Coffee is good for you :)

Found an article today about the health benefits of coffee. I’ll admit there’s a bit of my own rationalization going on here, as I’m always looking for ways to defend the amount of coffee I consume each week. But it is interesting to discover that from a number of recent studies, coffee may…

• help avoid Alzheimer’s Disease
• help avoid certain cancers
• lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
• help prevent pain while working out
• guard against gout
• lessen the chance of dying from heart disease
• sharpen your memory
• lower risk for Parkinson’s Disease
• reduce risk for gallstones/kidney stones
• lower risk for stroke

Rationalization completed, so I think I’ll go fix a cup! Right now I’m brewing “Cafe Blend”, from One Village Coffee-check it out.

More problems for baseball

Sammy Sosa’s name gets added to the list of those who used PED’s. Here’s two writers who get it, Rick Telander and Buster Olney, and I particularly love Olney’s suggestion for clean players. But Paul Konerko…you need to get a clue.

Good post on Pastoral Education

My friend Wezlo wrote a great piece on the current problems with much seminary/pastoral education in this country. Check it out. He raises good questions here, and I hope some seminaries are listening. But our churches need to be on board too for any kind of beneficial change to take place. I can say all I want about seminary having to change, but as a pastor, if the church isn’t buying a new model of leadership (and leadership development), it just ain’t happening. I’ve been pleased with how my denominations’ seminaries have had some conversation with pastors and congregations about tailoring their education model to better fit the context we find ourselves in today, and I hope we continue to find our way together.

Beginning the adventure of Parenting

Our baby was born on May 21! It truly was the best day of our lives, and just an absolutely amazing miracle. We praise God for this little blessing! There were some complications shortly after his birth (breathing issues), so our son had to be kept in the hospitals’ special care unit for 5 days. But the staff was wonderful and really helped my wife and I to remain calm and collected as they were running tests to make sure our little guy was ok. I am so thankful for the care they provided for my wife and son-they are the best. At this point my wife and I are getting used to a new schedule, adjusting our sleep patterns (or lack thereof) and schedules around activities like feeding, changing, and napping. And we’re loving every minute of it!

Tomorrow’s the big day!

Tomorrow my wife and I head to the hospital for a scheduled induction. Our baby is coming early, and we are very excited to meet him! So probably no posts for a while (and much less sleep!). Keep us in your prayers as the big day approaches. Thanks!

Missional Sports Radio?

If I’m in my car and it’s between 10am and 3pm, then there’s a good chance I am listening to sports radio on 610 WIP-I’m a fan of Glen Macnow and Anthony Gargano, the pair who host that time slot. I’ve always liked the fact that these two guys just really seem to be fans of the sports they cover, are very knowledgeable about them (just don’t ask Glen about soccer!), and are fun to listen to. I also greatly respect the civil and personable way they dialogue with their callers; If I was to call a sports radio program, it would be this one-no contest.

That being said, I heard a really cool thing on their show today,

The Future, Mestizaje, and Battlestar Galactica

This post concerns the final text we are engaging in our class, Virgilio Elizondo’s The Future is Mestizo: Life Where Cultures Meet. Elizondo highlights two particular terms vital to his thesis:

• “Mestizo“: any person of mixed blood; a person of combined Indian and European ancestry.

• “Mestizaje“: “the process through which two totally different peoples mix biologically and culturally so that a new people begins to emerge, e.g., Europeans and Asians gave birth to Euroasians; Iberians and Indians gave birth to the Mexican and Latin American people” (17).
  

As I was reading the text and learning Elizondo’s story, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a recent fictional story that addresses some similar themes.

Are You Kidding Me? #1

I actually thought this was some sort of April Fools joke, but then I remembered we’re in May, and it’s actually for real (and for sale on Amazon!). I’ll list a few quotes, but it’s hard to stomach:

THE ONE BIBLE THAT SHOWS HOW ‘A LIGHT FROM ABOVE’ SHAPED OUR NATION.

(and it’s in all CAPS, so this statement must be true…)

Never has a version of the Bible targeted the spiritual needs of those who love our country more than The American Patriot’s Bible.

(I thought that was Hannity’s job?)

This extremely unique Bible shows how the history of the United States connects the people and events of the Bible to our lives in a modern world.

(the thing about American history is that it’s so darn easy to revision!)

The story of the United States is wonderfully woven into the teachings of the Bible…

(syncretism, anyone?)

And it all would not be complete without…

… a beautiful full-color family record section, memorable images from our nation’s history and hundreds of enlightening articles …

It would be funny if it weren’t so sad and, well, idolatrous. Thomas Nelson…Are you kidding me? Greg Boyd addresses it here. And I’ll end this post with his words, “I encourage you to read the Bible — but not this one!”

Torture and the Church

Scot McKnight began a conversation on “Evangelicals and Torture” over at Jesus Creed. I like his response (in the comments):

“Torture is always wrong because it violates the sanctity of human integrity and conscience. It is unjustifiable, and Jesus calls his followers to go the extra mile and to give a cup of cold water in order to induce grace and love and reconciliation and peace. The intent of torture is never reconciliation but extraction of that which a human under normal conditions would never say. It breeds violence.”

This conversation was a response to results from a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, which found that folks who attend church most often also tend to justify the use of torture (”more than six in 10″ white, evangelical Protestants). And in my sarcastic moments I would guess that at least five of those six probably watch 24 regularly

I disagree with torture (in any circumstance) for the reasons McKnight states above. It is un-Jesus-like. But also because it makes it really hard to tell our Story (as followers of Jesus) when it seems a good portion of the American church wants to justify this kind of practice toward those labeled “enemies”. On a side note, when we label someone “enemy” does that do something to our soul?

For the “six in ten” from the survey, I honestly ask, “How does one square that position with the teachings of Jesus?” When we consider the teaching of scripture, does justification of actions like torture put us closer to God’s Kingdom or Rome’s empire? And if you are a 24 fan, I would also encourage you to try BSG sometime–you’ll get all the action, plus a thought-provoking storyline that actually shows the consequences of the myth of redemptive violence.

Spiritual Vision for the Suburbs

The latest text for our class is The Suburban Christian: Finding Spiritual Vitality in the Land of Plenty, by Albert Y. Hsu. I was somewhat familiar with the author, having read some articles in Christianity Today and entries in his blog. I had a particular interest in this book due to having lived in various suburban communities (in greater Philadelphia) and also serving as a pastor in this context. While there have been tremendous amounts of ministry resources aimed at suburban churches (thanks to evangelical publishing houses, megachurches, or a combination of both), I haven’t found many which discuss the unique culture, challenges, advantages and disadvantages of suburban ministry.