Conservatives Need to take Lesson from Gay Coalition

It is interesting to me how turned around conservative and fundamentalist "Christian" groups can be sometimes. In a blog I frequent I read a story about this women stroming into Target and demending to return products because she had read on the internet target had forbid its employees to make any mention of Christmas. The blog goes on to tell bout how there is a sign right infront of her that said merry Christmas as well as no such ban, its a really funny read Check it out I also recently read about Ford's Homosexual geared advertisments and how amny Gay coalition groups are rejecting them because they do not want to be counted as just another demographic to me dragged around by mass consumerism. I find it so interesting that people who call themselves christians desire to be a massive demographic to be comercialized even unto the point of taking thier most celebrated holiday and demand that it become more and more meaningless through a dilution of advertising. The gay coalition is fighting becoming just another group to be advertised to and are trying to stand out distinguished from the rest. I guess the city on the hill wants to grow now not by love and grace but by opening a few new strip malls within its walls. Oh well, Merry Christmas Anyways.
Pax
Stephen

Priesthood of the bloggers

I'm preaching at Emory on January 1st, 2006. I could have passed on the oportunity but I try to get into the pulpit whenever I can. It makes me wrestle with texts and gives me preaching practice.

Earlier this week, Charlie (EPC's current interim pastor) and I were discussing the sermon and the priesthood of believers. I thin in protestant churches the sermon event is one place they refuse to acknowledge the priesthood of believers. I'm not against having the same guy preach every week, but I think we preachers have to open up our preparation process to others and build some sort of ability to respond into the sermon. Charlie and I kicked around some ideas, but nothing we felt comfortable introducing at EPC just yet.

But I do want to open up the process to you, our loyal readers. I'm going to post my gospel text at the end of this post, and I hope you'll comment with your reaction to it. This is my first attempt at communal response to a text, so I don't even really know what will happen here or how it will effect the final sermon, but I think it's worth a shot. You could even comment on what you think a sermon on the first day of a new year should be about. Please take a minute and offer your thoughts for the benefit of this sermon.

Thanks-

Adam

Luke 2:15-21

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

My New Tattoo

I just thougth I would put up my new tattoo. I got it on Thursday the 15th at a really good shop here it Atlanta called Karmic Tattoos. They were great, It is also cool because Mary Liz drew it for me and they transfered her exact drawing onto my arm.
Pax
Stephen

Finally a Break

It's nice these days to open my calendar's to-do list and see nothing school related in it. I finished my last final Monday morning and now have two weeks to relax before taking Hebrew reading in January. Most of you know Jana and I spent the weekend in Florida with my parents. We hadn't seen them since the wedding, so it was fun to go down for their Christmas party, relax, eat at the newest of the family restaurants and spend time with them. We saw my brother Grant and his wife Laurie, as well as our niece Emma. She's 13 months old now and walking. Most importantly, we came back with a dog. His name is Cassius. He's a 3 year old pug. He used to belong to Grant and Laurie, but with one child and another on the way, they felt like he needed a home where he'd get more attention. They knew Jana and I had been thinking about getting a dog anyway, so they offered us Cassius. We took him and he's already taking over the apartment. In Jana's eyes it makes us a family now so she's very happy. Even I have to admit he's a nice addition to the apartment. I'm looking forward to spending the next two weeks reading, playing with the dog, and spending time with the wife. It's good to be done for awhile.

The difference between Stephen and Me

Stephen gets passionate about Iraq, I get passionate about this. Seriously people, if we followed this guy's advice, maybe I'd actually like Michael Vick for the one of a kind talent that he is (at times), instead of feeling like the NFL, TV networks and the city of Atlanta were trying to cram him down my throat like they're trying to assimilate me into the Borg.

NPR on Possible Iraqi Break Up

I heard this on NPR today. An former ambassador to Croatia compares the state of Iraq to that of Yugoslavia before its Civil War and consequent break up into smaller nations. I guess with all the "unity" war rhetoric I never fully considered the possibility of the country breaking up into seperate nation states divided by religion and nationality. It is very interesting to listen to some who knows the subject and has real experience in Nation breakups compare the two.
Pax
Stephen

Best of 2005

Not that anyone cares, but I decided to comprise a list of the Best and Worst of 2005, feel free to comment and add to these lists. This is a Stephen Specific List, not an all encompassing list.

Books

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- JK Rowlings
12 Marks of a New Monasticism- The Rutba House
The Last Word and the Word After That- Brian McLaren
Open Secrets- Richard Lischer
The Divinci Code & Angels and Demons- Dan Brown
Rome; The Biography of a City- Christopher Hibbert
The 5 People You Meet In Heaven- Mitch Albom

Cd's or Songs

Garden State Soundtrack
U2- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Gavin Degraw- Acoustic Version of Chariot
Herbie Handcock- Possibilities
Anything Ben Folds
Modest Mouse- Float on
Kanye West
Norah Jones

Television Shows

Simpsons
American Idol
Rome- HBO
Myth Busters
Going Tribal
Dirty Jobs

Movies

Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire
I (Heart) Huckabees
Fantastic Four
Sin City
Star Wars
War of the Worlds
Batman Begins

Events Personal and Public

Mary Clare's Birth
Going to Italy
U2 Concert
Emergent Convention
Hurricane Relief at MPC
Live Eight
One Campaign
Vacation to the Mountains with Friends

Favorite Public Figures

Bono
Jim Wallis
John McCain

Pax
Stephen

Focus on the Family says Defamation is Ok

James Dobson's Focus on the Family pulled out any financial support of Wells Fargo because it said they blatently supported Homosexuals and for integrity reasons they could no longer associate themselves with Wells Fargo. I do not agree with this theology but can understand why, with a conservative base, they would not want to be traced back to a Homosexual group. After I heard what the group really promoted is when I decided to write this post. This group was an advocacy group that helped fight against defamation of individuals, those individuals include homosexuals. So as long as you are white, heterosexual, middle class, and republican James dobson will make sure no one picks on you. Well at least I have 75% of the qualifications covered! Here is a site link off of the FOTF website to help cure Homosexuality for any of you out there who feel the gay bug coming on.
Pax
Stephen

NPR on the Beatles

Here is a nice NPR segment I heard today on a new book coming out about the Beatles, I found it really interesting. I hope you enjoy!
Pax
Stephen