the Wild, the Ignorant and the Iggy Shuffle

blog moving

2008-04-06T16:16:00.003-04:00

I've moved my new posts over to this new blog and will resume blogging immediately. Please go to http://bdbertrand.blogspot.com/ for more.

Great Teens

2007-07-09T11:50:00.001-04:00

So often we hear about the bad. Here is my cousin who clearly is a story of success. What the article fails to relate though is that faith has been an important part of her life. She is currently volunteering at the Yonge Street Mission.

Last.fm and New Radio

2007-06-04T14:08:00.001-04:00

The little chart to the right on my blog that shows tunes I'm playing is actually from last.fm which takes music into the social networking world. If you haven't tried it and you like music, you should. Simply type in one of your favourite artists and you will get streamed to your computer artists that are on the playlists of other last.fm listeners. Type in "Nina Simone" and you will get all kinds of different music from folks who like Nina.

Anyways, CBS has recognized the future of music is away from radio and has bought last.fm . Not sure how I feel about a company owning my music community but perhaps they can change the way that radio functions.

Female Empowerment and Porn

2007-06-04T13:50:00.000-04:00

One of the topics in my youth ministry class that I raise has to do with porn. Although no overly deep in, the following article has some interesting notes about how porn interacts with adolescent female empowerment. Especially interesting are some of the links at the bottom of the page, especially for those who work with adolescents.

Facebook is better than Myspace

2007-05-24T22:34:00.000-04:00

Friends recently mocked me when I told them why I never had a Myspace page. Essentially, I found all the pages I did see chaotic and difficult to navigate. Facebook on the other hand is standardized. I know how to navigate around it. My friends mocked me as being stodgy and old, perhaps both true, but not because I like Facebook more than Myspace.

Over here is a quote from a panel of Silicon valley youth. The verdict? They like Facebook better. Why? "On both panels, MySpace universally was out of favor (even if the panelists still had a profile up) because it was too "gawdy" or "cluttered."

Rats

2007-05-24T22:06:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure that I can intelligently connect these three things but there must be significant:

1. The Atlantic Monthly had an article on the 'stop snitching' movement as it plays out in Baltimore. The code of omerta which normally protects mafia and organized crime is now supposed to protect cheap drug dealers and petty theives. There is something tragic about the loss of community.

2. Parkdale Pictures recently had a little piece on CBC that I caught. He wants to point out the hypocrisy of the media who chastises hip-hop culture (see previous article) for the "stop snitching" but who turn around and then yell "snitch, snitch" at David Radler.

3. Now there is Whosarat.com which outs rats using court documents.

Seems that issues of truth and community swirl around this topic and that new technology complicates both.

Peter Hazelrigg

2007-05-21T19:37:00.000-04:00

My Spain buddy and main partner in thinking about wildreness stuff has put up the start of a more extensive website. Nothing too deep or interactive yet but it is a start.

Drinking on May 24

2007-05-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

Those who are inclined to research such matters will find the following study about 19-29 year old drinking habits interesting.

Forbidden Fruit

2007-05-14T21:29:00.000-04:00

Awhile ago I chastised Kenda Dean for her exuberant praise of a youth ministry scholar whose book I found lacking. When I saw that Kenda had breathlessly endorsed this book with, “I’ve waited for this book my entire ministry” I was a little suspicious. In the end, however, Kenda is closer to the truth this time around.

If I taught a class on adolescent sexuality and faith as Kenda does, I too would enthuse over this book. Marrying the NYRS with a large health survey, Regnerus drills down on how religion influences adolescent sexuality. Nothing escapes his attention although some matters do receive more attention than others. Even in areas where Regnerus doesn’t have enough data, such as online pornography, to do justice to the topic, he makes educated guesses that will help direct future research.

The strength, and weakness, of this book is the numbers. There are a lot of numbers as this is straight up statistical sociology. Regnerus uses a multi sample methodology, supplementing survey data with interviews, but if you are not a numbers person you might want to wait until Kenda writes a follow up book that helps the church interpret this data. His 12 conclusions are eye opening but not immediately practical which could also be said for his unscientific postscript. If you are looking for a curriculum to use at youth group steer clear of this book. If you are looking for a description of a complex relationship - religion and sex in adolescence - that you might use to understand your youth and develop a normative framework, this is your book.

I'll post a few quotes from the book in the coming week since there is nary a page that goes by that doesn't contain an interesting insight. The bibliography alone makes this book worth it.

A footnote - the book that I've been waiting for my career has to do with vocation and adolescence. Interesting that Regnerus uses imagery from the Garden of Eden (the apple) when the expulsion also directly relates to vocation (the curse of work). I wonder if there is enough data to drill down on Vocation and Religion in the Lives of [North] American Teenagers?

already but not yet Presbyrians

2007-05-12T22:13:00.000-04:00

This only applies to very few folks who check this blog out so if you aren't PCC clergy under 40ish then skip this post.

For those who are remaining, the cyber part of the young clergy group is going on Facebook. It was a secure place that we could have more extended discussions, post little notes, keep up to date and keep the administration tasks to a minimum.

Register on Facebook. Look for me or any of the other 11 or so members. Request to be invited. Start the community.

Father Green

2007-05-12T21:01:00.000-04:00

I met an invisible friend today. An invisible friend is someone that you know, likely through their writings, but they don't know you. Part of my Master's thesis was based on Father Tom Green S.J. and his work. I found his Weeds among the Wheat to be a practical and wise take on Ignatian discernment that helped guide some of my initial thoughts on vocation. His talks today were on the role of the spiritual director and while there were not earth shattering new insights, it was quite good to meet him and to hear his wisdom in person.

I also met Gordon T. Smith, an evangelical scholar who did his dissertation work on Wesley and Ignatius. Interesting since I'm coming at from a more Reformed (Calvin, Barth) perspective. We had a good but too brief discussion at the end of his second talk.

For more info check out open hearts . . . open minds . Eventually the four talks will be available as MP3's so if vocation and discernment are your things, check them out.

Tempers, Risk and Church Attendance

2007-05-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

As I'm reading Forbidden Fruit I came across an interesting paragraph:

My own analysis of the Add Health data on temperament and personality orientations indicate that hot-tempered adolescents report lower attendance at religious services than do youth whose parents say their child as not temper problem (see Table 2.1). Only 27 percent of adolescents who attend weekly were reported as having a temper, compared with 38 percent of youth who never attend. Having a temper decreased the odds that teens would report higher attendance by about 23 percent in multivariate analyses (results not shown). Analyses of NSYR data on adolescents' temperment confirm these associations. Adolescents who like to take risks are similarly less likely to attend religious services. Just under two-thirds of those who never attend reported that they liked to take risks, compared with about 54 percent of teens who attend regularly. Hot-tempered and risk-taking youth also report that religion is less important to them, in about equal ratios to that found for lower attendance. p.51

You don't have to be a sociologist to find these numbers interesting, especially if you've been keeping up to date on adolescent brain development. One of the areas that teens need to develop is their capacity to assess risk. They simply can't do it well. Seems to me that there is something between these two facts that needs further exploration.

As well, the line, "It's boring" is apparently true. Risk takers, those who get bored, vote with their feet and leave. I'm not a fan of hype, but there is something to increasing risk in ministry.

Blankets

2007-05-11T19:33:00.000-04:00

Credit goes out to a student of mine from the past two semesters for really putting me onto this book. Joel (who gets married tomorrow - congrats) leant me a copy but I couldn't find the time so I bought it. Well worth the price and one book that all youth ministry folks need to get.

Reason #1 - Love. I've been dating/married to Vivian since April 21st 1989. I'm only 35. You do the math. There is nothing so powerful as relationships founded in adolescence. Raina loves Craig into existence and vice versa. The ache of seperation, the thrill of touch - it all makes it here in a totally believable way. Don't get me wrong, I'm still deeply in love with Vivian, but the "I can't exist without her because she is more important than air" feeling of adolescence has long been asssumed. This book put me in touch with those feelings again and allowed me to see youth I work with with renewed light.

Reason #2 - Solitude. Bob Dykstra gave some lectures at Princeton a few years ago that started with these lines, "I want to suggest in this lecture that adolescence is a necessarily lonely time of life, and that we, as persons interested in serving and guiding young people, should not be too eager to remove their loneliness from them." Dykstra doesn't want us to isolate kids but rather allow for individuals to develop as individuals. We have an obsession with groups, especially youth ministry. While we are all about one on one relationships, we still program primarily for groups. Relationships, even one on one, have the possibility of hindering the Creator from interacting with the created. Blankets has solitude and doesn't candy coat it or explain it away. Loners and individuals are good.

Reason #3 - The fragility of families. Beyond the fundamentalist parents, Thompson has a heart breaking relationship with his brother. As Phil is being lead into another room, innocently thinking that his babysitter has something fun for him to do, Craig remains silent. The drawings should crush you, especially if you are an older brother like me. Likewise, the real difficulties that Raina faces - bitch of an older sister, Down Syndrome sister and brother, parents divorcing with mom absent and dad trying too hard - put a face to the rather bland, "breakdown of family values" talk we so often hear.

Experience the book for your self.

Bustin a sag for Jesus

2007-05-10T16:30:00.000-04:00

A friend recently sent this to me to confirm for him. I'm not sure that I can. Can anyone? I know folks like this but I've never used the term. I'm glad to say that my hairstyle has never been popular with any segment of the population and I don't talk about Generation Y.

TV is bad . . . or maybe not

2007-05-07T18:45:00.000-04:00

I'm not entirely disagreeing with recent studies (summarized here) that TV is generally bad but I do wonder about the results for teens. Notice that teens who watch a lot of TV "at mean age 14 years [are] associated with elevated risk for subsequent frequent attention difficulties, frequent failure to complete homework assignments, frequent boredom at school, failure to complete high school, poor grades, negative attitudes about school (i.e., hates school), overall academic failure in secondary school and failure to obtain post-secondary (e.g., college, university, training school) education." At age 14 I was bored with school which lead to significant increase in attention difficulties and failure to complete homework, not to mention lower grades than I had previously attained. I did get past this boredom and have since earned some post-secondary education so I don't fit the type entirely. Still, I wonder whether school, which exists in a print world, is the most accurate measure of the effects of video? The study assumes that print and thought processes associated with it are the measure of health and well being. Perhaps they aren't.

Case in point. I hung out with a great teen last week. I've watched him grow up and he is not so enthralled with school. He has engaged in risky behaviour etc., which certainly drives his parents crazy but sort of endears him to others. He showed me a video that he was in the process of making which was frankly pretty amazing. He not only had organized his friends, swindled a camera, secured sets (including the inside of a working jail!), come up with the story and was in the process of editing it - he did all of these things well. One scene paid homage to a Batman comic book but the homage went beyond rote repitition to creative engagement. Here is a kid who fits all of the categories negatively associated with TV, making his mark in video. Why fight it? Why not let him do what he does, encourage him to learn and grow in the medium that he most naturally fits into? Luckily for him, his parents are by sending him to film school, but how many 'deviant' kids could push the boundaries of new media but are stuck in a culture dominated by print?

Spy Quarter

2007-05-07T16:17:00.000-04:00

Getting a lot of press today but too funny to pass up, especially since I was just in the land of the Free and Paranoid. Doubly funny considering that the quarters are an attempt at home grown patriotism which seems to have illuded the top 'intelligence' officers of the US.

new Ebook

2007-05-06T22:10:00.000-04:00

I check out Tim's blog and he's taken alot of his 'tips' and put them into one pdf. Some helpful and innovative tips that need a bigger context. Tim knows this so it makes his book all that more useful.

Download this FREE Ebook!

Marks

2007-05-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

Having just returned from two weeks away, marks are still on my mind. I spent a good chunk two weeks ago marking papers/exams. Last week I was in mark obsessed Princeton. Not that there is anything original in this CBC article, it makes me wonder two things.

First, a friend hypothesizes that 10% of the population is academically inclined, 10% of university students have no right to be there and the other 80% hover in the middle. My experience so far is that this is roughly true. Out of 20 students last semester, 2 failed (for plagiarism), 3 got higher than 85% and the rest were in the middle.

Second, what is the role of marks in a Christian context. I'm not grading someone's salvation, or even if they are good ministers. I'm loathe to play either the academic game or the economic game. At the same time, I'm also loathe to allow the Christian community to do anything less than honour God with our whole mind.

Off to Princeton

2007-04-29T10:59:00.000-04:00

I'm going to Princeton this afternoon for the Forum on Youth Ministry. Will likely only blog once this week as I will have limited connectivity and will be busy. Stanley Hauerwas is speaking so looking forward to it.

Web 2.0 at church

2007-04-29T10:57:00.000-04:00

One of my congregants/friends sent me a link this week to a very intersting article about a church who used Web 2.0 technology to do outreach. The article is here but you will need to sign up for the 7 day trial.

Web 2.0

2007-04-29T10:43:00.000-04:00

Maybe I'm behind the times but while looking through some stuff on Wired I came across this video. Seems to me to be good for teaching parents the technology that their kids are habitating in. I like it because instead of describing it shows. Even I find it a bit dizzying. More the speed than anything else.

The iGen Manifesto

2007-04-24T21:53:00.000-04:00

Rex Miller has put out an "iGen Manifesto", not to be confused with the Manifesto of Hope by the Emergent Village folks. I have a hard time taking it too seriously although his general direction is good. Hyperbole reigns in the manifesto. "The iGeneration has the means to change every institution on the planet, bypassing the declining gyrations from older generations—if they so chose." Really? "Our world (even the very planet itself) is at an historic turning point. The turning point is big: bigger than the Renaissance/Reformation/Enlightenment revolution that launched the modern era." Ummm. The jury is still out.

I'm glad that Miller calls for engagement of a new generation. Moving past the diversions provided by Web 2.0 to the meat of the technology would be great but the manifesto seems too limited. We want content on demand but not more content? The salvation of the church is technology and not God?

There are other, maybe more trivial matters. " Wikipedia, for example, has built an incredible knowledge resource that no longer depends on the knowledge and wisdom from a few credentialed experts. They have an open source tool and a process of open peer review to sift through contributed content. The result, according to Britain’s scientific periodical Nature Magazine is an accuracy rate comparable to The Encyclopedia Britannica. There is one full-time employee."

Agreed, however, there is a certain irony in the fact that Miller shows how good a Web 2.0 organization is by quoting print. [There is also a certain irony in publishing a manifesto in a magazine, even one like Relevant]. As authoritative as the peer review of Wikipedia is, it apparently doesn't match up to the peer review of Nature Magazine. All of this goes to show that as great as Web 2.0 is, and believe me I think that it is great, it did not spring ex nihilo nor does it exist in a vacuum. Some people are more adept at using the tools and methodologies of the academy, statistical analysis in this case, and Wikipedia would be poorer if traditional learning communities like universities did not provide a context for those people to learn them. The future includes Web 2.0, but it also includes traditional organizations like universities.

Apparently I'm Thoughtful

2007-04-20T19:49:00.000-04:00

Marko tagged me as a thoughtful blog. It's very kind of him so I'll play along.

the church and post modern culture: conversation

Tony Jones

Glen Soderholm

Malcolm Gladwell

Marko (is that cheating? I like him and he makes me think so I don't really care if it is cheating)

This exercise is really an exercise of social networking. I traced the path back a little bit:
ysmarko.com
http://fess2.blogspot.com/2007/04/thinking-blog-award.html
http://dotherightthing.townhall.com/g/6a386c3c-6015-45e5-8302-dca3daf0531b
http://takeourcountryback.townhall.com/
http://missbethsvictorydance.blogspot.com/

I can't seem to get back farther than that. I wonder what "Snooper" and "Miss Beth" would think of a Canadian (we are suspiciously socialist) tagging someone like Tony Jones or Malcolm Gladwell, both of whom are clearly part of the problem with America.

I need to add the following:

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote

The Paradox of Choice

2007-04-20T19:32:00.000-04:00

I thought that getting laid out for days by a fever would have meant that I could have done some reading and blogging but no, the three draft posts are like pot smoking poetry - good only to the writer.

Here is a quick post as I come out of the haze. Finished this book last week and used it below. Lot's of interesting things here. (My friend/colleague J.P. sent me this link if video is more your gig.)

Vocation - Since being convinced by Miroslav Volf that our understanding of vocation is more rooted in the 16th Century than the Bible, and that the largely static society of the Reformation is not a good model for young people thinking about what they should do with their life, I've been on the look out for folks who will support me. Schwartz does indirectly. If the only choice that you have is between marriage and celibacy, your father's profession or the priesthood then you are unlikely to choose the priesthood unless you know a good priest. We don't tend to choose things that we don't know anything about because we are risk averse. It follows then that teens that do not have much 'social capital' and therefore do not know that they have choices will tend to make the same choices as their parent(s). This is not entirely negative given that the other extreme, the 'helicopter parent' who hovers around their kid, offering so many choices that the youth has no idea what to do, can be debilitating. 'Helicopter parents' are maximizers using Schwartz's language and fall into many, many pitfalls when it comes to making choices.

The church, in response to this, should do two things. One, for those youth who do not see choices, present them. Two, for those youth overwhelmed by choice, help in discerning the real choices amidst the masses.

Numbers and the Race to the Bottom

2007-04-15T21:38:00.000-04:00

I'm likely a little thick but two books that I've just finished (The Rebel Sell and The Paradox of Choice) both talked about the idea of a nuclear arms race in reverse. Great analogy by Schwartz is at a sports game where everyone is sitting down and then one person stands up to get a better view. Everyone in turn must stand up in order to maintain their previous sight line. Now, everyone is equal again but standing up which, from my perspective is actually worse.

We do this all of the time. All it takes is one person to do something then we as people feel compelled to follow just so that we can maintain our social position. One person gets something so obviously cool as an Ipod and then the standard is the Ipod. Clothes, cars, houses etc. are all areas we do it. It isn't just in the original purchase of something like a house. It is in the maintenance. One neighbour redoes their living room, more are to follow just to keep the same relative status.

Now, go and read Marko's post about numbers in youth ministry. All it takes is one youth minister at a conference to bring up numbers and then all others will descend to that level. I chuckle at Len's retort and it does deflate the conversation but that doesn't take away from the fact that the other folks at the table didn't have a comeback and now are stuck in the race to the bottom in terms of numbers. We are status concious creatures. It is something that we use to improve ourselves. We can't really tell if something is better without comparison and since we all want to be more faithful etc., then we all compare ourselves. I don't really know if there is a way to escape this except by internalizing a standard of excellence that is so resistant to outside influence that outside criteria becomes moot. People that comfortable and secure are highly attractive but also highly rare in my experience. Could we shift the criteria so that we have people competing in the right areas?

Bitter Boys #2

2007-04-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

A number of you expressed amusement/interest in Bitter Boys #1 (what, I can't believe x was not on it! was the most common comment). Here is Bitter Boys #2:

Tenderness - General Public (84)
It's My Life - Talk Talk (84)
Always on My Mind - Pet Shop Boys (88)
Ball of Confusion - Love and Rockets (85)
Venus - Bananarama (86)
I Need You Tonight - Peter Wolf (84)
Burning Down the House - Talking Heads (83)
Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel (80)
Big in Japan - Alphaville (84)
Love Missle F1-11 - Sigue Sigue Sputnik (86)
Call It Love - Images in Vogue (84)
Johnny B. Rotten - The Monks (80)
In a Big Country - Big Country (83)
Juke Box Hero - Foreigner (81)
Where The Streets Have No Name - U2 (87)
Loverboy - Billy Ocean (84)
Pale Shelter - Tears For Fears (83)
Everything Counts - Depeche Mode (83)
Eyes of Stranger - Payolas (82)
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult (85)
Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins (84)
Modern Love - David Bowie (83)

Some rare gems on that list. Sigue Sigue Sputnik. Non hit wonder.

3000?

2007-04-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

I'm a little incredulous at a stat that keeps reappearing in stuff I'm reading. Everytime the author makes the following assertion - that the average American person sees 3000 ads a day - but never says where that stat comes from. It strains my belief that it is possible but, hey, if someone could point to a study that says that then I'm all in.

Good Friday

2007-04-06T21:50:00.000-04:00

Years ago when I was part of a ministry that did a Good Friday service every year, we struggled because we didn't know exactly how to present it. Many of our kids weren't part of a congregation so might no hear the Resurrection if we didn't present it on Good Friday. On the other hand, we didn't want to downplay the stark reality of Life submitting to death.

That tension of understanding why Jesus had to die in order for life to spring forth has been one of my core questions since then. At seminary, I encountered Don Juel who challenged me to think through that question. As a Good Friday meditation I reread his "A Disquieting Silence" which you can find in The Ending of Mark and the Ends of God. His thoughts are too complex to post here but they revolve around Mark 16:1-8. Jesus has promised resurrection, and is not there when the women arrive but the women leave in terror. God is on the loose, the door is open to the working of this terrible God who can even defeat death.

"Jesus has promised an end. That end is not yet, but the story gives good reasons to remain hopeful even in the face of disappointment. The possibilities of eventual enlightenment for the reader remain in the hands of the divine actor who will not be shut in-or out."

As we approach the open tomb and place our terror into the hands of the God who has gone on ahead of us, consider:

These are the words of the holy one, the true one,
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
who shuts and no one opens: . . .
Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.
Rev. 3:7-8

Posting Tips

2007-04-03T15:15:00.000-04:00

Had some interesting experiences on Facebook lately where folks are either a) more honest than they should be about what they are currently doing b) posting things that likely will not look good in the future. This post would help avoid situations like that. Worth it for the commercials. Parents should definitely see these although they are aimed at teens. Here is a summary of the rules posted at Totally Wired.

- "Sexy" or provocative photos showing the subject(s) in any state of undress. Not only is this bad for employers, but these pics will attract predators.

- Photos showing the subject(s) drinking or using illegal drugs. This also expands into posting images of pot leaves or favorite liquor ads. Even if teens aren't drinking or smoking pot, it can give the impression they are.

- Blog entries that reveal too much or overshare. Tell teens to keep this type of online journal private so only they or a friend or two can read it. Potential recruiters or employers don't need to know about your personal drama.

- Blog entries or photos that show an anti-work ethic - like a big quote saying "Take this job and shove it!" Teens should also never denigrate a current or former employer online.

- Violent or sexually explicit lyrics, songs or videos. Even if it's just a band or song a teen loves, employers may get the wrong idea.

Too Long For Its Own Good

2007-04-02T14:03:00.000-04:00

I agree with Ungar that adolescents need high amounts of both risk and responsibility in order that they might mature into adults. Our culture protects kids from risk in general and parents in particular tend towards over protective (avoiding risk) or absent (avoiding responsibility). Kids want adults to communicate that they are compentent, caring contributors to their communities or else they will engage in dangerous, delinquent, deviant and disordered behaviours. The best way to help kids away from the 4 D's just mentioned is to listen to their motivations since kids take risks for reasons. Most times we can find a more pro-social behaviour as a substitute for the 4 D's but we really need to listen to the kids motivation to determine what that substitute might be.

There you go - the book in one paragraph. Ungar clearly knows what he is talking about and occassionally his thought experiments could prove helpful to parents although most seem to involve getting in touch with accurate memories of our own adolescence, an exercise that all youth workers should do prior to getting into youth ministry. By and large though, Ungar repeats himself ad nauseum. I'd rather hear him speak since his anecdotes are interesting but he didn't have enough for a full book. This would be a great article with some real meat but instead is more like pablum - nutritious but very boring after three spoonfuls.

Tony, James and Jacques

2007-04-02T00:12:00.000-04:00

In looking over Tony Jones' blog I discovered that clearly James Smith and Emergent are talking. Check out Tony's short piece on why he likes Derrida and the myriad of comments that follow over at the church and postmodern culture conversation blog. Not only that, but they are posting some of On Religion.

revisiting James Smith

2007-04-01T21:44:00.000-04:00

A while ago I posted about a book called Who's Afraid of Postmodernism and I had a favourable enough review of it to assign it for my Canadian Youth Culture class at Tyndale. My hope was that the next generation of Christian leaders who specialize in youth ministry will have enough integrity to know post modern philosophy before they go and try to create ministry within 'po-mo' culture. We will see at the end of the semester how successful the students think that project has been.

After a reread of the final chapter in preparation for class tomorrow, I noticed that Smith was tackling Derrida/Caputo in a more sustained way than I had remembered. He offers a thorough going critique of Caputo's "religion without religion" idea. I bring this up because I'm kicking myself for not going to Philadelphia in a couple of weeks when Caputo speaks on this very topic at the Emergent Theological Conversation. To be fair, I think the conversation is more about justice than "religion without religion" but one of the assigned readings (which I just picked up) is Caputo's On Religion and Smith singles that book out as a "lucid and entertaining" exposition of Caputo's views.

Besides being interested in this because some of my friends in the Emergent conversation are, I'm interested in it because Smith locates part of his argument in a debate about culture, a current topic buzzing around my head because of the culture class. Derrida/Caputo are co-relationists in the tradition of Bultmann (using Heidegger's ontology) and Tillich (using existentialism). In the words of Graham Ward (another member of the Radical Orthodoxy posse) in his review of Caputo's The Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida, "now the transcendental horizon does not open within the human condition (the existential hermeneutics
of Dasein), rather the transcendental idealism is opened and kept open by the semiotic (social and literary)." Smith goes on to critique Emergent folks (although he is not overly specific like he is when he critiques D.A. Carson) that they too are co-relationists when they follow the path blazed by Bultmann, Tillich, and Derrida/Caputo.

Radical Orthodoxy cleaves more closely to Barth's understanding of radical revelation, an understanding that I have an emotive connection to but one that doesn't play out well necessarily in the practica of ministry. At least not yet.

I guess I may need to reconsider whether I can go to Philadelphia or not so that I can ask Caputo himself what he makes of Smith's critique.

Bitter Boys Playlist #1

2007-03-31T16:23:00.001-04:00

We Got The Beat - The Go-Go's (81)
Who Can It Be Now - Men At Work (84)
Nobody's Diary - Yaz (83)
Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon (80)
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears (85)
Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood (84)
Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil (86)
Something So Strong - Crowded House (86)
Puppets - Depeche Mode (81)
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran (82)
I'm an Adult Now - The Pursuit of Happiness (88)
Mirror in the Bathroom - English Beat (80)
What I Like About You - The Romantics (80)
Don't Go - Yaz (82) [sadly I can't find this track in the collection at the moment; will acquire it]
How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths (84)
Boys of Summer - Don Henley (84)
Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk (80)
Pride (In the name of love) - U2 (84)
Middle of the Road - Pretenders (82)
Small Town Boy - Bronski Beat (84)
True - Spandau Ballet (83)
Rock Me Amadeus - Falco (84)
Miame Vice Theme - Jan Hammer (85)

a new step forward

2007-03-31T15:35:00.000-04:00

For those who only know me through the digital world, I am the proud caretaker of a large collection of 80's vinyl. I inherited it from my friend Pete Hoaken (who had inherited it from his older brother Rusty). When Pete was going through a downsize in his life, I happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was going to break Pete's heart to lose the collection but he couldn't keep it around. He had just gone through a real crappy time and I was at his apartment in Montreal so I became the steward of the collection, looking after it until the King returns again to reclaim his rightful place. Before the collection left the apartment, the scotch came out and many, many hours later, we had recorded two mixed tapes based on the vinyl - the Bitter Boys Collection #1 and #2.

Since that time, I have supplemented the collection with some more mainstream stuff (e.g. Michael Jackson's Thriller), some vinyl classics (Springsteen's Nebraska) and blues. I have thrown a number of vinyl parties where whoever shows up gets to DJ a couple of tunes so they can walk down memory lane. I have faithfully shepherded the collection through two moves in Ottawa, a move to Princeton and a number of way stations back here to Brampton. All in all, I feel like I've been a good steward.

Now, I've taken it to a new level. With the collection came an odd turntable - a Sony Direct Drive Automatic Stereo Turntable System PS-155. Odd because it has an amp built in and therefore doesn't need to be grounded or go through a special line in. Now, I've taken advantage of that little idiosyncricity and hooked the turn table up directly through the Line-in on my soundcard. I can't seem to get it to work well with my laptop despite a frustrating experience with a USB conversion tool, but with my desktop I'm on fire. With an open source program called Audacity I've been able to record most of the Bitter Boys. Next comes putting classics like Nebraska onto vinyl. After doing a little research, I discovered that much of the collection is out on CD but only about half seems available for down load. For instance, I couldn't find Midnight Oil's Beds Are Burning for download. Now I've got it in all it's vinylesque glory.

Requests being taken now.

Vinyl is Digital

2007-03-30T00:21:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Shane M., one of the guys in St. Andrew's Youth Group, I have discovered Audacity. I have begun the process of converting 80's vinyl into MP3's. The journey is long, but oh, so sweet.

The Bible and schools

2007-03-29T13:18:00.000-04:00

Time has a new article about the Bible and schools. More comments to follow.

shout out to marko who put me onto this article.

Practicing Discernment with Youth

2007-03-25T20:11:00.000-04:00

I need to quibble with Kenda Dean on this one. I'm not sure that White is "the most thoughtful scholar in youth ministry today." He is thoughtful but his innovations in terms of integrating practices of discernment into youth ministry suffer from insufficient grounding in a well reasoned normative theology. There are lots of vague references to the "Holy" (as if you could have holiness without the tension of God's grace and anger), social critique more rooted in Adorno than Amos, and a Jesus who did a lot of nice things. In the end, I struggled to place Whites insights into my context.

White clearly operates from a praxis (in the Marxist sense) methodology when it comes to culture and faith. Culture deadens adolescents with its false promises of happiness through consumption. The church must raise critical conciousness in adolescents. We do that through discernment which is a continual cycle of listening (to our true beings), understanding (to those things which deaden our true being), dreaming (connecting our true beings to Scripture and theology) and finally acting (expressing our true selves).

I can agree with most of this but I was always left with the feeling that I could read someone like Naomi Klein and get this. For instance, isn't discernment both horizontal and vertical? Shouldn't I care both about how social studies can explain something and how God continues to act in the world? Is there no personal God that I must attune myself to in some way? I'm not asking for a simplistic Jesus-is-my-boyfriend theology here. I have more than a passing knowledge of St. Ignatius of Loyola for instance, and he clearly had a concept of God's providential activity in the world. Given that White cites Loyola on more than one occasion, where is an Ignatian sense of discernment which recognizes both feelings and the Spirit?

I will use this book in my own ministry but am sad that its audience is so limited. I teach at an evangelical school and we use many different sources for theological reflection. Sadly, Whites animosity towards evangelicals and/or any traditional orthodoxy will make it difficult for me to assign this book. It isn't that I don't want students to get exposure to other theological traditions. This book however has such a narrow focus that I think that to ask students to persevere through the whole thing would not be worth the time investment. What is even sadder may be that I don't get the sense that White cares about this which is a pity because his thoughtful innovations are worthwhile for more than just his small part of the youth ministry world.

Shut Down Day Results

2007-03-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

I did it, mostly. Vivian turned on the desktop computer this morning but I didn't go in the room nor did she play music on it. I also passed by a Phil's computer later in the day. No touching or using so I think that I qualify as succeeding.

Biggest impressions. Vivian was happy that I seemed more available. I missed some of my music. I finished a book that I would have posted some thoughts on immediately. It was a lot easier because it was a Saturday. Something that I should work into my Sabbath routine.

Real Beauty

2007-03-23T20:45:00.000-04:00

I think that most folks have caught on that Dove is trying to do something, although it is not entirely clear what, with their real beauty campaign. I say not entirely clear because they seem to want to redefine beauty but never actually say what they want it to be.

Virginia Postrel has an interesting take on the campaign. Beauty, according to Postrel and the researchers she draws on, is not some ephemeral feel good attribution that we randomly assign to things that we like. Beauty is quite measurable, always has been and likely always will. We can no more say Halle Berry is ugly than we can say Ugly Betty is, well, beautiful. We recognize in other areas of life that the genetic lottery is unfair. I don't feel bad that I'm not Wayne Gretzky when I play hockey and nor should I. It would be ridiculous to have a campaign to redefine greatness in hockey, so why isn't it also ridiculous to do so with beauty?

This, of course, will not be very popular with those who join Facebook groups called Authentic Beauty or the thousands of comments left by young women struggling with body image on YouTube. Still, I wonder if the answer to body image problems is not to redefine beauty (and make money doing it as Dove is) but to celebrate other attributes less tied to the genetic lottery. I believe Dove is trying to have its cake and eat it to by redefining physical beauty using non-physical characteristics. This flies in the face of the fact that very few people are really physically beautiful yet we still know them when we see them.

Canadian Youth Workers Conference

2007-03-22T11:53:00.000-04:00

I've been lame because I haven't gotten either the Presbyterian Church in Canada or Tyndale officially behind this, but my lameness isn't based on politics or because I think the event will suck. Quite to the contrary. I think it will be a great event and canadafire has gone out of its way to build a diverse group of folks to support it. I know it's out West, which makes it difficult for poor Tyndale students to go for instance, but we'll see what we can do. Check it out.

Shut Down Day

2007-03-20T10:35:00.000-04:00

CBC had an interesting piece yesterday on a couple of guys trying to get people to turn off their PC's for a day. Shut Down Day, a sort of technological Sabbath, fits in with turn off your TV day etc. but has the additional irony of getting promoted on the medium that it wants to shut down. I'd be interested in seeing what the web page looks like on Saturday. As for me, I won't be checking from my computers. I'll take a break and hang out with my friends the Irishs.

Sleep Better

2007-03-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking of getting these little numbers for my little guy. I'm sure that when Jesus snuggled under the blankets, Mary rested better because he was fully clothed in the armour of God PJ's.

Super hero religion

2007-03-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

Recently, Marko posted about a survey to see what superhero you might be, if indeed you were a superhero. I wonder if the survey considered that many superheroes apparently have a religious affiliation. Superman, for instance, is a lapsed Methodist, much to the chagrin of a friend of mine who uses Superman as an example in some of her academic work.

I'm a little more upset by the lack of major Presbyterians. Umm. Are we boring?

check it out.

Reading List

2007-03-17T22:14:00.000-04:00

Since 1995 I have kept track of every book that I have read. The rules are simple. I read a book. I write it down on the list. If I've skipped significant sections or have only read certain chapters, the book doesn't count. While doing grad work that had a deleterious effect on my lists (reading Barth is not a cover to cover experience for me).

The list on the side bar had become sadly out of date. For instance, in the past two days week I've read two books that didn't even make it on the list (I figured the whole world, at least teenage male world had already read Eragon and Eldest I better hop to it). It isn't that I finished the books listed there but they just weren't getting read. I've decided a new, simple rule for the side bar list. I must have read each book on the list within 14 days of my most recent post. Hopefullly that will show more accurately what I'm reading.

Losers Club

2007-03-13T18:38:00.000-04:00

No, not the YS book but similar. I was listening to an Emergent Village podcast by Samir Selmanovic entitled Finding Our God in the Other. It was worth the listen for his provocative take on the kenotic nature of Christ and the implications of that for inter religious dialogue. A brief snippet however started another meme of a thought.

Selmanovic tells a story about a conference where pastors would confess their failures and then recieve a blessing or benediction or absolution from others. How refreshing to see a group of Christians deal with failure in a way that allows God's grace to enter into the situation. Instead of hiding failure by only focusing on the positive or deluding ourselves into believing no failure goes on, these pastors faced the fact that of 100 ideas, 98 don't work. For a faith that proclaims a God who failed intentionally, we don't do failure real well. Instead of looking for resurrection, we continue to crucify those who do fail.

My presbytery (a group of lay and ordained Presbyterians in an area) could use some of this kind of confession and absolution. Instead of getting defensive, we could accept that we don't get it right all of the time and accept God's grace to fail. I propose (and I'll do it in an email to my ministerial colleagues) that we form a Losers Club that is a place to fail with grace and to receive words of absolution from fellow sinners. We'll see how it flies.

Blair is back

2007-03-12T20:36:00.000-04:00

Over the past couple of months I've taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging myself as my class at Tyndale took over.

They are done their blogging assingment now and I'm back to contributing myself.

Final Assignment

2007-03-11T23:15:00.001-04:00

Here is the general outline for the assignment. To get the files mentioned, email me. Choose one of the following:

PAPER:
This is a research paper that uses at least three different academic sources to better understand how Canadian youth interact with culture. This could take the general form of Lynch’s case study chapters or something entirely different. The possibilities of combining descriptive, evaluative and normative sources are near endless. Pick some aspect of youth culture that captivates you and explore it in a disciplined, persuasive manner.

CURRICULUM:
Using the template given (Curriculum Template.wpd) design a 2 or 3 session curriculum aimed at youth or aimed at adults who must understand youth e.g. parents. You may address culture in two ways. First, you may directly address youth culture. A seminar for parents that explains how they might evaluate the music their kids listen to fits into this category. Second, you may use popular culture to teach about something else. Using the Lord of the Rings as a theme to talk about friendship, vocation and evil would be an example of this category. Since this is not a course focused on the pragmatic, the majority of your marks are for understanding the evaluative and normative assumptions you make about culture.

CREATIVE PROJECT:
Create some sort of cultural artifact that Canadian youth would reasonably be expected to use. The sky is the limit although you must have approval of the instructor. Expect to spend between 15 and 30 hours creating your object and writing your proposal. Use the Youth Specialties book proposal template supplied (YS proposal guidelines.wpd) to think about your new cultural artifact. Do not worry about completing Section I (biography) or areas that clearly have no relevance to your project such as its value as an academic source. Use the template as a guide to figure out how your object fits in the overall scheme of things.

"Hurt" by Johnny Cash - a post by Andrew

2007-03-11T22:48:00.000-04:00

So I will be honest I am a new comer to Johnny Cash, it wasn’t until the movie about him cam out that I started to listen to his music and boy did I miss out. Out of all his songs the one that stands out for me is “Hurt.” Now “Hurt” was a cover tune that he did, but unlike so many other cover tunes he make this one his own and according to some it’s better than the original. Hurt is about the dangers of addictions, but for me its so much more. When I first heard the song it reminded me of every relationship that I have had in the past and how I had screwed up. But most importantly it reminds me of my relationship with God and how I can only make one promise to God while I am on this earth That promise to quote Cash “And you could have it all/ My empire of dirt/ I will let you down/ I will make you hurt.” This promise is because of our sinful condition and that at times we are all like Judas and will betray Christ with how we live our lives. If you haven’t seen the video for this song as well then you really need to. Through out the video Cash is seen in all his wealth and seems so lonely. At the end of song we see clips of the Crucifixion I recommend listening to this song and see the video

Revolver: Christian Metal's Holy Alliance - a post by Andrew

2007-03-11T22:46:00.000-04:00

Back in January I was at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Brantford and checking out the magazines there when one caught my eye. That magazine was Revolver which is aimed at the hard rock/ metal scene and is a non-Christian magazine geared to non-Christians. Having never read this magazine before it was the picture on the cover and the main article that ensnared my vision. The cover has the front man of four of the biggest Christian metal bands with the phase Christian metal’s Holy alliance. The article in the magazine had the four front men sit down together and discussing a wide range of topics dealing with hell, the Bible, abortion, playing music, Present Bush and so on. There are two things to note the first is that I am leery when non-Christian media represents Christian’s because they get portrayed as freaks and outcasts. The second is that I love seeing good “Christian” bands getting non-Christian attention. So when I first read the article I was both apprehensive and excited at the same time.
In reading this article some things pop out to you, the first is that the person who is asking the questions is not a Christian and so is asking question that all non-believers would ask like “Am I going to hell,” “Rules” and “Is the Bible a divine book.” As I was reading this interview I was very please with the writer not making us as Christian look stupid, and fanatical. Some of the answers that the gays had to say was some what of the typical answers and so as Christians we know them all; but as a non-Christian reading this article I think would let them know that all Christians are not crazy people who are there to bash them over with guilt and condemn them. One of the things which I thought was important to the writes indicates that this interview was like any other on that they have done but the langue was clean and sanitized. This kind of dialog with non-Christians is very important was it shows that we are not all fundamentalist.

Dresses - a post by Jeanette

2007-03-11T22:41:00.000-04:00

I was able (maybe not able, but roped into) spending a day at the mall looking for grade eight grad dresses. Having never spent money on grad dresses, I was quite shocked at what these girls were looking at. The prom type grad dresses with an average value of over $300 were a bit much for grade eight. I realizes that grade eight graduation is a mile stone in a young girls life, but is it really worth $300+? And that was just the dress. Then comes the shoes, the jewellery, ect. Are these kids crazy?

The girls didn’t buy a dress while I was with them, mainly because none of them have the money, it was an interesting experience. The dresses that they would choose for grad were more for prom, but overall it was a good look into who they were a young people. I realize their parents may have a different opinion of how much they are willing to spend on a dress, but these girls have high hopes. They don’t seem to understand the value of a dollar. Their parents will pay for it...they say. I know better...

Music and Lyrics - a post by Jeanette

2007-03-11T22:39:00.000-04:00

Music and Lyrics starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant is just another romantic comedy, or is it? Actually, it is the typical romantic comedy. The girl, the guy and the predictable ending – all three give the basic outline of a romantic comedy. Hugh Grant plays a one hit wonder type from the 80's who has been asked to write a song for the most popular teen singer. Drew Barrymore’s character works for family and meets Hugh grant while watering plants in his apartment. She has a talent for writing poetry and Hugh convinces her to help him out and by the end of the movie, they end up together.

The whole story has a cute, romantic feel to it but it also has a few interesting parts to it.

The movie begins with Hugh Grant singing in an 80's music video. If you don’t go to see the movie for the rest of the content, go for this music video. Quite amusing. I never realized the craziness of 80's videos, but it definitely showed what the videos were really like. It does look like the MTV music videos from the 80's. Overall the movie was good. Not one of the better romantic comedies, but one worth seeing once. So if you have some time to waste, check this one out.

A new controversy - a post by Geoff

2007-03-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

I was going to write about something that I enjoy, because of the fact that every blog that I written; is against something. However I was watching CNN tonight and I saw this newscast on the tomb of Jesus and his son… or whatever they think they found. The most shocking thing is, that there is a documentary that is suppose to be coming out on it. And it is directed by James Cameron. I heard rumors about something like this happening. But truthfully I thought it was a joke.

This is truly foolish; the man that made Terminator and Titanic is making a documentary on Jesus’ tomb. You’ve got to be kidding me. What are they trying to prove? It seems that every year ‘they’ come out with some type of Christian controversy. And it seems to happen around this time as well.

In the report they were sharing, they say that there is DNA evidence has been linked to Jesus and his son. How the heck are they getting this stuff in the first place? I’m sure they have some type of proof to fall back on. But come on now, why? Does Cameron have some beef with Christians; is he getting paid huge to do this? I am baffled at this story.

They even had a producer or some involved with the documentary, saying that this is not going to be against Christians; supposedly he has talked to a few about it and their fine with it.

Fine with it..? I can understand Christians not caring or believing this, because to be fine with trying to disprove their faith, that ludicrous. No one would be fine with any outside faction trying to disprove their faith. What if the documentary was on Muhammad’s existence or something along those lines. I’m pretty sure that, the Muslims would come at them pretty seriously.

What’s the real problem? I have come to expect attacks like this every once in a while, because it does state that Christians will be persecuted. But why continue; atheists are like 0 for 12 now. And it is even more embarrassing for them now that non-Christian scientists are proving Darwinism wrong. It is like the San Antonio Spurs trying to stop Tracy McGrady in the last 13 seconds. Atheist are like people that find out about a surprise party and their not invited; so they try their hardest to ruin it, but they never succeed.

Fame - a post by Geoff

2007-03-11T22:29:00.000-04:00

One thing that I have always been baffled with is the journey that people go on to get their 15 seconds of fame. For some people they will try for it at any cost. Whether it is through sports or being game show, which are more positive way. However there are those who make absolute fools of themselves by going on these ridiculous reality television shows, where they get humiliated just to get on TV. I don’t think that this is an encouraging thing for our society. I feel bad for the people that get mad fun of on these shows until I realize that they know exactly what they are doing.
It is starting to bother me; all these shows were the first part of it is devoted to showing the really good people and the awful people, and networks know that people enjoy watching the people that make fools of themselves. So they can put on as many as possible. It gets pretty outlandish to watch someone acting stupidly for a 30 second stint. Then have the judges or whomever go mock them for 2 minutes. Is our society so desperate for attention that they will seek it through any outlet?
I just don’t understand people’s infatuation with fame; it seems that people will climb over anyone in order to obtain it. Such as all of these reality television shows like survivor where everyone is put on an island and it is a game were the goal is to be the last one voted off. The concept to me is alright. What I don’t understand is how people can go and sell out team members so easily and say it was just a part of the game. To me that garbage! People just want the money and the fame. I do not enjoy watch human desperation at its lowest form. It seems that we are teaching the younger generation to become sellout and cowards if it gains you fame that is so valuable. How horrific is that. And we wonder why teenager search for recognition and respect in all the wrong places.
If people want to become famous by putting in the hard work and long time, that’s fine by me; but if they want to cheat and act foolish to gain useless recognition. Then that’s a different story. I find that to be heartless and empty. I also believe that it leaves people feeling fake at the end. It is a sad truth in today’s society.

Peter Petrelli – the Human sponge? - a post by Ian

2007-03-11T22:24:00.000-04:00

Heroes, 9 p.m. Monday nights on NBC.

Shameless plug, I know. I won’t ruin a lot of the show, but I wanted to get at one issue. One of the main characters in this rookie tv show that has captivated millions is named Peter Petrelli. He is arguably one of the most unique characters on the show because unlike everyone else with singular powers, Peter’s power is he can absorb anybody else’s powers and they affect what he can do. The reason I find him the most interesting character is because often we can get like that with people around us. Some people are so affected by what other people around them say or do that they sometimes model it upon themselves, usually to increase their popularity or social status.

I think in Tyndale the problem can be even worse, because some students at school are all Christian and Praise Jesus at school but then on the weekend go back home and return to their usual lifestyle therefore when they come back on Monday again they feed off of others and let it affect who they are. Do you agree with this? In your opinion, is peer pressure still as prominent as it always has been or has it turned into a case of people just wanting to be like everyone else, ignoring who they really are, regardless of the amount of pressure around them?

Back then, it was just a video game! - a post by Ian

2007-03-11T22:22:00.000-04:00

First of all, I want you to think of the first thing that comes to your mind when I say these words: 15 Love, Foul Ball, Nice Spare, Nice Approach, Round 1 – Fight! Upon hearing these words, most people would think of 5 sports: Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. In the past, people would never relate any of those words to a video game.

Until now, I give you the Nintendo Wii. When I first heard of this invention I was quite pessimistic, thinking that the idea of a motion sensored video game was too unrealistic to be plausible. And then, one cold and rainy November day I was visiting a friend and they asked me if I wanted to play on their Wii. Once the initial shock wore off due to the confusion of what I had just been asked, I realized what they were referring to and agreed to at least try it out.

To my surprise, not only was it fun and gradually addicting, it took a heck of a lot more energy than I first though. After my first few rounds of boxing were over I was surprised to notice that I was getting a little tired. After a few sets of tennis is when I begun to realize that unbeknownst to me, I was excercising! And all I wanted to do was played a video game, I didn’t intend to actually feel somewhat “in the action” as I did.

Which got me thinking, if a video game system can get me working as if I’m playing a sport, how many children throughout North America are unknowingly begging their parents to buy them a Wii. Then, while playing it, they gradually losing weight throughout the ordeal. Laugh at me, roll your eyes, scoff, whatever, it’s true. It is widely known that the Nintendo Wii is the best selling video game system on the market and I find it interesting that so many kids want to play these video games without realizing the after effects of actual movements.

Sure it’s a stretch, and they’re still not outside actually playing the games, but think about it. Kids playing xbox 360 are sitting on their couch munching on food as they play. Nintendo players, on the other hand, are standing up, swinging their arms frantically with no extra time to munch on anything until the game is done. Again, they’re not outside just yet but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

Anyway enough of what I think, what do you guys think? Have you played it? What do you think? Am I full of it or do you agree that I’m onto something here?

Living in the Country - a post by Aaron

2007-03-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

The Moira River runs by my house in Plainfield Ontario. This river is not the cleanest, but with areas with rapids, calms, and lots of wilderness, it is an amazing way to escape from the business of everyday life. Closer to my house, there are five islands, one fairly large appropriately called "Is-Land". Years ago before I lived the Christian life, I used this island for crazy parties with my friends. We set up tents, cut down trees, and made huge fires. We would go late night swimming, and drink the night away. At the time it was amazing. Now, I still go out to that island. I still hang out there with friends, camping, having huge fires, simming and having a great time. However, now there is also another reason why I go out there. Sometimes I go out there by myself and just bring my Bible, pad of paper, and my MP3 player loaded with Hillsong music. I sit on one of the chairs, and just take everything in. I feel very close to God while I am there because I can see the beauty of God's creation. Now that I live in Toronto eight months of the year at Tyndale, I feel very distant from nature, and is difficult to find that place where I feel close with God and escape everything around me. I can deffenently see why some people like the city life, but it's really not for me. I have been trying to bring some of my new city friends to come to my house to join me in my island adventures with God. I think it is important to see both sides of life; the country life, and the city life. I think it is good to try different ways to meet with God. Going canoeing, watching beavers and the fish swimming by, the birds chirping over head, and the sun beating down on you, all marvelous things that God created.

Football Culture - a post by Aaron

2007-03-11T22:18:00.000-04:00

Football has been a huge part of my life for the last 7 years of my life. Some people never understand why I love football so much. They dont understand why I spend countless hours infront of the TV watching Sunday Football games, commentaries, and playing the lastest Madden football game for Playstation. Most of all, they never understood why I would play football. I would come home with all kinds of injuries. Hyperextended knee and elbow, bruises all up my arms and face, bloody and jammed fingers. Dispite the injuries it never stopped me from playing. Is this wrong? is this an obsession? I say no. Football for me, and many others is a form of culture. Over hundreds of thousands of people jam into giant stadiums every weekend to watch their favorite teams play. There are tailgate parties for hours, and for some, days before the game even starts. People park outside the stadium and camp with their BBQ's and beer. There are people gambling thousands and even millions of dollars on just a single game. Even though the football life does not always bring the best out of people, there is so much good it has to offer. The entertainment, friends, Superbowl parties, and life goals are all things that come out of this great sport. Football means everything to some people in the lower states. Kids are trained as soon as they can walk. They are pressured to be the best they can and try to make the team. Football is a huge part of peoples lives.

YouTube - a post by Gordon

2007-03-11T22:13:00.000-04:00

The person of the year is YOU! This title made it to the front covers of January's issue of Time Magazine this year. Youtube.com is not about Britney Spear shaving her hair nor Al Gore saving the world from global warming, it's about you, hence its name. Its about individuals living in the comfort their home, whom want to express what they want to say or show to the world. This web based video sharing network has not only reached North America, from where it started, but across the world. Youtube is a global movement! If an individual has a computer and internet connection, then most likely they would have had connected with Youtube at some point. The average Joe can become famous over night just by posting a Jackass-like video of himself. Before you know it, the youtube video gets recognized by the news press and TV producers, which may land them on national television.
In fact, Sportcentral featured a new sport presented on youtube called 'locker boxing' last week. It features two persons in a locker room, wearing padded equipment, such as hockey helmet and gloves. The objectives is to punch the opponent until they drop and can't get up. The person who remains standing declares as winner of the match. Even though locker boxers are padded, the impact caused in throwing punches at each other can lead to some serious concussions...
...which makes me think. The technology age is moving so quickly, now everyone can handle making their own music videos and short film. I remember when I started my film program in high school, we used an analog editing system, called the Casablanca: a $4000 black box that connects to any TV. The following year, after a computer hardware device called the 'firewire card' was introduced, everyone in the film class was editing in digital format. The professional 'look' in movies was no longer beyond our reach, but in the accessible tools of a digital camera and a desktop computer. Before the end of the 2nd year, we were compositing CGI (computer generated images) on our films, making Mission Impossible-like explosions.
Video has developed so rapidly since the millenium. Everyone is a filmmaker now and you don't even need skills. All you need is a cheap digital still camera and computer to upload it on to Youtube, then BOOM, millions of hits over a short period of time...what a revolutionary explosion.

Lost Writers Lost - a post by Andrew

2007-03-11T22:05:00.000-04:00

I have been into the show Lost for the last 18 months or however long it has been going on. For some reason the show has me hooked. Well I guess that is what the writers are going for, hooking the audience in for the next week and the next. But for some reason I wonder if the writers know where they are going with the show, or are they just going to end it at some point when the ratings drop from people like me getting bored of not being able to answer all the questions that writers hook everyone into the show with. They just show things and bring up questions every episode, not answering the big questions that have people sitting on the edge of their seats and writing blogs about the show. Like the plane crash, there as been no answer to why the plane crashed, there have been theories or partial answers but why not complete answers?. And who are the others anyway, why are they there, and how did they get there? Sorry for the little rant there, but seriously, I have no idea to some of the best answers to the show and it is a season and a half in. I thought it started as a mini series, I thought it was suppose to be over in under a year, and now I need to know the answers. I think another thing that has the audience hooked is the development of the characters. Every episode or at least almost every episode there are flash backs to the characters past life, which has you feeling like you know them. I wonder if this is another cover for making the show longer and giving the writers a chance to figure out just how they are going to dig themselves out of this crazy plot line they have put themselves in. The show is great but I really do wonder if there is a possibility of them answering all these questions made people think. But the thing is like we talked about in class the writers hook me in every once in a while with answering a question or two that I have been thinking about for days or weeks. So if you want to keep you Wednesday nights free do yourself a favour and don’t start watching.

Facing the Giants of Christian Movie Making - a post by Andrew

2007-03-11T22:02:00.000-04:00

So last night my family and I actually sat down and watched a Christian moving we rented from blockbuster. Now usually the words Christian and movie don’t go that well together, but this movie wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The movie was called Facing the Giants and was based on the life of a high school football coach. This coach faces some tough life struggles as he is told he may lose his job if the team doesn’t perform, his finical situation is not so great, with his car in dire need of repair, and finally he is told that he probably can’t have kids. So as these situations seem to come together a man who prays for the Christian school that this
coach works for, encourages the coach to keep following God’s plan. So the coach re-evaluates his coaching philosophy and decides to coach and live following Biblical principles. This turns everything around, the football team changes their attitude and their winning ways. The community provides for the coach and his wife, and in the final scene the coach and his wife learn that they are pregnant. Although the acting was what could one say, a little sub par, and the writing was at times a little predicable (the winning kick is kicked by a boy named David, Jonathan is the one holding the ball for David, and the team that they defeat by that winning kick are named the giants.) The life principles are pretty neat. Once the coach decides to
change his coaching and life principles, the team, the school, and the community are changed, and God does some pretty awesome things. That started to get me thinking about how much we would change and the community would change if we started truly living by Biblical principles. Not just at Tyndale or in class or on Sunday morning, but in even in everyday life, with every person we come across. So if you can get passed the cheesiness of this movie, it worth the watch.

seventeen.com - a post by Josh

2007-03-04T22:25:00.000-05:00

From having a sister who is three years older than me I know that a fairly popular piece of media for teen girls are magazines. I remember seeing stacks of Seventeen Magazine in my sister’s room when she was in her teen years and I was her annoying little brother (which I still am). As the age range of adolescence continues to start lower the forms of media that were reserved for older teens begin to seep into the culture of pre-teens.

I was in Chapters yesterday wandering through the magazine section and I noticed something odd. A girl reading Seventeen Magazine, but she wasn’t a teenager. She looked like a teenager, but mini-sized. This girl was probably around nine or ten years old. She was flipping through Seventeen Magazine and talking on a cell phone! I was shocked. I assumed that the messages the magazine passes on to the large population that read it were probably sub-par at best, but I wanted to check it out for myself. And rather than the shoppers at Chapters thinking I was some kind of creep reading Seventeen Magazine, I chose to check out their website instead.

Seventeen.com boasts handy articles like “Learn how to Apply False Lashes” and “No Fail Hook-Up Moves”. If this is the stuff that teenage girls are being told is important than we as youth ministers have our work cut out for us. The site also has a built in BMI calculator that measures your body mass index. This is positive because it helps determine healthy body weight, a concern for all teens whether male or female. There is an entire section dedicated to “Guys”. No wonder the notion of purity has become a gray area, for even churched teens.

Adolescent girls are starving for something more to cling to than shopping, fashion, and boys. They’re searching for their identity in the midst of popular culture. Our responsibility is not only to show them the gospel, but to show them Christ’s love at the same time. So more girls don’t end up reading up on “No Fail Hook-Up Moves” while chatting it up on their cell phones in Chapters.

CSI - a post by Hee Jun

2007-03-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

If I have a spare time to watch TV at night, I usually watch CSI : Miami. Compared to CSI : N.Y, this verson is more exciting and easy to fix my channel till the end. I think that Miami itself shows lots of good and luxurious environment to us. There are numerous criminal investigation dramas among the TV shows. I do not like horror movies which many innocent people die brutally. But I tend to see CSIlike dramas even though it contains bloody murder pictures. I really like the scenes related to scientific investigations by cool intelligent detectives.

Yesterday’s episode was about the death of one detective. I was so surprised because this guy was one of main characters in the drama. Why did the writer want him to die in one scene accidentally? After the show, I kept thinking about it. I concluded that his death would affect other detectives in a way. This drama will express their emotions regardless of the work they conduct.

This drama also contains many death scenes. The agent named Speedle’s death was treated very importantly and took a long shot. His funeral service was huge and very impressive. But the other victims or bad men’s ending was so short. Their deaths look very easy and satisfying. Rather I wait for their investigating process afterwards. I truly watch lots of shows with superficial interpretation looking for fun factors like this. But how about teens? How do they think about what they see through motion pictures?

Blankets - a post by Joel

2007-03-04T21:55:00.001-05:00

I recently spent the weekend at a snow camp with the youth group I am interning with, and on the 3 hour bus ride home, I had nothing to read. The youth pastor I am working for happened to have a graphic novel I had heard about recently from a friend.

Let us keep in mind that I am not known to enjoy graphic novels. I tend to consider them along the same lines as comic books, and that’s not for me. However, I truly enjoyed this “Illustrated Novel”.

Blankets is the author’s story, it is about a kid named Craig who is growing up in a conservative Christian home and is dealing with both his artistic talents and his faith while in a serious long term relationship.

Craig grew up sharing a bed with his brother, and enjoyed very few things in life because while at school he was constantly harassed and beat up, and in the summer he worked on the farm which was only a little better than school. The only true release he had was over Christmas break, which a week of was used by snow camp where the “Christian” kids were just as bad as the kids at school. All the while Craig is constantly being confronted in his last years of high school by his pastor telling him that he should “go into the ministry.”

While at camp in his high school years, Craig met a girl named Raina who he was able to relate to, and appreciated art as much as he did. Over time, after camp, a long distance relationship bloomed. They exchanged letters, and packages to share their affection for each other. One day Craig got a call from Raina during a snow storm telling him that her parents were getting a divorce and she had attempted to drive to his home in Michigan but the snow had stopped her 400 miles away.

The bulk of the story is based around Craig’s two week visit to Raina’s house and their interactions there, both with each other, Raina’s parents, Raina’s older married sister and her child, Raina’s mentally “retarded” sister, and Raina’s brother who has down syndrome. The latter were adopted by Raina’s parents to thank God for blessing them with two beautiful daughters.

This is a story about a Christian dealing with relationships and art and how he deals with not being supported in his passions because the people at church believe that at art school you become a homosexual because they make you draw naked people. It’s not a happy story, it’s filled with different narratives of both the past and the present and in the end you are left with almost nothing.

Overall this is a great read (or look, for that matter), it’s worth the few hours it will take you to go through it. “Blankets” is a provocative look at how the Christian community sees art. However, it is important to keep in mind that this book takes place more than ten years ago and it is uplifting to see how the church in general is embracing art today, however, there is still more to be done.

Blankets - a post by Joel

2007-03-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

O Brother Where Art Thou? - a post by Ryan

2007-03-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

I don't know exactly why but it is my favorite movie. I have seen it over a dozen times, and every time I notice something I have never seen before. I love all the different situations that they find there selves in by chance, and the Irony of making a great song without knowing it. It is a journey that I think every guy can relate to and that's why guys like it so much. The movie takes you through all the emotions, humor, love, guilt, salvation & Joy, hatred etc. Each situation the 'soggy bottom boys' find themselves makes you feel a different emotion. One of the most random movies yet a classic.

CFRB Talk Radio - a post by Ryan

2007-03-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

When I am in the car I tune to 10 10am and listen Bill Carol in the morning, who usually talks about nothing important. The Mots are on in the afternoon (a married couple) who are unbelievably still married after taking so many different stands from each other and John Moore in on the way home, who is the most controversial. It doesn't seem to matter who the host is because they all take calls and usually cut off the caller and reinstate their own opinion. To me this is the best part of all their shows because its funny to hear the people call in thinking that everyone listening is going to hear their personal opinion and that it actually matters. Of course their opinions are only there for the entertainment of people like me and the talk show host who make them even more entertaining. I listen all the time but never once have had the desire to call in, but find it hilarious when others do.

E.R. - a post by Ryan

2007-03-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

A Cousin lent the first session of E.R. on DVD to my wife and I recently, both of us strictly comedy people did not think we would like it. After watching the first episode we have not been able to stop watching it. We are addicted!

The episodes build on one anther but don't leave you hanging or pick up on the story of a particular patient, instead it gives you an unquenchable desire to watch the
lives of a few doctors, nurse and clerks as each show develops more of their character. Having it on DVD gives us the luxury of not having commercials and being able to watch the next episode any time we want. If we didn't have a three month old demanding our attention I am sure we would have finished the entire first session in a week! The show puts me on edge, not because of the trauma of the patients coming in
to the E.R. but because I never know what's going to happen. Yet some of the characters are predictable and I feel good when I guess how they will respond and I am right. E.R. is an important cultural artifact because we have all experienced it before in some way. All of us have been in the E.R. whether for are self or with someone else. E.R. lets us experience life behind the scenes and from the other perspective.

Whatever Happened to a Home Cooked Meal

2007-03-04T20:40:00.001-05:00

Snider has another post. Look to the side bar for the link.

Super Size Me - a post by Jess

2007-03-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

I caught a glimpse of a film I saw a while back while flipping through movie channels; Super Size Me. I remember staying clear of McDonalds for almost a year after seeing it. From the recap I got from watching just a bit of it again, it got me thinking. Some parents try to scare their children off smoking by making them puff on cigarettes until they get sick. Super Size Me tries to scare us off fast food—or at least warn us of its dangers thereof—by showing how a month-long diet of Big Macs and 42-oz. drinks causes havoc upon ones health.

But the film is not just about one man, and it is not just about nutrition. Along the way, some essential questions are raised about the nature of personal, corporate and social responsibility. Morgan Spurlock (creator/director of the documentary) is particularly concerned about the way companies like McDonald's target children through their Happy Meal toys, playgrounds, birthday parties, animated television shows and multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns. When Spurlock shows some children a series of portraits and mug shots, they have difficulty identifying everyone from Jesus to George Washington, but they all know who Ronald McDonald is.

Some questions that came to mind were these:
1. If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, how should we eat? How do we honor God when we eat or drink? What place should fasting and feasting have in our worship?

2. What should concern parents more—the dietary aspects of fast food, or the way some restaurants encourage children to identify with their brand? If children, once grown up, will not depart from the way in which they have been trained up (Proverbs 22:6), then how concerned should we be about advertising that targets children?

3. How can we develop patience and self-discipline in a culture that encourages us to get what we want now? What would be the costs and benefits of waiting a little while longer? What would be the costs and benefits of doing more things for ourselves?

Hiltons and Lohans - a post by Jess

2007-03-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

Over the reading break I spent some time relaxing in front of a new talk show that Rachel Ray (formerly from 30 Minute Meals on the food network) is the host and most of her segments are geared towards womens issues. This particular segment was about how girls as young as 5 or 6 are becoming obsessed and affected by body image from the media. They showed a short video clip of a group of seven 6 year old girls, with their teacher who had two pictures. One of an overweight cartoon woman and another of a thin woman; She asked the girls which one they would rather be, and which one they would rather be friends with. Every single one of them said that they would rather be the thin woman and they would only want to be friends with the thin woman. Their response was simply, no one likes fat people. The girls were also asked if they’d rather be fat and really smart or thin and stupid. All but one said they’d rather be thin and stupid. It breaks my heart that girls as young as 6 years old have this mentality and it’s because of the culture that they live in that they feel this way. The mothers of those seven girls were in the audience of the show. After they saw the video clip, they were shocked. Some of them blamed themselves, others blamed the media. The truth is it’s a combination of many things in our culture.

Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears did not invent “thin is in”, shallow materialism, partying and vapid sexuality. They are also product of our culture, not the inventors of it. And they become children's teachers only insofar as we abdicate that role. Sure, the fact that these girls seem to get an inordinate amount of attention, their every move chronicled and discussed, can't help but leave curious little girls wondering whether this may be an appropriate way to fulfill every little girl's fantasy of being adored. It's up to parents to be parents and educate thier daughters that not all attention is good attention, not everything that glitters is gold. But too often the parents are just as intrigued by these little pop tarts as the kids, and are too interested in being seen as "cool" to bother with teaching the boring moral lessons that will protect them from becoming little Lohans and Hiltons.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - a post by Hee Jun

2007-03-04T20:23:00.000-05:00

The series of Harry Potter have created a great popularity in the world. Over time Harry Potter grows up with the development of stories. The movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is based on the third book of Harry Potter series. This third one made Harry Potter become a thirteen years old boy and third grader in his magic school. He lost his parents when he was a baby. So he was raised by his aunt’s family. He received an unfair treatment and unloving care. This movie begins with his rebellious and twisted actions toward the family. Maybe he doesn’t think he belongs to them at all. This kind of life seems so sad to him but he finds good friendships and meaningful adventures from magic school.

I love Harry Potter stories because I involve in children’s ministry now. Children as well as teens love to talk about Harry Potter. They usually read books first and then watch movies. They can compare between two kinds of works. The magic school named Hogwarts is like any other ordinary schools. There are many characters in the stories just like today’s teens. But the main character, Harry Potter has extraordinary powers and fight against the evil one with bravery. In the end he always wins and brings back comfort to everyone. He becomes a hero. He uses the power by means of magic in order to save his school and friends. We can’t imagine it in our real world but the ordinary teen who has a special life in the movie makes it possible. We know that this is not real and biblical. However, some kids in my Sunday School believe that the magic thing is fascinating and powerful. They really love this kind of story.

Their thoughts are easy to be affected by any cultural things around them. Even I love to be in the cultural life. But I sense that popular culture like Harry Potter is needed to be filtered through Christian perspective because young students still need good guidance in every way.

Saved by the Bell to the O.C. - a post by Andrew

2007-03-04T17:38:00.000-05:00

Go to Snider's blog for his musings on some iconic tv shows. Link is on the sidebar.

Facebook - a post by Rebecca

2007-03-04T17:36:00.000-05:00

It is true - I have been sucked into the growing trend of facebook. At first, my unwillingness to join baffled my friends. But perhaps peer pressure got the best of me? As I was watching a friend of mine browse around on facebook one afternoon, I started to see why people were enjoying this latest internet craze. I had already been aquainted with myspace and enjoyed wandering around my friends pages from time to time, but did I really need to join another community of online friends? Apparently I did!

Facebook is so much different than myspace. It is far more exclusive and private. I look forward to opening my page, knowing that there are not a million and one friend requests from people halfway around the world (why do they feel the need to be my "friend" anyways?). From my understanding, in order to view other people's pages, you must first be connected through a mutual network (and even that doesn't seem to work at all times...). Either way, I don't need to understand all the logistics of facebook to say that I have come to really enjoy it!

There have been so many people from my high school that I thought I would never see again who have found me on facebook! Its incredible to see how they have changed (or stayed the same!) over the last few years. Its like one big high school reunion - internet style! I can honestly say that I love being on facebook. I rarely check my myspace account anymore because everyone I know on there has switched over to facebook. I find it a lot easier to use and I love being in touch with all of my friends again.

Breach - a post by Brennan

2007-03-04T17:24:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I went and saw the movie Breach which deals with Robert Hanssen, the FBI that was convicted of espionage in February of 2001. I thought it was well done, with the actors playing good roles. However, the movie was fairly predictable, as with any other spy type of movie. Though, a movie should be predictable when it is based on a real life situation.

Which brings me to the point that made this movie more interesting to me. There is an obvious change in the last few years of the content of movies. There is a larger demand for movies that are based on a true story. All one needs to do is look at how well the Pursuit of Happyness did. Though, they are two totally genres. To me it seems like that for a movie to do well, the topic needs a strong fan base, like the comic book movies, or it needs to be more realistic, as in these based on a true story ones. I find this interesting, but think this is because of the large amount of movies that come out during the year. There are so many that perhaps being are tired of the same story and these two genres provide something new.

Gears of War - a post by Brennan

2007-03-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

Over the Christmas break I spent a lot of my free time playing Gears of War with my brother. Unfortunately, he possesses the first person shooting skills in our family and I end up on the losing side of things any time I face off with him. He knows this and we generally play co-operative. This little tidbit of information is crucial to my experience with this game.

I am not one to enjoy gore, thus I did not think I would enjoy this game. It is rated M for mature for a good reason. In some instances one can chainsaw the enemy which involves a lot of blood being sprayed on the camera lens, and lets just say it is not cartoon in any manner. It can be downright gross, but like many other players I look past this, perhaps for a different reason than others though. I doubt I would never play this game in 1 player mode. I would rather play with my brother. For us, this is our way of hanging out and having a good time together.

Many see this game as grotesque and will add it to the ever growing list of video games that make our society worse. They will argue it continues the desensitization of the gaming generation. I do recognize that there are statistics to show this, but I would rather not argue this now. The way I see the game is a tool for hanging out
with my brother. It is our thing. So even though some might rag on how bad the game is, and how Christians should not play this game, it does not bother me. I will still play with it, well until my brother gets bored with it.

Two-A-Days - a post by Josh

2007-03-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

MTV is something that is relatively new to Canadian culture. For decades we the only music channel geared towards adolescents was good old MuchMusic, but now MTV has invaded Canadian households with its less than godly perspective on teen culture. One of the MTV shows that I am guilty of watching sometimes is Two-A-Days. I am definitely not addicted to Two-A-Days, but whenever I catch the show it’s usually entertaining. The show documents the Hoover Bucs a highly successful varsity football team, from Hoover, Alabama and the lives of its players in MTV’s version of reality TV, which is usually scripted. I am a football fan, but also like Two-A-Days because I played varsity sports in high school and it’s interesting to see the differences between high school sports in the states and in Canada.

I enjoy the on-field segments of the show where game and practice footage is shown simply because I am a sports fan; but the show also documents the lives of the students at Hoover High School. This is where the show tends to send the wrong message to the teens who watch it. The show sends a message that says if you aren’t a football player, you’re nothing. I’m sure Hoover High does have other positive aspects, but the show depicts the students as a part of one of three groups. A Hoover student is 1. a football player, 2. a cheerleader, or 3. one of the hundreds of crazed fans that wish they could be on the field.

Two-A-Days also sends negative body image messages to teens. The football players are massive; in the same vein that Lebron James didn’t look 18 when he entered the NBA, these guys are monsters! I know I didn’t look like that in high school, and I didn’t know many athletes who did. I’m fairly certain that the prototypical cheerleaders in the show don’t make teenage girls feel great about themselves either.

So how, as youth ministers, do we respond to shows like Two-A-Days? Shows that send out negative messages to teens? I’m not sure, but it is our responsibility to be familiar with the values that MTV and MuchMusic project in order to remain in touch with the culture that our students live in the midst of. What should our response be when a student says it’s just a TV show? Should the students who are passionate about reaching their friends with the gospel watch questionable shows that their classmates do in order to stay in the loop at school? These are all valid questions that we as youth ministers must answer, but as for me, I have to go, The Hills starts in 2 minutes.

Superman - by Jason

2007-03-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

Jason has engaged in a significant online debate over at http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php?readmore=3224 . An interesting engagement of popular culture that is decidedly for those in the know. Jason should get props for entering into substantial debates in a way that honours both his faith and those who are also in the debate.

Light Up Ahead - a post by Mark

2007-03-04T15:02:00.000-05:00

For years, Further Seems Forever, a popular ‘emo-pop-rock’ band has been producing music that is highly appealing, both in sound and in word. I recently had the opportunity to listen and to watch the music video for one of their songs entitled, “Light Up Ahead.” The video depicts scenes from what appears to be World War I, with a focus on one particular soldier who sees his friend die, and has to leave his friend’s body behind as he himself retreats from the bombing. At first, I thought that the images on the video had nothing to do with the rather positive sounding song title and lyrics but…

Upon reflection and a more careful viewing of the video, I came to realize that the lyrics are actually words from the heart of the soldier who is not killed – words that are generated as a result of his spiritual experience on the battlefield. His smile represents the hope that he has found through faith in a Higher Power – one that can fill “all the emptiness”, and give him something to live for. Initially captivated by the graphic portrayal of the horror of war, I missed the real message – one of joy and expectation – as the soldier demonstrates perseverance through brokenness; realizes that he was spared for a purpose; and looks forward to a life dedicated to following God – the true ‘Light up ahead’.

The meaning of the song really resonated with me – likely because I too have had an experience where I was expected to die, and yet was miraculously spared. I was reminded again of the power of a sovereign God operating in my life, and purposed anew to take time daily to listen to His voice, and to determinedly follow the call that I believe he has placed upon my life. Although times of frustration and discouragement will come, I know that when, as the song says, I can’t see, I will wake up to His eyes steadfastly watching over me and lovingly guiding me.

After watching the video, I tried to determine what it was that made it so intensely powerful. I realized that the combination of audio and visual allows the viewer to be impacted on two levels. Though a song may have some inherent value or meaning on its own, it is only as it is combined with a visual picture that a story with a message – one that is highly relatable – is told, and is ultimately internalized by the viewer. The ability of music videos, through this duality of approach, to powerfully communicate the truth of the gospel message, renders them valuable tools for use by those involved in the practice of youth ministry today.

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Light-Up-Ahead-lyrics-Further-Seems-Forever/6E637D4CC2FF3F8348256EB80007A3B9

Facebook - a social network by Mark

2007-03-04T14:59:00.000-05:00

Initially when I decided to join facebook, I was a little skeptical about what I’d find and experience. Judging from interaction and conversation with others about it, I wondered if facebook wasn’t just of means of satisfying curiosity about old friends and even a kind of ‘creepy’ means of touching base with past acquaintances. I guess I viewed it essentially as participation in a ‘free version of lavalife.’

Having had facebook, now for a couple months, I have come to a somewhat different understanding. I have found it to be a great way to meet up with old friends; a more interactive means than MSN of keeping up with current friends; and a system whereby I can share and exchange pictures, notes and gifts online. I have enjoyed the opportunity to talk with friends from public school, high school and camp, and find that my social world has greatly expanded as a result of participation – albeit on a mostly superficial level. I find that I check it a few times a day, and look forward to reading the comments, and looking at the pictures etc. sent by my contacts. Though the argument still remains that I could ‘just pick up the phone and call’, I think facebook provides a more efficient and convenient means of socializing with many people.

I sometimes wonder however, if the medium, in this case facebook, exerts too much control over the nature of interaction. I wonder if the simplicity, the efficiency, and to some degree the anonymity prevent or impede the development of close relationships that might have been established as a result of face to face interaction. The end result, I may come to realize, is the establishment of multiple superficial relationships, and few with any substance or long-term value. Also, facebook provides a means by which I can convey or even manufacture any image I choose – even one that may not be at all realistic or representative. In this sense, facebook can foster the establishment or maintenance or relationships that are not based entirely in truth – a reality that may also have negative long lasting effects.

In conclusion, I have come to realize that while facebook provides a wonderful means of contacting and communicating with people, it must be used with care. First, its use should never preclude personal, intentional, 1:1 conversations and interactions with friends and family, and second, I must take care to ensure that all communication, from my end at least, is carried out with absolute integrity.

Superman - Angel

2007-03-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

Jason has posted at http://spiritablaze.blogspot.com/ a post on Superman. Not a big surprise to those who know Jason but interesting and worth a check out.

Too Fast For Me! - a post by Rebecca

2007-03-04T14:38:00.000-05:00

First, please let me make this clear - I not a gamer! Neither is my boyfriend...so when he told me that he had just purchased a PSP for himself, I was slightly confused....we love music, movies, books, cars...but video games? Hmm...but hey, at least I can blog about it! Video games have certainly become something far more intricate than when I was a kid! I haven't really played a video game since my super nintendo days, and even back then, it was the generic mario brothers games. That game only required one or two buttons - this one has about ten!!! With that in mind, you might be able to appreciate my surprise (and slight frustration) when I attempted
to play "Need for Speed" on Ryan's PSP.

The concept for the game is fairly simply - similar to most racing games. The player gets to pick their car from the models available and then race others at different degress of difficulty. The player gets to collect points throughout the race for their performance level, their ability to outrun the cops, and the respect they earn as they drive. These points are accumulated to unlock new levels, new cars and new car parts that the player can then use. The driver can use the different car parts to do up their own cars very much like a real high performance car - the details that the writers of this game included are simply incredible!

After being able to watch Ryan play his new game for well over an hour (and yes, I did chuckle a few times at his own intensity), I was finally given a turn! My light-hearted laughter quickly disappeared as I struggled to control the car. Ryan set me on the easiest course in the game but my poor car still took quite the beating! The cops didn't even bother with me for the first half hour or so because I wasn't able to drive fast enough to catch their attention! To be honest, I really have no idea how long I played that game...perhaps two hours or so? By the time I did stop, my back, neck,shoulders and fingers were aching from playing for so long. I did manage to learn how to outrun the cops and even came in first place at the end of the
race! I know it was the easiest level but so what? Ha ha! I haven't touched the PSP since that night, but I do understand how these games become so addicting. They completely suck you in and make you lose all sense of time!

As for me though...I think I'll stick with slot cars...

Karaoke - a post by Gordon

2007-02-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

On a Friday night, after a birthday part, my immediate group of friends decided to pay a visit to the local karaoke bar at Pacific Mall. Before I continue on, I think it's better that I clarify what karaoke is, because I'm almost certain that it's not a popular sport among our fellow Tyndale classmates. Karaoke is a form of entertainment developed by Japanese people. It consists of a dark room with comfortable seating, a television, karaoke player system, and 2 or more microphones. The objective of this is to sing along the tunes sung by popular music stars. The TV screen shows lyrics where a blue or red highlighter scrolls across each word, moving accordingly with the pace of the song. Songs are usually played with instrumental music only, so that the participant can show the quality of their voice. People who are either off tune or musically challenged have the choice of turning on the the orginal singers voice to follow the song better and hide some imperfections. Karaoke can be played by anyone through all ages: friends, couples, and even family.
This was probably my 3rd time going and actively singing. I was glad that there were English songs, because the majority karaoke bars in Toronto are ownned by Chinese people, meaning Chinese pop songs and the majority of our group either do not keep up with Chinese pop culture or speak the language. So by default, we turned to the English song selections which consists of Back Street Boys, Spice Girls, and Savage Garden; corny, cheesy, boy band like musice we grew up to. I don't listen to songs like that on any given day, but it was for fun and we had many laughs. We were really pleased with our night and it was another way of bringing our friends together.
On the back of my head, I wonder why this fun activity was never popular amongst Non-Asians. I've seen Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and even Phillipino karaoke bars, but NEVER Caucasion or any other Non- Asian culture. Why is this sport so foreign and not popular with Non-Asians? When we have interactive television activities like video games, dance dance revolution, and now the new Nintendo system, Wii; karaoke has existed for few decades now and it still remains unpopular to Non-Asians. Terrible promotion or (pestimistically) Non-Asian wanting to be different from Asians? What do some of you think?

It's All About the Dogmatics - a post by Deb

2007-02-19T11:58:00.000-05:00

As Christians we so often shun or demean movies that have any bit of religious ridicule. Movies such as Saved or Dogma stir up in Christians, for some reason, feelings of offence, heresy, and often cause us to turn on our defensive mechanisms. It’s quite frustrating for me, a movie lover and a Christian, to try and talk about movies like these, to tell others, my friends and family, about them. Now don’t get me wrong, I do get annoyed with movies and people who treat any faith like some ridiculous thing that people do to feel something. However, as I watched these two movies I thought about our world, the people who created these movies, and the people who will watch these movies. So many say to me, “how can you condone the message of these movies, they’re blasphemous and displays Christians in such an ignorant way.” To which I reply, “you do realize that people who write scripts like these don’t just make this up off the top of their heads, they see it, hear it, and in many cases have lived it.” Let’s take Dogma for example. It’s a classic Kevin Smith movie, with the great cast of comedy wonders from the late 90’s. It is apart of a series of movies with an ensemble cast that created Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob, and so on. The humor is crude, bold, physical, and in my opinion hilarious! I decided one day to rent Dogma; it was recommended by my boss that I should watch it because he thought that I would find it interesting because I am a Christian. So I did! The opening scene is a disclaimer, a disclaimer to all the Christians that may be watching who will probably get offended. I thought that was funny, Kevin Smith knew that this movie was going to offend people, so he made the disclaimer, it’s our own faults for continuing to watch it! I watched with an open mind, in the forefront was the disclaimer, I went in to learn something. And I did! I learned that Christians are viewed in a negative light, but not because we’ve been misunderstood but mostly because there are those that really do act is such a way. Kevin Smith was raised in a devout Roman Catholic home, he has a good grasp on theology and most importantly he has his own views of the faith. Yes, Dogma had many questionable details, but for the most part it will cause you to think. As I finished watching the movie I had so many thoughts going through my mind, it made me look at my own life and how others may perceive me. I don’t think Dogma is meant to offend but to cause you to think! I recommend that you watch it, see how others see Christians, and understand how others view the biblical story. Maybe, just maybe you might learn something!

War and Billy Talent - a post by Deb

2007-02-19T11:56:00.000-05:00

War and Billy Talent

I’ve just recently bought the latest release from Billy Talent (gotta support Canadian music) and there is one song that struck me deep! There is a track entitled The Navy Song; it’s one of their softer melodic songs. It got me thinking as I listened to it, how so many bands are stating their political views in their music. Sometimes it’s good other times they fall flat on their face. But for Billy Talent who, in my opinion, are one of the most well written bands on the scene today, they got the point across. The song is about someone who went off to war, to fight, to be slaughtered and eventually left for dead. The message is that they so badly wanted to go, find the person that left and bring them home. This hit home, because just this past week I had a childhood friend leave for Afghanistan with the Canadian military. It’s funny how a song can stir up emotions that you never realized were there. We didn’t chat anymore, I haven’t seen him since last Christmas, but since I found out that he’s gone off to fight, I’ve had a weird feeling. Can I relate to Billy Talent? A little, which is why they’re good at what they do!

NBA All Star Weekend 2007 - by Andrew

2007-02-19T11:54:00.000-05:00

Go over to Andrew's blog (link on side bar) and see his musings about the NBA All Star Weekend.

Today's Teens

2007-02-11T16:27:00.000-05:00

Somehow through miscommunication I missed talking about this in my class and thought that I should post this now. It is pretty self explanatory - a big conference involving some good speakers on youth ministry. Although Dave is at Tyndale, Chap doesn't come to Canada that much so if you want to hear him, take advantage of this opportunity. Tyndale students get a discount so bring student ID. Here is the link - Today's Teens. Check it out and I hope that some can go.

Switchfoot, Oh Gravity - a post by Andrew

2007-02-11T16:23:00.000-05:00

Andrew has posted another relevant post on his blog. Go to the sidebar here and click on Andrew Snider's blog and find a post about Switchfoot. While you are there you can learn about Megan.

Blogs and Facebook - a post by Shauna

2007-02-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

It has only been since I've been attending the Freeway in Hamilton, that I have become acquainted with the blogging world. For a church which focusses so much on community, the was a way that the people felt would keep them in touch and up to date with the things going on in each others lives. Blogs consisted of random thoughts, photos, silly stories and even some more in depth thought. This I found to be very interesting and decided to begin one myself. Although I am not as consisted with my blogging as many of those who attend the Freeway, I do however enjoy browsing through the blogs of others. I do find it interesting to see what the week holds for the people at my church when I am not around to personally ask them. It seems that the blogging system at the Freeway has been certainly serving its purpose in building community even outside the church walls. While it does appear to be a little antisocial or lacking in community, I personally have found that it has opened doors of conversation on a Saturday nigtht or Sunday service. When I am browsing through the blog of a person that I don't know well or wouldn't normally have a chat with, I find pieces of information which I can relate to or something exciting in a person's life, such as a birth or a new pet which I can talk to them about. Blogging is definitely a different approach to attempting to be build community but in some weird way...It works!

Similar to the blogging world is the Myspace and facebook world. Now this is something that I vowed never to get tangled up with however as of this past month I've been sucked in. I always thought that myspace and facebook were just a waste of time and energy. Although, I've found that its been another very interesting way to keep in touch with friends and even find old ones. It has been an amazing experience for me, especially with facebook, for I have been able to find many of my high school friends. There were about 10 people who I haven't talk to either since high school or since they moved during middle school and it was very exciting for me to be able find out where they were living, what school they were attending and the plans that they had for their lives. While I will admit such websites can be a little addicting and time consuming, I do believe that when used properly and within a balance they can be another means of creating community and expressing ones creativity.

So can community be created online? I think my answer would have to be, I guess it does!

Crash - a post by Ian

2007-02-11T16:16:00.000-05:00

I recently sat down with a friend to watch the movie “Crash”. I’ve seen this movie many times before but the reason I watched it this time is because my friend had never seen it before and I thought they really should. Anyway, usually when I watch it the same things grab my attention, like the portrayal of racism in Los Angeles, and some of the repercussions that come from such racism. But this time something else caught my attention that I never really thought of before. During the scene with the father and his young daughter (who is hiding underneath her bed because she thought she heard a gunshot), the father tells his daughter a story about a magical cloak. This cloak, given to him by a flying fairy, was meant to protect him from all of the dangers in the world, and he was supposed to pass on this cloak on his daughter’s fifth birthday. It wasn’t the idea of protection from the outside world that caught my attention, but the fact that although the story was really far fetched, because it came from her father, she believed it. This screamed out at me and made me think about how children are so vulnerable to believe whatever adolescents tell them, and a lot of what they believe comes from an opinion based upon what someone from an older generation has told us. Is this universally true? I’m not sure. But what I’m wondering is if our generation of children and the generations before are even given a chance to think for themselves anymore, or if they base their beliefs on what they are told by those they look up to.

This reminded me of two things from class this semester. Firstly, the Simpson’s episode ‘Homer the Heretic’ which we were told to watch. In one of the scenes, the Simpson family is sitting in their kitchen and Homer is talking about why he shouldn’t have to go to church and Bart (his son) gets himself all worked up into the “preach it!” type mode and therefore this is a reflection not on Bart’s beliefs, but himself mirroring what Homer is saying. It is basically justifying it, with the though “if dad can do it, so can I.” The second thing this reminded me of was the Smith reading, who suggests that what we think is often triggered by the media and most of the time we are not prone to think for ourselves anymore.

The Marine - a post by Andrew

2007-02-11T16:13:00.000-05:00

The Marine is about a man who was discharged by the U.S. Navy and is having a hard time fitting in. Because of this, he and his wife decide to take a holiday to the mountains so John Triton can get used to not being in the army. When his wife gets kidnapped by some murdering thieves he stops at nothing to get back his wife and kill the bad guys.

Getting ready to sit down to watch this movie I know what I was in for from the very start, a straight up action movie in the vain of the 80's, big explosions, over the top action scenes and bad acting. But let’s be honest, does one ever come to one of these movies look for either a story or acting. I will be honest here, I love these movies, I grew up on them and today will waste an hour and a half to two hours just watching this kind movie. So looking back at this kind of movie; one keeps score like this; how many car got blown up, how many building got blown up, how many people got killed. The Marine stacks up well with all it predecessors that have gone before it. Here is the score; three building got blown up, one of them being a gas station which was the biggest one of the movie. Three cars got blown up, one of them was blown up by a RPG (which is a rocket launcher). Ten people were killed, the worst being thrown from a moving transport truck into the windshield of a bus. This movie is a lower rated version of Commando staring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So watching this movie was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I mean there is a lot of negative criticism against a wrestle playing the main character thanks by in large by Hulk Hogan. But I did enjoy watching this movie, the action scene were good, the story somewhat bad but not horrible. I saw myself a few times getting excited about the explosions and the action scenes and almost cheering when Triton killed one of the bad guys. I guess you could say that I was getting lost in the action and that was not wrong, I was and it was a waste of an hour and a half.

2007-02-11T16:06:00.000-05:00

I remember when I first looked at this picture, I thought, "what a cute, happy child." You may think the same... in fact, I sure hope you do, because he is just like any other cute little boy. I'm trying to be sneaky, I do have more information about this boy that maybe I should give you. He was born in St. Joseph, Kansas on October the 17th, in 1972, to Debbie Nelson when she was only 15, named after his father, Marshall Mathers Jr, now into his 30's he is known as Marshall Mathers III. If you're still confused, this little boy is better known in the Pop Culture world as Eminem. Is the kid still cute?

As I said, my first thought was "what a cute, happy child," but as I learned who this little boy was the thought continued to, "what happened?" Maybe this needs a bit more explanation first. There is a reason why this topic interested me so much. I was actually doing some work for Canada Youth Culture, because the syllabus said we need to listen to some songs by Eminem. The textbook is a little out of date, because Eminem isn't so popular anymore, but it reminded me of a time, less than a few years ago, BEFORE I was a Christian, when I would listen to music like this all the time. I never really thought of it then. But to get the songs for class, I called up one of my friends and asked her to send me some of my old music. One song in particular that I used to really like was the song "Square Dance." Before I was a christian I was having major problems with my family life and church, and before I was a Christian, I felt that this song did an extremely good job at expressing my anger at towards the Church.

But as I listened to it this time, I listened as a Christian. I have no anger towards the church, and I know Jesus as my God and Saviour and I thank him as often as I can for every blessing. So as I listened, I couldn't help but realize not how hateful the music was, but more how angry the music was. Yeah, it can be argued that these two emotions are extremely similar, but just keep reading. That's when my friend showed me this picture. I was perplexed... how could that little boy in the photo be so incredibly angry as a 30 year old? What happened? That's when I noticed, to my extreme surprise, my intense feeling of compassion, and sorrow that someone could have been so hurt to be that angry.

At this point, I sat in my dorm room, and I realized how some people at Tyndale are so blind to their own ignorance. Last year, I arrived in September, having being a Christian for such a short time, I remember having so many conversations with other students on the topic of Eminem. They had a wide range of comments, expressing their hatred for Eminem and his anti-christian attitude. So at this point I would ask what songs the know by Eminem, and they would name "Slim Shady Please Stand Up" (the actual name of the song is "The Real Slim Shady") or the song "My Name Is." Those were the only songs they knew of by Eminem. Then, what I found the funniest, was that most would admit to never, not once hearing these songs.

Before I go any further, it must be noted, I'm NOT talking about all Tyndale students here, and I am NOT saying that Eminem's music doesn't have violent, vulgar, and anti-christian language. I am merely using Tyndale as an example of the Christian community as a whole. Its the same every church I go. SO many Christians have SO much to say about D-12, yet know nothing about the group, or its leader. The way I see it, if you're going to criticize any music, at least listen to it first. I listened to Eminem most of my life, There are thousands of "Eminems" in the world, and I feel that rather than looking at him with hatred, and prejudice, they should be viewed with compassion, and care. We should look at this picture and think, "What went wrong? How can we as Christians prevent it?" Before I was a Christian my reasons for being angry with the church were because people viewed me in a similar way they viewed Eminem. But viewing people in this way only furthers the problem. Eminem himself says this "quit giving me my ammo / Can't you see why i'm so mean? if y'all leave me alone, this wouldn't be my M.O." is a line from his song "My Dad's Gone Crazy." (M.O. means Modus Operandi, and is a police term for "Mode Of Operation").

So I hope this doesn't offend anyone, again, I'm not saying every person at Tyndale, or every Christian is like this, I just notice a lot of people are. And I'm not saying we should all go out and listen to Eminem, but if you are someone with this point of view, maybe we can look on these people with compassion, and the love of Christ, rather than condemning them.

Those are just the thoughts that came across as I saw the picture, I just found it interesting and sad that that little boy could grow into the person he is now. No one should have to endure pain like that, the hard part is trying to communicate Christ's love to someone in his position.

Is GTA to blame - a post by Aaron

2007-02-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

Is Grand Theft Auto to blame?
By: Aaron Liscombe

When I was playing the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas I found it very entertaining. Running around shooting people, stealing cars and drugs, joining gangs and starting wars and assassinating random people was more fun then it should have been. After the prostitute came into my car and did her services and the random girls running around in thong bikinis I started to second-guess the morals and values of the game. Although it was fun living the “bad life” through a video game, I came to realize that it was not the best game to play as a Christian. Satan does lure us with many tempting things. Obviously, that does not mean that they are good. Grand Theft Auto is a very entertaining game, but does promote pretty much every sin imaginable.

I don’t think that games like these have negative impacts on everyone, but it definitely does not promote anything that is good or Christ-like in any manner. The stories I have heard about kids playing games like this is beyond crazy. Different forms of media influence many people. To some, media runs their lives. Not only is killing a person and sleeping with prostitutes absolutely morally wrong, but this game makes it fun to do these kinds of things. The only negative impact it has on the person playing the game is police chase and try to kill them. In turn, the gamer also gets to kill the police. If the character (CJ) in the game does die, or gets busted, then they only lose a few thousand dollars and they are right back into the killing and stealing fun again. This game allows people to do the worst things they could imagine and have no consequences at all. They are able to just die and come back to life whenever they want.

When you think about how far video games have come since the very first game to the newest Playstation 3 it is crazy. From the game like Pong, to the newest Grand Theft Auto that is about to come out. Not only the graphics have changed and not only the video game industry changed. It is like the world is getting more and more violent and less moral every day. As if the only values people have is money, sex, and a good time. Can we blame violent games like Grand Theft Auto for this outcome? I believe they do have some influence, but minor compared to other things like bad parenting, awful role models like Eminem and Paris Hilton, and the lack of God in peoples lives. I don’t think that video games have a huge influence in people’s lives. It is more of the people that youth look up to. It is the false guidance that the youth’s role models give that is turning this world into a literal hellhole. If you are looking for something and someone to blame for the outcome of today’s youth, look at the relationships they have with their parents and at the people who they actually look up to for advice and guidance. Don’t use youths past time as an excuse of why people turn out the way they do. Look at the source of the problem, which are the relationships with their role models. This does not take away that Grand Theft Auto is an immoral video game, but it is not the cause of continual downfall of humanity. It is just a mere outcome of what the world has become.

The Pursuit of Happyness

2007-02-05T19:04:00.000-05:00

Genre: Drama (your average Hollywood film)
Rating: 3/5 stars ***

Based on the life of Chris Gardner, a self-made millionaire, this drama stars Will Smith as a poor salesman who struggles to make 'ends-meat' for his family. Set in San Francisco in the year 1981, Gardner hopes of scoring big by selling a revolutionary a medical bone density scanner leaves him disappointed when he fails to sell them to hospitals. His life is a make up of constant obstacles through homelessness, jail time, stolen assets, and parking tickets. However, he is given some hope when Dean Witter, the president of a brokerage firm, offers him an internship program that he could not refuse.

On Saturday (Feb 3rd), I made a trip to Waterloo for the second time this year for two purposes: university small group and visiting my girlfriend. Small group didn't start until late afternoon, so my girlfriend, Jacqueline, and I decided to catch a movie at the local Galaxy Cinema. It's been a while since I sat in a theater to watch a movie, maybe because this form of entertainment is a little overpriced for starving students like me. Thankfully, I was given some gift cards over the Christmas break which made it possible for me to embark into another theatrical experience like this one. We ended up watching, Pursuit of Happyness. We didn't know too much about the plot or content; I just heard good things about it from friends and family. I don't know if there's a target age group that the theater caters to (although there were many seniors), but my experience felt like another high school dating ritual. Maybe because I was alone with my girlfriend and we purchased over-sized drinks and popcorn (we usually don't, but it was part of the gift card deal), which made the atmosphere very teeny-bopperish to say the least. I think a good way of looking at it is an episode of Save by the Bell, where more than 80% of dates happen in a theaters. Oh well...despite the Zach and Kelly moment, the purpose was to enjoy a quality Hollywood film, no hanky-panky. :p

I say Hollywood, because there is nothing more to this movie than your average American film. The message is clear in this movie: Money means happiness. Pursuit of Happyness is just another way of telling us how important it is for people of the United States to pursue the American Dream. Maybe an alternative title is, The Pursuit of the American Dream. Although, I can give credit to the screenplay writer for doing a great job at depicting a person's world view in life. Nevertheless, Jacqueline and I did enjoy this movie for the father and son relationship of Chris and Christoper Gardner Jr...from the eye-tearing and heart throbbing moments to messages of determination and hope. “Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something.” “You got a dream, you gotta protect it...You want something? Go get it. Period.”

Pursuit of Happyness? Nice try, but no cigar.

The Jack Bauer Experience - a post by Mark

2007-02-05T15:36:00.000-05:00

For a couple years now, it has been tradition that I, my best friend Mike, my Mom and anyone else who is brave enough, attempt to watch an entire season of ‘24’ in real time – a veritable 24 hour marathon. Entranced by a captivating plot, and mesmerized by charismatic characters, we sit and stare and watch with absolute attention as Jack Bauer, a federal agent with the Counter Terrorist Unit, time and time again saves the day.

I approach this marathon with great anticipation. I plan for weeks to be able to set aside the time that it requires. It is an escape for me – something that I allow to completely occupy my thoughts for a 24 hour period. I don’t think about school or work; about family or friends – I just allow myself to live vicariously through the experiences of Jack Bauer, and somehow, to be wholly entertained by it. After watching the first episode, I experience a familiar reaction. I am clearly hooked – propelled by an ever-increasing desire to experience the thrill of the unending suspense, and the ‘cliff hanger’ endings of each episode. As I continue to watch, I can feel my pulse racing as the plot intensifies. I begin to participate in debates – often heated ones - regarding the likely conclusion to the various scenarios and subplots. Radical twists in the plot are unexpected, and leave me shaking my head in disbelief, and madly searching for possible solutions to the overwhelming problems that Jack seems to repeatedly face. Over and over again, the tension and anxiety in the room is palpable, and I find myself needing a break – some time to let the typically violent reality of what I have observed, sink in. As time progresses, I feel myself becoming completely submerged – both mentally and emotionally - in the plot. At the time, I find the storyline - as unbelievable as it may actually be - to be quite believable. I don’t seem to notice that Jack never seems to sleep, and yet is never tired; he never eats, and yet is not hungry; he is able to make split second decisions that could ultimately affect the future of the world, and yet seems to experience little observable anxiety. I find myself identifying wholly with his sense of commitment; believing in his ability; and watching, never disappointed, as he, single-handedly it seems, brings a crisis situation to resolution. He is, in my mind, a hero of the highest order.

As I continue to watch, however, a curious phenomenon takes place. The action and suspense seem to have less appeal for me, and I find myself participating in an analysis of Jack Bauer’s rather complex character. I notice that I am increasingly troubled and perplexed by his endless personal struggles, and find that his personal failures seem to lessen, in my mind, the effect of his professional successes. He becomes, for all intents and purposes, more of a pathetic hero, and I am overwhelmed by a sense of compassion for him. Though he does good work, his motivation is firmly rooted in feelings of bitterness, anger and revenge. As a result, any experience of success is an empty one for him. Powerless to deal with his personal demons, the ‘saviour’ is himself, truly in need of salvation. As the show concludes, I find myself thinking about the futility of man’s efforts to solve his own problems and to heal his own hurts – both personally and globally, and grateful, on a personal level, for a knowledge and understanding of the forgiveness and peace that is only available through relationship with Jesus Christ.

All in all, the marathon experience was an emotional rollercoaster for me. Though I was physically tired at the end, I was totally emotionally exhausted. Feelings of exhilaration and suspense, as Jack experienced the thrill of professional victory, were tempered by feelings of pity and compassion as these same victories seemed hollow in light of the agony of his repeated personal failures and defeats. Not totally disillusioned, I will watch the show again, but next time hopefully more with my brain than with my heart.

the Superbowl - a post by Jeanette

2007-02-05T15:34:00.000-05:00

Having gone to my second Super Bowl Party ever, I began to realize the big hype over something that is actually interesting to watch. Although I have never been much of a football fan, or sports fan for that matter, and have sat through only two whole games (both Super Bowl games), football is quite entertaining. I have seen youth (girls included) get so excited to watch the Super Bowl and never really understand what the big deal was. Now I begin to understand.

While watching the game, I began to understand a little more about how football is actually played. It’s not just about the player running around, bumping into each other and beating each other up, it’s about the game itself. It’s about getting that all important touch down. I actually learned a little about field goals, touchdowns and first or second downs (which I still don’t totally understand). My reason for going to the party was the food, but I came away with a little more knowledge on a game that I watch once a year.

So, next year this time, you may find me at another party. But this time I may understand the game.

The Death of Hip-Hop - a post by Geoff

2007-02-05T15:27:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I have thought about speaking on is the state of Hip-Hop. Recently there have been a lot of older artists, saying that Hip-Hop is dead. In a way I agree with these legends. I am upset to see what state it is in right now; as all it talks about is sex, drugs and violence.

Some people might say that it has always seemed that way. To a degree yes, however I started listening to Hip-Hop when I was 12 years ago, just before it attacked the mainstream. This is back when it was unheard of for a white kid such as myself; to listened to more than just the Beastie Boys. I was more diverse than that; I listened to KRS-ONE, Rakim and RUN-DMC, who never got hardcore about those vices.

For me that was the prime of Hip-Hop. Other people would have to agree with this statement. However, during the time of Biggie Smalls and 2Pac it had finally broke into the mainstream, giving Varity to new listeners.

The way that Rap or Hip-Hop is now is a joke. It is all these ‘fools’ for the south and mid –west that have taken over and made it ridiculous. Just as some rappers blamed the West coast for the original perversion of Hip-Hop; such as Common. The rappers that are coming out now have no substance and have little to no ability. Strangely it all jumped off by a small MC out of New York named Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 cent. An underground rapper who had been shot 9 times after calling out some Hip-Hop legends. From the birth of 50 cent, the Hip-Hop world has been sent into a downward Spiral. It got to a point were it does not matter about your abilities on the mic; regarding lyrics and flow. It’s all about marketing and what has happened to them. I would say about 90% of all rappers from the south and surrounding areas wouldn’t have been able to make it into Hip-Hop 8 years ago. Not because they would be too young to rap, but because they are garbage. Most of them lack talent and substance. Now since it is a huge hype-fest, anyone that is marketable is given a deal. For example Kevin Federline and groups like Dem Franchise Boyz; that the youth that come into my drop in listen to. It is getting outlandish, with these talent less thugs who get into the game because they know top people in the music business. Nobody puts in the hard work that is needed, but they still get rewarded. This goes against the all of the hard work their predecessors had to put in, just to get a demo. If this wave of garbage continues Hip-Hop will be dead and possible gone for good.

However there is still a little hope there are two new artists who could be the potential saviors of Rap and Hip-Hop. They are Saigon and Joe Budden. These two guys have had mainstream battles. But could not last because they are not marketable. Yet they rule the underground and mixtape world. With phenomenal lyrics, steady flow, and Hip-Hop fundamentals. They have a chance to succeed were others have failed. Nevertheless the over side if these two do not get help anytime soon. Then true Hip-Hop will die and garbage will prevail.

The OC - a post by Jessica

2007-02-04T22:26:00.000-05:00

Over the Christmas holidays and during the past few weeks, I’ve had some time to catch up on pretty much the year or two of t.v. show’s that I’ve missed out on from being too busy with going to school full-time and working crazy hours. One of which being…are you ready for this? The OC. Yep you caught me, I am now the newest member of the crazed OC fan club. But why? You might ask. I think the more important question is not so much why I like it, but why do we as general youth get so caught up in shows like this?

Well, for me (maybe this is a girl thing, I’m not to sure but…) I find teen drama shows like this are somewhat of an emotional outlet. There are times when you get caught up in the drama and the similar issues in your life that the characters are going through and on some level you can feel a connection. Whether it’s struggling with depression, parent’s divorce, an eating disorder, or abuse, the constant drama in this show, somewhere is some teen’s reality.

As much as there are times where I don’t agree with things that happen on the show or the way some of the issues dealt with or brushed off as not being important, I feel that a lot can be learned from it. As we minister to youth, we can use shows like this that are relevant to them as a common ground to get to the root of those issues that are prominent in so many of their lives.

Stomp the Yard - a post by Josh

2007-02-04T22:24:00.000-05:00

On Friday (Feb. 2/07), I headed off to AMC to check out Stomp the Yard. I expected the usual mix teen movie clichés to work their way into this movie, making it unbearable to watch, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Though elements from past teen movies like You Got Served, Save the Last Dance, Drum Line, and Step Up creep their way into Stomp the Yard, to me it was still far superior to all of them.

Music is obviously a main element in this movie, not only because it revolves around the world of dancing, but because music a key aspect of hip hop and urban culture. I expected the music in Stomp the Yard to be exclusively rap, but it ended up being an eclectic mix of rap and at some points in the movie, a mix of rock and dance. I must say that the music used in this movie was awesome.

Stomp the Yard conveys positive messages to teens. So often African American teens are portrayed negatively in media, but Stomp the Yard provided the audience with a glimpse into Truth University. DJ, the main character, finds himself at this school after a less than productive adolescence. The stereotypical wild parties that are synonymous with teen movies are replaced with the scenes showing DJ working on school work, busting his butt at his part-time landscaping job and putting hours of practice into his dancing. It was refreshing to see an African American teen depicted in a positive way in a movie that is heavily marketed towards teens.

Dance as a cultural aspect is prevalent in Stomp the Yard. Urban/hip hop dancing and stepping are the main ways this cultural element is expressed, but the movie continues to show a positive side when DJ and April (the girl he ends up with) slow dance in a scene. This was another refreshing aspect of the movie, instead of the typical sexually charged dancing that usually is shown in teen movies, DJ and April share a much tamer dance together.

Stomp the Yard was much better than I thought it would be. I was expecting another stupid teen movie, but was pleasantly surprised.

Call of Duty 3 - a post by Andrew

2007-02-04T22:13:00.000-05:00

So the other day I was both watching and playing the new Xbox 360 game Call of Duty 3. This game is a first person shooter which you are placed in the middle of World War 2. I, myself am not a big time “gamer” however I do enjoy the odd gun battle with some friend with of course the use of a game system. But as I was playing this game, I noticed not only that it was in High Definition ( that comes with the Xbox 360, and the TV my family has), but just how detailed the graphics were. The graphics seem to be getting better with these games year after year. This game was unbelievably real, which I guess is a weird statement. I just couldn’t get over how real the experience was. As I sat back and watched a few rounds, there was only 3 controllers and usually the person in last place had to hand it over, which ended up being me more often then not, I noticed something very interesting. I think as the games keep getting more and more real, the people playing start romanticizing the game situation. So in this case, World War 2 became cool, and exciting, and real. I think this especially hit a chord with me as my Grandpa was in WWII. Although he came back safely and is in fact still alive at age 88, I couldn’t imagine this is what he would have wanted the War to be remembered by. I mean people lost their lives, mothers lost children, wives husbands, husbands wives, children lost parents, and families lost their homes and freedom, in the fight for freedom. Yet this war game on Xbox 360, this crystal clear picture of you as a soldier, seems so shallow, so trivial. When one plays it they see war as levels to get through, as something fun. Yet this isn’t what war did to people. War is real, so real people’s lives were changed forever, and the creators of this game seemed to have forgot this. After thinking about this I wondered about all video games, the fact that they place you in this fantasy world that is so far from reality. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I am going to give playing as myself as the top defensemen in the NHL in the NHL 06 video game. But I wonder if video games are so popular because they are away from reality. I wonder if there was no “respawn” button, which lets you regain life after dieing, and all the real life stuff was included, whether video games would sell. The more real video games get, the further away from reality.

Coheed and Cambria - a post by Deborah

2007-02-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

With comic books becoming increasingly popular due to the obsession of film makers and their determination to convert, what it feels like, every comic ever written into a major motion picture, other comic type mediums are left in the dust. The graphic novel, defined by dictionary.com as “a novel in the form of comic strips” has been grossly overlooked by film makers, with of course the exception of Sin City, which lets be honest folks, watching that film made me want to lock my self up in an institution. It’s a daring subject to address, the graphic novel, but I knew I had to after I received, in my opinion, one of the greatest works of art I have ever read or seen.

Hailing from New York, Claudio Sanchez, is both the lead singer and creator of Coheed and Cambria, a concept band whose music is also in the form of a graphic novel. With their latest release, Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV came the incredible work of art of the same name. It’s a 124 page graphic novel written by Sanchez, and tells a tale of love and murder through lyrics and beautiful abstract art.

I received it in the mail and twenty minutes later I had it completely read through, being in awe the entire time. I had been waiting for quite some time for this novel and when it finally arrived I was ecstatic. I was like a child on Christmas morning, and when I was finished I was like a child after they had opened their presents and had time to play with them. The novel, sucked me into the world of Coheed and Cambria in the first page, with the only utterances from me being, “oh my gosh”, “wow”, and “this is incredible”. After months of listening to the story in the form of a progressive rock/ punk sound, being able to hold the novel, seeing the art work, and reading further into the story made it that much more enjoyable. Being a fan of the music first allowed me to have a greater appreciation for what the story had to offer. I recommend both the music and the novel, however, I do extend a disclaimer that there is a little bit of swearing in both, but don’t over look incredible music and an amazing story for something as petty as that!