This pope is the 3rd longest serving Pope, he has led a full life, lets let him die and get a new one…Wouldn’t it be funny if there was a pope shelter like for dogs and cats. a bunch of little popes in cages, all staring with wide eyes at the bishops that walk in, just hoping to become ne next Pope. I am just excited to see the whole process of new Pope-ification. Don’t get me wrong I think the Pope is cool, but we have all been expecting that he would die sometime soon…Face it, he is not in the best shape…Let’s just accept the natural circle of life and enjoy the traditions of Popery.!

So here is an Update about my Battle/hatred with TBN (The Christian television station that broadcasts across the globe)
I now realize that I am not the only one who thinks that these people are doing a disservice to our LORD. There are plenty of people who have been following the wrong things that these people have been doing in the name of Jesus…here are just a few:

* This is an article focusing on the work of Ministrywatch.com It sounds like they are against TBN as much as me! it also mentions some of the outrageous financial practices of the network

* Here is Ministrywatch.com’s information about TBN

* Here is a website telling about the outright heresy and other evil practices of the network (be sure to read some of the stuff in red…it will piss you off that this is how Christianity is represented to the rest of the world)

Christploitation
So more and more every day I feel compelled to personally bring down TBN I hate the fact that they are Exploiting the name of Jesus for their own financial gain. I just printed off some articles about the corruption of the network and I realize now that I am not the only one who hates what these people are doing!

I hope our green spaces stay green
I hope less people die by the hand of America than the last 4 years
I hope that America’s faith in Jesus grows
I hope that more people can support their families
I hope that the sick get the care they need
I hope all children get the education they deserve
I hope that all kinds of people get the rights they deserve.

Don’t take away my places to backpacking!
Keep them as natural as possible!

This is the Face of Christianity

These are the most recognizable faces from TBN, the “America’s most watched faith channel.” Not having cable, I find myself watching this network disturbingly often. I enjoy the appearances by Mr. T, Deion Sanders, M.C. Hammer, and John Tesh. The TV personalities sit on gold thrones and interview Christian celebrities and ask viewers to call for prayer. I have no problem with prayer, music, or using the medium of Television to spread the word of God. My problem is with the current way that it is being done. The picture that the world sees of Christians, is one of pink-haired women crying their mascara into streaks while they sit on gold thrones. According to TBN Christians are uber-conservative losers with bad taste in music, drama, and decorating. I don’t know any Christian that acts the way some of the people do on that network. The only good thing that I have seen is Kirk Cameron and his Australian friend teaching people “The Way of the Master” which sounds like some sort of Kung-Fu movie, but is actually a way to talk to non-believers about Jesus…it is pretty good. The more I read Relevant Magazine and the more I learn about the way that Christians can interact with culture, the more I realize that there needs to be some serious change. TBN is not Christianity as a whole. It is a wierd conservative evangelical off-shoot that squanders money, misrepresents our Lord and does a disservice to believers and non-believers alike.

Praise and Worship Music
I have always loved the Organ. I love the way the low notes shake the Pew and rumble your heart. I love old Hymns, I have formulated the opinion that the music and memorable tunes touch the heart like nothing else can, and the well-thought lyrics touch the mind. The power of such amazing music and Lyrics make the Worship experience complete for me. In choir, when we would sing an old solid hymn like “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” With Giant Organ blowing every possible note, and all the members of the choir singing as loud as they possibly could without it being shouting, the song would literally make me tremble and bring tears to my eyes. If you look at the lyrics of the hymn mentioned above or “And Can it be That I should Gain?” or pretty much anything by Charles Welsey, you can’t help but notice the beauty of the word’s themselves. This is Praise and Worship music! This is the Utmost for His Highest!

The Place for CCM
I realize that contemporary Christian music sung in a lot of churches and chapels serves a different purpose than these old songs. It gets people’s heads out of Hymnals and up to a screen, it reaches those who aren’t familiar with the old hymns, it is easy to catch on to, and easy to play. Instruments such as guitar, drums, keyboard, bass, etc can be added and attract a whole different audience who might never be interested in “traditional” church music.

My Stance on CCM
What I do not understand is why anyone would want to trade in the previously mentioned, earth-shaking hymns for songs with such shallow lyrics as “Cry of My Heart” or “Open the Eyes of My Heart”. I Think that the Tunes of the old hyms are just as catchy, if not more so, than any praise song. I also believe that the Music that we play at worship services should be our best. An electronic drum-set being played by an inexperienced 25 year old, or an out of tune guitar played by a man who only knows a few chords is not our best. We should have music that is worthy to be played to the ears of our Lord. (I do believe that god loves all praise no matter if it is out of tune, as long as it is heartfelt, and I think that bad music is better than no music at all, but I think you get my point) We can So better, and we should want to do better.

The Sanctuary
I like having a sanctuary, I like stained glass, I believe that the house of God is a Holy place that should feel as such. I am turned off my gymnasiums, and malls that function as places of Worship (I realize that God dwells everywhere, but this is just my personal preference) I want to worship in a place that architecturally promotes the worship of God. I have always loved the history that is held within the wals of a church. Carved wood, stained glass, steeples, organ pipes. There is something about it (even if it is in a new church) that makes the weight of God and his presence more tangible. God is Beautiful and I believe his house should also be. For me the comfort is in the churchy-ness. Some find comfort in rooms that can function as basketball court, theatre for plays, or mixers for singles. But I want to worship in a Church, a Cathedral, a building in which every detail is thought out and specifically crafted to enhance the worship experience, from carvings to acoustics, from seating to ventilation.

Church Family
Having belonged to the same Church all my life, I know many other members, and they know me. Whenever I go home, people ask me about my life, and are genuinely interested in what I have been up to. I do the same. My church is an extended family who has watched me grow, has prayed me individually, and has committed to caring for me. My church is small, and becoming smaller and I do think that plays a factor. I do see how large mega-churches can make people feel at home. How can a faceless mass watch to make sure that you are following the Lord? How can a place with such a rotating cast of preachers, speakers, and song-leaders care for you as an individual? I know that some of these churches have small groups that help to bring smaller groups of people together, but that doesn’t do it for me. I want a church that wants to know me, and wants to be part of my family.

The Church Ideal
It may sound as though I am stuck in a rut myself, fully enjoying the closed-minded, change-resisting, pew-sitting, non-movie-going, suit-wearing, non-clapping, stone-faced, traditional church of the old Dutch forefathers who planted the first CRC in America. But I am far from it. I do not think that this is acceptable. I believe that the Church should interact with the community and become a force within it. It should interact with culture, popular media, politics, and every other part of everyday life. It should embrace everyone equally and try to help all sinners to find Jesus and follow his will. It should not fear change but also not change for the sake of change. It should make all people feel welcome and comfortable. It should use technology in a benneficial and appropriate manner, and use it effectively. The Music should be beautiful, catchy, thoughtful, and well-played. The Sanctuary should feel Sacred. The people should be like family. And God’s Presence should be evident in every aspect.

Ok, I have been wanting to get that out of my system for a long time…I am pretty sure that most people won’t even read it, but for those of you who did, thank you and let me know what you think.

Focus!
Dang it, I am really low on things to write today, I can only think about one thing at a time recently, and either it is coffee drinks, school, or spring break…

Random Search
While searching google for “fantastic field festival of furry ferrets” I found this interesting site of Irish words, so in honor of upcoming St. Patricks day, Here it is “Irish Identity” p.s. Beaners is selling “Leprechaun Latte’s” all week!

Weekly Feature
I have decided That I like the idea of weekly features, My brother does Friday links so I figure I needed one. I have decided that mine will be the “Did You Know That!?” feature, carried on from the great Bill Nye the Science Guy. I will feature one interesting fact every Wednesday and comment about it. hooray for odd facts!!

aahhh ‘taint nuthin like good ol’ sacrilege on a monday afternoon!

Ebay and the fun on e-commerce!
I am thinking about selling some stuff on ebay, an old camera, a crappy banjo, and other random things that I don’t really need. Has anyone ever sold anyhting on ebay? can I get some help and maybe some tips? Please let me know!

School
I like school somedays and other days I don’t. I remember in highschool sitting through long 90 minute classes and then being really relieved when college classes were nice and short. but now every tuesday and thursday I have 2 extended classes, with no break in between. Sure Rempel makes Philosophy fun, and Felch is kind of quirky, But seriously…I can only talk about the chiastic structure of the Odyssey for so long!

Backpacking Devotional
I am still set on this whole backpacking devotional…so far I have a few sketched out ideas (merely prototypes) comparing the bible to a Multitool, “Thy word is a headlamp unto my feet”, not rushing and trying to hit everything on the trail as a guide for life, trusting a topo-map and getting where you need to go, etc. etc. I obviously need some help with this project and don’t know where to completely start, Should I get a backpacking seminarian to help, (would he help, after all seminarians are freaking busy and probably have families of their own…) and I also need my friends who backpack to give stories…maybe it can be like a devotional written by many authors all around the topic of backpacking…oh I don’t know) I could get it published by some GR publisher, sell it in Christian stores as well as outdoor stores, advertise in backpacker magazine and then tour the world backpacking and speaking about such things…(yeah right)…oh yeah and I think that I want to impart backpacking tips as well as spiritual ones…maybe a backpacking checklist and a spiritual checklist. I want really amazing pictures of nature and trails, it just fits in with the whole “Gods Beauty” thing

Atmosphere
The overall atmosphere at 2469 Normandy Drive is recognizably different this semester, Tom studies more and spends more time alone in his room, Raelson is with his girlfriend a lot of the time (even into the wee hours of the night) and I am all over the place to avoid the boredom of a quiet house and to make some cash. I spend a lot more time on campus in computer labs as well as in Boer Bennink. We as a house don’t sit in the living room anymore laughing ourselves silly about the crazy Japanese people on MXC and we don’t really see eachother as often as the olden days…I imagine that will change with the return of brian and the ending of classes…

Pictures and Saved Cash
2 spring breaks ago I was in the Everglades, my friends and I were camping on a Chickee which is a platform in the middle of the water that you can put your tent on and stay for the night. my friends were sitting on one end of the platform watching the sun rise. I decided to take my camera, set it up on one end of the platform and set the timer to take a nice group photo, as I ran away from the camera towards my friends, my big toe caught the camera strap and forced my $260 Canon Rebel G to slide off the platform and plunk right into the brackish brown water of the everglades. I bolted back to where the camera was and submerged my upper-torso into the water just catching the strap until it fel out of reach, the water poured out of the camera and it never took another picture ever again. Last spring break I borrowed a nice camera from one of my friends, but this year I have a job, and I wanted a Camera. I looked on ebay for a few weeks and finally this past friday found a camera that was ending in just a metter of hours, It was the same model I used to have but included a big telephoto lens, an attachable flash and a camera bag, a total retail price of about $550 but I got it for $222.50 and I will be getting it probably next week!! hooray for camera’s, hooray for great deals, hooray for the promise of great pictures of spring break!

Handy-Dandy Notebook
I bought the last little pocket-sized notebook at Meijer yesterday, it had a dirty cover and was an ugly neon orange and green-striped thing, so i covered it with a picture of light filtering through the clouds onto a mountain range. This handy-dandy notebook will always be by my side and I will jot down everythgn that I used to tell myself to remember but would always end up fogetting about. It helps me remember the things I want to learn more about and look up on the internet as well as moviess I want to see and cd’s i want to get. I must reccomend having a little notebook in your back pocket to jot down song lyrics, cool ideas, phone numbers, things to research and just randomness!

Jesus was a Backpacker
I have this book my mother gave be a few years ago, It is a devotional titled “In pursuit of the prize- finding God in the great outdoors” I read a lot of the devotions but eventually realized that it had too much talk about hunting and things like that, so I couldn’t relate to a lot of the stories. I picked this book up again last night and got to thinking. I don’t like hunting, I don’t like killing animals, I am not against others killing animals but the mentality kind of freaks me out. I like shooting guns, but not at living things. This book that I was reading tried to appeal to the hearts of people who enjoy hunting and fishing, boating and riding around in ATV’s, I started to wonder if there were devotionals for people who didn’t want to kill god’s creation but just sit back and take it in, to watch marmots scamper across mountainsides and stand under waterfalls. People who hike for days just to turn back and do it all over again. People who can appreciate a good handfull of trail-mix and know what the best type of fabric is to wear in any type of weather. People who would rather walk on blistered feet, sleep on rocks, eat freeze-dried food, and end up smelling more rotten than a pound of ground-beef in the sun on a summer day just to be surrounded by nature than be sitting on a comfy couch drinking a can of pop watching NBC in a heated house in the suburbs. I want a devotional for backpackers, something that makes references to canister stoves, topographic maps, liner-socks, sternum straps, Nalgene bottles, mummy bags, and biodegradable soap.God loves the outdoors, He created it. If Jesus was walking around today, I know he would be sporting a nice pair of Chaco sandals and a be carrying a pack loaded with pita bread and wine in a Nalgene. He would go out to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, hike in the slot canyons and get in touch with his wild side. The Bible has plenty to say to backpackers, and the lessons that can be learned from a backpacking trip are also lessons that can teach us about God. I am a big fan of analogies and can just picture a book comparing god to a headlamp on a dark night, a topographic map when you are lost, and a cool sip of glacial-stream water. the only books that I have found that come close to this are here:

With God on the Hiking Trail

Nature Trails and Gospel Tales

I am actually thinking of getting some help to write my own, using my, and other people’s stories to relate the life of a backpacker to the life of a Christian…we shall see how things progress…