Finally Started Reading Again

So its been almost 2 months since I graduated from Belmont. My time there was great and treasured but as the time passed I watched as the list of books I wanted to read grow as the list of books I had to read seem to never get smaller. And even though some of the books ended up on both lists, the must read list made it hard to want to read those particular books. It's nice to slowly work through a book on your own pace rather than reading at the same pace a Usain Bolt runs. I was so burnt out from the pace of academia that I took time off before even looking at the want to read list.

I am happy to say that I have finally started reading books that I want to read and at my own pace. I have started 3 books thus far. Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Pop Goes The Church, and Beyond Doubt: Faith Building Devotions on Questions Christians Ask. I am not very far as I am slowly reading (and it feels so good) but want to recommend these books so far.

Just a short post to keep you updated.

Super Imposing

This was last weeks installment of our morning announcements, Derek and Derek in the Morning. If you check out previous posts you will find the Derek and Derek Debate which was one of my favorite installments we have produced thus far. Well here is probably my second favorite. Our Youth Minister (Derek) was away at camp this past week. We normally just have a guest host fill in for the missing Derek when this type of thing happens. This week we had an idea that we wanted to try but weren't sure if it would work. Superimpose our Connecting Pastor (Derek) interacting with himself.

In theory this would be easy - in reality we were not set up to really make this happen. All I ended up doing was setting the camera on a tripod for a steady shot and marking lines that Derek couldn't cross. I stood on his marks and ran through lines with him so he would know where to look so it looked as natural as possible. During the takes I read the opposite lines for timing.

After importing the footage, all I did was use half of one shot and half of another and did a little color correction and touch up work to make it look smooth and natural. Honestly I think I found it funnier than most others but if we can't make ourselves laugh then what's the point.

Schools out for Summer

Well for me, school is out forever; or until i am led to go on for further education. It is safe to say however, that it won't be for a while. Four years as a full time student who decided to double major while effectively working a full time job or two to three part time jobs at one time, getting married and building a house all at the same time has left me pretty burnt out and weary (to say the least). But i graduated with honors from Belmont University and am beyond excited and thrilled with my experience. I took four years after graduating High School to decide to pursue higher education. I have always believed that education without direction is wasted just the same as direction without education. So i found my direction and had one foot in the academic world and one foot in the working world. I wouldn't trade that specific experience for anything as idealistic nathan and practical nathan often fought. Well graduation passed and now (after a few weeks of effectively doing nothing but relax) i find myself with both feet in the working world recalling the academic. It's the meshing of the two that has become the challenge now.

Musing on a Glass of Water

The optimist sees a glass half full.

The pessimist sees a glass half empty.

The cynic sees a glass with dirty water.

The realist wonders if you poured into the glass or out of the glass.

The philosopher would ponder if there really is a glass with anything in it.

The scientist sees a 500ml glass with 250ml of liquid.

The physicist would say that the volume of this cylinder is divided into two equal parts; one a colorless, odorless liquid, the other a colorless, odorless gas. Thus the cylinder is neither full nor empty. Rather, each half of the cylinder is full, one with a gas, one with a liquid.

The seasoned drinker would say that the glass doesn't have enough ice in it.

The plumber checks for a leak.

The engineer sees a glass that is twice as big as it needs to be.

The banker would say that the glass has just under 50% of its net worth in liquid assets.

The agnostic doesn’t seem to care either way.

The Christian sees a lack of joy.

People only see what they are prepared to see. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Film and Worship

There has been a lack of activity recently, i know. I have been spending much time as of late working on my thesis for school. This has led to a number of sleepless nights and piles of books strewn across my home office floor. So here is a quick look into my world as of the past few months. My thesis is exploring the idea of "Short Film as a New Medium for Worship." There has been a recent trend of short films/videos being created and produced specifically for the Church. These films act within the worship service as part of the worship in the same way that visual art has done through history. Broadly worship encompasses any number of actions, services, sacrifices, or more so i had to specifically focus on the worship/liturgy of the church. More specifically I focused on the happenings between the beginning of and end of service. This includes - but is not limited to - music, sermon, offering, greeting, prayer, and doxology.

This emerging phenomenon works in conjunction with and in place of certain elements of the worship service. Rob Bell's Nooma series acts within the Short Film as Teaching category i have devised for the purposes of my thesis. Other categories i have created to help develop a working framework are Short Film as Testimony or Story (i.e. Erwin McManus' "Crave" and "Wide Awake") and Short Film as Illustration (more colloquially sermon support - see SermonSpice.com, wiredchurches.com, and others). The other side of my thesis work will be creating three short films to help illustrate my thesis' theological critique and reflection of this emerging discipline. Those i will share later as i finish them over time.

One interesting insight that, along with my thesis committee, i have come across is this idea of Film working in a similar fashion to the storied stained glass windows. Historically, stained glass windows have been more than just decoration, telling biblical stories, carrying theological ideas through a series, and creating a sacred space. What is film other than colored frames that tell a story as light passes through them. The story and theology is dependent on the creator. And as part of the modern advent of this trend, film has helped shaped our new sacred spaces. In a sense film in the church is acting as the new stained glass windows for a new generation.

Let me know what you think.