Grace's uncle Chris (my bro) gave her a Baby Einstein video for Christmas. We let her open it early...she'll have plenty of presents to open on Christmas. She was pretty excited about it, as you will see. Take note of her intermittent dance grooves (sans music), and listen carefully at the end.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Dinner for the Pseudo-bachelor
I'm on my own for a bit here because the wife and child (and forthcoming child) are in Montana. Lindsay gave me plenty of instructions regarding what I could eat while I'm here by myself.
I think she was afraid that if she didn't help me know what to eat I may have ended up eating peanut butter on bread, cheez-its, and peanut butter. Perhaps she was afraid I would starve to death.
I reminded her that I lived on my own for quite some time before we got married, albeit my diet was quite poor. But I still stayed alive and that has always been my main objective in eating.
So last night I had eggs for dinner, but not the kind of eggs you might expect a pseudo-bachelor to eat. I did not scramble eggs in the skillet or hard boil them in a pot. I went to Fuji Rice Time, a sushi restaurant, with some friends. I ate a roll of orange fish eggs topped with the raw yoke of a quail egg. I, my friends, am a pseudo-bachelor who eats only the finest fare.
Tonight I eat pizza. It's what we do.
I think she was afraid that if she didn't help me know what to eat I may have ended up eating peanut butter on bread, cheez-its, and peanut butter. Perhaps she was afraid I would starve to death.
I reminded her that I lived on my own for quite some time before we got married, albeit my diet was quite poor. But I still stayed alive and that has always been my main objective in eating.
So last night I had eggs for dinner, but not the kind of eggs you might expect a pseudo-bachelor to eat. I did not scramble eggs in the skillet or hard boil them in a pot. I went to Fuji Rice Time, a sushi restaurant, with some friends. I ate a roll of orange fish eggs topped with the raw yoke of a quail egg. I, my friends, am a pseudo-bachelor who eats only the finest fare.
Tonight I eat pizza. It's what we do.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Fake Giggles
Grace really likes laughing, so much that even when nothing is funny to her, she fake laughs, which makes us laugh, which makes her laugh for real. Of course, we then fake our laughter to try to get her to fake laugh, so that we can laugh for real. You follow?
You have to listen carefully. Try turning up your volume to be able to hear the extended running-out-of-breath, rapid-fire forced giggles.
You have to listen carefully. Try turning up your volume to be able to hear the extended running-out-of-breath, rapid-fire forced giggles.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Twistin' to Johnny Cash
Grace's first music video was shot at a pumpkin farm, where she delighted in the farm animals and generally running around as if her parents didn't exist. She's got some smooth rhythm.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Chinese Toy Recall
You may have seen in the news recently that there have been a lot of recalls on toys made in China. Stay informed because some of these things for kids are really dangerous.
Quotes from home
Here are a few things heard in our household, related to Grace:
"What do you have in your mouth?"
"Where is she?"
"No, no." (to which she replies, "No, no.")
"We don't climb on the dishwasher."
"How did she get that?"
"Did she poop or was that you?"
"I know she chewed the corn. How do the kernels come out whole?!"
"What do you have in your mouth?"
"Where is she?"
"No, no." (to which she replies, "No, no.")
"We don't climb on the dishwasher."
"How did she get that?"
"Did she poop or was that you?"
"I know she chewed the corn. How do the kernels come out whole?!"
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Happy 1st Birthday, Grace. Love, Mama
Dear Grace,Today is a momentous day… not because we did anything super special, but because it monuments such a precious thing… your first year of life. With your first year of life came our first year as parents. Wow. When I reflect on our first year together, I think ‘isn’t it amazing how God can make things in life the very most challenging yet the very best experiences of our lives all at the same time!?’ That is how I feel about having you. You’re my sweet little pea and I love you to pieces. Even though much of this year has been a blur due to sleep deprivation and the adjustment to the biggest life change I have ever experienced, it has been the sweetest year of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I cannot believe all the ways you have grown. When you were born it was all I could do to keep you awake long enough to eat. Now you have more energy than I can chase. You climb all over the furniture. You love playing “boo” on the couch. You dance to your dad’s beat boxing. You sing into your play microphone. You do funny things to make us laugh and you join in with your own laughter. You put random things on your head because you think it’s amusing. You love being in mama and dada’s arms, yet you also love to explore. You say “what’s that”, “dada”, “uh-oh” and “no”. You clap your hands. You assert your opinions. You bang on the office door when dada is working. And you give hugs… to any and everything you feel affection for… your stuffed animals, your mom and dad, your little friends and even your sippy cup sometimes. I thank God for you multiple times a day and I thank Him for the countless lessons I have learned and continue to learn through you. I have learned about dependence upon Him for strength, feeling utter helplessness, about my selfish heart and my tired body. I have learned about His love for me and about my own parents’ love for me. I have learned that I have more love in my heart than I ever could have imagined. So thank you, Gracie Grace, for teaching me these lessons and bringing me the purest joy I could ever fathom. I love you and am so happy to celebrate this day with you. Happy Birthday!
Love, Mama
Thursday, October 04, 2007
T-shirts and Worldviews
T-shirts can reveal significant things about the people wearing them. Recently I've seen some t-shirts with statements that reveal particular worldviews--presumably those of the ones wearing the t-shirt. "Worldview" may not quite be accurate in all cases but it some cases it comes close. I am embarrassed for the people who wear t-shirts such as (btw, these are real, folks):
"It's All About Me"; "I Am Awesome"; "I'm Kind of a Big Deal"
That's egotism.
How about this one: "Whiskey and Women...Nothing Else Matters"
That's hedonism. I might add that this t-shirt has on it a huge bottle of Jack Daniel's and a scantily clad sexpot. The guy who wears this t-shirt leads a very empty and sad life. I truly feel sorry for him.
On another note--the picture below is of a fellow I saw at an ice cream parlor on the Oregon Coast. He had a sweet mullet so I took a picture of him, without him knowing, of course. I erased his eyes with iPhoto so that he wouldn't be easily identifiable, in case he's a friend or relative of anyone among my vast readership. Though with that distinctive of a hairdo his identity would probably not remain hidden to those who know him. Appropriately, his t-shirt (not visible in this picture) had cartoonish drawings and statements about being a redneck. Better to be a proud redneck than an unabashed hedonist, though they're not necessarily mutually exclusive. Anyway, I used to have a mullet.
(I know. The eyeless redneck is kind of scary.)
"It's All About Me"; "I Am Awesome"; "I'm Kind of a Big Deal"
That's egotism.
How about this one: "Whiskey and Women...Nothing Else Matters"
That's hedonism. I might add that this t-shirt has on it a huge bottle of Jack Daniel's and a scantily clad sexpot. The guy who wears this t-shirt leads a very empty and sad life. I truly feel sorry for him.
On another note--the picture below is of a fellow I saw at an ice cream parlor on the Oregon Coast. He had a sweet mullet so I took a picture of him, without him knowing, of course. I erased his eyes with iPhoto so that he wouldn't be easily identifiable, in case he's a friend or relative of anyone among my vast readership. Though with that distinctive of a hairdo his identity would probably not remain hidden to those who know him. Appropriately, his t-shirt (not visible in this picture) had cartoonish drawings and statements about being a redneck. Better to be a proud redneck than an unabashed hedonist, though they're not necessarily mutually exclusive. Anyway, I used to have a mullet.
(I know. The eyeless redneck is kind of scary.)
Monday, September 17, 2007
ambassador for spiritual fad
I read an article entitled: Madonna: I'm an 'ambassador for Judaism'.
Here's an excerpt:
"Madonna, who was raised a Roman Catholic, has taken the Hebrew name Esther, and has been seen wearing a red thread on her wrist in a Jewish tradition to ward off the evil eye.
But her interest in Kabbalah in recent years has been criticized by Orthodox Jews, who say it is an abomination.
Other celebrities who flew in for the Kabbalah conference included movie star Demi Moore and her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, Rosie O'Donnell and fashion designer Donna Karan. Madonna came with her film director husband Guy Ritchie.
The Haaretz daily quoted Kutcher as telling a group of Israeli businessmen and entertainers on Saturday that Kabbalah had answered fundamental questions in his life and made him a better actor."
Kabbalah seems to be the latest spiritual fad, especially among the cultural elites of film, music, and television. Kabbalah's giving Scientology a run for its money. Seems that the way to go about religion these days is by popularity and pragmatism. Truth is passé. Go with whatever works for you and enhances your life the most. It's all a matter of personal preference right? Do you want cheez-its or pringles? You pick. Drive stick or automatic? You choose what you like. Kabbalah, Buddhism, Christianity, eastern mysticism, atheism? Just go with what works for you and helps you in life. I mean, if Kabbalah makes you a better actor, why not?
Here's an excerpt:
"Madonna, who was raised a Roman Catholic, has taken the Hebrew name Esther, and has been seen wearing a red thread on her wrist in a Jewish tradition to ward off the evil eye.
But her interest in Kabbalah in recent years has been criticized by Orthodox Jews, who say it is an abomination.
Other celebrities who flew in for the Kabbalah conference included movie star Demi Moore and her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, Rosie O'Donnell and fashion designer Donna Karan. Madonna came with her film director husband Guy Ritchie.
The Haaretz daily quoted Kutcher as telling a group of Israeli businessmen and entertainers on Saturday that Kabbalah had answered fundamental questions in his life and made him a better actor."
Kabbalah seems to be the latest spiritual fad, especially among the cultural elites of film, music, and television. Kabbalah's giving Scientology a run for its money. Seems that the way to go about religion these days is by popularity and pragmatism. Truth is passé. Go with whatever works for you and enhances your life the most. It's all a matter of personal preference right? Do you want cheez-its or pringles? You pick. Drive stick or automatic? You choose what you like. Kabbalah, Buddhism, Christianity, eastern mysticism, atheism? Just go with what works for you and helps you in life. I mean, if Kabbalah makes you a better actor, why not?
Friday, September 14, 2007
looks like a toddler
Grace is eleven months old now. It seems that in the past two months she's made the transition into toddlerhood. When you're shoveling dirt, when does a pile become a mound? I don't know. Same with the baby to toddler thing.
She's been walking for about a month now. She calls me "Dadad" and points at stuff and says, "W'ssat?" If you laugh, she often will laugh to copy. She makes faces because she likes when we laugh. She goes berserk when she sees dogs and cats because she loves them so much...she flails her limbs about in excitement and laughs. And she now enjoys dancing when I beat box, though she often loses her balance while bouncing. She is a funny, adorable kid. We get another one in about 4 months!
She's been walking for about a month now. She calls me "Dadad" and points at stuff and says, "W'ssat?" If you laugh, she often will laugh to copy. She makes faces because she likes when we laugh. She goes berserk when she sees dogs and cats because she loves them so much...she flails her limbs about in excitement and laughs. And she now enjoys dancing when I beat box, though she often loses her balance while bouncing. She is a funny, adorable kid. We get another one in about 4 months!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Avant-garde Comics
My friend Dan came up with his own comic strip. I forget the title. I think it's called "Grayson". Awhile back, Dan and I worked to create a number of different "episodes" (I don't know what to call them). He did all the drawings. Below are four separate ones. Each line is its own episode, unrelated to the others. They are a bit avant-garde, you might say. I don't know if people will find these funny. But we could not stop laughing.
As you may know, humor is derived from the incongruities in life. Something has to be incongruous enough, and incongruous in the right way, to be funny. But it is possible, I think, to push the incongruity envelope too far, and you lose all connections and slide into complete randomness, which then doesn't make any sense and isn't funny.
We tried to push the incongruity envelope to the edge--so far that some may think the humor is lost. But we think it's there. It's dangling on the edge. But it's there conceptually. If there's a common thread in them, it's that the outcome is opposite of what is expected (irony). I won't be offended, though, if you don't find these funny. But please, read them slowly, contemplate, pay particular attention to the facial expressions, and enjoy the humor derived from the incongruity.
(For awhile, when my friend Chris and I thought something was funny and we laughed, we'd say, "How incongruous!")
(The comics below are small and hard to read so I've typed out the dialog below by frame)
1: My dad can beat up your dad
2: No he can't
3: Yes he can
4: I know
1: Well, look who we have here.
2: Wait a minute...Who are you?
1: Would you PLEASE just get out of my life
3: I love you so much
1: Do you wanna get some corn?
2: No. Do you wanna get out of my face?
3: Corn?
As you may know, humor is derived from the incongruities in life. Something has to be incongruous enough, and incongruous in the right way, to be funny. But it is possible, I think, to push the incongruity envelope too far, and you lose all connections and slide into complete randomness, which then doesn't make any sense and isn't funny.
We tried to push the incongruity envelope to the edge--so far that some may think the humor is lost. But we think it's there. It's dangling on the edge. But it's there conceptually. If there's a common thread in them, it's that the outcome is opposite of what is expected (irony). I won't be offended, though, if you don't find these funny. But please, read them slowly, contemplate, pay particular attention to the facial expressions, and enjoy the humor derived from the incongruity.
(For awhile, when my friend Chris and I thought something was funny and we laughed, we'd say, "How incongruous!")
(The comics below are small and hard to read so I've typed out the dialog below by frame)
1: My dad can beat up your dad
2: No he can't
3: Yes he can
4: I know
1: Well, look who we have here.
2: Wait a minute...Who are you?
1: Would you PLEASE just get out of my life
3: I love you so much
1: Do you wanna get some corn?
2: No. Do you wanna get out of my face?
3: Corn?
Monday, August 27, 2007
And it's a...
I guess I was right about four readers. Dear Bethany, Nate, Chris, and Kim (and whoever else reads this but doesn't like to comment): We are having a girl!!!!!!!
I was going to post the ultrasound picture but I decided to just get on with the result and not mess with the pix. I'll post some of those later.
Crazy. Another daughter. Grace will be a big sister. Now we're workin' on a name. Our 10 year old niece Megan suggested "Bernice". Bernice Regan. It has a nice ring.
I was going to post the ultrasound picture but I decided to just get on with the result and not mess with the pix. I'll post some of those later.
Crazy. Another daughter. Grace will be a big sister. Now we're workin' on a name. Our 10 year old niece Megan suggested "Bernice". Bernice Regan. It has a nice ring.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
what's your guess?
Tomorrow Lindsay and I go for the ultrasound appointment. We'll find out whether Lindsay's been carrying a boy or a girl. For some reason, I'm more anxious to know with this baby than I was for the first one. People often ask me, "Do you have a feeling of what it is?" It's funny that we have "feelings" about it because frankly they're worthless. Now, I'll ask you a question that may sound similar, but really it's different:
What's your guess? Boy or girl? This is different from asking you what you think it's gonna be. I'm just asking you to guess. And we'll see who's right and wrong.
So, to my four or so faithful readers out there: boy or girl?
What's your guess? Boy or girl? This is different from asking you what you think it's gonna be. I'm just asking you to guess. And we'll see who's right and wrong.
So, to my four or so faithful readers out there: boy or girl?
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Enjoyable tidbits
July was a crazy, busy month, so, very little posting. Then we were in Montana for the beginning of August. What I've got for you today is an enjoyable sampling of pictures.
This is my brother-in-law, Scott.
This is Scott at an earlier, embarrassing time of his life, before he met my sister, Bonnie. She forced him to cut his hair, shave his mustache and chest, and give up the skin-tight leather pants. Fortunately, she was able to see the decent man under the machismo.
In Montana, we went on a four day hiking/camping trip in the mountains of Montana with Lindsay's family. Normally, I would just call it a backpacking trip, but we didn't carry our gear. Nine llamas did.
Lastly, Grace is now 10 months old. She's feeling pretty confident with her dexterity skills.
This is my brother-in-law, Scott.
This is Scott at an earlier, embarrassing time of his life, before he met my sister, Bonnie. She forced him to cut his hair, shave his mustache and chest, and give up the skin-tight leather pants. Fortunately, she was able to see the decent man under the machismo.
In Montana, we went on a four day hiking/camping trip in the mountains of Montana with Lindsay's family. Normally, I would just call it a backpacking trip, but we didn't carry our gear. Nine llamas did.
Lastly, Grace is now 10 months old. She's feeling pretty confident with her dexterity skills.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Family Vacation in San Jose & Lake Tahoe
I realize some of you won't appreciate looking at pictures of people you don't know. My advice then is ignore this post and look at pictures of people you do know. For the rest, these are photos from our vacation with my family in June. My sister Kathleen and brother Chris weren't able to be there, unfortunately. Lolo (Filipino for "grandfather") and Lola ("grandmother") met Grace for the first time. Lolo's gonna be 96 this August! Eating plenty of food and taking 14 naps a day keeps him going strong. Sydney, our 2 year old niece, thinks it's fun to dip in Tahoe's water sans pants. Like the baby seals, she has a protective layer of baby-chub to keep her warm.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
How Deep the Father's Love
A couple of weeks ago, on Father's Day, I preached on 1 John 3:1a: "Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God's children. And we are!"
During the worship time preceding the sermon, we sang "How Deep the Father's Love". It doesn't happen to me often while singing worship songs, but as we sang this song--a song which captures the heart of the very verse I had been studying, praying about, and preparing to preach--I wept. I think they are some of the most beautiful and wonderful words I have ever heard in song. They are because the Father's love, given in Jesus Christ, is beautiful and wonderful beyond all comprehension.
Please read the lyrics slowly. They are even more beautiful when set to the melody.
How Deep the Father's Love
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
During the worship time preceding the sermon, we sang "How Deep the Father's Love". It doesn't happen to me often while singing worship songs, but as we sang this song--a song which captures the heart of the very verse I had been studying, praying about, and preparing to preach--I wept. I think they are some of the most beautiful and wonderful words I have ever heard in song. They are because the Father's love, given in Jesus Christ, is beautiful and wonderful beyond all comprehension.
Please read the lyrics slowly. They are even more beautiful when set to the melody.
How Deep the Father's Love
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Monday, June 04, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
non-creative, non-humorous post
Life is busy my friends. Rarely do I write anything, I've realized, other than captions to ridiculous photos, mostly. I have friends who have blogs. Some of them post entries about once every two months. Lame. You know who you are.
But I've been guilty of some long stretches too, which probably means I don't really have any good stuff to post...perhaps I do, just not the time or energy to do it. Once I get my pictures all sorted on our new computer, and figure out how to upload new ones (it's easy I'm sure), I'll be up and running. Then you can enjoy more content-less yet humorous (hopefully) posts.
Once I get done with seminary in 10 years I'm gonna be writing a junkload of seriously deep, moving, life-transforming, spiritual stuff. In the meanwhile, I'll just have to post pictures of stuff like fat, bulbous faces. It's the next best thing.
But I've been guilty of some long stretches too, which probably means I don't really have any good stuff to post...perhaps I do, just not the time or energy to do it. Once I get my pictures all sorted on our new computer, and figure out how to upload new ones (it's easy I'm sure), I'll be up and running. Then you can enjoy more content-less yet humorous (hopefully) posts.
Once I get done with seminary in 10 years I'm gonna be writing a junkload of seriously deep, moving, life-transforming, spiritual stuff. In the meanwhile, I'll just have to post pictures of stuff like fat, bulbous faces. It's the next best thing.
Friday, May 04, 2007
A Whole New World
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over sideways and under
On a magic tree swing ride
A whole new world...
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
One Tough 6 Year Old
I don't mean to brag, but when I was in first grade I was pretty dang hardcore. Note the object tucked behind my belt in my school photo.(Sorry the picture's so small. It's the best I could do.)
Ok, ok. It's a switchcomb, not a switchblade. I wasn't allowed to bring the switchcomb to school, for obvious reasons, but I snuck it to school on picture day and shoved it in my belt just before the photographer snapped the shot. When I brought the proofs home a few weeks later my mom was horrified that her 6 year old son would do such a thing. She was embarrassed, but I was proud. I guess I've always been hardcore.
Friday, March 23, 2007
More Squash, please!
This is Grace eating solid food for the first time. She loved it...was even lunging for it.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
New Pictures of Grace
The first seven pictures were taken last weekend at the state capitol.
Grace asleep with her bottom in the air
Grace asleep with her face in the bear's bottom
Grace asleep with her bottom in the air
Grace asleep with her face in the bear's bottom
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Lil' Jo Rappah
This is Josiah, the son of our friends Jeff and Tammy. He is a rapper at 4 years old. He spits rhymes by the bakerz dozen. Betta watch out, don't get the flu, cousin!!!
Monday, March 05, 2007
Wailing at the Tomb
This piece was written by Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason:
The documentary “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” hadn’t even aired yet and many Christians were already in a panic. Just the suggestion that someone found Jesus’ bones in a limestone box had believers by the droves shaking their fists or sticking their heads in the sand in a don’t-confuse-me-with-the-facts posture.
Apparently, many Christians don’t even need to see the evidence to pass judgment. When one Evangelical web site polled its visitors with the question, “Do you believe the ‘Tomb of Jesus' documentary, which denies the resurrection of Christ?” 97% said no. This was three days before the documentary even aired. Blind faith is so convenient, isn’t it? You never have to actually confront your critics.
Then there’s the bullies. One media watchdog demanded Discovery “cancel this slanderous ‘documentary.’” Another prominent Evangelical organization composed this letter for their constituents to hammer Discovery with:
"I resent the Discovery Channel's attempt to demean and belittle Christianity by saying it is based on a lie. It is hard for me to believe that The Discovery Channel would dare do such a 'documentary' on any other religion.
"It may turn out that you have done Christianity a favor by awakening millions of Christians to your anti-Christian bias and bigotry. Perhaps they will no longer stay silent."
This kind of bullying is profoundly embarrassing to me, a follower of Christ, and should be discomfiting to every thoughtful Christian. It is not only a dismal retreat from a legitimate challenge that must be answered; it’s obscurantist.
Look, if the Bible says it and you believe it, that might settle it for you, but it doesn’t settle it for millions who might be interested in your ideas and are waiting to hear a thoughtful response to what appears on the surface to be a fair challenge.
There are good reasons to doubt the conclusions of this documentary, but no one will ever know them if Christians pull up the drawbridge and bellow from the parapet. Having seen the documentary, here are some problems that quickly come to mind:
*
Scholars have known about these tombs for over 25 years. There’s a reason they haven’t taken these names seriously. Only three have any direct biblical significance: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. And that cluster of names is statistically unremarkable. In fact, it would be odd if a family with those three names was not found in a tomb together, given their common use (there are at least four ossuaries discovered inscribed “Jesus, son of Joseph,” and one in four women were named Mary, so it’s even money that one of these tombs would have that combination). And connection of Jesus to any of the other names? Wild speculation. So what you have here is a creative guessing game.
*
The entire argument is based on the statistical significance of the names in a cluster. If Jesus was married, and if Jesus was married to a woman named Mariamne, and if Mariamne was also a nickname for Mary Magdalene, and if Jesus had a brother named Matthew, and if Jesus had a son named Judas, and if the now-famous James ossuary belonged to James the brother of Jesus, then you’d have all the members of Jesus’ family together in one tomb. But that’s a lot of “ifs.
*
Even though this is called the “Jesus Family Tomb,” there is no hard evidence that any of these so-called “family members” is even related. The only DNA testing that’s been done—between Jesus and Mariamne—came up negative. Let me repeat that: The DNA test came up negative. That is fact. The rest is speculation.
*
The documentary claims, “Jesus and Mary were married, as the DNA evidence suggests.” This is nonsense. Think about it. How can DNA evidence suggest someone is married? DNA can’t “suggest” anything about legal relationships, only biological ones. In this case, the DNA evidence showed Jesus and Mary were not related by a mother, not that they were husband and wife. The truth is, she could have been married to any one of the males in the tomb, or to none of them for that matter. The DNA “suggests” nothing.
*
The researchers claim they’re just trying to connect the dots? Fair enough. But why connect the dots the way they did? I’ll tell you why. Because it tells their story. There are many other legitimate ways to connect those same dots—some much more probable than the way the documentary connects them, but won’t give the story they’re promoting. But, of course, that wouldn’t create breaking news, would it?
*
Jesus’ family was a poor family from Nazareth, not a middle- to upper-class family from Jerusalem. So this tomb is the wrong kind of tomb located in the wrong city.
*
The documentary claims Jesus spoke in codes. This is false. Jesus spoke in parables, like many of the teachers of His day, not in codes that needed to be deciphered. They say Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ most trusted apostle. But you have to wait 400 years before this evidence pops up in any alleged historical record. They said that Jesus’ family members were executed because He was a pretender to throne of Israel. This is pure fiction. Notice what this accomplishes, though. All of these little exaggerations and inaccuracies make an unlikely tale sound more plausible when, on its own unembellished merits, it is not.
*
What we have here are two different characterizations of what happened to the body of Jesus of Nazareth 2,000 years ago. One is based on artifacts—the ossuaries—and one is based on documents—the historical records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and Paul. Now granted, these kinds of things are not entirely exact science, but all things being equal, which do you think gives us more precise information, bone boxes or written records? The written records, obviously.
*
The claim of Jesus’ resurrection, was part of the earliest, most primitive testimony regarding Jesus. And it was made by those very same people that the documentary suggests knew Jesus’ bones were actually secretly buried in Jerusalem. Why would so many of them die for this lie when they knew it was a lie? It doesn’t add up. But that’s what you must believe if you take seriously the conclusions of this documentary.
If Christianity stands or falls on the historical fact of Jesus’ resurrection, as the Apostle Paul said, then Christ’s followers have no liberty to retreat behind blind faith or hide behind an angry scowl.
No, if you’re a Christian you shouldn’t run, whine, scream, or have a religious tantrum. Instead, you should be thanking the Discovery Channel for giving you the chance to step up to the plate and knock this soft ball out of the park.
The documentary “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” hadn’t even aired yet and many Christians were already in a panic. Just the suggestion that someone found Jesus’ bones in a limestone box had believers by the droves shaking their fists or sticking their heads in the sand in a don’t-confuse-me-with-the-facts posture.
Apparently, many Christians don’t even need to see the evidence to pass judgment. When one Evangelical web site polled its visitors with the question, “Do you believe the ‘Tomb of Jesus' documentary, which denies the resurrection of Christ?” 97% said no. This was three days before the documentary even aired. Blind faith is so convenient, isn’t it? You never have to actually confront your critics.
Then there’s the bullies. One media watchdog demanded Discovery “cancel this slanderous ‘documentary.’” Another prominent Evangelical organization composed this letter for their constituents to hammer Discovery with:
"I resent the Discovery Channel's attempt to demean and belittle Christianity by saying it is based on a lie. It is hard for me to believe that The Discovery Channel would dare do such a 'documentary' on any other religion.
"It may turn out that you have done Christianity a favor by awakening millions of Christians to your anti-Christian bias and bigotry. Perhaps they will no longer stay silent."
This kind of bullying is profoundly embarrassing to me, a follower of Christ, and should be discomfiting to every thoughtful Christian. It is not only a dismal retreat from a legitimate challenge that must be answered; it’s obscurantist.
Look, if the Bible says it and you believe it, that might settle it for you, but it doesn’t settle it for millions who might be interested in your ideas and are waiting to hear a thoughtful response to what appears on the surface to be a fair challenge.
There are good reasons to doubt the conclusions of this documentary, but no one will ever know them if Christians pull up the drawbridge and bellow from the parapet. Having seen the documentary, here are some problems that quickly come to mind:
*
Scholars have known about these tombs for over 25 years. There’s a reason they haven’t taken these names seriously. Only three have any direct biblical significance: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. And that cluster of names is statistically unremarkable. In fact, it would be odd if a family with those three names was not found in a tomb together, given their common use (there are at least four ossuaries discovered inscribed “Jesus, son of Joseph,” and one in four women were named Mary, so it’s even money that one of these tombs would have that combination). And connection of Jesus to any of the other names? Wild speculation. So what you have here is a creative guessing game.
*
The entire argument is based on the statistical significance of the names in a cluster. If Jesus was married, and if Jesus was married to a woman named Mariamne, and if Mariamne was also a nickname for Mary Magdalene, and if Jesus had a brother named Matthew, and if Jesus had a son named Judas, and if the now-famous James ossuary belonged to James the brother of Jesus, then you’d have all the members of Jesus’ family together in one tomb. But that’s a lot of “ifs.
*
Even though this is called the “Jesus Family Tomb,” there is no hard evidence that any of these so-called “family members” is even related. The only DNA testing that’s been done—between Jesus and Mariamne—came up negative. Let me repeat that: The DNA test came up negative. That is fact. The rest is speculation.
*
The documentary claims, “Jesus and Mary were married, as the DNA evidence suggests.” This is nonsense. Think about it. How can DNA evidence suggest someone is married? DNA can’t “suggest” anything about legal relationships, only biological ones. In this case, the DNA evidence showed Jesus and Mary were not related by a mother, not that they were husband and wife. The truth is, she could have been married to any one of the males in the tomb, or to none of them for that matter. The DNA “suggests” nothing.
*
The researchers claim they’re just trying to connect the dots? Fair enough. But why connect the dots the way they did? I’ll tell you why. Because it tells their story. There are many other legitimate ways to connect those same dots—some much more probable than the way the documentary connects them, but won’t give the story they’re promoting. But, of course, that wouldn’t create breaking news, would it?
*
Jesus’ family was a poor family from Nazareth, not a middle- to upper-class family from Jerusalem. So this tomb is the wrong kind of tomb located in the wrong city.
*
The documentary claims Jesus spoke in codes. This is false. Jesus spoke in parables, like many of the teachers of His day, not in codes that needed to be deciphered. They say Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ most trusted apostle. But you have to wait 400 years before this evidence pops up in any alleged historical record. They said that Jesus’ family members were executed because He was a pretender to throne of Israel. This is pure fiction. Notice what this accomplishes, though. All of these little exaggerations and inaccuracies make an unlikely tale sound more plausible when, on its own unembellished merits, it is not.
*
What we have here are two different characterizations of what happened to the body of Jesus of Nazareth 2,000 years ago. One is based on artifacts—the ossuaries—and one is based on documents—the historical records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and Paul. Now granted, these kinds of things are not entirely exact science, but all things being equal, which do you think gives us more precise information, bone boxes or written records? The written records, obviously.
*
The claim of Jesus’ resurrection, was part of the earliest, most primitive testimony regarding Jesus. And it was made by those very same people that the documentary suggests knew Jesus’ bones were actually secretly buried in Jerusalem. Why would so many of them die for this lie when they knew it was a lie? It doesn’t add up. But that’s what you must believe if you take seriously the conclusions of this documentary.
If Christianity stands or falls on the historical fact of Jesus’ resurrection, as the Apostle Paul said, then Christ’s followers have no liberty to retreat behind blind faith or hide behind an angry scowl.
No, if you’re a Christian you shouldn’t run, whine, scream, or have a religious tantrum. Instead, you should be thanking the Discovery Channel for giving you the chance to step up to the plate and knock this soft ball out of the park.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
WWWWHHHHYYYYY?!!!!! TELL ME WHY!!!!!!
Perhaps you are speechless? I know I was when I first saw this poor child. He is too young to comprehend the social implications of the mullet....the Mississippi Mud Flap, the Wisconsin Waterfall, the Tennessee Tail, the North Carolina Neck Warmer, the Alabama Shag, the Nashville Bi-level, the Beaver Paddle, the El Camino Head Rest, the 10-90, the Camero Crash Helmet, the Achy Breaky Big Mistakey.(Aside: I discreetly took these photos myself.)
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