Bend

I came down to Bend on a short excursion with Kelli. She had a Salvation Army work thing going on so I tagged along (I was her chauffeur). The thing about Bend is that it has about 7-8 breweries so we had to stop in a few so I could check out the beer scene down here.

Deschutes Brewery

I was surprised by how small the Deschutes Brewery was in Bend. After seeing the enormous space in Portland I was expecting huge things but it was rather small and quaint and I actually liked it all the more for that reason. With my sampler tray at Deschutes I basically tried all of the seasonals which you can see listed out.

This was very good stuff. My favorites were the Saison and the Mirror Mirror Barleywine. I've seen the Barleywine in 22 ounce bottles but it is fairly pricey so I've avoided it. But this was aged for 8 months in a variety of barrels (including Oak, Port, Pinot Noir, and Bourbon) which gives it a very complex and warm taste. I may buy a bottle and save it for the dead of winner. The Miss Spelt was also good, having a rich banana, clove flavor that is uniquely German.











This may be hard to see with this picture, but the guy in the picture in the front patio is at Deschutes, but he decided to order a St. Pauli Girl in the bottle! Uh, ok.
















Cascade Lakes Brewery





















This was the first brewery we visited. They had the largest sized samples I've ever seen! These are samples? Yikes.

Most of the people there were ordering the Blonde Bombshell which, for a Blonde Ale was nice and refreshing. But I think like most blonde ales' or pilsners it's more a beer for people who aren't beer drinkers.

My favorite here was the IPA which was unique in the fact that it has much more of a grain profile than most IPA's. The IBU's were really low, at 50, which I'm not even sure falls in the Northwest IPA range, but it was nice to drink regardless.

Enjoyed the food as well.























Bend Brewing Co.

I think that was probably my favorite brewery in Bend. Lots of variety, and the sampler they give you is RIDICULOUSLY huge. Seriously, they give you a sample of everything they have on tap!

The best beers here were the Wild Blue Yonder Oregon Amber. Very sweet, enjoyed it more than Drop Top. The Elk Lake IPA was quality as well. They have a Hop Head Imperial IPA in the 22 ounce bottle that won a Gold Medal back in 2006, and a bronze in 2008. I grabbed a bottle on my way out and am excited for an upcoming occasion to break it out. This was a really nice local brew pub. I highly recommend checking it out.






























A few other beers I got to try at lunch and dinner were:

10 Barrell Brewing Co. Summer Ale - If you're into Coors, you'll probably like this. :( I truly have very little appreciation for wimpy beers.

Three Creeks Brewery IPA - Dave Fleming, the guy who was the brewmaster at the Lucky Lab now works for Three Creeks. Definitely tastes like a Dave Fleming beer!



Don't worry everyone, the pregnant one among us just had milk! Seriously.


















This is just a random pic of a strange bush that I thought may attack. Seriously, doesn't that look creepy?

Also, on a final note, it probably looks like all I've done is drink beer in the last few days. Let's keep in mind that these were all just little sampler trays! Ok, I feel better.

Cubs

We received our first Cubs onesie!*

Thanks Dad and Sue!











*We haven't even had our child yet and I'm already posting pics.

"There's the scrotum."

I've never been so excited to hear those words this morning.

We're having a boy!!!!

Preaching...

When I was in high school I was captivated by the art or preaching. I loved listening to a good preacher, thankfully I was in a church that had a great one from whom I've learned much! I loved the storytelling, the comic timing, the intentional use of words. It would be that preacher that I listened to for three years who would give me my first opportunity to preach and that man's encouragement that pointed me down the path I am on.

In college I slowly and painfully learned the nuts and bolts of preaching as I did a B.A. in the subject (you probably didn't know that existed huh?). I remember preaching classes where we would deliver sermons that would be instantly critiqued by our peers and the two preaching professors (one gracious and gentle, another more like a lion) although I loved and respected them both. I'm not sure how many bad sermons these guys have had to listen to, but I'm fairly sure it amounts to more than the bad singing Simon Cowell has put up with. Plus Simon doesn't have to listen to someone dying for 30 minutes at a time!

As the college years went on, my friends and I started doing "pulpit supply" on Sundays which basically meant we were rented out to small, dying churches who couldn't afford a full time pastor. It was in these small country Illinois churches that I started to learn what it meant to "die to self". One time I remember preaching at Irish Grove Presbyterian Church to four people, all in the front row! (one of which died about three weeks later). A second memory I have is a church where the same woman would get up every week, someone would start the tape and she would sing "Majesty". Strangely it seemed that people enjoyed it just as much every week.

But there were moments of glory as well! Getting asked to preach at Focus (a midweek student led service) was a highly sought after gig and strangely now, I don't even remember it. I do however remember my senior sermon which i still have a tape of. At the time it was the largest group I had ever preached to and probably the longest I've ever preached. Apparently I thought should milk every second for what it was worth. Unfortunately, that same day I also borrowed a pair of pants from a "friend" which were much too thin and revealed way too much! Longest 45 minutes of my life!

After that I did a preaching internship in Florida for 6 months and then moved to New York City where I would preach about 8-10 times a year (including one failed attempt at a first-person narrative of David). And now of course, at Evergreen I'm the primary teacher at the Hawthorne gathering. If I've learned anything about preaching in the last year it is this: it is a lot easier to preach when you are the "breath of fresh air", that is, when you are the one preaching once every six weeks. Because, regardless of whether it was good or not, the fact that it was a change from the norm excites people, it gives them the variety they need now and again and you receive tons of compliments! But something clearly changes when you become the norm! Now, suddenly you find you're not near as exciting as you used to be (nor as funny), you're simply the baseline, and that is HARD work.

One of my favorite quotes about preaching comes from Reinhold Niebuhr when he was 22 years old and just getting started:

“Now that I have preached about a dozen sermons I find I am repeating myself. A different text simply means a different pretext for saying the same thing over again. The few ideas that I had worked into sermons at the seminary have all been used, and now what? They say a young preacher must catch his second wind before he can really preach. I’d better catch it pretty soon or the weekly sermon will become a terrible chore."

For all you theology nerds....

If anyone is just dying to read a theology of God's providence, feel free to give mine a read.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And no, I'm not an Open Theist :)

A Theology of God's Providence

It may be easier to copy and paste it into a Word Document to read it. I hate how Google Docs formats.

Also, since writing this paper last year I am also really interested in Jurgen Moltmann's idea that God's locus of being is in the future so it's not that God knows the future, it's that He's simply remembering the past. Interesting stuff!

Some May Music Recs

Viva Voce - Rose City
I remember when my friend Gunnar told me about Viva Voce when I was still in high school. I liked Hooray for Now but haven't heard anything from them since then (although they've put out several records). This was a good reintroduction to a band that has changed quite a bit. If you've been wondering what's been playing at Evergreen Hawthorne on Sunday mornings before the gathering, this is it!





Son Volt - American Central Dust
I'm still a sucker for alt-country. You gotta problem with that?












Sonic Youth - The Eternal
I've never been a huge Sonic Youth fan, although I've seen them live a few times in NYC. But this record is grabbing my attention for some reason.










Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
I've enjoyed everything GLS' have done. No difference here.












Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, the Commuter
I liked Grandaddy what can I say? I've heard this guy is pretty horrible live though. That's the word on the street, anyway.










Jeremy Enigk - OK Bear
I'm glad to see Enigk still on the scene and making good music. You never know what's going to happen musically after someone comes to Jesus! But he is as good as ever. Phew!









The Antlers - Hospice
I think this is a good record, and worth a listen but I don't picture myself listening to it all the time.












So far this year there still hasn't been anything that has really wowed me. I'm hoping for a strong finish for 2009!
Anything I should know about?

The Summer of Dustin

As many of you already know, coming this Nov. there will be a brand new Bagby in the house who will begin to rule our lives forever. And so, naturally I am going to try to get all that I can out of our last summer of non-parenthood. Some great things have already happened such as graduating from Seminary and having a bunch of visitors the last few weeks. But there is much to look forward too as we squeeze every drop of potential out of summer '09.

• Getting to go back to the Lompoc to hang with the guys!

• I just ordered a propane cooker and a new 8 gallon brew kettle so i can brew outside this summer! (thanks graduation money!). Bagby Brewery will be in full force.
  

• A trip with Kelli to Lake Tahoe. I love when she has work trips to sweet places.
  

• A trip back to Illinois in July for a baby shower. Bring on the diapers!
  

• And of course, a rigorous hiking schedule*

• Watching some Portland Beavers games.
  

• Continuing a weekly regime of basketball with the guys.**
  

*until Kelli cries "uncle".
**some may call it "bi-weekly"

Beer Talk

I haven't made a beer blog post in a while so I thought I would put a few things out there.

First, how long has the Horse Brass Pub been putting their beer offerings online?
That is fantastic!


Laurelwood Workhorse IPA
Laurelwood makes incredible beer almost exclusively! They're consistency amazes me. This IPA is one of my favorites this year, and also won the March Madness IPA contest head to head against 64 other IPA's spanning the country which says a lot in the land where IPA is king! A








Steve Lynch's Bike Town Nut Brown-Collaborator/Widmer
The description is as follows: A NW version of a British style Brown Ale. Medium bodied with a smooth, slightly nutty flavor, very drinkable. I semi-understand the British style Brown Ale and I'm not sure if it's that I simply don't like the style, or this beer tastes more like water than beer. Inconclusive at this point, but in any case I would give it a C- at best.


Full Sail Keelhauler Scottish Ale
I have never cared for Full Sail's regular offerings but their seasonals and Brewmaster specials are generally phenomonal. (For instance, the Black Gold Imperial Stout blew my mind, and I must have bought a 22 ounce of their Imperial Porter 4 or 5 times). This isn't quite up to those standards but is a solid Scottish Ale. Medium bodied, sweet malty goodness.

a few changes...

Graduating the MDiv program @ Western (Apr. 25th)
Three years and it's almost over. The time went fast (mostly) but I really enjoyed my experience. While I am a LONG way from knowing it all, my understanding of the complexities of life and theology has increased vastly. Looking back, I cannot imagine not spending the last three years in intense study. I feel like i've got a much stronger foundation now. How's that for a seminary promo?

I've heard people say in the past, "I didn't learn anything at Seminary" or "Seminary was a waste of time". I can now confirm that this says more about the person making that statement than it does about the value of seminary. Either that, or the seminary they went to simply sucked big time. I truly believe like most of anything else however, you get out of it what you put in.

Being a Father (starting on or around Oct. 29th)
So, does anyone know much about this fatherhood/parenting deal? Kelli is just starting her second trimester. We go again to see another ultrasound on Tuesday. It will be amazing to see the development that has happened in the past month! I've been mentally preparing for this for the last three and a half years of marriage. So there's not as much fear as there is simply excitement. I can't wait to be a dad.

The pregnancy this far has been very smooth. Kelli hasn't really experienced any morning sickness at all! Phew!

So, for those of you who are parents out there, let me ask you this:
what was the single most surprising thing about parenthood?

ReJesus - Hirsch and Frost

I just finished Hirsch and Frost's new collaborative effort, "Re-Jesus; A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church" and thought it was a fun, challenging, and insightful read.

Throughout church history there have been many "back to the foundations" type movements. The church heritage that I come from (Restoration Movement) was one of these. These movements emphasize the throwing off the unhelpful layers of church tradition and practice that have built up over the years and get back to being a New Testament Church. Part of this is a result of a general naivete of what the first century church looked like (have they read 1 Corinthians?). But part of it is a genuine desire to clear the way for people to know Jesus and to not be hindered by the crap that can get in the way.

In a sense this is what Hirsch and Frost have attempted to do in ReJesus. The difference however is their starting point. Many "back to the beginning" movements (and many of us pastors) start with making changes in or adjusting our ecclesiology. The authors take things back a few steps and start with Christology which they contend must be prior to our missiology or ecclesiology. And it is for this reason that I think they are on to something that, while we'll always be readjusting and recalibrating, would bring powerful change and break down some of the barriers for people trying to find their way back to God.

To read a sample chapter click here. 

Some other sites of interest:

Alan Hirsch's Blog

Michael Frost's thingy. 

Some light in the darkness!

As many of you know from previous posts I've been dealing with some perpetual health issues. Every time something gets corrected, some other random thing pops out of the woodwork. All of these random problems starts to make a person feel inadequate after a while, like they're weaker than normal people or something. It also makes me bitter because I feel like I haven't brought any of these things on myself through smoking or drugs or eating awfully or anything. I've lived a relatively healthy life.

But that hasn't prevented the 2 knee surgeries, being on seizure medication for 5 years, or the unbelievably high Triglycerides that has brought me to the Cardiologist for the last 9 months on top of other things. In the last 10 years I feel like I've had every test imaginable. Ultrasounds, MRI's, CT Scan's, EKG's, a bazillion blood tests, cortisone injections, on and on. I won't even go into how difficult this makes it to get insurance. Absolutely impossible.

I've always felt weird about telling people about my partial seizure disorder because I feel like people think I'm a weirdo somehow, or they're afraid I'm going to have a seizure in their presence or something which is certainly unpleasant. I've only had one grand mal seizure in my life, on the New York subway which was a blast. The others have all been of the smaller sort where I retain consciousness. I remember in college a few times I had them while I was driving alone. I didn't know what was happening at the time. Had I known they were partial seizures, I may have acted before the big daddy happened in 2004.

All of this weighs on me and frustrates me to no end. I feel relatively helpless and keep fearing what could possibly be next. Just when I think there is a good stretch ahead, something gives.

But I say all of that because today is a good day. After 5 years and no seizures, the time has come to discontinue my medication which I have as of Monday. That is a large step and it feels great. Certainly frightening as I wait to see what will happen, but the end of a season nonetheless.

On top of that I have a GREAT cardiologist who has taught me, encouraged me, challenged me, and has brought all kinds of blessings to our lives in the last 9 months. I am very thankful for her. Today she gave me the news that my triglyceride level has gone from 560 to 215 in the last 9 months due to a huge diet change, exercise (not as much due to this), and a few medications. The good news is, in 6 weeks it looks like I could break the 150 mark at which point we would start to discontinue some of the medication and I wouldn't have to go back for a year!

Once again I'm praying for a good stretch of health for the rest of 2009! I'm feeling confident that it's going to happen this time!

The Problem Inside Pt. 1

As I've previously written, I've been incredibly inspired by the life and writings of John Wesley in the last few weeks and just three days ago read his "Twelve Rules of a Helper" which he wrote to those who were traveling and preaching all over England.

Two of these really connected with me:

5. Believe evil of no one unless fully proved; take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction you can on everything. You know the Judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner's side.

6. Speak evil of no one; else your word, especially, would eat as doth a canker. Keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.

At my graduate school there have been many times that I have thought the worst of students, two in particular. I've been learning this past month however, that the problem isn't as much with them as it is inside of me.

Yesterday God confirmed this as I was in a separate class with each of these guys. In the first class, the student in which I have lost my temper on a few times came over, sat by me and told me that he appreciated what I had to say a few weeks back. Man, talk about killing with kindness. I felt dead indeed.

After my second class, a student whom I've always thought of as being one of those smug neo-reformed guys (that I just wrote about) came up to me and shook my hand and asked me how I was. It is rare that we've ever really talked but the fact that he approached me and showed me kindness once again confirmed that God is in the process of teaching me a few lessons.

I realized yesterday that these two guys, that I have a tendency of thinking the worst of, are actually quite kind and normal; in Seminary for the same reason I am, to be stretched and serve God faithfully for a lifetime.

Top Fifteen Wilco Songs

In the last week there has been a might resurgence of Wilco playing on my computer so, even though it is not List December™ I thought I would post a new list. So here you go! Feel free to moan and fuss.

15. Wishful Thinking (A Ghost is Born)

14. I’m Always In Love (Summerteeth)

13. Red Eyed and Blue (Being There)

12. Please Be Patient With Me (Sky Blue Sky)

11. Misunderstood (Being There)

10. Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (Summerteeth)

9. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

8. Shouldn’t Be Ashamed (A.M.)

7. She’s a Jar (Summerteeth)

6. How to Fight Loneliness (Summerteeth)

5. Passenger Side (A.M.)

4. Theologians (A Ghost is Born)

3. Ashes of American Flags (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

2. Via Chicago (Summerteeth)

1. California Stars (Mermaid Ave.)

a few good reads...

Scot McKnight weighs in on the Neo-Reformed movement (or what his friend refers to as fundamentalists in nicer clothing).

He says, "The NeoReformed movement of which I speak is an attempt to capture evangelicalism, redefine it by some clearly-defined doctrines that are Reformed, and kick the rest of us -- and there are lots more "of us" than the NeoReformed -- off the village green."

And then he says this which I thought was extremely accurate:

"Furthermore, the NeoReformed have come to equate the meaning of "gospel" with Calvin's "Reformed theology." And those who aren't Reformed are somehow or in some ways denying the gospel itself. When gospel is equated with double predestination, often said in harsh terms, we are seeing a good example of the spirit of a NeoReformed approach. This leads, inevitably, to seeing what they call the "doctrines of grace" as defining both "gospel" and "evangelical."

I just read a fellow student's blog asserting the exact thing last week!

In any case, here are the posts.

Post #1

Post #2

And then, for fun Roger Olson joins the discussion.

These are relevant for me as I am a non-Calvinist/non-Reformed pastor in a seminary setting that is heavily populated with those of the neo-reformed persuasion. This can be very agitating as the smugness and the sureness they exude is enough to smother most people. I will say this, my air supply is running out.

To be honest, I don't really believe in "systems" of theology. I find that most times people simply resign to believe in a complete system when they get weary of the tension that they read throughout Scripture. Finally, one day they give up and just say, "Fine, I'll just be a Calvinist", or "I'll just be an Arminian." I'm not sure this describes everyone who believes strongly in a system of theology, but I imagine it includes many. Who knows, maybe one day I'll join them. But not today.

Great Cover of REM's Hairshirt

Open to Correction

As I’ve been reading more and more about John Wesley and his teachings, the more I’m impressed by his heart and vision. Not only did the man preach between 42,000-50,000 sermons in his lifetime (more than 2 a day during his entire adult life), but he traveled some 225,000 miles to preach mostly on horseback. The more he preached, the less he was invited back to preach because of his prophetic words to the dead Church of England. His words of compassion were saved for the working class whom he would preach to at 5am and 5pm almost everyday wherever they were at. He said of his sermons, “I design plain truth for plain people.”

In the last few days I read through a short biography called “Strangely Warmed: the Amazing Life of John Wesley” which I highly recommend. His life, struggles, work ethic, heartbreak, and vision are very easy to connect with.

One of my favorite things about Wesley is his openness to correction.

He said in his preface to his sermons something we ALL need to hear (especially the self-proclaimed “discernment blogs”, as well as those who listen to Rush all day :) ….

“Are you persuaded you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then treat me as you would desire to be treated yourself upon a change of circumstances. Point me out a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have been accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labor with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not displeased if I entreat you not to beat me down in order to quicken my pace: I can go but feebly and slowly at best; then, I should not be able to go at all. May I not request of you, further, not to give me hard names in order to bring me into the right way. Suppose I were ever so much in the wrong, I doubt this would set me right. Rather, it would make me run so much the farther from you, and so get more and more out of the way. If you are angry, so shall I be too; and then there will be small hopes of finding the truth.”

He says this in Christian Perfection…

“Be patient with those who disagree with you. Do not condemn those who do not see things just as you do, or who think it is their duty to contradict you, whether in a great thing or a small. O, beware of touchiness, of testiness, of an unwillingness to be corrected. Beware of being provoked to anger at the least criticism, and avoiding those who do not accept your word.”

This is not easy. It is much easier to make over-generalizations, call names, or discount people due to the label that has been placed on them by others than to actually intelligently and compassionately engage with an idea.

March Music Recs

Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
I loved their first two albums and thanks to Jon Irvine , I saw them and Centro-Matic at the New World Brewery in Tampa, which is basically just a patio. Check out their Myspace and listen to "Moving Pictures, Silent Films".

That was also the location that a drunk guy threw a beer glass that came close to hitting me, shattered on the floor, and the glass of which hit Kelli's foot which of course instantly infuriated me. I almost had to be restrained, just ask Kelli. :)



Radio Moscow - Brain Cycles
I will admit that this is unlike anything I typically listen to but I'm loving it. Total blues rock band. Apparently they were signed by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. That would make sense. Check it out here.










The Soft Hills - Painted World

Indie band from Seattle (how cliche). Check it out here. Nice chill record to do work to.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon

Pitchfork = 4.2 (out of 10)

Rolling Stone = 5 stars (out of 5)

Obviously the criteria for critiquing an album is much different.

But I'm going to have to go with Pitchfork on this one.

I watched all of their performances on Letterman this week, I honestly thought they were making a mockery of themselves with "Get On Your Boots". It was hard to watch. I felt embarrassed for them.

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization

Thanks to Paul Park for this interesting read...

"Hipsterdom is the first “counterculture” to be born under the advertising industry’s microscope, leaving it open to constant manipulation but also forcing its participants to continually shift their interests and affiliations. Less a subculture, the hipster is a consumer group – using their capital to purchase empty authenticity and rebellion. But the moment a trend, band, sound, style or feeling gains too much exposure, it is suddenly looked upon with disdain. Hipsters cannot afford to maintain any cultural loyalties or affiliations for fear they will lose relevance."

Read the article here.

Are You a Christian Hipster?

"Christian hipsters tend not to like contemporary Christian music (CCM), or Christian films (except ironically), or any non-book item sold at Family Christian Stores. They hate warehouse churches or churches with American flags on stage, or churches with any flag on stage, really. They prefer “Christ follower” to “Christian” and can’t stand the phrases “soul winning” or “non-denominational,” and they could do without weird and awkward evangelistic methods including (but not limited to): sock puppets, ventriloquism, mimes, sign language, “beach evangelism,” and modern dance. Surprisingly, they don’t really have that big of a problem with old school evangelists like Billy Graham and Billy Sunday and kind of love the really wild ones like Aimee Semple McPherson."

Read the rest here...

Bagby

I traced my family back 9 generations today (partially with the help of my cousin Amie's previous reseach) to Halifax, NC where about 4 generations of Bagby's lived until Thomas Bagby moved to Illinois in the mid-1850's. The trail goes dead at Isaac Bagby in the 1700's. I'm not sure who emigrated and from where. It could be Scotland but it's also possible that it could be England. I'm hooked though, I want to know my roots!


I also found out there is a Bagby, UK.

















And a Church of Bagby.


And finally, there was also a Grover Cleveland Bagby.
No joke!

An Actual Moment From Class Today

Today at school, one of my professors was speaking of Stanley Hauerwas and John Howard Yoder, both of whom are Christian pacifists, and have written very influential books in this realm. He was speaking of them in the context of how they engage(d) (or did not engage) with the world of politics.

This was an actual comment by a student whom raised his hand to impress us with this:
"So, are they kind of like the militia?"

Me: Absolutely dumbfounded

Seriously, can I please graduate early?

What does BusinessWeek know?

Portland has found itself at the top of another list, but not the kind you can brag about.

A staggering jump in calls to a crisis intervention hotline, high rates of depression and divorce have landed Portland atop BusinessWeek's list of unhappiest American cities. The magazine looked at a range of factors - crime, unemployment, and cloudy days (an average of 222 a year in case you're wondering) - and concluded that the Rose City is one miserable place.

read the rest here...

March

Mentally for me, the move into March today is extremely encouraging. Even though I know we have plenty of crappy weather left (actually, the crappy weather is probably just beginning), there is something about the move into March that just starts to feel more like Spring is coming. The expectation of longer days, for the beautiful nights of summer, for the Easter resurrection, the hiking, the BBQ'ing, the spring and summer ales...so many things to look forward to and get excited about.

March means a few things to me...

First, baseball is here. There are some spring training games on television next week and I don't even care that they are absolutely meaningless, just to watch a baseball game happening in a dry, warm place is soothing in some weird way. If just one time I can go to Arizona to watch spring training games for an entire week I will die a happy man.

Second, March Madness. For the last two years I have had class during most of the first round action. This year, not the case. I will actually be able to watch most of the first and second rounds. Kelli will be in Illinois, and I have no class on those days!

Dear Bob and Chris, I will be working at home those days. :)

Third, DST. Say what you will about George Bush (of whom I have said plenty). If he got everything else wrong, he at least made DST earlier and for that I will always remember him with praise. There is something encouraging about being in class on Monday nights and having it still be light at 7:30. Another sign that graduation is near.

Russian Mythology

I've been reading some history of Russian Orthodoxy and am amazed at how many myths have been developed through the ages in Russia. They are very creative storytellers and it is difficult to tell fact from fiction many times. They had a tendency to raise questions and if no one had a good answer, they would simply fill in the blanks. This is one of those stories! (which is NOT one of the stories where it is hard to tell whether it is fact or fiction...)

"A legend arose that Adam made a crown or garland from branches and twigs of the tree of life while he still resided in paradise. At his death, Adam was buried wearing the garland. As time passed, an immense tree grew out of the garland and the roots embedded themselves in the coffin of Adam. After many centuries the entire tree was dug up-roots and coffin included-and brought to Solomon for use in building his temple. The tree was rejected by the builders and was replanted on the hill of Golgotha, including the roots and Adam's coffin. Later, the tree was hewn down and used to make the very cross that Christ was crucified on. When the blood of Christ flowed from his body, it seeped into the ground and into the coffin, and dripped upon the preserved head of Adam. This incident absolved Adam of his sins and provided him redemption." from A History of Russian Christianity by Daniel Shubin

You've got to give them points for creativity! That's a great story!

Some Music Recs

I believe these are better than that last list I gave you...

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
This is obviously from a few years ago so I'm a little behind on this one. I've heard people talk about Beirut but hadn't spent much time listening to them. That changed when I saw their performance on Letterman a few weeks ago. I've watched it about 10 times on Tivo now and can't get enough of their "A Sunday Smile" performance. It's beautiful and one of the best things I've heard in music for a while. Check it out.




Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Seven-Mile Island

Never been a big Drive-By Truckers fan but I enjoy this. Check out Cigarettes and Wine on his Myspace to fill the Alt-Country hole in your heart (as Chris Leo would say).





Strand of Oaks - Leave Ruin

Don't know anything about these guys. But check out End in Flames at their Myspace.






Peter Adams - I Woke With Planets In My Face

Multi-instrumentalist whom apparently performs every instrument himself for his recording. This is surely a talented musician. I enjoyed the record and found it very interesting, kind of reminds me of Jeremy Enigk in places but at other spots I feel a little like I'm in a Tim Burton film. Pretty cool. Check out some mp3's here.



Dan Auerbach (from the Black Keys) - Keep It Hid

Mark Driscoll

...just trying to increase my blog hits.

RIP CITY

A friend of mine Chip Mabry has been working on a project about Portland Skaters.

A good review and a trailer of it here.

You should check it out!

Dream Criticism

Last night I had a strange dream in which John Johnson (a professor at Western Seminary and pastor of Village Baptist Church) was giving me feedback on my sermons. He said, “I’ve never seen someone take so long to get to each point before.” Not sure what to make of that.

He also said, “It seems like all of your sermons are written last minute.” Huh, not sure that was a compliment either! Dream John did bring up a good point here however. I would like to spend more time in preparing by prayer and meditation.

He did actually give one compliment but of course I can't remember it.

Demotivational

I love these things.

Can't get enough.

February Music Recs

The Deep Dark Woods












Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band













Phosphorescent















The Republic Tigers














Pale Young Gentlemen












The Submarines













The Good Players
















Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
















Calhoun
















Jolie Holland
















Eulogies

Full Sail Black Gold

I bought a bottle of this for my birthday a few weeks ago. It was a limited release that I was able to snag a bottle at Belmont Station. It's a Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout. Dark like the night, with a small tan head, you can taste some vanilla essence from the barrels and has a fairly strong bourbon taste and aroma to it.

You can read more about it here.

I wish I would have grabbed a second bottle to age! Dang.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

J.P. Morelands' Three Angels

Ok, so here's the story in full. Last year on a theological panel J.P. Moreland said something to the effect of, "I am more sure that there are three angels surrounding me than I am sure that George W. Bush is President." But then he didn't really follow that up with anything and left me hanging for the last year wondering what he was talking about.

One of my goals for this year at the National Pastors Convention was to get the change to ask him what he meant by that and sure enough Chip and I bumped into him last week and got to talking. I asked him about it and this is what he said.

He said that he was preaching in Seattle some time ago now when after the service a woman came up to him and hesitantly told him that while he was preaching she saw that there were three angels surrounding him. One to his left, one to his right, and one behind him who was taller than the rest. He immediately thought that maybe this woman needed attention or was a little nuts so he asked the pastor about her. It turns out that this woman was a very godly lady who was a leader in their church. He still remained skeptical and didn't think much of it for the time being.

He said a while later he was really going through a difficult time in life and was praying. In light of the challenges in his life he prayed a prayer he said he had never prayed before. He asked God that if these angels were real that He would bring them back to help him and that he would receive confirmation that they were there for him.

A few weeks later, about three days after teaching a class on metaphysics he received an email from a credible Grad student who said he felt silly emailing this but had talked to three other grad students to make sure he wasn't crazy. He stated in the email that he hoped Moreland wouldn't find him nuts and that he even rubbed his eyes several times to make sure he wasn't imagining something or hallucinating. But during that class he said he saw three angels with J.P., one on each side, and one that was taller behind him just as the woman had said in Seattle. The student even sketched out what he saw which Moreland still has at home.

Moreland was kind of dumbstruck sense he had never told anyone about the angel incident in Seattle, nor about his prayer. With all three of these things coming together he said it was beyond a reasonable doubt that these angels were real and were really present with him at times. He said he's never experienced the angels in any way but was encouraged to know that God had confirmed that He was with him.

I have no reason to disbelieve J.P. Moreland and with two unrelated eye-witnesses and a prayer asking for confirmation it's fairly convincing. I believe angels are real but are much different than the Hallmark angels. Plus it can get kind of dangerous when we start seeking out angels when we should be seeking God, but here you have it! After a year my brain can finally rest!

NPC Day 4

Not a lot going on during Friday. I went and really enjoyed Christopher Wright's bible study. The room was sparse and I felt bad for him since what he had to say was so good. He's not as engaging as most of the other speakers and by the end of the week most people didn't have the energy to put in that much effort. I wish they would have scheduled him earlier in the week when we still had a lot of energy to engage with what he was saying because he had some very helpful ideas. Along with a complete recap of the conversation with J.P. Moreland I will recap Wright's thoughts on suffering as well. Very helpful framework!

After that we skipped the final session and had a big breakfast instead with a surprise 50 dollar room credit. And then hung out at the mall for what seemed like an eternity before our flight left. I wasn't a fan of flying the day after the plane crash in Buffalo. Very sad situation there, but I suppose the odds were with us as it is unlikely that it would happen two days in a row! I've flown a lot in the past 8 years and I've always hated the propeller planes. There were a few times where I felt like we were going down on those things as they are blown around quite a bit. If I could, i would never fly again. Not just out of fear, but out of how uncomfortable the entire process is. I hate it.

There is a lot to process from the week. It's too much for any mind to take in, in that amount of time. But more than anything I just had fun hanging out and joking around with the guys. That time away is more valuable than anything you learn from the conference.

It's always good to get away but I'm thankful to be back home in Portland.

What I've Been Waiting For

This is the excerpt from the brewers blog.

"What do you get when you blend Organic beer and Organic coffee? Well, to quote a candy commercial from my childhood- simply "Two great tastes that taste great together."

Organic Portland Roast Espresso Stout is a collaboration between the our brewery andPortland Roasting- a fantastic local coffee producer. The beer features a blend of Ethiopian and Sumatran coffees specially selected by myself and the roasters at Portland Roasting. The Organic and farm friendly coffees blend nicely with their smooth and mellow organic stout. The roasted character of the this beer is nicely complimented by the coffee flavor and aroma.

We're bottling Portland Roast in 22s on Tuesday the 17th. And despite what you may have read elsewhere, it will be on draft at 51st and Sandy on Wednesday. Sorry for the confusion- the overwhelming nature of the coffee and beer combination have put my head in the clouds."

Is this a dream???

NPC Day 3

Another good day, but starting to get conference weary. Best things...

1. Chip and I had a nice chat with J.P. Moreland and after a year of living in wonder and curiosity J.P. was kind enough to expound on what he said last year, "I am more confident that I have three angels surrounding me than that George W. Bush is our current president." Seems like a strange comment for one of the foremost Christian philosophers in the country to say. I'll type up the story in full soon. It's very interesting.

2. Good discussion at the on-site pub last night after the conference. I loved that the bartender Ron, had a button on his shirt that said "Welcome National Pastors Convention." Very fitting.

3. Christopher Wright after a long week was difficult to listen to after hearing the likes of Bell, Hybels, Willamon and others but it was worth it as he said a few things that have stuck with me and I will think about again such as when Paul talks about the gospel he starts with what it is doing in creation and then invites us into what is happening. It doesn't start with us and leave us wondering what will happen to everything else.

4. Skipped the panel discussion yesterday to go shopping with the boys at the mall. Seriously.

5. Bible study yesterday morning with Ben Patterson. He recited the first three Psalms from memory and told us how they ground the book of Psalms and inform our prayers.

6. Ruth Haley Barton spoke of the loneliness of the leader. A LOT of content so I was tuning in and out at times but what I received was important to think and pray through. I really appreciated what she had to say and am excited to read her book, "Strengthening the Soul of the Leader."

About ready to head to early morning bible study with Christopher Wright....

NPC Day 2

A good day...

1. Starting the day with bible study by Gordon Fee from Revelation (mostly his commentary notes, but still good). I love hearing guys who have been studying scripture at the most intense level for this many years but still have a clear love for God. Gordon Fee is to me what Phyllis Tickle is to Chris Leonardo.

2. Getting a phantom photo with Rob Bell. Rob Bell fanboys were out in numbers yesterday during his session. There was a line to talk to him and many things signed. Will never understand the Christian celebrity thing.

3. The nerdiest shirt I've ever seen: I heart hermeneutics. Yeah, I really saw it. I think it was another Rob Bell fanboy.

4. Cigars and 8 dollar beers down at the Gaslamp District.

5. Will Willamon's quirky, hilarious, and memorable sermon.

6. A 10-minute chair massage. Brought tears to my eyes it was so painful but i feel great now.

7. The band Sons of Korah from Australia. By far the best music of the conference so far.

8. Chris punched me in the back of the head while sleeping.

NPC Day 1

Yesterday started off kind of shaky and left me wondering, "Maybe we should go somewhere else next year" (Because I'm an optimist). But then Efrem Smith got up and preached Ezekiel 37 to us. I think Chris or Chip described it as listening to Metallica before a wrestling match. Great stuff.

Shane Claiborne was pretty good. It was a good challenge assessing the role and power of money in our lives. I think Bob described it well:

"I'm looking forward to hearing Shane in 20 years when idealism, the wisdom of experience and 2 more decades of following Jesus like he is all meet to make him even more rad."

One of my favorite parts of the day was a seminar with Don Everts who wrote Jesus with Dirty Feet which I read and loved about ten years ago. He was speaking of what he has experienced about people's journey's to faith under the framework of five thresholds that people generally cross to get there. It made a lot of sense to me and I'll share it in more detail later.

Also got to have a quick chat with Michael Jr. last night, the comedian I opened for in Philadelphia. Surprisingly he recognized me and came over to talk. I wouldn't have imagined with as many shows as he does that he would actually remember me so that was cool. And what he said next made my night: "Are you going on tonight?" He actually thought that I was one of the comedians for the event last night. Nothing like a good ego stroke before bedtime!

Alright, well i'm off for early morning bible study with Gordon Fee! He's the man!

Headed to the NPC

Once again this year we're headed down to the National Pastors Convention in San Diego. This year I'm more committed to blogging while I'm there but we'll see what happens.

Some of whom I'm excited to hear include:
A.J. Jacobs
Andy Crouch
Don Everts
Christopher Wright
Will Willmon
William Webb
and several others...

One of my goals this year is also to ask J.P. Moreland what the heck he was talking about when he said, "I have more proof that three angels surround me at all times than I do that JFK lived." Or something to that effect. I didn't even have to embellish that but I probably didn't get the exact quote. Still don't know what he was talking about. We'll see!

Also, the comedian I opened for in Philadelphia in November, Michael Jr. is going to be doing comedy for the main session one night. That will be interesting to see.

I'm also excited for all the nutballs to blog about how this pastors convention is leading people astray from the "truth" and we're all going to burn in hell. You wouldn't think you'd read those kind of things while you're at a pastors convention but you'd be surprised! Go Ingrid!