Aug 18, 2005
Permalink

Fake Worship

Just saw this linked from To Encourage and Equip.

Worshipers for hire boost Sunday excitement

“Praise God!” he shouts, lifting his hands and prompting others to chime in with “amen” and “glory.”

His infectious enthusiasm is just what the pastor ordered. Kendall isn’t a Christian, but he and hundreds of other people across the U.S. are getting paid as much as $12 an hour by temp placement agencies to pretend to be exuberant worshipers.

You can read the whole article at LarkNews.

I’m not sure if that’s really happening, but if so that’s pretty messed up. If I found out the church I was attending was hiring part-time worshipers I don’t know if I’d really want to keep going there… seems pretty dirty to me.

Aug 16, 2005
Permalink

Archive

-----

Leave A Comment

Aug 15, 2005
Permalink

Alcohol Again

As I said before, I’m still in an adventure of discovering how I feel about alcohol and my faith. I just briefed through a great biblically based article on alcohol and the Bible’s stance on it.

”Alcohol and the Bible” by Danial Whitfield (1999).

Extremely informative and I was impressed that the article did not try to prove its point by referencing strong verses supporting the argument and ignoring any the verses that may contradict - but rather unturned every stone to help clarify the bible’s stance on this controversial topic:

“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.” Romans 14:21.

What is to be said of this scripture? It is in the Bible and is as valid as any of the other 246 verses that refer to alcohol. It cannot be ignored or avoided on the grounds that 246 to 1 are great odds. It must be faced squarely and all implications duly considered. Our goal here is to find truth, not to justify a particular bias toward a specific conclusion.

Though the article had just taken the time explaining every other verse and it’s stance on alcohol, it doesn’t just breeze by this one verse that seems to contradict some of the things that had been proved, but rather faces the verse head on to help interpret and understand its meaning.

An eye-opening (to me) comparison:

The abuse of sex in this current culture causes enormous social problems. The statistics are overwhelming, with 25% of children in the U.S. born out of wedlock. The incidence of sexually transmitted diseases has reached epidemic proportions. AIDS is currently killing 6,000 per year. Homosexuals are demanding special rights. However, we don’t demand a total ban on sex of any kind. To the contrary, we teach scriptural principles of responsible sexual behavior.

I would like to clarify here, that I still strongly oppose underage drinking - the Bible says to obey the laws of the government unless they specifically go against the laws of God - and the law is very clear on the age-restrictions of alcohol consumption… and for good reason.

Anways, if you have any question at all to your own thoughts on alcohol or are curious of the a biblical understanding of it, I would highly recommend this article.

Aug 14, 2005
Permalink

To Submit

I’ve been reading The Veritas Conflict and I came across a bit where one of the characters, Brad, is defending the Bible’s model of the man and woman’s relationship in marriage. He is challenged by a girl, Jo, who is upset about the bible teaching that wives should submit to their husband.

After quoting some bits from Ephesians 5:18 and then telling about the trials and pain and suffering that Christ went through in his life because of his love for the church (the body - His people), Brad goes on to say:

“Okay - so here’s my opinion of how to answer your main question. Yes, the passage does say that the wife should submit and that the husband, as the head, should love his wife as Christ loved us. So here’s the question for you, Jo: Knowing what you now know about the Christ story, who has the harder job? The wife who has to submit or the husband who has to love his wife like Christ loved the church?

“Look, if I were your husband, yes, you’d have to submit to me - but you’d be submitting to a man who was commanded to love you as sacrificially and as fully as Christ loves you. Give me a break! Which command is really harder, ladies? Which is the more servantlike? You’re afraid of the word submit, and understandably so, because it raises all those specters of being kept under a man’s thumb, losing your freedom, your equality, and so on. But that’s not the Bible’s model. If you submit to a godly husband - a husband who loves you so much that he’s willing to die for you - he’s going to be putting your good just as high or higher than his own. He’s going to be doing everything possible to serve you and love you. And all you have to do is submit to that - to accept his best heart for you and to honor his God-given desire to lead your marriage in the best and most holy way possible.

“God’s design for a godly marriage is wondrous. And that is why I think this is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible - even today.”

Well said.

-----

Aug 12, 2005
Permalink

God the Father

Just read some excerpts from an interview with Bono of U2.  Got me thinking a bit about God’s labelling himself as the father and how much it makes sense.

When I was growing up, my father was not my friend. Now don’t get me wrong my dad was a great guy and a great dad, but he wasn’t someone I would call a friend because he ruled over me, he disciplined me, and he told me what I could and could not do. And though I didn’t believe it at the time, I now know that was because he was looking out for me, trying to guide my future with his wisdom the best he could.

Well in the past few years since I’ve been living on my own, my dad and I have transformed into more of a friendship role, but with somewhat of a Jedi Master & Apprentice relationship.  Okay, maybe not quite that cool, but now I purposefully seek out his advice on life, rather than him shoving it down on me, because I have realized that he knows a lot more than I do. And when good stuff happens in my life I share it with him because I know that he gets joy in seeing great things happen to me, the one he raised.

It took some serious (and painfully slow) growth in maturity to get to this stage.

As Bono loosely said in the interview - in Old Testament times, God was that first stage of father, teaching and disciplining those that could not do it on their own. He set up rules to follow, things the people could and could not do, and punished those who did not.

With Jesus and the new testament, God moved into the second role of father. He was no longer the rule pushing father of youth, but now He was the loving caring Father who was there to give you great advice when you needed it, but only if you asked for it. The laws of yesteryear no longer were of much importance as God entrusted our maturity with the simple rules of “loving God, loving people,” much as my own father no longer tries to enforce rules of curfew or anything like that trusting that he has raised me well enough to govern my self.

And He loves to hear from great things happen in my life.

Bono: There’s nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you’re a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.

-----

Aug 11, 2005
Permalink

Book Reviews

-----

Aug 11, 2005
Permalink

Music Reviews

-----

Aug 09, 2005
Permalink

Film Reviews

-----

Aug 09, 2005
Permalink

Project Film

Films.

#







































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
12 Angry Men
i
13 Conversations About One Thing
e
2001 Space Odyssey
a
i
m
21 Grams
i
The 39 Steps
i
The 400 Blows
i
42-Up
m
8 1/2
i

A

























































































































































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
A Beautiful Mind
o
A Christmas Story
i
A Clockwork Orange
a
i
A Man For All Seasons
o
A Night At The Opera
i
A Place In The Sun
a
A Simple Plan
e
A Streetcar Named Desire
a
i
A Walk In The Clouds
e
A Woman’s Tale
e
Adaptation
a
The Adventures Of Robin Hood
i
The African Queen
e
i
The Age Of Innocence
e
Alien
i
Aliens
i
All About Eve
a
i
o
All About My Mother
m
All Or Nothing
e
All Quiet On The Western Front
a
i
o
All The King’s Men
o
All The President’s Men
i
Almost Famous
i
m
Amadeus
a
i
m
o
Amelie
i
American Beauty
e
i
m
o
American Graffiti
a
American History X
i
American Splendor
e
m
An American In Paris
a
o
Amores Perros
i
Annie Hall
a
i
o
The Apartment
a
i
o
Apocalypse Now
a
i
m
Apollo 13
e
Around The World In 80 Days (1956)
o
Arsenic And Old Lace
i
The Aviator (2004)
e
Awakenings
e

B


















































































































































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Baadasssss!
e
Babe: Pig In The City
e
Back To The Future
i
Bad Lieutenant
e
Band Of Outsiders
m
The Battle Of Algiers
i
Battleship Potemkin
i
Beau Travail
m
Beauty And The Beast
e
Before Sunset
i
m
Being John Malkovich
e
i
m
Being There
i
Ben Hur
a
i
o
The Best Of Youth
m
The Best Years Of Our Lives
a
i
o
The Bicycle Thief
i
Big Fish
i
The Big Lebowski
i
Big Night
e
The Big Sleep
i
The Birth Of A Nation
a
Blade Runner
i
m
Bloody Sunday
m
The Blue Kite
e
Bonnie And Clyde
a
i
Boogie Nights
e
Bound
e
Boys Don’t Cry
e
m
Boyz N The Hood
e
Braveheart
i
o
Brazil
i
m
Breaking The Waves
e
The Bride Of Frankenstein
i
The Bridge On The River Kwai
a
i
o
Bring Out The Dead
e
Bringing Up Baby
a
i
The Broadway Melody
o
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
a
i

C
















































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Capturing The Friedmans
m
Carrington
e
Casablanca
a
i
m
o
Casino
e
Cavalcade
o
Celebration
i
Charade
i
Chariots Of Fire
o
Chicago
o
Chicken Run
m
Chinatown
a
i
m
Cimarron
o
Cinema Paradiso
i
Citizen Kane
a
i
City Lights
a
i
City Of God
e
i
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
a
The Conversation
i
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
e
Cool Hand Luke
i
Crash
i
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
e
i
m
Crumb
e
The Crying Game
e
m

D



























































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Damage
e
Dances With Wolves
a
e
o
Dark City
e
Das Boot
i
m
The Day The Earth Stood Still
i
Days Of Being Wild
m
Dead Man Walking
e
Dead Ringers
m
The Deer Hunter
a
i
o
Die Hard
i
The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie
m
Do The Right Thing
m
Doctor Zhivago
a
Dog Day Afternoon
i
Dogville
i
Donnie Darko
i
m
Double Indemnity
a
i
Downfall
i
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
a
i
m
Driving Miss Daisy
o
Duck Soup
a
i

E





















































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
a
Easy Rider
a
Ed Wood
i
The Elephant Man
i
Elizabeth
e
The English Patient
m
o
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
i
m
Eve’s Bayou
e
Everyone Says I Love You
e
The Exorcist
i
Exotica
e

F













































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Fanny And Alexander
i
Fantasia
a
Far From Heaven
e
Fargo
a
e
i
Fast, Cheap & Out Of Control
e
The Fast Runner
m
Fight Club
i
Finding Nemo
e
i
m
Finding Neverland
i
Flirting
e
The Fog Of War
m
For A Few Dollars More
i
Forrest Gump
a
e
i
o
Frankenstein
a
The French Connection
a
o
Fresh
e
From Here To Eternity
a
o
Full Metal Jacket
i
The Fugitive
e

G

































































































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Garden State
i
The General
i
Gentleman’s Agreement
o
Ghandi
i
o
Ghost World
m
Giant
a
Gigi
o
Gladiator
i
o
Glory
i
The Godfather
a
i
m
o
The Godfather Part II
a
i
o
Going My Way
o
The Gold Rush
a
i
Gone With The Wind
a
i
o
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
i
Goodfellas
a
e
i
m
Gosford Park
m
The Graduate
a
i
Grand Canyon
e
Grand Hotel
o
The Grand Illusion
i
The Grapes Of Wrath
a
i
Grave Of The Fireflies
i
The Great Dictator
i
The Great Escape
i
The Great Ziegfeld
o
The Greatest Show On Earth
o
The Green Mile
i
The Grifters
e
m
Groundhog Day
i
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
a

H
























































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
The Hairdresser’s Husband
e
Hamlet (1996)
e
o
Hannah And Her Sisters
m
Happiness
e
Harvey
i
Heat
i
Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam
e
Hero
i
High Noon
a
i
His Girl Friday
i
Hoop Dreams
e
Hotel Rwanda
e
i
House Of Flying Daggers
m
How Green Was My valley
o
Howards End
e
m
The Hustler
i

I




























































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
I’m Going Home
m
Ikiru
i
In America
e
i
In The Bedroom
m
In The Company Of Men
e
In The Heat Of The Night
o
The Incredibles
i
m
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
i
The Insider
e
i
Invincible
e
It Happened One Night
a
i
o
It’s A Wonderful Life
a
i

J

























































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Jackie Brown
e
Jaws
a
i
The Jazz Singer
a
JFK
e
Joan Of Arc (1928)
i
The Joy Luck Club
e
Judgement At Nuremberg
i

K

























































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Kalifornia
e
Kill Bill Vol. 1
i
Kill Bill Vol. 2
e
i
The Killing
i
Kind Heart And Coronets
i
King Kong
a
i
Kramer Vs. Kramer
o

L


































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
L.A. Confidential
e
i
m
La Strada
i
The Last Emperor
o
Last Exit To Brooklyn
e
The Last Seduction
e
Laura
i
Lawrence Of Arabia
a
i
o
Leaving Las Vegas
e
Leon
i
Life Is Beautiful
e
i
Life Is Sweet
e
Life Of Brian
i
The Life Of Emile Zola
o
Like Water For Chocolate
e
The Lion In Winter
i
Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels
i
Lone Star
e
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
i
m
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
i
m
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
i
m
o
Lost In Translation
e
i
m
The Lost Weekend
o

M
































































































































































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
M
i
M*A*S*H
a
Maborosi
e
Magnolia
e
i
Malcolm X
e
The Maltese Falcon
a
i
The Man In The Moon
e
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
i
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
a
i
m
Manhattan
i
Maria Full Of Grace
m
Marooned In Iraq
m
Marty
o
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
e
The Matrix
i
Memento
i
Menace II Society
e
Metropolis
i
Midnight Cowboy
a
i
o
Miller’s Crossing
i
Million Dollar Baby
e
i
m
o
Minority Report
e
Modern Times
a
i
Monster
e
Monsieur Hire
e
Monsters, Inc
i
Monty Python And The Holy Grail
i
Moolaade
e
m
The Motorcycle Diaries
i
Mountains Of The Moon
e
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
a
i
Mrs. Miniver
o
Mulholland Dr.
i
Mutiny On The Bounty
a
o
My Fair Lady
a
o
My Family
e
My Father’s Glory
e
My Mother’s Castle
e
My Voyage To Italy
m
Mystic River
e
i

N







































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Natural Born Killers
e
Network
a
i
The New Age
e
The Night Of The Hunter
i
Nixon
e
Nobody Knows
m
North By Northwest
a
i
Nosferatu, The Vampire
i
Notorious
i

O














































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Oldboy
i
Oliver!
o
On The Waterfront
a
i
o
Once Upon A Time In America
i
Once Upon A Time In The West
i
One False Move
a
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
a
i
o
Ordinary People
o
Out Of Africa
o
Owning Mahowny
e

P

















































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Paths Of Glory
i
Patton
a
i
m
o
Persona
i
The Philadelphia Story
a
i
The Pianist
i
The Piano
e
m
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl
i
Platoon
a
i
o
The Player
e
m
Pleasantville
e
Primary Colors
e
The Princess Bride
i
Princess Mononoke
e
i
Psycho
a
i
Pulp Fiction
a
e
i
m

Q






















FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
The Quiet American
e
Quiz Show
e
m

R




















































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Raging Bull
a
i
m
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
a
i
m
Rain Man
i
o
Ran
i
The Rapture
e
Rashomon
i
Rear Window
a
i
Rebecca
i
o
Rebel Without A Cause
a
Requiem For A Dream
e
i
Reservoir Dogs
i
Reversal Of Fortune
e
m
The Right Stuff
i
Rio Bravo
i
Rocky
a
o
Roman Holiday
i
Ruby In Paradise
e
Run Lola Run
i
Rushmore
m
Russian Ark
m

S
























































































































































































































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Santa Sangre
e
Saving Private Ryan
e
i
m
Say Anything...
m
Schindler’s List
a
e
i
m
o
The Sea Inside
i
The Searchers
a
i
Secrets & Lies
e
m
Se7en
i
The Seventh Seal
i
Sex, Lies, And Videotape
m
Shadow Of A Doubt
i
Shakespeare In Love
e
m
o
Shane
a
The Shawshank Redemption
i
Shichinin No Samurai
i
Shine
m
The Shining
i
Shrek
i
Sideways
e
i
m
The Silence Of The Lambs
a
i
o
Sin City
i
Singin’ In The Rain
a
i
The Sixth Sense
i
Sling Blade
i
Snatch
i
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs
a
Some Like It Hot
a
i
The Son (Le Fils)
e
m
The Sound Of Music
a
o
Spartacus
i
Spiderman 2
e
i
Spirited Away
e
i
m
Stagecoach
a
Stalag 17
i
Stand By Me
i
Star Wars III: Revenge Of The Sith
i
Star Wars IV: A New Hope
a
i
m
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
i
Star Wars VI: Return Of The Jedi
i
The Station Agent
i
The Sting
i
o
The Straight Story
i
m
Strangers On A Train
i
Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans
i
Sunset Boulevard
a
i
Superman: The Movie
m
The Sweet Hereafter
e
m
Sweet Sixteen
m

T















































































































































































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Talk To Her
i
m
Tarnation
m
Taxi Driver
a
i
Ten
m
Terms Of Endearment
o
Thelma & Louise
e
m
The Terminator
i
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
i
The Thin Man
i
The Third Man
a
i
This Is Spinal Tap
i
Three Colors 1: Blue
e
Three Colors 2: White
e
Three Colors 3: Red
e
i
Three Kings
e
Time Out
m
Titanic
e
o
To Be And To Have
m
To Be Or Not To Be
i
To Die For
m
To Kill A Mockingbird
a
i
Tom Jones
o
Tootsie
a
Topsy-Turvy
e
m
Touch Of Evil
i
Toy Story
i
m
Toy Story 2
i
m
Traffic
m
Trainspotting
i
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
a
i
The Triplets Of Belleville
m
The Truman Show
m
Twelve Monkeys
i

U











































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Undertow
e
Under The Sand
m
Unforgiven
a
e
i
o
The Untouchables
i
The Usual Suspects
i

V






















FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Vera Drake
e
Vertigo
a
i

W

















































































































FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Wag The Dog
e
The War Zone
e
Welcome To The Doll House
e
Werckmeister Harmonies
m
West Side Story
a
o
Whale Rider
e
What’s Love Got To Do With It
e
Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
i
The Wild Bunch
a
i
Wild Strawberries
i
The Wind Will Carry Us
m
Wings
o
Witness For The Prosecution
i
The Wizard Of Oz
a
i
Wuthering Heights
a

X

Y



























<

-----

Aug 08, 2005
Permalink

Alcohol & I

I don’t drink.

Having a beer or a glass of wine or whatever has just never really appealed to me. But drinking in and of itself is not a sin, and I think lately God has been doing His darndest to smack that into my head.

My History With Alcohol

I don’t really know where my hatred of alcohol ever came from.  When I was growing up my parents never really drank, they had a couple bottles of something that I could only assume was alcohol but never once can I remember them drinking it at any time (at least in my sight). But I was talking to my brother earlier and neither of us could actually recall a time when our parents ever said anything about alcohol, no “drinking is bad,” “don’t drink from those bottles on the fridge,” or even “don’t drink til you’re 21” or anything… it just never even came up.

But for some reason my brother and I both share something deep that has caused us to disenjoy drinking.

I was talking to my buddy Brian about this when I kind of came to the realization that I never had any positive role models that drank when I was growing up. To me there were my parents and youth leaders at the church and my close friends and none of them drank - and then the other end of the spectrum were the “friends” I knew at school who went out to get wasted every weekend.  So in my life alcohol was always associated with those kids that partied and what not, and never with anything or anyone positive.

Role Models Changed

For the first time ever, I now have positive role models that consume alcohol in a safe manner, and have helped me to open my eyes to alcohol being something other than a path to drunkenness.

  • Brandon: my best bud all through junior and high school. He’s never pressured me to drink and even just today was telling me that I should never drink because I “feel like I should,” but rather when I feel ready and want to have that first drink.
  • Andrea: the new girl in my life. She’s great in so many ways, and really fits a lot of what I’ve prayed for in a girl (and a total cutie)… and she’s also the first girl I’ve dated that drinks. We’ve had a few good talks about it and she’s been really understanding and helpful.
  • Branden: another friend of mine who’s a youth pastor down south of us.  We hung out the other day and he talked a few words of wisdom on alcohol to me.
  • My mom: okay, this is just weird. I was home in P-Town (Puyallup) at the ‘rents and I saw a some Mike’s Hard Lemonade in the fridge, which was quite odd. But apparently my mom really likes them so they’ve been keeping the fridge stocked. As you can imagine it was pretty shocking to my previous perception of alcohol when my mom starts drinking Mike’s.

A Change In Perspective

Over the past year as these new models have presented themselves I felt convicted in my thoughts about alcohol. I had gotten to the point where I was judging others harshly by being at all associated with it, almost condemning people with my thoughts as a Pharisee would. I was finally now realizing that I needed to let that go.

For a while it was just to the point of being tolerant around alcohol, but more recently I’ve decided that I need to be acceptant of it as well. It is a part of our society, it is a part of our culture, and it is not a bad thing. Sure it can be taken to excess, but so can a lot of other things, it doesn’t make them inherently bad.

While I know this in my head, I do still have to train my heart to accept this. I’ve spent most of my life feeling one way and I think it may still be awhile before I can feel completely free and comfortable around people who are drinking.

But I will be trying.

And when I do feel ready, I will have that first drink - and it will be guilt-free.

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »

Stay up to date and subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Comments are enabled! You can also send me feedback directly.

 
FILM Afi Ebert Imdb Meta Oscar
Y Tu Mama Tambien
e
m
Yankee Doodle Dandy
a
Yi Yi
m