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YEAH! MONSOON SEASON has arrived. We've been getting afternoon cloud build-up  over the Phoenix area for the past few days. And it actually rained for two minutes yesterday in Mesa. More on the way -- I'm sure -- eventually. Actually this build-up is a pretty stock summer pattern -- even though we've been running about five degrees hotter than average.

NEUROLOGY? "City People Really are Wired Differently" ~ link

THE AMERICAN citrus season may be over (except for the Variegated Pink lemons) but we're starting to get all kinds of good fruit from Chile, South Africa, and Australia. We live in an interesting time. ~ link

FOLLOWER OF Harold Camping allegedly shoots co-worker who mocked Camping. Bizarre. Tragic. ~ CP

J LEE GRADY (whom I've come to respect over the years) talking about "the squirrelly world of independent charismatic churches, where accountability is sometimes a dirty word, some pastors think their ability to make people shout and swoon on Sunday mornings gives them a Get Out of Jail Free card whenever they commit a heinous sin"

The message: Anointing is what’s important. Character is secondary. If a guy can preach the paint off the walls and get everyone shouting, then relax—it really doesn’t matter how he runs his personal life. ~ link

TRANSPARENCY AND THE CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL -- Is this part of the problem? ~ CC

$4 TRILLION --

A new report out of Brown University estimates that the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq -- together with the counterinsurgency efforts in Pakistan -- will, all told, cost $4 trillion and leave 225,000 dead, both civilians and soldiers. ~ link

14 SOCIAL TRENDS that are shaping America. ~ The Atlantic

Random

LEARN "HANDS-ONLY" CPR in two minutes
"NEW ONLINE OPEN NEWSROOM a hit for Swedish newspaper... Norran, a large regional daily in the north of Sweden, has opened up its newsroom with a tool called eEditor, a live chat powered by CoverItLive where readers can discuss story ideas with journalists in real time." I wonder if it is sustainable once the novelty wears off and people move on to the next thing. And based on the way that American readers comment on published news stories, I wonder if it is even feasible in the US -- if we have high enough IQs to think through stories from more than one angle. ~ link (via)

YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE -- leaping sharks ~ link

I'M SORRY that I'm not at the annual meeting of the Covenant this week. I miss being at the hub and with my friends and colleagues. I'm not sorry that I'm not having to adjust to the 7,500 feet altitude. (I feel pretty lousy for the first six or seven days whenever I go to the Rockies.) I can do it if necessary but since our church isn't an organized member yet we don't have any delegate slots, anyway. ~ link

"THE CHURCH is not a fortress, but a force." ~ Ruth Hill

"OBAMA BEATS PALIN in Alaska, poll shows" -- She'll definitely be loading up the U-Haul for Arizona now. ~ Huff

FOX NEWS at it again -- "Love the fact that this story has nothing to do with weed yet there's a pic of it on the map. http://t.co/B6AbGmv" ~ Lydia Guzman

HOUSE CHURCH isn't enough ~ link

BIZ LEAVING TWITTER -- I like his outlook:

Stone, 37, said Tuesday on his blog that he will work with the company "for many years to come," but that the most effective use of his time now is to "get out of the way" of Twitter's crew and leadership team until he's called upon to be of some specific use. 

Stone says he plans to focus on helping schools, nonprofits and company advisory boards. He's also relaunching Obvious Corp. with fellow Twitter co-founder Evan Williams to develop new projects. ~ link

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JUST WONDERING -- If this is legit video footage, why is the seagull flying around at night and how is it that the owner was able to find and retrieve the camera? (via)

I'M LOOKING to start a ukulele band for beginners (children) through the church. Anyone have a sleeping uke or two that they'd want to donate? The most important thing is that the instruments are able to hold the tuning.

"WAR AND DROUGHT in Somalia are leading to an unprecedented number of people fleeing across the border into Kenya..." ~ BBC

"THE US STATE DEPARTMENT has placed the Federated States of Micronesia on its watch-list for international human trafficking." How big of a problem is this in Micronesia if they are only ranked as Tier 3? Or are they Tier 3 because the governments in the islands aren't so good at maintaining records -- especially when shame is involved? If they don't keep records then there must not be a problem. Still, I'm not sure that the US solution to the problem is going to work. My sense is that there needs to be a more indirect solution. ~ link

SHELDON GOOD:

Young and old enjoy spiritual formation for its social function. The future of faith lies in our capacity to engage in honest dialogue on the world’s spiritual and moral issues. In a social and cultural context that programs us to demonize rather than dialogue, honest conversations are more countercultural than ever. ~ link

This sounds so true on paper -- but in real life are the "dialogues" actually replacing the more didactic classes? My sense is that where Sunday School is disappearing it isn't being replaced with anything else.

HUFF HAS a "Create Your Own Religion Competition." Everyone is trying to be clever but they all sound like cheap knock-offs of something. There isn't much transcendence. Creating a religion isn't as easy as you might think it is. ~ link

I STILL say that "faith alone" makes sense and is totally biblical -- if faith is understood in its fullest sense. ~ link

NOMINAL DETERMINISM -- Do you think there is anything to it? Is there a link between your name and your fate? ~ link

I PREDICT that this will be a great success if the Vatican can find enough positive news to balance out the negative press they generate for themselves. It is a spiritual battle but sometimes it seems that they are their own worst enemy. "Pope Benedict XVI himself will give a cyber spark of life to a new Internet portal that gathers all Vatican news into one multimedia website, officials from the Vatican's communications office announced." ~ link

PREACHABLE: Stephen Colbert 2011 Commencement Speech at Northwestern University (jump to 13 minutes if you want to get to the profound part.)

Random

ELECTRIC CAR OVERVIEW -- 2012 ~ link

EVEYLYN LUNDBERG'S graduation speech: "So wake up and smell the ramen noodles." ~ Prairie Home Companion (audio/about 2 minutes)

BAD NEW SELLS MORE NEWSPAPERS -- "Is the Media Stifling the US Recovery?" ~ The Atlantic

Why are people growing more pessimistic even though the numbers suggest that things are not worsening but are actually mildly improving? Why are we so gullible and inclined to embrace the bad news? We enjoy seeing ourselves as victims.

"STUDY: Drivers have higher risk of skin cancer on left side" -- unless they're Aussies. ~ link

SOMETHING FROM ED STETZER to get us in the spirit for American Independence Day -- "Useless fact: guy who wrote Pledge of Allegiance was a Christian socialist w/a Nazi-style salute: http://is.gd/9LRPuQ"

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA plans to blanket the entire city with free Wi-Fi ~ link

"ARIZONA LAWMAKERS who received free sports tickets" -- It should be pointed out that receiving tickets is not necessarily illegal in Arizona -- as long as they are declared. At least that is my understanding. But some of this is pretty extreme. ~ link

I'M SURPRISED that Sweden is just now requiring teacher certification. ~ The Local

"IT IS BECOMING more common for Swedish families to choose to have a third child, a new study from Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån - SCB) shows." Does this have anything to do with the growing number of immigrants living in Sweden? ~ The Local

GREG BOYD talks about God's providence and sovereignty ~ link

THE MIDDLE CLASS may be shrinking in the US but it is expanding in the developing world. ~ The Atlantic

YESTERDAY'S SERMON on 1 John 1:5-2:2 is online (transcription -- more or less cleaned up with all the ahhhs and likes removed -- along with embarrassing moments where I lose my train of thought.) ~ FreshFishFood.blogspot.com

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"UTAH KFC asks customers to drink soda to support diabetes research" -- Okay, that's interesting. ~ link

CHRISTIANITY TODAY has a wonderful interview with Bishop Kallistos Ware. Here is his answer to the question "What is the center of the Christian message?"

I believe in a God who loves humankind so intensely, so totally, that he chose himself to become human, Therfore, I believe in Jesus Christ as fully and truly God, but also totally and unreservedly one of us, fully human... The love of God is so great that Christ died for us on the cross. But love is stronger than death, and so the death of Jesus was followed by his resurrection. I am a Christians because I believe in the great love of God that led him to become incarnate, to die, and rise again. That's my faith. All of this becomes immediate to us through the continuing action of the Holy Spirit. ~ CT

"IN THE NEW INDIA mastery of English and high academic credentials trump caste..." ~ CT

A NEWLY-DISCOVERED asteroid is projected to pass only 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) above Earth's surface at about 6:30 AM PDT, tomorrow, Monday, June 27th . ~ link

RESEARCH: "Culture shapes our neurological wiring but it’s not permanent. Cross-cultural experiences can change neurological activations." ~ link

Random

CLARK HOWARD: "Say goodbye to the econo-box of old. A new breed of value vehicles is coming from multiple manufactures this fall and you won't believe how low the price points start." ~ link

FIVE LESSONS from the welfare state of Sweden, the "rock star" of economic recovery ~ Washington Post

THE OTHER REASON that is is not practical for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, wounded in the line of duty, to resign is that Governor Jan Brewer would in all likelihood then appoint a Republican of her liking to fill Giffords' seat. I can't imagine that the Democrats, nor the constituents in Giffords' more moderate district, would be too happy about that. Many of them are already trying to figure out how to secede from Arizona. ~ link

THE PRICE OF Coca-Cola is going up ~ link

"PER-CAPITA WATER USE has declined in 100 communities that depend on the Colorado River, the primary source of freshwater to much of the southwest. But as populations expand, overall water consumption is still climbing." ~ CSM

JUST ONE MORE THING... I'm sorry to see Peter Falk go. He was my favorite TV detective. ~ link

From the garden

Let's just call them "personal-size" cantaloupes and then we can say that they are gardening successes.

Random

"TOUCHABLE" HOLOGRAMS


THE FIRST PIU mission team to Indonesia has completed its assignment and returned to Guam ~ link

COVENANT WORLD RELIEF & Habitat for Humanity are working together in Haiti to build upgradable houses, $4,200 each ~ link

LAVASA -- India's experimental planned city built around new-urbanism concepts and high-tech industry is almost ready to go. We can expect more of the cutting-edge creative experimentation to emerge in non-Western countries. ~ The Atlantic

THIS IS GOOD -- although the Covenant's new CovChurch.tv still has a lot of talking heads video. It's hard to avoid. I know because I've done some talking head video myself.

SPECTACULAR VIDEO -- "Giant Pacific Octopus Babies: Thousands Of Eggs Hatch" ~ Huff

IT APPEARS THAT some of the fire fighters are starting to head home. There was a brush-fire rig from an Indian reservation in Montana parked outside the Starbucks in Laveen this afternoon. Or maybe they were next door in Scooptacular. That's where I'd want to stop if I were on my way back to Montana.

I MET AND had a great visit with a couple of new Ethiopian immigrants in Starbucks this afternoon. The African population in Laveen seems to be growing weekly.

UNEMPLOYMENT ON GUAM is now at 13.3% -- 38.6% for teens. ~ PNC

"THE PHILIPPINES has complained of nine separate Chinese incursions into its territorial waters since late February, and Vietnam has also accused China of harassment in the region." Of course, China claims almost all of the South China Sea as their territorial waters. When you look on a map it does look a bit imperialistic. ~ BBC

LOOK LESS HAOLIE -- build your vocabulary -- Hawaiian word of the day on Twitter. Of course, it will take more than learning a few phrases. Lose the shoes. Don't sunburn yourself. Chill and tune into the reggae on Island925 ~ link

"WHAT WOULD IT look like if, as leaders, we focused less on the things that make our churches entertaining and more on making disciples?" I love the Foursquare Church's new video "This is Discipling" for many reasons. It's just so missional!

Random

COOL SWITL
US COLLEGES are stepping up their efforts to recruit students from Pacific Rim countries. ~ USA Today

CITRUS FARMERS to the rescue -- of Walmart -- in South Africa ~ link

WHAT DOES N.T. Wright think he'd say on his deathbed? His final thoughts? ~ link

THE FIRST shipments of South African citrus this season have started to arrive in the US. ~ link

YOU ONLY THINK you're self-made.

If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!" -well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth... ~ Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (MSG)

APPARENTLY EVANGELICALS are all up in arms about theistic evolution. We are? I'm not so sure that people out here on the streets are terribly concerned about settling the issue one way or the other. ~ link

NOT THAT I'D CHOOSE the label for myself but you might be a "progressive Christian if..." ~ link

THERE IS AN optimism gap between evangelical leaders of the Global South and the Global North. Well, the church in the south is growing by leaps and bounds but it is currently waning in much of the north. That might be one reason the southerners are more optimistic. ~ link

"SEA LEVELS Rising At Fastest Rate In 2,100 Years" ~ Huff

"HUMANS JUST MIGHT have a 'magnetic' sixth sense" ~ link (via)

SCOT McKNIGHT'S scathing questions -- "Why Don't We Care About Global Missions" -- guilty on all four counts ~ link

IT'S TOO REAL -- "Pakistani Muslims demand a ban on the Bible" ~ link (via)

CYBER WARFARE

Random

I DID A LITTLE UPDATE on the video of the Kunama-Eritrean House Fellowship Choir leading us in worship on Pentecost Sunday, June 12th. One song is in Ethiopian, one is in Eritrean, and one is in Kunama, a regional Eritrean dialect.


EMPIRE, NEVADA, the last company town in America, has closed ~ Huff

48% OF AMERICANS say that another Great Depression is likely to occur in the next year. That could be a self-fulfilling prophecy because the health of the economy largely hinges on the level of optimism. Until something jolts people out of their doom and gloom thinking things won't pick-up. ~ Time

DEEP SPENDING CUTS would be even more harmful to the long-term health of the US than either a default or a large deficit. We're walking gingerly along the top of a wall. And it's not the same as managing your personal finances. A lot of the world depends on us not falling off either side of the wall. We can do this. ~ The Atlantic

THE NUMBER of internet users in China has grown to 477 million. And that is with less than 40% population penetration. There are about 239 million internet users in the US -- penetrating 78% of the population. ~ link

"GUANGZHOU is the best place to live in China, according to the just-released China City Life Quality Index Report. Shanghai ranks number 2, while Beijing is number 8 on the list." ~ link

EVERY 13 YEARS or so this topic comes up -- "Sixteen Ways to Eat a Cicada" ~ Time

Random

PHOENIX HAS discovered food trucks.
THE AREAS in the US where you are most likely to lose your car to auto theft:

1. Fresno, California
2. Modesto, California
3. Bakersfield-Delano, California
4. Spokane, Washington
5. Vallejo-Fairfield, California
6. Greater Sacramento, California
7. Stockton, California
8. Visalia-Porterville, California
9. San Franciso-Oakland-Fremeont, California
10. Yakima, Washington

Overall, auto-thefts are down ~ link

JOHN ORTBERG on three possible gauges of church success -- blessings, needs, multiplication ~ link

MY SERMON on 1 John 1:1-4 is now online at FreshFishFood.blogspot.com.

FROM Michael McGowan's review of Existential Reasons for Belief in God: A Defense of Desires and Emotions for Faith:

As the New Atheism becomes old news, debates about how to best justify faith have been rekindled. Certainly, Existential Reasons can be read as a volley against those who place confidence in reason alone. In Williams's work, one finds echoes of "postconservative" theologians, who remind us that Christianity is about transformation, not just information. But the genius of this book is that it doesn't swing the pendulum too far. Or perhaps more appropriately, Williams shows that reason and emotion are not opposing poles on a single continuum at all; each has its place in the cultivation, strengthening, and defense of Christian belief. ~ CT

Who started the fires?

CONGRESSMAN JOHN McCAIN is saying that illegal immigrants are to blame for the Arizona fires that are ravaging the state right now. Apparently he has "substantial evidence" of which no one else in authority seems to be aware -- and which he is not sharing with anyone else.

Undocumented immigrants do cross the desert in southern Arizona and at times they do start fires. But so far no one else has been able to tie the current fires to illegal immigrants. ~ LA Times

ISTM that when we start blaming one group for every problem that comes along (which we are close to doing in Arizona) we have displacement or scapegoating. At the risk of playing the over-played Hitler card, it could again be pointed out that Hitler came to power because he figured out that people responded positively when he blamed all of Germany's woes on the Jews and their friends.

In the 1950's the communists were supposedly behind every social problem.

In the American colonies of the 17th century witches became the scapegoats.

When the Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 the blame was placed on Christians because they had abandoned traditional Roman religion and led the empire to follow. That view was so widely adopted that St Augustine wrote the City of God in an attempt to to rebuff the arguments.

Further back, Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome in AD 64.

It's all the same story -- repeating itself over and over again. We can easily become them -- if we aren't already.

Libertarian Paradise

Via Beth Bilynskyj. This humorously makes the point well. Yes, I realize that the term "teabagger" is offensive to some people and if I were labeling the video I would have avoided it. I also realize that Somalia is a tragedy beyond libertarianism and that libertarianism isn't the same as anarchy (although, I might suggest that libertarian ideals pushed to the extreme creates a form of anarchy that benefits those who have accumulated wealth and power). But sometimes hyperbole makes the point best.

Random

THE GOVERNOR of Guam is pushing for a vote on self-detrmination in the next general election. He is right, of course. But the devil is in the details. Which selves get to make the self-determination? Which option is the most fair to the most number of people? ~ link

THE WILD GOOSE is honking back. ~ USA Today

AT 40 YEARS -- the history of email graphic ~ link

RITZ Toasted Chips are pretty addictive.

THERE ARE AN incredible number of free Kindle titles available right now -- including works by Martin Luther and Alexander Maclaren. Even the The Velveteen Rabbitis free. And you don't need an official Kindle reader to use them. There are free Kindle reader appsfor PC, Mac, iPod, iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, Bluebery...

THIS YEAR, for the first time there were more searches for information about Father's Day than Mother's Day. What's that about? ~ link

"OFFERING TEMPORARY tax breaks to cut down permanent ones could be a way to 'bribe' taxpayers to give up tax breaks." ~ CSM

Random

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! My brother Gary and I (and our spouses) took our father (and mother) to breakfast yesterday at T.C. Eggington's in Mesa. Best breakfast in Central Arizona for the best father.

FOR THOSE TRACKING the wanderings of our #2 son -- Kent should be out of Seoul and into London sometime today. He is taking the scenic route home to Arizona and should arrive here in Phoenix in about one month.

LUTEFISK TACO -- I'm into fusion but there are limits. ~ link

BANK OF AMERICA is going to be giving away some of the foreclosed homes in their inventory. It seems like it would have made more sense to work with the original owners to modify their loans -- or just to have given the homes to them -- less paperwork, hassle, and cost. What am I missing? ~ link

JUST LOADED Small Is Big!: Unleashing the Big Impact of Intentionally Small Churchesby Tony & Felicity Dale and George Barna, into my Kindle, upon the recommendation of Guy Muse. I doubt that I'll agree with it all but I'm more and more convinced that we get more of significance done with a lot of smaller units -- and fewer bigger units.

KITTEN FOUND in car air filter ~ link

SOMEONE QUOTED Thomas Sowell, "Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face." Since the US is technically a "liberal democracy" does that mean that we are founded on the ideals of totalitarianism? Just asking...

Ave Maria (Jake Shimabukuro)

Random

BABY BOB CATS in Fountain Hills (Phoenix suburb to the northeast). We stayed at Jeff and Mary Johnson's condo in Fountain Hills when we first moved back to Arizona. We saw lots of javelina but no bob cats. This would be a fun surprise. ~ link

"MANY OF THE STUDENTS who earn bachelor's degrees from community colleges earn higher salaries than their counterparts from public, four-year universities, because the community colleges' curricula are tailored to well-paying jobs waiting for them upon graduation." ~ CHE

JAKE SHIMABUKURO is now a married man. ~ link

I HAVEN'T BEEN able to download the Android app, or to play music off the Droid browser -- yet, but the Music Beta is still my new favorite Google thing. All my music is now in the cloud and I can grab it from anywhere -- and any machine -- except, of course, my Droid. Well, it is a beta -- and it is free.

IT'S INTERESTING that el presidente Hugo Chávez couldn't trust anyone in Venezuela to do his surgery. He had to go to Cuba. ~ link

ONE FEWER banking option -- "Capital One to buy ING online bank" ~ BBC

UNBELIEVABLE -- The Kindle edition of the new Common English Bible does not have an index or table of contents page -- which renders it nearly useless. To get to the book of Revelation you'd have to click the page turn button about 1,500 times. They have got to fix that -- and quickly.

FORMER LABOR SECRETARY Robert Reich does a good job of explaining the problems with the economy -- and in less than 2 minutes, 15 seconds --

Random

BILL KINNON: "...the crisis in the church is not leadership; it's discipleship." ~ link

AND HE brings in Chris Wright to help drive the point home.

AND YOU THINK that your church is screwed up. "Only 15 percent of members of the Church of Sweden say they believe in Jesus, and an equal number claim to be atheists according to the results of a recent survey." That would be a true pastoral challenge -- or should we say opportunity? ~ The Local

"WHAT WOMEN WANT, what women get" -- SPAM burgers -- coming soon to a Burger King near you (if you live in Japan). ~ Huff

CHROME BOOKS, the new netbooks/laptops featuring the Google Chrome operating system are now available. 8-second booting.

DON'T EVEN TRY to hide. Facebook is adding facial recognition software. ~ link

PETE EKSTRAND: "Language confusion: neeple or nipple?" ~ link

VIOLENCE incited by the Sudanese government is causing panic in the disputed central part of the country. This is not a good sign as the south prepares for independence from the north. ~ NY Times

"I’M AN EVANGELICAL REJECT" -- We're too people-pleasing worried about whether we fit the label. Just be it. ~ Kurt Willems

OH, NO! No more Swedish radio in Rockford, Illinois! Of course, there aren't any Swedish speakers left in Rockford. (Other foreign language radio programming is falling on hard times, too.) Well, there is the internet, which will gladly host locally-focused programming as well as programming piped directly from the old country. ~ USA Today

HACKING INTO THE CIA website is like jumping into a "bait car" in the mall. Can you imagine what lethal viruses they share with anyone who gets in there? ~ link

AND WHATEVER HAPPENED TO . . . Bill Gothard? ~ link

Random

HOW BAD ARE BANANAS? The Carbon Footprint of Everything ~ CSM

THE CONNA-ERITREAN HOUSE FELLOWSHIP Choir lead part of our worship on Pentecost Sunday, June 12th. The video is up on the MasterPieceChurch.org website. One song is in Ethiopian, one is in Eritrean, and one is in one of the regional Eritrean dialects.

I NOW HAVE the SBL Greek New Testament on my Kindle reader -- free download ~ link

THE CHALMERS CENTER is reporting sales of 100K copies of When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself-- a must read for anyone who works with the poor or marginalized at home or abroad. ~ link

A RECENT UN survey revealed that 40% of the US adult population does not know what a refugee is. World Refugee Day is June 20th. ~ link

CHRISTIANITY EXPLORED, another intro to Christianity course developed in England, is now available in the US. In many ways it's similar to the Alpha course but the video segments are shorter, more graphically developed, the focus is on exploring through the lens of one gospel -- that of Mark, and there is less emphasis on Charismatic gifts. ~ link

KoaSound

HOW CAN anyone not love KoaSound, the London-based ukulele band? They ooze fun -- and sound pretty good, too.

Flag Day

Random

DOOMSAYER 89-year-old Harold Camping was hospitalized last week because of a stroke. ~ link

HAS ALL THE ACID been leeched out of Franky Schaeffer? ~ Huff

THE BACKFIRE EFFECT --

...the misconception is that when you are presented with evidence to persuade you to change your mind you do. The reality is that when you hold firmly to something and are presented with evidence to the contrary you are more likely to dig in your heels and assume you're right and the counter-evidence must be wrong. ~ link (via)

"ARIZONA couple renting out backyard in order to pay bills" -- Creative. ~ link

SPOTTED IN LAVEEN yesterday -- two men in white shirts and ties. Not missionaries -- just a couple of lost suits in a rental car. Noteworthy.

"WOULD A MORMON presidency fuel the growth of Mormonism?" Has the presidency ever fueled the growth of a denomination or sect? If anything, it seems that the divisive nature of the presidency in the US is more likely to have a negative impact on the president's church -- if he flies that flag very high. ~ link

SUPER 8 was not at all what I expected. I was anticipating more a mystery than a Transformers-style thriller -- not that it lacks mystery. I really enjoyed it. (Do stay for the credits.)

TRY OUT the new Common English Bible translation:

Find your favorite passage in the CEB:

Random

SUCH A VERSATILE INSTRUMENT -- so many different styles


"DEADLY JOPLIN TORNADO stirred up rare fungal infections" -- bizarre as the tornado itself. The things we don't know or understand. ~ link

HOW THE WEB'S rapid expansion will transform the Global South ~ link

"MUSIC IS LIKE SAUSAGE. You love the final product but sometimes you don't want to see how it's made." ~ Huff

GLENN KAISER:

I say this not just because Jesus People USA was in the middle of it or because I'm directly involved, but because it's just plain old fashioned true: If you do the math, and if you think about an entire association of churches like Calvary Chapel, the Vineyard, and on and on, so many things happened in those few years, from the late '60s to the early '70s, that when historians look back at the last century, the Jesus Movement may end up being considered a more significant move of God in terms of people coming to Christ under biblical faith, as well as renewal among the poor. I think you'll find it was more significant in the long run than Asuza Street or the Wall Street revivals. The Jesus Movement was the third Great Awakening, in a lot of ways. ~ CT

Random

I DIDN'T realize that dial telephones were introduced only two years before I was born. I had assumed that the dial tone joined us sometime in the 1930s. But apparently not.
FOOD COPS close down grasshopper taco option ~ link

TOTALLY LIKE WHATEVER, you know? -- a poem by Taylor Mali

"SPIRITUAL SLUMPS are the result of spending too much time in your own head." ~ link

Complete CEB released!

THE COMPLETE COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE, Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament, is now searchable on thier website. And I'm really enjoying dipping into sections of the CEB previously unavailable.

Here is a sample with comparisons from other solid and recognized translations.

PROVERBS 16:32 (CEB):
Better to be patient than a warrior,
and better to have self-control than to capture a city.

PROVERBS 16:32 (NLT):
Better to be patient than powerful;
better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

PROVERBS 16:32 (NIV):
Better a patient person than a warrior,
one with self-control than one who takes a city.

PROVERBS 16:32 (ESV):
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

PROVERBS 16:32 (NRSV):
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.

Here is another passage -- which happens to be the Moravian Daily Text for today.

PSALM 141:3 (CEB):
Set a guard over my mouth, LORD ;
keep close watch over the door that is my lips.

PSALM 141:3 (NLT):
Take control of what I say, O Lord,
and guard my lips.

PSALM 141:3 (NIV):
Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

PSALM 141:3 (ESV):
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!

PSALM 141:3 (NRSV):
Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

The CEB, like all translations, has its quirks but I think it shines most of the time and proves that it can play with the big boys.

Random

THE COVENANT CHURCH in Sweden (Svenska Missionskyrkan) has merged with two smaller Swedish denominations -- The Swedish Methodist Church and the Swedish Baptist Union. I love their new working name -- "Common Future" (Gemansam Framtid) -- a nice eschatological ring to it. There is a slight weirdness to it -- from this side of the pond. You're happy that your aging and widowed grandmother has found someone she wants to marry -- and it seems like a good thing -- but it still feels a bit weird. ~ link

MORE HEADLINE writers gone wild ~ link

THE COST OF a daily admission ticket to Disneyland just jumped to $80. ~ link

THIS IS HOW humanists understand Christian theology. It's almost as interesting as the video I highlighted yesterday where we learned that the internet is God. Sometimes it's hard to know where to start in forming a response. Sometimes the wisest thing to do is step back, enjoy the poking, and let it slide. Not always -- but sometimes. Perhaps we're not doing such a good job communicating what we believe. ~ link

I'M STILL AMONG THE WEALTHIEST 1% of all the people on earth. Plugging your income into the calculator adds a layer of perspective and discourages whining about the economy. How rich are you? ~ link (via)

WE'VE WAY OVER-ESTIMATED the power of the presidency. ~ TIME

BMW-POWERED HOVERCRAFT MOTORCYCLE -- I wonder if they'll require a motorcycle class driver's license for this one. "The bike should go 173 mph and fly as high as 10,000 feet." Why am I skeptical? ~ link

I CAN'T BELIEVE that they went through and printed hard copies of 13,000 Sarah Palin emails. Someone needs to show the Alaskans where the email forward button is located. ~ WP

WE'VE LEARNED THAT SHE may have used a government email account to exchange recipes for elk stew. I'm not a fan of either Sarah Palin or elk meat but I'm not seeing a crime in that -- especially in Alaska. At least she wasn't sending out suggestive pictures of herself strutting about without her anorak. ~ link

Random

WORLD VULNERABLE to magnetic effects of solar storms -- as seen Wednesday. ~ CSM

"THE INTERNET IS MY RELIGION" -- "Humanity connected is God." Hey, I'm grateful for the internet, too, but this is pretty muddled thinking. ~ link

UPDATED INFO about our Pentecost celebration ~ link

"THE SECRET of Big Blue’s longevity has less to do with machines or software than with strong customer relationships" Yep. That's the difference between a flash in the pan and long-term influence. ~ The Economist

Random

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE has a great obituary for Willie Jemison, the patriarch of African-American pastors in the Covenant. Herb Hedstrom is more concise but incredibly on target with his eulogy. "Willie Jemison was quite simply one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Without him the ECC would be a very different entity. Because of him we more nearly reflect the wonderful diversity of the Kingdom. He did not need us nearly as much as we needed him..."

CONCURRENTLY:

• Americans are pulling their children out of private schools. 
• American public school enrollment is at an all-time high. 
• In places like California and Arizona we're slashing public education budgets. ~ The Daily

"GOSHEN COLLEGE, a Mennonite school in Indiana, has become a target of public outrage over its decision to ban the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting events because it conflicts with the school's core values... Historically, playing the national anthem has not been among Goshen College’s practices because of our Christ-centered core value of compassionate peacemaking seeming to be in conflict with the anthem’s militaristic language.” ~ link

MAKE CUPCAKES -- not war! ~ The Telegraph (via)

THE QUESTION on every fire-fighters mind -- will Hurricane Adrian shoot some moisture up to Arizona? It will be awhile before we find out. ~ link

CHICAGO: 99° yesterday, 61° today. That's a sharp dive. In Phoenix we'll be back up into triple digits for at least the next six days. 105° tomorrow.

AVA ROSE SAIZ was born yesterday -- the first baby born into our new church. Talk about cute!!! ~ link

I'M A FAN of the headline writers -- "Party of Two Is Seated at the Periodic Table" ~ WSJ

IF I GET BACK from my morning meetings in time I'm hoping to catch Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen on the Fuller Seminary Ustream this afternoon. ~ link

MOST INVASIVE species are actually benign ~ link

Ayn Rand

The Democrats are making hay out of the contemporary Republican/conservative alignment with the thinking of Ayn Rand. The outrageous thinking we subjected ourselves to in the 60's and 70's is coming back to haunt us. (via)

Eugene Petersson interview

Watch the full episode. See more Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

놀라워

I didn't want to be the only person in the world without a link to this moving story and song.

We Believe

This coming Sunday is Pentecost and I'm hoping that we will be able to sing Graham Kendrick's classic worship song "We Believe" as the affirmation of faith.

The version above is from theREIGN, a sweet English worship rock band. I'd love to participate in one of their "Communion on the Rocks" events -- although I suspect that some ear plugs would be in order for my sensitive ear drums.

Random

TWO WEEKS AGO I saw Kiwano fruit for sale in the grocery store for $5 a piece. I went home, hunted down some seeds online, and planted my first seeds this afternoon.

AN ENTIRE Episcopal Church in Maryland is joining the Roman Catholic Church. ~ Huff

AS RUMORED Apple is taking another stab at moving things into the clouds. ~ link

"IS IT THE BEST possible day for Apple & Twitter to announce they're making it easier to tweet pix from your iPhone?" ~ James Gleick

"WEINERGATE" -- Someone had fun coming up with that label. Arizona State Senator Kyrsten Sinema nails it: "What I think is most disappointing about this regardless of party affiliation is that it adds to the apathy and disdain that Americans have for politics." Yep. Although Anthony Weiner probably doesn't have much of a political future -- even if he does not resign. ~ link

"THINGS that make you say, 'Hmmm.': Religious groups in US in 1990: 330. Today: over 2,000. ~ link

SOME COMPANIES get it. I had a Philips CFL light bulb, guaranteed for seven years, die in less than two. I contacted them online and within two weeks had a no hassle check in an amount slightly more than the cost of the bulb and tax. I didn't even need the receipt. I'm now a fan.

STRESSED? My 1 Peter 5:7 sermon is up on Fresh Fish Food.

Random

IMPRESSIVE: (via)

"A FIERCE pride in one’s regional roots can be found throughout England. Increased mobility and the ubiquitousness of television and radio have done surprisingly little to homogenise the distinctive accents and dialects that characterise the different parts of the country. Some are spreading; some retreating. Some are mutating; some are even getting stronger. But, overall, the pronunciation and prosody of spoken English seems to vary as much as ever across the country of its birth." ~ The Economist

"BING IT, DANNO!" The whole product placement in shows like Hawaii Five-0 does get beyond subtle at times.

IF THE early church fathers could say their piece in 140 characters... ~ link

INTERESTING PARADOX -- "Church for single Mormons" ~ WP

CHERYL SAW one of these -- a coati -- when she was out walking a few blocks from the house the other morning. Laveen is an interesting place. You just never know what you'll come across here.

Random

PING PONG TRICKSTHE CLIMATRON: a climate-controlled dome in everyone's backyard by 1999. Fascinating idea. I'm still a bit sad that the Hyatt O'Hare (where the Covenant Midwinter Conference is held 75% of the time) removed their doomed swimming pool and tropical retreat during their most recent remodel. It was my favorite part of the whole hotel. I loved sitting in there in the warmth and humidity watching the snow accumulate outside on the seams of the glass dome. ~ The Atlantic

IS THERE REASON for Las Vegas to be envious of Phoenix? ~ link

WILL DIRT be on the new food group platter? Researchers are now saying that eating dirt can be good for you. ~ link

Random

FROM TAIWAN-- be amazed.

THANKS TO the Salvation Army today is National Doughnut Day -- many calorie outlets have freebies today. ~ Huff

MY IDEAL PRESIDENTIAL candidate would be a statesman (or stateswoman) who can get things done, working both sides of the aisle -- with grace around the world -- an articulate thinker -- reputation for integrity-- a straight shooter who doesn't run his mouth -- a centrist not given to the extremes on either the left or the right -- not a shoot-from-the-hips yahoo. Suggestions?

199 ARCHAIC OCCUPATIONS. Fascinating. ~ link

SOUTHEAST ARIZONA is on fire. ~ link

IT'S GOOD to see that two of the newer Lutheran groups in the US, the NALC and LCMC, are developing a mutual and working relationship. ~ link

THE COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE (CEB) to be released in September will include the Apocrypha books ~ link

Random

FRIEND STEWART WEBSTER posted this short Sweden promo on his Facebook wall.

IKEA IS DOING an all-you-can-eat Swedish buffet in the tradition of Midsummer, on Friday, June 17th. And they're actually selling tickets! ($2.49 for kids under 12; $9.99 for adults) ~ link

SHANE CLAIBORNE distances himself from the whole emerging church thingy -- whatever it is. ~ link

FINALLY, A TRULY thought-provoking graduation speech -- Jonathan Franzen: "Liking Is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts." ~ NY Times

THE CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL is for sale -- future trend as Boomers retire? ~ link

I'M REALLY LIKING the new Bible Gateway released yesterday -- faster, parallel reading, Greek, Hebrew... Logos.com and the NET Bible are still the gold standards for free online study resources but the Bible Gateway just added some very gold-like shine. YouVersion is still the best Bible reading tool and the fact that is available across so many platforms that all sync together is a real gift. Bobby Gruenewald, the YouVersion developer, was recently recognized for his achievement.

IN CASE you decide to read the Bible in archaic English -- "Speak King James English in one easy lesson!" ~ link

THE 2011 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON began yesterday. Here is the official forecast.

HERE'S THAT 150 BARRIER again. Dunbar's theory is that 150 people is the relational saturation point. This is one reason why I think that churches should aim to multiply themselves before they hit the 150 mark. ~ link

45% OF PHOENIX home buyers are paying cash ~ link

GENERATIONAL RESPECT ~ link

THE EURO IN CRISIS -- "... Europe has two choices: tighter integration, or partial dissolution." ~ The Atlantic

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER -- BTW, I have only one student in my online spiritual formation class this summer. (The other was a "no show.") And I don't mind -- really. ~ link

Random

HOW TO TAKE DOWN the spammers by following the money to the bank ~ link

IT NOW LOOKS OFFICIAL. We're in a double-dip situation. This means it is a great time to buy a house. ~ link

SIGHTINGS -- Life is so full of contradiction.

...To the current point, the headline of the Humanist article summarizes the plot: “Why I Am an Amoral, Family-Hating Monster. . . and Newt Gingrich Isn’t.” Author PZ Myers begins with reference to his 31 years of marriage “without ever straying,” while still being seen as a monster for his humanist commitments. Newt Gingrich, Myers notes, has been married three times, divorced one wife while she was recovering from surgery, and had extramarital affairs. He asks who is considered the defender of traditional sexual morality even as he represents a “political party with more ex-wives than candidates and defends a disturbingly amoral network of fundamentalist operators” while remaining regarded as the protector of the sanctity of the family...” ~ Martin Marty

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN'S new album, re:creation, due out in August, will include some of his classics but with a sound "going in a more organic, acoustic direction (hint: listen for some banjo and ukulele)." Did they say Steven Curtis Chapman and uke? ~ link (via Brent Peak)

AUSTRALIA'S ECONOMY has taken a dive ~ BBC

AMERICAN PYSICIANS WARMING to national health insurance plan --

...as more doctors move from business owner to shift worker, their historic alliance with the Republican Party is weakening... 

That change could have a profound effect on the nation’s health care debate. Indeed, after opposing almost every major health overhaul proposal for nearly a century, the American Medical Association supported President Obama’s legislation last year because the new law would provide health insurance to the vast majority of the nation’s uninsured, improve competition and choice in insurance, and promote prevention and wellness, the group said. 

Because so many doctors are no longer in business for themselves, many of the issues that were once priorities for doctors’ groups, like insurance reimbursement, have been displaced by public health and safety concerns, including mandatory seat belt use and chemicals in baby products. ~ NY Times

WHAT DO YOU THINK? "The Puritans knew from experience that accepting government support could undermine their vision of a disciplined and energetic church whose every member took joint responsibility for their great mission in the wilderness." And what about the clergy housing allowance? ~ Dan Hotchkiss