Dear Vox,

So while I had great hopes for our "Brain Candy" blog, its life never really took off.  I was passionate for a while: your fancy colors, large neighborhood and cool ability to conect me with music, books and movies in a single click.  But blogelationships can't be build on flash alone, we must actually have some people who read us.  So I am sorry, i think it would be best if we parted ways, at least for a while.

Don't cry, it's not you, it's me.  Another blog, no, of course not, I would NEVER do that to you ;-|. 

So . . . I must listen to my heart and move on, well sorta.  I guess, what I really want is a break, a chance for us to see other blogs and bloggers, to grow.  And who knows, maybe someday if the blog-gods wish it to be, we will meet up again and be reunited.  Until then . . . farewell.

If this has hit you of guard, I am sorry, I am a dawg.  Just know it is nothing personal and I still love you, just not THAT way.

If we can still be friends, I would invite you over to:

• www.reyes-chow.com - Where I usually blog;
• www.yelp.com - Where I review stuff;
• www.claimid.com - Where my eIdentity is kept;

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Charlotte Sometimes

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A Natural Woman: The Ode Collection 1968-1976

I'm sitting here at church just hanging out doing a little work and listening to a great album, getting in touch with my sensitive side.  "Child of Mine" nearly made me weep . . . like that is any hard feat ;-)

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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

William Finn

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THE OFFICE -- Pam & Jim moments

Okay . . . so I am REALLY drippy, but come on if you watch "The Office" you gotta feel bad for Jim.  So sad.  And before any of you cynics tease me for buying into the network's use of YouTube . . . shuddup ;-)

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The ole' iPod has been playing two songs as of late that have me asking some questions about today's level and nature of political activism.  Back in my day (Do I sound old, or what?) we protested, we chanted, we fought, we passionate, etc.  Now i am not saying that that is the case these days, but I wonder sometimes how powerless we may be, might feel are really are.  I have no answers to this, but two popular songs these days definitely have differing views on how folks are perceiving political action these days.

If you have not heard either of these songs, "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks in response to comments made about Prez Bush and John Mayer's, "Waiting on the World to Change" I have included some key lyrics as well as the videos, courtesy of YouTube.com.

As you listen to the messages in these songs, one must wonder about those age old questions, "Does art imitate life?" or "Does life imitate art?"  in this case I think songs offer a valid perception of society and a generation who on one hand feels frustrated and angry, and on the other, is cognoscente and cynical about the ability to change anything. 

The Dixie Chicks capture this idea, tat just getting along is not always the best thing  That sometime we must stand up for what we believe and that "Righteous Anger" in the face of injustice or oppression is not only justified, but demanded of us.

At the same time John Mayer is also right in this idea, that folks are not in a posture of pure 80's cynicism and "I'm gonna get mine" mentality, but rather, a  realistic understanding of the nature of institutional and systematic social change.  Sure, this can turn to apathy, but it can also be a wise way to conserve energy and build up real power for transformation . . . when the time is right.

In the end, real change, systematic, political, culture can not happen without both.  Those who scream, yell, build barricades and otherwise make sure the injustice is made public are needed so we don;t forget.  These are folks on the front lines making sure that people know that most issues worth caring about are not just theoretical exercise, but are about people.  Those who wait then, when the time is right can work amidst a system to truly bring about sustainable change.

dixie chicks not ready to make nice

John Mayer Trio~Waiting On The World To Change

Waiting on the World to Change
[full lyrics]

me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change


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A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, myst

Brian D. McLaren

MBCC September Book Study Group*

Friday, September 29th
6:00-9:00 at my place w/Dinner
TO RSVP eMail Me or leave a comment. 
You can order your book by clicking on the picture to the left or picking on up at the church for $12.50.

This is a great book and one that gets at the heart of being a faithful Christian in the midst of an increasingly chaotic world.  Previous approaches to this kind of ambiguity was to hunker down and circle the wagons of dogma and rigidity.  McClaren goes the other way and offers a reflection expanding our world view in order to better understand and strengthen our faith.

From the Back Cover:
Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed- yet hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian.
A confession and manifesto from a senior leader in the emerging church movement. A Generous Orthodoxy calls for a radical, Christ-centered orthodoxy of faith and practice in a missional, generous spirit. Brian McLaren argues for a post-liberal, post-conservative, post-protestant convergence, which will stimulate lively interest and global conversation among thoughtful Christians from all traditions.
In a sweeping exploration of belief, author Brian McLaren takes us across the landscape of faith, envisioning an orthodoxy that aims for Jesus, is driven by love, and is defined by missional intent. A Generous Orthodoxy rediscovers the mysterious and compelling ways that Jesus can be embraced across the entire Christian horizon. Rather than establishing what is and is not “orthodox,” McLaren walks through the many traditions of faith, bringing to the center a way of life that draws us closer to Christ and to each other. Whether you find yourself inside, outside, or somewhere on the fringe of Christianity, A Generous Orthodoxy draws you toward a way of living that looks beyond the “us/them” paradigm to the blessed and ancient paradox of “we.”

Hope you can join us in reading and discussion this book.

*This Study is part of the on-going Small Group Ministry of Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco.

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