Random

> Kodachrome, RIP ~ NY Times

> But PSM doesn't sound like a real degree. It should have been MPSc. At least they didn't call it PMS. ~ NY Times

> It looks like there might be some other class M planets out there. ~ NPR

> Guam is adding a 5¢ deposit on beverage containers. Hey, it has worked well in California. Good move. ~ PNC

> "The white stuff falling from the sky isn't snow. It's graupel." Yeah, trying telling that to the kids, Mr Weather Grinch. ~ AZ Central

> In spite of the fact that we're surrounded by Mexicans we haven't really found a Mexican restaurant that truly impresses us. Yet, we just found another great Thai restaurant. Ironic. -- 75 Thai Taste

> I downloaded Tim Keller's Generous Justice ebook from the public library. I absolutely love the title of this book. It sounds so... so... biblical.

> 5-1-1 sytstem works well -- except on the days when everyone needs it. ~ link

McQuote

Peace:

The first thing we need to recover is the knowledge that peace is a result and not a goal. Peace is the result of years in a good relationship. Marriages shaped by love result in peace. Instead of focusing on having a good marriage, a husband and a wife who focus on loving one another will have a marriage of peace. societies that are shaped by justice and love become societies marked by peace. Peace, then, should not be our goal; love is. Love is the hard gritty work; love is the way of the cross that produces peace. When we love, justice and peace bubble up as the results of love. People who want peace but who aren't willing to love will not find peace. People who love find peace, whether they think about it or not.  ~ Scot McKnight, One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow

Random

> Seoul is rolling out electric buses in a big way. ~ link (via)

> "The percentage of uninsured among families earning between $50,000 and $75,000 annually has nearly doubled over the past decade." ~ link

> "Chinese language to dominate the internet" ~ link

> Ray Anderson was one of the most influential, yet relatively unknown theologians of the 20th century. Christian D Kettler has come out with a Ray Anderson reader -- Reading Ray S Anderson Theology as Ministry, Ministry as Theology which is published by Wipf and Stock.

> Get a job in social media ~ link

> Detailed map of American English dialects ~ link

> Why is it that I'm so skeptical about the ability of Sears/Kmart to compete with Netflix in the movie download business? ~ FastCompany

> Domains using Hebrew script now an option -- yet another reason to bone up on my biblical languages. ~ link

> Good news for anxious Christians ~ CT

> Angel Food Ministries in trouble -- misuse of funds ~ USA Today

> Saddleback Church engaged in major expansion ~ CP

> "Sleepy pastor leaves congregation in the lurch" on Christmas morning and the congregation rose to the occasion. Perhaps we should sleep in more often. ~ The Local

> Not everywhere is getting warmer -- "Coldest December in Sweden in 110 years" ~ The Local

Random

> Merry 4th Day of Christmas!

> The story behind the fail whale illustration ~ SF Chronicle

> "Could Acacia trees solve Africa's hunger problems?" Not likely -- but they could help, when so much aid actually hinders. ~ CSM

> If there is a gun handy and sitting around, people try to solve their problems with them -- which, of course, has the opposite result. Short-cuts rarely work. Yet another gun crazy Arizonian story.  ~ KTAR

> In the early 1990's the typical urban Chinese saved 15% of his income. Today he banks 30%. Unlike in the West, "as Chinese incomes have grown, so has their propensity to save." ~ Time

> Return of the Commodore 64 -- why? ~ link

> Will drought keep Phoenix from rising again from the ashes? "The coming collapse will be catastrophic." ~ Three Sonorans

> Hey! All you bowl fans flocking to the valley for some desert heat and football, the weather czars say that there is a chance for snow on Thursday night. That happens occasionally in Phoenix -- usually just toping the mountains around the edges of the Valley.

> "Immigrant soldiers fight for the US only to get deported" ~ Three Sonorans

> Why is it that out of control cars are so drawn to swimming pools around here? If it were not for the fact that the elderly driver did not survive it would be humorous and we'd all be making jokes about carpooling. ~ ABC15

> "Learning from Finland: How one of the world’s top educational performers turned around" ~ Boston Globe

The secret of Finnish educational success is that in the 20th century Finns studied and emulated such advanced nations as Sweden, Germany, and the United States. Finns adopted some education policies from elsewhere but also avoided mistakes made by these leading education performers. 

What could the United States learn from the Finns? First, reconsider those policies that advocate choice and competition as the key drivers of educational improvement. None of the best-performing education systems relies primarily on them. Indeed, the Finnish experience shows that consistent focus on equity and cooperation — not choice and competition — can lead to an education system where all children learn well. Paying teachers based on students’ test scores or converting public schools into private ones (through charters or other means) are ideas that have no place in the Finnish repertoire for educational improvement. 

Second, provide teachers with government-paid university education and more professional support in their work, and make teaching a respected profession. As long as teachers are not trusted in their work and are not respected as professionals, young talent in the United States is unlikely to seek teaching as a lifelong career. 

Finally, with the fourth PISA study again showing that the US education system is lagging those in many other countries, Americans should admit that there is much to learn from these systems. Relying on one’s past reputation is probably not the best approach for transforming an educational system to meet tomorrow’s needs and challenges. With America’s “can do’’ mentality and superior knowledge base in educational improvement, you could shift course before it’s too late. ~ Pasi Sahlberg

Random

> PBS ran a new Doc Martin episode last night. Great series.

> Despicable Me is not only entertaining animation but also a layered story with a few surprises. I'm enjoying that Christmas present.

> Is North Korea trying to emerge from self-imposed isolation? ~ NY Times

> Here's the magic 150 again:

Put simply, our minds are not designed to allow us to have more than a very limited number of people in our social world. The emotional and psychological investments that a close relationship requires are considerable, and the emotional capital we have available is limited. 

Indeed, no matter what Facebook allows us to do, I have found that most of us can maintain only around 150 meaningful relationships, online and off — what has become known as Dunbar’s number. Yes, you can “friend” 500, 1,000, even 5,000 people with your Facebook page, but all save the core 150 are mere voyeurs looking into your daily life — a fact incorporated into the new social networking site Path, which limits the number of friends you can have to 50. ~ Robin Dunbar, NY Times, Opinion

> Here again is a piece I wrote several years ago, suggesting that we should aim at creating churches that multiply when they get to about 150 people. ~ link

> I'm still chewing on this one -- could be taken in a few different ways: "If [we] are afraid of war, we can never prevent war." -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ~ BBC

> Water banking makes sense --

Arizona may leave part of its annual share of Colorado River water in Lake Mead next year, taking a calculated gamble that giving up some water now will help it avoid deeper losses later. 

Under a plan now being considered, water officials would pass up billions of gallons that they could take from the river in 2011, hoping to keep the drought-stricken reservoir full enough to avoid triggering automatic cutbacks. Any cutbacks could deny Arizona and Nevada even more water in 2012... ~ AZ Republic

> There are currently five students pre-enrolled in my online PIU church planting class for the spring semester. That means I really do have to get to work and finish up the course outline.

Random

> If you named a child Isabella or Jacob this past year -- ah... you're not alone. Interestingly, both names have their origins in the Hebrew language and the Bible. Isabella is a variant of Elizabeth or Isabel, and means "God keeps his promise." Jacob means "supplanter" (someone who wrongfully seizes the position of another person). In the Bible Jacob's name was eventually changed to Israel. ~ AZ Central

> "...Sadly, the loudest voices in the land are preaching individual liberty without community concern, or community concern without individual sacrifice, or sacrifice for future generations but not for us." ~ LaVonne Neff

> The Gävlebocken, the giant Christmas goat in Gävle, Sweden, which attracts arsonists, has once again survived through Christmas. There was an a foiled plot to kidnap him by helicopter this year.

Rethinking church

This video from the United Methodist Church is mostly on target. It still needs more Jesus in it but it is definitely a move in a missional direction. We're not really rethinking church if you don't get that it is all about participating in and speaking about what Jesus is doing. If we leave Jesus out we've undercut the foundation for all that we are and do. (via)

We had a little rain last night

Random

> Yet another silly, but functional sign, if you stop and think it through. ~ via

> Christmas is a no burn day in our county -- inversion traps the pollution. That's okay, most homes don't have fireplaces anyway. (This is Phoenix!) But there are quite a few backyard fire pits which will have to go idle. ~ link

> The "right" is shifting. Pat Robertson:

"I'm ... I'm not exactly for the use of drugs, don't get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kinda thing it's just, it's costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people. Young people go into prisons, they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That's not a good thing." ~ link

> Mandatory sentencing rules for drug users are cruel and economically unafforable. Time for a change. Kemba Smith Pradia tells her story. ~ CNN (via)

> Skype was down for awhile yesterday. Oh well. Cox was down for awhile on Tuesday night -- and I actually pay for that service.

> "Why I Don't Want an iPad for Christmas" ~ WSJ

> When you've got a few extra minutes -- "The American Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue team has just released its latest statement, entitled 'The Hope of Eternal Life.' The dialogue was sponsored jointly by the ELCA and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, with members of the Missouri Synod in attendance at the sessions." ~ link

> Robo-readers:

Math-loving traders are using powerful computers to speed-read news reports, editorials, company Web sites, blog posts and even Twitter messages — and then letting the machines decide what it all means for the markets. ~ link

> The Common English Bible New Testament is now available and searchable on BibleGateway.com

Random

> As of December 1st fireworks are legal in Arizona. We even had our first fireworks related fire yesterday. One of the goofy things about this law allowing fireworks is that most cities don't want them around. But the law was written in such a way that cities cannot ban the SALE of fireworks -- only their USE within municipal boundaries.

Right now Walmart is marketing fireworks, trying to sell them for New Year's parties. This silly sign at Walmart is a muddled attempt to explain that even though you can buy the fireworks you are not allowed to use them in Phoenix. I know of no other jurisdiction that welcomes them, either.

> Mall evacuated after choral flash mob singing Messiah shakes the building ~ Sacramento Bee

> South African Theological Seminary has received approval from their accreditors to replace their four-year Bachelor of Theology program with two new programs, namely a three-year Bachelor of Theology and the Bachelor of Theology (Honors). The fourth year honors degree is a graduate program and will be more research-based, consisting of five papers of 24 credits each. The school, which delivers its programs entirely through distance education, also offers accredited MTh and PhD degrees.

> The Japan Covenant Church has sent missionaries to the US. They will be working primarily with Japanese nationals. ~ link

> Biblica has Launched a new NIV-alike Bible in Tagalog. ~ CP

> So, I'm on the phone waiting for customer service from Cox because the internet has gone down. I have to go through a long session with a bot -- which can't do a thing to help. Then the machine puts me on hold, feeding me messages that say I can find assistance by looking online at their website -- which, of course, I can't because the internet is down and that's why I'm calling. After 35 minutes on hold waiting to talk to a person, I hang up and go to bed. How is it that a "communication" company that is so clueless about communication can grow so large?

> Happy 23rd Birthday Elizabeth/Betsy/Liz! We're proud of you!

Random

> Just in time for Christmas -- a new mistletoe, recently discovered in northern Mozambique -- Helixanthera schizocalyx ~ link

> Ted Haggard update -- things are looking healthier. ~ link

> Restraint should never be interpreted as a sign of weakness -- to the contrary. ~ link

> Ichabod moment? If Crystal Cathedral's 'Glory of Christmas' doesn't show, does that mean Christmas is less glorious? ~ link

> Google Wave lives on! ~ link

> It wasn't overly hard to get the OverDrive software set-up right. I'm now using my Droid to read my first ever public library e-book. If I can do it...

> Google has extended the free Google Voice phone calls promotion through at least the end of 2011. ~ link

> That's it. I'm giving up water. It's just too dangerous. ~ link

> Reading between the lines, it appears that everyone's favorite Malaysian Lutheran, Sivin Kit, is packing up to move to Norway for PhD studies. We definitely need more scholars from his part of the world. And we definitely need more guys like him helping us think through critical issues. But Sivin, Norway is cold and they have this white stuff that comes from the sky called snø. I'm not sure which will be harder -- the transition from parish ministry to academics or that from the tropics to the near-arctic. And, in Norway the amount of daylight varies throughout the year. You're hopping onto an emotional roller-coaster. Oh, the sacrifice!

> "...we've actually bent the curve..." -- Roland Hwang, transportation director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "After seven decades of mostly uninterrupted growth, US gasoline demand is at the start of a long-term decline. By 2030, Americans will burn at least 20% less gasoline than today, experts say, even as millions of more cars clog the roads." ~ AP

> "The Tea Party movement is successful because it taps into the deep American suspicion that all federal government apart from defence spending, is a kind of bureaucratic boondoggle, dreamed up by larcenous conspiracists in Washington to allow them to line their pockets by picking ours." ~ The BBC's Kevin Connolly's guide to American culture

> I'd define the Tea Party Movement as the apex of American cynicism.

> I'd like a Big Chili Rice bowl, please. A Wendy's restaurant damaged and shut-down by Typhoon Pongsona in 2002 has reopened at the corner of the Agana Shopping Center after an 8-year hiatus. This is the third Wendy's on Guam. ~ PDN

> Xuefen Mei, our first MasterPiece Church intern, left for Guam yesterday morning and should be there by the time you are reading this. Mei has one more semester before graduating from Pacific Islands University with a BA in biblical studies. She did a great job and we'll miss her. I'm hoping some more students will want to do a cross-cultural internship with us.

> Yesterday was the busiest postal day of the year and the line at the dinky, two-window Laveen post office was out to the door when I was there. But the staff was super efficient and full of smiles. I've been impressed with those people. They do a great job working in less than optimum conditions. The community should get together and build them a new building.

Random

> The Ache ~ link

> Asian church growth numbers are staggering. ~ link

> "What's next for minimalist houses? How about a subdivision of tiny houses in Eastern Oregon?" ~ Oregonian

> "How English evolved into a global language" ~ BBC

> A plot to kidnap the giant Gävle goat using a helicopter and to take it away to Stureplan in central Stockholm has been foiled. ~ The Local

> Some Gmail accounts were down all weekend. ~ link

> Julian Assange is upset that his police files were leaked to the media. We reap what we sow. He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. What goes around, comes around. Etc. etc. ~ link

> "Joseph's Crazy Dream" -- text of my funky Christmas sermon from yesterday now online ~ link

Random

> Not good -- "An exotic African spurred tortoise weighing in excess of 100 pounds was discovered living in the desert near the Queen Valley (Arizona) area recently – it had been in the area long enough to establish two burrows, including one that was 9-feet deep." ~ link

> "The New York Times has produced an interactive map of America that allows users to browse data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (based on samples from 2005 to 2009) in specific neighborhoods." ~ Ed Stetzer

The information for our census tract looks somewhat outdated -- not reflecting changes that have occurred because of foreclosures. I'd say that there are more blacks and fewer Hispanics than the map estimates. Laveen is a pretty fluid area right now.

> We just got email from our son Kent. He made it out of North Korea and is now in Beijing. PTL! Kent taught English for the opening semester of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. We're proud of him and his part in the mission of the school -- but also very happy that he's back in civilization and communication (the internet at the school isn't up, yet). In November there was a New York Times article about PUST -- a very unique school in an unlikely place. ~ link

> John Nugent has "a Yoderian rejoinder" to Peter Leithart's new book, Defending Constantine -- an extensive review and response. I don't know that I know enough to have a strong opinion -- but I know a lot more after reading the review than I did before. ~ link

> Stephen Colbert: "Jesus is a liberal Democrat." I doubt that Jesus would join any of our goofy political parties. But Colbert is a good preacher. Jesus wasn't so interested in making sure that everyone got only what they deserved. ~ link

> David Housholder asks, "Would Jesus Start a Food Bank?" ~ link

> We've now had our MasterPiece Church ads appear on 2,675,889 Facebook pages at a cost of $278. That has generated 187 click thrus to our website. So far, none of those clicks have become Sunday morning visitors (that we know of). IOW, interest does not quickly translate into action -- even when you're utilizing an extremely effective medium. But then again, the casual and non-committal nature of the medium may actually work against us. We'll see. It's an experiment. We don't need a large response. I'd be very happy with a small eventually mission-committed response.

> Instant translation through your smart phone -- now available.

Random

> More from Hans -- same story -- different media:

> "Little Church Serves Public School in Big Ways"  We're proud of you, Brad! ~ link

> "Why the Kids Don't Blog and Grandma's on Facebook..." "Only half as many teens currently operate their own blog now, compared to 2006. Have our teenagers suddenly become less vain and navel-gazing? Unlikely: Pew speculates that Facebook status updates have become the preferred means of self-casting for the young." ~ FastCompany

"Self-casting"? New phrase to me. Apt.

> "Read today that Yahoo! is considering shuttering altavista.com. Also, found out today that Yahoo! still runs altavista.com." ~ Evan Williams

>  I didn't remember until dinner time last night that yesterday was Beethoven's birthday. Sorry old guy, it's been hard to remember since Peanuts dropped off the radar. 240 years!

Random

> If BP has already admitted culpability in the Gulf oil-spill and set aside $20 billion to pay claims, why is the US government suing them? Can't they just settle this mess through out of court arbitration and reduce the legal costs -- thus freeing up more money to go toward addressing the problem? ~ US Today

> "A parish-based evangelical approach to church planting in New York City has created a network of congregations for young urbanites." ~ link

> My latest BrushStrokes e-letter about the latest happenings at MasterPiece Church is now online. We're well on our way to starting 35 family farms this Christmas. ~ link

Random

> "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan." ~ Richard Holbrooke's final words before entering surgery

> Our mid-70's weather in Phoenix is nice -- although we're going to drop a couple of degrees each day this week. Sometimes, though, I miss the mundane winter weather pattern on Guam -- very predictable, day after day, after day, after day.

> "College at my own pace – what’s wrong with that?" ~ USA Today

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It took me six years to do a bachelor's degree, four years to do a master's degree, and seven years to complete a doctorate. And I'd do it all the same today -- although I'd definitely do some, if not all, of it online. I'd probably seriously consider doing the BTh degree offered by South African Theological Seminary. Students have so many more options today.

> Comparing American attitudes during the Great Depression with those during the Great Recession:

However, the most striking difference between the 1930s and the present day is that, by the standards of today's political parlance, average Americans of the mid-1930s revealed downright "socialistic" tendencies in many of their views about the proper role of government. ~ Pew Resarch

> Is leadership "biblical"? David Fitch lists five reasons to say, "no." ~ link

I'm not really ready to jettison the word "leader." The Bible is full of leaders -- some of them pretty good leaders. But biblical leadership will always be seen by the non-believing world as unconventional, at best, or at worst, as insanely indifferent to practical realities. The problem comes when Christian leaders start taking their cues from the conventional leaders -- and practicality, as defined by conventionals, slips into the driver's seat. All wisdom is God's wisdom but not everything which appears wise actually is -- at least in God's scheme of things.

The issue is not whether leadership is a biblical concept -- rather it is a matter of embracing God's paradoxical leadership style. We lead by following. We influence by relinquishing control. We find ourselves validated in the lowliest of positions rather than the highest. The people in Jesus' world had trouble with his concept of leadership, too.

Oh, and Fitch, in spite of his almost tongue-in-cheek question, totally gets it.

> The preschooler who believes in Santa (against her parent's advice) but finds the Christmas story unbelievable, isn't so far off. Which is harder to believe -- that some guy in a red suit, white beard, and sleigh pulled by cute reindeer brings presents to children or that God sent his beloved Son into the world to save the human race from the grip of sin? If we don't believe in sin we don't see the need for a Savior -- especially when it involves squeezing divinity into humanity. And if presents show up under the tree for everyone -- well, that proves the existence of Santa. The simplest answer is always the correct answer, right? ~ link

> Make due with less water!

With Lake Mead falling and the drought showing no sign of abating, it's time for the Southwest to start doing more of less: Do more to cut water use instead of simply chasing new supplies for thirsty cities and farms. 

That's the conclusion of several researchers in a special presentation in a national journal on this area's problems and future concerns with water supplies, growth, drought and climate change. ~ AZ Daily Star

Random

> This should keep us from taking ourselves too seriously --

> Using Legos to teach about creation. ~ link

> I picked up the OCP CD of the new and revised mass settings. Lot's of good stuff. One of the big differences between Roman Catholic and evangelical worship music is that the RCs design the music so that people can actually sing it. Evangelical music tends to be more performance oriented -- more syncopation -- more band focused.

> Is Glenn Beck a terrorist, by his own definition? Mathematically challenged? Or mongering fear for his own gain? Woe! ~ link

> "Chinese Architect Builds Egg House on Sidewalk to Escape Insane Rents" ~ link

> "A federal judge is ordering Hawaii's government to restore health benefits to low-income legal migrants from Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau." ~ Star Advertiser

> Hey Phoenicians, free foreclosure prevention hotline -- 877-448-1211

> Maybe we'll skip the live camel this year. (via Susan Gillespie on FB)

Random

> Happy Luciadagen! (If everyone is Irish on March 17th, then everyone is Swedish on December 13th) ~ link

> Francis Beckwith asks, "Was Aquinas a Proto-Protestant?" ~ link

> "Jesus wanted far more than to be accepted into one's life. He wanted to take over, and his essential call was to trust him enough to surrender one's entire being to him." ~ Scot McKnight, One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow

> Duh:

There are more immigrants in the world today than ever before. 

People are crossing the globe in unprecedented numbers, with more than 200 million living outside their home countries. That figure has grown by more than 40 percent in the past decade.

The Arizona Republic's article yesterday will perhaps help Arizonans frame the issue in a more global context. (It is so hard to believe that a country built on immigration is so myopic and insular in thinking about immigration.) The weakness of the article, though, is that it emphasizes the stresses created by the step up of global immigration but does not deal with any of the benefits.

> But is Fred Clark on target?

The contribution we Christians can make to this conversation, then, I think arises from this very refusal to accept its basic premise. We can argue that immigration policy must not be constructed according to national boundaries of moral obligation because there is no such thing as a boundary of moral obligation... ~ link (via)

Global growth explained with Legos

Hans Rosling, global health professor at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, tells the story of global population growth using Legos.

Random

> On Guam the mayors have very little political clout. They do play an important role in the community but they're more like ombudsmen (Interestingly, they can also function as armed peace officers if they go through the training). They are respected but their influence is mostly informal in nature. They have ceremonial responsibilities. They certainly don't have the power to contract workers to build facilities on a US Naval base. ~ bizarre story

> "Diabetes on the March" -- weird that it spreads in clusters. ~ Slate

> Lots of Minnesota churches are not meeting this morning. Sleep in day -- or maybe everyone will get up and watch Benny Hinn on TV -- or better yet, Davey and Goliath reruns. ~ link

> My sister-in-law's brother, Brad Kindall, says he drove through a blizzard to officiate at a wedding in St Paul yesterday. But they've canceled their gathering for today. ~ link

> New primer on biblical Greek ~ link

> Advent Conspiracy: "Did you know that 36.3% of Christmas shoppers will use a credit card for their purchases?" What do the others use? I hardly see anyone paying for much of anything with cash. Perhaps the rest are all using debit cards. It seems that 36.3% is a low figure. ~ link

Random

> Keith Green -- true counter-cultural musical genius ~ Huff

> Top ten most unhelpful statements to police after a car accident ~ link

> Seth is simply smart! Even though the issues are complex most people will only accept simplistic answers. Thus, says Seth Godin,

1. Take complicated overall answers and make them simple steps instead. Teach complexity over time, simply.

2. Teach a few people, the committed, to embrace the idea of complexity. That's what a great college education does, for example. That's what makes someone a statesman instead of a demagogue. Embracing complexity is a scarce trait, worth acquiring. But until your customers/voters/employees do, I think the first strategy is essential. ~ link

> The flow of international tourists on Guam is up 3% this year, after several years of decline. Most tourists are from Japan and South Korea. ~ link

> 20 things that will be more expensive in 2011 ~ link

Can the world support EVs?

Yeah, there is a lot of buzz around EVs right now. And while they may have an impact in the developed world there is still a good portion of the world without reliable electricity (25% of the global population has no electricity -- and a large percentage of those who do, don't have reliable delivery).

I am a lot more optimistic about the potential of algae-burning cars for much of the world. Algae burns clean, is carbon neutral, and can be produced locally without a lot of infrastructure.

How did Christmas end up on December 25th?

There are lots of theories out there. For example, in the Roman calendar system December 25th was the winter solstice. Also, the pagans celebrated the "birthday" of Sol Invictus on that day. So, and this is what I was taught in high school, Christians were probably trying to capitalize on an existing set of holidays.

But when you think about it, none of the existing holidays on the calendar would have been terribly important to the early followers of Jesus. They were still marching to the beat of a different drummer in the late third and early fourth centuries.

Annunciation by He Qi

I suspect that the December 25th date has more to do with the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation, which was (and is, generally speaking) celebrated on March 25th. The Annunciation holiday recalls the angel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary that she was going to become the mother of the Messiah (see below). And apparently, the early Christians celebrated the announcement of Jesus' coming birth before they started celebrating the birth itself. (At least in the Roman portion of the world birthday celebrations were associated with pagan practices. Christians were perhaps disassociating themselves from those practices.)

So, count nine months from March 25th and you end up at December 25th. It is no surprise, then, that the church chose to celebrate the Nativity on that day.

A related question that occasionally comes up has to do with the Russian Orthodox Church's Christmas celebration on January 7th. Several of the Eastern Orthodox churches still fix the date of Christmas using the old Julian calendar. December 25th in the Julian calendar is the same as January 7th in the newer Gregorian calendar that most of us use.

The Armenian (not Arminian, as in the 16th century Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius, but Armenian, as in the ancient people of Armenia) Apostolic Church holds their celebration of the Nativity in combination with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. There is actual ancient precedent for that practice, too. (Some of the churches which did not follow Rome too closely developed in slightly different ways. And really, the Armenian practice is not a lot different than that of many modern evangelicals who throw together the Christmas and Epiphany stories -- and do it all on December 25th -- skipping the 12 days of Christmas that culminate in the Epiphany celebration on January 6th.) To complicate matters even more, while most of the Armenian churches use the Gregorian calendar, a few use the Julian calendar. Those who are on the Julian calendar celebrate both the Nativity (Christmas) and Epiphany on January 19th (Gregorian calendar).

Did you follow all of that?

In many ways, the actual date of Christmas is relatively unimportant. To borrow an over-used phrase from pop-culture, what matters most is "the reason for the season."

THE ANNUNCIATION 

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” 

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. ~ Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)

Random

> Yes, very random -- via Beth Bilynskyj and Wendy Lawton on FB

> Habitat for Humanity has figured out that buying foreclosed homes is often cheaper than building new ones. ~ CP

> "The McVictim syndrome could kill us -- Americans want to blame others for the obesity epidemic. The truth? It's our own fault." ~ LA Times

> Latif’s restaurant is celebrating 50 years at the same location in Turlock. I do miss that place and those people. ~ link

> The National Geographic editors pick: "Ten Weirdest New Animals of 2010" My favorite is the Pink Handfish that walks along the ocean floor near Australia. Of course, the purple octopus from off the Canadian coast is pretty cute, too. ~ link

> Another Mexican friend (a US citizen) has moved to California -- weary of getting hassled in Arizona. Thank you Governor Brewer, Sheriff Joe, and 1070 supporters.

Sometimes it is not so much what we say but how we say it that creates the problem. Even though 1070 itself hangs in court-limbo right now, it has effectively communicated to a group of people that they are not welcome here. And certain police agencies are more aggressive at hassling Mexicans than others. They interpret the community support of 1070 as a mandate from the people to step-up the hassling -- even though the law itself is unenforceable.

For those who ask, how come everyone is so worked up over this? Isn't this 1070 law just a state-based mirror of the federal immigration rules -- rules that the feds aren't enforcing?

In 1070 undocumented immigration is a crime and is dealt with through the courts. But according to the US federal system, immigration violations are not crimes but civil offenses dealt with through an administrative procedure.

1070, if it ever goes into effect, would create even more chaos in the already over-loaded Arizona judicial and prison systems. In other words, if you are a Mexican, even with legal standing, but you get caught up in the sweeps, you could end up in trouble with the law -- and in jail -- before you're able to prove your legality.  If I were a Mexican and the opportunity to go to another state arose -- I'd be very tempted to take it, too.

Random

‎> I learned something new yesterday. The 13 rays of red and weld-yellow on the top half of the Arizona flag were a tip of the hat to our state's Spanish heritage. They are the colors of the flag of Spain. We don't have a very good memory. ~ link

> Five billion people in the world have a mobile device. About 90% of the global population has GSM coverage. I'm trying to figure out how to best use this in global Christian leadership formation. Check out this introduction to mLearning ~ link (.pdf)

> Getting a wi-fi connection in Japan can be a challenge. ~ link

> Google Groups has undergone a make-over. ~ link

> Google also introduced an update to the Chrome Browser, the new Chrome Web Store, and the new Chrome OS. They've been busy. ~ link

> Lots of cool resources for the new Roman Catholic Mass. Some free downloads -- music. Protestants will be able to utilize lots of this. I am especially impressed with the bilingual Spanish/English arrangements. ~ link

> "...In some respects, people living in New York City have more in common with people in Paris, Beijing, and Toyko, than they do with those living in a small, Midwestern town in the United States..." ~ J.D. Payne in Discovering Church Planting

> I'm so happy, so very happy...

"...People who frequently attend church and other places of worship are happier than those who attend less frequently. Lim and Putman say respondents' happiness comes from building friendships in a close-knit social circle around common religious beliefs — not necessarily from the content of said beliefs. “Our evidence shows that it is not really going to church and listening to sermons or praying that makes people happier, but making church-based friends and building social networks there,” Lim said. ~ CT

> Dan Whitmarsh reviews Stephen Lawhead's latest book, The Skin Map ~ link

> Last night I received an email (spam) from "Dr. Gene A. Johnson, God's Apostle for Kingdom Business and Success." It starts out "Hi Unknown Unknown..." Does this guy sound like a success guru or what?

> Since 2009 the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has started 101 new "works." ~ link

> The AP Stylebook has added 42 new guidelines for social media. ~ link

Random

> Seattle Police are now broadcasting stolen car info over Twitter. It is not clear whether they have recovered anything, yet. ~ link

> Google launched Google Books yesterday to compete with Amazon's Kindle Reader. So far, the Google e-book reader isn't quite ready for prime time. They don't seem to have any way to insert bookmarks or notes. (We're already giving up a lot to not be able to scribble notes and symbols on paper.)

Google says that the advantage of their system is that it is in the clouds -- that you can sync multiple devices to be able to read their books. Is that any different than the Kindle? I read my Amazon books off three computers and a Droid -- and they sync together so that when I open the book on one device it goes right to where I left off on the previous device. The Google e-book reader doesn't seem to sync so tightly -- at least that was my experience yesterday. They do, however, have the classic Google sense of humor -- as evidenced by their artwork.

> Pollsters asked pastors, "Which, if any, of the following people do you believe are Christians?": The names listed were Oprah Winfrey, President George Bush, Glenn Beck, President Barack Obama, and Sarah Palin. ~ link

There is a lot of disagreement about what the term "Christian" means. I'd say that Oprah does not identify herself as such so she is probably not. Beck identifies himself as a Mormon (which, while using some similar terminology, has a fundamentally different understanding of who God is, who Christ is, and what he did, than what has been historically understood as Christianity). Bush, Obama, and Palin all identify themselves as Christians. And while I may question some of their actions at times I don't think I need to put myself in the position of judging whether they are Christian believers. Perhaps if the question were framed, "Which, if any, of the following people do you believe are followers of Christ?" the answers might be different still. Which is the more fundamental question?

> Baby Jesus -- now with GPS ~ link (via)

Jeb Bush for president?

"It's the wrong approach..." ~ Jeb Bush, talking about Arizona's SB 1070 immigration law.

Jeb Bush would make a fine Republican candidate for president -- except: 1) he is perhaps too traditional and centrist for many modern Republicans, 2) his last name is a bit of an obstacle.

On the other hand, people might warm up to the quirkiness of having another Bush, and quite frankly, in spite of all the hot steamy air blowing out of the tea pots, the Republicans haven't come up with a credible candidate. If Jeb can continue to speak out in a way that distances himself from the personality-centered political frays he might just come across as THE fresh voice -- the needed voice of moderation in an era when the extremes get way too much attention. IOW, by 2012 Americans might again be weary of extremist political rhetoric. (We go through rhetorical cycles.)

Also, because his wife is Hispanic, a percentage of that voter base would jump at the chance of putting an Hispanic in the White House -- even if only a spouse. He is the smartest of the Bush men. He knows when to lay low and when to speak up. He can make deals and execute brilliant compromises. He navigated some very difficult terrain in Florida.

And while I am not "endorsing" him, the more I think about it, of everyone on the playing field (or even on the sidelines) Jeb Bush is probably the Republican with the most potential to unseat Barrack Obama in 2012.

Random

> Arizona gun culture ~ link

> The Chinese panda breeding program seems to be working. ~ BBC

> Seth Godin:

Living with doubt is almost always more profitable than living with certainty. 

People don't like doubt, so they pay money and give up opportunities to avoid it. Entrepreneurship is largely about living with doubt, as is creating just about any sort of art. 

If you need reassurance, you're giving up quite a bit to get it. 

On the other hand, if you can get in the habit of seeking out uncertainty, you'll have developed a great instinct. ~ link

> Jolly St Nicholas Day to you! I neglected to order my St Nick shoe bag. Bummer. ~ link

> Implosion of the stadium at Texas Christian University ~ link

> It was exciting to see that Bangsar Lutheran Church was able to move back in to their remodeled facility at the Father's House. ~ link

>  I really like the desert picture that I found for MasterPieceChurch.org to illustrate the Old Testament text for next Sunday.

Random

> Michael Powers: Urban Ukulele Project ~ link

> Using mobile phones to make ordinary, daily financial transactions in the last place on the planet that you'd think it would work. ~ NY Times

> Nancy Nordenson, who excels in creative excellence herself, reviews The Philosopher Kings -- school janitor documentary ~ link

> A Florida woman who has stalled the foreclosure process on her home for 25 years. But I doubt it has helped her credit rating or reputation. ~ WSJ

> Bike computer study proves rush-hour cycling is faster than driving -- especially on Wednesdays -- in Lyon -- as in France. ~ FastCompany

> Scot McKnight's "Jesus vs. Paul" article in CT. I'm still trying to figure out why it is so important to resolve perceived differences of emphasis in the Gospels and Pauline writing.

• How does that benefit us? 
• Is there not value in living with the tensions themselves? That is, might the tensions themselves be helpful and valuable?
• Might it be worthwhile to require all biblical theologians to take a degree in cross-cultural studies. There are different ways of doing and saying things that only make sense within their total cultural framework -- and which are not easily transfered between cultural frameworks.

Random

> French flash mob with a little uke action -- The thing is, these people look a lot like mobs in New York or California. Their clothing isn't so different than what you might see in San Francisco or Singapore. Maybe they should be singing "It's a Small, Small, World." ~ via

> Why isn't Haiti getting fixed? Corruption. ~ link

> Right after the earthquake everyone was scrambling to get doctors into Haiti. People were tripping all over each other. Coordination and logistics were near impossible. They arrived one day and flew out a couple of days later because there was no place for them to stay or work. Now, they need and can actually use medical personnel in Haiti but are having trouble getting enough help. An Evangelical Covenant Church mission team will travel to Haiti, January 9-23, and they are still needing medical staff. Now is the time. ~ link

> They found the long-lost mega-lake in the Egyptian desert. ~ MNBC

> Hookers for Jesus ~ U2B

> Dick Staub musing on some of the comments his column on the resurrection generated --

What can we learn from this thread of comments? 

First, the scientific method, which is useful for measuring the material, is being used to dismiss the spiritual -- a radical position not historically taken by scientists. 

Even the late evolutionary biologist Stephen Gould said, "Science simply cannot adjudicate the issue of God's possible superintendence of nature. We neither affirm nor deny it; we simply can't comment on it as scientists." 

Second, it appears the opinions of the Jesus Seminar and fictional books like "The Da Vinci Code" are trusted more than contemporary textual research about the New Testament... 

Third, as online commentary replaces in-person, interactive dialogue, civility and reason have given way to the kind of caustic, dismissive one-liners you might hear from Jon Stewart, "Saturday Night Live" or Bill Maher. People are entitled to their own opinions, and my column is an opinion editorial. All of us, however, could benefit from ratcheting down the one-liners and beefing up the substance and relevance of our comments... 

Finally, there seems to be an almost irrational hostility toward belief on the part of unbelievers. I would simply urge unbelievers to consider the fact that throughout the centuries, many of the best and brightest thinkers -- even in the sciences -- have believed in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus... ~ link

> Astrobiologists: Deadly arsenic breathes life into organisms ~ link

Random

> I should probably just say that Arizona State beat Arizona -- and leave it at that. But I won't. It happened in double overtime. ~ AZ Central

> Invasive species: The quagga mussel hitched a ride to Arizona and is now threatening the aquatic life of Lake Havasu. ~ KTAR

> The Trinity Wall Street Church Advent calendar is a unique blend of video story and scripture. ~ link

> It's not a time traveler on a mobile phone (where would the cell towers be?). It's a woman with an earache holding her ear and walking down the street talking to herself. ~ link

> Don't we already have privitized prisons in Arizona? Haven't they been prominently in the news recently because of how poorly they're run and overseen -- and how easy it is for murders to escape? It looks good on paper but... ~ link

> Maybe church is better if it is boring. ~ link

> You gotta know something is up because you never see that many women in a Waffle House all at once. ~ link

> Somebody's web-design class project? Somebody with a sense of humor?

In a diverse city known for its rich culture and beautiful beaches, Guam General Hospital offers yet another incentive – world-class health care. Guam General Hospital is a private not-for-profit hospital and one of the most comprehensive medical facilities in Guam serving a dozen counties with a population in excess of 1 million. As one of the largest hospitals in Guam, Guam General Hospital is licensed for 988 beds, and with over 3,000 employees, is one of the region's largest employers. ~ link (via)

The 678 area code listed on the website is for Atlanta, Georgia. (Guamanians do end up using GA a lot in the drop-down boxes on online store sites -- since GU is usually absent. So Georgia isn't so far from Guam -- sort'a.) And, of course, Guamanians wouldn't say "As one of the largest hospitals in Guam..." They'd say "As one of the largest hospitals on Guam."

Random

> Much of the UK has been snowed in for a couple of days. Meanwhile, spring weather has returned here in the Arizona desert. Back to shorts and flip-flops. But the brown haze hanging over Phoenix reminds us that we're in late-fall or winter. The seasonal inversion holds in the pollution. ~ BBC

> "...Seth Priebatsch, the 22-year-old founder of Scvngr, a social location-based gaming platform for mobile devices (Google is an investor), has said that he dropped out of Princeton 'to build a game layer over the world.'" Imagine being able to live your life as a game -- earning points for brushing your teeth, walking instead of driving, buying pop-tarts... "Games are on the verge of transforming our concepts of work, education, and commerce." ~ FastCompany

> Unless, of course, Jesus returns on May 21, 2011. Bob Smietana gets j-game points for the lead on his story about Harold Camping and the media campaign his followers have developed to spread the news of Jesus' return on May 21, 2011. (Harald is sure that he's done the math correctly this time.) ~ link

> There is a lot of wisdom packed in Chuck DeGroat's post "The Missional Position: Myths and Musings on Being Single" ~ link (via)

> "Yoido Full Gospel Church released 20 satellite congregations to become independent, effectively reducing the church roll by some 360,000 members." ~ link

> For those who romanticize the past -- if you were in the top US tax bracket in 1955, you were paying 81% of your income in taxes -- nearly double of what the top bracket is paying today. ~ NY Times

> Another bizarre TSA story -- Sometimes the passengers are as wacko as the policies. ~ CBS

> "Atheists to display 'Reason's Greetings' banner at holiday parade" -- As Skye Jethani puts it, "These guys put the humor into humanism." ~ Mercury News | Skye

> Let's start 35 family farms this Christmas. ~ link

> "...reminded how ordinary I am even tho' my life is not that ordinary. Can I be an ordinary radical or radical ordinary?" ~ Sivin Kit

> California Pizza Kitchen has opened its first restaurant in China. It is located in Shanghai. ~ Bloomberg