Ask A Mennonite: Borscht

another one - for all those who might be interested

cool personal technology

would you have quit?

Music for when I'm gone...

I'm not sure if this is morbid or egotistical or just plain dumb but here goes. I have noticed that music plays a central role in how a person's memory is preserved at the public and private rituals that mark someone's passing. Essentially any 'closing ceremony' is for the benefit of those who remain. So perhaps there is no point in constructing this list - since it will obviously not be for my benefit nor will I have any actual control over how these ceremonies transpire. However, I rationalize this project in the following ways:

1. I assume in the midst of loss having a 'set list' to choose from might be a nice resource to have.

2. I would like to think that through the use of music that is meaningful to me - I could have some referential influence on the tone of the ceremonies.

3. This list in a small way helps me face the eventuality of death (a prospect that still makes me pretty nervous - I won't lie)

Here it is:

One Day I Walk -- Bruce Cockburn

I Don't Care -- Mary Margaret O'Hara

When People Go -- Craig Cardiff

Ojala Que Llueva Cafe -- Juan Luis Guerra

Whole Wide World -- Wreckless Eric

Intervention -- Arcade Fire

Luscious Life -- Patrick Watson

Glósóli -- Sigur Ros

All I Can Do -- Chantal Kreviazuk

Hamburg Song -- Keane

Into the Mystic - Van Morrison

Leah -- Toto

It's The Final Countdown -- Europe

and it would seem to feel good if I could be laid to rest while someone played "Gabriel's Oboe" -- Ennio Morricone

so there it is kind reader. Feel free to post your songs in the comments section. Or make this into a meme. If you have a blog why not post your own list there...

Check this out

A project I really believe in this project so go visit this site that I whipped up and get involved...

We've all heard about the food shortages so hey here's a way to do something of value for that situation.

Click here to visit

I have to say

I have heard this -as good as it is - referenced a few too many times...

Back at it...

I am over at the university for this Summer session. I am taking ED 2500 which is a introductory course for prospective applicants to the ED department. Next wee we get placed in a local school to observe and participate half days Monday to Thursday. I am looking forward to being back in the schools again. Since I have been in university my time on campus with junior and senior high students has been significantly reduced. This has easily been the hardest part of my transition - at least from a professional perspective. (There have been other more significant issues WE have faced in the last while on a personal level) My favorite part of youth ministry was the amount of time I got to spend with kids especially in their world - school. So it really seems like I have been cut off in some ways from a huge part of my life. This afternoon listening to my fellow students before class brought me back. They were discussing their addiction to various TV shows - like the Hills. It's weird the kind of connection that I am making with students in my class.
Now more than ever I am self conscious of my weight problem. I am not sure why 'cause it never really bothered me before. Part of it is that there has been no small focus on appropriate dress for our mini practicum. Long and short - it still amazes me that strangers wanna engage with me in a significant way as an individual. I have had some pretty significant conversations with a number of individuals already. It's always perplexing to me. But i recognize that whatever it is that I possess it is something that I must be responsible with before God. I can't actually identify what it is about who I am that others find interesting enough to want to engage with so I am left with this sense of awe that anyone would want to 'hang out' with me.
Anyways

i'll miss this

if the description of heaven i learned as a boy is mostly correct...

...the corrivalry of apprehending the veridical articulance of my excogitation...

i'll miss this

if the description of heaven i learned as a boy is mostly correct...

the first plunge of my tight fist deep into the accommodating - pizza dough

i'll miss this

if the description of heaven i learned as a boy is mostly correct...

the gentle at my back - my dad holding the seat learning to ride - then invading my personal space like when the boy hugs me after the water fight - the conniving spring wind

i'll miss this

if the description of heaven i learned as a boy is mostly correct...

the acid dance - full in my mouth - at once breaking your concentration and then losing it - coffee

Slaying Pluralism - a.k.a. a needle in Gil's ribs

what is pluralism?

It's a monster I tell you - look at me when I'm talking to you son - a veritable monster.

what makes it such a monster?

Now pay attention boy - this is important (look at me when I am talking to you). Pluralism is everything that is bad about the world today. Its the idea that you can pick and choose whatever the snot kind of idea you want to and plug it into your system of thinking. Doesn't matter if that new idea is basically completely opposite of a different idea you still believe. And then you just smile and nod at everyone else to tell them to screw off - Cause you are plural and you are right - got it? Now you're saying what is the big deal about that. Well, for starters it's insane. There's no way you can keep two exactly opposite ideas floating around in your brain at the same time. It's scientifically not possible and on top of that the Bible says exactly that - you can't serve two masters! And son if you take anything away from this here chat remember - ideas are our masters (and questions are their evil henchmen).

so pluralism is bad because it makes us consider other ideas?

That is right boy!.And as a Christian we have to make sure that we take our minds captive. Literally we need to put our minds in chains and sock them away for two double lifetime sentences with no chance of parole. But not only is pluralism insane it's lazy!

Lazy?

Yup - now listen boy cause you'll miss this... If you go around thinking that Buddhism might have some angle on truth and evolutionists do too and then you play with the God made everything idea - well pretty soon you are just going to give up - it's too hard to think about all that stuff and besides your friends all think wildly different stuff and you still wanna make out with them after class - right! so chill don't take everything they say so seriously just accept whatever - it'll be okay. THAT is what Pluralism would have you believe son. Tricky little bugger that one. Pretty soon you are just throwing everything you ever believed in right out the door.

do you really think so?

Well look sure your friends come from different backgrounds. They've experienced life really differently than you have. Their idea of God or truth might be messed up cause of the divorce of the parents, the ethnic background they come from, their exposure to TV. But we've raised you better than that - AND there is no need to sully your good name or that of the Lord Jesus Christ by trying to get so stinking involved in other people's lives and ideas. I mean if people have experienced crap like that in their lives their ideas about truth and God and religion have to be screwed up. (doesn't the Bible say something about sowing and reaping...)

But...

No don't give me that --- it's dangerous. The most important thing to remember is that you need to protect your faith. Lock it up! Cause they are going to tell you that science can disprove God. And they will tell you that history points to some horrific parts of the church's past. Then they will teach you that came from monkeys. They'll suggest that homosexuality is natural too. They throw in the beer or the bong and Whammo they have you hooked. You can't compete with that nobody can - not even Billy Graham. Next thing you know you're considering that sitting around doing yoga is 'good exercise'!

Are you sure that is the way it is?

Look right all the way down through history Christianity has been the underdog. That's our thing. And don't let anyone tell you different. I mean we've never been so arrogant and dismissive as people are these days - claiming that they are so open minded as if that we a virtue or something. I mean you tell a pluralist that the world is flat are they just going to incorporate that into their ideology? come on?

But...didn't we do that a few years back?

what do you mean?

didn't we believe that the world was flat in spite of the growing evidence that it wasn't?

well, yeah but that was different. first of all that wasn't the real church and second everybody thought that way back then - we weren't the only ones. and there were some pretty stubborn people back then who could seem to just let common sense take over. And that was before we really started using reason to develop strong theology. you know the reformation and stuff...

...Look I don't know why you need so much convincing here. Pluralism is the neighbour to atheism. And that is that.

so it's a monster then?

Yup!

So in this picture you've created for me here Pluralism is the giant hulking monster on the horizon and we are...the little guy down by the stream picking up stones for our sling?

...Sure!

Okay, so who wins?

Gil says it better here

check out indexed

here

ht: MarkO

Ask a Mennonite: Crisis Courtship

uhm