Wreaths & Mezuzahs

I actually think this is a good thing.

Firstly, because as a Christian, I have great respect for Judaism (while acknowledging that Judaism as modernly practiced bears very little resemblance to the religion of the Old Testament - but I digress) due to our Hebraic roots.

But also because the whole psychotic secularization trend of the last two decades or so is downright idiotic. I don't have a problem with anybody displaying morally appropriate religous symbology; some Muslim dude wants to put the whole "In the Name of the Moon God - er, I mean, Allah" thing on his door during Eid al-Fitr (for crying out loud, we already have those postage stamps) - more power to him. So long as it's not gaudy (and that extends to gaudy Christmas wreaths - which incidentally have just about nothing to do with Christianity anyway... but again, I digress).

Our government is supposed to be religiously neutral, not religiously hostile. As has been said before, the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not federally imposed freedom from religion.

So I completely support Richter's case here. Hope her and Acosta win.

Pernicious PowerPoint

Sooooooooooooooooooooo... what do you suppose the implications of this are for the whole "immersive multimedia worship experience" thing...?

BTW - for the record, I don't have any problem with IMWE. I think it's super-spiffy. Some very fine churches that I like bunches do the whole IMWE thing, including the Calvary Chapel affiliate church I was saved and discipled at.

So stop taking yourselves so seriously and getting your undies all in a bunch because I gently chuckled at one of your sacred cows. ECM - I'm lookin' at YOU...

Emerging Glossary

I ran across this actually last year, but realized that I haven't actually posted it to the blog yet.

Here is a post over at Apologetics Index with a tongue-in-cheek handy little "Emergent-to-English" glossary.

Tee hee.

And in case someone (else) wants to beat the breast and bemoan the mean-spiritedness of those of us who are self-confessedly outside the ECM having the temerity to examine it and come to differing conclusions, especially using the vehicle of tongue-in-cheek humor, I give you this oldie-but-goodie blogpost by the Altitudinous Twiggy New Zealander RE: my own Calvary Chapel Movement.

The hue and cry of ECMmers about non-ECM-types chuckling at some of the sillier aspects of their movement falls awfully flat when held up alongside similar ECM treatments of non-ECM movements (like CC).

Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle...

Emergents and Romans

Yes, yes, I know... I can't paint the Emergent side of the Emerging/Emergent Church with a broad brush, it's much broader-er than Brian "the theological John Kerry" MacLaren, what right do I have to comment, I haven't dialoged with every single ECMmer several times over so how can I possibly comment on the non-movement Movement which is really just a conversation, my socks don't match, let's group hug and fingerpaint our feelings about these things while performing an interpretive dance, I'm a big meanie, etc., etc., etc.

Sigh.

But you've got to admit - the bulk of the ECM kind of sticks it to themselves. All anybody really has to do to comment on it is... just quote 'em.

And so, I give you Reading Romans in the Emerging Church by the appropriately named "Open Source Theology" blog.

The first paragraph sets the tone and requires no rebuttal - it's self-scuttling:

It seems fair to say that Paul's letter to the Romans has so far failed to capture the imagination of the emerging church. There are a number of likely reasons for this: the emerging church prefers Jesus and the Gospels; the emerging church does not feel comfortable with Paul's strong stance against homosexuality; the emerging church does not at all like the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement; the emerging church does not want to get into futile and politically fraught debates about the place of modern Israel in the purposes of God; and the emerging church probably finds squeezing the tough and indigestible fruit of Romans far too much like hard work for the little theological benefit that can be obtained from it.

...so much for that "all Scripture" thing there in II Timmy.

To quote the great philosopher, "D'oh!"

Incredible end to an incredible season

With two games left, and both of those against the bottom-of-division Blackhawks, it looks like the Detroit Red Wings are firmly ensconced at the top of the League.

So now the hunt for Lord Stanley's Cup can begin in earnest.

Honestly, folks, this has been an incredible season. This has been a rebuilding period - a brand new team, for all intents and purposes, what with so many of the veterans gone, and the retirement of The Captain, and a new era under the worthy successor (two places removed) from the legendary Scotty Bowman as head coach. And yet, under the leadership of Nicky Lidstrom, the Wings have again ascended to the pinnacle of the professional hockey world.

Now, I like other sports. I'm an American, and it's federal law to be a football and baseball fan. So I of course root for the Tigers (who actually gave us something to cheer about last season) and the Lions (who...ah...didn't).

But there's a good reason why Detroit's not called "football town" or "baseball town."

There's just something about hockey.

Probably the fact that we're way too close to the Old Dominion. It's the cold air. Or maybe the donuts.

Whatever.

But cut me and I bleed red. Or white, depending on which sweater we're wearing, which further depends on which team we're about to go Patty Verbeek on.

But whatever the reason, hockey is indeed the "coolest game on earth."

And if you're a hockey fan - and specifically a Detroit hockey fan - this is the start of the best time of year.

Let the hunt begin.

Global Incident Map

Kinda interesting site - interesting in an "oh, dear..." sort of way.

Thanks, John, for forwarding the link to me...

Comments at WordPress

My Blogger blog gets about twice as many hits as my mirrored WordPress blog; but the WordPress mirror gets three to four times as many comments.

Not sure why; I think it might be a function of the more interrelated nature of the WordPress community. There's some preeeeeeeety iiiiiiiiiinteresting characters over yonder...

Anyway, if'n you're interested, jump on over to the WordPress mirror of this blog to read some of the comments - and sometimes heated comment-discussions.

If you dare.

Wi-Fi in the Sky

This is great news for travellers.

I'm not that much of a traveller; however, during the yearly pilgrimage to Murietta Hot Springs for the Pastors' Conference, I'm in the air for about four to five hours, and I'm geek enough that this proposed service by air carriers comes as very, very welcome news.

I can now look forward to the day that I can still get e-mail while in-flight.

Or blog from 30k feet.

Bu-wah.

Bu-wah-ha.

Bu-wah-ha-haaa...

Stand To Reason: Redefining Christianity

Important blogpost here.

...and some people think we're in the midst of apostasy...

What would ever give you that idea, I wonder?

...so much for the postmillennarian "evahthang's gonna be alriiiiight" eschatological point of view, there, eh?