boy... in front of every house in the summer evenings you would find young people together singing the songs of the day, or the old songs. Today you hear these infernal machines going night and day. We will not have a vocal chord left,' Sousa said, 'the vocal chords will be elinated by a process of evolution, as was the tale of man when he came from the ape.' ... This is a picture of culture. We could descrivbe it... as a Read/Write culture. Its a culture where people particpate in the creation and the re-creation of their culture, and in that sense its read-write.

Sousa's fear was that we would lose that capacity because of these 'infernal machines.' And in its place we would have the opposite of read-write culture, what we could call a read-only culture.

A culture where creativity is consumed but the consumer is not a creator. A culture which is top-down, owned. Where the vocal chords of the millions have been lost.

Now as you look back at the 20th century, at least in what we think of as the 'developed world,' [it is hard] not to conclude that Sousa was right.

Never before in the history of Human culture had it been as professionalized... never before as concentrated... never before has the creativity of the millions been as effectively displaced, (by these infernal machines).

I think it is clear that he is right. The culture masses have forfeited their right to be creative and original for the right to be massively and passively entertained.

I think this same principal explains so much of what the Christian Church is going through in this country right now. After decade of professionalization, we are realizing that its just better when it is organic, real, and user generated than when it is professional, organized, and slick.

Where have you experienced this? What does it make you think about?

Does Church attendance really change people?

Willow has recently completed a study into how much long term church attendance actually does change people. They found that it is not causing the "guaranteed change" that they thought it was...

A lot of people have used the maxim, "I would rather have people at church for the wrong reasons, than not there at all." I heard it from my mom growing up... But I often wondered if it was really true.

Now... I would say that if by "at church" you mean "an genuine encounter with the dynamic living community of Christ on earth" ... I would have to agree... such an encounter would be beneficial to almost anyone regardless of their original intent for "attending."

BUT...

If "at church" means going to a hour long program where professional people talk and sing, tell us when to stand and sit, and the person next to you likely "doesn't know your name"... I confess I do not see the life changing potential...

I don't think it would have taken a well funded research to discover this...

Just think about it...

Jesus did not start a program but a revolution... A revolution might eventually have buildings... but it starts on the streets...

Jesus taught in the synagogues... but most of his memorable miracles and teachings were in gardens, hilltops, plains, streets, along rivers, by trees, in boats, fishing, and very prominently eating.

Jesus took the message to where people are in two ways...

1. Physically... he took it to their location, rather than inviting them to his location. Even the disciples, first he went to them, before he ask them to Follow him.

2. Culturally... Jesus spoke and illustrated things in the vernacular of his time period and audience. He explained himself using recognizable images.

The world will not be "rescued" by coming to us...

We need to go out.



Who do you know that really gets this... what are they doing?

Presentation overload... or good graphics?

So I went to the catalyst conference this year. They do everything there to the extreme. I enjoyed it but found myself wondering whether I was draw into the worship by them... or distracted from the worship by them.

I realize that this clip fails to capture the essence of being there... but what are your thoughts on the pluses and minuses... benefits and drawbacks to using really stunning visuals as part of the worship experience.

The paradox of well meaning nostalgia...

I was reading Seth Godin's Blog the other day and came across an interesting article about a band that really capture a truth about the church.

Seth writes:

Twenty years ago, the Cowboy Junkies released close to a perfect breakthrough album. It sold a bazillion copies.

Every since, they've been touring ... as they've released almost twenty records, none of them monster hits in the US. The paradox occurs at their concerts... when they play one of the old hits, the crowd goes wild.
The people most likely to come to their concerts are the ones most likely to encourage them to become an oldies act.

...the fans create the paradox. The fans, the ones that should be cheering on the hits and the misses, the ones that should be demanding the next thing, they are the ones that create the paradox, because they're the ones that cheer loudest for the old songs...

This was really interesting to me because I run across it so often in the church. Most of the best churches start off by doing some cultural analysis of their unique community and then forming a church that is a natural expression of the Body of Christ in that community.

This is not a bad thing... it is what we are supposed to do... It is a simple incarnational reflection of what Jesus did when he came to the earth...

Something wierd happens as good churches age though...


Seth sums it up this way:

Your current customers want nothing but the old stuff, but the new customers don't know you exist, so they can't speak up.

Seth rightly identifies that often it is the strongest fans, customer or congregates who can cause an organization or church to become irrelevant and decline.

The more we demand the ways things were... the further we distance ourself from reaching the community that we co-exist with today...

When churches lock into a particular culture or expression, and link it to the gospel, they become incarnations of the pharisees who held to tradition rather than embracing the living expression of God that was right in front of them...

Everyone accepts that the Bible must be translated into new languages... but we need to realize that it needs cultural translation as well...

Where have you seen this principal at work for good or bad?

Turkey day fun...

For thanksgiving Emily and I had a lot of guests. My Brother Cory, his wife Vicky, their two daugters Zoe and Ainzley, and their dog Chewy, along with My mom and dad all were hanging out in Emily and my house for 4 nights of awesome family time.

Total= 3 dogs, 2 infants & 6 adults in a 3 bedroom ranch... NOT Bad at all... there were not fatalities and lots of fun times had.

This time with my family made me consider how thankful that I am for them, even the ones who are dogs...

Favorite moments:

-Watching Emily play guitar hero!
-seeing Ainzely play with the dogs...especially Francis,
-Holding Zoe,
-Getting to hug Ainzely goodnight
-Time off of work.
-Being with people who know you...
-Watching Izzy fight with Chewy
-A few glasses of good wine
-Seeing the pictures of Trent and Julie's new Baby
-Some awesome conversations about life and what is important
-Hearing about the ministry Cory and Vicky are going to be involved with
-Thanks giving dinner with both Emily and my family together
-Working with Cory and my Dad to build a corner cabinet
-staying up late playing Halo and Guitar Hero with Cory,
-Hosting loved ones with Emily!



All in all a good weekend.

Wendy Shalit, Author of "Girls Gone Mild" on youtube.

This is great advice and a little taste of why you should read "Girls Gone Mild"

Changes.... I can feel it in the water...

The World is changing... or has changed.

I think that these are some critical changes that make these times confusing...
-

We are Post Christendom...

The culture is no longer Christian, and the metaphors that people use to explain life have shifted and are largely un-informed by the Biblical Narrative.

-There is a elevated amount of religious bickering and name calling.

Not that this has not always existed, but in my life time, there seems to be more polarized religious camps. Anecdotally I have witnessed this myself, and know of nearly no Christian who has not been effected by Christian name calling and division recently. Labels like: postmodern, modern, emergent, established, etc.

-Language and cultural upheaval:

The cultural values have changed faster than we have. Communication technologies have connect the world, but the church is not keeping up on the information and technology curve. Where we used to have a voice that we used to gain justice for the marginalized... many of our traditions now are viewed to be marginalizing to woman, homosexuals, not to mention polarizing politically, racially, and in regard to gender. How do the good news of liberation and freedom in Jesus day, become so oppressive sounding to so many in these days?

-Technological revolution:

Like it or not, technology is closing the communication game. While we still do not have flying cars, who needs one when you can set up a visual teleconference with people from all over the world at the same time.

-Marketing Overload.

.. changes the methods of gospel presentation. But I have already posted about this...

-Different questions driving culture:

I feel like today people are driven by a different set of questions than before. What questions do you think people are asking today? Where are they searching for meaning?

-Globalism:

Thomas Friedman says the world is flat, and he is largely right. A church now must contend with ideas and influence from all over the world. Mom and Pop are out, and World Market took their place... Along with multinational conglomarates. This means that people are able to interact with ideas from all over the world... and it forces us to interact with them as well...


That is my list of "issues" we face... It is not comprehensive... What is you top five issues the church must face into?