Conversations with Jehovah's Witnesses

I recently have been having a few conversations with the Jehovah's Witnesses. They have come to my house 3 times in the last couple weeks so I must really be in their system.

Anyway, the big opening line was "Do all good people go to heaven?" to which I said "No" and then they launched into this talk about the new heaven and new earth. I had never thought about the fact that it was mentioned that way and so they had their opening to try and prove to me that there is going to be this separation. But it was all quite vague and I kept trying to push them to see what the main point of their argument was.

I was also insinuating that whatever eternal life is going to be like I did not think that it was a salvation issue and therefore what is your point with this argument. They kept claiming that it was important to study the Bible to see what it really said and since we both agreed the Bible is the final authority then whatever it says must be important to know. Therefore if it said there was a new heaven and new earth then we should know that.

So I said I would look into it and talk to people at my Bible study. This didn't really happen and so I brushed it off like everyone else when I mentioned it at Bible study. Basically you can't argue with people who have their own customized version of the Bible. But it was still eating at me because there has to be an answer as to whether they are right or wrong regardless of if I think it is a salvation issue.

So I searched online and this video popped up. This guy gets to the heart of the matter and really shows what they were working towards with me. It is just a simple funny conversation that demonstrates what they really believe about the final authority of the scriptures.

3rd Annual Enjoyment Awards

It is the new year and although it started more than a month ago I figure that I should continue my annual tradition which was started in 2007 and miraculously also happened for 2008. So this is my most enjoyed random stuff of 2009.
Once again, I am not confining my list to music and it is not necessarily only from this year. My list is all about the stuff I got the most enjoyment out of in 2009.
Anyways, here it is:

My most enjoyed artist of 2009 was:
I gotta say Bon Iver. His album came highly recommended to me and I definitely did not regret spending the money on that one.

Some runners up were Sufjan Stevens (of course - after seeing him live), Joel Plaskett and Andrew Bird.

My most enjoyed album of 2009 was:
It is a 3-way tie between 'Noble Beast' by Andrew Bird, 'For Emma, Forever Ago' by Bon Iver and Joel Plaskett's album 'Three'.

Some runners up:
Jenn Grant - 'Echoes'
Great Lake Swimmers - 'Lost Channels'
M. Ward - 'Transistor Radio' and 'Post-War'
The Welcome Wagon - 'Welcome to the Welcome Wagon'

My most enjoyed compilation album of 2009 was:
'Dark Was the Night' which features Sufjan, Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, My Brightest Diamond and Canadians Feist, Arcade Fire and Buck 65 (among many others). It was put together mostly by the guys from The National as an AIDS benefit album. If there is one indie album you should buy this year it is this one because it gives you a great slice of the sounds and bands who are really doing cool stuff right now.

My most enjoyed song of 2009 was:
I always find this one so tough because it bounces around so much. I have to make a list:
'In the Blue Moonlight' - Joel Plaskett
'Tough City' - Oh Susanna!
'You'll Go Far' - Jenn Grant
'White Winter Hymnal' - Fleet Foxes
'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' - Vampire Weekend
and so many more.....

My most enjoyed live performance of 2009 was:
Sooooooo many to choose from! Joel Plaskett, Jenn Grant, Sufjan Stevens. Nope I can't really choose between those three.
The spring was a good time for concerts in Ottawa.

My most enjoyed Local Band (Greater Ottawa Area) of 2009 was:
I guess I haven't got into to many local bands this year but as far as Canadian Indie acts go I'd have to pick Octoberman and Dan Mangan - and both have strong ties to the west coast.

My most enjoyed music venue of 2009 was:
It's a tough choice between the First Baptist Church downtown and the Black Sheep Inn out in Wakefield. I'm going to the Church again in a few weeks to see Basia Bulat so maybe that will make up my mind.

My most enjoyed quote of 2009 was:
"I've downloaded hundreds of records....why would I care someone downloads ours? That is such a petty thing to care about. I mean, how much money does one person need?"- Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes when asked when asked whether he minded if people 'stole' his albums.

My most enjoyed beer of 2009 was:
Well I have enjoyed Beau's Lug Tread several times this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is a picture of me enjoying said beer!

My most enjoyed TV show of 2009 was:
Firefly. I know it was made several years ago but I didn't get to watch it until this year. I absolutely love it. Don't think you have to be a sci-fi nerd to watch it either.

Also, I can't remember if I watched Battlstar Galactica this year or last year. It should be a close tie.

My most enjoyed movie of 2009 was:
Maybe the Where the Wild Things Are adaptation. It was pretty cool.

Maybe Serenity, because the finale to that Firefly series sure is better after you watch the series.

My most enjoyed proud uncle moment was:

When my neice, Elyssa, got over her fear of the Vespa (if even for an afternoon) at the Nepean Sailing Club!

My most enjoyed technology of 2009 was:
The continuing world domination by Google which just so happens to be extremely convenient for me since I use almost all their products.

Or maybe the news that foreign owned cellphone companies are coming to Canada. Hopefully I can get the Google Nexus One!!!!

My most enjoyed purchase of 2009:
The new kitchen even though it isn't done yet.

My most enjoyed city of 2009 was:
Kingston, ON Canada - Lots of history, tons of awesome restaurants, small enough to walk around, big enough to spend money on the downtown. Yes I was impressed. Don't judge it by the view you get from the 401.

I have to say that Memphis could have won this. Maybe if I spent more time there and got a better feel for the city.
The other close second had to be Boston. That is definitely a city I could live in (if I could afford it) if not drive in. The roads are insane - almost as bad (read: awesome) as an old European city - but there is lots of beautiful coastal spots and some fantastic architecture. Kingston just won because I really felt like I understood the city after staying there. Boston would take a little longer - must go back!

My most enjoyed architecture of 2009:

It has got to be MIT in Cambridge by Canadian Frank Gehry.

My most enjoyed book of 2009:

It was probably 'Brave New World' by Auldous Huxley which we read for our book club. I have read it before but getting to discuss it was just fantastic.

Other than that I'd have to say 'Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss which is a remarkably well written fantasy story that I picked up on a whim on my way home from Memphis. I say remarkable because usually fantasy books are not all that well written.

Either way this year promises to be great for reading thanks to the Jubilee Book Club I joined.

My most enjoyed Jubilee Church event of 2009:

Probably the Soup'n'Socks initiative that we have going on right now. We run around downtown handing out free soup and socks to anyone who needs it (especially homeless people).

My most enjoyed news item of 2009:

Climategate.

My most enjoyed sport of 2009:
Definitely snowboarding, I don’t have any other regular sports.

Most enjoyed website of 2009:
Definitely xkcd but Neatorama is pretty close. Yup, I'm a geek.

And last but not least my most enjoyed person of 2009 was:
Irene - she wins it again!?! incredible!!!! I'm sensing a trend, is this rigged you think?

My Poor Blogging

Sorry for the lack of insightful, informative and interesting blog posts that you may have become used to if you read other peoples blogs.
This blog has never really tried to be either of those things to anybody but myself. Either way the lack of blog posting is quite dismal and I take full blame for it. But I do plead insanity since there is tons going on right now. I am on too many committees to name for church, plus work is crazy right now and we are also trying to re-drywall much of our house before our taper moves to Holland.
So I am busy.

It is not an excuse just an explanation. Now go find an insightful, informative or interesting blog to read.

Are You a Christian Hipster?

In the past month, a blog post by Brett McCracken who writes for Relevant magazine among other Christian publications and websites as taken the web by storm. It is part of a book he is writing on the subject of the Christian hipster movement. Sounds interesting! Am I in this group? Should I be?

If I read his article (mostly a list of the likes and dislikes of Christian hipsters) I would say that I am not really a part of this group. I can relate on many levels. For example, I don't particularly like megachurches, Mel Gibson's Passion or evangelical guys who talk about killing terrorists and world leaders. I also am extremely wary of churches with flags up on stage, and weird modern evangelical methods. But possibly the biggest thing of all would be my absolute dislike for contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Very rarely do I find something I can really get something out of.

But when he starts talking about things a Christian Hipster likes I really can't relate at all. I don't really read any of the books he mentions. I don't love thinking and acting catholic. I also don't work for a church (other than my growing list of volunteer positions), dress slightly goth or want a tattoo. The only things I can empathize with are the love of European cathedrals, smoking while talking about God (and other intellectual type things) and reading poetry.

Overall I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or disappointed that I didn't fall under the stereotype of Christian Hipster. I always have identified with the secular hipster in many ways while always staying apart because so many hipster ideals don't work with Christianity. I was slightly disappointed because I didn't quite know where he was going with all this. Did he agree that it was cool? Was he a hipster? Was he condemning it? Well this interview by CJ Casciotta of conversantlife.com really put Brett's ideas in perspective. It is definitely worth a listen if you want to have a grasp on this sub-culture.


Interview with Brett McCracken from CJ Casciotta on Vimeo.

I can now almost totally agree with him. And listening to him describe a Christian hipster on that clip I would fit into his idea of the hipster. I really appreciate his willingness to examine these things and think critically about it. I agree that having this so called 'enlightened' view of the world and being annoyed with the masses living their processed lives is not necessarily healthy. It is definitely something I have to work on.

But I still think there is room for a moderate Christian hipster attitude. One who questions things and doesn't follow like a white sheep. Rather a mottled sheep with skinny jeans, Ray-Ban sunglasses and a cool scarf. I still feel that my core ideals are rooted in God and how He wants me to live my life. I really do feel that suburban living and net neutrality are moral issues that have to be discussed from a Christian point of view. That said, I definitely do have my faults. I can't blame the masses for living in suburbia or not knowing anything about net neutrality.


A Sidenote:
Major props go to Sufjan Stevens (pictured above) who is every Christian Hipster's biggest hero.

Crazy Cat People

Cats have never really bothered me with the exception of being allergic to them when I was younger.  It is really the cat owners that can be pretty messed up.  You get this with dog owners too but not near as often.  I am not talking about people who just have pets and treat them as pets.  No, I am talking about those people who not only treat their cat as a child but take it to the extreme and dedicate their life to all things 'cat'.  Everything in their life is oriented around their cat and cat related items.

Well this has got to be the most ridiculous cat related item I have ever seen! 

So many questions immediately fill my head after the shock and horror and vomit pass through first.  WHAT? WHY? WHO? HOW? WHERE? WHEN? And then I continue to feel sick.

I'm not even going to go into trying to answer those questions.  But I guess it might make sense because maybe the same people who buy those 'plates' that are always advertised in magazines are probably generally crazy cat people.

And while we are on the topic of cats, check out the cat remote.  As the link will tell you, "Cats are not known, however, for their ability to learn and obey the commands of their owners. That's where the Control-a-Cat Remote Control can come in handy." The remote also does not require batteries but relies on the power of 'wishful thinking' in order to get your cat to 'Stop Scratching', 'Show Affection' or 'Remain Aloof'.

What a fantastic invention.

Merry Christmas (its a conspiracy)

Now that Christmas is over I would like to wish my blog readers a Merry Christmas. So, Merry Christmas everyone!
I would also like to point out that Christmas has been hijacked by commercialism and post a video put together by a group called Advent Conspiracy.

As you can see by the video they are advocating more worship, spending less while giving more and loving everyone. One of the best points they make is the fact that Americans spend 450 billion at Christmas time and at the same time it would only take 10 billion to solve the world water crisis.
It is a powerful video so give it some thought. I know our church is certainly thinking about what we could do next year.

Tis the Season for Concerts

We sure have seen our share of classical/seasonal music in the past month. We went to see a candle lit performance of the Messiah. I think this may become a tradition for us.Irene performed with her choir at a church designed by my firm. They also sang parts of the Messiah along with some seasonal tunes.Our church had the annual children's choir performance. It was as cute as ever despite missing several kids who were on vacation.

95 Theses but the Pope Ain't One

Since tonight is a Bible Study night I thought I'd post something related to that. A church friend sent me this link a few days ago. It is a rap about Martin Luther and the 95 Theses that he nailed to the church door. Now before you all flip out at me for being sacrilegious and the rest this is a serious project by some Yale students. I couldn't care less for rap music but the way these lyrics were written combined with the witty video shows that these guys clearly have a grasp on what they are talking/rapping about. Take a listen and see how much you can catch.

There are several great references to other historical figures and events along with the obvious doctrinal points. They did take liberty with some things and admit as much here. And you can read the lyrics here. It is pretty harsh on the Catholic church but really they are just talking history albeit in a language the kiddies can understand. It mixes humour and history in a very clever way.

Some of my favourite lines are:

I warned y'all that Rome best agree to the terms.
If not, then you can eat my Diet of Worms!
You think you done something spectacular?
I wrote the Bible in the vernacular!
A heretic! [What?] Someone throw me a bone.
You forgot salvation comes through faith alone.

But you forgot about me and my demonstration?
Like you can just create your own denomination?
"We don't like this part, so we'll just add a little twist."
Now we Anglican, Amish, and even Calvinist.

and right at the end....

Shout out to Johann Gutenberg... I see you baby.

Godtube

So this is what all the evangelical Christians are doing these days. They have gone all technological on us and invented a website called Godtube.
I'm not quite sure what to think of this site yet but a quick glance tells me that it can't be all that bad. It apparently tries to be "a video-driven social network where users can explore their faith and the tenets of Christianity." Nothing wrong with that. And on the content "Some of the content is fun, some of it is serious, and all of it is safe for the whole family." Well that is definitely more than anyone can say about Youtube.
The only reservations I would have would be about the "Christian content" These days many non-Christian things are being pushed as Christian for ulterior motives. Some of the content may be leading people who aren't Christian to believe things about Christianity that really is not true....
But that opens up the whole debate about evangelizing and how and when to do it.
Either way its a better place for the kiddies than youtube I guess.

Psalms and Hymns

Today we got introduced to some new Hymns which look pretty cool and remind me of the type they use in the Reformed Presbyterian Church only I think we will use instruments.
I also have been notified of a website for the new Psalms (mostly thanks to my Uncle Bill Helder) and stumbled across a website that contains sheet music for the current Psalms. That last site isn't much use for me but I just thought it would be good to have these links archived on my blog.