I Am Moving...

Not physically, just my blog. I am now over at wordpress. It's not you it's me. I need something different and I like their layouts better. This is consumerism. I am a part of it. If you are one of the three people who read this blog, please link me over at

ronpai2.wordpress.com

See ya on the darkside,
ron

It's a Wonderful Life...So I've Heard

I saw "It's a Wonderful Life" for the first time the other day. I can honestly say that it was an okay movie. Is it me, or did it take forever to get to the point? Hailed as THE Christmas classic, I saw a little blurb about it in the special features, which made me laugh a little.

Did you know that when it was released, It's a Wonderful Life was seen as "okay". It was actually forgetten quite quickly. The reason that it became so popular is that in the 1970's the copyright ran out and somebody forgot to renew it. When this happened, television stations caught wind of it and began showing the movie because they did not have to pay any royalties. This is why it was on so many times a year. This is also what contributed to its popularity, because now a whole new generation had discovered this movie, thus thrusting it into becoming a Christmas Classic.

Just more crap to occupy your brain.

what's your favorite christmas movie?
ron

Snow Madness

Could it be? Could it really happen? Well they are calling for it, but when I took this picture the sun was coming up (@ 8:30!).

I love when there is a threat for snow here in Whatcom County. People get crazy around here. Walmart and Target are filled with a few more people than usual, and all everybody can talk about is the snow. It is exciting for us. The thing that I hate about the snow is driving in it. I don't mind it, but I get a little freaked out by the other people on the road. I'm the guy who is going fairly slow (5-10 under the speed limit) and doesn't care when he gets home. Then there is the other guy who "grew up driving in the snow" and is in his SUV and speeds around me going about 45 MPH. Those are the guys who freak me out. Those are the guys who get a little crazier when it snows.

It is snow madness. Whatcom County suffers from it. We all love it and hate it at the same time. Snow madness is why I want to move to hawaii and only visit washington during the winter.

54 WPM

With 94% accuracy. suck it.

www.typingtest.com

Flight of the Conchords

These guys are my latest obsession. I think that they are really funny. Think Tenacious D meets Beck's song Debra on his "midnight vultures" CD. enjoy.

Merry Christmas

If you want to see a Christmas movie that will instantly jump into your top 3 Christmas movies (if you are human and have a heart, I guarantee it will), than you need to see this movie. It is called Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas). Here is the write up for it on Netflix:

Inspired by a true story, this heartwarming tale unfolds on Christmas Eve, 1914, in the midst of World War I. As the French, Scottish and German soldiers prepare to open their presents, a momentous event occurs that changes the destinies of four people: an Anglican priest, a French lieutenant, a world-class tenor and his soprano lover.

I saw this movie last year and just remembered it. It is a beautiful story of war coming to a halt for one night, truly peace on earth, while men truly realize that they all have more in common than they know. If you work in a church, this will be the movie that you will show for a "movie clip" sometime during your christmas.

Netflick it now.
You're Welcome,
ron

Got Our Christmas Tree...

For the past five years, Cynthia and I have had a tradition with our friends Rob and Willow Weston to get our Christmas Tree the day after Thanksgiving. We do this to avoid the mall and the madness and just hang out together. We usually go to Stoney Ridge Farm, but his year we went to Lowe's. I know, I know. I thought that it was lame also, but Stoney Ridge was closed the day after Thanksgiving this year. Here are some pics from our tree expedition down the street from us.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for my wife, Cynthia. She puts up with a lot from me. For the past 4-5 years she has been supporting me in going to school. I've been working various part time jobs during this time, but she has always encouraged me with music and how I can improve my skills. She also has encouraged me for better health and never settling for less than I am able to achieve. For my wife, lover, and friend, I am thankful.

I am thankful for my school debt. Though it is a lot of money that Cynthia and I owe, I know that this is a small price to pay for the education I've recieved. I feel as though I have been given a masters degree in a bachelor's degree because a lot of the books, philosophies, and ideas that I have been exposed to are ones that my friends who have masters degrees are constantly surprised to see in a bachelor's degree program. I have been exposed to many different things that have encouraged me and also made me question my own faith and worship of God. For this challenge, I am thankful.

I am thankful for my family. My mom who showed me the idea of love and respect toward other people who are different than me. My sister and brother in law who can talk with me about various and strange b movies from the 80's and still love them even though we realize that they are wonderfully horrible movies. My brother who has helped me believe that it is still possible to be a good father even though we grew up without one. And I am thankful for my little sister who is just starting her life as she turned 18 this year. For my family, I am thankful.

I am thankful for my church, Roosevelt Community Church, for letting me lead them in worship each week and being open to new and different ideas of what worship could look like. They have supported me, both financially and professionally, since Easter and continue to spur me on with their stories of God being shown to them in new and different lights. For their love, community, and support, I am thankful.

I am thankful for my friends. I remember becoming a christian about eight years ago, and one of my main worries was that I would have no friends. It's petty, I know, but God has blessed me with an abundance of people who I am proud to call my friends. Rob and Willow Weston continue to spur me on with challenging thoughts and discussions that last well into the night (and sometimes into the morning). Rob and Nicole Mathey and Chris Croft show me what being a friend without expecting something in return truly looks like. They are so giving of their time, money, and friendship it amazes me. Matt Martinson has shown me courage in facing life, the importance of education, and laughing in the face of life when it gets him down (really is there anything else we can do?). Baron Miller believed in me and gave me a Worship Directors job at Roosevelt Community Church, encouraged me when I needed it most, and introduced me to the shows Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the British Version of The Office. Kelly Huckaby, my secret source to odd music that everyone always asks, "How did you hear about these guys". Ben Pries who plays and loves violent video games and Jesus...I kind of feel responsible for both of these. And Tim Ross, whose life that semi parallels my own at times (which is scary), gave me conversations over beers that ooze with sarcasm and makes me laugh. For these friends, I am thankful.

I am thankful for music and musicians. Music inspires me, encourages me, soothes me, welcomes me, and takes me to different worlds sometimes. A lot of memories I have are triggered by music. Music is my release, and for this I am thankful.

Finally, but it should be first, I am thankful for The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All of them sustain me and give me hope when I feel hopeless, strength when I feel weak, and remind me that I am loved when I feel lonely. They remind me that they are all I need to feel sustained and that material things and social status does not matter in light of God's Kingdom. For their gift of true life, salvation, and inspiration I am thankful.

For my God, wife, family, friends, and hobbies, I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.Ron

I've Always Wanted To Do This...

I've compiled a list of CD's that I've listened to over the past year that I think are some of the best music I've run acrossed in the past year. Here, in no particular order, are those CD's. (Keep in mind that these CD's didn't come out this year, in fact a lot of them came out a while ago, I've only just discovered them.)

Amos Lee – Amos Lee
A mix of Tracy Chapman’s story telling and Norah Jones’ Blues, Amos Lee’s album will easily become one that you will listen to over and over. Amos Lee is also the master of getting to the point. Ten songs all around three and a half minutes long. Perfect.
Highlights: Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight; Arms of a Woman; Love in the Lies.

Sufjan Stevens – Come on Feel the Illinois!
I can’t remember when I got this album, but all I know is that it continues to inspire me to write music and appreciate great song writing every time I listen to it. A couple of my favorite lyrics: “Tuesday night at the bible study, we lift our hands and pray over your body but nothing ever happens…” and “But in my best behavior, I am really just like him…”
Highlights: Decatur or Round of Applause for Your Step Mother!; Concerning the UFO Sighting…; Casimir Pulaski Day; John Wayne Gacy Jr.

Justin Timberlake – FutureLove/SexSounds
Don’t hate, participate! This CD was an incredibly amazing step into something different. Seriously. This is a good CD…although all of Timbalands stuff sounds the same.
Highlights: My Love; What Goes Around; Damn Girl.

Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
I am a sucker for R & B music. Not Keith Sweat or D’Angelo (though I do love them also), but the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, etc. Amy Winehouse brings back rhythm and blues and adds her own twist to it. Though the content isn’t really great, at times it is hilarious and sad at the same time. Think Lauryn Hill with a major drug and alcohol problem that she brags about constantly.
Highlights: Rehab; Me and Mr. Jones; Addicted.

Robin Thicke – The Evolution of Robin Thicke
Yes, the son of Alan Thicke. This album was one of the smoothest albums I heard all year. He sings in his falsetto a lot showing that Robin Thicke was an obvious Prince fan. With the likes of Faith Evans, Lil Wayne, and Pharell showing up as some of the highlights how can one go wrong with these guests?
Highlights: Lost Without You, Would That Make You Love Me?; Wanna Love You Girl.

Ben Harper – Diamonds on the Inside
Folk Rock/Gospel/Funk. Could it get any better? I stayed away from this album for a while. I regret it now.
Highlights: When Its Good; Picture of Jesus; She’s Only Happy In The Sun


Death Cab for Cutie – Plans
Another band I tried to avoid, I tried to avoid DCFC simply to deter the hype of the Northwest, but I came to find out that I actually liked them. Great lyrics + Catchy melodies = unavoidably likeable. I tried not to conform. I really did!
Highlights: Marching Bands of Manhattan; Soul Meets Body; I Will Follow You Into the Dark.

Eva Cassidy – Song Bird, Live @ Blues Alley, Time after Time, and American Tune
All four albums are incredible. Eva died in 1996 of melanoma. She has one of the purest voices you will ever hear.
Highlights: Fields of Gold; Song Bird; Time after Time, and Aint No Sunshine

Copeland – In Motion
These guys made me believe in the magic of the hook again.
Highlight: Pin Your Wings

Jay-Z – Unplugged
Jay–Z + The Roots = awesome. If you are a fan of the Jigga Man and the roots this is a must listen. If you are a fan of just one of the two, it is still a must listen. If you are not a fan, this will turn you into one.
Highlights: Izzo (H.O.V.A.); Big Pimpin’; Jigga What, Jigga Who; Song Cry; I Just Wanna Love You.

Xavier Rudd – Solace
Literally a one man band, Xavier uses a Didgeridoo, Djembe, Lap Steel Guitar amongst his many instruments. A native Australian, Xavier is also an advocate for the Aborigines and who speaks and sings about the importance of their history and teachings in showing us how to preserve the land and the ocean.
Highlights: Let Me Be; Yirra Curl; No Woman, No Cry.

Jonny Lang – Turn Around
Liked him in the 90’s, but I liked Kenny Wayne Shepherd better. Where did Kenny Wayne Go? This album is full of Gospel, Funk and R & B. Great Album.
Highlights: The Other Side of the Fence; Thankful; That Great Day

Damian Marley – Welcome to Jamrock
Taking reggae to a different level. I think that his uncle would have been proud of this.
Highlights: The Master Has Come Back; All Night; Pimpa’s Paradise

The Roots – Game Theory
I LOVE THE ROOTS! I have loved them ever since I saw them open for Rage Against the Machine when Wu Tang got kicked off the tour. This album is a strange step away from their usual music but well worth a listen.

Did I forget any? What were some of your favorites?

ron

Community

Just finished a book called "The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian Worldview". It was overall a great read and good insight into looking outside of ourselves and opening up to the world with the love of Christ. Here was a comment that really stuck to me about community:

The Community is God's means of empowering people. THe Christian community...should work for justice in political life. The church should be a place where the elderly and disbled contribute meaningfully. As a multidimenshional community, it should be a place where the arts are encouraged and aestetic life flourishes.

...the christian community should foster a responsible economic lifestyle which radically breaks with the narcissistic consumerism that surrounds it.

...when married people feel pressure to give up on their marriages as conflicts arise, the Christian community should provide a supportive and healing environment, perhaps even offering profesional assistance.

What makes the christian community Christian is its worship. A radical community, it subverts the dominant culture because it worships, serves and prays to a different God. It's worship sets teh pattern for its whold life. Rather than being conformed to the world, it is a community being trasformed by the renewing of its communal mind - its world view. Consequently its worship is not relegated to just liturgical activities, but it gives its whole life to God as a Sacrificial offering (Romans 12:1-2). Herin is the essence of a Christian cultural witness in a society in decline.

Worship beyond the church walls? Helping peopel inside and outside of your congregation? A place where everybody is welcome? Sarcasm aside, this book brought up many thoughts that I thought that I would share.

peace,
ron

Inspired.

This song leaves me breathless lately. It's Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama singing Ben Harper's song "I Shall Not Walk Alone". Seriously...breathless.

We've Tried It Before...

let's try it again. I've made a new Hot Tub Theology blog. Let's start discussing again!

ron

The Hour

I've been talking a lot about the television show "The Hour with George Stromboulopoulos". It is one of the most culturally relevant shows on television right now. You need to go and watch some of the interviews that they have on there. If you still don't believe me, here is a snippet that I took from their website to describe the show:

The Hour is a national current affairs show on CBC television hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. It’s not a newscast. It’s not a magazine show. The Hour a different take on the news through the lens of George and company. While news shows cover the issues of the day, The Hour dissects the issues within the issues. Always unconventional. Often controversial. Never predictable.

The Hour has interviewed some of the most interesting and influential figures on the planet: from big thinkers like Al Gore, Noam Chomsky, Jesse Jackson, Lewis Lapham, David Suzuki and Deepak Chopra, to establishment shakers like Bob Geldof, Henry Rollins and Bono, to world-renowned musicians like Coldplay, the Foo Fighters, Ludacris, and The Killers.

Throw in a bunch of A-list actors like Ed Norton, Rachel Weisz, Matt Damon, Viggo Mortensen, Catherine O`Hara, Alan Rickman; add a Prime Minister - Stephen Harper, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, Scottish comedian Billy Connolly, and you start to get a sense of the program. A different take on the news? You decide.

You can watch interviews with various people and if you miss a show you can watch entire shows.

enjoy!
ron

In Case You Missed It...

Kurt left this in the comments section of one of my blogs. I've been thinking about this since I read it and have come to the conclusion that this is why I do not want to hold the title pastor in front of my name...because I don't do any of these things.



"One of my professors was talking with Gustavo Gutierrez before he became a prof, and when Gustavo heard he was going to teach theology he asked him "before you do that go and hold the hand of someone suffering in the hospital, pray with someone who is dieing, eat a meal with the poor" i thought this was profound, before we start talking about the gospel we better make sure we are entering into the suffering that God entered into, the greatest mysteries are never actually known or understood only experienced."



Thanks Kurt!

New Stuff

Hey,

I added a couple new links to the side. Check em out. If you go to Spacebar 2000, my record is 45. It's the beauty of being a bass player.

ron

Questions About the New Era

I am really struggling with the thought of production vs. worship. I've been seeing worship leaders oggling and blogging over churches like Hillsong/North Point/Willow Creek's production, and wishing they had that money/production quality. I wonder if that is really what it is all about? It seems like church is becoming a show and people continually want to do what they are doing. I know this is cliche to think or say, but it is so true. For decades now we have seen a shift in church and we are now in the middle of a new reformation.

During the first Reformation, theologians began to notice a shift where people were not worshipping because it was all entertainment. The songs were too hard to sing because they were in a different language and also because it was a huge production in this other language - really the only people who were attracted to church were people who understood Latin, were artists, or were musicians who could sing along with the songs. People like Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin began to take notice of this. They saw that people were disconnected from the church because they were not a part of it - there was no participation. These men saw that the gospel was bigger than what the Catholic Church had made it out to be. What it involved was the participation of the people - literally a liturgy or "work done by the people". Matt spoke about participation in relation to Paul Tillich over on his blog which he linked to Jordan Cooper.

Today, most people cannot remember a sermon beyond the weekend. It doesn't stick. It is the same with a lot of the songs that we sing; they are difficult to sing or filled with performance and solos. It is a disconnect to people. Maybe the things we sing and hear at church aren't memorable because they are just regurgitations of what we had sung or heard the week before. Most tell us how to love Jesus, but not why we love Jesus. We are given the steps to loving Jeus, but not the story of how we got to this point in Christianity. How dangerous it is that we are told to love Jesus, but not how to follow him.

So what is the answer to all of this? I don't know. That's the beauty of the bloggosphere is that we can pose questions or ideas and see if anybody else has any ideas. I wonder if educating people will help? Maybe helping people discover the Christian story that they are a part of. Talking about the narrative that is the bible. Maybe singing songs that explain what we believe and why. Hymns are a good example of this. If you read some, not all, of the "old hymns of the faith", some of them truly explain what we believe from everything from the trinity to the atonement to why jesus calls us to serve. These are just a couple of ideas, I'm sure there are tons of ideas. I'm just curious as to how we got to this point and how we can get out of it.

Barth Man

I was reading a passage from a book I never read last semester, The Epistle to the Romans by Karl Barth. Though it is simply a commentary that Barth wrote in 1918, I find myself in many "Holy Crap" moments (some would call these "wow!" moments) while reading this book. I wanted to share this one because I've been really wrestling with trying to figure out where western culture went wrong in modernity. Where did we lose Jesus?

"The Gospel is not a religious message to inform mankind of their divinity or to tell them how they may become divine. The Gospel proclaims a God utterly distinct from men. Salvation comes to them from Him, because they are, as men, incapable of knowing Him, and because they have no right to claim anything from Him. The Gospel is not one thing in the midst of other things, to be directly aprehended and comprenended. The Gospel is the Word of the Primal Origin of all things, the Word which, since it is ever new, must ever be received with renewed fear and trembling.

The Gospel is therefore not an event, nor an experience, nor an emotion - however delicate! Rather, it is the clear and objective perception of what eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Moreover, what it demands of men is more than notice, or understanding, or sympathy. It demands participation, comprehension, co-operation; for it is a communication which presumes faith in the living God, and which creates that which it resumes."

I think that Barth hits one of the many nails on the head when he describes the Gospel that Paul is sharing. I can relate to what we are making the Gospel out to be. Maybe we are making it into an event when we reach to our personal saviors or when we have alter call, rather than trying to simply participate in the story that is the Gospel. Maybe the Gospel is walking with the broken and noticing those who are hurt along the way rather than trying to give them an experience only to walk away from it without having talked to them about what had happened. Any immediate thoughts come to mind?

Confession of Ministry

I've been thinking a lot about the "call to ministry". So many times we are told that ministry is a calling, but this often makes me question if I am actually called to ministry. Am I supposed to be leading people in worship of any kind? I lead musical worship at Roosevelt Community Church, and I love expressing songs to God in new and different ways. I want to introduce people to worship in even more ways, but I sometimes come back to the question, "am i called to ministry?"

How can anyone really feel that they are called to ministry? I wonder if we went wrong when we began thinking that we had to be perfect in order to "work for Jesus". What I mean is, I wonder if we put such a high expectation on people as ministers that we forget that they are human - that they are just as susceptible to sin as anybody else. I have a relationship with God, but I find myself looking at women a little longer than I really should, not praying as much as I can, and sometimes even thinking thoughts of an extremely malicious and violent nature toward other people. I want a house and I secretly become jealous when at friends houses. I listen to and enjoy music that is degrading toward women, glorifies drugs and alcohol, but I tell kids not to listen to it. I want children but feel that I can't afford them and don't trust God enough that he will provide for me and my family. I have no other skills other than musician/warehouse worker, so what am I to do? Am I called to ministry?

What about a person qualifies them to be working at a church? is it their knowledge of Jesus and the Bible? is it their management skills? is it the way that they pray in prayer circles or on stage? I enjoy reading people like Kierkegaard, Barth, and Donald Miller more than I enjoy reading people like Paul, John, or Moses. I do have extensive knowledge about the Bible, but I don't read it as I have been taught in my enlightened circles; in fact, I read it quite differently than I have been taught. Maybe I've got it wrong. Maybe snippet scriptures will teach better than the narrative. I enjoy leading prayer through the book of common prayer or through scripture before trying to think of one of my own prayer off the top of my head. And also, I wonder if maybe managing people will build worshippers more than relational contact. Maybe by telling people to "feed themselves", this will bring them closer to their "personal Jesus" and save me time and allow me to manage people more thoroughly. I always thought that it was the heart of the person, not their administrative skills. Anyone who knows me, knows that administration is not my strong point - am I called to ministry?

I really do love working at a church, because it allows me to use my creativity for the glory of Jesus. With this, I am able to see people worship in new and different ways than they are used to. I am also allowed to challenge people to think about their faith and what they believe. I myself become so upset and feel ripped off sometimes because I've been told that Jesus is happy and clappy but never upset. I've been taught how to rejoice, but never how to mourn properly. I've been taught in my christian upbringing that Jesus saves but not what he saves me from exactly - am I called to ministry?

Maybe I'm too cynical for ministry. Maybe I question too much. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, but deep down inside I feel something telling me that I am totally wrong for the job. I feel these attacks on my heart saying, "you are really good at sinning and not good at teaching people to love jesus." I just feel the need to ask these questions once in a while. this is my confession of minstry.

Long Awaited Heresy

Kurt said he missed my heretical thoughts. Here is a sermon I did a bit ago. Give it a listen and some feed back.

peace,
ron

haven't been here in a while

I haven't had a lot to say lately, but I wanted to show you my friend ben's Survivor Audition.