As a music geek, I can't help but be excited about last month and the month to come.  Allow me to share a couple profiles of who I consider to be the names of those responsible for creating music that can only be described as gorgeous.

As a lover of the genre affectionately known as "prog-rock", I have always loved thoughtful instrumental music.  First it was groups like Tristeza, Tortoise, and Unwed Sailor.  Then it was The Mercury Program.  But if you want the height of beautiful, introspective, emotional music, then look no further than The Cinematic Orchestra.  Each album is a brilliant progression over the last, but (with only the exception of their first album) their entire library of music is without peer.

Live drums, some sampling, string and horn sections, guest vocalists, pianos, synthesizers, light guitar work and other elements get shaken up in a bottle with jazz and fusion touches that combine into a mix all its own.  The songs can literally leave you breathless, while others will just grab you where you stand and freeze you in your tracks.  What makes it work is the orchestration is varied, simple, yet complex and delicate in the way it combines so much yet remains so intentional and sparing.  Never does it feel like too many instruments are playing too much.  The song literally is king with this group, and they know how to push just the right notes to create a maximum sense of aural euphoria.

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“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:2-4)

“…also, on either side of the river, the tree of life.” (Revelation 22:2)

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Are you interested in getting on television?  Do you like the Bible?  Do you despise the Bible but still know a ton about it?  Well, have we get some information for you!  Jeff Foxworthy is hosting a new television show called "The American Bible Challenge".  Check out some information from the press release:

"The first ever game show created to test your knowledge of The Bible will make its television debut this August.  GSN – the Game Show Network - and the creators of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" are producing “The American Bible Challenge” which will be hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy.

...And right now – THE SHOW IS LOOKING FOR CONTESTANTS who have a passion for The Bible and giving back to their community!!!!

“The American Bible Challenge” is criss-crossing America scouting potential players who want to win money for their favorite charity.  Individual players or teams of up to three people who have competitive spirits, great personal testimonies, and of course know their Bible are encouraged to try out.  ALL ARE WELCOME TO THE CASTING CALL. 

For a list of casting cities, additional information, and to sign-up as a prospective contestant, please go to: http://tv.gsn.com/shows/the-american-bible-challenge/casting/

This could be the kind of thing you sign up your youth or small group for.  Kind of interesting as well that the money made gets raised for charity.  The better question is - am I going to see you on TV anytime soon?

“The American Bible Challenge” will debut on Game Show Network this August.

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I can't help but be all excited like Brett McCraken finding a new Terrence Malick film.  PT Anderson is among my favorite living filmmakers, with Punch Drunk Love being my favorite film of all time.  He is also responsible for the brilliant films "There Will Be Blood" and "Magnolia".  So, when his new stuff gets announced, I get giddy.

The newest PTA film is called "The Master".  An early description of the film from imdb.com says this: 

"A 1950s-set drama centered on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as "the Master" whose faith-based organization begins to catch on in America, and a young drifter who becomes his right-hand man."

Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oZDKFoCqAw 

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I have a love/loathe relationship with Sacha Baron Cohen.  The man is undoubtedly hilarious and appears fearless as evidenced by his comedic resume.  He is also smart, which is evident in the searing wit that his brand of gross out humor typically obscures to casual film bystanders.  Yet, I loathe him because his reliance on gross out gags, over sexed sense of humor, and reliance on trying to push the envelope get tiring…But lets not thrown the Baron out with the bath water. 

“The Dictator” reunites Baron Cohen with “Borat” and “Bruno” director Larry Charles (who also directed Bill Maher’s fiercely unbiased “Religulous”).  “The Dictator” is an entirely scripted work about “Supreme Leader” Aladeen (Baron Cohen) of the fictional country of Wadiya.  In the film, Aladeen is intent to kill and “lovingly oppress” his countrymen, but first must deliver a speech about nuclear weapons to the UN in New York.

I have been rather surprised at times by the push back of some people when phrases like ‘social justice’ and ‘social change’ are used in reference to Christians. Commentators on Fox News have warned against social justice rhetoric, while some noted evangelical leaders warn against deed ministry that seems separate from a ministry of preaching and proclamation. These may be good warnings per se, but let’s not swing from one extreme to another so readily without at least appreciating the Biblical and historical context that has been truly impactful. There is something to be said for outloving your neighbor.

In this vein, scholar and author John Dickson summarizes well the impact Christians can have culturally and historically through loving the poor and those in need well: John Dickson - Early Christian Charity

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It happens to everyone, at an early age.  At some point in our wonder-filled Kindergarten experience, we were all handed a piece of paper smothered in dots.  And we were all instructed to carefully draw lines from one dot to another, following the numerical sequence, with the promise that an image would appear.  Thick crayons scrunched in our tiny hands, we all learned how to “connect the dots” and find the hidden pirate or giraffe or pumpkin.  It was like magic.

The ancients knew how to connect the dots too.  The Greeks, the Romans, the Babylonians, the Chinese—they all pondered the night sky and grouped the stars into constellations upon which they tried to derive greater purpose and ultimate significance.  There were figures in the stars that pointed to something greater than themselves—ancient mythos, creation stories, immutable fates and foreboding omens—and although this was more related to superstition than truth, they all understood the concept that they were a part of something larger than themselves.

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For the last 10 months I’ve been writing a book about Christian approaches to consuming culture, and one of the things I discuss in the book is food. How can Christians be better consumers of food? It’s a topic pertinent to anyone of faith (we all eat), but maybe not one that is discussed as much as it should be (though a number of great books have been exploring it of late–such as this, this, and this.)

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While I plan to get deeper into this particular subject, I felt it important to at least engage, albeit briefly, on the subject matter.

The Earth cracked, just a bit, for many Black pastors and Christians when President Obama announced he was in support of gay marriage. This tore open a slice in the gender constructs within Black cultural milieus that has, especially in Christian circles, gone unengaged with for decades.  Sexuality, sexual orientation, its twin cousin gender performance is a continual issue for many Black Christians. The idea of how do I act as a man; how do I act as woman; role performance; femininity; masculinity; sexual awareness, are all issues that tend to be seen as very binary for Black Christians—generally speaking. For example, you are either having sex within marriage, in a heterosexual, monogamous relationship or you are “sinning.

My energy was low the other day due to not sleeping well. Why do our problems and concerns seem to magnify at night?

I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and began thinking about an issue involving our 11-year-old son Noah. It was nothing major, just some ongoing growing pains with our tweener. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to worry, feeding the issue and before long, it grew to Noah dropping out of school and making license tags behind bars with “mom” tattoo on his arm under a skull with crossbones.

I finally fell asleep and when I awoke in the morning, it all seemed frivolous but it had left me robbed of much needed sleep and an unproductive day.

Pete Wilson’s new book Empty Promises, shares how the ancient Hebrew mindset saw the beginning of the day starting at sunset. Even in the Creation Story in Genesis 1 illustrates this, “Evening came and then morning – that was the first day.”

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