From "Finding Faith" by Brian McLaren

“I often think that one of the greatest gifts we Christians could give to Jesus…would be to just shut up about him for twenty-five years or so, during which time we would try to come to terms with what a mess we’ve made of the simple path that he introduced to planet earth (and which we quickly complicated, confused and corrupted), during which time we’d simply try to practice what he preached, especially the parts about loving God and loving our neighbors, during which time we would stop producing Jesus-junk (pencils, T-shirts, computer screen-savers, bumper stickers, plastic mugs, refrigerator magnets, and the like, with his name embossed upon them, which successfully merchandise and therefore cheapen his name) and try to rediscover some sense of reverence, dignity and good taste.

“After twenty-five years of that, perhaps we could say his name again on rare occasions and it wouldn’t sound so frivolous, so stained, so obscene.”

page 284

Here Goes

100. I have become a cat person.
99. I believe that beer should be brown and not yellow.
98. More than eight years later I still have a serious case of the goo-goo for my wife.
97. I am an enormous Yankees fan.
96. I’m an even bigger baseball fan.
95. I weep every time I watch Titanic.
94. I read a lot.
93. I don’t read as much as I’d like to.
92. I adore the Indigo Girls.
91. A Prayer for Owen Meany is the most wonderful book I’ve ever read.
90. I think that green peppers are the foulest substance known to man.
89. I once put $40 in a jukebox to listen to Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” over and over.
88. Joey Tribiani makes me laugh.
87. I’m a hugger.
86. I play just enough guitar to wish I was better.
85. I have not washed my truck since I bought it in 1997.
84. I think that Godfather III is underrated.
83. I hate--I HATE--to shave.
82. Patchouli makes me happy.
81. So does goetta.
80. In a perfect world I’m in bed by 9PM. This almost never happens.
79. The first rock-n-roll record I ever heard was Billy Joel’s Glass Houses. (Thanks Drew)
78. I don’t like the Rolling Stones.
77. I wouldn’t want to live in a world without Ny-Quil.
76. My favorite movie is The Remains of the Day.
75. The most interesting stuff about me won’t make this list.
74. I’ve had shingles. (They hurt a really lot.)
73. When I was in the 6th grade I sneezed and chipped a front tooth on the science table in front of me.
72. Ten years ago I was fiercely patriotic.
71. Once about every five years Hollywood makes a comedy that I consider worth watching.
70. My wife has turned me into a wine drinker (but only reds).
69. My lifelong dream is to have a 200 gallon tropical fish tank.
68. I once jumped off an 85 foot ledge into a lake.
67. When I was 18 I caught a falling cart of drywall. Now I rarely go three weeks without insane back pain.
66. When I was seven my mom took me to see The Elephant Man. Seven.
65. Also on my list of favorite movies: A Beautiful Mind, Legends of the Fall, and The Shawshank Redemption.
64. I could qualify for the Olympic Free Cell team.
63. I wish I could play the trumpet.
62. When I was in college I got hit in the mouth with a softball. Blew up my lip and pushed my front teeth back into my mouth. (It’s a wonder they’re still in there.) It took 52 stitches to cobble my lip back together.
61. Turning 31 was a lot harder for me than turning 30 was.
60. I am among the world’s worst at returning phone calls and replying to e-mails. Some of you already know this.
59. I stopped taking piano lessons when my teacher came to my parents and asked them if I could please quit.
58. When I was in kindergarten I had recurring nightmares about numbers. To this day I hate math.
57. I think it’s a crime that Jack Morris can’t seem to get into the Hall of Fame.
56. When I was in the 8th grade I spent weeks working at trying to jump high enough to grab the basketball rim. One day I finally got it and I never tried again.
55. Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” moves me like nothing else.
54. I paid expensive-theater prices twelve times to see Tombstone before it got to the cheap theater.
53. I’m a bit uncomfortable giving all this energy to thinking about myself.
52. I am married to the Best Wife Anyone Ever Had. This is her official title.
51. Richard Nixon was President of the United States when I was born.
50. In 1976 I had a Bicentennial sticker book. (Do they still make sticker books?)
49. I love candles.
48. I like my home to be a peaceful place.
47. I’ve never been a big liquor drinker. It tastes toxic to me.
46. I prefer Dean Martin to Frank Sinatra.
45. When I go to a baseball game I sit for nine innings and keep score.
44. “Carrying Cathy” by Ben Folds has replaced No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” as my all-time favorite pop song.
43. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is the second most wonderful book I’ve ever read.
42. When I was in college I got on a serious Moody Blues kick.
41. I’m not convinced that God micromanages like we think he does.
40. I’m glad I don’t have to rank these.
39. My wife’s stroganoff is the best food in the world.
38. I drink my coffee black.
37. I’m not a big enough Yankees fan to like Reggie Jackson.
36. If I could come up with an idea I’d quit my job tomorrow.
35. My all-time favorite basketball player is Kevin McHale.
34. My all-time favorite football player is John Riggins.
33. I have a thoroughly inappropriate crush on Barry Bonds.
32. I believe I’ve met more interesting people in the last two years than in the entire rest of my life.
31. I should be paying bills instead of doing this.
30. Anthony Hopkins is the greatest actor I’ve ever seen.
29. I sold my car to buy Ruthie an engagement ring.
28. I can’t sleep if I’m too warm.
27. I prefer bagels to doughnuts.
26. I love Chipotle. (chicken burrito, no beans, extra rice, hot salsa, extra cheese, side of chips.)
25. I am related, on my mother’s side, to Ike Clanton who participated in the Gunfight at the O.
K. Corral. This may explain more about my world than I know.
24. I like Barry Manilow and I don’t care who knows it.
23. There’s no betting in baseball.
22. I cannot smile on command for a photographer.
21. Everything gives me gas.
20. I am the sloppiest eater you know.
19. Cobb by Al Stump is the most riveting biography I’ve ever read, baseball or otherwise.
18. I have more affection for my dad than he’s probably aware.
17. If Ruthie and I are together I never drive.
16. My first concert was Crosby, Stills & Nash in Louisville.
15. I love the original King Kong.
14. I once kept something that had fallen out of my ear in a candy dish on the mantle above the fireplace for months.
13. I have one tatoo.
12. Marty Brennaman bugs me.
11. I share a birthday with Ringo Starr and Ralph Sampson. Apparently I have the wrong initials.
10. When I was in high school I had a turtle named Miles.
9. I have seen The Phantom of the Opera twice (the play, not the real Phantom).
8. Jackie Robinson shows up in my dreams occasionally.
7. I want what comes after house churches.
6. If Ruthie would let me I’d smoke a pipe.
5. I love listening to Garrison Keillor.
4. I’m a big Marx Brothers fan.
3. I have been frog-gigging. Several times.
2. The first scary movie I ever saw was The Shining.
1. Have I told you about my wife?

Goofiness

In my dream we were on a cruise ship, except that the cruise ship was a ballpark and instead of a baseball game Rod Carew was singing showtunes.

"The basic fact is that humanity survives through kindness, love and compassion. That human beings can develop these qualities is their real blessing."

--the Dalai Lama

Kristen's Idea

Our friend Kristen has issued a challenge. Here's what she wrote: "I think that all of our blogging friends should post a "100 things about me" entry. It is fun. Plus I'd like to read them!!"

I'm going to give it a shot when I can find some time (probably next week). In the meantime check out Kristen's.

More People Should Hear This

The lady on the radio this morning said, "There's a difference, you know, between an opinion and insight."

Another Observation

My responsiblity to come up with something to say at our meeting this Sunday has kept, and will continue to keep, me from spending time with people this week. I don't like that.

Just an Observation

Anyone who can write a song and call it "Etcetera Whatever" is way beyond cool.

peace.

For those of you who've asked:

Lots of ugliness at work last week. Now I have to decide if I've meant any of what I've said over the last ten years about forgiveness.

Plus I'm tired.

Out of Nowhere

Vlad is an Angel?

Ruthie and I are participating, in a kind of half-assed way, in a weekend gathering of people who are somewhat like-minded regarding how to do faith/church. By half-assed I mean that we're attending what we want to and skipping lots of stuff. Mostly we're there to hear Brian McLaren. Two thoughts from tonight, maybe three:

1) Life is relative. Most of the time, in a given conversation, our church is the least churchy. Compared to most of the people I know around here, we're doing pretty well. Tonight though, I felt like a fundamentalist. We still have a long way to go.

2) When given a choice between doing something (tonight it was staying at the thing a bit longer) and going home with (or to) my wife, nine times out of ten I'll go home. The tenth only occurs if there's something special going on, (i.e. Brian McLaren). This trend is intensifying daily. Whether it's healthy or not I don't know.

3) McLaren said that the Christian media machine (my terminology, not his) is like the dome in "The Truman Show." Nice.

Listening to "Into the West" from the "Return of the King" soundtrack. Also nice.

peace.