Monthly Archives: January 2008

Why We Should Not Release Helium Balloons into the Sky

Did you know that when helium balloons are released into the air they are often blown into the ocean by strong winds. The sea may be hundreds of miles away but balloons can still land there once they start to lose their helium. Once a balloon lands in the ocean, the salt water washes off a balloon’s color. A balloon without red, blue, or yellow color looks clear or transparent. Sea creatures mistake these colorless, clear balloons for food. The clear balloons then get stuck inside of these animals and cause all sorts of internal problems that usually result in starvation and death.

January 31, 2008 | Tags: Ecology, Sustainability

Jake Bouma’s Dying Stars EP

Dying Stars

Dying Stars is an EP released by Jake Bouma

Now I have something to add to my short list of music for those rare times when I’m not listening to classical or various film scores and/or soundtracks. I was planning on including snippets of each track in this post, but I think iTunes does a much better job of providing snippets. So, check out Dying Stars over at iTunes.

My rating: 4.0 stars

January 30, 2008 | Tags: Music, Resources, Reviews

Emerging and Classic Brethren in Christ Ecclesiology

I am a devoted member of the Brethren in Christ Church. Many of you know that I was converted and baptized under the grace-laden spiritual guidance of an old, pious, and wise BIC pastor. I am now a pastor and church planter within the Brethren in Christ. The BIC is my spiritual home. I’m also conversant with the Emerging Church. The fusion of the emerging conversation and classic BIC expression works well because it’s a combination that offers plenty of opportunities for practical and relevant congruence. The Emerging Conversation resonates with very, very important aspects of classic BIC theology, expression, and praxis. Some say the Emerging Church reflects the principles and theology inherent to Anabaptist expressions of Christianity, of which the BIC is a part. I tend to agree. Read More »

January 30, 2008 | Tags: Brethren in Christ, Church, Emerging Church

Live From 29 Palms: A Quick but Broad Update

Things are still a bit slow here at Tribe. I’ve been busy with church planting responsibilities, reading, design work, and family life in general. It’s all good, but very time consuming. Writing seems to be the first thing to be nixed from schedule when things get busy. It’s unfortunate, but unavoidable. Regular posting should resume soon.

I’m still slightly busy this morning so a quick but very broad update will have to do for the time being:

CHURCH PLANTING STUFF

God is full of surprises. We had a crowd of new visitors this past Sunday. It was awesome. They are the kind of people we need to get this movement started. They are the kind of people we have been praying for … Thanks for visiting with us! Blessings on you all!

The church plant is moving along wonderfully. It’s hard work, and it requires much, much prayer. Church planting is not for the faint of heart. Read More »

January 29, 2008 | Tags: Blogging, Design, family

Finding a Civil Gathering Place in Aspects of Universal Human Nature

Any debate regarding the nature and worth of human beings that is based entirely upon immediate social structures and/or states, presupposed ethnic and/or socio-cultural prejudices, and historical/cultural relative aspects of cultural belief should be avoided by any whom wish to ethically address the deep questions raised by an incurably social humanity. Political platformers, social activists, literary geniuses, religious visionaries, philosophers, artists and theologians have argued, agreed, pushed, pulled, and, on more than a few occasions, loosed flashes of brilliance in addresses, books, debates, and rallies regarding the topic of civility and humanity. It seems, however, that a resolution regarding a universally complementary society remains unattainable. Read More »

January 25, 2008 | Tags: History, Ideas, Philosophy, Society

International Bible Society’s The Books of the Bible

The Books of the Bible

The Books of the Bible project not only offers readers an alternative to the overtly-complex, cluttered, and supplementary-heavy Bibles peddled in any local Christian bookstore USA, but also challenges us all to take Biblical literacy seriously. It is all about immersion in the story. TBoTB actually encourages readers to aim their focus and devotion towards the larger story being transmitted by the books, rather than a random chunk of three or four mere verses. So, readers, because of TBoTB’s presentation, are naturally guided towards immersion, and entire books are engaged in a way that celebrates the story of Scripture.

The Books of the Bible (TBoTB), an International Bible Society literary project and Today’s New International Version presentation, is a refreshing expression of God’s Word. In a world full of Bibles, it’s difficult to understand why one would need a “refreshing” presentation or “new” expression of God’s Word, but it is nonetheless the case. No! We have no shortage of Bibles in America! We have all sorts of Bibles! We have too many Bibles! There are Bibles for “Elementary School Children,” “Teens,” “Teens with Special Issues,” “Adults,” “Adults Parenting Teens,” “Adults Parenting Teens with Special Issues,” and “Seminarians who Someday want to Minister to Adults are Parenting Teens with Special Issues Concerning Elementary School Children!” I jest, but only slightly. We do have plenty of Bibles, and many of them are overtly complicated. The pages of our Bibles are laden with excessive translation and supplementary notes, chapter and verse numbers, section headings, commentary materials, multi-column formatting, pictures, and a plethora of other sidebar-like filler and hard-to-label oddities aimed at more topics and issues than can be counted. Simplicity is not a feature in many - if any - of our many, many Bibles.

My rating: 4.5 stars