One of my favorite music videos of all time.
Also of interest is the Making of Star Guitar video.
I will post something meaningful tomorrow. Promise.
Monthly Archive for March, 2008
Tonight I was doing my routine AT&T business at Wal-Mart on North Kansas Expressway in Springfield. My dinner hour came around 6, so I decided to walk a block down the street to Subway.
On my way there, I saw a large bus with the name “Kentucky Christian University” emblazoned on the side. Seeing as there was a McDonald’s, Subway and Buffalo Wild Wings in the vicinity, it was easy to see a sports team was at one of those fine dining establishments.
Turns out they were at Subway. I opened the door and instantly stood behind twenty or so guys of comparable height to, or taller than, myself. I knew it would be a long wait to order, but I decided to stick it out because I had already walked over. I was standing behind the players and coaches of the Kentucky Christian University men’s basketball team.
I was able to make some conversation with an assistant coach of the team, and their bus driver. They both shared how the team had made it to the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) D-2 Championship Tournament being held this weekend at Central Bible College. They both excitedly shared how they won their quarterfinal-round game last night on a buzzer beating 3-pointer, right after CBC had gone up 72-70 with ten seconds to go.
Seeing the players and coaches’ eyes light up as they recalled their win last night got the overused wheels in my head turning. These guys are part of a small Christian school in the middle of nowhere in BFE Kentucky, and they pay their own meals and transportation costs to travel and play basketball. No scouts looking for who could potentially make it to the NBA. No playing in front of 10,000 people. No players staying one year and bolting for the pros.
They’re playing simply for the love of the game.
Simply hearing the KCU basketball team share the details of their frantic comeback last night made me wish to God I could have been there to see it. I’m sure in person it looked exactly like a SportsCenter highlight-reel play, and yet it will never make it onto national TV.
After a short time, they gathered and left Subway to head back to the gym for practice, and I wished them all well as they left.
“God bless you,” “Thanks for the encouragement,” and “You’ll be in my prayers” were some of the parting words and well-wishes exchanged as they made their way out.
Tonight KCU’s run in the tournament ended with a 64-61 loss to Southwestern Christian University, but I am positive that the seniors and every other member on that team will remember their epic win over Central last night as a milestone in their basketball careers.
Basketball careers, that for all intents and purposes, won’t be continued on a professional path after graduation, but rather, simply for the love of the game.
And how I wish I could have seen those guys play basketball in its purest form.
The title of my post is the exact text of what I want to say to my fellow Christians who embrace a post-modern view on their personal beliefs in Christ.
Fellow Springfield blogger (and my most recent interviewee on Here’s What’s Brewin’) Jason Wert posted on his blog about a visit he took to the Front Porch, an outreach of a Springfield church called The Core that, at least from my visits there, exhibited a brand of postmodern Christianity that simply did not sit well with me as a fellow believer in Christ.
Having grown up in a Pentecostal church, I’m not used to people openly questioning conventional Christianity, the Bible or the basis of truth itself, but it seemed the pendulum swung too far the other direction in this case…I got a distinct feeling that while what this church was doing was good in its intent, it could actually cause some harm by what seemed to me to be wavering on important topics such as truth, sin, etc. The Core is noted among many people my age for openly holding discussion groups in which people can openly and without reprisal question the Bible, moral absolutes and the very basis of Christianity itself. While questioning is not bad in and of itself, discussing the issues without providing solid faith-based answers (yes that sounds like an oxymoron but it is possible) does more harm than good.
I have been in churches in which the feeling was too rigid, sort of like a “1984″-type setting where everyone is force fed the same thing and acts a certain way — and I have also been to churches and prayer groups where it is a bit too freewheeling and everyone carries their own belief of what God is and who he does (oh, but we’re all still worshipping the same God, right?).
I guess I have a really big question about postmodern Christianity. Why can’t the people who have embraced postmodernism simply crack open their Bible, pray to God for understanding, ask their fellow Christian believers and leadership for help in understanding instead of debating it, and simply grow some faith?
Now I will be the first to admit that I cannot paint with a broad brush, and I certainly am not one to question people’s spiritual walk with Christ. After all, Jesus said Himself to his disciples, “if they’re for me, they’re not against me.” But my question with postmodern Christianity is, how can you be fully for God if you don’t exhibit some concept of faith in your life rather than trying to find a concrete answer to everything?
The post-modern Christian will always be frustrated, because there are answers to some spiritual issues that simply cannot be answered here on earth. I can attest to this because I held a VERY postmodern view for a long time, and only since I resigned myself to simply reading the Word, praying for wisdom and guidance, and seeking guidance from those over me in the Lord, did my frustration with not finding concrete answers stop.
Honestly I think the postmodern view could serve to be a stumbling block to Christians who embrace it. By not fully embracing certain tenets such as truth, morality, etc. they are in effect not embracing the Bible that serves as a guide and an answer to their questions.
And I also believe the community of believers in Christ would be better served to stop debating Christ in and among themselves and go reach their peers and friends for Christ. Best way to do that, I’ve found, is simply be relational. Shouldn’t even have to talk about Christ to get his message across in the first place.
What say ye?
Today, March 12, 1988…Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ewwwwwwww.
You may recall a post I wrote a week or two ago showing a pie chart of what Rick Astley will NEVER do to you. Well, this week I am going to honor the 20th Anniversary of his becoming King of the Billboard Hot 100 by posting his song, with one little tweak.
Backmasked!!! See if you can hear Satanic lyrics.
I think it sounds better that way. Very danceable.
And also, props to Anonymous (yeah, that internet group protesting Scientology) — their protest in Seattle included a little bit of rickrolling.
I miss the Northwest just because of stuff like that. CRAZY people up there, I tell you.
The White House is full of that stuff that babies let out into their diapers every now and then. Check this out, from C-SPAN (my faaaaaaaaaavorite channel) — Fox News’ Wendell Goler asks White House Press Secretary Dana Perino if the devaluing of the American dollar can be responsible for rising oil prices…and watch her response.
Folks, if you didn’t think America was in trouble before, I don’t know what the heck will make you think otherwise.
$3.01 gas a gallon here in Republic. OPEC FTW Federal Reserve interest rate cuts FTW!!!
Since the file barely needed any editing (we just simply cut the beginning countdown out and hard limited it to -3dB), I’m presenting this week’s audio one hour early. I guess you could call it a blog birthday present to my faithful readers.
Last night’s discussion with Jason Wert at his place was great. We delved into national and local politics, what his motivation is for running his blog and keeping the community informed about civic matters (his live blogs from city council are of particular interest), and we also touched on illegal immigration a bit since it came up in a debate that he recorded last week. We were also eating hot wings and fries during the podcast…hey, anything goes. We’re relaxed like that.
We went a WHOLE FRIGGIN’ HOUR with this podcast, and I was originally going to split it into two files but that wouldn’t fly for continuity’s sake since we’re on iTunes now. As a result of going 58 minutes, there was no time for the Chris’s Mailbag segment but that is coming back next week when we talk Sports.
Let me know what you think about the audio. We had 244 listens last week, which is outstanding for only the second transmission, and we hope the third generates a good response.
Springfield bloggers, if you wish to get involved with the podcast shoot me an email and I would love to have you on the show.
Without further adieu, I present to you this week’s audio! I will have it archived on the Podcast page as always.
Three years ago I started this blog, The World According to Chris Brewer, on firestormlive.net to keep my family and friends informed as to what was going on in my life.
It was March 2005 and I was an Airman First Class in the US Air Force, stationed at Langley AFB, Virginia (just a little north of the city of Hampton). I attended Lakeside Church and Family Life Center, created a ton of great relationships with the people there, and life was great.
Fast forward to March 2008 and life is still great. I have been out of the Air Force for a year and five months now, I live in Springfield, Missouri and the landscape around me has changed in more ways than one.
And this blog has chronicled it ALL.
You’ve been witness to my 179-day deployment to Baghdad, Iraq. A failed love relationship that altered the course of my life. A struggle to find friends and a new direction in life.
And the story goes on.
Today as I celebrate three years of running this blog, I would like to thank you, my readers and friends, for supporting me and giving me a reason to keep writing — which I shall continue to do for a very long time.
Here’s to many more productive years of blogging!!!
Tomorrow brings us a brand new transmission of “Here’s What’s Brewin’,” the podcast hosted by me that takes you inside the minds of just about everyone I come in contact with.
Transmission 3, which I will post tomorrow, consists of an interview with Jason Wert, a prominent local blogger here in Springfield who has just won five Blogaronis, which are Springfield’s local yearly blogger awards. We’ll discuss how his blog came to be, his involvement in the political arena, and most importantly of all, how his faith guides his life.
Also I will share a short report I heard this weekend about the good goings-on at Camp Wa-Ri-Ki, the spring weekend retreat for youth and young adults at New Horizons Church in Washougal, WA.
Please join me tomorrow for Here’s What’s Brewin, and download your copy fresh at noon central time.
For those of you who are interested, I uploaded more photos of Cocoa, the fam’s chocolate lab. He is growing…and he did a pretty good job posing too. The pictures
are in the Photos section (link is on the topbar).
Spring is upon us, as evidenced by warm temperatures today, and temps expected to hover around 60 all week. I think it’s safe to say the snow is over You never can guess what the weather is going to be like here in Missouri, but I hope it stays this warm for awhile.
Tomorrow I only work four hours, and then I get two days off. Not bad…I still got 33 hours for the week as a part-timer. Not complaining about that one bit. In fact it’s awesome and will provide me some much needed cash.
Tuesday I think I might head on out to a local disc golf course. A few friends told me there was one by McBride Elementary School near the intersection of Golden and Weaver right outside Springfield. Only 9 holes but it doesn’t matter. I will also act on a prior tip from Jim of BusPlunge and head on out to Oak Grove Park that same day if weather and time allow. Photos will be posted of my solo disc golfing escapade.
Brian Taylor and I used to play Orchard Park’s 9 twice all the time (back in Hillsboro), making it a good round of 18. It was a lovely course too.
I am reminded of the day when I did this guy in this upcoming YouTube video one better — I aced Hole 4. Came close on 7 and pulled off a killer eagle on 8. My best for that course was a -3, 48.
I love disc golf. Someone bring out the beverages and if any of you want to join me, let’s hit the frisbee links sometime. Drop me a line.
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