Books, Books, and more Books

Books, books, books. Recently recieved my latest shipment of books from amazon which included several travel books and four books on religion/theology. If one is looking for self guided travel books I would highly, highly, recommend the Moon Handbooks series. I currently own about ten of their books and I appreciate the fact that they are not commercial advertisements in the way that many travel books tend to be. I also appreciate the attention to detail that is found in all of their books. Hiking and biking trails, campgrounds, museums, tourist attractions, maps, hotel accomodations, and even quaint local coffee and donuts shops are mentioned and desribed in all their books. Generally if I am travelling and planning to stay in an area for a week or more I will generally pick up a copy of one of their books. The books are generally written by local people who have actually been to most of the places they are describing. I have yet to be disappointed by any of their books......My religious book purchases.... I recently purchased four books which included Introducing Theologies of Religion, Paul Knitter, The Resurrection of Jesus, Crossan and Wright, and Lost Christianities, and Misquoting Jesus, both by Bart Ehrman. My reading has been really sporadic over the past couple of years but recently found myself energized to tackle some new relgious works which were recommended by friends or people I know. Am currently reading Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. Am really enjoying the book. Ehrman spent a significant amount of time in the conservative/fundamentalist Christian subculture during his youth and even graduated from Moody Bible College. Later he went on to Princeton where he recieved his doctrinate and is currently the head of the religious studies department at the University of North Carolina. Really like the book because it is written in a user friendly style for folks like myself who are interested in Textual Criticism/recent academic discoveries, but can get can bogged down trying to hang with some of the big dogs who roam the hallways of religious academia these days. My knowledge of religious modern scholarship is more than most average religious laymen/women but still is pretty general compared to the academics. Ehrman's book goes into alot of detail but in a way that any educated layperson who is interested can follow. I don't have much detailed knowledge about the whole canonization process or the theories behind how the biblical texts were copied and passed down. Ehrman's book provides plenty of detail and would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the subject. Will probably tackle Crossan/Wright's book on the resurrection next considering it is Easter season and look forward to Knitter's book on Theologies of Religion because I have become increasingly convinced that Christianity does not contain the "exclusive" truth about God or the way we should live and look forward to learning more about the relationship between Christianity, world religions, and religious pluralism. Just hope I can stick with it all. My life gets pretty hectic during the week and it has become increasingly difficult as I have gotten older to sustain any strict reading schedule.......

Trees, Trees, Trees

Went to Joshua Tree National Park this past week-end and took a few pictures of the Joshua trees and the spectacular rock formations in an area called the Wonderland of Rocks. Later that evening I took the family to Pioneertown for some country grub at Pappy and Harriet's Pioneer Palace which is listed as the "best honkey-west of the Colorado River." Don't particularly like country music or western surroundings but confess I found the country folk very interesting and a bit charming in their own sort of way. Felt like I was in a time warp as I watched people dressed in coon skin caps, Minnie Pearl outfits, and Harley Bikers who were dressed to kill. Really felt out of place since I was the only guy in the joint wearing Columbia shorts and sporting a North Face cap which are the obvious signs of a white middle class granola eating yuppie. Left the granola bars in the car and ordered a tri-tip steak in an attempt to fit in. Figured it must of worked since none of the country folk hassled me nor did any of the Hells Angels challenge me to an arm wrestling contest....Back to the pictures I took. Have become fasinated this past year with trees for some reason. Something about them that sparks my interest. Perhaps it is the snowflake quality. Each tree is uniquely different if you look closely and perhaps it is the uniqueness that appeals to me since conformity and standardization on numerous fronts is par for the course these days....but....whatever the reason, I am fasinated by their appearance and thought I would pass along some of the trees I have captured this past year on my camera. Enjoy....

Top Ten List Volume One

Have this three day week-end to myself and thought I would take the time to list my favorite songs of all time. What is the critera for my top ten list? Nothing particularly fancy, sophisticated, or scientific and certainly don't claim any objectivity. These are songs that I just never get tired of listening to and they frequently generate an emotional response everytime I hear them. That's the criteria, pure and simple. None of the songs are less than a few years old and some of them go back to my teenage years and I may have left out a few favorites that slipped my mind. The following list is not in any particular order of perference. 10 doesn't mean least favorite and one doesn't mean favorite. Just listing them in order as they pop into my head...so...without any further ado, here is the list....

1. Your Song: Elton John.....This is the first song I remember as a teenager. I was in love and remember listening to this song over and over and over while I fantasized about a girl named Karen. Sat nexted to her in the sixth grade and my infatuation with her lasted until my freshmen year when I saw here walking down the hallway, hand in hand, with a varsity football player. Big time reality check. Lost the girl, not that I ever had her, but never lost the love for the song......

2. Nights in White Satin: Moody Blues.... Used to listen to this song on local FM stations late at night. Something really haunting, in a beautiful and surrealistic way, about the song. Can't put it into words. The use of the Orchestra and the poem at the end make it unique in the annuals of rock and roll history. Still get the chills everytime the song comes on. No personal story behind the song other than it connects with my subconcious in some way I don't really understand...

3. Annie Lennox: Into the West....While the credits begin to roll in the last chapter of the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the voice of Annie Lennox fills the theatre and my soul. The highlight of my movie going experience. I could have sat there for hours listening to this song over and over and over. Beautiful song. Alan Lee's sketches provided the backdrop to the credits and the combination of Annie Lennox's masterpiece created a magical moment for me. Doesn't get any better than this. Was the last person in the theatre to leave and will take this experience to the grave with me....and hopefully beyone into eternity where my soul will rest somewhere "Into the West"......

4. Jeremy: Pearl Jam.......Eddie Vedder at his best. The song builds to a climax at the end and leaves this listener deeply moved by the raw emotion of the song which is complimented by equally moving lyrics. Powerful song which reminds the listener that all is not well in the suburbs of modern America.....

5. Strange Waters: Bruce Cockburn......The anthem of my life during the late nineties and early 2000's....Reminds me of my humanity and the mystery of life. It's a mystical rock and roll song which more than any other song reflects the yearnings of my heart and my emotions. Cockburn may not be a household rock and roll superstar but his music and this song in particular is deep and emotionally satisfying to this listener....

6. A Child of the Wind: Bruce Cockburn....This song sums up how I feel about myself these days and captures the essence of my identity. "I am" a child of wind and this song reminds me that I wouldn't have it any other way....

7. Seascapes: Michael Jones....Started listening to this song/album over twenty two years ago. The songs on this album all kind of blend together into one and bring a peace to my soul that is only rivaled by the silence of the desert or walking in the forest in Redwood National Park.

8. What Sweeter Music: Cambridge Singers/John Rutter....If heaven is a place beyond this world and angels really do exist and can sing than I am sure they must sound like the Cambridge Singers. If the sound of angels is better than the Cambridge Singers than the desription of heaven mentioned in the Bible is justified....

9. Bad, Sunday Bloody Sunday, With or Without You, 40: U-2......Don't really have a favorite U-2 song but since they are my favorite band I really couldn't leave them off the list. Their music doesn't touch me as profoundly as many of the songs I have mentioned but the body of their work and their concert performances, in particular, have added alot of joy and satisfaction to my life, therefore I couldn't leave them off the list...

10. No clear cut number ten song so I will just mention a few songs that pop into my head to finish off the list.....Come down in time: Elton John, Oliver: Good Morning Sunshine, I Can't see New York: Tori Amos, and The Crininal Under my own Hat: T-Bone Burnett....May have left some off the list but when you get as old as I am getting your memory has a hard time registering it all sometimes......

Follow up to Brokeback Mountain

Just finished a long discussion with a friend tonight regarding the film Brokeback Mountain. I am continually amazed at how much some people seem to know about films they have not seen. Didn't realize one could ascertain motives and know so much about a film without actually having to go to the theatre. Perhaps in the future I will save my money and just listen to what others have to say about a film since second hand information passed down by apparently objective religious/political pundits who haven't seen the film, either, appears more reliable than first hand experience....sarcasm aside....The conversation started with a bang but proved to be beneficial to me because it brought to the surface some ideas and strong feelings I apparently have about the issue of homosexuality. I can understand the aversion most folk have towards homosexuality, especially the act itself...after all...the vast majority of people are heterosexual and have strong desires and feelings for the opposite sex....but....I am becoming increasingly convinced that there is a strong double standard towards gays, in general, and this film brings this to the surface, imo. I went to see the film by myself last week because I don't know a single soul in my neck of the woods who would touch this film with a ten foot pole. Again, I think I understand the aversion, but I do not understand how so many folks can make the kind of assertions they do about a film without taking the time to check it out themselves. Apparently God does not approve of seeing a film that depicts illicit sex....and.....God does not approve of same sex relationships........ O.K.....Don't assert that I know the mind or will of God on this matter but do know that the same folks who are boycotting this film also don't believe God approves of materialism, affairs, sex outside of marriage, greed, anger, racism, and a whole host of other sins...but....I don't see the same passion to boycott other films that contain other objectable behavior. Seems like a double standard to me....and.... that's what bugging me the most about this film. Also, I can't help thinking that the filmakers efforts to humanize the characters in the film is what they subconsciously may find most troubling because true awareness of the other and oneself is needed to bring about lasting change and perhaps that is what is bothering most folks...