Homework

Carmen has me doing some homework. I'm trying to finish the informative and insightful book by my friend, Lou Markos (From Achilles to Christ) and work my way through a new critique of "The New Atheists" by David Aikman (The Delusion of Disbelief). That seems like enough. But then Carmen comes in this morning having spent time Easter weekend watching Oprah's Big Give and talking with a friend about Oprah's increasing role in women's lives as guru and priestess. Carmen feels a personal responsibility to respond as a Christian woman with a public platform. I'm all for it. But until today, I didn't know much about Oprah's role in promoting ideas, books and personalities best described as sources for learning New Age spirituality. Thus, the work begins.

Since we are talking about it this week, I spent much of the day Monday getting up to speed on Oprah, her spiritual advisors and influences, Marianne Williamson, the XM radio daily "devotion" in A Course in Miracles, etc. I'm tired now, and I need to go to bed. I'll try to find time to keep up my philosophy studies and develop course ideas for the intellectual history of Christianity (important, not urgent stuff). I'll try to squeeze in book three in the Pullman trilogy, and I'll keep researching Oprah so I can be a good depth commentator when Carmen needs one. Hopefully, the effort will be worth it: to help people discern without bashing, so they can reply to friends and family with skill, gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

Has it Come to This?

Okay, I give.

Having posted NEW STUFF here, consisting of:

1. "Word of the Day" from Dictionary.com (right column);
2. "Philosophy Ramblings" from Britannica.com (bottom);
3. Audio / Video, mostly to make my lectures available (right),

I feel like I at least owe it to my listeners / readers to go all the way, making a complete whitenerd-fool of myself. So I posted the infamous "Bill Boomin'" video. tobyMac will be horrified. So will my mother (God rest her soul).

Have you ever had one of those moments where you just went with the flow, let down your hair, etc. only to have it immortalized and mass-distributed? I now know what it feels like to be one of those poor saps on America's Funniest Home Videos (and lose to a kitten). Ugh.

On the other hand, there is a kind of perverse pleasure in knowing just how shocked and mindblown my children, grandchildren and former professors will be when they see this. May my foolishness be ultimately redeemed as a counterpoint to the serious tone often set by this overly Presbyterian father. Rock on (Colossians 3:23)!

Footnote on Sara Groves

Thanks for all the great comments on my previous post on Sara Groves' music. Here are a couple of highlights:

From Linda: what am I doing for Jesus? I only get one life ... we all have a specific purpose ... what if I miss mine? Or have I missed something already? This is all causing much introspection and re-evaluation of where I am headed and what I am being called to do ...

From Beth: I am speechless. I heard the song on the radio this morning and the interview with Sarah, but the faces of those children in the video are what captured me. In 2006 my husband and I adopted three siblings, through the state. I can see their faces and their pain in the faces of those children. Makes me want to go to Rwanda and bring home 10 more.

From Anonymous: I am going through a heart-wrenching struggle with an upcoming divorce and the hurt and anger that I feel has been overshadowing my hope that the Lord can use this to make me stronger and allow me to minister to others. Thank you for bringing out the meaning of this song for me.

These moving comments are a pretty good illustration of why I wanted to share Sara's record in the first place. So, here are a couple of extras links for you:

- Hear more Sara Groves on mySpace music.
- Listen to this blog-exclusive excerpt from our radio interview. (Sara talks about "spiritual buffalos.")
- Link to our audio highlights from The Morning Cruise.
- Buy the CD or DVD, Tell Me What You Know. Buy the record - you can't experience the whole thing with a download.

Last note: Other than "I Saw What I Saw," my favorite songs from Tell Me What You Know will probably never be heard on radio (that's just the nature of the beast):

Track 6 - "Honesty"
Track 7 - "Abstraction"