Archive for the ‘language’ Category

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.

God is not a man. Not a white man. Not an old man. Check out the video and comment your thoughts below. What made you chuckle and why? Ultimately is it because of not-love that you extend toward certain people for certain things? What is theologically good and what is theologically ridiculous?

“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.

Thanks to "makeesha" and Julie Clawson for their thoughtful comments and contributions to some ongoing dialogue on my previous post concerning Emergent Village , their^ recent gathering, and the ideas of home and church. makeesha pointed out one thing that i was attempting to suggest or about which i was honestly inquiring. The blogosphere and twittersphere are quite confusing when dealing with anything other than the regularities of life. Many things are hard to communicate when the conversational dynamics of tone, vocal inflection, facial expression and body language are absent. Yet, inconsistently, I continue to blog. Ha! In the same way I wonder about the clarity of communication during a gathering of those with limited to no historical and proximal connectivity (maybe that is an incorrect assumption). How does Emergent Village benefit one’s local context? How does EV benefit a community’s love toward neighbor? What is the value to Emergent Village’s global presence? Are these some of the questions discussed at the gathering in D.C.? What are some perspectives about the value of the family and the family being the agent of change with the church in order for the church to be the agent of change within society?

Julie, I am glad that you were not permitted and/or discouraged from Tweeting during the gathering. A friend recently tweeted that even though there were a good number of people attending a Bible study gathering that none of them really seemed present – to which I replied, "It’s good to see that you are fully present since you are tweeting." I also recently wrote a short book review on Reggie McNeal’s Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders where I focused on the the idea of centering our time and energy so as not to have the distractions of internet, mobile phones, and television consume us.

^ I realized after writing this post that I used the possessive language of "their" when referring to Emergent Village. I hope this is not offensive as I know that any of us who have every associated ourselves with or been labeled as "emeregent" (whether for good or bad) do not wish to be an exclusive group that claims ownership of some institutionalized system.

A conversation had in the lobby of Oakwood Hall at MVNU . Some alterations may or may not exist toward the end of the conversation for the purposes of communicability:

Ryan Walker : Do you like the Decemberists?
Travis Keller : I don’t know. Are they post-rock instrumental?
Ryan (hereinafter called "Toast") : Have you ever listened to them?
Travis : Yes, I think so. But I have listened to many musical things so sometimes I cannot specifically recall who sings what and if it is good. Are they good?
Toast : Yeah. They’re good.
Travis : How do you know?
Toast : It’s an opinion.
Travis : So they really might not be good?
Toast : To some people.
Travis : So it’s just your perception and musical taste or flav’a that defines what is good? Then how can one know if anything is ever really good? What does it mean to be good anyway? For example. I loathe country music.
Toast : Yeah.
Travis : Country music is not good. Or is it? Who am I to think that I can authoritatively say what is good and what is not good? Maybe country music is good. Maybe all forms of music are good and I’m just too arrogant or self-absorbed to value the person(s) creating a certain type of music. What if all music is good and I simply don’t appreciate it?

What does it mean for something to be good?
What is goodness?

Please comment.

I updated my previous installation of WordPress 2.5 to 2.7 using Fantastico within my AN Hosting account. Due to heavy reading expectations in my M.A.R. Missional Leadership program, I have had a difficult time keeping my blog posts recent and current. Hopefully, the new look and feel of my upgraded dashboard will encourage me to continue posting regularly. I really am enjoying the flow and usability along with the fresh and appearance.

I also hope to continue to refine the look of subversiveREFORMATION.com as I continue to learn CSS and HTML along with web hosting and image creating/editing. I don’t find the process of blogging and learning web-languages an irresponsible use of time. Our culture is one that has become dependent upon  or at least adjusted to online forms of connectivity and communication with images, video, and instant response systems at the core of interaction.

An interesting question arises with web-language and communication technologies: What is the appropriate Christian response to decreasing human-to-human interactions ?

I wonder if those who claim to be "pro-life" have ever taken antibiotics.

What is life?

Are "pro-lifers" opposed to war? Is it morally acceptable to claim that "life" starts at conception and ends in an act of violence whether that be the capital punishment, war, or even slavery?

Remeber that term “devotions?”
“Did you do your devotions today?”
“I need to spend 15 minutes a day in my devotions.”

What did that even mean?

I can only presume that the language of “devotions” was used as the idea of being devoted to God. So did that mean that only 15 minutes a day was devoted to God? I have always preferred the idea of the disciplines. Reading, solitude, writing, and prayer are all fundamental elements of the Christian life. I maintain a personal journal that I do not publish here but have also found that blogging has become a source of fulfillment as a discipline. We are able to read the thoughts and lives of fellow sojourners and learn and grow from one another. When I ensure that I have time to post and read others’ posts I feel more creative and imaginitive as a hopeful follower of Jesus.

“Be true to yourself.” What does that even mean?