Last week, Rachel, the kids and I headed to Michigan to visit many dear friends. Rachel and I also attended the 2008 Mid-America Conference on Preaching sponsored by Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary and hosted by Inter-City Baptist Church. The subject of the conference was "Culture, Contextualization and the Church." It was intriguing enough to me to return while also reconnecting w/ friends. It was a wonderful little conference. The sessions are for the most part intellectually stimulating and rigorously biblical. Subjects covered were methods of apostolic "contextualization," worldliness, contemporary challenges for biblical separatism amongst some others that really had nothing to do with the subject of the conference. For those who would like a "heady"interaction on a definition of culture, I would highly recommend Mark Snoeberger's session on "More Notes on a Definition of Culture." Mark is a careful (maybe fastidious) scholar. You will be challenged. Let me know what you think.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Culture, Contextualization and the Church
Last week, Rachel, the kids and I headed to Michigan to visit many dear friends. Rachel and I also attended the 2008 Mid-America Conference on Preaching sponsored by Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary and hosted by Inter-City Baptist Church. The subject of the conference was "Culture, Contextualization and the Church." It was intriguing enough to me to return while also reconnecting w/ friends. It was a wonderful little conference. The sessions are for the most part intellectually stimulating and rigorously biblical. Subjects covered were methods of apostolic "contextualization," worldliness, contemporary challenges for biblical separatism amongst some others that really had nothing to do with the subject of the conference. For those who would like a "heady"interaction on a definition of culture, I would highly recommend Mark Snoeberger's session on "More Notes on a Definition of Culture." Mark is a careful (maybe fastidious) scholar. You will be challenged. Let me know what you think.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Figuring Out the Blogging Phenomenon
As I am trying to find myself in the blogosphere, I found a brilliant piece written by Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic's blog team. This guy's been blogging for over 7 years. Though I don't see the world through the same lens that Andrew does, I admire his journalism. I'll be sure to read him again.
Here are a couple noteworthy quotes from the article:
A blog, therefore, bobs on the surface of the ocean but has its anchorage in waters deeper than those print media is technologically able to exploit. It disempowers the writer to that extent, of course. The blogger can get away with less and afford fewer pretensions of authority. He is—more than any writer of the past—a node among other nodes, connected but unfinished without the links and the comments and the track-backs that make the blogosphere, at its best, a conversation, rather than a production.
The role of a blogger is not to defend against this [the scrutiny] but to embrace it. He is similar in this way to the host of a dinner party. He can provoke discussion or take a position, even passionately, but he also must create an atmosphere in which others want to participate.
Alone in front of a computer, at any moment, are two people: a blogger and a reader. The proximity is palpable, the moment human—whatever authority a blogger has is derived not from the institution he works for but from the humanness he conveys. This is writing with emotion not just under but always breaking through the surface. It renders a writer and a reader not just connected but linked in a visceral, personal way.
There are times, in fact, when a blogger feels less like a writer than an online disc jockey, mixing samples of tunes and generating new melodies through mashups while also making his own music. He is both artist and producer—and the beat always goes on.
Here are a couple noteworthy quotes from the article:
A blog, therefore, bobs on the surface of the ocean but has its anchorage in waters deeper than those print media is technologically able to exploit. It disempowers the writer to that extent, of course. The blogger can get away with less and afford fewer pretensions of authority. He is—more than any writer of the past—a node among other nodes, connected but unfinished without the links and the comments and the track-backs that make the blogosphere, at its best, a conversation, rather than a production.
The role of a blogger is not to defend against this [the scrutiny] but to embrace it. He is similar in this way to the host of a dinner party. He can provoke discussion or take a position, even passionately, but he also must create an atmosphere in which others want to participate.
Alone in front of a computer, at any moment, are two people: a blogger and a reader. The proximity is palpable, the moment human—whatever authority a blogger has is derived not from the institution he works for but from the humanness he conveys. This is writing with emotion not just under but always breaking through the surface. It renders a writer and a reader not just connected but linked in a visceral, personal way.
There are times, in fact, when a blogger feels less like a writer than an online disc jockey, mixing samples of tunes and generating new melodies through mashups while also making his own music. He is both artist and producer—and the beat always goes on.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
This-worldly vs. Other-worldly
Richard John Neuhaus explores this theme in a recent article over at First Things. I was hopeful that he would breathe some fresh insight into that debate. Alas, that did not happen. It, nevertheless, is a stimulating read.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Introducing this Blog...
The naturalization process for the blogdom is so easy. I have battled becoming a citizen here, but here I am. I should say, "Here we are." We don't know how long we'll be here. We're pilgrims anyway; it might not be long, and I won't feel bad.=+)
The "we"? That is, for now, my wife and I. Starting a blog can be tempting as a means to be popular w/ 15 people. If I invest my time into my blog for my audience of "15" and lose my own family, what shall it profit? That's why I intend for my wife to contribute to this occasionally. I can't do much w/out her, and having her on board will help enrich the content of this blog immensely.
We feel there is a little bit of room for some people to network in an online community who are: 1) considering a move to a big city and/or 2) longing to navigate the murky waters of culture Christianly (which implies discerningly).
People who don't know what they're getting into or what to expect when changing addresses need resources. More so, they need a community with which to identify. Those who are single need a family no matter how much independence they strive for in the metropolis. Those who are newlywed or married w/ children need someone with a history in that urban enclave. From finding out how to get your new driver's license, to learning particular pronunciations to commiting to a local church, the reality is: we need each other.
Though we are based in Chicago, we hope that the occasional posts on this blog will accomplish the purposes stated above no matter what city you live in. Ultimately, we hope that this will contribute to the growing "army" of families that move into the cities for the cause of Jesus. Let it be known that we hope never to convey a "chip on our shoulders" because we live in a big city.
Soli Deo Gloria!
The "we"? That is, for now, my wife and I. Starting a blog can be tempting as a means to be popular w/ 15 people. If I invest my time into my blog for my audience of "15" and lose my own family, what shall it profit? That's why I intend for my wife to contribute to this occasionally. I can't do much w/out her, and having her on board will help enrich the content of this blog immensely.
We feel there is a little bit of room for some people to network in an online community who are: 1) considering a move to a big city and/or 2) longing to navigate the murky waters of culture Christianly (which implies discerningly).
People who don't know what they're getting into or what to expect when changing addresses need resources. More so, they need a community with which to identify. Those who are single need a family no matter how much independence they strive for in the metropolis. Those who are newlywed or married w/ children need someone with a history in that urban enclave. From finding out how to get your new driver's license, to learning particular pronunciations to commiting to a local church, the reality is: we need each other.
Though we are based in Chicago, we hope that the occasional posts on this blog will accomplish the purposes stated above no matter what city you live in. Ultimately, we hope that this will contribute to the growing "army" of families that move into the cities for the cause of Jesus. Let it be known that we hope never to convey a "chip on our shoulders" because we live in a big city.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)