A Brief Note for Readers
Homer's Iliad, Summarized
So, graphic designer Jason Huff used the “Auto-Summarize” function of Microsoft Word 2008 to reduce the 100 most-downloaded public domain works into ten simple sentences. ”Auto-Summarize” works as follows:
“Word has examined the document and picked the sentences most relevant tothe main theme.” – Word 2008
As you can imagine, this has delivered some humorous results. I particularly like Homer’s Iliad, which is pictured to the right. Head on over to his site to see the rest of the results.
Or, if you prefer to read many of the entire works. Planet eBooks has prepared and formatted 80 classic works into free-to-download-and-distribute PDF formats. You can find their entire catalog here.
Read on,
Dan J.
Now, That’s a Lot of Rain!
Woo Hoo! Now, that’s a lot of rain.
When I walked out the door after work this afternoon, the wind was blowing, ominous clouds covered the sky, and heavy raindrops began to fall. I quickly shuffled into the car and turned on my radio. Flash Flood Warning for Maricopa County. Great. Read more >>
Review: Meaning at the Movies, Part 2
Meaning at the Movies: Becoming a Discerning Viewer
In last week’s post, I began reviewing Grant Horner’s Meaning at the Movies, which proposes to train Christian minds towards the development of discernment, and which seeks to do so specifically in light of cinema. In today’s review, I will address Horner’s “Practical Considerations.” He opens this section succinctly:
Discernment means thinking as God thinks….It may be the thing most lacking among contemporary evangelicals. (p. 55)
The question, then, is how does one develop discernment? How does one practice discernment? Horner seems to be arguing that movies are a necessary and helpful arena in which to do just this. But how can we practice discernment when the movies are themselves so lacking in discernment? How can we grow in the ability to think as God thinks if we watch movies that present world views completely contrary to that of Scripture?
Review: Meaning at the Movies, Part 1
Roundhay Garden Scene directed by one of the world's first filmmakers, Louis Le Prince, in 1888. (Wikipedia; Public Domain)
I recently mentioned Grant Horner’s new book, Meaning at the Movies, and I mentioned that I was looking forward to reading & reviewing it for this site. This is the first of three planned reviews. In this review, I will very briefly discuss his preface and introduction, in which he lays out his plan and his assumptions, and I will focus on what I consider to be an unnecessary restriction of thought on his part. I feel that Horner manages to capture and explain one critical aspect of the value of film, but that he leaves another on the table.
MCC Study Followup
Reimagining Evangelism
Back in May, I mentioned that we were beginning a new study on evangelism at Mayer Community Church. We have just completed that study, and I wanted to drop a brief comment here: If you have the chance, go through this study. It’s not particularly earth-shattering, but it is often helpful in ways that are unexpected. Anna and I have both found resources and comments in this study that have helped us to redefine our approach to sharing the Gospel. The study focuses on a few key ideas, but three have seemed to resonate most with the body at MCC:
- We need to drop the scripts and simply start doing things we love to do with folks who don’t yet know Jesus.
- It’s important to re-establish trust before proclaiming truth.
- Simply being present in people’s lives is a fantastic way to gain the opportunity to share the Gospel.
If you’d like more of an idea on Richardson’s approach and general style, feel free to read through his comments on developing a GIG (Group Investigating God), or even through the first chapter of Reimagining Evangelism. Have fun!
Grace & Peace,
Dan J.
Show the Seams
This is where I stitch things together
As a preaching pastor, I’m confronted with the task of preparing and delivering an edifying, encouraging, and exegetically sound sermon about 48 times each year. I am not complaining; I love this work. It is, without a doubt, the most fun I have ever had in a “job.”
But, as with most jobs, there are a few questions to be asked and a few choices to be made. How long is too long? How short is too short? How often should I step out the main exegetical series (we’re in the Gospel of Mark at MCC) to address particular passages or issues? Should I even consider this question? Is it important to develop services for the two main holy seasons (Easter & Christmas)? Is it important to preach a Mother’s Day message, a Father’s Day message, and a Memorial Day message?
I think, though, that there is one question that many pastors fail to answer explicitly, and in failing to answer this question, they miss out on delivering content that could extend their work indefinitely.