Archive for the 'Culture' Category
- Conversations with God (2006)
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These “conversations” are based on the best-selling books by Neal Donald Walsch. Canadian actor Henry Czerny (”The Exorcism of Emily Rose”) plays author Walsch, who was at his lowest point when he found a new purpose for his life.
According to [...]
- Candy (2006)
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It’s a story of love and addiction: addiction to another person, and addiction to that most insidious of drugs, heroin. Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish star as Dan and Candy, a would-be poet and a would-be artist respectively, whose romantic [...]
- Unstrung Heroes (1995)
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Overview: Diane Keaton directs this story of 12-year-old Steven Lidz (Nathan Watt) who spends part of the summer of 1962 with his two oddball uncles while his father Sidney (John Turturro), an inventor, looks after his mother Selma (Andie MacDowell) [...]
- Catch and Release (2006)
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“Catch and Release” was one of those movies that I totally missed while it was in theaters. I had never even heard of it until I saw a commercial for the DVD. Even then I did put it in my [...]
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
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This critically acclaimed film, based on the wonderful play of the same name by Tennessee Williams, is a beautiful story of Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor) the passionate, sexually-frustrated, wife whose advances and lustful sensuality are thwarted by the unloving temperament of [...]
- Lost and Found
Unlike some Lost fans, I missed the first season. I thought it looked stupid to begin with, and we were pretty involved at church on Wednesday nights, but my wife and I began watching during the second season (oddly enough while I was holding a church position and working on Wednesday nights). We’d finish up [...]
- I Love Brutal Honesty
Does it seem like no one is ever really honest? Everyone puts on masks to make themselves more digestable to those around them. I think we do this because most people who are truly and brutally honest are considered jerks. I thought about this while watching two of my favorite shows on T.V. last night; [...]
- I’m a Heretic
Jerry Falwell recently proclaimed from his self-appointed papal pulpit that limited atonement is heresy. Then I guess I’m a heretic. Sorry I let you down Dr. Falwell.
Of course if I believed everything else that Dr. Falwell believes I would be correct to say that limited atonement is incorrect. If I believed that Christ’s death [...]
- A Beautiful Analogy
I can only wish that I wrote this. I have in fact thought it before. However, I lacked the time, talent, and knowledge of beer to write it myself. With that being said, enjoy this great analogy between beers and theological persuasions by Erik Raymond (a.k.a. The Irish Calvinist)
People have described some of the contemporary [...]
- Who Is Your Anna Nicole Smith?
Timmy Brister of “Provocations and Pantings” posted the following excellent commentary which I did not have the tact to post myself.
“Go and sin no some more.â€
Those were the words that continued to ring through my head as I listened over and over again to all the news reports on the life and death of [...]
- Today in History: February 7
I’ve always liked history, so I regularly visit sites that give history facts and trivia. One of my favorites is to see what happened today in history. It’s really fun to look at your birthday or anniversary. But here’s just a sample of today’s events. Dates and Events by Scope Systems.
1905 - Oklahoma admitted to [...]
- Sanctity of Human Life
Yesterday in my church we observed Sanctity of Life Sunday and while the large focus was upon the atrocity of abortion we also looked at embryonic stem cell research. But as I thought about it the sanctity of life covers so many issues. When we realize that every person is created in the image and [...]
- Are We Just Yelling?
As a Christian, and especially as a pastor, sometimes I feel like I’m not reaching anyone, not impacting or engaging anyone. Most of the time I feel like I’m just yelling. I was reading some old articles from one of my favorite church marketing sites, BetaChurch.org, when I ran across this article.
Its focus is [...]
- The Desire for Fame
Last night on 20/20 one of the reports was on a rising trend among teens and college-age adults who would reportedly rather be an assistant to a celebrity than a CEO of a major corporation. They believe that the simple proximity to fame could be enough to tip the scales in their favor in their [...]
- Swearing on the Qur’an
Newly elected democratic representative from Minnesota says he will not take his oath of office on the Bible. Instead, Keith Ellison will use an English translation of the Qur’an once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Ellison, born in Detroit, converted to Islam in college and believes that this bold move should make the point that “religious [...]
- Indy Rides Again
One of my absolute favorite series of movies when I was growing up was Indiana Jones. I have only ever seen these great movies on the small screen. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that 19 years after the release of what most thought would be the final of [...]
- Capital Punishment
If the reports are true, Saddam Hussein is now dead. That is how the death penalty should work. Found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, if the death penalty is chosen then it should be carried out swiftly, not buried in decades of appeals. While I don’t believe that this war will bring peace to the [...]
- James Brown and Gerald Ford
What do the recent deaths of the “Godfather of Soul” and America’s 38th president have in common?
Brown died at a relatively young age of 73, while Ford was the ripe old age of 93 when he passed. Brown was a trendsetter, Ford was following in the wake of Nixon. Brown was “the hardest working [...]
- What Christmas Is All About
“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.†- J. I. Packer
What are some of your [...]
- What Position Should We Take?
Church history demonstrates that one of the constant struggles of Christianity, both individually and corporately, is with culture. Where should we stand? Inside the culture? Outside? Ignore it? Isolate ourselves from it? Should we try to transform it?
The theologian Richard Niebuhr provided a classic study concerning these questions in his book Christ and Culture. Even [...]
My Movie Reviews
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2008-10-24 15:24
With DeNiro and Pacino I expected much better. But it was dry and predictable the whole way through. Better than 88 minutes, but not by a lot.
0.3 -
2008-10-24 14:09
I hate horror movies, but this one surprised all of the critics and did great at the box office, so I had to see it. And despite the lame acting and predictable plot, it was creepy! I had to watch another movie after it to get to bed.
0.3 -
2008-10-24 14:06
Acting was superb. Expect posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger. Great action and twists. Can't wait for Christopher Nolan's next.
0.3 -
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of...
2008-10-20 20:00
The movie was okay. But Indiana Jones and aliens (sorry, interdimensional beings) just don't mix. They should have left well enough alone. Most of the movie was goofy and campy, especially the monkeys and groundhogs.
0.3 -
2008-10-20 12:00
I had high expectations of this move going in, and it lived up to them. The acting was fabulous, especially by the supporting roles, Martin Landau, Tim Robbins, and Bill Murray. Read my full review here.
0.3