Before beginning a formal spelling program, students need to be able to read and spell the following words automatically. The top ten word list below make up 25% of all running words. One of these words will be found in every four words.
a be of we and I the you in to
The words on the following list make up 50% of all running words. This means that one of these words will occur, on the average, in every two words.
a· after· all· an· and· any· are· as· at· been· but· by· can· come· do· ever· for· from· get· give· go· good· great · had· has· have· he· him· his· how· I· if· into· is· it· know· leave· letter· like· made· make· many· may· me· more· most· must· my· no· not· now· of · often· on· one· only· or· other· our· out· part· said· say· see· shall· she· should· so· some· such· take· than· that· the· their· them· then· there· these· they· this · those· though· time· today· under· upon· us· use· very· was· were· what· when· where· which· who· will· with· would· you· yours
Some things are best learned as a foundation to reading... I am finding that flash cards of these basic words are very helpful.
This is my back up blog when I want to put something out there with out feedback. I plan to put more Informational stuff here so it is available for a longer period of time.
Monday, February 23, 2004
Friday, February 20, 2004
Friday Spiritual Retreat with Fuller Class & LA InnerChange Team
We arrived at the Mater Dolorosa Passionate Retreat center about 8:45am. The whole grounds visually resonated with the story of the Passion of Christ. Their Mission Statement being:
We are a Passionist Retreat Center,
Preaching the Passion of Jesus Christ. We
Seek to welcome all who wish to hear the
Message of the Passion, through our
Traditions of preaching, hospitality, and
Compassion. We resolve to place our
Focus on the Passion of Jesus Christ and
Its relevance to the lives of people today.
We also resolve to foster and promote
Spiritual growth and renewal through
Passionist retreat programs and by
Providing a peaceful environment of
Prayer and reflection.
I am usually more tuned into the resurrection than the crucifixion. I brought to the retreat the intention of facing my inner sorrow over the twenty plus deaths of people I have known. (Only 2 of these deaths are because of violence.) This retreat context was more than appropriate for processing this sorrow. The first sense I got during the retreat after the morning prayers was the sense that this was just a beginning for me and that this is going to be an important season to pay attention to lent -- the death and resurection of Jesus Christ. I also think that Mel Gipson’s Passion of Christ is going to play a large role in this journey. Being thirsty the first opportunity we got I sought and found a coffee dispenser. All while my mind was rushing to how I could pursue using this film to reach out to others. It became clear that I was facing the first of several walls in my soul to being still.
I paced around the outside of the main building. Soon I found a strange sort of comfort on the back steps that led to the main buildings cooling & heating system. There was an empty cross, worked into the masonry. I was happier with a more "Protestant" Cross. I also found comfort in the concrete steps and the white noise made by the mechanical systems. I started to pray and the call to “Be still and acknowledge God as God” was still burning in my chest. I could not be still so I got up to wander again. Arriving at the Northwest corner of the building I was reminded again of my intention by a Raven who started cawing and would not stop.
I literally retreated to the room where we were going to have the centering prayer exercise. I got myself a second and third cup of coffee. Then I finally settled down into praying my expanded version of the Jesus, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner. Father I ask for strength, Jesus I ask for your heart, Holy Spirit I ask for power and inspiration. This focused on for about 30 minutes calmed me down to begin to be still. I was surprised by my desire to read which has been numbed out for several months began to come back to me with surprising force. Also I was glad to discover that I could read academic material. My concentration for reading has been so disrupted that I have been listening to scripture more often than reading it. I brought with me Wendy Beckett's book, "The Mystical Now Art and The Sacred". Its pages nourished my heart and mind.
I joined the optional centering prayer exercise. The image of letting any ideas, other than my prayer focused on Christ himself, flow down river like a drifting boat was freeing and liberating. Soon I began to be still and the twenty minutes set aside for this was over.
I was drawn outside and found the fifteenth station of the cross -- the empty tomb. I found comfort in this affirmation that Christ is raised for the Passionists as well as for us Protestants. Then I wandered to the station of Mary holding the dead body of Christ. It drew me. I was temporarily distracted by some coins that someone had placed in the hands of Jesus. Then it hit me. I did not get to see the body of Barbara Brown, or Dr. Loder. There were others that I did not get to say good by to. I want to grow in my capacity to acknowledge the lives that I have loved that are now gone from us. The statue proclaimed engagement. I somehow had grown detached. I am reminded that God wants to meet me in the realities that I want to distance myself from the most. I rested in this space resonating with the symbols of loss and realizing God’s kindness to me in this time. Then I noticed that a stone in the base of the statue setting was cracked and loose. I followed an impulse to touch it. Part of it fell off and landed in my hands. There I sat next to “Mary holding Jesus” while holding a piece of their statue in my hands. I am still trying to understand the power of this moment for me. All I can say is that I took a piece of that stone home and it was as if I could both embrace and accept that the body of my friend Dr. James Loder has been committed to the ground.
The results of this retreat are still in process for me. I have learned that silence can help me make the transition into academic work and study. This is a timely insight for me. I have not had such concentration for a couple years now because of some issues with Post Traumatic Stress. I will see if this is a more permanent closure to this chapter in my life. For now I can read again; if I take some time for silence. We also decided as a team to set 1 Friday morning a month for a similar time of prayer and retreat. I am looking forward to all this season of lent will offer. I am thankful for the gift of the space, time, and intentional silence.
We are a Passionist Retreat Center,
Preaching the Passion of Jesus Christ. We
Seek to welcome all who wish to hear the
Message of the Passion, through our
Traditions of preaching, hospitality, and
Compassion. We resolve to place our
Focus on the Passion of Jesus Christ and
Its relevance to the lives of people today.
We also resolve to foster and promote
Spiritual growth and renewal through
Passionist retreat programs and by
Providing a peaceful environment of
Prayer and reflection.
I am usually more tuned into the resurrection than the crucifixion. I brought to the retreat the intention of facing my inner sorrow over the twenty plus deaths of people I have known. (Only 2 of these deaths are because of violence.) This retreat context was more than appropriate for processing this sorrow. The first sense I got during the retreat after the morning prayers was the sense that this was just a beginning for me and that this is going to be an important season to pay attention to lent -- the death and resurection of Jesus Christ. I also think that Mel Gipson’s Passion of Christ is going to play a large role in this journey. Being thirsty the first opportunity we got I sought and found a coffee dispenser. All while my mind was rushing to how I could pursue using this film to reach out to others. It became clear that I was facing the first of several walls in my soul to being still.
I paced around the outside of the main building. Soon I found a strange sort of comfort on the back steps that led to the main buildings cooling & heating system. There was an empty cross, worked into the masonry. I was happier with a more "Protestant" Cross. I also found comfort in the concrete steps and the white noise made by the mechanical systems. I started to pray and the call to “Be still and acknowledge God as God” was still burning in my chest. I could not be still so I got up to wander again. Arriving at the Northwest corner of the building I was reminded again of my intention by a Raven who started cawing and would not stop.
I literally retreated to the room where we were going to have the centering prayer exercise. I got myself a second and third cup of coffee. Then I finally settled down into praying my expanded version of the Jesus, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner. Father I ask for strength, Jesus I ask for your heart, Holy Spirit I ask for power and inspiration. This focused on for about 30 minutes calmed me down to begin to be still. I was surprised by my desire to read which has been numbed out for several months began to come back to me with surprising force. Also I was glad to discover that I could read academic material. My concentration for reading has been so disrupted that I have been listening to scripture more often than reading it. I brought with me Wendy Beckett's book, "The Mystical Now Art and The Sacred". Its pages nourished my heart and mind.
I joined the optional centering prayer exercise. The image of letting any ideas, other than my prayer focused on Christ himself, flow down river like a drifting boat was freeing and liberating. Soon I began to be still and the twenty minutes set aside for this was over.
I was drawn outside and found the fifteenth station of the cross -- the empty tomb. I found comfort in this affirmation that Christ is raised for the Passionists as well as for us Protestants. Then I wandered to the station of Mary holding the dead body of Christ. It drew me. I was temporarily distracted by some coins that someone had placed in the hands of Jesus. Then it hit me. I did not get to see the body of Barbara Brown, or Dr. Loder. There were others that I did not get to say good by to. I want to grow in my capacity to acknowledge the lives that I have loved that are now gone from us. The statue proclaimed engagement. I somehow had grown detached. I am reminded that God wants to meet me in the realities that I want to distance myself from the most. I rested in this space resonating with the symbols of loss and realizing God’s kindness to me in this time. Then I noticed that a stone in the base of the statue setting was cracked and loose. I followed an impulse to touch it. Part of it fell off and landed in my hands. There I sat next to “Mary holding Jesus” while holding a piece of their statue in my hands. I am still trying to understand the power of this moment for me. All I can say is that I took a piece of that stone home and it was as if I could both embrace and accept that the body of my friend Dr. James Loder has been committed to the ground.
The results of this retreat are still in process for me. I have learned that silence can help me make the transition into academic work and study. This is a timely insight for me. I have not had such concentration for a couple years now because of some issues with Post Traumatic Stress. I will see if this is a more permanent closure to this chapter in my life. For now I can read again; if I take some time for silence. We also decided as a team to set 1 Friday morning a month for a similar time of prayer and retreat. I am looking forward to all this season of lent will offer. I am thankful for the gift of the space, time, and intentional silence.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
A Paper written by Jorge Meza for a Religion class
Jorge Meza
1-16-04
Catholic Christianity
Resurrection of the body of Jesus Christ
What do we mean by the resurrection of Christ? Jesus Christ came into this world to die as our replacement for our sins. The sinless Son of God came to give his life as a payoff for many. On that first Good Friday, Jesus was crucified. We know he died because one of the Roman soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear to ensure his death. Some of his disciples then buried his body in a new tomb.
While Jesus was alive, he had predicted that he would rise from the dead. He challenged his enemies: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. He was speaking about his body. Jesus also told his disciples many times that he would be killed by the leaders in Jerusalem, but be raised to life on the third day. The leaders who killed Jesus were aware of this prediction that he would rise from the dead. Although they did not believe it, they wanted to ensure that it would not happen, so they set a guard around the tomb. Pilot gave the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body, and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The strategy of the chief priests and Pharisees did not succeed. Even with their efforts, Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus brought a number of people to life from the dead, including Martha's brother Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ was different. It was not just revival, as was the case with Lazarus, who later died again. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead with a transformed body that was clothed with immortality and glory. His resurrection body could appear and disappear, go through material objects, and ascend to and descend from heaven.
On Easter morning some women and apostles went to Jesus' tomb expecting to find his body. But the tomb was empty, and the angel at the tomb told them, "He is not here he has risen!" Later they saw their risen Lord face to face.
Because of the miracle of Christ's resurrection, Jesus' depressed and disappointed disciples were instantly transformed. They began to preach the gospel with power. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. These disciples of Jesus willingly suffered for their faith. They could not produce the body of Jesus Christ and put a stop to Christianity. The Jewish believers, meanwhile, were so impressed by this miracle that they began to worship on the day of Christ's resurrection, Sunday.
My references The Bible, and the Resurrection Stories by Jerome Neyrey
I do believe in the resurrection of the body. Jesus is my savior.
My role in this was simply a trip to the library and the encouragemnet that the resurection of Christ might be a good doctrine to explore. Influence for the good is so often about just being there for others.
Jorge Meza
1-16-04
Catholic Christianity
Resurrection of the body of Jesus Christ
What do we mean by the resurrection of Christ? Jesus Christ came into this world to die as our replacement for our sins. The sinless Son of God came to give his life as a payoff for many. On that first Good Friday, Jesus was crucified. We know he died because one of the Roman soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear to ensure his death. Some of his disciples then buried his body in a new tomb.
While Jesus was alive, he had predicted that he would rise from the dead. He challenged his enemies: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. He was speaking about his body. Jesus also told his disciples many times that he would be killed by the leaders in Jerusalem, but be raised to life on the third day. The leaders who killed Jesus were aware of this prediction that he would rise from the dead. Although they did not believe it, they wanted to ensure that it would not happen, so they set a guard around the tomb. Pilot gave the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body, and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The strategy of the chief priests and Pharisees did not succeed. Even with their efforts, Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus brought a number of people to life from the dead, including Martha's brother Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ was different. It was not just revival, as was the case with Lazarus, who later died again. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead with a transformed body that was clothed with immortality and glory. His resurrection body could appear and disappear, go through material objects, and ascend to and descend from heaven.
On Easter morning some women and apostles went to Jesus' tomb expecting to find his body. But the tomb was empty, and the angel at the tomb told them, "He is not here he has risen!" Later they saw their risen Lord face to face.
Because of the miracle of Christ's resurrection, Jesus' depressed and disappointed disciples were instantly transformed. They began to preach the gospel with power. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. These disciples of Jesus willingly suffered for their faith. They could not produce the body of Jesus Christ and put a stop to Christianity. The Jewish believers, meanwhile, were so impressed by this miracle that they began to worship on the day of Christ's resurrection, Sunday.
My references The Bible, and the Resurrection Stories by Jerome Neyrey
I do believe in the resurrection of the body. Jesus is my savior.
My role in this was simply a trip to the library and the encouragemnet that the resurection of Christ might be a good doctrine to explore. Influence for the good is so often about just being there for others.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
My Friend Brian Bake Emailed these 2 articles to me
Super Bowl sleaze
by Jim Wallis
Next year, put your kids to bed BEFORE the Super Bowl.
I'll admit it, I like a good football game, and this turned out to be a very
good one, after a boring, slow start. But what everybody was talking about
the next day was the baring of Janet Jackson's right breast. Justin
Timberlake's little grope and tear-off of Jackson's bustier was the finale
to their simulated-sex dance done to a song called "Rock Your Body," which
ends with the romantic line, "I gotta have you naked by the end of this
song." And that's just what he did. But that was only the crude climax to
what Washington Post television critic Tom Shales called "the Super Bowl of
Sleaze."
The rest of the MTV-produced halftime show had lots more bumping and
grinding, crotch-grabbing rappers, and background girls tossing off their
wardrobes to "I'm getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off."
Then there were the commercials, often creative and funny at Super Bowls,
but this year featuring horse flatulence, a trained dog that bites men
(again) in the crotch to steal their beers, a monkey leering at a girl's
breasts and suggesting they go upstairs, and several ads for erectile
dysfunction. Bud Light clearly won the night's award for most stupid, crude,
and banal ads, while only Homer Simpson seemed to offer any healthy and
funny alternative fare.
My 5-year-old son, Luke, was playing with his friends in another room but
walked in just in time to see a spot for Van Helsing, an upcoming and yet
unrated horror film that featured very disturbing and graphic images of
horrific violence. Seeing the fanged monsters leering at us through the
screen literally stopped him in his tracks.
After substantial public outcry, CBS and MTV issued unconvincing apologies
about how surprised they were at Janet's bare bust (in this first public
revelation of the Jackson family values), while young Timberlake tried to
blame the whole thing on a "wardrobe malfunction." Two days later, Jackson
admitted the stunt had been planned, saying: "The decision to have a costume
reveal...was made after final rehearsals."
You want to know why people join the Religious Right? It may have less to do
with wanting to take over the country than being desperate to protect their
kids from the crass trash and degrading banality that media conglomerates
like Viacom (which owns both CBS and MTV) seem to think is just fine family
entertainment for Super Bowl night. Fortunately, my kids were in bed before
the halftime show, but next year we may just go with Mary Poppins in the
other room.
Some people think that only right-wing conservatives care about such moral
pollution. Wrong. Most parents I know, liberal or conservative, care a great
deal about it, as do most self-respecting women and men. It defies
stereotypes to suggest that a healthy moral consistency applies to personal
and sexual ethics as well as to social and political values. It's time to
break out of those old ideological shibboleths and forge a unified front
against the amoral corporate greed that violates all our ethics - personal
and social - creating a system that sells beer and breasts in the same
advertising plans just to make a buck.
I don't recommend joining the Religious Right, but do call Viacom, CBS, and
MTV. Tell them that you're not a member of the Religious Right, not a
puritan, and not afraid of sex (but think it's great with somebody to whom
you're committed!). Especially if you're a liberal progressive type, tell
them that. And if you're a parent, ask them if they have any kids and if
they would want them watching the lowlife ads and actors they put on TV last
Sunday night. Tell them to put it on cable where the voyeurs who want to
watch Timberlake and Jackson paw each other can pay for it. Tell them that
you're angry. Tell them that they're not entertaining, interesting, or even
sexy. Tell them that their soulless and mindless "entertainment" won't sell
anymore, at least not to you. And tell them to keep their garbage away from
your kids.
To call each network executive:
Tom Freston
Chairman, MTV
212-258-8000
Leslie Moonves
President, CBS
323-575-2345
Sumner Redstone
CEO, Viacom
212-975-5005
Sacred Distractions:
Concerning the Art of the Spoken Word
By David Hopkins, http://monkhouse.org/david , e-mail to david@next-wave.org
So, if the "medium is the message"…
Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media is the one of the greatest books of
this century (in the same company as Alvin Toffler’s Third Wave and Jean
Baudrillard’s Simulations). He was one of the first scholars to analyze the
proliferation of media images and the impact of simulated images. In
Understanding Media, McLuhan develops his famous statement: "the medium is
the message."
There is something in the event of watching TV, which is 100% TV and nothing
else. The growing popularity of Real TV type shows is an
indication ( America’s Funniest ,Survivor ,Road Rules ,Real World ,Cops ,Big
Brother, etc). The viewer is fascinated that all of these events have been
captured on film. The principle appeal is voyeurism. The message is the
television itself. Even now as you read these words on the Internet, there
is something in the experience that is simply saying, "I am reading words on
the Internet and nothing more." Cynical? Maybe. But I can recall countless
times when people have told me: "They have gone to Church." And yet, they
fail to remember anything beyond that. They only recall the experience of
"going to Church." That was the message.
Our society has adapted to a new world of media images. For the most part,
these images are fast paced and high impact. They attack the brain with
ambitious over-load, reaching critical mass. The seduction is so great; you
may not even realize how may "images" you actually take in. The images are
there. We are simultaneously nauseated by these images and lonely
without them. When I was in Moscow, the McDonald’s golden "M" comforted me
so much. It told me home still exists. These images communicate something
transcendent, however shallow the concept.
How is it, with this mass market for images, we are expected to
shut ourselves into a large room every Sunday morning and be
subjected to sensory deprivation? The focal point of the modern
church-event is the sermon, the teaching moment, whatever. One person stands
before many people and talks about stuff. No images. No hope of being
distracted. We are only stimulated by intangible and invisible sound waves
from a single voice. In some traditions,it has been fashionable
to make the sanctuary as plain as possible (a Puritan influence,
no doubt). This way we will not be distracted from the message.
We look at our watch, hoping the preacher will be brief and
witty. This wit is not for the purpose of the message, but to
maintain our enthusiasm and trust. I roll my eyes at sermons that begin with
cute jokes. The message behind this medium? Christianity is all about
receiving information and processing it in the appropriate manner. Is it any
wonder people make a distinction between the worship portion of a
service and the sermon? In doing so, we reduce worship to an event that
prepares us for a sermon. We have completely flipped our priorities! The
sermon should continue in worship.
Is our response to give a better performance through the same medium?
What if I just preached a better message? What if I used better
illustrations? What if I used better jokes? What if I used props?
What if I used a large screen to post my informational outline? What if I
used video clips?
In the end, it is still an info-sermon. And while this event is
highly valuable to the modern world (I would never completely
disregard its worth), I suspect a postmodern world would receive it
differently. Some people will always enjoy a well performed info-sermon, but
our emerging culture desires something more narrative than informative to
replace a life that lacks story (read Richard Stone’s The Healing Art of
Storytelling ). A new medium may emerge, allowing new creativity, as the
proto-typical sermon is marginalized.
The Art of Spoken Word
Along with teaching high school English, I am fortunate to be one of the
pastors at Axxess . My community allows me freedom to experiment with new
media for our worship. One thing particularly close to my heart is
transforming what we know as a "sermon." God Yahweh called me by His Spirit
to preach . He gave me the freedom to be creative in my method of
expression. This spoken word should not just be a medium for communicating
information to mass audiences. Spoken word must express beauty and create
space within worship for contemplation and to initiate conversation.
As a result , I rarely (if ever) use a power point to outline my notes. I
use power point to display random images during the time I speak. These
images may or may not have any connection to what I am saying.
They may be advertisements I found on the Internet. They may be
of pictures from a movie or of a celebrity. I may show an image of a family
or put a word phrase on the screen. Does it distract my audience? Yes and
this is exactly what I want to have happen. I was inspired by U2 ’s Zoo TV
tour . The popular rock band used a blitz of random media images and
statements on several large screens during their concert. The experience was
unforgettable.
Since the congregation will occasionally be distracted (remember
our short attention spans), at least I can choose what distracts! The
congregation is now active in choosing what they will pay attention to. Many
good American pragmatists and utilitarians probably shudder at my approach.
The pragmatist wants to construct an environment that focuses all attention
to the pulpit. But my goal is not just to transfer information. It is to
stimulate the mind. And maybe within that space God Yahweh will create His
own message.
Possibly the most interesting phenomenon of combining random
images with spoken word is the fact that people create their own meaning to
connect the two mediums. A person talked with me after one of my messages.
She was in tears. She had never heard such a powerful Gospel account. As she
recalled the experience, I realized she had made emotional connections
between the images and my words. Connections I never anticipated, but
connections that communicated to her experience. It re-affirmed something I
had concluded long ago: No matter how sincere people are, they
hear what they choose to hear. I cannot transfer meaning---I only give the
setting in which people construct meaning. The Spirit of God Yahweh will
speak to a broken heart. We must trust the Spirit for the message. Our words
can only do so much.
I use images to remind people of the medium itself. I believe the
images encourage sacred distractions, which remind us that words fall short.
They are words, nothing more. A "good sermon" is not about using the right
words. It is all about the experience of worship. As Paul said (I
Corinthians 2:2):
"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive
words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that
your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
Have we forgotten? I hope, in good postmodern fashion, to be
reflective on my own medium. And in the process, I allow people to look
beyond the medium to something transcendent.
The direction I hope to take with spoken word
In the near future, within the next few months, I hope to use
more random images interwoven with my words. I hope to use multiple screens
each with different images . I would like to get more people
involved in the creative process. I would like those involved in media
advertising and film to use their gifts to engage congregations
during worship. I plan on inviting a club DJ friend to create some ambient
music and tones all while I am preaching. Soon in an upcoming message, I
hope to show mute clips from Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (without the
subtitles).
The goal is not to get more and more strange with my media
explorations. If that were my aim, I would very quickly exhaust my efforts.
That pursuit would descend into nihilism. This exploration is for the sole
purpose of engaging a culture where we are. If the Church is to be
expressive, we must not only understand media and art, but also be
purposeful in introducing these elements into our worship.
Techno, in its many subgroups, occasionally uses "sound bites"
from preachers and revivalists. Moby (one of my favorite artists) uses some
interesting Gospel clips in his most recent album Play . Why
can’t we use "sound bites" from the rave culture? Why can’t we
sample pop culture, instead of simply critiquing it?
Is it just a show?
I don’t know yet. I’m still experimenting. But I sure hope not.
In fact, I hope to create an art that is truly genuine in its
approach to glorifying the Gospel. I will admit, to a degree, all
art is a performance. Art has an audience. Art evokes a reaction or
response. I am sincere in my efforts. But I don’t know how to
measure whether or not it "works." All I know is for my circumstance and
setting, it creates a beautiful atmosphere for our worship. If you are a
preacher or storyteller, you should do whatever is appropriate for your
circumstances and your settings.
The modern info-sermon sought a response: the submission of
understanding to a set of principles we call "Christianity." I hope the
postmodern spoken word will allow more multi-layered responses. I hope
people would walk away with a certain need to fill in the spaces with their
own experiences and to give their own responses. I hope people will think,
not just accept. I hope people will see the power of God is more than words.
And words cannot fully contain the greatness of the God Yahweh. Words cannot
fully describe my experience with God. They fall short. Should I be so
presumptuous to imagine a sermon is enough? Instead, I allow room
for distractions, for gaps, and multi-layered moments. These
ambiguities only heighten the need for a person to seek a completion with
their own experience of the one true God.
David Hopkins , age 23 [ http://monkhouse.org/david ] is a
contributing editor for Next-Wave. He recently graduated
from Texas A&M University at Commerce with a degree in
English and Philosophy. David has enrolled to Fuller
Theological Seminary's distance learning program.
by Jim Wallis
Next year, put your kids to bed BEFORE the Super Bowl.
I'll admit it, I like a good football game, and this turned out to be a very
good one, after a boring, slow start. But what everybody was talking about
the next day was the baring of Janet Jackson's right breast. Justin
Timberlake's little grope and tear-off of Jackson's bustier was the finale
to their simulated-sex dance done to a song called "Rock Your Body," which
ends with the romantic line, "I gotta have you naked by the end of this
song." And that's just what he did. But that was only the crude climax to
what Washington Post television critic Tom Shales called "the Super Bowl of
Sleaze."
The rest of the MTV-produced halftime show had lots more bumping and
grinding, crotch-grabbing rappers, and background girls tossing off their
wardrobes to "I'm getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off."
Then there were the commercials, often creative and funny at Super Bowls,
but this year featuring horse flatulence, a trained dog that bites men
(again) in the crotch to steal their beers, a monkey leering at a girl's
breasts and suggesting they go upstairs, and several ads for erectile
dysfunction. Bud Light clearly won the night's award for most stupid, crude,
and banal ads, while only Homer Simpson seemed to offer any healthy and
funny alternative fare.
My 5-year-old son, Luke, was playing with his friends in another room but
walked in just in time to see a spot for Van Helsing, an upcoming and yet
unrated horror film that featured very disturbing and graphic images of
horrific violence. Seeing the fanged monsters leering at us through the
screen literally stopped him in his tracks.
After substantial public outcry, CBS and MTV issued unconvincing apologies
about how surprised they were at Janet's bare bust (in this first public
revelation of the Jackson family values), while young Timberlake tried to
blame the whole thing on a "wardrobe malfunction." Two days later, Jackson
admitted the stunt had been planned, saying: "The decision to have a costume
reveal...was made after final rehearsals."
You want to know why people join the Religious Right? It may have less to do
with wanting to take over the country than being desperate to protect their
kids from the crass trash and degrading banality that media conglomerates
like Viacom (which owns both CBS and MTV) seem to think is just fine family
entertainment for Super Bowl night. Fortunately, my kids were in bed before
the halftime show, but next year we may just go with Mary Poppins in the
other room.
Some people think that only right-wing conservatives care about such moral
pollution. Wrong. Most parents I know, liberal or conservative, care a great
deal about it, as do most self-respecting women and men. It defies
stereotypes to suggest that a healthy moral consistency applies to personal
and sexual ethics as well as to social and political values. It's time to
break out of those old ideological shibboleths and forge a unified front
against the amoral corporate greed that violates all our ethics - personal
and social - creating a system that sells beer and breasts in the same
advertising plans just to make a buck.
I don't recommend joining the Religious Right, but do call Viacom, CBS, and
MTV. Tell them that you're not a member of the Religious Right, not a
puritan, and not afraid of sex (but think it's great with somebody to whom
you're committed!). Especially if you're a liberal progressive type, tell
them that. And if you're a parent, ask them if they have any kids and if
they would want them watching the lowlife ads and actors they put on TV last
Sunday night. Tell them to put it on cable where the voyeurs who want to
watch Timberlake and Jackson paw each other can pay for it. Tell them that
you're angry. Tell them that they're not entertaining, interesting, or even
sexy. Tell them that their soulless and mindless "entertainment" won't sell
anymore, at least not to you. And tell them to keep their garbage away from
your kids.
To call each network executive:
Tom Freston
Chairman, MTV
212-258-8000
Leslie Moonves
President, CBS
323-575-2345
Sumner Redstone
CEO, Viacom
212-975-5005
Sacred Distractions:
Concerning the Art of the Spoken Word
By David Hopkins, http://monkhouse.org/david , e-mail to david@next-wave.org
So, if the "medium is the message"…
Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media is the one of the greatest books of
this century (in the same company as Alvin Toffler’s Third Wave and Jean
Baudrillard’s Simulations). He was one of the first scholars to analyze the
proliferation of media images and the impact of simulated images. In
Understanding Media, McLuhan develops his famous statement: "the medium is
the message."
There is something in the event of watching TV, which is 100% TV and nothing
else. The growing popularity of Real TV type shows is an
indication ( America’s Funniest ,Survivor ,Road Rules ,Real World ,Cops ,Big
Brother, etc). The viewer is fascinated that all of these events have been
captured on film. The principle appeal is voyeurism. The message is the
television itself. Even now as you read these words on the Internet, there
is something in the experience that is simply saying, "I am reading words on
the Internet and nothing more." Cynical? Maybe. But I can recall countless
times when people have told me: "They have gone to Church." And yet, they
fail to remember anything beyond that. They only recall the experience of
"going to Church." That was the message.
Our society has adapted to a new world of media images. For the most part,
these images are fast paced and high impact. They attack the brain with
ambitious over-load, reaching critical mass. The seduction is so great; you
may not even realize how may "images" you actually take in. The images are
there. We are simultaneously nauseated by these images and lonely
without them. When I was in Moscow, the McDonald’s golden "M" comforted me
so much. It told me home still exists. These images communicate something
transcendent, however shallow the concept.
How is it, with this mass market for images, we are expected to
shut ourselves into a large room every Sunday morning and be
subjected to sensory deprivation? The focal point of the modern
church-event is the sermon, the teaching moment, whatever. One person stands
before many people and talks about stuff. No images. No hope of being
distracted. We are only stimulated by intangible and invisible sound waves
from a single voice. In some traditions,it has been fashionable
to make the sanctuary as plain as possible (a Puritan influence,
no doubt). This way we will not be distracted from the message.
We look at our watch, hoping the preacher will be brief and
witty. This wit is not for the purpose of the message, but to
maintain our enthusiasm and trust. I roll my eyes at sermons that begin with
cute jokes. The message behind this medium? Christianity is all about
receiving information and processing it in the appropriate manner. Is it any
wonder people make a distinction between the worship portion of a
service and the sermon? In doing so, we reduce worship to an event that
prepares us for a sermon. We have completely flipped our priorities! The
sermon should continue in worship.
Is our response to give a better performance through the same medium?
What if I just preached a better message? What if I used better
illustrations? What if I used better jokes? What if I used props?
What if I used a large screen to post my informational outline? What if I
used video clips?
In the end, it is still an info-sermon. And while this event is
highly valuable to the modern world (I would never completely
disregard its worth), I suspect a postmodern world would receive it
differently. Some people will always enjoy a well performed info-sermon, but
our emerging culture desires something more narrative than informative to
replace a life that lacks story (read Richard Stone’s The Healing Art of
Storytelling ). A new medium may emerge, allowing new creativity, as the
proto-typical sermon is marginalized.
The Art of Spoken Word
Along with teaching high school English, I am fortunate to be one of the
pastors at Axxess . My community allows me freedom to experiment with new
media for our worship. One thing particularly close to my heart is
transforming what we know as a "sermon." God Yahweh called me by His Spirit
to preach . He gave me the freedom to be creative in my method of
expression. This spoken word should not just be a medium for communicating
information to mass audiences. Spoken word must express beauty and create
space within worship for contemplation and to initiate conversation.
As a result , I rarely (if ever) use a power point to outline my notes. I
use power point to display random images during the time I speak. These
images may or may not have any connection to what I am saying.
They may be advertisements I found on the Internet. They may be
of pictures from a movie or of a celebrity. I may show an image of a family
or put a word phrase on the screen. Does it distract my audience? Yes and
this is exactly what I want to have happen. I was inspired by U2 ’s Zoo TV
tour . The popular rock band used a blitz of random media images and
statements on several large screens during their concert. The experience was
unforgettable.
Since the congregation will occasionally be distracted (remember
our short attention spans), at least I can choose what distracts! The
congregation is now active in choosing what they will pay attention to. Many
good American pragmatists and utilitarians probably shudder at my approach.
The pragmatist wants to construct an environment that focuses all attention
to the pulpit. But my goal is not just to transfer information. It is to
stimulate the mind. And maybe within that space God Yahweh will create His
own message.
Possibly the most interesting phenomenon of combining random
images with spoken word is the fact that people create their own meaning to
connect the two mediums. A person talked with me after one of my messages.
She was in tears. She had never heard such a powerful Gospel account. As she
recalled the experience, I realized she had made emotional connections
between the images and my words. Connections I never anticipated, but
connections that communicated to her experience. It re-affirmed something I
had concluded long ago: No matter how sincere people are, they
hear what they choose to hear. I cannot transfer meaning---I only give the
setting in which people construct meaning. The Spirit of God Yahweh will
speak to a broken heart. We must trust the Spirit for the message. Our words
can only do so much.
I use images to remind people of the medium itself. I believe the
images encourage sacred distractions, which remind us that words fall short.
They are words, nothing more. A "good sermon" is not about using the right
words. It is all about the experience of worship. As Paul said (I
Corinthians 2:2):
"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive
words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that
your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
Have we forgotten? I hope, in good postmodern fashion, to be
reflective on my own medium. And in the process, I allow people to look
beyond the medium to something transcendent.
The direction I hope to take with spoken word
In the near future, within the next few months, I hope to use
more random images interwoven with my words. I hope to use multiple screens
each with different images . I would like to get more people
involved in the creative process. I would like those involved in media
advertising and film to use their gifts to engage congregations
during worship. I plan on inviting a club DJ friend to create some ambient
music and tones all while I am preaching. Soon in an upcoming message, I
hope to show mute clips from Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (without the
subtitles).
The goal is not to get more and more strange with my media
explorations. If that were my aim, I would very quickly exhaust my efforts.
That pursuit would descend into nihilism. This exploration is for the sole
purpose of engaging a culture where we are. If the Church is to be
expressive, we must not only understand media and art, but also be
purposeful in introducing these elements into our worship.
Techno, in its many subgroups, occasionally uses "sound bites"
from preachers and revivalists. Moby (one of my favorite artists) uses some
interesting Gospel clips in his most recent album Play . Why
can’t we use "sound bites" from the rave culture? Why can’t we
sample pop culture, instead of simply critiquing it?
Is it just a show?
I don’t know yet. I’m still experimenting. But I sure hope not.
In fact, I hope to create an art that is truly genuine in its
approach to glorifying the Gospel. I will admit, to a degree, all
art is a performance. Art has an audience. Art evokes a reaction or
response. I am sincere in my efforts. But I don’t know how to
measure whether or not it "works." All I know is for my circumstance and
setting, it creates a beautiful atmosphere for our worship. If you are a
preacher or storyteller, you should do whatever is appropriate for your
circumstances and your settings.
The modern info-sermon sought a response: the submission of
understanding to a set of principles we call "Christianity." I hope the
postmodern spoken word will allow more multi-layered responses. I hope
people would walk away with a certain need to fill in the spaces with their
own experiences and to give their own responses. I hope people will think,
not just accept. I hope people will see the power of God is more than words.
And words cannot fully contain the greatness of the God Yahweh. Words cannot
fully describe my experience with God. They fall short. Should I be so
presumptuous to imagine a sermon is enough? Instead, I allow room
for distractions, for gaps, and multi-layered moments. These
ambiguities only heighten the need for a person to seek a completion with
their own experience of the one true God.
David Hopkins , age 23 [ http://monkhouse.org/david ] is a
contributing editor for Next-Wave. He recently graduated
from Texas A&M University at Commerce with a degree in
English and Philosophy. David has enrolled to Fuller
Theological Seminary's distance learning program.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
A Recomended resource list for folks who met Jude and I at Urbana
Urban Mission/Brief Bibliography – Jude Tiersma Watson
Bakke, Ray, Theology as Big as the City. IV Press
Bosch, David, Spirituality of the Road. Wipf and Stock.
Christian, Jayakumar, God of the Empty-Handed. MARC
Conn, Harive and Manuel Ortiz, Urban Ministry. IV Press 2002
Costas, Orlando, Christ Outside the Gate.
Dudley, Carl and Nancy Ammerman, Churches in Transition. Jossey-Bass.
Gornik, Mark, To Live In Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City.
Eerdmans 2002
Grigg, Viv, Cry of the Urban Poor. MARC
Kretzmann and McKnight, Building Communities from the Inside Out.
Law, Eric, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a
Multi-Cultural Society. Chalice 1993
Linthicum, Robert, Empowering the Poor. MARC
Lupton, Robert, Theirs is the Kingdom. Harper and Row. 1989
McKnight, John, “Why Servanthood is Bad” in Other Side. April 1989
Myers, Bryant, Walking with the Poor. MARC.
Myers, Bryant, Working with the Poor. MARC.
Ortiz, Manuel, One New People: Models for Developing a multi-ethnic
Church. IV Press 1996.
Perkins, John, Beyond Charity. Baker Books.
Sanders, Cheryl, Ministry at the Margins. IV Press.
Van Engen, Charles and Jude Tiersma, eds. God So Loves the City. MARC.
White, Randy, Journey to the Center of the City. IV Press.
Videos:
Bread and Roses
Central Station (Brazilian film, subtitled in English)
Joy Luck Club
Slam (on Hip Hop)
Mother Teresa (narrated by Attenborough)
Entertaining Angels (about Dorothy Day)
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
My Family (Mexican family in LA)
Music: (none of these are Christian CDs but a relevant challenge to the church)
KRS ONE Spiritual Minded
Staind – Portrays honest human pain.
Mystic Cuts for love, Scar for Freedom.
Biblical Passages:
John 1:14 (the Message)
The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.
Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Jonah Nehemiah Isaiah 58
Luke’s Gospel
2 Corinthians
Bakke, Ray, Theology as Big as the City. IV Press
Bosch, David, Spirituality of the Road. Wipf and Stock.
Christian, Jayakumar, God of the Empty-Handed. MARC
Conn, Harive and Manuel Ortiz, Urban Ministry. IV Press 2002
Costas, Orlando, Christ Outside the Gate.
Dudley, Carl and Nancy Ammerman, Churches in Transition. Jossey-Bass.
Gornik, Mark, To Live In Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City.
Eerdmans 2002
Grigg, Viv, Cry of the Urban Poor. MARC
Kretzmann and McKnight, Building Communities from the Inside Out.
Law, Eric, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a
Multi-Cultural Society. Chalice 1993
Linthicum, Robert, Empowering the Poor. MARC
Lupton, Robert, Theirs is the Kingdom. Harper and Row. 1989
McKnight, John, “Why Servanthood is Bad” in Other Side. April 1989
Myers, Bryant, Walking with the Poor. MARC.
Myers, Bryant, Working with the Poor. MARC.
Ortiz, Manuel, One New People: Models for Developing a multi-ethnic
Church. IV Press 1996.
Perkins, John, Beyond Charity. Baker Books.
Sanders, Cheryl, Ministry at the Margins. IV Press.
Van Engen, Charles and Jude Tiersma, eds. God So Loves the City. MARC.
White, Randy, Journey to the Center of the City. IV Press.
Videos:
Bread and Roses
Central Station (Brazilian film, subtitled in English)
Joy Luck Club
Slam (on Hip Hop)
Mother Teresa (narrated by Attenborough)
Entertaining Angels (about Dorothy Day)
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
My Family (Mexican family in LA)
Music: (none of these are Christian CDs but a relevant challenge to the church)
KRS ONE Spiritual Minded
Staind – Portrays honest human pain.
Mystic Cuts for love, Scar for Freedom.
Biblical Passages:
John 1:14 (the Message)
The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.
Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Jonah Nehemiah Isaiah 58
Luke’s Gospel
2 Corinthians