Resurrection is Everywhere

"The Bible is not a script for a funeral service, but it is the record of God always bringing life where we expected to find death.  Everywhere it is the story of resurrection." - Eugene H. Peterson


(Flight into Egypt, Giotto di Bondone, 1304-06)

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Waving Goodbye to 2009

Using the Google Wave interface...we take a look back through 2009 and take note of the year's biggest highlights (and lowlights).

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Get a Life!

I just read an article in which a Taiwanese man has been named as the first player to 'finish' World of Warcraft (WoW).

According to the article, 'Little Gray', as his character's known, is the first to successfully complete all of the games' 986 achievements listed in the armory.  Also in order to reach the milestone, the Taiwanese power-player killed 390,895 creatures, accumulated 7,255,538,878 points of damage, completed 5,906 quests (that's 14.62 quests per day, apparently), raided 405 dungeons and hugged 11 players.

I don't want to sound too critical, because when I was in high school I played role playing games, and certainly video and computer games are a legitimate form of entertainment and recreation - BUT - when I read all the time and effort this man from Taiwan invested to "win" at WoW, I thought to myself - to what end?  What does he have to show for it? What lasting difference will winning at WoW will make?  How many relationships and time with "real" people did he forfeit in order to accomplish this feat?

Of course I don't intimately know this man's life to make an accurate judgment....but when I read about his achievement in the news I didn't celebrate, nor was I in awe...rather I felt pity.

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We lepers...

During the Advent season, I just read this which illustrates the power and the meaning of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

From John Ortberg's book, God Is Closer Than You Think:

Father Damien was a priest who became famous for his willingness to serve lepers. He moved to Kalawao – a village on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii, that had been quarantined to serve as a leper colony. For 16 years, he lived in their midst. He learned to speak their language. He bandaged their wounds, embraced the bodies no one else would touch, preached to hearts that would otherwise have been left alone. He organized schools, bands, and choirs. He built homes so that the lepers could have shelter. He built 2,000 coffins by hand so that, when they died, they could be buried with dignity.

Slowly, it was said, Kalawao became a place to live rather than a place to die, for Father Damien offered hope.Father Damien was not careful about keeping his distance. He did nothing to separate himself from his people. He dipped his fingers in the poi bowl along with the patients. He shared his pipe. He did not always wash his hands after bandaging open sores. He got close. For this, the people loved him.

Then one day he stood up and began his sermon with two words: “We lepers….”  Now he wasn’t just helping them. Now he was one of them. From this day forward, he wasn’t just on their island; he was in their skin. First he had chosen to live as they lived; now he would die as they died. Now they were in it together.

One day God came to Earth and began his message: “We lepers….” Now he wasn’t just helping us. Now he was one of us. Now he was in our skin. Now we were in it together.

(ht: DashHouse)

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"Oh My God" Trailer

The premise of the movie is simply someone going to 23 different countries asking the question, “What is God?”

Hugh Jackman in the video states that if you put a bunch of religious leaders (Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, etc.) at a table that he “can’t see them having an argument.".  The implication is that there is no substantive difference between religions.  

Athough this movie may create a conversation worth having, the problem though is that, from the trailer, it doesn't seem to get to any answers worth believing.

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Profile on Tim Keller

New York Magazine has a profile of NYC pastor Tim Keller called, "Tim Keller Wants to Save Your Yuppie Soul".  It's worth the read.

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