Look, bros. You have the right to say what you believe from the pulpit. You have the right to speak to issues. You have the right to speak prophetically, to condemn positions and even those who hold or work for those positions. You even, really, have the right to endorse candidates from the pulpit.
You and your congregation, however, do not have the right to non-profit status.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
RIP MCA
MCA died today of cancer. I knew he had cancer but I wasn't expecting it today.
I loved the Beastie Boys. They aren't my favorite band - that would be U2, of course - but I often said that if I had a band, my band would sound like the Beastie Boys. They are the soundtrack of my life. When Licensed to Ill came out, I was in 6th grade. "Fight for Your Right" was my national anthem. As they grew up (they're all about 10 years older than me), I grew up. Their music somehow got both goofier and more serious as they matured and as I matured with them. I loved their sense of humor, their willingness to be silly. Chuck D called the Beasties "the Jackie Robinsons of hip-hop," and I thank them for making it okay for white kids from East Moline, Illinois to listen to rap music. Three Jewish kids from New York are probably the greatest act in hip-hop history. Anything is possible, I guess.
MCA got into Buddhism in his adult life and was a major figure in making "Free Tibet" into, if not a mainstream idea, an idea with which the mainstream is familiar. When Ill Communication came out, with the song Bhodisattva Vow, he put his Buddhism into his music without restraint. I found it interesting (and still do) that the music media didn't treat this as something special or different. It seemed different than they way Christian artists get treated. It also, oddly, didn't seem preachy, for some reason.
There's nothing here that's not been said before/
But I put it down now so that I'll be sure/
To solidify my own views/
And I'll be glad if it helps anyone else out, too/
Perhaps it is a project of the major difference between the exclusivity of Christianity and the inclusivity (not a real word, I bet) of Buddhism that a Buddhist confession of faith does not sound like a demand, whereas the Christian creeds are both statements of faith and condemnations of any other faith. I can't see MCA rapping "and this is the Buddhist faith, that lest any man keep it whole and undefiled, he cannot be saved."
Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return. RIP.
Now my name is MCA, I've got a license to kill/
I think you know what time it is, it's time to get ill/
I loved the Beastie Boys. They aren't my favorite band - that would be U2, of course - but I often said that if I had a band, my band would sound like the Beastie Boys. They are the soundtrack of my life. When Licensed to Ill came out, I was in 6th grade. "Fight for Your Right" was my national anthem. As they grew up (they're all about 10 years older than me), I grew up. Their music somehow got both goofier and more serious as they matured and as I matured with them. I loved their sense of humor, their willingness to be silly. Chuck D called the Beasties "the Jackie Robinsons of hip-hop," and I thank them for making it okay for white kids from East Moline, Illinois to listen to rap music. Three Jewish kids from New York are probably the greatest act in hip-hop history. Anything is possible, I guess.
MCA got into Buddhism in his adult life and was a major figure in making "Free Tibet" into, if not a mainstream idea, an idea with which the mainstream is familiar. When Ill Communication came out, with the song Bhodisattva Vow, he put his Buddhism into his music without restraint. I found it interesting (and still do) that the music media didn't treat this as something special or different. It seemed different than they way Christian artists get treated. It also, oddly, didn't seem preachy, for some reason.
There's nothing here that's not been said before/
But I put it down now so that I'll be sure/
To solidify my own views/
And I'll be glad if it helps anyone else out, too/
Perhaps it is a project of the major difference between the exclusivity of Christianity and the inclusivity (not a real word, I bet) of Buddhism that a Buddhist confession of faith does not sound like a demand, whereas the Christian creeds are both statements of faith and condemnations of any other faith. I can't see MCA rapping "and this is the Buddhist faith, that lest any man keep it whole and undefiled, he cannot be saved."
Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return. RIP.
Now my name is MCA, I've got a license to kill/
I think you know what time it is, it's time to get ill/
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Game Has Passed Me By
I used to play EA's NCAA Football games, probably too much. When I was finishing seminary, all by myself at Berea Lutheran Church in north St. Louis, I played it a lot. When I was living in The Bachelor Pad, my roommates and I had a league. I used to be really good at it. For some reason, I stopped playing it at about NCAA06. I'm not sure why.
Back in September, I picked up NCAA10. Again, I'm not sure why.
The game is way too hard for me. I completely stink at it in every way. It has gotten even more complicated and I simply don't know enough about football, and there are too many new features to digest at the same time. I can't play on a high level. I even stink at the lowest level. Thankfully, they have cheats you can turn on to make it even easier. I have to play with the settings making eat as easy as humanly possible to win.
It is sad. Brett Favre can still play real football; am I too old to play NCAA on Xbox? Horrible.
It looks incredible in HD, though.
Back in September, I picked up NCAA10. Again, I'm not sure why.
The game is way too hard for me. I completely stink at it in every way. It has gotten even more complicated and I simply don't know enough about football, and there are too many new features to digest at the same time. I can't play on a high level. I even stink at the lowest level. Thankfully, they have cheats you can turn on to make it even easier. I have to play with the settings making eat as easy as humanly possible to win.
It is sad. Brett Favre can still play real football; am I too old to play NCAA on Xbox? Horrible.
It looks incredible in HD, though.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Another Reason Why I Hate Wikipedia
Wikipedia stinks for many and various reasons, although it does have its uses for those who realize its limitations.
So I am wondering about Moldova (don't ask why I am wondering about Moldova during Holy Week when I have a zillion other things to do, but I was) so I decide to check out the Wikipedia page for Moldova.
In pretty much anything that has anything to do with a foreign country, there is always some joker who goes through and changes everything to the foreign way of spelling it, and justifies it by saying it's the "right" way.
For example, Chişinău is the capital. The CIA World Factbook, as well as the website of the Moldovan Embassy in the United States and the official English-language Moldovan government website, spell it Chisinau. But some jerkface has to go through and add all the little marks all over.
Note to foreigners: the English Wikipedia should be in English. I don't go through the Moldovan wikipedia's five or six pages and change every American place name to the English spelling, do I?
Some Polish dude did the same thing to the Casimir Pulaski page. We have a stinking holiday named after him! He's an important dude in our history! That is how we spell it in English! Leave us alone!
So I am wondering about Moldova (don't ask why I am wondering about Moldova during Holy Week when I have a zillion other things to do, but I was) so I decide to check out the Wikipedia page for Moldova.
In pretty much anything that has anything to do with a foreign country, there is always some joker who goes through and changes everything to the foreign way of spelling it, and justifies it by saying it's the "right" way.
For example, Chişinău is the capital. The CIA World Factbook, as well as the website of the Moldovan Embassy in the United States and the official English-language Moldovan government website, spell it Chisinau. But some jerkface has to go through and add all the little marks all over.
Note to foreigners: the English Wikipedia should be in English. I don't go through the Moldovan wikipedia's five or six pages and change every American place name to the English spelling, do I?
Some Polish dude did the same thing to the Casimir Pulaski page. We have a stinking holiday named after him! He's an important dude in our history! That is how we spell it in English! Leave us alone!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Why I Am a Facebook Luddite.
I had lunch with a friend of mine yesterday and he was talking about Facebook. Bah.
Facebook stinks.
The truth is, I have no real reason to be anti-Facebook. I have been a computer nerd from way back. Email, AIM, IRC; I was chatting on a BSS on dial-up 300 baud modems for crying out Pete. Why am I such a Facebook hater?
Facebook stinks.
The truth is, I have no real reason to be anti-Facebook. I have been a computer nerd from way back. Email, AIM, IRC; I was chatting on a BSS on dial-up 300 baud modems for crying out Pete. Why am I such a Facebook hater?
"But I have gotten in touch with so many people I went to (elementary/high school/college) with!"
If they are so great, why did you lose touch with them in the first place?
People used to call their friends or write letters. Then we got email. Email was awesome. Now, these people check Facebook to see if someone sent them a message. They can set it send an email to them when they have a message from someone. That's like having the post office send you a postcard to come pick up a letter that somebody sent you.
I will probably end up doing it. I realize this. This is probably one of the other reasons I am so opposed to it, because I know I will give in, just like I did with the mobile phone.
Bah.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
No Votes For You
I have learned via instructions from the Southeastern District that congregations that share a pastor constitute a "parish" (quotes original) and thus only get 1 shared lay delegate.
This is ridiculous in many and various ways.
Congregations who are vacant get a lay delegate.
Congregations who, during their vacancy (including what are essentially permanent vacancies) are served by the pastor of another congregation, get a lay delegate.
For the last district convention, Nazareth and Christ both got a lay delegate, although only Christ had a called pastor. Now that Nazareth has a called pastor (whom they happen to share with Christ), they are essentially being disenfranchised.
So, because they chose to to call a pastor (which is what a group of Christians should do), because they chose not simply to let the interim pastor hold their hands while the congregation died, a member-congregation of The LCMS is denied a vote in the district convention.
When I complained, both the district secretary and the synodical secretary pointed out that this is, indeed, synodical understanding. It has been since at least the 1960's. I would like to know when they decided that a "parish" meant multiple congregations sharing a jointly called pastor. It certainly isn't how the word parish is in use in The Synod. I guess I am the only "parish" pastor I know (personally - I know they exist).
Note that this will particularly disenfranchise two groups in The Synod - the rural congregations and, increasily, urban congregations like the ones I serve.
The fairness or reasonability of this aside, it also does not reflect our polity or supposed understanding of the Church as centered in the local congregation. Basically, it makes me as the pastor what defines a congregation (sorry, "parish"), not the fact that these are two separate congregations, both members of The Synod for over a century now, with separate constitutions, etc.
I understand not giving me two pastoral votes because I have two congregations. Duh. I do not understand giving congregations that share a pastor a partial vote. It's like the 3/5ths compromise all over again.
I wish I had time to argue about this, but I am sure it won't do any good. In the current climate in The Synod, especially with the Great Synodical Restructuring Thing, they are actively seeking to disenfranchise small congregations anyway, so I doubt if I'd get much sympathy.
This is ridiculous in many and various ways.
Congregations who are vacant get a lay delegate.
Congregations who, during their vacancy (including what are essentially permanent vacancies) are served by the pastor of another congregation, get a lay delegate.
For the last district convention, Nazareth and Christ both got a lay delegate, although only Christ had a called pastor. Now that Nazareth has a called pastor (whom they happen to share with Christ), they are essentially being disenfranchised.
So, because they chose to to call a pastor (which is what a group of Christians should do), because they chose not simply to let the interim pastor hold their hands while the congregation died, a member-congregation of The LCMS is denied a vote in the district convention.
When I complained, both the district secretary and the synodical secretary pointed out that this is, indeed, synodical understanding. It has been since at least the 1960's. I would like to know when they decided that a "parish" meant multiple congregations sharing a jointly called pastor. It certainly isn't how the word parish is in use in The Synod. I guess I am the only "parish" pastor I know (personally - I know they exist).
Note that this will particularly disenfranchise two groups in The Synod - the rural congregations and, increasily, urban congregations like the ones I serve.
The fairness or reasonability of this aside, it also does not reflect our polity or supposed understanding of the Church as centered in the local congregation. Basically, it makes me as the pastor what defines a congregation (sorry, "parish"), not the fact that these are two separate congregations, both members of The Synod for over a century now, with separate constitutions, etc.
I understand not giving me two pastoral votes because I have two congregations. Duh. I do not understand giving congregations that share a pastor a partial vote. It's like the 3/5ths compromise all over again.
I wish I had time to argue about this, but I am sure it won't do any good. In the current climate in The Synod, especially with the Great Synodical Restructuring Thing, they are actively seeking to disenfranchise small congregations anyway, so I doubt if I'd get much sympathy.
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