Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Movieness
Saw Flightplan over the weekend. Would have been much more believable had Jodie Foster lost her iPod.

Superman Returns trailer is online. Looks as though Bryan Singer is squeezing all the Christology of the Superman story into the movie that he can find.

Oscar nominations are out. Brokeback Mountain. Capote. Crash. Good Night, and Good Luck. Munich. I'm bummed I missed Good Night when it was playing at the Kentucky. It's the only one I haven't seen.

Brokeback, Capote and Munich were all films that I left thinking, "Wow, that movie was done really well." I was watching Crash again last week. It's the only one that personally affected me. It's that good, and that's why I think it's the best movie of the year.

posted by Peter at 10:59 AM
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Tuesday, January 24, 2006
The day the music died
If you've seen me in sackcloth and ashes this week, that's because I lost my brand-spankin' new iPod over the weekend.

I think today I'm still meandering through stage #4 of the Kubler-Ross model.

Perhaps it would not have fallen from my pocket if I'd had one of these.

Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; YHWH gave, and YHWH has taken away; blessed be the name of YHWH.

Oh sure, easy for you to say, Job. YHWH didn't take away your iPod.

posted by Peter at 10:58 PM
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Thursday, January 12, 2006
Kittel
If you or someone you love has scholarly or pastoral interests, Christian Book Distributors is currently running a ridiculous discount on Kittel's 10-volume Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Serious cheap, man, for a collection of 10 ginormous books filled with smart Greek stuff.

David Bauer calls it "The most authoritative, comprehensive, and detailed discussion of major NT terms ever published."

The mailman brought me mine today. I have no bookshelf space, however. It will just have to find a nice home on the floor for the meantime.

Yeah for new books.

posted by Peter at 12:00 AM
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Thursday, January 05, 2006
No circus for you
From the "General Rules" of the African Methodist Episcocal Zion Church (as found in my current reading Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials by Ted Campbell, p. 112):
It is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence thier desire of salvation,

FIRST: By doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kinds, especially that which is most generally practeced, such as:
...
The taking such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the Lord Jesus such as dancing, card-playing, lottery, policy, and other games of chance, going to circuses and theatres.


Note to self: Ix nay on pitching that clown ministry idea to the local AMEZ church.

posted by Peter at 1:12 PM
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Jesusland
From the Guardian (thanks, Jeff):

Plans for Holy Land theme park on Galilee shore where Jesus fed the 5,000
The Israeli government is planning to give up a large slice of land to American Christian evangelicals to build a biblical theme park by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus is said to have walked on water and fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish...

It would feature a garden and nature park, an auditorium, a Holy Land exhibition, outdoor amphitheatres, information centre and a media studio.


They expect a million additional tourists without a roller coaster? Come on.

And I have to wonder how much the concession stand will charge for fish and loaves.

posted by Peter at 12:54 PM
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Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Awaken
Got to spend some good time with family over the holiday break. I was in Tulsa for a week. An aunt, uncle and cousins from Richmond, VA came to town.

I was able to connect with Trey, an old friend, over some coffee. Trey's a Cardinals fan now living in Houston. We talked about such important things as where we were when Albret Pujols hit his home run of Brad Lidge. You know, The One.

Later that same day, I met a new friend, Terry, at the local Borders. And we talked of such things as episcopal monks, the Tulsa religious scene, emerging churches and centering prayer. He talked me into picking up a book by Tom Keating.

I also picked up a daily reader from Thomas Merton's journals. This I fear I must owe to influence of Creech Manor.

I found this jewel in the introduction by Jonathan Montaldo:

He [Merton] wrote journals to stay awake and attentive to the life he was being given in all its particulars and to archive his conversations with every individual thing in his life that had spoken a word to him for his salvation.


I don't go for New Year's resolutions, but I want to write more. I need to write more. To archive the conversations of my salvation. Be it with keyboard on a blog or pen and paper, this is a discipline I need not just for the exercise of my mind but of my soul.

Writing awakens me.

posted by Peter at 11:41 PM
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