[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH6xCT2aTSo]
Creating an interaction among art, surroundings and audience. Shared experiences are the key to creating movements.
I wonder what we can learn from this style of artistic expression, and people’s response?
I applied to Ben Arment’s Dream Year.
I have a lot of ideas – mostly around writing and building community. I tend to think my best ideas deal with both.
Enter my dream for 2010, and why I applied to join creative forces with 20 other dreamers to be coached by Ben.
Moment of brutal honesty –> Here are my initial thoughts on why I won’t get accepted. These are more insecure doubts than they are thoughts, because that’s how I roll:
To be honest, though, there is a part of me that is holding out with great anticipation and hope. Not necessarily because I think Dream Year is the only way my dream will come to life, but because…I did it. I took the step and put myself out there. If Dream Year doesn’t happen, something else will now that I have taken the first step. It’s always the hardest to take.
I hope to get into Dream Year, but if not, this dream is going to happen one way or another. I believe in it.
Are you still waiting to take the first step to fulfilling a dream? Have you conquered the fear of the first step already?
Over on the incredible blog, Ragamuffin Soul, Carlos Whittaker is proposing a 30 day health challenge to fight the holiday bulge, and to increase our relational and spiritual capacities.
I. Am. In.
If you want in as well (trust me, you should) go over to Ragamuffin Soul and watch the video and read his post.
Here’s to health and happiness, and 2010 being the best year of your life yet!
There have been many before me who have proudly stood tall on their soapbox and drug John Lennon through the theological mud. That’s not what this is about. I just want to take a look at a lyric from “Imagine” sandwiched between his desire for no countries and no religions, and every red-blooded, right-wing American cringed…
“Nothing to kill or die for”
I am with him about the killing part, because I think we need to discover what it means to live as peacemakers.
However, the nothing to die for lyric brings up a question for me. Is “nothing to die for” a cute way of saying nothing to live for?
Let’s be honest, there aren’t many scenarios in which a 21st century American has to make the decision to die for something – outside of going to war.
To live for something, though, that is a big issue for our society.
I hope that daily, I am living for something bigger than myself, and living a life that benefits those around me and brings glory to the God of the heavens and earth.
What are you living for?
We all have something to be grateful for.
Happy Turkey Day all!
Do you ever feel like this? I think in order to be successful, we must have several moments like this.
They define us.
Even if we soil ourselves.
Care to share a moment where you felt like this? I’ll start.
I felt like this when my wife and I decided to move to NC to help start a church. Then again when we got to NC and started building the church.
In the previous Conversation, a point was brought up that religion and science is not an either/or but a both/and. While I find this kind of thinking optimistic. I can’t help but disagree. Religion asks us to believe in several things that don’t meld with the natural world and directly contradict what science has proven is possible. Seven day creation, spontaneous human/animal creation, whole world flood, parting sea, walking on water, just to name a few.
Religion, like philosophy, is a good way for people to explain certain things to themselves, why you feel bad, why you feel love, but science can ask these questions too. With science though we are able to test, replicate and delve deeper into reasons of why. To me as an atheist, this line of evidence is more convincing than “god did it.” Many Christians I find are firm believers in the non-overlapping magisteria, saying that science can’t say anything about religion and vice-versa. But when religion make claims on the physical world, like those of the bible, or that intercessory prayer works as a healer, science should be able to test that.
This isn’t my saying but one I’ve adopted, I try to believe as many true things and as little false things as possible. Science is the most reliable way to find truth, and believing false things can be dangerous. Like when parents refuse medical attention for their children, replacing it with prayer, or costing valuable time in stem-cell research. It’s like the discussion of love we had (see comments on The Conversation: In The Beginning). There may be more to love than science can explain, but there is no evidence of something more, and I’m not sure what the reasons are to need anything more.
-Jesse Oates
RESPONSE
I would like to address the initial comment that religion, (I will use faith) asks us to believe things that contradict what science has proven possible. To be clear, the claim is that faith asks us to believe things that science has proven as impossible. I would argue that this is not the case. Although many people feel many ways about the creation story in Genesis, or the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus, and miraculous healing found throughout the New Testament, none of these ask us to disregard what science has proven.
Science has been able to explain an extraordinary amount to us about the state of our species, world and universe. The premise of scientific research is an attempt to find a natural answers and explanations to various occurrences. I tend to argue for the sake of a supernatural explanation, and science does not accept, in most cases, the existence of the supernatural. While science has proven and provided insight into many natural cause/effect relationships, science has not disproved the existence of the supernatural. So to say that science has disproved seven day creation, spontaneous human/animal creation, whole world flood, parting sea, walking on water, is to assume the existence of only natural forces.
Science shows us what we can understand naturally. Faith shows us what we can understand about the supernatural, a Creator God, a spirit that reveals the power of divinity, etc. The life of Jesus was all about God becoming flesh and blood, walking around in our world, to reveal the nature of our Creator. Perhaps this is why so many miracles were recorded in the Gospels; because there was no natural explanation for what was going on with this guy named Jesus from Nazareth.
I love science, and I love what science can explain about our natural world. I also believe we must turn to the one who created the natural world in order to understand our existence.
-Sam
Alright Creating Culture friends, there you have it. Continue the conversation – we would love your thoughts.
In a bit, Nate Berry and I are heading to Baltimore for Catalyst One Day. We went to Catalyst this year, which was my first encounter with the leadership beast, and I am excited to hear from Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel about momentum.
Rumor has it that these two guys know a thing or two about momentum, so it should be a good learning experience.
My predictions for what they will be wearing:
Andy in a blue tucked in button down with jeans.
Craig with a well-pressed black button-down with the flap that covers the buttons, untucked with jeans.
20 years ago, the Berlin wall began to be torn down. This is considered one of the most influential moments in the 20th century. We all know that division goes against the human nature. When barriers are constructed, the human spirit suffers.
Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel and former Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev crossed the former border today. This is a monumental symbol of hope, because when barriers are torn down and people are united, cultures rejoice.
I pray that the Church can be a voice in society that tears down barriers, and avoid rhetoric that cause barriers to be fortified. Jesus preached freedom. I pray we preach the same message.
May we create a culture that refuses to have anything to do with building walls.
Go tear down a wall today.
Paranormal Activity has made almost $98 million in it’s first 5 weeks in theaters. The movie is still doing very well, which is nearly unheard of, with most movies barely hanging on for a few weeks before they die.
There is no secret to the film’s success. They tapped into social networking. Period. The brains behind the distribution (Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks and Blumhouse Production all have their names on the movie) encouraged people to demand the film in their city, Tweet about their experience and engage with others who have seen it on the movie’s Facebook fan page.
Brilliant!
Now that the movie is in pre-DVD production, they are encouraging fans to add their name to a list in order to be mentioned in the credits on the DVD.
This is unprecedented viewer-engagement in the film industry. And when all is said and done, the movie will have made WELL over $100 million.
When we create a culture where reaction and response is not only accepted but encouraged, great things can happen. People will have increased buy-in and buzz will increase dramatically. The folks behind Paranormal can give you 100 million reasons why social networking and embracing response are keys to success.
Church, I hope we learn this lesson, and learn it fast.