Two Down…

Thanks be to God, as He graciously helped me muddle through another double-sermon at the Woodville and Billtown Baptist churches this morning.  Many thanks to those who have been keeping Marsha, Alyssa and I in prayer as we make this transition during my supervised field education.  While I’m thankful for the opportunity to speak on a Sunday morning, I’m also very thankful that Pastor Randall will be back from his vacation next week.

Bleach

I recently discovered that one of my favourite Japanese anime series is going to hit the big screen in December. Bleach is an action-packed anime series that has the same allure as the classic cliffhangers of old as it chronicles the tale of two unlikely companions. Kurosaki Ichigo is a jaded high-school student with the unwanted ability to see ghosts, along with a scalp-full of spiky orange hair. Kuchiki Rukia is a Shinigami (roughly translated ‘death god’) charged with the protection of such ghosts from the wicked soul-eating nasties called “Hollows.” In a desperate attempt to save his family, Ichigo accepts Rukia’s powers, and becomes a substitute Shinigami.

The series is up to 90 episodes now, and has rolled through three major story-lines. The first is essentially an introduction of the major characters which leads into the story of Rukia’s (Japanese family names are first, given names are second) arrest and rescue from execution, and the current plot revolves around a conspiracy of vampiric humans called “Bounts” who plot vengeance against Rukia’s home. Here’s an anime music-video (AMV) revolving around the rescue of Rukia:

/flash/Bleach_Hero.swf

The popularity of the series has also spawned three PSP video games, and a rock musical, in addition to the upcoming film.Now before anybody jumps all over the spiritual aspects of a cartoon, we need to recognize a couple of things. Like many societies in the far east, Japan developed a paganistic style of ancestor worship which was a mainstay of spirituality for centuries. While there continues to exist a very high view of the role of deceased loved ones within Japanese thought, the tales told in an anime like Bleach has depreciated into the stuff of legend, very much as we see in the western legends of King Arthur or Beowulf. Secondly, there really is no direct translation for Japanese words like ’shinigami’ or ‘youkai’ because they have no equivelent in western lore. Using world like ‘death god’ or ‘demon’ to translate these terms is unfortunate, because to Christians, those words carry heavy weight to them. However, many subtitles/dubs use those phrases because it’s a lot easier to say ‘death god’ than to say ‘a finite deified entity who protects the souls of the deceased’ or ‘demon’ instead of ‘a non-human coporeal entity endowed with spiritual powers.’ It is an interesting footnote that, within J.R.R. Tolkien’s world inspired by European legend, both shinigami and youkai would be classified as ‘elves’ by Tolkien; the former likely from Lothlórien (those of Noldor decent), the latter from Mirkwood (primarily Sindar).

Still Alive

Well, the Lord saw me through delivering the message at two churches on Sunday, and I survived both.  I’m incredibly thankful that He helped me through this first attempt, and I can now better understand how dependant on Him I must be in order to bring a message to God’s people. 

I don’t have much to add at this point, so here’s lyrics to another awesome Dylan song:

The iron hand it ain’t no match for the iron rod,
The strongest wall will crumble and fall to a mighty God.
For all those who have eyes and all those who have ears
It is only He who can reduce me to tears.
Don’t you cry and don’t you die and don’t you burn
For like a thief in the night, He’ll replace wrong with right
When He returns

Truth is an arrow and the gate is narrow that it passes through,
He unleashed His power at an unknown hour that no one knew.
How long can I listen to the lies of prejudice?
How long can I stay drunk on fear out in the wilderness?
Can I cast it aside, all this loyalty and this pride?
Will I ever learn that there’ll be no peace, that the war won’t cease
Until He returns?

Surrender your crown on this blood-stained ground, take off your mask,
He sees your deeds, He knows your needs even before you ask.
How long can you falsify and deny what is real?
How long can you hate yourself for the weakness you conceal?
Of every earthly plan that be known to man, He is unconcerned,
He’s got plans of His own to set up His throne
When He returns. 

- By Bob Dylan [Listen]

Double Standards

I found this CNN story talking about the terrible human cost of the current “crisis in the Middle East” more than a little ironic.  Now there’s a crisis?  The foreign military invasion of two sovereign nations (both failures in achieving their primary objectives, I might add) wasn’t a crisis?

When you just say the numbers repeatedly, they seem to lose their meaning

“Two thousand, seven hundred and eighty-eight coalition forces personnel.”
“Five Thousand and nine Iraqi military and police.”
“More than eleven thousand civilians.”

Those are the conservative estimates in Iraq alone.  These people are dead.  There’s still to many conflicting reports to get good numbers on civilian deaths in Afghanistan, but it’s more than 3000 and the daily average is actually rising, not falling (likely due in part to the growing insurgency within populated regions).  At least we can take comfort in the fact that once the US and Israel wipe out all the Middle East countries, we won’t have to deal with a bunch of war mongers who invade other countries… er… oh.  Nevermind.

I really don’t think the US should get involved in helping Israel achieve peace with their neighbours.  They really seem to stink at it.

The Fullness of the Blessing

That’s the title of the message that I intend to bring to the Woodville and Billtown Baptist churches this coming Lord’s day, based on Paul’s hope expressed in Romans 15:18-33.  Since this will be my first time bringing a full message to any congregation, I beg your prayers that His word will satisfy and quench all thirst, despite being poured from such a cracked and damaged vessel as yours truly.

Speaking of cracked and damaged, I’m wearing a ball-cap with the logo of my favourite baseball team for the second day in a row.  So what? you might ask.  Well, let’s just say, they’re not everyone’s favourite team.  I admit that cheering for this team is very much like cheering for a one-legged puppy in a dog race.  You gotta admire him just for managing to scrape himself onto the track, but you still feel sorry for him.  From their founding in ‘62, they were known as ‘the loveable losers’ who attracted the same audience that the Three Stooges enjoyed, but all that changed with their first series victory in 1969.  Well… it changed for a the year 1969 anyway.  They swiftly returned to their full time job entertaining onlookers with their seemingly unwavering ability to lose to anyone – even the Cubs.

Yet, when I was 14 years old during my first school year after moving from Ontario to Nova Scotia, I watched a World Series that changed my life, and gave me a real appreciation for the game of baseball.  In 1986, overcoming all odds and predictions, the New York Mets became World Series Champions for the second time in their history.  The ‘86 Series made a Mets fan out of me (with a healthy case of Mookie-madness) which usually carries with it a substantial amount of ribbing and reproach, but I think most folks will agree that they’re current performance is deserving of a little pride.  They’re the National League leaders at the moment, still riding high on an amazing game this past Sunday that saw two (not one, but TWO) grand slams in a single inning, giving way to an 11-run 6th, for a 13-7 victory over the Cubbies.

What more can be said but…

Rejoice with me!

⁴ “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ⁷ “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ⁸ “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ ¹⁰ “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:4-10)

These parables that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees while they grumbled at his association with the lowest people on the social ladder both speak to the priceless value of people in the eyes of God.  When an estranged son or daughter who’s spent a lifetime running away, then turns around and cries out, “Father, I love you!  Please forgive me!” that Father runs to the child to embrace them (Luke 15:20).  Moreover, there is a party in heaven over such a moment, and (if you’ll permit me a quick dip in the theoretical physics pool) since God exists outside of time, from our perspective, it is a party that never ceases.  As each lost child rushes back in desperate longing to the Father, the symphony of praise and rejoicing grows ever stronger, reaching a crescendo of glory, culminating in the return of The One who called out to the lost.  Imagine the thundering sound of it!  Imagine the resounding glory of such a unfathomable chorus!  A choir of the ages, growing more harmonic and voluminous as each one comes, as the King’s decree is gradually consummated in perfect fulfilment.

These are things that I can never know in this life, but as I read these passages of Scripture, I can imagine them in my mind as I consider what it means when there is “joy in heaven” – a celebration in the presence of an absolute, omnipotent being.  While such glories are beyond my comprehension at this point, I do know the joy that wells up in my own heart this day as my only daughter came to me last night to tell me she had surrendered herself to God.  Alyssa has had an intellectual understanding of God for a number of years, but had not taken that step toward a one-on-one relationship with Him.  Last night, The Spirit spoke through Colin McCartney, one of the speakers at Tidal Impact this year, and whatever miracle it was that was worked in her heart last night, its result was a surrender to Christ.

Until Marsha and I can stand with the saints and angels in that eternal thunderous chorus of praise, we will sing our own quiet song to God and praise His name forever.

Thank you, Lord.  Thank you.

Tidbits

A few interesting tidbits have recently crossed my path that I just have to share.  Firstly is a rather fascinating guest-post over at deinde.org manifesting a somewhat… er… unique view on environmentalism from a Christian perspective.  Here’s a peek:

This world was built for us- for us to work it and reap the benefits. That is its God-given function.  Our technology and know-how (which all ultimately comes from God!) has enabled us to live luxuriously.  Jesus WOULD drive an SUV (take that Tony Campolo!) and he would marvel at the advances in human science that made it possible to have such a wonderful vehicle AND fuel it.  Stop worrying. Global warming is the fulfillment of prophecy, and the garbage you throw away will burn away eventually anyway.

UPDATE July 11, 2006: ARGH!  I’ve been thoroughly GOTTEN.  The post above was a joke-post by deinde.org’s owner.  My only defence for responding is that I’d read even wonkier stuff early that day.  I’m going to go serve my hour in the dunce-corner now

Needless to say, I have a differing opinion.  With Dylan’s new album not far off, I heard a song by ol’ Bobby echoing in my brain:

Now he worships at an altar of a stagnant pool
And when he sees his reflection, he’s fulfilled.
Oh, man is opposed to fair play,
He wants it all and he wants it his way.

Now, there’s a woman on my block,
She just sit there as the night grows still.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?

In posting my contrasting viewpoints as comments, I came across another poster’s photo blog which featured this glorious shot:

He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear!  You can find more great black and white shots over at http://blog.lukenine45.net/.  Meanwhile, I also came across a way cool anime music video for one of my favourite animes, Ghost In The Shell, which you can watch by clicking this image…

 

Anticipation

There’s a few big things coming around the bend that have me in a state of anticipation (or trepidation… it’s hard to tell sometimes). Firstly is my Supervised Field Education in which I’ll be attending Billtown Baptist church for about two years, and that kicks off later this month as I bring the message to God’s people there as well as their sister church in Woodville on June 23rd. Sr. Pastor Randall Read is on vacation this month so it provided an opportunity for me to have a Sunday to introduce myself and establish those vital and supernatural connections Christians share through God’s word.

Another exciting thing coming up in August as my favourite songwriter releases yet another full-length album on the 29th (my little-brother’s birthday, as a matter of fact). I’ve often said that Bob Dylan is the greatest popular songwriter of the 20th century, and even those who don’t appreciate his… um… unique vocal style can’t help but grant him the respect due someone of his accomplishments. It was an extremely pleasant surprise when my favourite Christian musical artist, Derek Webb, also commented on his love of Bob on his live album, The House Show, using almost the same language.  Webb’s performance of Bob’s spiritual lament “Every Grain of Sand” definitely falls into my list of “Best Dylan Covers Ever.”  Speaking of which, let’s have a look at some of those covers, shall we?  The following is a little ‘click n’ listen’ list of Bob Dylan originals that have been performed by other artists.  Leave some comments!

Song	Origional Dylan Album	Covered By
Every Grain of Sand	Shot of Love (1981)	Derek Webb
Mr. Tamourine Man	Bringing It All Back Home (1965)	The Byrds
My Back Pages	Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)	The Byrds
The Mighty Quinn	Self Portrait (1970)	Manfred Mann
All Along The Watchtower	John Wesley Harding (1967)	Jimmy Hendrix
Tangled Up In Blue	Blood on the Tracks (1975)	The Indigo Girls
When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky	Empire Burlesque (1985)	Jeff Healy
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door	Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)	Several favourites of this Dylan classic: Jerry Garcia Eric Clapton Guns n’ Roses Randy Crawford

And if this collection of covers or the promise of a new album wasn’t enough to get you wired for the masterful minstrel’s mesmeric melodies, maybe moments of miscellaneous musical melancholy might make for more mouthwatering morsels.  Bob is currently hosting a satellite radio show called “The Theme Time Radio Hour” in which he spins some lost vinyl in line with the daily theme, intermixed with Bob’s sharp tongue and clips from old radio spots, movie quotes and who knows what.

The Good, Bad & Ugly

I’ve mentioned a very good documentary, so I thought I’d also mention a couple that aren’t as good. One of the worst documentaries I’ve ever seen happens to be about a subject close to my heart. In communicating with and teaching about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (“The Mormons!” ), I take great pains to accurately represent the official beliefs and doctrines of the LDS church, and address young missionaries (a.k.a. “elders”) as exactly what they are: sincere young men who have been decieved. In my Sunday school classes, I try my best to communicate this witnessing spirit to others, knowing full well that we would demand the same respect from those who would desire to discuss matters of faith with us.

The documentary, The God Makers, by Jeremiah Films tosses any hope of witnessing to the wind. It is little more than a fear-mongering diatribe, designed to scare Christians into avoiding the errors of Mormonism. It even makes reference to a mention of “mormons” in Anton LeVey’s ‘Satanic Bible‘ in it’s attempt to shock viewers into fear, testifying that no quarter will be given on any issue. As I address the LDS temple endowments in my Sunday school lessons, I’m cautious to communicate that it is an issue that should be treated with great care due to the sacred nature to many dedicated LDS individuals. The God Makers makes no such effort and openly mocks the sacred garment and other related practices to support the premise that Mormons are wild-eyed brainwashing cultists who are plotting to take over the world. Without exception, the worst documentary I’ve ever seen.

While not a “bad” documentary exactly, the less-than-polished homemade film Loose Change presents several leading conspiracy theories related to the 9/11 attacks. It’s a privately distributed flick which can be viewed for free on Google video and I’d certainly say it’s worth a watch if only for the soundtrack. I place this in the “ugly” group because, while it does raise some very important questions, it addresses them poorly and poses other, silly ones in a scattershot attempt to cover all the bases. Their cited sources are almost entirely web pages, including fantastic satellite shots leeched from Google Maps, and authoritative commentary from Wikipedia (which is a great little starting-point, but should never be the final source when citing alleged “facts”). The filmmakers rarely attack any question from multiple angles, which one would demand from someone making such radical allegations. For example, they refer to the number of put options placed on American Airlines stock immediately prior to 9/11 as evidence that insiders knew the attacks were imminent, yet they don’t explore the seemingly obvious possibility that perhaps investors associated with al-Qaeda were those insiders. The assumption is that 9/11 was a fabricated crisis manufactured by a cartel of co-conspirators including the Bush administration the CIA, NSA and any other individual even remotely involved with the aftermath of 9/11. That assumption backlights every peice of evidence under the microscope, making an honest examination impossible.

It’s unfortunate, because the film does ask some very important questions about issues that have never been adequately answered. How did three buildings all collapse at near freefall speed in perfectly vertical drops that any controlled demolition team would envy? Why was no substantial plane wreckage recovered from two of the four crash sites? Why has so much security video footage remained classified after 5 years? Many of these questions could be answered with the proverbial conspiracy/coverup, but history has taught us that such conspiracies are rarely as elegant and complex as the theorists would have us believe. Imagine, if you will, that a heroic moment in history which had been bolstered by media coverage and inspired the population to ralley in its star-spangled glory turned out to be far less valorous than generally assumed. In such a case, some within the intelligence community might consider suppression of facts to be a very positive endeavor, and historically speaking, such is consistantly the case during wartime. During WWII, all sides made their own out to be invulnerable, selfless supermen dispite any failures or embarassing incidents.

So while this film asks some good questions, it leaves many others unasked, and others simply unanswered or answered by assuptions. Even when important questions are asked, it does such an ugly job in asking them that it can easily be written off as paranoia by just about everyone other than Charlie Sheen. Still, it’s practically cinema gold when compared to The God Makers.

The Good, Bad & Ugly

I’ve mentioned a very good documentary, so I thought I’d also mention a couple that aren’t as good. One of the worst documentaries I’ve ever seen happens to be about a subject close to my heart. In communicating with and teaching about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (“The Mormons!” ), I take great pains to accurately represent the official beliefs and doctrines of the LDS church, and address young missionaries (a.k.a. “elders”) as exactly what they are: sincere young men who have been decieved. In my Sunday school classes, I try my best to communicate this witnessing spirit to others, knowing full well that we would demand the same respect from those who would desire to discuss matters of faith with us.

The documentary, The God Makers, by Jeremiah Films tosses any hope of witnessing to the wind. It is little more than a fear-mongering diatribe, designed to scare Christians into avoiding the errors of Mormonism. It even makes reference to a mention of “mormons” in Anton LeVey’s ‘Satanic Bible‘ in it’s attempt to shock viewers into fear, testifying that no quarter will be given on any issue. As I address the LDS temple endowments in my Sunday school lessons, I’m cautious to communicate that it is an issue that should be treated with great care due to the sacred nature to many dedicated LDS individuals. The God Makers makes no such effort and openly mocks the sacred garment and other related practices to support the premise that Mormons are wild-eyed brainwashing cultists who are plotting to take over the world. Without exception, the worst documentary I’ve ever seen.

While not a “bad” documentary exactly, the less-than-polished homemade film Loose Change presents several leading conspiracy theories related to the 9/11 attacks. It’s a privately distributed flick which can be viewed for free on Google video and I’d certainly say it’s worth a watch if only for the soundtrack. I place this in the “ugly” group because, while it does raise some very important questions, it addresses them poorly and poses other, silly ones in a scattershot attempt to cover all the bases. Their cited sources are almost entirely web pages, including fantastic satellite shots leeched from Google Maps, and authoritative commentary from Wikipedia (which is a great little starting-point, but should never be the final source when citing alleged “facts”). The filmmakers rarely attack any question from multiple angles, which one would demand from someone making such radical allegations. For example, they refer to the number of put options placed on American Airlines stock immediately prior to 9/11 as evidence that insiders knew the attacks were imminent, yet they don’t explore the seemingly obvious possibility that perhaps investors associated with al-Qaeda were those insiders. The assumption is that 9/11 was a fabricated crisis manufactured by a cartel of co-conspirators including the Bush administration the CIA, NSA and any other individual even remotely involved with the aftermath of 9/11. That assumption backlights every peice of evidence under the microscope, making an honest examination impossible.

It’s unfortunate, because the film does ask some very important questions about issues that have never been adequately answered. How did three buildings all collapse at near freefall speed in perfectly vertical drops that any controlled demolition team would envy? Why was no substantial plane wreckage recovered from two of the four crash sites? Why has so much security video footage remained classified after 5 years? Many of these questions could be answered with the proverbial conspiracy/coverup, but history has taught us that such conspiracies are rarely as elegant and complex as the theorists would have us believe. Imagine, if you will, that a heroic moment in history which had been bolstered by media coverage and inspired the population to ralley in its star-spangled glory turned out to be far less valorous than generally assumed. In such a case, some within the intelligence community might consider suppression of facts to be a very positive endeavor, and historically speaking, such is consistantly the case during wartime. During WWII, all sides made their own out to be invulnerable, selfless supermen dispite any failures or embarassing incidents.

So while this film asks some good questions, it leaves many others unasked, and others simply unanswered or answered by assuptions. Even when important questions are asked, it does such an ugly job in asking them that it can easily be written off as paranoia by just about everyone other than Charlie Sheen. Still, it’s practically cinema gold when compared to The God Makers.