Goodbye Toby
By Brandon | May 23, 2008
Just saw this deleted scene from last week’s season finale of The Office. Watch the whole thing, because Dwight’s last line is killer:
Topics: Random | No Comments »
A Time for Everything
By Brandon | May 22, 2008
In case you have not heard, the 5 year old daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman died yesterday after being hit by a car. Read the full story here. I have recently been thinking about death, mainly due to the two funerals I attended in the last week. Just as The Teacher says in Ecclesiastes, I have seen that our life on Earth is short and fleeting. The great part about Ecclesiastes is the end, in which The Teacher says that our job is to “Fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Amen.
(photo by Leposava)
Topics: Youth Ministry | No Comments »
May: A Month of Transition
By Brandon | May 19, 2008
Youth ministry is inherently tied to the school’s schedule. Any youth worker with common sense knows not to plan events on 1. Prom Weekend, 2. Graduation Weekend, or 3. Finals Week. Students will not come on 1 & 2, and parents will hate you for 2 & 3. Unfortunately, these events all happen within a month’s timespan. This wrecks havoc on the Spring programming for ministries. The ministry parts that run through the school year end in May, and the summer ministry kicks into high gear. College students return home for the summer, providing an influx of potential volunteers. In this period of transition, make sure you do not lose focus on the most important part of your ministry: the students.
Topics: Youth Ministry | No Comments »
Prince Caspian
By Brandon | May 17, 2008
Megan and I saw Prince Caspian last night. I think this is gonna be a movie either you hate or you love. Personally, I really enjoyed it, but there are some who did not. Prince Caspian came across as a more complete movie than the first movie: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The action sequences were bigger, the storyline was more developed, and there was even a fair amount of humor/sarcasm. It was also much longer than LWW, running 144 minutes. Overall, it is a must see for any C. S. Lewis fan, if only to get the nasty taste of the BBC version out of the way.
Topics: Movies | No Comments »
Book Review: The Year of Living Biblically
By Brandon | May 13, 2008
After reading a few ministry-related books, I decided for an easier “fun” read. I picked up The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs. As he puts in the introduction, Jacobs is Jewish, but “I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant” (page 4). He decides to read the entire Bible, list every single command, and follow them as best as he could for 1 whole year. And boy does he try. Throughout the book, he is listing all kinds of commands, ones that I hadn’t read about since undergrad. He wears no garments of mixed thread, does not touch his wife while she is unclean, and even stones some people, albeit with pebbles. All the while, Jacobs is looking to experience the Divine.
At the same time he is living these commands, AJ is learning about all the groups who claim they follow the Bible the best: Amish, Orthodox Jews, Hasidic Jews, conservative Evangelicals, Red-Letter Christians, and even snake handlers. All these groups view their Biblical interpretation as correct. I really enjoyed seeing all these groups through an outsider’s eyes.
I liked his previous book (The Know-It-All, when he reads the entire Encyclopedia Brittannica in one year) more than this one, but that book really appealed to my love of random facts. This book was very interesting, not only because studying the Bible is my profession and my degree, but it is also my life. I enjoyed reading the book and seeing how an agnostic views and interprets the Bible. Don’t read it if you are looking for a commentary on the Bible, but if you want to read how non-Christians view the Bible (or if you just want a good, fun book), then I recommend The Year of Living Biblically. Rating: 4/5.
Topics: Book Review, Christianity | No Comments »
Ocean City Floated Away (Almost)
By Brandon | May 12, 2008
Last night I awoke at 2 am to a pretty wild storm. The wind was howling, rain was coming down, and we lost power at least 4 times throughout the night (the carbon monoxide detector kept reminding me). Little did I know that it would only get worse during the day.
For those of you who are not familiar with Ocean City, it is a barrier island in New Jersey. Since the island is at sea level, rainfall just stays until it evaporates. Combine this with high tide (which was at 3pm ocean / 4pm bay), and you have one wet mix.
By 2 pm, the wind and rain was dying down, but none of the water was leaving the island. My mom told me that the OCPD would be closing all 4 bridges off the island at 3 pm (because of high tide), so I left immediately. Even at 2:30 (hour and a half before high tide), I could barely get onto the bridge.
Below are some pictures I took with my ghetto phone:
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This is on 34th Street (the bridge between my home and OC). And yes, that is the bay on the road (I am actually driving in the wrong lane, since the outbound lane is under that water) |
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Blitz’s Market on 34th Street. The large sign laying in the parking lot is not supposed to do that. |
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This was an old tree on the Tabernacle grounds, right in front of our office. It was about 5 feet from my boss’s car. |
For more pictures of the day OC almost floated away, check here: Down the Shore
Topics: Personal, Random | No Comments »
Kids Say the Funniest Things
By Brandon | May 11, 2008
In Megan’s Sunday School class today (4 & 5 year olds), I was helping a boy write a card to his mother. I asked him to write his name, which he proceeded to scribble on the card. I said I couldn’t read it, to which he responded “It is in French.”
I love working with Jr. Highers, but sometimes kids say the funniest things.
Topics: Random | No Comments »
I am Iron Man
By Brandon | May 10, 2008
“I am Iron Man” - Tony Stark
I am up in Lancaster with Megan, and we just went to see Iron Man with her cousin and his fiancee. Talk about a great movie! Tons of action, special effects, sarcasm (gotta love it), and one kick-butt suit. As my friend Dom put it: “Easily the best Marvel movie made so far!” I would agree, putting it above the X-Men and Spiderman movies.
What really made the movie for me was seeing the character development of Tony Stark. In the beginning, we see an arrogant, self-centered weapons dealer. Through the movie, he shifts his focus on good and saving people. Sure, the arrogance is still there, as are the rest of his character flaws. However, he totally rocks. If you have not seen this yet, go right now (or after Mother’s Day) and see it. Hurry up, because next weekend is Prince Caspian and the following weekend is Indiana Jones 4. What a month!
Topics: Movies, Random | No Comments »
Book Review: What Matters Most
By Brandon | May 6, 2008
Finished another book this week: What Matters Most by Doug Fields. It was a very quick read, but well worth the time. In the book, Doug helps the reader learn how to say NO to good things (ministry opportunities, friends, and one million other things) so you can say YES to what matters most (God and family). Far too often, pastors and youth workers can get caught in crowd-pleasing mode, making it tough to say no. Fields encourages the reader to establish boundaries in your life. Ministry is important, but a person’s spiritual health and relationship with family is more important. An excellent resource, and one I plan to revisit again and again, as a priorities checkup. Rating: 5/5
Topics: Book Review, Youth Ministry | No Comments »
Book Review: Jim and Casper Go to Church
By Brandon | May 4, 2008
I read the book Jim and Casper Go to Church this week. Based on the research of Jim Hender (Christian and former pastor) and Matt Casper (a “seasoned atheist”), this book follows their journey as they visit 12 churches across the country. From Saddleback to the Potter’s House, they visit each church’s main service, unannounced, and proceed to rate all aspects of the service from their outsiders perspective. While not a truly accurate judgment of each church’s full ministry, these ratings are simply how the church is perceived by first time visitors.
The book is based on a brilliant concept: market research. If a church claims that “All are Welcome” or that they are “Visitor Friendly,” you need to have constructive criticism. And who better to give tips on the “visitor’s perspective”: a 20+ year Christian on the Elder Board, or an actual visitor? Throughout the whole book, Jim and Casper make the reader evaluate their own church, especially noting how visitors, “seekers” and non-Christians view it. A great book. Rating: 4.5/5
Topics: Book Review, Christianity | 1 Comment »
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