Collideoscope

Posted by: Denelle

As many of you know I started Graduate School in January. And while it has been absolutely one of the best things I've ever done, it has also started eating up HUGE portions of my life. It got so insane that my mother would call to talk and ask what I was doing and when I replied "studying" she actually told me that I wasn't any fun any more, that all I did was study. Thanks mom.

HOWEVER!!!! I finished my summer session course this week and I am determined to put the fun back into my life - even if it is only for the two months that school is out.

I'm seriously going to try and fit in some of the things I've been wanting to do and haven't had a chance to do since I moved here (Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, Museum of Natural History - need my picture with Teddy Roosevelt on his horse, Edgar Allen Poe Cottage, Shake-Shack in Madison Square Park, Coney Island, Serendipity, going back to Philly, just to name a few).

The Proposal

As you're about to discover at 90&9, there is no time like July to try something new and have fun (HINT: make sure you check the above link on Monday). So here is what I was thinking . . . is there anything in NYC that you'd really like to see but either haven't or can't get here any time soon to see? A Yankee's Game? A New York City street vendor? Chinatown? The East River or the Brooklyn Bridge? Times Square at night?

Send me an email (I'm trying to figure out how to have it linked in the bottom of the posts) or post a comment here and every week I'll take one of your suggestions (within time, distance and monetary reason), my camera and me and hunt down the fun, exciting or just plain strange things you want to see and then post the results here. At the end of that post you can vote for the next week's idea. Interactive blogging at its finest!

First Up

Start posting your suggestions right away because next weekend will be the first excursion. But as an extra bonus, I'll have pictures from Wednesday's "Macy's Fourth of July Spectacular", as seen from the Brooklyn Promenade, to share with you as well.

I hope you're all planning to have as wonderful of a summer as I am. Oh, and did I mention that I'm going to Hawaii in August????

(can't get the email to work so here it is -- snookum77@aol.com)

Posted by: David Bunch

Donald Miller announced on his website that Blue Like Jazz will soon be a movie. Miller and his works, including Jazz, have been frequent topics of discussion at 90&9.

To say we’ve given the book a Hollywod treatment is an understatement. The book itself would be, of course, difficult to turn into a movie, and so we took creative liberties. But in my opinion, the movie will be infinitely better than the book. Essentially we’ve taken the major, real life characters from the book, and gave them a story all their own. The end result is provactive and humorous and in my opinion quite moving. I cant wait for people to see the film.

We think production will be able to start next year, and the film will be shot on location in Portland. And I am as excited about showing off my town as I am about telling the story. I will keep you posted.

Posted by: David Bunch

This article discusses a really cool website called QuickMuse in which poets and lyricists are given 15 minutes to compose verse in a sort of "head to head" match up.

On Monday, the poet-songwriters were given 15 minutes to fill a blank computer screen with verse about a photograph QuickMuse provided. The idea, Gordon said, was to contrast Berman's and Roberts's poetry styles and, for fans of their music, to provide a window into their lyric-writing processes.

The results of QuickMuse contests are available online -- not only in their final form, but also as simulations of the poets' creative process. During each second of competition, QuickMuse software captures images of the poets' screens. Afterward, the website replays the images in rapid succession, revealing the poets' writing as it occurred, word by word and line by line. "[W]e suspect QuickMuse will bring readers closer to the moment of composition than they have ever been before," Gordon writes on the website.

The process can be humbling. QuickMuse shows even world-class poets struggling for the right words. In one poem, former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky makes a typo. In another, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon restarts the same line three times.

This is crazy cool stuff!

Posted by: David Bunch

If your philosophy is “My walk with God revolves around the church building” then most of these actions aren’t significant. However, if your philosophy is “My walk with God revolves around worship to my creator in everything I do and say” then this is the natural progression of our Christianity.

Executive editor Kent Curry has a brilliant cover piece this week at 90&9 dot com. Totally nails down where we are, where we need to go, and how we can get there (in terms of how to reach our generation for Christ).

Also, don't miss this sneak peek at what lies in store at the 2007 Youth Congress.

Posted by: Denelle

In 1994, at age 40, Pentecostal Pastor Richard Gazowsky saw his first movie.
Later that year he had a vision from God who, Gazowsky says, told him to start a
film company.

And so begins the tale of Richard Gazowsky, his film company and his attempt to turn the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors into a $50 million "epic" set in the future, sci-fi style. Something Gazowsky himself has called "Star Wars meets the Ten Commandments."

Gazowsky's story is documented by a film maker, who followed him for several years, to make Audience of One:

It’s a story of one man’s delusions of grandeur and his ability to manipulate hundreds of other people into joining him on his crazy odyssey. Disaster is written all over the project from the start: the oddball costumes created for the film, the clunky sets built in the parking lot of Gazowsky’s San Francisco church, the street people he signs on as actors, the ill-conceived and drastically unprepared five-day trip to an Italian village to shoot scenes for the movie where timing is everything and nothing goes right.

Gazowsky is a former UPCI minister who pastors a church in San Francisco. His attempt to make a movie, without any experience and based on the funds raised from his church has garnered quite a bit of attention, clearly not all of it positive. Unfortunately, in the documentary Gazowsky comes off as a bit of a fanatic and perhaps a charlatan. Even his own mother refers to him as "sweet, gentle and naive."

While there is something to be said for media coverage of Pentecostal personalities, it is unfortunate when that coverage portrays people of like faith as disillusioned con men or when those people feed the world's negative opinion of the rest of us.

Despite the negative feedback on his project, and the widespread criticism Gazowsky is undeterred. At the end of Audience of One, "Gazowsky stands in front of his flock promising better days ahead: a slate of 47 films a year, a Christian theme park, ownership of eight television networks, construction of 27 resort cities around the world, even the colonization of a distant planet."

Listen to NPR's interview with Gazowsky and decide for yourself if he is simply a misunderstood dreamer or if he has in fact lost touch with reality.

Posted by: Denelle

Posted by: David Bunch

Here's a thought provoking article on confession, forgiveness, sin....the general point is that this generation is very open with each other, even about their faults. But is that openness causing them to view sin in a cavalier fashion?

As a Sunday School teacher for high school boys and a youth group worker, I can attest to this generation's openness. It is nothing for them to come in on a Sunday morning and confess to the group the deeds of the night before. Further, no topic of discussion appears to make them truly uncomfortable (we have gender segregated class rooms for our youth, so that could be part of it).

But are they really sorry for their misdeeds...?

This article hit me on another level as well because the points made regarding being open about our faults and having someone to hold us accountable make sense and are biblical. Prior generations tended to come to church and pretend like everything was okay, even frowning upon those who did not march in line with the ruse. Mistakes, sin, imperfections were all to be masked and hidden. After all, what kind of Christian would not be perfect in every area of his or her life? You think I'm being melodramatic, but that was the impression I had growing up.

That led to often struggling in my head with the thought that church services should be the places to come for healing, forgiveness, restoration, yet they can be the most uncomfortable atmosphere for finding those elements. Why is it that we sometimes feel so intimidated about asking for the prayers of our fellow saints?

Over the recent years I've noticed a shift, and I'm glad that there seems to be more focus on biblical accountability and the realization that "if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." I John 1:10

Posted by: David Bunch

The other night I took the kids to the library and saw a book called Artemis Fowl on cd. It looked interesting enough so I decided to borrow it and give it a listen. I couldn't be more impressed!

Now keep in mind that the following comments are based on hearing the first four chapters. Those of you who have read this book or others in the series may be able to enlighten me if I'm wrong. But here are my first impressions.

-This is really lighthearted stuff for fantasy genre fiction. I'm not much of a fantasy genre person (no dragons, witches, elves, etc), but this book has fairies and leprechauns and trolls that are tech savvy (using holograms, satellite phones, jet packs, etc.) and at times are even comical. The result is a "light" magic...not the dark, Harry Potter stuff. Most of the time, the otherworldly creatures seem human enough (get caught in traffic jams, have a police force, have to deal with protestors in the streets).

-Wouldn't you know, Artemis Fowl lives in Dublin, Ireland, and much of the story either takes place or revolves in some way around the Emerald Isle (surprise, surprise).

-The guy who reads the audio book is really good, with different voices and accents for each character (and it's not cheesy...really good, believable voices that are mean, funny, sad, timid, etc. where appropriate).

So my question is, has anyone read the entire series? Does it stay lighthearted like this, or does it drift to the dark side over the course of the series?

If you are looking for something lighthearted and entertaining to listen to during your daily commute or while you exercise or just whenever, I'd highly recommend Artemis Fowl.

Posted by: David Bunch

J.K.K. Rowling is planning a US book tour for this fall.

The tour will include four events, three to be held for school children in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York City and one event in New York City for any U.S. Harry Potter fan lucky enough to win a ticket through a Scholastic sweepstakes. At each event, Rowling will read from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, answer questions about the entire series, and sign copies of her latest book.

The article goes on to say that the Scholastic will choose schools in the selected cities to attend the event.

By the way, my theory on who dies in the last Potter book? Harry. That way, no one can come back 50 years from now and try to pick up where Rowling left off. She can put away the saga once and for all, closed book, end of story.

After all, she's already made her bazillions.

Posted by: kdc

One of the perks for working as an official at the UPCI Headquarters is a certain name recognition that (usually) allows you to find a solid church home when you leave. Most officials find a nice-sized-to-large church to pastor, while continuing to preach around the nation.

So what is this guy doing? He's starting a church in a state he's never lived in. Didn't he get the "bigger and better things" memo?

Whatever the case, General Youth President Todd Gaddy's blogging about the "starting a church" experience as he begins the serious prep work of winning people to God in Maryland. Read about the gestation and maturation of The Life Church through his weekly posts.

Who says idealism and faith dies when you're a teenager?

Labels: Gaddy, Life Church

Posted by: Denelle

Over on the "Month in My Life" blog, Alicia and Chauntay are having a very interesting discussion about MySpace and its merits or pitfalls.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of MySpace and even those who've never seen it have heard on the news all of the dangers, detraction/drawbacks to the sight. However, Alicia brings out some good points:

This tool is an easy resource for keeping up with teenagers, who their friends are, their thoughts, fears, activities, etc. This generation of teenagers wants to share their thoughts and feelings; they want to be heard; they do not usually want to talk to adults face to face about any of this.

I couldn't agree more. In a generation where communication is instant, the sharing of feelings and the "dealing" with feelings/emotions rarely happens face to face. We have more communication and less connection. I also have no problem with the several friends that I have who are youth pastors, creating fictitious accounts so that they can anonymously check on their young people and see if there are issues that need to be addressed. It keeps the kids from feeling like they're being stalked but it allows someone who cares to also monitor what is going on outside of the church building.

Why are some people all worked up about this issue? Is it the time management problem? Can’t we always find something to get upset about that wastes our time? Is it the potential dangers? Can’t we address them? Is it the access to porn? . . . to bury our heads in the sand is not going to make the “problem” go away.

For me on a personal level, the reason I have chosen to stay away from MySpace, is because of the absolute level of filth that abounds. All it takes is one "friend" who has questionable activities, links, videos, other friends, etc. on their page and you never know what you're going to find showing up on your computer screen. I also don't have the time to waste staring at profiles all day. It is the kind of thing that really does eat up your life before you can even realize it.

HOWEVER, I have to say that I think it is absurd for pastors and/or youth pastors to hand down a decree banning MySpace among their teens/young adults and think that that will be the end of the matter. That is burying your head in the sand. There must be some explanation as to why we feel there should be limits and a reasonable expectation of what those limits are.

Make sure you click on the link and check out the full debate by clicking on the link.

Posted by: David Bunch

Beth, co-author of Get Up Off Your Knees and blogger that I referenced yesterday, found us and left a comment about U2 and also gave a book recommendation. Thanks, Beth!

U2 discussion continues to take us in all sorts of new directions and introduces us to new and interesting people!

I'm going to grab a copy of the book and will have a review at 90&9 very soon.

Here's to many more interesting conversations.

Posted by: David Bunch

Posted by: David Bunch

Here is a list of scientists/believers.

Is belief in the existence of God irrational? These days, many famous scientists are also strong proponents of atheism. However, in the past, and even today, many scientists believe that God exists and is responsible for what we see in nature. This is a small sampling of scientists who contributed to the development of modern science while believing in God.

Surprised?

Posted by: Jared

Pardon the "punny" grammar but I think this latest Paris episode demonstrates a crisis point in American culture. I mean, the picture of her crying in the back of the police car (see the last post) is a classic . . . if she were a three-year-old. The atrocity of her claims of "innocence" and "resolution" to be a "model" to young people by "enduring" her "punishment"--is it really any wonder that many nations consider America the "corrupter" of the world?


Sainthood-Heroism-Celebrity

A Matrix of Meanings is an awesome book that posits itself as a "theology of pop culture". Now, before reading this book, I didn't think of pop culture as saying anything "theological" but the authors, Detweiler and Taylor make a convincing case. A key point of their argument is that "celebrity" is the "sainthood" of contemporary culture.

I agree that culture has moved from sainthood and heroism to celebrity. Sainthood focuses attention on the person's character and relationship to God (we still use the term in that way. . . "Oh, Sis. Smith truly is a saint!"); heroism, on the other hand, focuses not so much on character as on laudable, extraordinary, and/or superhuman actions. Heroism describes behavior in stressful times such as war or natural disasters.

Then there's celebrity. What makes someone a celebrity? Fame. What makes a person famous? Notoriety. What gives a person notoriety? Being notorious (note that the term "notorious" has decidedly negative connotations as in "the notorious criminal"). A "celebrity" is someone who is noticed-by that definition, even the mass murder who headlines tonight's news is a "celebrity"! So, by definition, a "celebrity" is someone who does outrageous deeds not out of an overwhelming concern for fellow humans or even to test the upper limits of their abilities but simply to be noticed. And if they aren't noticed for being good, then they'll try to be noticed for being bad.

I can't help but think that, even now, we are all playing into the well-laid plans of Paris Hilton's publicist. Even though we don't particularly appreciate Paris or the things she stands for, we are still noticing her. It's really pitiful that Paris Hilton was the motivation I need to re-enter the blogosphere. (Well, that, and the fact that my thesis is finally getting wrapped up . . . )

If anything, I would argue that "celebrity" is the crisis of American culture. We have no saints, no heroes, only celebrities. We have lost the desire to be honorable in our quest to be famous. I beg the 90&9 audience, please do and be something worth remembering, worth celebrating. It's the only way our culture will survive.

Posted by: chantell

I joined the official 90&9 bookclub, and we're reading Haruki Murakami's After Dark, so I wanted to slip something more classic into my reading time (since I've been reading and reviewing more modern stuff lately) before delving into that curious blend of pop fiction and haunting gravity that characterizes Murakami. Jane Austen seemed just the thing to hit the spot.

Posted by: Denelle

I know I said I'd never mention her name again . . . however, given the turn of events that have transpired in the last few days (and a request from someone higher-up) I think it's only fair to give an update:

Posted by: Denelle

Posted by: Denelle

Check out this fascinating video from YouTube of 500 years of women as portrayed in art.

Posted by: chantell

This past weekend, I finished Zadie Smith's debut novel, White Teeth.

Posted by: David Bunch

Just a quick reminder to hurry and join Collideoscope's online summer reading group. On tomorrow morning we will assume that everyone who wants to join has done so, and we'll start working on choosing the reading material for June. It's gonna be great!

Posted by: Denelle

A happy Monday morning to you all!

Here are a couple of stories about Apostolics in the news for you to start your day.


Amish Family Speaks About Their Conversion to Pentecost

Skirting the Issue: Pentecostal Woman in New York Fired For Refusing To Wear Pants (the MTA is ridiculous)

Posted by: Denelle

Since books seem to be the buzz of the summer around here I thought I'd comment on an article Publishers Weekly recently ran an editorial about the Christian mystery, in the classic who-done-it sense, and its lack of popularity in the Christian market.

with some notable exceptions, the true mystery novel seems to be a difficult sell. Among the puzzled is Sue Brower, senior acquisitions editor at Zondervan. "I'm not sure why the traditional mystery doesn't work in CBA," she said. "If you think about how successful thrillers are, it just doesn't make sense."

I can attest to that. While I'm not a huge reader of Christian fiction, some of my favorites have been the things written by Frank Peretti and Bill Myers (yep the guy who wrote McGee and Me writes amazing adult fiction too) which fall into the thriller/supernatural category.

And yet the Christian mystery genre continues to struggle. Another publisher goes on to suggests that:

"I wonder if the wide variety of kinds of mysteries in the general trade—everything from hard-boiled and noir to police procedurals to cozies and Agatha Christie-style—prevents readers from looking in CBA stores or aisles," Delffs said. "Since readers wanting a 'clean' mystery read can find that in the general trade, perhaps they don't look for a CBA mystery."

And I think that is where the truth lies. Some of the best mysteries of all time, from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys for kids and on up through Agatha Christie, are acceptable (or as he stated "clean") material for a Christian audience. Where paranormal/thriller/suspense and romance clearly need a Christan niche to be acceptable to a Christian audience.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite Christian mystery or is the genre seriously lacking?

Posted by: David Bunch

Through A Looking Glass Darkly, the online summer reading group from Collideoscope, has been launched! Hooray! What a great way to start off the weekend.

So cruise on over, sign up, and post a message with your book nomination for June. Early next week we'll compile the nominations and through some great, highly reasonable and exceedingly fair scientific voting system, we'll choose one for our group.

See you at the reading group, and don't forget to bring the Starbucks coffee.