J.R. Briggs
Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep
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Archive for December, 2007
The Best of 2007
The second annual brokenstainedglass awards.
Here’s a list of the Best of 2007.MUSIC CATEGORY:
Best Album:
Theology – Sinead O’Connor (female)
I never thought I would say Sinead O’Connor would put out the best album of the year, but her lyrics were so thoughtful, so compelling and so articulate.In Rainbows – Radiohead (male)
I’ve just recently been turned on to these guys, but I like how they have created a new genre of music and have blazed new trails in music, oftentimes rewriting the rules of how the music industry operates.Best Female Artist: Dolores O’Riordan
Former lead singer for the Cranberries (another personal favorite) Irishwoman O’Riordan put out her first solo album Are You Listening? Great album. I never tire of listening to it.Best Male Artist: Matisyahu
Another genre-busting artist. This practicing Jew puts out reggae albums that are tasteful and incredibly creative in both style and writing.
Best Song: A New Law (Derek Webb)
The thoughtfulness and conviction with which Derek writes is refreshing. He says it like it is and challenges us to think about how often we can become Pharisees without even knowing it.
FILM CATEGORY:Best Documentary for Social Change: God Grew Tired of Us
This documentary follows around a few young men who leave their culture in Africa (where they have never even seen electricity) and are brought to live in Pittsburgh. You’ll laugh and cry. It’s heart-wrenching and pretty funny, but ends hopeful.Best Biographical Documentary: Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor
I knew it would be informational about the life of Mr Rogers and Mr Rogers’ neighborhood, but this surprised me with how emotional it was. Put out by PBS after Fred Rogers died, it pays tribute to a wonderful man.
Best Action: Bourne Ultimatum
Matt Damon is great. The Bourne trilogy is one of my favorites.Best Drama: Pursuit of Happyness
Megan and I watched this on a date just a week after Carter was born, so when Will Smith plays the role of a deeply loyal father based on a true story, I cried like, well…a baby.Best Indie Film: A Mighty Heart
This independent film based on the story of journalist Daniel Pearl’s murder was very well done (Angelina Jolie did a great job acting) but it wasn’t overdone.Best Film That’s Been Out a While: (tie) Amadeus and Gandhi
No wonder both of these won Academy Awards.TELEVISION CATEGORY:
Best show: The Office
No question. Hands down. The only show that Megan and I watch. Please…end the strike in Hollywood soon. We miss you, Dwight. (That’s what she said).BOOK CATEGORY:
Best book of the Bible I studied this year: Ecclesiastes
The series we did on Ecclesiastes this fall was the most enjoyable and personally challenging series I’ve ever taught. Loved the book, loved the study, loved the discussion with others about it. The Professor’s honest wrestling and gut-wrenching questions really hit home for me personally.Best Academic Book: Exclusion and Embrace by Miroslav Volf
Very heady (definitely not a light read) but it is the clearest explanation of grace and the gospel.
Best Spiritual Formation Book: Embracing Grace by Scot McKnight
I love anything by Scot McKnight, but this is my favorite McKnight book. A great understanding of the gospel and our role in it as cracked eikons. Well done, Scot.Best Business Book: Make to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
In the same category as Malcolm Gladwell’s books Blink and The Tipping Point, this book is well researched, well written, engaging, practical and includes a lot of stories of "sticky" thoughts, ideas and campaigns – and why they worked.
Best Memoir: The Year I Got Everything I Wanted by Cameron Conant
An Ecclesiastical life journey for a young twentysomething asking tough, but significant questions about life.Book That Challenged Me the Most in How I Lead and Serve as a Pastor: (tie)
Fresh Faith by Jim Cymbala
This book challenged me deeply regarding the role of prayer and dependence upon the Spirit. Cymbala is a simple, but deeply faithful pastor who has strong convictions of dependence upon prayer. Very challenging…I needed it.The Unnecessary Pastor by Eugene Peterson and Marva Dawn
Of course, anything by Peterson is up for a "Best Of" award. Understanding the "unnecessary" job I have as a pastor was hard to read, but important to grasp.WORLD WIDE WEB CATEGORY:
Best website: Chipotle
If you think the website is good, wait until you have one of their steak burritos. (NOTE: Now three locations in the Philly area…finally).Best Blog (serious): John Frye’s Jesus the Radical Pastor
Great thoughts. I like how this guy thinks.
Best Blog (humor): Marko’s blog
I sometimes wonder if Marko really does any work or if he just travels and creates funny links to his blog.
Best podcast: Pray-As-You-Go
A 12 minute podcast that is updated every weekday by the Jesuit community in the U.K. Very contemplative and lectio divina-ish. I listen it to every morning on my way in to work. [Find it on iTunes podcasts by typing in "pray as you go."] It’s worth utilizing regularly in our culture of noise, rush and efficiency.LIFE CATEGORY:
Best Moments:
First place: January 3: the day Carter was born
Second place: September 26: Carter’s adoption finalization hearing)
Third place: October 14: Officiating my brother’s wedding in Colorado SpringsBest/Most Fitting Quote for Us This Year: Walter Brueggemann
"The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you by the grace of God."
Jesus-ish
A few weeks ago I heard somebody describe their faith community by saying: "We’re Jesus-ish."
It stuck with me.
That may be the best description of what the Church is and hopes to be.
I think I’ll use it from now on (thanks, Todd and Tom).Merry Christmas
May you find rest in the hope of a God that loved us so much he had to come down and be with us.
Emmanuel, God with us.What will we miss while we are sleeping?
Casting Crowns’ song While You Were Sleeping is striking and challenging.
Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you’re lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonightOh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleepingOh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had came
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to saveJerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleepingUnited States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we’re lying in the dark
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the nightAmerica, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!Oh, come O Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow’r to save;
Bring them in vict’ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!True or False: Jesus celebrated Hanukkah
Question: True or False: The gospel record that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah.
Answer: True.
Check out John 10.
(The Feast of Dedication is another name for Hanukkah).Though more of a nationalistic holiday (rather than religious), Jesus celebrated a December, candle-lighting, calendar-watching Advent-ish season of sorts.
Interesting, isn’t it?
The A.C.: How is it?
So, how is the Advent Challenge coming along?
If you’re participating in The Challenge I’d love to hear what you’re learning, how you are preparing your heart for the Christ child and if you are enjoying the process.
Let us know.[And if this is the first time you've heard about it, it's not too late to participate with us. If you want to participate, click the link above and download the PDF]
Opportunity International and One Village Coffee: a great partnership
Two of my favorite organizations in the whole world are partnering together this Christmas for a great cause.Opportunity International (an organization Megan and I have been supporting for a while that seeks to bring justice to the world by offering low-interest loans in third world countries in the name of Jesus) and One Village Coffee (a local gourmet coffee roaster that uses their profits to benefit farmers in third world countries and a mission agency called MAMA Project) have joined forces this Christmas and I couldn’t be more excited.
Check out Opportunity International’s website and look at the bottom right corner to see this partnership with OVC.
Kyle Hoff: Finally getting out of the hospital
Many of
you may remember a few months ago I reported sad news regarding Kyle Hoff, an
active participant at resonate, who was in a severe accident on a construction
site that almost took his life. Kyle suffered severe head and spinal trauma and
has been paralyzed from the chest down. We’ve given many updates at resonate
and on the resonate blog and have spent many times in prayer for he and his
wife Brittany. For the past two months Kyle has been in the Intensive Care Unity at Hahnemann Hospital in downtown Philly. (Here’s a picture of Kyle and Brittany taken around Thanksgiving in his hospital room).
I’ve visited Kyle every couple of weeks down at Hahnemann,
each time he’s progressed significantly. I always leave the hospital
encouraged by Kyle’s progress. The last couple of visits with Kyle (the most
recent one on Tuesday) have been terrific, as he is himself again. He has been
joking around, talking, asking questions about how we are doing and dreaming of
things he can’t wait to do again.I
received an update saying that after two months, Kyle will finally be leaving
the hospital today and heading to Magee Rehabilitation Center just around the corner from Hahnemann. Both Kyle and Brittany are so excited.
This will allow him to begin rehab, which will get them out of the hospital and
will allow Kyle to start “working out” as he calls it, trying to get some
movement back.Ironically,
today is also Kyle’s 25th birthday.Yeah,
God.The Nativity scene, Macy’s shopping bags and consumption
On Sunday morning I was driving by a small church in our town that, like most other churches this time of year, has a nativity display.
It was a windy morning.
I happened to look over and see the traditional scene: Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men facing towards the center, bowing in worship of Jesus in the manger. There was only one problem: a giant plastic red and white Macy’s shopping bag had been blown by the wind and came to a resting place exactly over top of baby Jesus on the manger!
It was so perfectly placed, in fact, it looked as though someone had placed it there intentionally.
I laughed out loud.
It was so funny, if I weren’t in such a hurry I would have driven home and gotten my camera to take a picture of it. (It would have made for a perfect Create-a-Caption contest, for sure).I thought about it on my drive. On the surface, it was a funny sight, but it seemed strikingly poignant to our current culture. Christ and his radical arrival through the fulfillment of a loving promise had been crowded out and replaced by the commercialism of it all. And this commercialism is central to our lives this month and worshiped by those nearby…sometimes even us. It seems almost too perfect of a metaphor for what this time of year has become.
Last Sunday night at resonate we looked at the stark contrast of the lives of King Herod and Jesus. In contrast to the life of Herod, Jesus’ arrival communicated a bold statement that flew in the face of everything that Herod was attempting to create. In the words of Pastor Rick McKinley at Imago Dei, Jesus’ message was to resist the Empire. Resisting the empire doesn’t mean we have to boycott Christmas and stick our heads in the sand until January. Resisting the empire means that we have the opportunity to live lives of generosity that bless others, rather than trying to live a life of simply consuming more. We talked in depth about how consumerism, the Herod of our culture, reaches deep into our hearts and tries to convince us that more stuff, more money, more power, more affluence, more reputation and more experiences (yes, even religious experiences) will make us feel better…but it won’t last…or at least it lasts only until our credit card bill shows up in the mail in January.
It’s part of the reason why we are participating in the Advent Challenge at resonate, as a way to resist the empire in order to live lives of generosity: so we can attempt to bless the world, rather than merely consume more.
Last week, as Megan and I were participating in the Challenge, we were counting different items and collecting our loose change, we found ourselves counting more items in our closets and on our shelves than we thought we would.
We found ourselves saying things like We haven’t used these in a long time…do we need this many pairs of shoes? Do I really need that many coats in my closet? Do I really need to possess that many books? and Why do we still have these? I talked to others last week who are participating in the Challenge who felt the same way as they were counting.
Without even thinking much about it, a new element of the Advent Challenge bubbled to the surface as we thought, Why can’t we also be generous with the items in our homes we are counting and give it to those who are under-resourced and less fortunate in our surrounding communities? Why can’t we invite others to donate gently used items from their closet that they count in the Challenge, in addition to loose change?
So, we invite you to step up even more to the Challenge!
Starting this weekend at resonate we will be collecting gently used items from the Advent Challenge sheet, in addition to loose change. At the end of the month we will donate all of these items to local agencies that are dealing with the poor and under-resourced in the area.
(NOTE: If you are participating in the Challenge, but do not live in the Southeastern Pennsylvania area, consider collecting items and donating them to a local agency in your community that deals with the poor and under-resourced.)
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