Simplifying, Sex God, and the Prayer Soundtrack
By Brian on Jan 16, 2008
- It’s time for me to work on simplifying. The last several months were busy with projects at work and home (starting with my surprise kitchen remodel and continuing through my recent remodel of our rental house). I have too much email waiting for action in my inbox, too many papers on my desks (at home and work), and too many loose ends crufting up my thoughts. Time for some early spring cleaning.
- I can’t think of simplifying without thinking of the magazine that makes me smile and gives me a little hop in my giddyup every time I see it on a newsstand: Real Simple. Bob Congdon is concise about it: “It’s a 400 page thick monthly. That’s 4,800 pages a year on how to make life easier. Have we all become irony deficient?”
- I finished reading Rob Bell’s latest book, Sex God. It was good and not nearly as scandalous as I thought it would be given the book title, some chapter titles, and some of the reaction it’s gotten (the skinny: the book isn’t really about sex, it’s about connectedness - to people and to God). I agree with and appreciate Scot McKnight’s thoughts on the book here and here.
- Tim Russert thoroughly owned Hillary Clinton on Meet the Press this week. As I’ve said before, there’s no one in the media I appreciate more than Russert. He doesn’t yell and harangue at his guests, he calmly plays tape of their prior comments or quotes evidence of their positions then asks straightforward, pointed and insightful questions and therefore politely forces his guests to either answer honestly or be exposed as two-faced. I’ll let you guess which way Hillary went.
- Finally, an underrated aspect of Pine Ridge: unlike just about every other church I’ve ever been in, they don’t play elevator music while people pray. I don’t know how this trend started, but it’s pervasive and a pet peeve of mine. Whenever the pastor or anyone else starts to pray, the band or the organist or whoever plays soft, lilting music during the prayer. Makes no sense. It’s like a movie soundtrack, but for someone praying. I’ve thought about trying this at the dinner table sometime - whip out my iPod and crank up some soft instrumental music before thanking God for the meatloaf. Maybe I’ll try that tonight just to see how Gretchen and the kids react. At Pine Ridge everything is silent except the person praying. Well done.
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.