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Posted by: David Bunch

I've been listening to the Newsboys latest album, Go, and I find the song Secret Kingdom to be particularly inspiring. It features the fun, quirky lyrics that the Newsboys are known for, but it also brings a fresh look at Kingdom relevance by comparing "this here" (the Biblical model of living our faith) to "that there" (the cookie cutter, less effective approach).

Something will be lost in reading the lyrics without hearing the melody, but I post them here because I think they make for inspiring reading on their own merits.

Thanks to Jesus Freak Hideout for providing the lyrics. There's also a link to hear a sample from the song.

This here comes breakin’ in
Like brick to glass
Like grace to sin
Gonna kick down walls like West Berlin
Shout an amen
Hug it out, then
This here’s gonna light a fire
Gonna pink slip preaching to the choir
Gonna send us hobbits outta the shire
Here’s the theme song
Get your ring on
That there’s still propagating, waiting on a rooftop
Our journey’s just begun...

COME HERE, A LITTLE BIT CLOSER
I WANNA TAKE YOU TO A SECRET KINGDOM
IT’S HERE SPINNING OUR WORLD AROUND
TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN
THIS HERE IS BIGGER THAN SHOW BIZ
IT’S GONNA SHOW US WHAT THE GOOD NEWS REALLY IS
THIS HERE IS SPINNING OUR WORLD AROUND‘TIL WE’VE GOT NO FEAR

This here won’t be contained
By culture, wars and trendy names
Been there, done that, wore out the t-shirts
Don’t need free perks
Don’t need knee jerks
This here still wakes the dead
Still gets God’s people Spirit-led
Gonna put in action all we’ve read
Not all enraged, just all engaged
‘Cause that there’s still fabricating kingdoms out of boxes
We’re gonna leave that slum

Posted by: David Bunch

Posted by: David Bunch

Our church has had an extra special focus on prayer the last few weeks, and I've personally rediscovered how consistent prayer time revolutionizes my day, my week, and my life. I'm looking forward to a great Monday and a fantastic week.

And now that I've spent time with my Friend and Leader, it's time to grab a cup of coffee and cruise on over to 90&9 and check out the pre-Youth Congress news and all other things Apostolic and cultural.

Blessings on ya!

Posted by: Denelle

Posted by: Jared

Posted by: Denelle

Harry Potter mania continues to sweep not only the country with a record breaking 8.3 million copies of The Deathly Hallows selling during the first 24 hours the book was available.

Posted by: David Bunch

The Wife Swap episode starring the AP family Hoover re-airs Monday, and 90&9 has this exclusive interview from the Hoovers on how God used them!

Posted by: Denelle

Ummm, sure . . . it must be terribly uncomfortable with all that egg on their face.

Posted by: David Bunch

Christie Ponjican tells us that Project 22:39 preregistration closes August 1! If you're attending, you don't want to miss out on this opportunity to change Charlotte to imitate Christ! Pre-register today.

After August 1, you'll have to register with Christie on-site behind booths 109-110 on the Main Concourse, which means making time for business when you could be with friends!

Pre-register today!

Posted by: David Bunch

This guy has an interesting, if not debatable, take on Wal Mart's announcement that it will carry Bible action figures.

Let's compare Samson and Spider-Man for a moment. Spider-Man is driven by a profound sense of moral responsibility; Samson is driven primarily by the need for revenge against anyone who has slighted him. Spider-Man's motto is that "with great power comes great responsibility"; Samson's motto essentially is "I did to them what they did to me" (Judges 15:11). Samson violently slaughtered over a thousand people, often with no more justification than that they ticked him off. Even at the end, Samson's prayer to God to help him kill all the Philistines is mainly a prayer for God to grant him revenge for his eyes. Spider-Man by contrast has always refused to kill anyone -- no matter what the cost to himself. Samson was a notorious womanizer known to dally with prostitutes, while Spider-Man, throughout his comic-book marriage to Mary Jane, has remained faithful to her through thick and thin. Is the model that Samson provides really the one we want our children to emulate?


I suggest that it derives from a naive assumption that anything biblical, merely because it is biblical, is preferable to anything that is not. The fact is that Samson is certainly a more biblical figure than Spider-Man, but Spider-Man is easily the more moral figure.

Posted by: David Bunch

A sad but eye opening article about the "Pentecostal" church in Nigeria and Benny Hinn's recent crusade there.

In an economic environment in which the majority of Nigeria's estimated 130 million population has been impoverished by unemployment, lack of basic social infrastructure and rising inflation, the church has become the last refuge for many people.
The favoured churches are the new-generation Pentecostal assemblies, that are owned and managed solely by fast-talking American-style pastors.

Christianity is growing rapidly in NigeriaRich and powerful Nigerians run after the pastors for "spiritual protection" from imaginary 'enemies' who, they are convinced, are lurking around the corner to pull them down.

Posted by: David Bunch

Posted by: Denelle

I've been a little M.I.A. the last few days and that's mostly because I'm trying to seriously limit my media exposure this week.

And it's a good thing that I've been so diligent because someone has posted the entire book online (as a photo file) and now the spoilers are EVERYWHERE.

I don't know why anybody would do this. It's just wrong. There are people who have waited 10 years for the end of this series and I'm certain they don't want it all to be ruined by the accidental click of a mouse or picking up the wrong paper.

And clearly whomever did this isn't even a fan of the series or even very bright or they would have know that they were calling down the wrath of some very angry and very powerful people by doing this. Bloomsbury, the UK publisher of the series, has taken extreme security measures to ensure that none of the books are stolen or the information leaked before Friday.

Here's what they had to say originally:

It is from Tuesday, however, when copies begin to be sent out to retailers, that the most crucial part of the security operation will come into effect.

The trucks Bloomsbury will use are fitted with satellite tracking systems costing up to £1,000 pounds, which will reveal whether any of the vehicles deviate from their intended route. The books are on sealed pallets fitted with alarms to prevent tampering.

A spokesman for Bloomsbury said: “we have a litigation specialist poised 24 hours a day, seven days a week to deal with any breaches. It is our intention to enforce the embargo vigorously and seek an immediate injunction if required.” While experts put the cost of all this at £10 million, the lengths to which publishers have gone are not surprising.

I can only hope that that team of litigators tears the moron that stole the book and spilled its contents to pieces. What a horrible thing to do.

Posted by: David Bunch

Here I raise mine Ebenezer

Hither by thy help I'm come

And I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

The lyrics and melody were kept, but the vocals, harmonies, yea even the guitar parts were all modern. I was vaguely aware of the hymn before, but after hearing that version and subsequently going out and obtaining a recording of the Crowder version, I have absolutely fallen in love with the song, and even keep a copy of the lyrics in my Bible. I would not have had that re-action to this great hymn if I'd heard it played on an organ in the finest of 1950's style.

Other groups have re-worked hymns including Jars of Clay. Their record, Redemption Songs, does not stay true to the old melodies, but puts a fresh, artistic spin on timeless lyrics.

And that's just it. A large part of the gravity of these old songs lies in the words and not the melody. For example, Jeremy Riddle took an old poem called "God Moves In a Mysterious Way" by 18th Century writer William Cowper and put it to music. By meshing the ancient text and modern music, Riddle brings a great message to new ears.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.


Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Perhaps the best group to bring old hymns to modern life is Caedmon's Call, my favorite band (new cd in August woo hoo!). Caedmon's worship albums are primarily composed of new iterations of sometimes rather obscure hymns, liturgies, and the like and they are absolutely incredible. Very worshipful, introspective, and moving. Some of the more familiar songs that they've re-worked are "I Surrender All" and "Draw Me Nearer".

The only question remaining is how will my son and his generation perceive these old hymns? I feel like I am on the tail end of the generations who heard these songs in their original format (I heard them as a kid growing up in church). But I have since witnessed the transition away from hymns in much of the Christian movement. Will these new versions be good enough to capture the imagination and worship of my children, even though they are not familiar with the original versions?

I believe that the answer is yes, but at the same time I feel a slight twinge of sadness that the future generation will have no reference point from which to compare the new versions.

"Where did the word 'Ebenezer' come from, Dad?" is the question that I can already hear ringing in my ears.

Posted by: Denelle

Posted by: Denelle

Always a hot topic around 90&9 and in the Christian world in general is the legitimacy, viability, appropriateness of female clergy/women pastors.


It is an interesting debate. When the UPCI was formed by the merger of two other existing organizations there were a high number of license-holding female clergy. If you can find an old timer from that generation they will probably tell you how anointed and powerful those women were. But in the years that followed their numbers dwindled until they are few and far between in our organization today.


The UPCI is not the only organization to struggle with this issue and in fact, it clearly spills over into all facets of Christian living, as made evident by the recent debate among Christian publishers regarding publishing books where the main character is a female member of the clergy.

WaterBrook Press has published two novels featuring a female minister, RITA award-winning Heavens to Betsy (2005) and Earth to Betsy (2006), both by Beth Patillo. Patillo's charming novels have the elements of sassy chick lit, but they've had to overcome a few sales hurdles. Some Christian chains, like Lifeway, balked. Ultimately, Lifeway's top fiction-selling stores stocked the novels, but returns were heavy.

I'm shocked that people would actually return a book because there was a female pastor. Then again, I happen to believe that when Jesus said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) that he meant it.





Even though popular t.v. series 7th Heaven, tackled the issue by having the Camden's daughter Lucy attend the seminary and then join her father in pastoring his church and by having family friend Sandy follow in her footsteps, the publishing world is still gun shy. It seems that publishers are also concerned that women will find female ministers unrelatable or not flawed enough to appeal to readers. Or on the flip side that they will expect female ministers to be flawless and will not be interested in reading about their struggles and the proof that they're not.

Novelists writing about women clergy may address the issue of women's ordination head-on: to be true to life, said Hill, novels need to acknowledge that even congregations that hire women clergy are sometimes divided about it. Indeed, the "stained glass ceiling" is central to the plot of Heavens to Betsy. That very issue may increase the novel's appeal, because many women, not just clergy, face challenges to advancement in the workplace.

It will be interesting to see if any of these books gain the popularity needed to further the genre and to keep the debate about female clergy in the mainstream.

Posted by: Jared

Posted by: Jared

Posted by: David Bunch

Be sure to check out 90&9 for an interview with former T.F. Tenney assistant T.J. Clayton. It is always cool to catch a behind the scenes glimpse of great men of God.

And, there's an interview with worship leader Jonathan Dean, too! Dean is scheduled to lead worship at the upcoming 2007 Youth Congress.

So much to see and read! Enjoy!

Posted by: Denelle

This weekend was packed full of activity for me. I had to work on Saturday during the day, and Sunday of course was a wash as far as getting anything "done" (as I'm sure most of you can relate to) but Saturday evening proved interesting. One of the attorneys I work for had tickets for an adaptation of The Pirates of Penzance at a theater in New Jersey and since he was working and couldn't go he asked if I'd like to have them instead. Never being one to pass up free theater tickets I immediately said yes and then called a friend to see if she wanted to go with me.






One train ride to central Jersey, several hours, and one really funny and excellent production later (oh and a ridiculously slow subway ride home) I made it back to Brooklyn. Kuddos to the Paper Mill Playhouse for an excellent production! I will be back in the fall to see Meet Me in St. Louis and the spring for Kiss Me Kate.





Around NYC




I hope you all enjoyed the pictures from July 4th. Despite the lousy weather we really had a wonderful time. As promised I took the suggestion posted about what you'd like to see in New York - admittedly it was easy as only one faithful and "anonymous" reader made a suggestion . . . what's with the rest of you people - and I have some pictures for you.



So without further ado, I bring you The United Nations . . . both inside and out . . .



(the view from outside across 1st Avenue)



(inside, all of the Secretaries General . . . well, Ban Ki-moon isn't there yet but I'm sure he will be soon)




(a Normal Rockwell painting turned into a mosaic, complete with the Golden Rule, outside the Econmic and Social Counsel room . . . it was a gift from the US to the UN)




(the famous internal staircase)




Be sure to post your suggestion here for what in NYC you would like to see next week. Or email me at snookum77@aol.com. I intend to spend this week avoiding the heat wave that's baking the city and in anticipation of the seventh (and final) Harry Potter book - only 11 more days!

Posted by: David Bunch

The Bart Simpson movie has gone public with a 10 minute clip shown in London yesterday. And it is already creating controversy.

Takes a stab at religion:

The Simpsons also turn up late at church, where Homer's father has a seizure and warns of trouble to come. When asked to explain this behavior, Homer flicks through a Bible, and mutters: "This book doesn't have any answers."

Features a naked Bart:

Perhaps the biggest laugh was for Bart, who skateboards through town naked after being challenged to do so by Homer. After a series of scenes where strategically-placed extras and props protect his modesty, the audience gets a full view of his private parts through a gap in a hedge.

And what's this....Bono's son?

She (Bart's sister) may also find love, however, after she swoons upon meeting a fellow campaigner from Ireland who insists he is not the son of U2 frontman and celebrity campaigner Bono.

Posted by: Denelle

Well yesterday was an interesting day. First off, I hope you all had a wonderful and happy Independence Day. I also hope you were dry. And why, you may ask, do I hope you were dry? Because we most certainly were not.














Only in New York would 3 million people brave seven hours in the rain to watch a fireworks display. But the grand finale made it all worth it. And look, you can check it out for yourself. An authentic look at the 4th of July in New York City (you can even hear the NYPD officers on the BQE below trying to keep traffic moving).

Posted by: David Bunch

Happy (early) 4th of July to everyone! Just getting back in the saddle from a long weekend in Houston, visiting some terrific friends of ours (thanks Rani and Ben for your hospitality).

I'm currently working diligently to break a really fascinating story involving a well known band, but I can't tell you anymore than that until I get all of the facts....stay tuned.




In the meantime, 90&9 has a great issue this week and be sure you check out Word and Notes, two new blogs for July...both have started off strong with interesting information and a good deal of feedback from readers, too. There's also a behind the scenes "heads up" on Youth Congress!

Talk more soon....

Posted by: Denelle

Since most of you will be travelling/bbq-ing/fireworks watching tomorrow I thought I'd get my well wishes in today. I hope you and your families have a safe, happy, and wonderful Independence Day and that you take a few minutes to remember exactly what we're celebrating.

Posted by: Denelle

iPhone fever has swept the nation since the phone's release on Friday . . . and look . . . 90&9 has already been accessed via iPhone!





90&9 reader Bradley Titus made our site one of his first stops and was kind enough to capture this immortal moment and send it to us!

Thanks Bradley!