A research project at the MIT Media Lab has a plan for getting $100 laptops in the hands of millions of people around the world. One notable feature is a hand crank for providing power in places where electricity is undependable or unavailable. Read the C/Net article.
Credit: MIT Media Lab
This is Mark Driscoll, senior pastor of Mars Hill Church. He's a strong "D" personality with a somewhat cocky demeanor. Fruit just seems to fall effortlessly wherever this guy focuses his attention. In 9 years his church has grown from a small bible study to a thriving mega-church of over 4000.
But it hasn't been easy. Pastors go through a tremendous amount of pruning if they are honestly pursuing the call of God on their life. Especially the hard headed ones. Driscoll writes openly about the painful experiences he and some of his members have undergone recently in an encouraging Seattle Times article.
Nickel Creek, a band being catogorized by many as "New Grass" ( i.e. alternative blue grass) is worth a listen. This is a very special trio with a strong live act. Edgy. Beautiful. Amazingly skilled yet light and fun. Check out their new CD.
(HT: SM)
The Seattle Seahawks played much better football this week, albeit against possibly the worst team in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals.
I wrote a harsh criticism last week regarding the lack of Seahawk intensity last week, especially on the part of Matt Hasselbeck. This week revealed a new and improved quarterback with a williness to play four quarters. Seattle would win 37-12 with Shaun Alexander rushing for 4 TDs.
Hi. Satan here. Not real excited about this movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Don't get me wrong: critically speaking it has a lot to offer. I'm just not a big fan of the genre. Movies like this have had a less than desirable impact on my public image.
You see, I like keeping a low profile. Sure, I get a kick out of churches' paranoia regarding my activity:( i.e. looking for "demons in doorknobs" and such! ) But I would much rather stay off the radar - thank you very much.
If you just HAVE to learn more about "Emily" you might listen to this thoughtful critique by Pastor James Harleman of Mars Hill.
At the end of 2004 our church, GHC, went through the 40 Days of Purpose campaign designed by Rick Warren of Saddleback. It was a great time of discipleship.
Unfortunately our pastor, Doug Sherman, had a little "incident" with the law (i.e. Up way past his bed time!) and was detained while the congregation enjoyed the presence of God! Our family had a great time putting this video together.
Yesterday's Reuters article covering the upcoming (Monday) Dover High School "evolution vs. intelligent design" trial provoked me to revisit the subject. I found an interesting 26 minute debate filmed 01-14-05 for a Hoover Institution program called Uncommon Knowledge. On the show Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York at Stony Brook and Jonathan Wells, Senior Fellow, Center for Science and Culture, Discovery Institute (Seattle!) share differing views on the definition of science and the topic of origin. Click here to watch.
I just finished watching a fantastically odd yet beautiful German flick. It's about a newly retired miner who happens to play a mean accordion. PG. I highly recommend it with one important disclaimer: Rent it with an open mind. It's not your typical, fast-paced American cinema fair. If you're like me, however, this charmer will grab your heart. Authentic performances and rarely explored themes make it a winner. Watch the trailer!
The auto industry is definitely in a state of flux right now as the value of gas guzzling SUVs and work trucks continues to plumit while commuter cars such as the 2006 Honda Civic are in huge demand. Even hybrids, once recently viewed a poor value, aren't looking too bad. For a creative alternative try this.
Matt Hasselbeck and the Seattle Seahawks had a tremendous first half Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Both defenses refused to give up points in the first quarter. But before halftime Seattle would score 3X on touchdown drives of 75, 68 and 80 yards. 21-0. Game over, right?
Hasselbeck has yet to learn how to put teams away. I'm not basing this critique on one football game. The NFL is packed with fiercly competitive players. No team is going to simply lie down and take a beating. Seattle fans should have expected a second half surge from Michael Vick. But Matt's weakness under pressure has surfaced consistently in Seattle.
Remember the heartbreaker that was last years 33-27 OT loss to the St Louis Rams? The Seahawks were up by 17 with 8:42 left to play. What happened? I'll tell you what happened. They collapsed. The team lacked leadership, backbone. Mike Holmgren, head coach and offensive coordinator, must have called "fetal formation" at the line of scrimage. They played conservative. They got cute. They lost and never recovered in 2004.
On Sunday the outcome was much more positive, a 21-18 victory! Had Vick, the Falcon's quarterback, not injured himself on a long fourth quarter run, we may well have lost this one too. A great lesson in leadership.
I'm thankful for these guys. A blue collar road band. No short cuts. 100% grace. 100% work. Rock stars work hard for the money. We obviously can't read their hearts but Switchfoot's lyrics clearly testify of an encounter with the redeemer.
I subscribe to an awesome internet service called Rhapsody. For $10 a month I can listen to almost anything in the world of music... immediately. "Nothing is Sound," Switchfoot's new album, is amazingly ranked #4 after only 3 days. Not #4 in Christian charts. #4 overall! Their best CD yet. Their music video for "Stars" is a lot of fun.
Watch this video of John Robert's impressive opening remarks at his confirmation hearing for US Supreme Court Chief Justice. I'm looking forward to watching over the next few days!
Cost: FREE!!!
Artists: Newsboys, Rebeccah St. James, Salvador, Kutless, and MORE!
For Kids: VeggieTales, face painting!
For Youth: "Livin It" Skateboard/BMX demo w/ Stephen Baldwin!
Evangelist: Jose Zayas
Gray (see previous post) is the visionary behind the Central Washington Festival. He and Esther shared with us at dinner that the CWF budget was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Wow! They've been planning this event with Wenatchee area church leaders for over 3 years. All Michael asks is that we bring our unsaved friends and relatives with us. This is an OUTREACH event. Let's spread the word!
UPDATE: 09-13-05
There will be a special councelor training meeting in Moses Lake for those with a desire to serve in this vital capacity at the festival. This special training is open to all Moses Lake Christians and will be held:
Thursday, September 22nd from 7:00 - 8:45
New Beginning Christian Church (Pastor Skip Bennett) (509)766-2255
318 Northshore Dr. Moses Lake
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "How do you reach this level of popularity in my world?" It's really quite easy: Buy a car from me. Period. That will move you up "James Paul's Top 1000 People" list faster than an s2000 weaving down the pacific coast on Hwy 101.
His name is Michael Gray, Outreach Pastor for Wenatchee Free Methodist Church in Wenatchee, WA. Friday morning he calls to negotiate a deal on a new Accord. He beat me up so bad on the phone I would have never guessed he was a Christian, let alone a pastor! (just kidding, Michael!)
After he and his gracious wife, Esther, took delivery Friday evening (he was no match for my super-human sales skills and psycho-analytical powers!) we had dinner together at a quaint Mexican food restaurant, Tacos El Mexicano. But wait. The story gets much better. Stay tuned...
Acts 2:1 "...they were all in one accord in one place." Amen. My odyssey as a post-modern, civic-minded Christian salesman has brought me to a missional ridgeline. An impending church revolution vortex (or CRV) is about to hit North America. Let me introduce you to The Temple of VTEC!
end: shameless plug
Switchfoot is one of our family's favorite bands. Their new CD, Nothing is Sound, will be released next Tuesday. Today the boys put a media player on their website, www.switchfoot.com. It plays clips of all the new songs. Also check out the "12 days of Switchfoot" feature, a countdown journal telling the story of each song as well as painting a philosophical backdrop for the CD.
Almost four years ago emergency planners were expressing growing concern for the coastal areas of Louisianna, Mississippi and Alabama. A Popular Mechanics article called it a "foregone conclusion that the Big Easy someday will be hit by a scouring storm surge" producing a "staggering amount of damage." Amazingly, the story was published on September 11, 2001.
I found Pastor Rick McKinley's recent Acts 29 article entitled "Leading the Calling and Conversion of Your Core Group" extremely helpful. I was convicted and encouraged by his treatment of how to deal with complacency in the church. He borrows key principals from John P. Kotter's business book, "Leading Change." Here are the key causes of complacency:
1. The Absence of a Major Visible Crisis
2. Too Many Visible Resources
3. Low Overall Performance Standards
4. Internal Measurement Systems that Focus on the Wrong Indexes
5. Human Nature's Capacity for Denial
Christ-follower, husband, father and pastor, awkwardly dancing to the unforced rhythms of grace.
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