Wayward Son

Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo. I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.

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No More Convinced Than I Was Before

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Categories: politics? oh puh-leeze.

I usually try to stay away from politics on this blog, especially in this season of our nation when they can be so divisive. But I’m going to venture into it tonight. And I recongize that some of my readers won’t share my views, so just realize that my opinions here are my own, and I respect yours if they are different from mine.

A few months ago, I wrote this post about my concerns about Barack Obama’s campaign. My concerns were not so much about his policies (which I do disagree with), but mostly that this largely unknown and unseasoned politician’s rise to power has been mainly due to a vacuum in leadership around him, and that lots of people were gathering around him simply because of his charisma and ability to communicate. (Please read the post.)

This is a preview of No More Convinced Than I Was Before. Read the full post (589 words, 2 images, estimated 2:21 mins reading time)

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You’ll Think I’m Making This Up

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Categories: What the heck was THAT?

So I’m not one to snoop, or pay enough attention to The Wild One’s cosmetic collection. But when this is sitting on the bathroom vanity, it’s hard not to notice.

Can you see the writing on the bottom, describing the product?

It says, “Skin rev-er upper.”

Seriously.

What, exactly, IS “skin rev-er-upper?” What does “skin rev-er upper” actually do?

What does “rev-ed up skin” look like? Or…sound like???

This stuff undoubtedly isn’t cheap. Did someone get paid to name this product?

It sounds like one of those all-purpose elixirs the peddlers used to sell–the kind with mystery ingredients like “armpitium-3”.

This is a preview of You’ll Think I’m Making This Up. Read the full post (159 words, 2 images, estimated 38 secs reading time)

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Not Crying Foul, Just Asking Questions (or, "Hey, Where’s MY Copy?")

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Categories: books, food for thought

***TONGUE-IN-CHEEK ALERT***

Okay, so a couple of months ago, some of the folks from Frank Viola’s organization apparently read some older references I had made on this blog to the book Pagan Christianity? They emailed and asked if I’d like a “review” copy of the next book Reimagining Church. I emailed back and said yes, please.

Then, after this took place, I actually wrote a review of Pagan Christianity?–admittedly a fairly negative review. At that time, I quipped that I hoped my review would not make the Viola folks change their minds about sending me the next book.

Still waiting…

This is a preview of Not Crying Foul, Just Asking Questions (or, "Hey, Where’s MY Copy?"). Read the full post (535 words, 2 images, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)

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Jumping into Mission (or More Like, Easing into It)

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Categories: changing mindsets, Meanderings (look it up)

I want to share something kind of exciting that has been happening with our home church group the past few weeks.

For quite awhile now, we’ve been talking about becoming more missional in our approach to faith. The concept that Jesus is already working in the earth, and that we simply need to look for what He’s doing and step into that–this is a revolutionary concept to most of us. (Most of our backgrounds have to do with Jesus-as-a-sales-pitch evangelism, something that we all felt guilty for not doing, but avoided nonetheless.) So we’ve been praying for some time, both for God to show us how to be more aware of His mission in the course of our lives, and for some direction for how we could walk it out as a group.

This is a preview of Jumping into Mission (or More Like, Easing into It). Read the full post (1001 words, 2 images, estimated 4:00 mins reading time)

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Results: Honorable Mentions from the Word Verification Game

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Categories: fun

And now, the post you’ve all been waiting for…

…the post you’ve been anticipating more than the Obama VP text message…

The Honorable-Mentions-from-the-Word-Verification-Game Post!

Thanks to all who participated. We got a lot of laughs out of this. You all did great, but as promised…three get honorable mentions as my faves.

THIRD PLACE WINNER
Michael for his creative interpretation of “cksoka”:
“Church Kills Sinners Over Karaoke Audition”

SECOND PLACE WINNER
KarenKool for her treatment of “unphsfei”:
Unsophisticated Neanderthals Perform Human Sacrifices For Empty Idols

and the FIRST PLACE WINNER is…
Tysdaddy for his amazing decoding of “echezc”:
“Episcopalian Christians Hate EZ Cheese!”

This is a preview of Results: Honorable Mentions from the Word Verification Game. Read the full post (133 words, 1 image, estimated 32 secs reading time)

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A Totally Weird, Random, Off-the-Wall, Fun Blogging Game

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Categories: fun, random stuff, What the heck was THAT?

I have an idea. Let’s play a game, boys and girls.
(I know you can’t see me, but I’m wearing my Mr. Rogers “It’s Good In the Hood” t-shirt today.)

Here’s how the game goes:

  1. Click to leave a comment.

  2. In the comment box, type the “word verification” thing that Blogger gives you.

  3. Then, in the comments, try to turn the word verification thing into an acronym. (It can be a made-up slogan, a made-up business or organization name, whatev. Just try to make it work.)

Here’s an example:

This is a preview of A Totally Weird, Random, Off-the-Wall, Fun Blogging Game. Read the full post (157 words, 2 images, estimated 38 secs reading time)

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Christian or Christlike

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Categories: food for thought, Meanderings (look it up)

A month or two ago, I dropped a hint that I was dreaming again.

Lots of what I’m dreaming about is still churning in the ol’ soul-incubator, so I’m not ready to spill it just yet. Vision is forming, but I don’t know what it’s all going to look like yet. What I do feel is that this whatever-it-is that I’m dreaming up needs to have a fresh approach to faith expressed in our culture.

This is a preview of Christian or Christlike. Read the full post (639 words, 1 image, estimated 2:33 mins reading time)

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An Interview With Myself on the Occasion of My Two Hundredth Post

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Categories: fun, What the heck was THAT?

Q: Jeff, it’s a real privilege to interview you. I’ve enjoyed your blog ever since you started it.
A: Thanks, Jeff. Great to talk to you, too. I mean, we’ve had lots of conversations in private, but I’m glad we finally get to speak publicly.

Q: So…this is your 200th blog post. How do you feel?
A: Pretty awesome, actually. Two hundred is one of my top ten all-time favorite numbers.

Q: Why?
A: No reason. Just a random number.

Q: Do you have a particular favorite blog post?
A: Jeff, it’s so hard to choose. These blog postings are like my 200 children, you know? How do you pick a favorite?

This is a preview of An Interview With Myself on the Occasion of My Two Hundredth Post. Read the full post (471 words, 1 image, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)

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Links of Note on the Lakeland/Bentley Fallout

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Categories: food for thought, link love

I mentioned in my last post that Blog-land is lit up with commentary on the Lakeland revival, particularly the recent news of Todd Bentley’s separation from his wife, in the light of his recent “apostolic alignment.”

Now, I’m not especially interested when people just use their blogs for useless venom-spewing, name-calling and mockery–even if I happen to agree with their opinions. To me, that approach damages credibility, and the only people that approach reaches are other people who are already likewise pissed off. But when someone shares an honest opinion in a fair manner and makes you think–even if the opinion is a strong one…that’s the kind of thing I think is healthy to the conversation.

This is a preview of Links of Note on the Lakeland/Bentley Fallout. Read the full post (192 words, 1 image, estimated 46 secs reading time)

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The Show Must Go On?

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Categories: changing mindsets, church, food for thought, movies

I’m thinking of old movie, one of those formulaic wartime entertainment feel-good musicals, called Diamond Horseshoe. The plot isn’t too memorable, but there’s an interesting standing joke throughout the movie. The Diamond Horseshoe is one of those old-timey nightclubs with the stage show. Early in the movie, the manager repeats the well-known mantra, “The show must go on!” To which one of the main characters asks, simply, “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why must the show go on?”

This question gets repeated several times through the movie, and it frustrates everyone because, of course, nobody really knows why the show must go on. It just has to. The show must go on, because it must. Because…it just has to.

This is a preview of The Show Must Go On?. Read the full post (917 words, 2 images, estimated 3:40 mins reading time)
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