Safe Haven

You Might Be A Wavering Protestant If... 5. You put 'St.' in front of everything. 4. You've ever said, "You should watch EWTN, it's awesome!" and you weren't kidding. 3. You've said, "Calvin was a Catholic" and it was a compliment. 2. You are frightened by the words, "Bible Church." [no offense.] 1. You believe it's (almost) not a true worship service without the Eucharist. [1A. You capitalize 'Eucharist' to feel like a rebel.]

Contra Feingold and Pro Burris (Kind Of) Well, Senator Russ Feingold is at it again. When he's not proposing rankly unconstitutional campaign finance law, meritlessly accusing the president and his subordinates of war crimes, and being a general nuisance, he likes to undermine our Republic with bad ideas of the nearly irreversible variety. This time, he wants to remove the gubenatorial power given in many states in case of a US Senate vacancy. It really represents an expansion of the 17th Amendment (the direct election of US Senators) and thus, is a further harm to the people of the United States. Whereas the Senate had been designed as a check on the unstable popular will, ideally filled with people insulated from the immoralities inherent in the need for reelection, the Senate is now not a check on the popular will, but almost a perfect reflection of it. The business at hand in the United States is of the kind where the American people need to be protected from themselves. Who...

I watched my favorite movie yesterday: The Lion King. Whenever someone asks me which one is my favorite, and I answer that way, they are a mixture of amused, surprised, or mocking. I don't know why. We do inherently respect animated films less, because they became tools for entertaining children. And there's nothing wrong with that, either. But there's nothing childish about The Lion King. This film is epic. The story, the characters, the music, the actors, and the rest make it likely worthy of a place in the 100 greatest American movies ever. James Earl Jones--or should I say, "the magisterial James Earl Jones"--plays King Mufasa, king of Pride Rock, head of the animals, somewhere in Africa. And the character of Mufasa needed a weighty voice, because he is a weighty king. If you were to be ruled by a king, Mufasa is the king you want: supremely just, wise, fair, noble, and gracious. Like all good messiah stories, you want your hero's nobility to come from so...

In honor of my birthday, here's a list of the top 5 pop songs which encourage or inspire me: 5. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," U2. Deceptively titled, actually. Lots of answers right in the song. 4. "You Were There," Babyface. This is the song I'd dedicate to my close friends. 3. "Hanging By A Moment," Lifehouse. This song so perfectly describes what my Christian conversion was/is like, I don't even care what it's actually about. 2. "Conviction of the Heart," Kenny Loggins. This brilliant song talks about our connectedness to the Earth, and how everything, including spiritual things are interconnected. 1. "Creed," Rich Mullins. I foul things up. I am a sinner. Sometimes, I wonder whose side I'm really on. But make no mistake: I am a warrior, and when it all goes down, this is my battle-cry.

Tomorrow's my birthday! I'm excited. Weirdly, though, that's not what's on my mind. I just got out of a seminary class where dating, relationships, and marriage were discussed. And those things are ALWAYS on my mind. I'm that guy who will say that a song best expresses what I'm thinking and feeling. Frankly, it's most often a soul/R&B song. (Yes, I am the whitest dude ever, and no, I don't care) Anyway, this song is one I want to play for my future wife, whoever and wherever she is. I remember the band called Caedmon's Call doing a song called, "Love Is Different" or some such, about how love songs don't really get it across. Well, as a full-blown member of the "I Love Derek Webb, But Think he's Obscenely Overrated" Club, I politely tell him and the other members of the band to can it for a sec. I love love songs, and I will continue to love them, no matter how holy and sanctified I may become. I maintain that love so...

To Err Is Human.... I see that even in fledgling democracies, journalists and college students are stupid.

I was at it again, listening to music on YouTube. So, there I was, marvelling yet again at the prodigious talent of my favorite songwriter/musician, Babyface. Namely, he has a fairly new single called, "I Need A Love Song." After some initial reservations, I love it. Apparently, the new trend in mainstream popular music is to point out the lack of quality in mainstream popular music! This song is no exception. Then I remembered that I had added a video of Robin Thicke singing a remake of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." And I like it. Robin's my favorite dude right now, in case anyone cares. But that got me thinking. Does anyone remember the Al Green Behind The Music on VH1? (At least I think it was that show.) I remember seeing Al Green say he disavowed all his old 'secular' music, and now only does gospel. He's a minister, I heard. Good for him. I'll spare him and you the sacred/secular rant, except to say this: What a dumb choice to ...

With All Due Respect: Love In A Wheelchair I'm a fairly talkative guy. My favorite thing to do is conversation. And because I'm young and single--and pretty darn attractive--I can often be found discussing the women I know; namely, the potential for a romantic happening, if you will. A little while ago, I was discussing these matters with someone, and after a time, my friend stopped me and said something like, "Have you considered dating someone who shares your disability?" It's not the first time, and surely it won't be the last. So let me take this opportunity to answer it again. No. Emphatically, no. I'm not the member of a victim class; I don't think about the socio-political implications of being a "disabled American" or whatever "we" are supposed to call ourselves these days. At the risk of offense, I don't care. If I am discriminated against, I'll deal with it personally. If one has issues with an entire class of peop...

Yes, there have been errors; there have been even tragic lapses in judgment. But surely this man has earned 1 puff-piece in 8 years. The Lord be with you, President Bush.

It’s Like This I didn’t mean to scare you, But I need to speak plain. I don’t need more friends, Not the woman kind, And I sure don’t want To be a friend of yours. Don’t misunderstand; I ain’t mad; You ain’t got no sorryin’ to do. But I can’t stand around like I don’t care where you go, And who you go with. You flat out don’t know No guys as cool as me. I know two men Better than me, But they ain’t callin’ And I ain’t leavin.’ Best chew on this And don’t forget: We ain’t made for lonely, And my stomach for losing out Is at an end.

Greg Maddux: A Brief Appreciation The greatest pitcher I've ever seen, Greg Maddux, has retired. I could recount his impressive stats in order to persuade you, but that won't move you to feel what it was like to watch Greg Maddux. Let me just tell you the story of a few games that define him for me. I remember a game in 2003 up in Montreal, before they became the Nationals. Montreal got several soft hits on the speedy turf in the first inning; a few balls barely found holes. Before I knew it, the score was 5-0, and Greg was upset. I thought for sure they'd yank him out. He must've prevailed upon pitching coach Leo Mazzone, or Leo saw how lucky they were, because Maddux stayed in--for seven more innings. Montreal got nothing more, and the Braves were victors, 6-5. Another game was in St. Louis a couple years later. Maddux pitched for the Cubs then, and my hometown Cards hit him hard that night. Four runs in the first, I think. But Maddux returned, this time pitching six...

She asked me with words, But with words I could speak not By beauty silenced.

I'll get back to reaming the Democrats for sport some time in the future, but for now, I'd like to talk about something else: music. When I was young, I remember three albums playing continuously: a Marty Robbins greatest hits collection, one for Ben E. King (the guy from The Platters, and the singer of "Stand By Me") and the greatest hits of The Eagles, 1971-1975. I'm pretty musically provincial; there are many artists and genres that are unknown to me. But you could do worse than these, by far. I also think it readily explains my musical taste, which ranges from Alan Jackson to Blackstreet, from Bryan Adams to Babyface. I skipped over "rock" per se; better said, I skipped the white '60s, at least outside Nashville. Which is fine by me; I think music (and political ideas) from the rebellious teen years of (white) Boomers is ridiculously overrated. I don't particularly like Jimi Hendrix or Bob Dylan, because they couldn't (or can't) sing....

Hell Freezes Over (or I might be turning into a statist liberal hippie) When Glenn Greenwald starts making sense to me .

I know she is in The throes of love; surely, yes When she twirls her hair.

And I Don’t Want To Any idiot Sees it coming A mile away. And the wise run Before their hearts Are won By the One Who knows not, And cares not, Like the unending sun That beats down From the desert sky. And she’ll never know; She hasn’t a clue. I can’t escape And I don’t want to. You’re alone, but you Shouldn’t be. And I’m alone And I should. You don’t feel; I can’t move on And I don’t want to. Let me love you; Why must you wait, As a blooming flower Long past its due? I must admit, I see noone else, And I don’t want to.

10 Reasons to be Dismayed by Democrats: #7 Blaming the Stupidity of Republicans on the Free Market. Obama is doing this routinely. Too bad it's not true. The Republicans wouldn't know a free market if it walked up and shook their hands. Surely the Democrats know this. Unfortunately, their left flank prepares for the overthrow of economic freedom as we speak.

I'm a little lighter in the wallet today, (God love you, Seminary Bookstore) but it was a relatively painless trip. I always like to look around at the non-textbook shelves to see if there's anything from an intellectual standpoint or other vista that would make good reading. I always find something! Today, it was this book. I'm not sure if it will actually address the subjectivism issue that seems inherent in even the most nuanced versions of Sola Scriptura, but for hermeneutical process itself (if I may borrow a phrase--taking for granted that we mean the same thing--the "literal sense" of the text) theologically "conservative" Reformed people will find much agreement across the Christian world on the soundness of the process, even if the systematic theologies applied afterward widely differ. A rather boisterous, opinionated, gloriously anti-gnostic professor who teaches Covenant Theology here (let the reader understand) often unintentionally says ...

After the Days of War: The Making of A Conservative Obamican I am aware, and do accept the fact that this essay represents a retraction--and a resounding one--of my previous endorsement of John McCain. Little did I know that the 2008 election here in the United States--contested by presidential candidates who routinely fail to answer the important theoretical questions posed by their stated philosophies--would become a watershed. Nor did I expect the heart of the question--American foreign policy--would become a strength for Obama, and a weakness for McCain. Especially in light of the views of the one who evaluates the case (that is, me). After 9/11 a self-professed neoconservative, I did not, and still in large measure do not, fear the projection of US military power. I believe this time of its ascendancy was altogether natural and understandable, given the rotted corpse of a certain realism which seems to prize an honored place at European cocktail parties above justice itself...

Both The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games were on AMC last night. I caught the end of Red October and the start of PG at 1:30 in the morning. The latter gets at the complicated nature of terrorism when it's not perpetrated by far-off strangers, but by neighbors. After I watched this video again, the film took on a new freshness. What if--rather than a legitimate means reluctantly employed by a civilized people--violence was a manifestation of our propensity to evil? In other words, what if 'civilized' is a lie? And is violence any more civil when conducted by a state , one much more powerful than the roving bands we often imagine? Is a call for peace nothing more than a limp passivity, a refuge for those too timid to stand against injustice, to defend one's own people? You tell me. But why do Christians celebrate and proclaim the death of a murdered innocent man? Are they crazy? Why did that man forbid violence in his own defense at his moment of greatest need...