November 19, 2007
For the (many) book geeks who read my blog - what do you think of Amazon’s new “Kindle” e-book reader ($399)?My quick first thought is, wow I’d love one of those…for about $300 less. Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t understand the price tag (which is more than you can score a decent linux-based laptop for).
Cool stuff:
- It’s really light at 10.3 ounces.
- It has a screen that doesn’t “glare” at you - reviewers say it looks like paper.
- Amazon sells titles for it at prices that are reasonable and take into account the lower cost of delivering a digital product. But there doesn’t seem to be any kind of “used” book market that will open up - which is lame. I like dollar books.
For my money, I’d rather get an iPod (I will own one someday - gotta quit spending my extra money on bubble gum) as my tech-cessory. But if I was swimming in cash, I guess I’d get one. I really do think this is the way of the future, and I am excited about all the progress Amazon has made - but I’m just not going to be an early adopter on this one.
Can the Kindle produce the awesome musty smell of a good old book? I think they should add that feature…
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November 7, 2007
Sheena Asks:
1. Will you start listening to Travis singing ‘Why does it always rain on me?’
No. I don’t know if I’ve ever listened to Travis. I know they were cool for a couple of minutes…but I think I was sleeping. I will, however, listen to PIL’s “Seattle” - which rocks.
I will also, of course, be listening to Sir Mix-a-Lot’s classic “Swass” album which features the awesomeness that is “Posse on Broadway”
Posse Up!
2. Why Seattle? (as opposed to the rest of your vast nation)
On one hand, that’s a difficult question to answer - because there is an element of it that I don’t necessarily understand. However, as we were attempting to discern God’s call we people kept asking us “what do you want to do?” - asking us to dream…how do we want to serve God. For both of us, both the “what” and “where” began to line up on Seattle.
Here’s a bit from what I wrote to Crosspoint about my call:
My family thrives in an urban setting, and we believe that God is calling us to minister primarily in major cities of the West. Although the calling is to the West, we believe that it is specifically to serve God in the Seattle area. This is where I grew up, where my wife’s family is from, and where we believe that God is calling us to work.
I desire to be in the Pacific Northwest because I believe that the most effective way to change a culture for Christ is to have members and ministers who are deeply rooted in that place. Although there are Pentecost moments even today in the most unexpected places, and missionaries who are called to go into foreign lands (be it Seattle or Singapore), the regular work of the church is a continuous march calling people to know Jesus and be known by Him. This requires a fluency in not only the language of a place, but in understanding what it values (be it the arts, sports or commerce). An indigenous church in the Pacific Northwest must rely not on a “professionalized” ministry but instead rely on greater lay leadership, creative funding and training of Pastors and other church workers, and facilitate structures that encourage continual re-assessment and a willingness to try even the craziest ideas if we thing God is in it.
I desire to serve in a place and church that would utilize my cultural fluency in the place I was raised and allow me to facilitate and encourage a second-generation indigenized church.
Salt Lake City and New Song was an ideal place for me to train and prepare for future ministry, but as I began to discern my personal call it became clear that God was calling us to Seattle (more in #4).
3. how did you discern that it was time to leave rather than stay in Utah? (maybe that’s too personal for a blog post)
4. This is pretty much like the last question, but I am intruiged by your being ‘called away’ when that call is not, in the first instance, initiated by another church. And to follow on from that, knowing that we are in a system where you basically have to wait for someone to come knocking on your door, how do ministers in your system look for a call elsewhere without feeling like they are ‘cheating’ on their current congregation?
In short, I was at a position where my “apprenticeship” phase was ending at New Song. I was charged to dream about my future ministry and look into options such as Church Planting and RUF. Through months of prayer and counsel from friends and peers we started to look at churches outside of Utah. That process enabled us to see that we were specifically being called to work in Seattle.
I don’t know how you do it without feeling like you are “cheating” when you aren’t in the kind of position I was in (e.g. although I was being charged to look at my ministry in Utah, it was still a time of “change”). I experienced a lot of guilt in looking, but I think that is the bad effects of the Free Church College. ;) My Senior Pastor and Elders were involved in the whole process and it wasn’t “sprung” on them.
I don’t know if I can answer that any better without writing a book.
Tammy Asks:
1. I didn’t get to ask you how your job interview went. Did you get the job, or are you still looking?
I got a rejection today. (For those not in the know, this was for a second part-time job in Seattle other than the church). I am still looking. Starbucks here I come!
2. I guess I’m not exactly clear on what specifically you will be doing up there for the church you are going to work for.
The Job Description in Brief (I’m a SL - Site Leader):
o Focusing Vision: SLs serve our mission by leading their congregation towards the realization of CrossPoint’s vision.
o Connecting to the whole: SLs act as liaisons between the site and the Pastors, Session, Deacons and work with CP staff in coordinating site ministries with global CP ministry needs.
o Giving Care: SLs help identify congregational care needs and providing shepherding care or referring to others as appropriate.
o Fostering Involvement: SLs connect people to people and people to ministry at the one-to-one, ministry team and Parish Group levels, as well as encourage participation in outreach or other ministry events.
o Facilitating Ministry: SLs work with lay-leaders to identify and solve problems as well as include the congregation in the process.
o Supporting Logistics: SLs act as “go-to leaders” for the House Manager and Set-Up Leader.
3. You’re going to have 2 part time jobs, one being the church job. Church jobs never ever seem to stay in their time allotment. How will you ensure you have enough time for your family? I’m sure you can do it, but I think you’ll have to be intentional about it, even more than if you were full time church staff.
That’s a tough question, and I’m not sure I have an answer. I believe the Elders and Pastor will keep me accountable to being a good father and husband and giving my family enough time. We’ll have to see what kind of job God provides and how the time commitments work with that.
4. We’ll miss you!
I’ll miss you guys more. If we weren’t sure that this is what God was calling us to do, I don’t know how we could bear leaving our New Song family. I can’t tell you how much we love you all. I cried more and harder on Sunday then I have at any point since I hit puberty. This tells you two things. First, I am a heartless creep who doesn’t cry enough. Second, I am going to miss you all.
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November 7, 2007
Here are some pictures from our now cleaned up front rooms and Stella’s brand new cottage-y bedroom. Click to enlarge!
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November 7, 2007
It’s 2:30 in the AM, but I think Sarah and I are pretty happy with the progress made today. In short - our to-do list has been shortened to the following:
1. Get rug for Stella’s floor (we’ve painted it white, with the beadboard and everything it makes it very cottage-y).
2. Hang trim in Stella and our rooms (simple, just need a helper).
3. Finish 1.5 windows in the front rooms and paint the front door RED.
4. Paint the Bathroom and do a little bit of caulking.
5. Paint a few square feet of kitchen wall.
6. CLEAN!
Praise God for giving us the strength and helpers (you know who you are!) to pound this home. We’re leaving for California on Thursday eve (I am baptizing Bryce’s wee one), I really believe we can get this done before then. It is sad to see our house come all together - but this has been a couple weeks of straight labor, and it is those stretches of consecutive days that really make this possible. And most awesome, our community group from New Song is showing up Thurs eve to work on our house while we are driving off. They are going to finish some of our flooring stuff.
I’ve been wanting to write a new post about why we are moving to Seattle…but I’ve spent so much time on getting our house ready to sell that I haven’t been able to do it. Maybe you could ask me a few questions about our move and future ministry in Seattle for a future post?
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November 6, 2007
The Bible among objects prohibited at the 2008 Beijing Ol*mpics
As the above article states, Bibles are to be prohibited within the Ol*mpic Village at next year’s Ol*mpic Games. I’ve got to say - this is ridiculous. The Chinese are claiming “security reasons” for not allowing “religious symbols” at the Games.
Now, as much as I do not like it - I understand that for some reasons, China might want to try to keep their religious fervor “quiet” and put restrictions on PDW (Public Displays of Worship). I don’t understand why they would want to, but hey - it’s their Ol*mpics. But to ban even the Bible from the Village? Thus limiting athletes the right to worship within its walls?
My question is - why? What’s the point? What does it accomplish (other than, of course, showing once again that the Chinese gov’t loves to limit religious freedom)?
I guess the point of this post is to ask you that question…why would the Chinese want to ban Bibles? And does anyone know whether there is further limiting - ie: banning religious worship on Saturday & Sunday? Wearing of religious garb (ie yamulke) during worship? Banning beards? Rugs? Private Prayer?
I’m not a big conspiracy theorist, nor am I a big “culture wars” type of guy - it’s a fallen world, and people do jacked up things - I’m not going to sit all high and mighty playing the pundit. But that doesn’t mean we can’t call this out for what it is - “wrong”. This kind of infringement of human rights (the right to worship God) does need to be brought to our attention - and it should be condemned.
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Tags: religion
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November 1, 2007
All the links here are legal and free, so don’t sweat it. Many of them are personal faves that I’ve picked up from Spinner’s mp3 of the day.
John Vanderslice - Live at the Independent
Link at John’s website here. Here is an artist whose studio stuff I’ve never quite “loved”. He’s a great musician, but I don’t think any of his albums capture him as well as this show does. I am listening to it right now and it is pretty much perfect. It’s been in fairly heavy rotation on my computer for the past few weeks, although I downloaded it ages ago I had forgotten to listen to it.
John looks like a muppet on stage. This is the only part of the live experience missing. If you’ve never listened to Vanderslice, this is a great starter.
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. and Phantom
Daft Punk has a new name - and it is Justice. I hope you have heard D.A.N.C.E., but if you haven’t you need to download it and put it in your ear. Phantom is also good, but has 0 Michael Jackson references…making it the radically inferior song.
D.A.N.C.E.
Phantom
Buck 65 - Shutter Buggin’
This was a great download. Awesome hip-hop. Definitely worth putting in your iPod (if you have one…otherwise you can be like me and put it in your iTunes planning on getting on “someday”).
Shutter Buggin’
Rosie Thomas - 2 Dollar Shoes, I Play Music, Pretty Dress
Thank God he gave me a good woman with pretty good music taste (though not great - she still has her Amy Grant albums), and this lovely woman introduced me to the awesome Rosie. Many readers will be familiar with her, but if you haven’t sampled her wares…there are three songs freely downloadable from her label’s website. If you haven’t listened to Rosie, download these songs and then go buy all her albums.
I mean it, I love Rosie.
But I love Sarah a lot more.
2 Dollar Shoes
I Play Music
Pretty Shoes
Flight of the Conchords - Business Time
Evidently these guys have a show on HBO. I’ve never seen it, but Shannana told me about them a while ago and this song is hilarious. Get it.
Business Time
Georgie James - Need Your Needs, Cake Parade, Look Me Up
“Need Your Needs” is pop at its absolute best. It is jangly and catchy from the very beginning. The refrain “back in my evil days” gets in the head and makes you wonder. I just found Cake Parade this very minute, so I have nothing to say about it as I haven’t even listened to the whole thing yet. Same with Look Me Up.
Georgie James plays Kilby Court on the 6th with Aqueduct.
Need Your Needs
Cake Parade
Look Me Up
Project Jenny, Project Jan - 320
I have no idea why I’m into this song. Listen to it and tell me why.
320
Sally Shapiro - He Keeps Me Alive
Spinner had this up a couple of days ago, and it is fab. There’s a bit of the Goldfrapp to it, but less ironic. This is disco, if you can’t dig that - leave it be.
St. Vincent - Now Now
She is a member of the Polyphonic Spree, she toured with Sufjan, this song rocks. ‘Nuf Said?
Now Now
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October 31, 2007
It’s the 31st - toast a beer to Brother Martin this evening!
Hip-hip-hooray!
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October 31, 2007
We’re putting the house on the market on Tuesday. Hopefully we can get our big list of “to do’s” done before then - or at least enough of them that people won’t walk into one of the rooms and run out afraid for their health. The good news is that the bathroom is done except for painting, and the only “big” things that need to be completed are: crown molding in the front rooms, baseboard trim in all the rooms, laying flooring in 2 bedrooms, and beadboard throughout Stella’s room. A lot of work, but I think we can do it! (or most of it!)
We spoke to the realtor today and decided on a price, a couple thousand less than what I’d hoped for - but seeing the comps, I really believe we might sell it in a reasonable amount of time. You can all pray that it sells the first weekend. Even better would be a fast closing. :) We pray for the impossible!
Finishing the house is cool, because we had been chipping away at it but are now going at it in earnest. We are starting to see our “vision” that we had when we first walked through coming into reality. I believe that the person who buys our house is going to be very pleased with what they get - it’s a great family home. But on the other end, we are excited about renting for a while (read: indefinitely, as houses in Greenlake are 2 to 3 times as expensive as our current one). Renting means that we won’t have a lot of fixing-up that we need to do, and with me working 2 jobs - I really want to spend my free time with my family.
If you are a Salt Lake-ian looking for a house - drop me an e-mail (jhays619@gmail.com), we’ve got one for ya!
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October 28, 2007
The whole “getting to Seattle” process is going at breakneck speed. We are writing off “to do” things at a before unknown speed and we are now rounding the corner where we are saying “hey, our house is really nice..” because it is getting things like walls, functional plumbing, paint, and flooring in. Now we just have to sell it and move into a little apartment. I am meeting with a realtor in the next couple days to see about the selling bit. I’d sell by owner, but Assist2Sell provides such great added-value stuff (prequalifying, showing the house, dealing with paper) that they are very much worth their reasonable flat fee (~$3000 in our price range). Tomorrow I paint the front rooms’ trim, after that I will finish the bathroom and then I’m going to either start the 2-3 days of work in Stella’s room or paint our kitchen cabinets.
I’m really believing that God is guiding us to Seattle, and He really is opening doors left and right. But right now, what we are hoping and praying for is that He will provide Sarah and I a place to live together when we move to Seattle. If our house hasn’t sold, we won’t be able to afford to pay rent in Seattle and the girls would have to live in California w/Sarah’s parents until the sale goes through. Although we know that God is in this, that possibility is the one that scares the crap out of us. We have both committed to do that if it is what it takes, but we are praying that God would provide us with a cheap or free place to live until the house sells…or a sale of the house that goes quickly and smoothly! Either would be great.
Also, I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon (3pm PST) for a second job. It sounds pretty much ideal. Could you just pray for me about that? It’d be so great to have my second job lines up so I can hit the ground running with both when I arrive the third week of November.
Thanks for reading the updates. I am doped up on Benadryl at the moment (got exposed to a cat today evidently), so I’m gonna go to bed.
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On the 18th of this month Leadership Journal’s blog featured an article entitled “
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