p-berry

Not so hot?

2009-04-13T23:09:00.001-07:00

The Royals were one of the hottest hitting teams in Spring Training this year. But with seven regular season games under their belts, they are the worst offensive team in baseball.

Thankfully, they've given up fewer runs than any team in baseball, second in BAA. And that's with Sidney Ponson pitching. Fairly impressive fellas.

I know they bats will come around. Let's just hope the pitching sticks around.

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C.S. Lewis on Fantasy (via Robert Velarde)

2009-04-13T08:36:00.001-07:00

C.S. Lewis via Robert Velarde's facebook status: "the association between fantasy and childhood, the belief that children are the proper readers for this sort of work or that it is the proper reading for children, is modern and local. Most of the great fantasies and fairy-tales were not addressed to children at all, but to everyone." - An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis

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Royals or Kings?

2009-03-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

I was glad to hear the Royals were putting the crown back up on the new scoreboard. Now I'm not so sure.

Footnote to all Prayers

2009-03-23T10:23:00.001-07:00

Footnote to all Prayers

He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow
When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou,
And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart
Symbols (I know) which cannot be the thing Thou art.
Thus always, taken at their word, all prayers blaspheme
Worshiping with frail images a folk-lore dream,
And all men in their praying, self-deceived, address
The coinage of their own unquiet thoughts, unless
Thou in magnetic mercy to Thyself divert
Our arrows, aimed unskillfully, beyond desert;
And all men are idolaters, crying unheard
To a deaf idol, if Thou take them at their word.

Take not, O Lord, our literal sense. Lord, in thy great
Unbroken speech our limping metaphor translate.

From Poems by C.S. Lewis, page 129

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TO to Buffalo

2009-03-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

Is this a good move for Buffalo? Yes. He'll be a good teammate for one year. He'll produce the stats to justify the money. And he might even get you another win or two. If either T.O. or Lee Evans is on the board in the fifth round of my fantasy draft, I'm taking him. Hands down.

But will you get into the playoffs with the Tuna, the Rex, and the Hoodie in your division? No. No chance. Buffalo will get 2-3 wins in the division and that's just not enough to make the playoffs. The other three teams were fighting for playoff spots while the Bills were sorting through the still packed boxes in the basement of the division, wondering if they should retape them and head to Canada.

Sorry Buffalo. He'll do everything you hope for, except win.

They go nowhere until they make major changes.

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Monday Morning Links

2009-03-02T10:13:00.001-08:00

A few links from my email and RSS feeds:

The Broncos are falling apart.

John Dunham encourages you to q uote Scripture

My weather is fantastic! But I do wish it would snow.

The Broncos are falling apart, part 2.

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He said that Richard said and then I said

2009-02-13T08:39:00.001-08:00

Fresh off of back surgery, Tony Jones is blogging a reaction to Richard Mouw's article in Newsweek, Less Shouting, More Talking. Below is my response to Tony, plus one more thought.

Tony, you may be right that a 'yes' vote on Prop 8 hinders Mouw as he attempts civil dialogue. It may well be that he loses a bit of trust with some. But it seems this is not a Mouw problem. I would submit that most Californians were not ready for a vote on this, Mouw included. Mouw wants to continue to talk. But with the issue brought before him, would you suggest that he should have voted?

Our vote should not disqualify us from further discussion. Far from it! If GLBT persons and the evangelicals who favor their ability to marry wish to see change, they must go about it with (if I might quote you quoting Newbigin) proper confidence.

One more thoughts:

As an elder in the PCUSA, this is a hot button issue right now. I've got my opinion, but I'm still processing. I've heard good, passionate, biblically based arguements from faithful people on both sides of the debate. I appreciate these people so much and if there's one thing they've taught me, it's that it is not nearly as clear cut as most people want me to believe. My charge to everyone: be passionate, argue well, argue respectfully, and listen.

And the last one chiefly.

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Things that bring me to the boiling point: #1

2009-02-07T12:07:00.001-08:00

I'm sitting at my favorite local coffee shop working on Roundtables for tomorrow.

Two women sit down at the table next to me.

They talk about how stupid the people they spend time with are. ("I asked if they read fiction and they had only read one fiction book and it was stupid....and can you believe I was the only one watching the commercials during the SuperBowl? What else is it good for?")

When their meal comes, they pray for it. ("FatherGodwejustthankyouforthisfoodandthistimewhenwecanjustfellowshipwitheachotherandwithyouandjustpray...")

They gossip about the people in their church and their neighbors ("You know, the couple that came forward because they lived together before they got married.....And she's just kind of mousey and I never see her outside.").

They talk about how awesome Left Behind is. ("And he LIVES in Black Forest. Really? How wonderful!")

They complain how about noisy it is. ("They just keep running that machine over and over! It is so loud!")

They get up to leave and embrace.

In their wake is a pile of dirty dishes, an empty tub where they should be, and a bad taste in the mouths of their neighbors.

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The Blue Parakeet

2009-02-03T09:50:00.001-08:00

I'm currently reviewing Scot McKnight's new book The Blue Parakeet for Youth Worker Journal. Over the next few days, I'll give my thoughts on each chapter. When I've finished the review, I'll post it here. You'll also find it at YWJ's website and the print edition.

I'll start out by saying this: There are a lot of rabid Scot McKnight fans. I'm not one. I like Scot. I've seen him speak once and thoroughly appreciated his approach. I've read his blog a few times, but I don't get the RSS feed (generally, he is too much to handle for me). I haven't read Jesus Creed or any other book of his.

But the rest of this book keeps up with the first chapter, I may be doing all of those things soon enough.

Chapter One
On top of Scot's engaging and accessible writing, The Blue Parakeet gets at the heart of today's reactions to the modern church: how do we pick and choose what we are reading in the Bible? In modernism, the fight was between the right and the left, each with their own set of verses to wield. As the fight has gone on, many of us are left wondering if it is not Darth Vader versus the Emperor (and we're not totally sure which one is which).

I'm interested to see where Scot will go from here. The introduction leads me to believe he'll talk about being aware and intentional about how we read Scripture. I'm also hoping he gets into a third way, something more holistic. However, he seems to indicate he doesn't think it is possible. We'll see.

So far, so good.

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Officals overshadow amazing game

2009-02-03T09:49:00.001-08:00

Amazing game overshadows all the distractions - Kansas City Star

Usually I'm right there with Jason Whitlock. His takes are nearly always right on: Carl Peterson, Royals ownership, Chiefs quarterbacks, Carl Peterson.

But he's got this one wrong. So much so that I'm not talking about incredible interception returns or the great play calling by the coordinators or the Career Builder commercial, which was by far the best of the lot.

The officals ruined what could have been one of the best SuperBowls of all time.

And it's not just the fumble at the end. It was debatable and the head official should have seen it. But at least it was a real call. The roughing the passer called on Karlos Dansby was a joke. The holding call against Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was one of the worst calls I've ever seen. I mean, this is the Super Bowl. No one wants officials calling ticky-tack penalties in the playoffs, let alone in the game that determines the NFL Championship. Let 'em play.

But if you're not, call it even. The holding no-calls on the Steelers were just as clear as the Cardinals holding calls. The personal foul on James Harrison was rendered 1/30th of its normal effectiveness. Dude got to punch a guy, stay in the game, and his team took a one yard loss for it. Some penalty. The biggest joke of them all came in the fourth quarter. The officials called defensive holding in the secondary (a penalty that happens while the receiver is running his route) after Larry Fitzgerald had caught the ball and had made five steps.

It wasn't just that the penalties were called more often on Arizona. It happens. It just seemed that, save the holding call in the end zone, the penalties were not costly for Pittsburgh. And they were devistating for Arizona.

I went in rooting Cardinals, but I would have been satisfied either way. But when the game was over, I felt animosity toward the Steelers for winning that way—like they were celebrating something they hadn't earned.

Congrats to the Steelers. You had a great season. But the best season? We'll never really know.

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How do you fix the worst defense in the NFL?

2009-01-21T08:03:00.001-08:00

The Detroit Lions agreed to terms with Kansas City Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham to take the same role. Cunningham served as the Chiefs DC from 1992-2000 when he took over as head coach. He was replaced by Dick Vermeil and later returned to his role as DC under Vermeil.

I like Gunther. I like his passion and his aggressiveness. Herm didn't care for his mouth, but I think a defensive coach needs a little of that (as long as he can back it up). His defenses under Marty Schotenhiemer flourished. Neil Smith. Derrick Thomas. James Hasty. Dale Carter. And those were just the big names. He had a whole host of defenders that played at a level even Steelers fans could appreciate. They were tough and fast. They were the defense that single-handedly destoryed Ryan Leaf's career forcing three fumbles and two picks in his third professional game. They were the defense that went 13-3 with Steve Bono under center. This was a defense that allowed the offense to be mediocre and still win tons of football games. And the whole time, Gunther was there calling the shots.

When he became head coach of the Chiefs, I thought it was a good move. After two seasons, he was 16-16 with no playoff appearances. The team seemed to lack the same fervor they'd had under Marty. Dick Vermeil was hired to rebuild the Rams offense in KC. But the defense was horrible, so they brought Gunther back to be the coordinator in 2004. Again, I thought it was a great move. "He was a bad head coach," I'd say. "But you can't argue with the defense he produced in the 90s."

Maybe you could argue after all. Since that time, his defenses have ranked near the bottom of the NFL. Since 2004, the Chiefs used eighteen draft picks on defensive players. Jared Allen is the lone superstar in this group. I'm so glad they've buil....what's that? Oh.

Save a few secondary players in the past two years, the player development has been an utter disaster has been an utter disaster. The first rounders (Hali, Johnson and Dorsey) each came in with great promise but have not developed in the slightest. The defensive line has been awful. The linebackers were worse and that's supposed to be Cunningham's specialty. The secondary is starting to come around, but when you're dead last in sacks, it's hard to keep the receivers covered.

Maybe Steeler fans could appreciate that 1990's Chiefs defensive because it was their team's defense. Bill Cowher was the Chiefs DC when they drafted Thomas in 1989 and helped develop him (as well as Neil Smith who was drafted in 1988) throughout his stay until he left for Pittsburgh in 1992. Maybe Gunther was playing with Cowher's players. Maybe he needed a great defensive mind like Marty working over him. Maybe the tradgic death of Derrick Thomas was too much for him. Or maybe he's just lost 'it'. Whatever it is, Gunther has coached the best and worst defensives in team history.

How do you fix the worst defense in the league? You bring in the coach of the second worst defense. Good luck, Detroit.

How do you fix the second worst defense in the league? Hire that guy over to the left. I know he's not ready. But when he's ready, we better have the truck full of money waiting.

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Cause for reflection

2009-01-19T22:52:00.001-08:00

Regardless of who you voted for, or how you feel about him now, the swearing in of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States is cause for reflection.

150 years ago, African-Americans could be owned as property.
96 years ago, the President of the United States ordered that white and African-American federal employees work in separate offices.
46 years ago, the governor of Alabama was actively working to bar African-Americans from going to a state college.

Today, an African-American is being elected to the office of President of the United States.

Just think about that for a while.

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Scripture Shock

2009-01-15T08:35:00.001-08:00

A response to Patton Dodd's Text Messages blog about "Scripture Shock":

This sort of thing has happened to me on many occasions. One might say that if it hasn't, you're not paying attention. But it is a matter of perspective as to what shocks you as you read. As a very young conservative, I was bewildered and confused by passages about caring for the poor. "Shouldn't these people be made to work? Haven't they read 2 Thessalonians?" In more recent days,it is just the passages that Jeff mentions (especially Psalm 137) have made me uncomfortable.
My pastor, Bill Tibert, speaks often about how Jesus would disorient people then reoriented them. "You have heard it said, but I say to you" sort of thing. The parable of the late visitor and the audacious neighbor is a good example of this. The fact that these passages are still doing this today give me hope. I need to be reoriented. Passages like these keep me thinking, questioning and praying.

Ken Ham-Scot McKnight-Bart Ehrman sliding scale...what do you even say about that? :)

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The Medium is the Message

2009-01-08T13:16:00.001-08:00

John Dunham over at Quibbling has written a nice reflection on the theology of Wall-E. I highly recommend the read as well as the movie. It was thoughtful, cute, and to a degree, silent. The character of Wall-E is not unlike having a completely non-threatening King Kong—love struck and hardly able to communicate verbally. The film was nearly flawless.

Nearly.

The opening scenes of this film portray earth as a giant landfill. This is primarily the work of Big-N-Save, an obvious shot at big box stores like Wal-mart. Humans have bought so much that the earth is full of trash. Wall-E's is there to clean up the earth so that humans can inhabit it again. After 700 years, Wall-E has made some nice sculptures, but not a lot of headway.

And here lays problem number one: Wall-E wants you to believe that it has a message about consumerism. But how could it be? Its entire existence is based on you buying Wall-E. Not just tickets or a DVD, but plush Wall-E and remote control Wall-E and Wall-E bed sheets and Wall-E shower curtains and on and on. Any part of the story that was supposed to be about consumerism is convience at best and opportunism at worst. Perhaps the writers were attempting to be subversive. Only the sales numbers of Wall-E products could tell. But after spending 180 million dollars to produce it, and approaching 700 million in sales, consumers weren't consuming less. They were just feeling better about what they consumed. Or as Marshall McLuhan said, the medium is the message.

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Blogging Sunday School

2008-12-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

For the next four weeks, I'll be taking Roundtables on a journey through Tony Jones' latest book, The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier. I've been wanting to do this since reading Tony's book in July. Here's a preview:

Week One: Pay phones and church
Week Two: The West is beautiful
Week Three: So a biblicist and a reletivist walk into a pastors' convention
Week Four: Sonny, it ain't nothin' till I call it

The book is set up well for our class. It's thought provoking and smartly written. I think we'll have a good discussion. I'll be blogging a preview and wrap up here, so be sure to check it out.

Insanity

2008-12-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

"Hamas will continue the resistance until the last drop of blood," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, speaking on a Gaza radio station.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results," Albert Einstein

Reports: 120 killed in strikes on Gaza - Israel-Palestinians- msnbc.com

Whatever you feel about this conflict, you can't think it's going well for anyone. Whoever hit first, it's going to take someone never hitting again to make it stop. Palestinians have to stop sending rockets and suicide bombers into markets. Israel has to start letting Palestinians have access to food and water and stop the endless harassment of a beat down people.

Expecting anything different is insane.

Has anyone seen the baby Jesus?

2008-12-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my wife was a thief. For at least one day a year anyway. Within hours of her mother setting out their hand-carved wooden nativity scene, Amy would sneak in and swipe the baby Jesus leaving an empty crib subject to much adoration from a cast of barn animals and humans.

The first time I asked Amy about this, she got that cute look in her eye. "Jesus didn't come until Christmas," she explained. This was no attempt at rebellion on Amy's part. From the time she was a young child this was an act of reverence. For Amy, it is the proper celebration of advent (or perhaps the proper story of Israel) to wait for Jesus' arrival in the manger scene.

I love this woman.

We tried pulling the same stunt at work one year. There was a nativity scene in our chapel area (which doubled as a lunch room). We snuck in, swiped the baby Jesus and placed a note in the manager: "Don't rush me! Be back Dec. 25th."

Advent 1. Premature celebration 0.

Advent and Lent get trampled over in a lot of evangelical circles. Some Christian groups who take pleasure in demonizing Catholics and high-church protestants gloss over these holy days without fully realizing their significance. Advent and Lent are times of preparation and anticipation. They get us ready for the most incredible celebrations on our calendars. The church I group up in emphasized self-examination leading up to communion. I think these holy days are just as important. They lead us to remember a time when the people of God waited for a Messiah to save them much like we wait for one to come again.

We prepare for roughly seventy days to celebrate for two. Even if you celebrate twelve days at Christmas (and I'm planning to again this year) you have ten weeks of anticipation for two weeks of celebration. Perhaps we need to celebrate more. Or maybe this is the story we find ourselves in: lots of preparation, lots of anticipation, not as much celebration—even for those of us with something to celebrate. Even with the resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection life he offers to everyone now and the hope of his return to renew the world, it is clear that there is still much that isn't right with the world. Lent and Advent remind us to prepare ourselves, to make right what we can, and to hope for his coming again to put right what we do not.

But for the next few days, Jesus' arrival is celebrated. A baby has arrived to a big angel band and shephards quiting their jobs to come see him. Scholars travel from distant lands to see him. And we celebrate with awe and wonder at the gift of God to us:

Himself.

Welcome to me! And on micromanaging and total depravity

2008-12-17T22:25:00.001-08:00

In my work at IBS, I was a project manager for the Bible publishing group. This entailed taking a project from idea to physical (or digital) completion. I worked with writers, editors, designers, printers, and a host of others to complete these projects. Some of them are shown here, credits at the bottom.

A lot of people will say they aren't micromanagers. Most of those times, they end up being just that. I'll say that I tried not to be. I think I succeeded. When one of my team members had a professional opinion, I was inclined to listen and trust their expertise.

There are two reasons I manage this way.

1) I have enough to do without being involved in every detail of how my team members do their job.

2) I believe in working with a team of competent people that you I can trust. If I can't trust them to do their job, I need a new team.

This assumes the best in people. It doesn't assume that someone is essentially good or will do something right every time. I've got a long list insisting that is not the case (a list I find myself on more than I would like). But it assumes that they are capable of doing a good job with the proper motivation.

Micromanagers assume the worst in people. They assume that apart from their expertise and oversight, their employees/team can't complete the task well or on time. This actually sucks the joy out of their team's success. When they succeed, the manager will say it is because of how much work he put into his team. When they fail, it was obviously because they didn't listen well enough. It's like rooting for the Yankees: If they lose, their fans are furious, but if they win, they're only mildly excited because that's what they were supposed to do.

Long before I joined a Presbyterian church I struggled with Calvinism, specifically the idea of total depravity. Sometimes I tell people this was actually the easiest thing for me to believe, knowing that I'm an awful human being. But at the same time, I can't help but remember that human beings were created with the capacity for good; that we weren't meant to be this way and that God may have made the way for us to be everything we were supposed to be. We're all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. But I don't think God is a micromanager. I don't think he wants to take credit for everything we do right and blame us for everything we do wrong. In fact, just the opposite happened on the Cross.

Photo 1: The Book of Psalms, design by Becky Sell, Sell Creative, Omro, WI
Photo 2: Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go, design by James Hershberger, IBS-STL Global, Colorado Springs, CO
Photo 3: Hear This Word: The Book of Amos, design by James Hershberger, IBS-STL Global, Colorado Springs, CO

All titles available at IBSDirect.com

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Welcome back to blogging

2008-12-17T14:38:00.001-08:00

Five years ago, I started working for International Bible Society.

Last year, I started running their The Books of The Bible blog.

Last Thursday, I was laid off.

Today I applied for six jobs.

And I've started blogging again.

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