140 Words Or Less

The wires snake out of the house and onto the street where people surround the pile of adapters like Eskimos around a campfire in February.  I don’t know if these people know the home owner but in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, it really doesn’t matter. Even in an independent minded city like New York, people are banding together. The Fright Factory, a “house of horrors” in Niagara Falls, has created a sensation with its Flickr account featuring “reaction shots” of people encountering the most frightening portion of their journey.  The results are both hilarious and telling. What struck me about these photos is that no one stands this close in public.  Ever.  We may act like we don’t need anyone but when the lights go out and things get messy, instinctively we reach for each other. Word Count :137

Peyton Manning is facing a 3rd and 4.  It's typical Manning, pointing, waving, shouting, flapping his arms, doing that little leg kick of his. He's surveying the defence, identifying the coverage, figuring out where the pressure will come from.  A gifted athlete, what truly sets Manning apart is the combination of a brilliant mind and a legendary dedication to film study that allows him to consistently identify defenses in advance and counteract them. Peyton Manning has made a career of being so prepared that nothing ever comes as a surprise.  Tonight, Manning sees the defence playing back, guarding against the pass.  He audibles into a running play, hands the ball off to his runninng back who, instead of running for the easy first down, fumbles the ball.  For a moment, even Peyton Manning looks like he didn't see that coming. Word Count : 140

I’ve been wrestling with my faith for a while.  Things that were once black and white are now less so.  Worship services have been hard for me during this journey because their relentless positivity stands in contrast to the internal struggle I’ve been experiencing. Apparently I’m not the only person who has noticed this. Approximately 70 percent of the Psalms are laments. Approximately 0 percent of the top 150 CCLI songs are laments (songs sung in churches) — Gungor (@gungormusic) June 28, 2012 I have found little in church worship that reflects the Psalmists cry of "How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13), “My eyes grow weak with sorrow” (Psalm 6) or “You have put me in the lowest pit” (Psalm 88). Instead I hear this: I believe the Bible teaches us that worship must include declarations of the greatness, love and incredible goodness of God.  I also believe it teaches that God's OK if sometimes our worship sounds like this (fair warn...

I haven't posted a blog in about 10 months because I've felt like I’ve had nothing to say.  I go to write and feel like none of my ideas are original or interesting enough to serve as the building blocks of a decent post (also, I’m lazy).   However, I was recently reminded that there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, yet people have used those letters to create this: And this: And this: There are only 12 different musical notes, yet people have used those notes to create this: and this:  and yes, this:  There are only 3 primary colors yet people have used those colors to create this  and this:  and this:    There was nothing and God created this:  And this:  And this: Sometimes you don’t have to start with a lot, you just have to start.   Word Count: 139

The phrase “peace on earth” is used a lot during the Christmas season.  Like John Lennon dreaming of the day when “War is Over” or Bing Crosby  longing for the respite of a “White Christmas”, the season stirs in us a desire for a respite from the craziness of life.  This year, the longing for “peace” rings especially true as 2011 was undoubtedly the craziest, most unexpected year of our lives.   Many times I wished  for “peace”, a moment when everything would slow down and life would start unfolding according to plan.  It hasn’t happened yet  but I am reminded that Jesus, the prophesied “Prince of Peace”, was born in the chaos of a barn, to stressed out parents in a world of political upheaval.  Peace, it seems, is not a respite from circumstances, but a comfort within them.   Word Count: 139 Words

The first time I heard "The Adventure" was while riding in a friend's car in 2006.  Back then we used these things called "cd's" which were kind of like thin plastic donuts that played music when attacked by a laser.  I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times since that day but it wasn’t until this morning that I realized that Tom Delonge had somehow written more than just a great rock anthem.  Whether he intended to or not, the guy who streaked butt naked through the "All The Small Things Video" and titled an album "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" somehow managed to write perhaps the best worship song of the last five years.  

“Last Friday Night” by Katy Perry may be the quintessential Top 40 radio song.  A gem of a pop song, it describes a wild night of ecstasy, inevitably summed up by a Facebook post along the lines of “OMG! BEST NIGHT EVER!!!!!”.  This is the fantasy of pop music; the right recipe of drinks, beats and hookups will produce a transcendent moment that makes life worthwhile.  Eventually Monday arrives and reveals that Friday was merely an escape, changing little and leaving us craving the arrival of the next life-altering moment.  Friday, it turns out, was nothing but an artificial emotional experience constructed out of hype, music,  diluted judgement, raging hormones and the anonymity of a crowd.  The appeal to impressionable young people hungry for meaning in their lives is obvious.  Any resemblance to a church youth convention is purely coincidental.   Word Count: 140 words