Archive for the ‘art’ Category

Press play then close your eyes for 4:00 minutes.

Press play again and listen and watch.

Resurrection: Rob Bell from The Work of Rob Bell on Vimeo.

We all consume. Humanity would cease to exist without consumption. The question is: Do we consume responsibly? Art and music are rich and good for the human heart and mind. We listen. We connect. We consume and it is good. But why overspend for music when you can get it for free? Follow the link to the right to check out some FREE music from Amazon.com.

“Teaching Little Kyla…”
A series on Travis and Sarah’s journey of parental flubs, flaws, failures and accidental^ fortune.

The Invisible Children and Remember Nhu Clubs at MVNU are hosting an Art and Poetry awareness and fundraising event tonight (Wednesday) in the student union. Kyla will be presenting her piece of art that she and I composed this weekend. Her piece is called “Red and Yellow, Black and White” in reference to the song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” As we talked about “all the children of the world” and our need to show and express love to all, Kyla used her hands and fingers to paint red, yellow, and black around a cut-out of Africa that I drew, cut out, and taped to the canvas board making a white silhouette of the country where the dehumanization of children continues through militarization and exploitation. Though I cannot talk with Kyla yet about child soldiers and sexual trafficking, she can begin to understand that love and kindness for all of humanity. Eventually, she’ll hear their stories.

We are incapable to loving absent from relationship. We are incapable of relationship absent from the context of story. We have to learn about each other. We have to be aware of the formative life experiences that make us who we are both individually and as a collective group of people in a global community.

The world is our canvas. May we cover it with strokes of love.

^ There is someone(s) greater than me/us (a divine being and a community of people) that intercede with grace and giving.

I have read a number of articles about using a reader in order to keep up with blog content when wanting to read numerous blogs. Tyler Braun wrote about using Google Reader. I think if I were to use a reader it would be one from Google since they, in conjunction with Apple, do in fact run the universe (by which I mean, if Google and Apple didn’t exist there would be a cosmic implosion causing all things to move to a higher state of order which is simply unacceptable and perfectly acceptable in the postmodern era).^ I have elected, however, to avoid using a reader. Part of the blogging and blog reading experience extends well beyond the content hammered out on a keyboard. A reader delivers the content of individual posts but does not capture the fullness of a blog. Many bloggers spend hours designing layouts, color schemes, and headers (or is that just me) in order to 1) provide the reader with a pleasant and artistically engaged online experience; and 2) offer content and links that enhance the message of the written material. Unless Google’s Reader has a content feature that I have yet to explore I would suggest that one simply use the bookmarking and RSS features found in internet browsers in order to directly visit the sites about which you care. Appreciate the art. Appreciate the feel. Don’t just read it. Experience it.

^ For those needing explanation due to the sarcastic language concerning existentialism, postmodernism, and theology(ism), I may write another post with a more modernly-toned explanation.

Now that I am more acclimated and adjusted into my new role in our Student Development Office I have just a couple of things that need some work. OK… more than a couple things. In my report to the President and Board of Trustees I listed (11) challenges that I currently face in my position and (20+) initiatives/actions that I am implementing. But on to some more important items. I have a number of things that I still need to hang on the walls in my office. I have a wire from Ikea called Deka that holds pictures of Sarah and Kyla and I’ll be adding some framed pictures of the Oakwood Hall Staff from the last three years as well as some pictures of SGA and other random student goings-on. I also need to call a certain Adrian McKinney to get one of his original pieces that would work very well in the office.

The biggest problem with my office (other than the purplish carpet and counter top, both from which I’ve been able to detract the visual focus) is the empty refrigerator. I am planning to stock it with Naked Juice, Odwalla, and cranberry juice. Bottled water and soda will not adulterate the natural freshness which will be the aura of the previously identified refrigerator. What else should I put in my refrigerator? MVNU students and staff, if you were to stop by in between classes or during a break or just to talk and I were to give you a free beverage what would you want?

I have had some delay in my video review of Rob Bell’s newest book, Drops Like Stars. Some problems with my external hard drive have prevented finalizing the video. It will be posted as soon as I am able resolve that problem (I really hope I haven’t dropped all my stored data). Additionally, the series On Church will begin shortly after the review.

The pages on subversiveREFORMATION.com have been updated. Check out the menu bar and click HYPOTYPOSIS, INTERACTION, and RESOURCES. I am particularly interested in suggestions to the RESOURCES page. If you have ideas for local (MV, OH), art, and web resources please add your recommendation in a comment to this post.

Peace.

May the creative and artistic expressions in dance be considered worship? Does dance possess the same type of depth of meaning as other forms of creative production such as music and film?

What’s the saying?… “Dance like nobody is watching?” Or should it be… dance like everyone is watching and allow the lyrical flow of human movement to express the soul and texture of humanity in touch with the divine.

The most meaningful pieces of human struggle, tragedy, creativity, and beauty from So You Think You Can Dance?:

1) The Interplay of Creation: Hok and Jaime as a hummingbird and flower to The Chairman’s Walk from the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack.

2) On Confession and Forgiveness: Anya and Danny performing to Apologize by One Republic.

3) Time: Neil and Lacey dance as father and daughter to an emotionally invested Mia Michaels routine. Music by Billy Porter.

4) Commitment and Brokenness: Danced to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, Mark’s character commits his life to something other than the bleeding Chelsea.

5) Marriage at Bedtime: Jeanine and Phillip wrestle through anger to Mad by Ne-Yo.

6) Addiction and Freedom: Kayla is controlled by the sinister addiction (Kupono) danced to Gravity by Sara Bareilles.

What do you think of the new logo and the subtitle for subversiveREFORMATION.com? What do you think the image means? What are your thoughts on the phrase? Please comment.

“Teaching Little Kyla…”
A series on Travis and Sarah’s journey of parental flubs, flaws, failures and accidental^ fortune.

I have been considering getting a tattoo for way too long now. I need to just do it. The one thing keeping me from it is that I don’t want to be in the “everybody’s doing it / it makes you a trendy ‘with it’ emergent” category. If I do proceed to have a colored liquid substance commonly called ink injected/burnt into my epidermis I would choose to have some combination of either Hebrew or Greek lettering imprinted. I know Greek better so I am more likely to go with that. My current choices are as follows:

1.) The 5th chapter of The Gospel of Matthew in Greek text line after line across my shoulders and back.
2.) Same as above but down my side along the rib cage area.
3.) Alpha on one forearm. Omega on the other.
4.) ek statis  in Greek (somewhere).
5.) splaxnizomai in Greek (somewhere).
6.) ekklesia in Greek (somewhere).
7.) “I heart Mom” on my shoulder inside a heart (ok, not really… just to clear that up).

Kyla has been learning the English alphabet. She is really starting to get it down and is not yet 2 years old. “J-K-L-M-N-O” is giving her some trouble but she nails the “P.” I’ve started to teach her Hebrew and Greek. She does well with “Aleph-Bet-Gimel-Dalet” and “Alpha-Beta-Gamma-Delta.” I was thinking about making up some flashcards for her but then realized I could simply use my tattoos.

Should I get a tattoo?
What should it read?
If you had a child age 13-19 who wanted a tattoo would you allow it?
Should I be teaching my daughter the biblical languages?

^ There is someone(s) greater than me/us (a divine being and a community of people) that intercede with grace and giving.

Brian McLaren said, "I’m deep into revisions for A New Kind of Christianity , due out next March, and I’m feeling ‘in the zone.’ The first draft is done, but I revise first drafts like Chuck Norris unleashes roundhouse kicks, so the really intense work is underway."

Brian , you are my hero (one of them). You are a man of humility (unlike some other unnamed authors and speakers I’ve met) and a man who can write a first draft. I am so retentive, perfectionistic, and obsessive that I cannot get through a rough, first draft. I get stuck editing as I go and thereby get nowhere in my writings. I need to follow the advice spoken by Sean Connery’s character, William Forrester, in the film Finding Forrester , "Write! Bang the keys!" (or something like that).

A recent chapel service at MVNU was constructed by the Art Department. There was a very loud banging typewriter during the entire service. I heard a lot of negative feedback from some students but I’ve always appreciated the Art Department chapel and the unique forms of creating thoughtful reflection. MVNU students, here is your chance to unleash your thoughts: What is your reaction and reflection concerning the incessant banging of keys during a chapel gathering?