Shades of Glory

From Saturday's Birmingham News Religion section: Seeing through Christian lenses: Calera brothers lost their jobs in October but their faith burns so bright they had to sell sunglasses.

"God gave him a vision, he said. That vision was Christians wearing sunglasses. Ones that say "I love Jesus" on the sides and "John 3:16" on the
lens, and have a cross above the bridge of the nose."

"He thinks that people will want to share their faith while reducing their exposure to ultraviolet rays."

"When you wear these shades, you're saying you love Jesus"

"Those sunglasses are going to glorify Jesus Christ our Lord and savior"..."We love him, we're proud of him. We want to say, This is who I am. Be proud to glorify Jesus and wear them in faith."

Just in time for Summer. I'm ordering mine this week!

Individuality, Fashion, and the Gospel

What do you think about when you buy an article of clothing?

I recently lost my glasses and had to buy a new pair and realized just how much went into my decision. Do I want the thick black framed, Buddy Holly glasses? Do I want the Sarah Palin frameless glasses? Do I want the circular John Lennon glasses? In an attempt to avoid lame trendiness the non-conformist in me picked out non of the above. In the days after picking my glasses I surprisingly found out that many different people had nearly the same pair I had. In trying to assert my individuality, I became just like everybody else.

The reality is that it is impossible to truly be an individual - even if you are a dorky, emo-hipster, with preppy tendencies... As an old ska band once said, "You sunk your worth in being different- just to be like your own kind."

I have found that what I think I choose for myself has really already been chosen for me. My designer wire frame glasses, target brown cargo shorts, aussie hair gel, payless flip flops, and thrift-shop baby blue t-shirt : these attempts to distinguish myself from the other 6.7 billion people in the world are both futile and naive. As the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" says:



Though I hate to become a cliche... just another minion among many, it is impossible to avoid.
But thankfully we are not the sum of what we wear, but true individuality is found in the love of God. To be justified by faith means that God loves us in the midst of our futile, self-justifying attempts to make ourselves into somebody. Though we try endlessly to fit in and carve out a niche where we think we'll feel comfortable, God endlessly loves us all the more.

Birdman Crashes... and Takes Flight

Here at Mockingbird we talk a lot about Law & Gospel, death & resurrection, about how God is constantly putting to death and raising to new life, how He is active in and through suffering and grace.

I was reminded once more of the power and truth of this paradigm by a story in today's NYTimes about Chris Andersen, the 6-10, tatted-up, faux-hawked reserve for the Denver Nuggets, who are currently battling the Los Angeles Lakers for a spot in the NBA finals (that's basketball, in case you're not sure:)

Andersen had a very troubled childhood, including a four-year stint in a home for boys. All the suffering eventually took its toll, expressing itself in broken relationships and, eventually, drug use that led to a two-year suspension from the NBA. That might have been the end for Andersen, but a (Christ-like) friend stepped in, inviting Andersen to live with him, his wife and children, and supporting Andersen through rehab and counseling.

Looking back, Andersen (who has become something of a fan favorite, even role model) said the following:

"If it wasn't for what led to that suspension, and me having to go through the suspension, and then me rebuilding my life, I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in right now."

Sounds like good news for sufferers.

For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose... (Romans 8.28)

From One Sufferer to Another...

Kathryn Greene-McCreight's Darkness Is My Only Companion is an astounding account of her battle with mental illness (severe depression and bi-polar disorder), with the final chapters filled with resources for those who are suffering from mental illness/depression, and suggestions for those who have friends, loved ones, clergy, and parishoners who suffer from mental illness/depression.

Greene-McCreight's ability to verbalize-- with amazing acumen--her experiences, offers the reader the chance to engage with that very tumultuous and almost-despairing existence. Almost-despairing. Darkness brims with the expectant hope in the power of the Triune God. While the reader is cast upon the undulating sea of depression and mania that is coursing through this one woman, this one woman is consistently returning to the hope in the One, Almighty, Powerful God, the Source of comfort for the afflicted, the Hidden in our Suffering Abba Father. The author does not leave the reader only in her experiences; thus, this is not a book only about experience. The author is a continual beacon pointing to Jesus Christ and the Cross; thus, the book is about Jesus and His love.

Kathryn Greene-McCreight has her finger on two points of sensitivity about mental illness within the church. First, generally, Christians view mental illness as a direct result of bad-actions/lack of actions. As an ordained minister and a PhD in theology, one would naturally expect that she would be the least likely candidate to suffer, especially from mental illness. She knows her Bible, she knows her Doctrine, and she loves--evident through every page--Jesus and knows that He loves her. In spite of all this knowledge and love, she still suffers; thus, she asks the necessary question: Why am I still suffering? To this question, the church, in general, has failed to provide an adequate answer. The common, Christian advice given to those Christians who suffer from Mental Illness/Depression is: read your Bible more, be rejoiceful, repent of your sins, evaluate the effectiveness of your quiet time (or start a quiet time). Mental Illness/Depression is seen as the result of one's own actions; thus, correct the action and rid oneself of nasty result. The stage is now set for the overwhelming introduction of guilt on top of one's illness.

Second, admitting and seeking clinical help for mental illness/depression is a source of shame. I'm left questioning: Why? Using Greene-McCreight's words to answer,

"...we are ashamed to admit that we can't handle illness, especially mental illness, on our own. It can be devastating blow to one's sense of self, after all, to admit to mental unrest. But when we have a bad cough we are usually not similarly ashamed. Why, when we are mentally ill, should we not react with the same dispatch in calling the doctor as we would when we find a lump in the breast....But what makes us think the Christian can or should be able to handle such difficulties alone, much less any other diffiuclty? The assumption that one can go it alone is at heart Pelagianism....Pelagianism shrank the grace of God" (146).

Kathryn is a sufferer, and points other sufferers to the One Who Suffered and is present in our suffering.

Darkness Is My Only Companion should be on everyone's bookshelf from pastor to layperson.

--Lauren R. E. Larkin, Postpartum Depression sufferer.

THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL

"The Law and The Gospel" is a beautiful poem by the Scottish Divine Ralph Erskine (1685-1752). I have not read anything else he has written, but I found this poem conveys clearly and beautifully the proper distinction between the Law and the Gospel.

The law supposing I have all, Does ever for perfection call;

The gospel suits my total want, And all the law can seek does grant.

The law could promise life to me, If my obedience perfect be;

But grace does promise life upon My Lord's obedience alone.

The law says, Do, and life you'll win; But grace says, Live, for all is done;

The former cannot ease my grief, The latter yields me full relief.

The law will not abate a mite, The gospel all the sum will quit;

There God in thret'nings is array'd, But here in promises display'd.

The law excludes not boasting vain, But rather feeds it to my bane;

But gospel grace allows no boasts, Save in the King, the Lord of Hosts.

The law brings terror to molest, the gospel gives the weary rest,

The one does flags of death display, The other shows the living way.

The law's a house of bondage sore, The gospel opens prison doors;

The first me hamer'd in its net, The last at freedom kindly set.

An angry God the law reveal'd The gospel shows him reconciled;

By that I know he was displeased, By this I see his wrath appeased.

The Law still shows a fiery face, The gospel shows a throne of grace;

There justice rides alone in state, but here she takes the mercy-seat.

Lo! in the law Jehovah dwells, But Jesus is conceal'd;

Whereas the gospel's nothing else But Jesus Christ reveal'd

Sam Raimi on "Drag Me to Hell" (and Preaching)

After three action-hero blockbusters (Spidermans (Spidermen?) 1-3), cult director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead 2) is back to his old ways with "Drag Me to Hell", which, not being a fan of gore, I will probably never see.

However, there was a very interesting quote from Raimi in the NYTimes (full article here) in which he explains what he was trying to accomplish with the movie, which centers around a young woman whose tragic error is denying an elderly woman's loan application:

The torments the poor young woman suffers sometimes seem a little excessive compared with the relative smallness of her crime — she’s hardly a Bernie Madoff — and that’s part of Mr. Raimi’s intention. “This is a young woman who thinks she’s a good person, but she acts out of greed,” he explained. “That’s what seems relevant — the greed. I tried to make her someone you identify with, because at the moment she has to make her choice, I want the audience to make that choice with her. They sin with her. They know they’re culpable, and now” — he lowered his voice so it sounded like the voice-over of a horror movie trailer — “now they know they’re going to be punished.”

In preaching, we often try to do the same thing, namely to coax people, by way of examples, into an admission of their own guilt, their own suffering, under the Law. That being said, we (hopefully) have something different to offer - not punishment, but grace.

Beavis, Butthead and Aristotle: the tragic genius of Mike Judge

Catharsis:
1. purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) primarily through art
2.purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension
3: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression

According to Aristotle's Poetics, the mark of a good tragedy was whether or not it would prove to be cathartic for the audience, which means that through the experience of watching the play, there would be an emotional release, a cleansing of sorts. Whether it was anger, fear, jealousy, pity, was beside the point, because after the play, after having been described and understood, you'd feel, momentarily at least, like a new person.

For many of us who grew up with Beavis and Butthead, Mike Judge has consistently had his finger on the pulse of a certain American (predominantly male) angst, and has parlayed that insight into a string of shows and movies that have provided this much needed cathartic release in an often playfully ironic way. From the aforementioned Beavis and Butthead to King of the Hill, Office Space and Idiocracy, what he has lacked in constructive solutions he has made up for with what I'll call "empathic deconstruction"of prevailing social ideologies and foundational political mythologies in an attempt to inject some levity into the conversation.

In this vein, and on the heels of the recent cancellation of King of the Hill comes another comedy called The Goodes, a family, who, according to this review in the NYTimes, "Is so virtuous that even their dog is vegan." It continues: The Goodes have a dog named Che who leers at rodents because he isn’t allowed to eat meat, and an adopted teenage son named Ubuntu (David Herman) who they thought was black but who turned out, once they got him from South Africa, to be the blond child of Afrikaners To compensate for Ubuntu’s racist lineage, the Goodes dress him each day as if he were being sent off to a parade in honor of Nelson Mandela. His brand-new driver’s license identifies him as African-American. When he apologizes for using too much gas during his initial spins around town, his father assures him that it is not really the consumption that matters: “It’s O.K., Ubuntu, what’s important is that you feel guilty about it.”

Pretty much standard Mike Judge fare so far, but despite his previous successes this review argues that: the show feels aggressively off-kilter with the current mood, as if it had been incubated in the early to mid-’90s, when it was possible to find global-warming skeptics among even the reasonable and informed. Who really thinks of wind power — an allusion to which is a running visual gag in the show — as mindless, left-wing nonsense anymore?

Likewise, a reviewer in the LATimes writes: There's something old and obvious about the countercultural shibboleths the show advances: yoga, vegetarianism, ceramics, sexual frankness between parent and child, animal rights, playing the mandolin, spiritual confusion, not shopping at a certain store because "they don't even have a mission statement," hypersensitivity to racial and gender issues masked as indifference to racial and gender issues.

These reviewers are missing the cathartic, self-deprecating allure of Mike Judge's works. Beavis and Butthead wasn't cutting-edge social commentary, it was an artistic rendering of reality from a certain, Lucian Freud-esque, perspective. While many of us may have wished we spent our summer days learning Latin or playing the cello, the reality is that MTV and bathroom humor consumed a lot of attention and energy.

Likewise, Office Space wasn't about changing the office culture or even really challenging it for that matter, it was about creating something that was cathartic, something that allowed people to identify with the protagonist, empathize with the described problems and leave the theater, perhaps, with a little lighter step. This, I think, may be what The Goodes turns out to be for many of us who, even though we have come to appreciate many of the causes they champion, and may end up recycling and perhaps drive a hybrid, were "incubated in the 90s" at just that impressionable High School age when you're in the crosshairs of the culture-war cannons. What Mike Judge's work allows is not a complete dismissal of the good, but a recognition that indoctrination and forced submission--even, or perhaps especially "to the greater good"--comes with a price.
From "sensitivity training" with Beavis and Butthead to Bobby wanting to be a husky-male model in King of the Hill, from singing along with Ron to "Damn it Feels Good to Be A Gangster" in Office Space and now, trying to keep up with the latest supermarket bag-enviroconsiousness in The Goodes, Mike Judge continues to provide that much needed catharsis that helps me (well, forces really), at least, take myself just a little less seriously when shopping at Whole Foods:)

Sermon Illustration of the Day (from Very Rev. Jim Munroe's Nov. 14, 2006 Sermon) --

Thank God, my ability to love is not a pre-condition for God to love me. Do you see that in fact it's exactly the opposite? It is only with a huge picture of God's love for me, that then I am able to begin to love.

I close with one such picture. I learned of this picture in the context of Vietnam. It could apply equally to the Sunni Triangle or Iwo Jima or Antietam or the streets of Wilbraham.

In the midst of a terrible battle, two soldiers who were friends became separated. As the fighting raged on all sides, one of the two soldiers suddenly saw his friend lying on the ground, badly wounded and with no protection from the bullets and the bombs.

The soldier turned to his lieutenant and begged for permission to go to his friend, to try to rescue him, to try to carry him out of the firefight and to safety. The lieutenant forbade him. "I order you not to go. You would stand no chance of coming back alive."

A moment later, while the lieutenant was turned in another direction, the soldier took off. He ran into the clearing, knelt by his friend, picked him up and began to run. Part way back, a spray of bullets hit him. But stumbling, he made it back to safety with his friend.

The lieutenant came over. He was furious and grief-stricken at the same time. He said to the soldier, "What a waste. Look at your friend. He's gone. You brought back a dead body. And look at you. Look at your wounds. What a waste."

The soldier looked up at the lieutenant. He smiled a sweet, sweet smile. And he said,

Lieutenant, it wasn't a waste. When I got out there, my friend was alive. He looked up at me. And he said to me, "I knew you'd come."

There is no place in this world, and no moment in this life, in which we may not say to Jesus, "I knew you'd come."

In Memoriam

A belated post for Memorial Day:



A friend of mine who is a Marine Lieutenant Colonel asked me recently if he had ever told me why he felt so strongly about coming to adult Sunday school and learning about the gospel. I told him that no, he had never mentioned it. I will never forget what he said next, and I hope he does not mind me sharing it here.

He turned to me squarely and said, "It's because after two tours in Iraq, I want to understand why: why I came home, and so many men and women that I knew who were better and more deserving than me did not. I just want to understand why."

The Problem: Sad Women & Baby Daddies; The Answer: Sexual Stigmas?

In an article that came out yesterday, a columnist mused on a recent study (by two economists at the National Bureau of Economics Research--the most boring club in Cambridge, MA, except when Larry Summers shows up) that showed women to be unhappier than men across the board--rich or poor, black or white, punk or prep. Here's what the study's authors say:

"By many objective measures the lives of women in the United States have improved over the past 35 years, yet we show that measures of subjective well-being indicate that women's happiness has declined both absolutely and relative to men. The paradox of women's declining relative well-being is found across various datasets, measures of subjective well-being, and is pervasive across demographic groups and industrialized countries."

In other words, things are better for women than they used to be, but their happiness is declining.

Why? The columnist offers some possible answers. But he ultimately lands on the fact that there are more and more single mothers out there, and that the single parenting gig is, if I may be a little faux-folksy here, a tough row to hoe. He writes that "the steady advance of single motherhood threatens the interests and happiness of women." Now there's an understatement.

What's really interesting is what he says next. How to reduce single motherhood-ism? Public policy will only get you so far, he says. Instead, "some kind of social stigma is a necessity." We used to have a stigma that ostracized the "fallen woman," he notes, and that this kept a lid on what we have today. The problem, he rightly observes, was that it was unfair because it was one-sided and misogynistic: all the stigma was on women. What we need now, he says, is "a social revolution that ostracizes serial baby-daddies and trophy-wife collectors as thoroughly as the 'fallen women' of a more patriarchal age." So, instead of unfairly making women feel bad for being single moms (and this stigma is still very real, I might add), we should create real social pressure on men who father these children--either outside marriage or those who father children within marriage, but then divorce their wives.

Is he right? Would this kind of social stigma work?

We talk a lot on this blog about God's Law, and how we are unable to follow it. The key idea here (primarily from St. Paul's writings in the New Testament) is that the Law actually produces rebellion. That's why there are stereotypes of pastor's kids being the biggest troublemakers (like Rev. Lovejoy's daughter on The Simpsons). And that's why in the Old Testament, Israel always rejected God's prophets. But there do seem to be some very powerful social pressures that actually do compel people's behavior, positively or negatively. (Think about: smoking, Crocs, high school, fur, anorexia, and Rush Limbaugh.) So would a social stigma against baby-daddies work? How would it affect men's behavior?

Conan O'Brien on Entertainment (and Life)

There was a great article in this weekend's New York Times magazine about Conan O'Brien, timed to coincide with his introduction as the new host of The Tonight Show on June 1 (I can't wait!).

Most interesting, and comforting, was this quote, from a man who was always very nearly being fired during his first few years on The Late Show:

"In entertainment, you have to to stake out what you think is right, you have to put out that signal, make sure it's pure and then do it and do it and do it and know that they will come. And if they don't, you have to pack your bags and say: 'I enjoyed my time here. Sorry it didn't work out.'"

As someone who is currently planting a church (stpaulsnyc.org - shameless plug), these words come as pure grace to me (I'll be keeping them in my wallet:). It is not my job to be a salesman, to figure out what people want and give it to them, but rather to proclaim what is true and beautiful and good (the Gospel), in the best and most authentic way I know how, and trust God for the rest, be it "success" or "failure."

The Bitter Pill?

For the tens of hundreds of us who saw and loved The Rocker, news about the destructive power of bitterness and its need for treatment is nothing new. Thanks to being allowed to witness the fearless and brilliant way 'Fish'--drawing from the storehouse of his own hurts and pains--helps Curtis work through some anger with his father, we are all better people. Needless to say, I was pleased to discover that I am not the only person in Germany who has taken this cathartic journey that is Rainn Wilson's epic: A German psychiatrist (Professor Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.) Dr. Michael Linden, at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Assn. in San Francisco, introduced what he wants identified as a mental illness--Bitterness--under the name post-traumatic embitterment disorder.

From the article:
The disorder is modeled after post-traumatic stress disorder because it too is a response to a trauma that endures. People with PTSD are left fearful and anxious. Embittered people are left seething for revenge."They feel the world has treated them unfairly. It's one step more complex than anger. They're angry plus helpless,"

Embittered people are typically good people who have worked hard at something important, such as a job, relationship or activity, Linden says. When something unexpectedly awful happens -- they don't get the promotion, their spouse files for divorce or they fail to make the Olympic team -- a profound sense of injustice overtakes them. Instead of dealing with the loss with the help of family and friends, they cannot let go of the feeling of being victimized. Almost immediately after the traumatic event, they become angry, pessimistic, aggressive, hopeless haters."

The Gospel has a lot to say about treating this condition-- more commonly known as "life"--but, like all treatments, the first step is diagnosis. The message of the Cross is not a quick-fix for the genuine feelings of bitterness, anger and betrayal that we may feel; however, it does seem to offer the most hope for recovery in its one word of Forgiveness to the double reality we experience: that we are simultaneously victims and perpetrators, saints and sinners. To this confusing and painful reality is offered the hope of the Gospel. Like a blanket wrapped around the burnt over places of our lives, the message of God's mercy in Christ--while we were yet sinners--offers some relief from the searing pain of living with not only what has been done to us but "what we have done and what we have left undone." And, despite the current smoldering, it is in this proclamation of mercy, amnesty, and peace that we find the strength necessary to live in hope that, someday, the fire will go out.

Until then, maybe they'll make a pill. Until then, we'll always have The Rocker.

Morrissey, the poet of our age...

Gavin Hopps is one of St. Mary's most exciting research fellows here at St. Andrews. His new book, 'Morrissey: The Pageant of His Bleeding Heart' is on the verge of release, and I thought the Mockingbird crowd might resonate with his approach.

From the review at the uni website:

Dr Hopps writes, "Being embarrassing is a positive feature of Morrissey's art as it is in the TV series The Office - which alienates us even as it invites identification. This is of course a matter of comedy - like Les Dawson's piano playing or Frank Spenser's mishaps - though it also involves a defamiliarizing effect, which in tickling us encourages critical reflection."

The book is the first sustained piece of academic research on the work of Morrissey and The Smiths, which explores all the major subjects in Morrissey's writing - such as love, melancholy, monstrosity and non-belonging - and relates these to larger cultural and philosophical traditions.

It should prove to be a fascinating read, and, for what it is worth, Gavin is a seriously nice guy.

The Radical Gospel

Hey Folks,
I have been developing a reading list (novels, devotionals, systematic & historic works, both light & heavy), dealing with some of the theology being discussed on this blog.
Do check it out.

http://theradicalgospel.blogspot.com/

Here is an excerpt that only Richard Simmons could lead us in a work out to :)

The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther by Hans J. Iwand

"Then this law , this cycle "I" and work and conscience would indeed be broken and I could confront the works that wait for me, knowing that God's judgment supports me, with the confidence of a master who commands his slave. Then I would act with the greatest freedom and confidence, knowing that no work that I do can decide my fate, my salvation, or my righteousness before God. That is precisely the heavenly gift that Luther finds in the New Righteousness; the freedom of the children of God who do work simply that it may be done, but who do not need to do any work at all in order to know that they live by God's grace."

The LAW of Seersucker...101 days and counting

While many down South have been wearing various articles of clothing made of the lightweight and extremely fashionable fabric known as seersucker since Easter Sunday, those of you up North (as of Memorial Day) are now officially allowed to don clothing made from the ever so comfortable, light and airy, all-cotton fabric. Society tells us that it is proper only to wear seersucker from Memorial Day to Labor Day – that’s a short 101 days!

After doing a little bit of research on the history of seersucker, one will discover that the thin, striped fabric used to make clothing for spring and summer wear originally came from the Middle Eastern region of the world. The name is derived from two Persian words shir-o-shakar, which literally means milk and sugar. This was probably figuratively used as the fabric is marked by both smooth and rough stripes; thus allowing the fabric to be held away from the skin, creating better air circulation.


Now the rules or societal laws regarding when one can or cannot wear seersucker are a farce in my book. Though you would probably never catch me wearing seersucker during winter, or perhaps even Lent, I would wear it without batting an eye through the end of September. After all, the fabric was not intended to have a set period of time for when it could or could not be worn. If it’s hot out, then by all means wear seersucker.

My view of the Law is quite similar to how we determine when it is proper to wear seersucker. You see, when it was created, it had good intentions and served a purpose. But humankind started to mess with it and tried to put limitations around it in order to curtail it to their own liking. As a result of the corrupt nature of our human existence, we took something that was good and pure, and turned it into something that is so far removed from its original intention, that it became a curse rather than a blessing.

We as a society do everything in our power to try and control every single aspect of our being by manipulating the law to our liking, including something as silly and mindless as to when we should or should not wear seersucker. Thank God, through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection, that we are no longer held captive to the law (Romans 7).

Oh yeah, one ending note, I am getting married on September 26 (a whole 19 days after Labor Day), and I plan on wearing my seersucker suit…

An obituary for the Rev William Shergold: biker priest

In the days when clergymen were treated not merely with deference but often reverence, the sight of the Rev William Shergold in motorcycle leathers mixing with rockers and fellow bikers in a greasy spoon on the North Circular before “doing a ton” around London’s desolate orbital road was distinctly incongruous.

This was the late Fifties and early Sixties when what was perceived as teenage rebellion was a novelty regarded by the older generation with alarm and confusion. So the news that a man of the cloth should wish to mix with doubtful types in winkle-pickers and zip-up leathers, who wore their hair in threatening quiffs and hung about aimlessly in seedy caffs listening to impenetrable beat music was startling.


(Hat tip to Kendall at T19. Click here for the full story.)

4.5 B-Side Albums for the Holiday Weekend

Filling in for DZ this weekend...

Typically, b-sides are b-sides for a reason. An artist writes 15, 20, or even 70 songs, and keeps the 11 or 12 best. Because of this, it's pretty rare to find a b-side album worth what you paid for it (IF you paid for it), particularly not one that is solid, cohesive, and inspired from end to end. Sparked by the Green Day post a few days ago, I thought I would list my five favorite b-side albums in no particular order.

1.) Green Day - Shenanigans

Compiling some great vintage material that tracks discarded songs from Dookie all the way through Warning, there are some real gems on here. Excellent covers of the Kinks' "Tired of Waiting for You", and "I Want to Be on T.V." by Fang pay homage to Green Day's Brit-rock (is it fair to call the Kinks pre-punk?) and California punk influences respectively. "Suffocate", "Desensitized", and "You Lied", are all standout tracks as good as many of those off Dookie, Insomniac, and Nimrod.

2.) The Killers - Sawdust

Like Shenanigans, Sawdust is a chance for a great songwriting band to pay homage to its influences and also release some excellent material that didn't quite make it onto the original LP's. Singer Brandon Flowers clearly draws heavily from both Lou Reed and Ian Curtis, and he doesn't waste any time making those influences clear, as the album opens with "Tranquilize", sporting a guest appearance by none other than Lou Reed himself, and moves straight into a spot-on cover of Joy Division's "Shadowplay". Other highlights include, "All the Pretty Faces", "Leave Your Bourbon on the Shelf", and an entertaining cover of Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet".

3.) Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche

As if the original 22 tracks on Illinoise weren't good enough, Sufjan Stevens released this b-side compilation of 21 more to top it off. If he ever intended to complete his quest to write an album for all 50 states, he shouldn't have wasted this much good material on a second album for Illinois. The songs are, on the whole, a little quieter and more introspective than on Illinoise, reminiscent in places of earlier albums like Michigan and Seven Swans. The title track is a winner, along with "Springfield, or Bobby Got a Shadfly Caught in his Hair", "Saul Bellow", "No Man's Land", and all three alternate mixes of Illinoise hit, "Chicago".


4.) Rivers Cuomo - Alone: the Home Recordings, (Vol. 1)

This isn't officially a Weezer b-side album, but Rivers Cuomo's reputation for being a control freak with his band certainly shows given his solo, home performances on all the instruments (the demo"Buddy Holly" isn't lacking much). From a rockstar who so publicly admits his total lack of self-confidence, this record is completely worth it purely for his candor in offering a chance to see his unbridled silliness when no one is looking. Five ridiculous tracks highlight Songs from the Black Hole, the space odyssey Weezer album that never was. Additional favorites include "Wanda (You're My Only Love)", "Lover in the Snow", and "This is the Way", Rivers' take on R&B that surprisingly works.


4a.) Bloc Party - Another Weekend in the City

The fact that I have to cheat on two of the five to come up with a list of five solid b-side albums probably says something about my premise for this post! This one isn't technically a b-side album in the sense that it was never released, but for their second record Bloc Party had recorded enough solid b-side material to warrant this fan creation. In fact, the fan reviews almost unanimously (and I'd say, unfairly) considered these tracks better than the a-sides from A Weekend in the City. You can find assorted tracks scattered around the blogisphere and on iTunes, though it probably only exists in complete form on the torrent networks. See my first Mockingbird post on the track, "Cain Said to Abel" for thoughts on my favorite song from this collection. Additional hits include, "Rhododendron" and "The Once and Future King".

The Robots are Coming

In light of the anticipated release of the next Terminator installment, I ran across this article entitled How Worried Should You Be About the Robot Takeover? P.W Singer writes:

Terminator: Salvation, the fourth installment of the Terminator franchise, takes place in 2018, a number of years after an artificial-intelligence network devised by the U.S. military, called Skynet, has turned on its masters and set off a nuclear war. The sentient computer now controls an army of killer robots tasked with hunting down and killing every last member of the human race. It's Hollywood popcorn at its best, if not for the scary fact that the movie touches on some very real trends in modern military technology.

He goes on to argue that there is no cause for alarm, but I'm not so sure. Anyway, what it really made me think about was (IMHO) one of the greatest SNL commercial ever "Old Glory Insurance," and I thought that maybe you'd like to be as prepared as possible for the inevitable day the robots come alive--because, as we know, thanks to Sam Watterson: you're probably aware of the threat robots pose. Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.

U2: Seekers to Saints to Sinners to Saved (by Grace)--Part 3

Part 3: Sinners

Our four-part series on U2's spiritual journey continues with a look at how the band dealt with the failure of their early aggressive form of Christianity. As we saw last week, their spiritual seeking had led them to a deep faith in Jesus. But it was in the context of an extremely legalistic community. They could not reconcile the grace they saw in Jesus with the rules-based living this community sought to enforce.

You can hear a lot of the ensuing doubt in the 1987 classic album, The Joshua Tree, especially in the super-obviously-titled, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (Watch the video here--sorry, embedding is disabled. The fun-loving Bono in the video contrasts with super-serious Edge, a good analogy for the tensions between the band and their Christian faith.) In the song, Bono sings of his simultaneous faith and doubt: "You broke the bonds/And you loosed the chains/Carried the cross/Of all my shame/all my shame/You know I believe it/But I still haven't found what I'm looking for." He seems to be saying, "I love you, Jesus, but this Christianity thing doesn't seem to work too well in my life." Ever have a day like that?

This tension also comes out in their song, "With or Without You." Bono describes what he was feeling:

"There I was. Loyal, but in my imagination filled with wanderlust, a heart to know God, a head to know the world, rock star who likes to run amok and a sinner who knows he needs to repent... That song is about torment, sexual but also psychological, about how repressing desires makes them stronger."

In short, U2 had tried the Law, but the law had failed. Thus U2 enters what I call the "Sinners" phase. This coincided with the release of The Joshua Tree, the album that catapulted U2 into the rock 'n' roll heavenlies. Album of the Year. 25 million copies. You know the deal. But the combination of serious religious doubt with global superstardom put the band in a wierd place.

The good thing was, they relaxed a bit. (Kind of like what happens when "good Christian kids" go off to Penn State.) Bono said this:

"It was a period of thawing out for the more uptight side of the band.”

While recording their follow up album, Rattle and Hum, Edge remembers

"Bono and the others were basically off partying harder than ever before... Here
is the band that wrote about civil rights and God going ‘native LA.’"

So they were trying out some freedom. But, interestingly, the pressure of the Law was still there. Edge says this about that time:

"We had become a very successful band, we were hanging out with Bob Dylan, but our success wasn’t bringing us a sense of artistic validation, it actually made us feel worse. We could see the flaws, the areas where we hadn’t delivered. We were really trying to live up to the respect and the opportunity we’d been given through our fans, to take on this position of being such a big group. So it was tough going at times. Bono, particularly, went through some really intense doubt about himself and the group as a whole."

After Rattle and Hum, the band took a break. (The Law forces you into hiding.) When they finally released the amazing 1991 album Achtung Baby, Edge said the opening chords were the sound of "chopping down the Joshua Tree." The band was still looking for a better way. In Jesus' terms, they wanted new wineskins for new wine. Stay tuned next week for part 4, where they come back to the heart of the matter.

Frank Lloyd Wright and Romans 12:1-2

The other day I went to the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Guggenheim here in New York. Wright is famous for such great works as Falling Water, Beth Shalom Synagogue in Elkins Park PA, and his unrealized plan for Greater Baghdad. He was truly ahead of his time and is widely heralded as one of the greatest American architects who has ever lived. I was intrigued to discover that the philosophy behind Wright’s work was, “architecture should be done from within outward.” The same is true with good Christian Theology.

Unfortunately, like every other religion, bad Christian theology is chiefly concerned with ethics and behavior modification, or “from outward within.” Romans 12:1-2 is one of the places that bad Christian theologians tend to focus on the “from outward within”:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Popular pastors across America, emphasizing this passage---especially the living sacrifice part--are calling for a new reformation focused on “deeds not creeds.” While I am sympathetic with the goals of these pastors—to get people to express their love in action—I think that they are missing the crucial part: the Cross. Many of these theologians seem to ignore the fact that before Romans 12 comes eleven other chapters in which Paul has just articulated the idea that the sacrifice of our lives has already occurred through the death and resurrection of Christ, and that instead of viewing Christianity as simply another way of ordering our outward lives to effect change in our inward selves, the new life we have is one we live “In Christ,” where we are completely justified by the person and work of Jesus Christ: “from within outward.”

Therefore, when Romans 12 is seen as not isolated from the rest of the epistle one can see the emphasis is “from within outward.” The entire chapter begins with the statement: in view of God’s mercies. Like St. Augustine once said, “God demands of us what we cannot do so that we might know what to seek from Him,” and this is exactly what the Apostle Paul has been doing throughout the previous eleven chapters. He clearly demonstrates that what we need is a righteousness apart from ourselves—Jesus Christ--- and that his one act of righteousness leads to justification and freedom for all people. Therefore operating “from within outward” in view of God’s mercies becomes a liberating idea that frees us from the notion that as living sacrifices we are somehow atoning sacrifices and need to get our acts together in order for God to be pleased with us. The atonement—the payment for sin—has been done; it is finished. Our lives as “living sacrifices” are to be ones of peace, hope and love flowing from the promise of 1 John: “If anyone sins they have an advocate with Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous."

Special Thanks to JDK for helping me flush this out!

Forgiving Michael Vick

Michael Vick was released from prison in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, this morning. He'll serve the last two months of his sentence (for bankrolling a brutal dog-fighting operation) at his admittedly palatial Hampton, VA home. The e-mosphere (a term I'm trying to coin...electronic atmosphere) is abuzz this morning with debate about whether or not Vick should be allowed to play football again. Some thoughts: What does forgiveness mean? Jesus said that he who has been forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:47). The argument from Law goes like this: Sure, Vick has "paid his debt to society", but the penalty did not fit the crime. It wasn't enough. The Christian parallels are obvious:

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches, "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you" (38-42).

It seems that this has far-reaching implications for forgiveness. Are Michael Vick's sins so heinous that the "turn the other cheek" dictum doesn't apply? Are we to go back to "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth?" Are there times when the popular rejoinder, "Jesus doesn't want us to be doormats," is true? What would it mean to forgive Michael Vick?

In the Words of Judge Dredd: "I am the Law!" - An Introduction and Definition

Okay folks, we have heard your cry for some sort of blog glossary, and we have finally figured out a way to go about it:) We have decided that we will post a definition once a week in order to allow for discussion and dialogue instead of simply putting up a permanent list with which no one can really engage.

SO, what follows is by no means authoritative or exhaustive; rather, it is our attempt to put some of the often-used terminology—Mockingbirdese, if you will—into context. One of the intentions of our ministry is to wrestle with theological concepts in the context of everyday life so as to deal with the question as to whether the Christian message means anything to us today. Some of these definitions will be too precise for some and not specific enough for others; we’re sorry. There are many resources available and, hopefully, this will serve simply as a helpful introduction which results in further exploration of these and other theological concepts.

We thought the Law was a good place to start.

The Law – is the first of two Words from God. In the Bible the Law refers to the 10 commandments given to Moses on two tablets at Mount Sinai. All other forms of biblical law (the book of Leviticus etc.) essentially refer back to these 10 laws that God gave to Israel found in Exodus chapter 20 and Deuteronomy chapter 5 and 6. Jesus summed up all of the Law with two: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40. SO, the Law is concerned with your relationship with God, others and yourself.

The law has different "uses" theologically. Two are agreed upon, and the third is debated.

The 1^st use of the law – has to do with civil matters. Think of laws that are there simply for your protection. The 1^st use of the law is the child gate at the top of the stairs that prevents the child from falling down. Sometimes called the “Natural Law,” this is analogous to the Law of Gravity—what goes up, must come down. That is not a moral statement; it's just the way things work.

The 2^nd use of the law – often referred to as “the theological, or moral use” – is of most concern to us in that it says the law functions in a way that constrains our consciences. The “Voice” that comes from the outside and impinges on us—the one that accuses, that lies behind our feelings of guilt, fear and shame--is a result of this use of the Law. This use of the Law causes us to constantly compare what we “ought” to do with what we actually do and, thus, exposes our sinful nature and shows us to be unrighteous and corrupt beings. This is why the Law is often referred to as "the hammer of God" because it crushes us. It is the primary use of God’s law.

The 3^rd use of the law – views the law as a teacher or guide and holds that the law is something that we can and should do through/by the grace of God. Essentially, Christ has set us free to do the law, and we need to be taught and corrected by it in the Christian life for the purpose that we become better people. This is the use of the Law that most directly affects how one views the Christian life and, as such, is one that we spend a lot of time examining here. [Please note: This is a use that we, theologically and pastorally, reject; however, it is one that we are attempting to discuss sensitively and thoughtfully, because it represents the primary way many Christians—people for whom we have the greatest respect—understand the Law.]

Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I say both!

Mullets + Delorean = The Gospel Circa 1985

Cheesy? Yes. Dated? Yes. Aesthetically vacant? Maybe. Gospel-ish? Of course.

Awesome? Sweet fancy Moses, yes.

The video says it all (the actual song starts at the 2:10 mark):

Key line:

It's strong and its sudden and it's cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That's the power of love

I don't care who you are. You can't not love this song.