July 2010
9 posts
Do You Think I Could Get My Book Back? →
Very cool story of a girl who helped someone in South America without even knowing it.
Well.
She knows now.
Radical Christianity →
You say you want a revolution?
I’m getting tired of being interviewed for or asked to endorse books that are about “radical christianity.” Especially when those books typically use that term to describe what should be garden variety, everyday Christianity. It shouldn’t be the work of the “radical” to reach out to those who are different than them economically, racially or sexually.
Very...
Sox Place →
A Denver pastor helping the homeless:
“This is what we’re supposed to be doing. We’re not supposed to be building multimillion dollar facilities. God never said to do that,” according to Robinson. “When Jesus was on Earth he said, ‘Guys, I’m leaving, I’m putting you in charge.’ He said feed the hungry. It’s not a suggestion.”
...
Jim Wallis' Invitation to Lifest Helps Shed Light... →
A “Christian” radio station in Wisconsin says:
[W]e believe the social justice message and agenda they promote is a seed of secular humanism, seeking an unholy alliance between the Church and Government.
The Bible says:
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk...
Chesteron on Patriotism →
Lest I be mistaken for a hater, I offer up a bit of counterpoint to Ms. DiFranco’s sentiments.
Some thought-provoking notions from none other than G. K. Chesterton:
The fundamental spiritual advantage of patriotism and such sentiments is this: that by means of it all things are loved adequately, because all things are loved individually.
Read the entire quote if you’d like to...
‘Tis of Thee
Ani DiFranco
They caught the last...
Does the Bible Say Jesus Was Crucified? →
Swedish scholar, Gunnar Samuelsson, claims that, though Christ was crucified, the evidence for it is not textually present in the gospels.
Does it matter?
He claims tradition tells us of the crucifixion and not the gospel texts.
“We fight against each other,” he reflects, but “the theological stances that keep churches apart are founded on things that we find between the...
June 2010
5 posts
Nueva Traducción Viviente →
I am extremely pleased to see the work Tyndale Español has done on the Spanish equivalent of the New Living Translation. A parallel NLT/NTV is just the thing for Los Angeles.
If the NTV is anywhere near the quality, clarity, and readability of the English NLT, it will be huge.
UPDATE: After posting this, I received a copy of the parallel NLT/NTV Gospel of John. My Spanish is — how should...
Original iPhone Wallpaper
After learning of iOS 4, I realized Apple was no longer going to include the default home screen wallpaper from previous OS versions. I took a screen shot of my pre-upgrade iPhone and carefully edited out all the icons, text, and dock. The process took weeks to complete. I began when iOS 4 was announced and only just now completed it.
Please enjoy.
P.S. I have also made an HD version for when...
We Care About the Small People →
Oh, BP. What will you think of next?
“When you’re young, you look at television and think, There’s a conspiracy. The...”
– Steve Jobs, 1996
May 2010
4 posts
“The great tragedy of our lives seems to be that we are smart enough to ask the...”
– Donald Miller
Christ Crucified as Altruistic Suicide →
It takes a while to get to it, but the whole article is worth reading.
Rest in peace, Gideon.
Was Fred Phelps a Civil Rights Activist? →
“I see him out there, and I hear the venom that comes out of his mouth. If you had asked me in the ’60s if he would do this, I would have said never.”
A different side of Fred Phelps (of “God Hates Fags” infamy).
It’s quite interesting to note the connection between racial equality and that of sexual orientation. Both sides of the gay rights debate seem...
“Money is like gasoline during a road trip. You don’t want to run out of gas on...”
– Tim O’Reilly (via Daring Fireball)
April 2010
10 posts
Thoughts on Flash →
Adobe’s Flash is so bad, Steve Jobs just wrote 1,653 words on why it isn’t allowed on iPhones, iPods, or iPads.
Just Breathe →
This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me … with other total strangers participating is overwhelming. In an incredible way.
A grace bomb for your stress.
Get Rid of the Crappy Stuff →
Solid advice.
Learning to Smoke →
It’s not permitted. It pisses people off. It makes you puke. It confuses you, and it brings clarity. It makes you an outcast, and it helps you meet wonderful strangers. Lessons from a man who did the unthinkable.
Arizona Immigration Law Bullshit →
The new law, which will not go into effect for more than 90 days, requires police agencies across Arizona to investigate the immigration status of every person they come across whom they have “reasonable suspicion” to believe is in the country unlawfully.
I have “reasonable suspicion” to believe that white people drafted this legislation.
(via hewitt! on Facebook)
Elements of Twitter Style →
I agree with most of what Daniel Jalkut says here about writing for Twitter. Although, considering the whole Outlaw Preachers thing, his section entitled “Avoid Ideological Hotspots” rings a bit hollow.
Best. Voicemail. Ever.
After talking on the...
March 2010
5 posts
Chipper Designs →
Talked with Chip Harbin of The Victor Ministry today. In addition to his full time job as a tattoo artist, he reminded me of his new art apparel project.
Limited runs of his kick ass designs.
Get it.
Kurt Vonnegut on Story →
More for you writers:
The truth is, we know so little about life, we don’t really know what the good news is and what the bad news is.
Do Not Write a Crock of Shit →
To all my writer friends.
Outlaw Preachers 2: Queermergent Edition →
A new Outlaw Preachers podcast is available. This time, I got to meet Adele Sakler of Queermergent.
Listen to us try to get rid of god.
January 2010
2 posts
Family
It strikes me as odd just how similar different types of love can be. I have been in California since August and have not seen my parents since I drove through the Cleveland area on my way out here. Tonight they arrived in Los Angeles, and I was so anxious to see them I left work early. We went out for dinner at a delicious vegan restaurant called The Veggie Grill. Afterwards I walked them up to...
“We didn’t hike to the Sun Gate; we ran. We ran on blistered feet and sore legs....”
– Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
December 2009
3 posts
Xmas and Christmas →
Though I’ve missed some years, it has long been a tradition of mine to share this witty piece by C. S. Lewis with friends and family every Christmas.
Don’t get caught up in the Rush of that crazy holiday the Niatirbians call Exmas.
May the grace of God through Jesus Christ his son fill your hearts and minds this Crissmas.
The Wave →
On unity and camaraderie. Through the eyes of a biker.
We could all learn a lot about how to treat others from this modern tale reminiscent of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Who Is Poor Enough? →
A nice reminder before the upcoming celebration of the birth of our savior.
Give.
God will do the judging.
November 2009
5 posts
1 tag
Dodgy Garden Hardware
I am often jealous of the impact the invention of the printing press had on the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. This message was sent by a new friend living in Australia. The Internet kicks the printing press’s ass.
Khad,
I hope you don’t find this message strange, even though I kind of do.
I’ve listened to all the Outlaw Preachers podcasts/precasts in the last few...
What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff? →
Shane Claiborne writes an amazing open letter to nonbelievers:
To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten...
Outlaw Preachers on Wikipedia →
We have arrived.
UPDATE: But apparently we were kicked out. The Wikipedia page was deleted. Please continue this great work. Do not let one overzealous user dampen our spirits or momentum.
Pi
SOL: You remember Archimedes of Syracuse? The King asks Archimedes to determine if a present he’s received is actually solid gold. Unsolved problem at the time. It tortures the great Greek mathematician for weeks. Insomnia haunts him, and he twists and turns in his bed for nights on end. Finally, his equally exhausted wife--she’s forced to share a bed with this genius--convinces him to take a bath, to relax. While he is entering the tub Archimedes notices the bathwater rise. Displacement. A way to determine volume. And thus, a way to determine density, weight over volume. And thus, Archimedes solves the problem. He screams “Eureka!” and is so overwhelmed he runs dripping naked through the streets to the King’s palace to report his discovery. Now, what is the moral of the story?
MAX: That a breakthrough will come...
SOL: Wrong. The point of the story is the wife. You listen to your wife, she will give you perspective. Meaning, you need a break, you have to take a bath, or you’ll get nowhere. There will be no order, only chaos. Go home Max and you take a bath.
October 2009
18 posts
KJV-only Church to Burn Other Bibles and More →
“Sorry, kids, no candy for you, but we’ll take that NIV off your hands. Thanks.”
Brilliant.
Don’t forget to take their candy, too. We would not want them eating Satan’s sugar.
(via @julieclawson)
Convenience Stores
by Buddy Wakefield
We both know the smell of a convenience store at 4 AM like the backs of a lot of hands. She sells me trucker crack: Mini-Thins, like Vivarin. Doesn’t make me feel awkward about it.
She can tell it’s been a long drive, and it’s only gonna get longer. Offers me a free cup of coffee, but I never touch the stuff. Besides, I’m gonna need more speed than that.
We notice each...
Why Won't My Law Work Anymore?
Jesus is the ultimate outlaw. He “broke” the Law once for all.
After someone quoted Matthew 5:17 (in the King’s English, no less) in response to that, I thought I should clarify.
A better translation of that verse would be, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”
From...
Kashiwa Mystery Cafe →
What if money brought a lack of control rather than control?
Euthanizing the Word “Unbiblical” →
[The idea of “unbiblical”] maintains that Scripture is a self-enclosed system that cannot refer to anything outside of itself. This is exactly the way that science was done before hypothesis testing…
Some food for fundamentalist thought.
WatchComic Sans: The Film (via @emilyflores)
