Pop Culture Roundup

By
I've been reading Founding Brothers this week. I read the first chapter and a half something like a year ago, and then forgot about it for a while. It was always sitting on my nightstand, though, and so I decided to give it another shot. This is a historical recap of a series of events and issues that the "Revolutionary Generation" faced in the earliest days of the nation's life. So far, I've been reading about the incidents that led up to the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, which saw political disagreements turn into more personal insults. I've also been reading about the first Congress' attempts to avoid or put off the discussion of slavery, as many believed that such a divisive issue wasn't healthy to address while the country was still trying to solidify its government and sense of unity. Interestingly enough, the earliest drafts of some of our founding documents contained provisions for abolition, but they were eventually removed before they took their final form. But hey, we finally got that one through...it only took 70 more years...

Coffeewife and I have taken to watching reruns of NCIS. USA shows three episodes of them in a row...we don't usually watch all three, but we have seen enough to know that they're from different seasons. Anyway, it's a crime dramedy where the team investigates military cases. The show has a healthy dose of wit and sarcasm usually courtesy of arrogant jockboy agent DiNozo and cute Goth chick lab analyst Abby. But the show features plenty of drama as well. We like it most for the banter between the characters...otherwise, we may not have paid much attention to the show beyond one episode.

This week I've been listening to Era Vulgaris by Queens of the Stone Age. It features the loud riffs one may be accustomed to, but they aren't adverse to experimentation. For example, "Make It Wit Chu" is more of a funk tune. The CD is dotted with organ lines as well. But all in all, this is a rock album and they don't disappoint. Another solid outing.

I added Questing Parson to the blogroll. I don't know why I didn't do it a while ago. He frequently shares stories from his life of ministry, usually showcasing the quirks and weirdness of the church and its characters.

Dave Matthews Band has a new album coming out in June. They recently posted a video that includes a taste of one of their new tracks. Enjoy:

Order my books!

Sign up for my author newsletter!




powered by TinyLetter

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: Outside the Lines by Mihee Kim-Kort

By
Image
Queerness transgresses boundaries and allows us to simply be, without label or category, specifically around gender and sexuality, Queer is at odds with the normal, the legitimate, the dominant. It is particular and expansive. It's less definitive; it does not point to you or me and say, "You are queer,," but instead makes a wide-open space for all people to find footing in relation to one another and their own lives. - Mihee Kim-Kort, Outside the Lines

Like many who perhaps are of a certain generation and older, "queer" was not something that you wanted to be called. It was used as a playground insult at my elementary school; an insult rooted in homophobia meant to sting the person at whom it was hurled. Whether one actually identified as LGBTQ or not, kids (particularly boys) tried their best to avoid being called queer.

As a derogatory term, of course, the word has been used in much more harmful ways at those who do identify in non-hetero terms. It is a labe…
Read more

Looking for a Scapegoat

By
Image
A few years ago, my pastoral colleagues passed around a picture on social media of a person crying with the caption, “When I was a kid, I thought everyone in the church got along.” Identifying the source of the conflict in a church can be tricky, because what people are really upset about isn’t necessarily what they say they’re upset about. Have you ever witnessed or been a part of a church argument that, after the fact, seemed strange? Fights over not having enough tablecloths to use during a dinner. What the pastor wears on Sunday morning. A stain on the youth room carpet. Seemingly small conflicts have real potential to divide a congregation, but may also not really be what the people involved are upset about. One of my favorite sayings in ministry is, “this is not about that.” That is, whatever the presenting issue is (such as a complaint about tablecloths), is really about something else that won’t be as apparent (worries over finances that have resulted in no tablecloths). People deci…
Read more