Odds and Ends
January 4th, 2007 | by Scott |My blogging schedule will return to normal on Tuesday when I return to the office full-time. I’m on vacation this week and I am trying to use as much of that time as possible planning sermon and class schedules for the summer and the fall.
It’s not going as well as I would like.
It’s difficult to plan for the future when my current theological underpinnings are being so challenged. Right now, I am leaning toward focusing on relationships in the fall. If we aren’t loving people then we aren’t loving God, right?
In the meantime, here are some scattered thoughts:
–Always great to see Notre Dame lose a bowl game.
–Can we acknowledge that Brady Quinn is just the latest product of the Notre Dame hype machine? He’ll be as great a pro QB as Ron Powlus.
–On that note, it would be fitting for him to drop down to #2 in the draft (Kiper has him #1 at this point). If the Detroit Lions are going to insist on continuing to allow Matt Millen to destroy this team, then they truly deserve Quinn.
–There are no safe picks for the Super Bowl. It’s wide open. I’m pulling for a Chargers/Saints finale.
–If you aren’t watching Beauty and the Geek on the CW then find a replay of last night’s season 3 premiere. It continues to be a top notch reality show that transcends the genre and displays heart and the goodness of people rather than banking on humiliation and cut-throat competition.
–I’ve seen several good movies in the last few weeks in preparation for my Oscar predictions coming up. Right now, I’m hoping for nominations for Little Miss Sunshine and Sacha Baron Cohen.
–On a related note: Am I the only one who did not like either United 93 or World Trade Center?
–Is it just because the Razorbacks are no longer powerhouses? Or have I truly lost the love for basketball?
–I hope to blog soon about books that I have read recently but for now let me recommend three: Gregory MacDonald’s The Evangelical Universalist, David Kuo’s Tempting Faith, and Cormac Mccarthy’s The Road. All of them are tremendous reads.
–I gave Josh Ritter’s The Animal Years the number one slot on my list of best CD’s of 2006. Here is another video from the album. This one is called Lillian, Egypt:
20 Responses to “Odds and Ends”
By KS on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Do think ND is terrible. However, as a dolphin fan I’d take either him or Russell from LSU as a QB. I think Brady will be a great NFL QB.
By Scott on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
I think he will be a bust.
By Jason Bybee on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
I seem to remember a couple of Joes (Montana and Theismann) who QBed at ND that turned out OK in the pros.
Quinn will be fine. But no way does he become a Lion. Millen will take yet another WR in the first round.
I love McCarthy and I thought about picking up a copy of The Road the other day. Pretty good?
Ritter’s album is definitely good stuff.
By Scott on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Jason, I never said there weren’t any good QB’s to come out of ND. I just don’t think Quinn is going to be one of them.
The Road was incredible. I read it in one night.
By Chris Campbell on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Dude - ANY time Notre Dame loses is a great day!!! The only thing that would’ve made the Bowl Season complete would’ve been watching Iowa defeat Texas!
By justin on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
I’m reading “If Grace is True Why God will Save Everyone” right now. Its been pretty good so far.
I’m pretty firmly ensconched in the universalist camp though. Arminianism and Calvinism don’t make sense anymore.
By Scott on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Chris, you would root against Lokey? How could you?
Justin, I read “If Grace is True” but thought it was pretty horrible. It completely emptied the cross of its salvific power.I detest Calvinism, and like Arminianism less and less. Check out the MacDonald book.
By greg on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Or have I truly lost the love for basketball?
Seek help immediately!
By justin on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Like I said, I’m only a third of the way through it. So far I think there are some positive questions raised in the book.
So are you saying that “if grace is true” basically says there’s really not a reason for the Cross? Cause I wouldn’t agree with that. I would say the cross is the reason that everyone can be brough back to Christ. I would say so far that the best things I’ve gotten out of ‘if grace is true’ is the glaring contradictions that he shows in calvinism and arminianism.
I’ll have to pick up the book you’re reading.
Maybe you could do a series on christian universalism… or at least one on why you don’t agree with calvinism and arminianism.
Shoot, maybe I should do that. I’d need to read more and be prepared to be flamed… but you know, that’s thefun part of blogging isn’t it?
By scott on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Yeah, “If Grace is True” goes off the rails pretty rapidly. Maybe Jeff will comment, cause he has read it as well.
I would really like to talk about some of the issues raised in MacDonald’s book and “The Inescapable Love of God” by Thomas Talbott that I am reading now. But I don’t know if it could be productive.
Ultimately, I see that we have vastly underestimated the love of God.
By Jonathan on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Book recommendations for 2006 from The Week magazine are here.
“The Road” is at the top. I haven’t read it yet, but I too have enjoyed Cormac in the past.
I’ve been trying to mooch “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” for a while, to no avail.
By justin on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
I’m sure it couldn’t get any crazier than the non violence posts got. Challenging retributive violence couldn’t be any harder to deal with then saying that “bad” people might not burn in hell for eternity.
By Jenny on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
I just got the Ritter CD as well as the Brett Dennan one today from Amazon. I checked out most of the artists I didn’t know from your Top 20 albums list and these two were my favorites… even enough order the CDs. I especially love Dennan’s Ain’t No Reason.
I read Velet Elvis over the holidays. It was a good read. It is a little “fluffier” than what you might usually read, but I was curious if you had read it yet.
By Bill on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Dear fellow-blogger,
Hopefully, your 2007 is getting off to a fantastic start. My prayer is that you will be blessed by God with many opportunities for fruitful service in the Lord’s kingdom in the new year.
I wanted to let you know that I’ve listed your blog on my blogroll at The Spiritual Oasis’ web site. If you have additional blogs that you would like to see listed or would like to recommend others, please send word to:
contactus[at]thespiritualoasis.org.
To view The Spiritual Oasis’ blogroll click the following link:
The Spiritual Oasis Blogroll
By Donna on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Finally a point we can agree on about College Football. Notre Dame losing is always good….
By scott on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Justin, I hear you but I’m not sure. Our doctrine of hell informs a lot of our worldview. And the idea of universalism is way too much for some to stomach.
We’ll see. I’m sure I’ll talk about it.
By scott on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Jenny, I’m so glad you liked those artists. Keep checking back because I’ll be talking about some more albums that have impressed me lately.
Bill, thanks for the link.
Donna, glad we are of a kindred mind on this matter.
By greg on Jan 4, 2007 | Reply
Notre Dame losing is good.
Notre Dame being embarrassed (again) and exposed for the overrated team that they are (again) is even better.
By Sarah on Jan 7, 2007 | Reply
I don’t like basketball either…pro or college hoops. I guess I better learn to like college football with moving to Arkansas and all…
By scott on Jan 7, 2007 | Reply
Yep, you have to get on board. We’ll send you a Razorbacks shirt.