Ramen and Horse Meat on “Budō”
Posted: March 15, 2012 Filed under: Community, Culture, Intentional Living, Simplicity | Tags: budō, Christianity, consumer attitudes, Discipline, Intentional Living, Japan, Japanese culture, religion, Simplicity, Spiritual disciplines, spirituality, Theology Leave a comment »
My friend Devon is currently working as a JET in Kumamoto City, Japan. Her blog is a great snapshot of life as an American in the Japanese culture, and a fun, fresh look at life in a fascinating and beautiful part of the world. Her recent post on observing her students’ practices of ”budō” is especially worth sharing.
Says Devon:
“…budō is considered the “way of the warrior” and many students are asked to uphold certain practices that follow this path. Every day, students domokuso. This is a time to clear out one’s mind. It’s a brief moment of silent meditation that is historically practiced by martial artists before a training session. Students will do a brief mokuso as the school day begins, before and after each class, at the beginning and end of cleaning time and again at the end of the school day. With 6 classes in a day, this adds up to 16 points of silent meditation throughout the school day.
Ancient Japanese marital arts have many ties with the Shinto religion. Many pieces of budō and Shintoism go hand in hand. Before eating lunch, students will hold their hands in a prayer pose and say “itadakimasu.” It is difficult to translate this phrase into English but it is basically an acknowledgement of gratitude to the life energy that is the food that sustains us. This is also why every student in my three schools will participate in a hands-on agriculture day and why many Japanese people become farmers after retirement. There is a deep respect for the cycle of harvest and consumption.”
I know little firsthand of Japanese culture, and am sure that they have deep cultural flaws as well as profound cultural strengths. I do know though, that Devon’s observation makes me wish that I and my American neighbors worked as hard to cultivate the positive aspects of a “warrior’s way.” We can use a dose of intentionality in our living.
American culture has historically had a tough time with discipline. Specifically, patience, silence, practice and responsibility are not exactly our strongest virtues. In our context, we have a lot to learn about living on purpose, living actively rather than reactively. The result is that a truly grounded person is rather difficult to find in our culture. We are usually content to trade broad for deep, fast for good, and easy for best. Read the rest of this entry »
“The View from the Second Story” – Paul’s Recent Article
Posted: March 14, 2012 Filed under: Church, Community, Culture, Intentional Living, Love, Oregon | Tags: Asset Based Community Development, Christianity, christianity today, Community, Lents, Neighborhood, OR, Portland, Vocation Leave a comment »
How can churches effectively engage their neighborhoods for meaningful relationships and genuine transformation?
My recent article for Leadership Journal highlights Portland ministry Second Stories and their quiet, powerful work with their neighbors in the Lents community to mobilize assets and bring churches together. The result? Some unexpected stories of transformation that mean much more than “charity.”
The full piece is available here.
Please pardon those style flaws that made it through editing.
16 Horsepower – “Sinnerman”
Posted: March 13, 2012 Filed under: Art, Church, Creativity, Culture, Music | Tags: Art, Christianity, Creativity, david eugene edwards, Folk Music, folk song, Music, Music Video Leave a comment »Just because it’s awesome, here’s a old favorite from David Eugene Edwards‘ legendary project 16 Horsepower. The tune’s an old folk song of course, but it hasn’t been covered much better than this.
Pure and holy madness, apocalyptic American prophecy. Gives me chills every time.
Sparking Creativity: Interview with Singer/Songwriter Jennifer Knapp
Posted: March 9, 2012 Filed under: Art, Creativity, Music, Personal Growth, Sparking Creativity | Tags: Art, artist interviews, Christianity, Creative Process, Creativity, Interview, Jennifer Knapp, Music, Songwriting, Sparking Creativity Leave a comment »
Sparks and Ashes is very pleased to welcome singer/songwriter Jennifer Knapp as our latest artist in the Sparking Creativity series.
Jennifer is a Grammy-nominee and Dove Award winner, and has sold over 1 million albums. You can read more on her life and musical journey here.
In this exclusive interview, Jennifer shares openly about her own growth as a songwriter, the relationships between career, identity, and creativity, and why “nothing kills a song faster than premeditation.” Enjoy.
You can find Jennifer and her music online via her website. Please take the time to stream (and purchase!) her latest album Letting Go.
Paul: Your first album, Kansas, came out in 1998. How has your songwriting process changed over the years?
Jennifer: I’d say that the core hasn’t changed. I still find I am most comfortable and productive when I start creating without a specific end in mind. For me, nothing kills a song faster than premeditation. My favorite works of art are ones that give me permission to accept and experience the emotions that they elicit. I suppose that it’s not surprising then, that I am happiest when I am creating with a sense of submersion in the moment.
These days, the challenge is to forget about the future. Now my process includes a deliberate act of putting on creative blinders and writing as if no one is outside the door listening in. It’s easier said than done. Read the rest of this entry »
Idito the Chicken and Moonpie Nobot – “Just Water”
Posted: March 6, 2012 Filed under: Creativity, Fun, Makers, Music | Tags: Art, Creativity, Music, Music Video, video 2 Comments »Visuals to accompany an original electronic track. Video from “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.”
More on the dynamic duo here.You can also find them online on Facebook and Google Plus.
Enjoy!
Ron Hansen on Writing as Sacrament
Posted: February 29, 2012 Filed under: Art, Community, Creativity, Culture, Intentional Living, Love | Tags: Art, Christian Theology, Christianity, Creative Process, Creativity, literature, Sacrament, Theology, thought and language Leave a comment »
Once a month, a group of friends from the magazine I work for get together to eat sack lunches and talk about writing. We usually read and workshop a piece written by someone in the group. On days where no one feels like bringing original material, we read an article on the writing process.
This week, the venerable Matt Woodley shared an outstanding essay – “Writing as Sacrament” by Ron Hansen. Hansen (author of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, among other novels) argues persuasively that the art and craft of good writing is an act of deep meaning; for the Christian, it is an “occasion of encounter” between humanity and God.
He reacts strongly against books that “seem like the products of a market analysis,” preferring instead to read and write works that stem from “a writer’s private obsession.” Hansen’s commitment to sharp literary art, especially in fiction, is clear. He sees symbol and mystery in art as channels of God’s grace and truth, to the writer, to the reader, to the culture, to the church.
Hansen writes:
“To fully understand a symbol is to kill it. So the Holy Being continually finds new ways to proclaim itself to us, first and best of all in the symbols of Christ’s life, then in Scripture, and finally in created things, whether they be the glories of nature or art or other human beings. And those symbols will not be objects but actions. As theologian Nathan Mitchell puts it, ‘Symbols are not things people invent and interpret, but realities that `make’ and interpret a people. . . . Symbols are places to live, breathing spaces that help us discover what possibilities life offers.’ Read the rest of this entry »
“My Garden” – Short Film on Following Jesus, Terminal Illness, and Being With People
Posted: February 27, 2012 Filed under: Church, Community, Culture, Intentional Living, Love, Personal Growth | Tags: Christian Theology, Christianity, ed dobson, follower of jesus, fragility, Jesus, ministry, terminal illness, Theology 1 Comment »
From former pastor Ed Dobson comes “My Garden” – a recent video chronicling his admirable response to life with terminal ALS.
Ed reflects on the change in perspective that has accompanied his condition. He has had occasion to redefine himself, as a man, a follower of Jesus, and a human being very aware of both his fragility and his true worth.
Ed’s thoughts on leaving a “successful” mega-ministry to continue his search for Jesus during his last months are spot on, especially in our culture of absurd church-ianity and franchised ministry.
Rejecting the Christian cult of celebrity, Ed says:
“…You would think that influencing thousands is more important than influencing one, but I’m gradually learning that influence one on one is way more important.
ALS forced me into a situation where I grew in understanding what it meant to obey Jesus. It took me quite a while to find an alternative purpose, but the good news is that out there, there is a purpose for everyone, and when you arrive there, you’ll know it.” Read the rest of this entry »
Trilobite of the Month
Posted: February 24, 2012 Filed under: Fun, Trilobites, Weird | Tags: fossils, trilobite, trilobites 4 Comments »It’s no secret that I love fossils in general, and trilobites in particular. These ancient arthropods are fascinating, otherwordly, endlessly diverse, really old, and, in a word, AWESOME. Cute little buggers!
In the spirit of sharing my odd obsession, please meet Dicranurus hamatus elegantus, Trilobites.info’s ”Trilobite of the Month” for February.
Image courtesy of the cited, via http://www.trilobites.info/
My Hope For the Church
Posted: February 22, 2012 Filed under: Art, Church, Community, Creativity, Culture, Ingenuity, Intentional Living, Makers | Tags: Art, Christian Theology, Christianity, christianity today, Creativity, Hope, Jesus, Theology 2 Comments »
From the newly redesigned site for Christianity Today comes “What is Your Hope For the Church?” – a simple, positive space for Christians to express their hope for our community.
In an age often characterized by vicious religious infighting, doom-mongering, and political machination, the Christian community hears far too few voices of authentic hope. We’ve become very good at chanting what we’re against, but are forgetting what we’re for.
CT’s page is a welcome reminder that our faith is one of affirmation, not naysaying, liberty, not legalism, and healing, not wounding. We have a great deal of hope. We don’t share it enough. We have hope, as a community, and as individuals. We need to share it.
So, in the interest of sharing, here’s my hope for the church today: Read the rest of this entry »
“There is One Body” Song (Video/Audio)
Posted: February 20, 2012 Filed under: Art, Biblical Studies, Church, Community, Creativity, Lent | Tags: Art, Christian Theology, Christianity, Creativity, Jesus, Lent, Theology, Unity 1 Comment »At our church yesterday, our worship leaders debuted a simple, original arrangement of Ephesians 4:4-5. From pastor/musician Trevor McMaken comes a short video (and separate audio download) of this lovely, haunting song.
I’m so grateful – every Sunday – for the creativity of the artists in our congregation. As we prepare to enter the Lenten season of simplicity and reflection, this is a quiet reminder of the unity of the people of God.
Transhumanism and the New Humanity
Posted: February 17, 2012 Filed under: Biblical Studies, Community, Culture, Personal Growth, Technology | Tags: Christian Theology, Incarnation, Jesus, Theology, thought and language, Transhumanism 2 Comments »Sparks and Ashes is pleased to welcome guest contributor David French in this post. Today, David examines the intersection between transhumanism and theology.
As technology shapes our world, culture, and bodies more than ever, David reminds us that transhumanism isn’t as new as we might think… and begins to ask important questions about what it—and we—really mean in the context of Christ’s redemption.
David is a visual artist and a thoughtful guy. You can find him online via his portfolio and Tumblr.
“Everything is different from now on. Something, something very
fundamental has changed, here.” –William Gibson, No Maps for These
Territories
“Transhumanism” was first defined by Aldous Huxley as “man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature.” It’s a techno-philosophical movement, a train of thoughts and questions that has spread in our society and grown exponentially as the Internet has connected more and more of the world together. You may know it as sci-fi, cyberpunk novels, and the types of movies that feature replicants on the run, but it may very soon be more than fiction. Read the rest of this entry »
Vintage Oregon Photos
Posted: February 16, 2012 Filed under: Art, Culture, Fun, Oregon, Simplicity | Tags: columbia river, flickr, oneonta gorge, Oregon, oregon forest, Photography, VIntage 4 Comments »From OSU’s Flickr stream (a frequent favorite of mine for free use pictures), comes a collection of wonderful vintage images of some of my favorite haunts. Here are a few of my personal favorites. There are many, many more to find in OSU’s archives.
Enjoy.
Eliot Glacier Crevasse
Michael Pollan’s Animated Food Rules
Posted: February 15, 2012 Filed under: Community, Culture, Food, Intentional Living, Political Engagement | Tags: Agriculture, Animation, consumer attitudes, Food, food rules, Michael Pollan, Sustainable 2 Comments »Simply put, these rules RULE. Thanks to Marija Jacimovic and Benoit Detalle, we can now experience them animated with VEGETABLES.
Eat up.
via Grist.
“Food Rules” by Michael Pollan – RSA/Nominet Trust competition from Marija Jacimovic on Vimeo.
To My Valentine
Posted: February 14, 2012 Filed under: Love | Tags: st valentine 3 Comments »
My lovely wife Emily and I have spent 8 St. Valentine’s days together, 4 as spouses.
She is lovely, patient, kind, and energetic. She’s creative, strong, brave, and very wise. She’s the best mother imaginable to our children, a great cook, and someone who says “yes” to life and adventure every day. She’s an artist and an honest friend, and just so much fun.
My respect for her is endless. There is no person on earth that I know more intimately, or love more dearly.
I hope for 50,000,000 more Valentines with you, dear. They won’t be enough to fully know or appreciate you, but they’ll be a good start.
I love you, with all my heart.
Your Art is the Best Art… of… ALL THE ART!
Posted: February 13, 2012 Filed under: Art, Community, Creativity, Culture, Makers | Tags: Art, artistic competition, award ceremonies, creative community, Creative Process, Creativity, Grammy Awards, literature, music literature, Photography, ursula k le guin 1 Comment »
As last night’s Grammy Awards reminds us, ours is a culture obsessed with artistic competition. Rarely satisfied to merely let good music, literature or art well enough alone, we love the making of lists, and the awarding of prizes and prestige to the “best” of the categories that we assign to the things that we make.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. It’s often good fun to judge and give out prizes, and sometime the sense of competition brings the creative community together where it would otherwise be fragmented. But the merits that we use to judge our “bests” are rarely those of good artistic evaluation, and they are unable to adequately reflect the true, often nuanced reasons why the art that they are evaluating is good at all in the first place.
Sometimes, we need some perspective to ground us, to help us remember that awards do not an artist make, and the “best” is actually a pretty odd category to apply to art at all… Read the rest of this entry »
Social Media more Addictive than Cigarettes…
Posted: February 8, 2012 Filed under: Community, Culture, Intentional Living, Simplicity, Technology 2 Comments »
…Just in case you were wondering.
Now go tweet this!
Here’s the Guardian article on the study.
Via the Motherboard article.
Gungor “Beautiful Things” Video
Posted: February 7, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bloom church, death and life, loving god, michael gungor, physical death Leave a comment »Via the BioLogos Forum, a lovely acoustic video from musician and pastor Michael Gungor of Bloom Church in Denver, CO.
“Physical death is a necessary and, perhaps, disconcerting element of the evolutionary process for many Christians. It is difficult to imagine a perfect and loving God designing such a universe where forces such as natural death and entropy operated. Michael Gungor of Bloom Church in Colorado addresses this idea and offers wisdom on such a complex issue.”
Though the relationship of death and life is a deep, personal, often painful mystery, Gungor reminds us that whatever the eventual purpose of death in the grand, messy scheme of the cosmos, it is both a servant and enemy of the people of God. Even the dust of our death breeds beauty, in the redemption of the resurrected Christ.
Full piece here, over at BioLogos. More to read after the jump.
Heroes and Villians… Where Did They All Go?
Posted: February 6, 2012 Filed under: Creativity, Culture, Fun 7 Comments »
A recent post at i09 observes (and laments) the sad state of modern pop culture heroics… and villianry. The last few generations have been remarkably deficient in memorable characters to populate our modern myths, producing few (if any) truly iconic figures.
Charlie Jane Anders writes:
“Over a decade into the 21st Century, our imaginations are captivated by creations of the 19th and 20th. Sherlock Holmes rules television and movies. We’re eagerly awaiting new movies about James Bond, Captain Kirk, Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. Where are the 21st Century mass-media heroes and villains? Why isn’t anybody even trying to create them?”
The point is clear – and well taken. What character today can even come close to comparing with the archetype status of yesterday’s pop culture leading ladies and men? Perhaps more importantly, why can’t my generation seem to come up with our own icons? Anders takes a stab at this question:
“Part of the answer is that almost all of our truly mainstream heroes and monsters arose from pulpy mass media, created cheaply at the start of a genre’s lifespan. To create new giant heroes, you need a new pulp. And new genres.
The alternative, of course, is to believe that we live in a post-heroic era… Read the rest of this entry »
Sparking Creativity: Photographer Alan Sailer
Posted: February 3, 2012 Filed under: Art, Creativity, Fun, Ingenuity, Sparking Creativity, Technology Leave a comment »
For today’s entry in the “Sparking Creativity” interview series, we bring you an exclusive conversation with photographer Alan Sailer.
Since his high speed images went viral a few years ago, Alan’s work has been prominently highlighted by Wired, BoingBoing, Photo Weekly Online, and i09, among others. You can find many, many of his pictures on his Flickr Photostream.
Alan’s trademark high-speed images are captures using specialized equipment, key components of which he designed and built himself.
Today, Alan shares his thoughts on craftsmanship, scavenging goat skulls, and the joy of creating memorable images with tools he’s made himself.
Paul: You’ve pushed back in the past against people labeling your work as “art.” Why? What would you call it instead? Read the rest of this entry »
Paul’s Recent Piece on “Out of Ur” – Church Authority in the Digital Age
Posted: February 2, 2012 Filed under: Biblical Studies, Community, Culture, Love, Technology | Tags: church leadership, digital environment, elephant room Leave a comment »This morning, church leadership blog Out of Ur published a piece I wrote on questions of authority in the digital age.
Referencing dismissive comments about bloggers by a panel of Elephant Room pastors, and subsequent responses by the Christian blogosphere, I say:
“…The small spat raises big questions. How does the church view authority in a digital environment? How do we determine if a given voice – whether blogger or pastor – is reliable to shape our theology and practice?
Is legitimacy determined only by the massive number of followers of a celebrity pastor or blogger? If that’s not enough, then what gives weight to the words we speak, type, shout or tweet?”
What do you think? Please read and dialogue with the full piece here.
Enjoy!
Trevor McMaken on Sabbath Rest
Posted: February 1, 2012 Filed under: Art, Biblical Studies, Community, Intentional Living, Love, Personal Growth, Simplicity | Tags: Christian Theology, Rest Leave a comment »
On his blog Joining with Angels, friend and church leader Trevor McMaken shares notes and audio from the first of a two part teaching series at our church.
Trevor shares a simple, biblical perspective on the rhythm of “hallowing,” “ceasing,” and “celebration” that Scripture encourages us to enjoy. Read, listen, and rest a bit yourself.
Thanks, Trevor!
Go here for audio and .pdf notes. More to find after the jump.
Tree-ific Oregon Tree Houses
Posted: February 1, 2012 Filed under: Creativity, Fun, Ingenuity, Makers, Natural Living, Oregon | Tags: cave junction oregon, diy builder, eco friendly houses, michael garnier 2 Comments »Via Neatorama, a mini documentary/interview on Michael Garnier, DIY builder and owner of the Out’n'About Treehouse Resort in Cave Junction, Oregon. He, and the whimsically practical, eco-friendly houses he builds in the canopy, are a pine-scented trip. Enjoy.
Garnier says:
“This is part of what Oregon is. It’s Tree-ific. It’s Tree-mendous, you know?”
I first heard about the resort when a good college friend honeymooned there. He and his bride had a great time. The resort’s site is here.
Digital Publishing, the E-Reading Wars, and Why I’m Done (I think) With Apple
Posted: January 28, 2012 Filed under: Books, Community, Creativity, Culture, Technology | Tags: apple products, buying books, e books, e reader 6 Comments »
Let’s get one thing straight. I really like Apple products. Our two home computers are Macs. We have an iPod. I’m consistently impressed by their excellent design, stability, and function. They’re cool. They’re fun to use. But as I’m getting ready to buy a new laptop, I’m very seriously thinking about being done with Steve Jobs’ brain seed. Here’s why.
Recently, I’ve been very involved in digital e-book publishing. I’ve had the chance to do a good deal of strategy and content development, and also learn the ins and outs of producing sharp-looking, functional electronic books.
Though I’m not very enamored with e-reading personally (I don’t even own a dedicated e-reader), I am very excited about the new possibilities for publishing and open communication that e-reading offers. The ease in publishing content means that great content – even if it would be considered unprofitable by a traditional print publisher – can get out there, can make it to people quickly and easily. This is a really good thing.
The story doesn’t end there, however. Scratch the surface of this exploding arm of publishing a little bit, and you’ll find a world of profiteering, content wrangling, and cutthroat business strategy. Where there are words, there is money.
Where there are digital words, there is lots of money. Read the rest of this entry »
Sparking Creativity: Idito the Chicken and Moonpie Nobot
Posted: January 27, 2012 Filed under: Art, Creativity, Fun, Love, Makers, Sparking Creativity 6 Comments »For today’s entry in our ongoing “Sparking Creativity” series, we catch up with quirky Portland based creative duo “Idito the Chicken and Moonpie Nobot.” We’ve featured them and their unique brand of lo-fi musical genius before.
Today, Brandon and Tarehna share their thoughts on the benefit of self-imposed goals, and the joys of creating great things with someone you love.
You can find them online on Facebook and Google Plus. Check them out. Now. Go on, do it. Go. Go now.
UPDATE: Their January Album is available for free (or donation!) on Bandcamp. Go get some good tunes.
Your “just do it” attitude towards art is so inspiring. Where did that come from?
Tarehna: I think for me it’s a combination of getting bored easily and wanting cool stuff (or wanting to give cool stuff). I’m always looking for the next project.
My mother is an artist, and when I was younger, we’d go to stores and see something cool and she’d say “we could do that!” I’m basically still doing that.
Brandon: It seems like we have always had it. We’ve always admired artists from different media. For a short period of time Tarehna and I were squatting in an abandoned condo and when we weren’t looking for jobs we were spending all of our time painting and writing and playing music.
Being that poor was horrible, but they were also some of the happiest times of my life. It helped us bond. It’s always been the two of us against the world.
Plus, it just feels cool. When people ask me what I’m up to and I can say that I am working on CD art for someone, and doing a collab with a friend in Canada, and doing monthly music projects with my wife who is working on a novel, and oh yeah, I play bass in local band Zombies Love Gizzards, AND my two boys say they want to start a band with me or put on plays, I feel cool.
But I also feel compelled to create.
Where do you two find creative inspiration? Read the rest of this entry »
Wizards of a Narrow Path
Posted: January 25, 2012 Filed under: Books, Community, Personal Growth, Simplicity | Tags: life path, personal mentor, thought and language, ursula k le guin 7 Comments »
“As a man’s real power grows and his knowledge widens, ever the way he can follow grows narrower: until at last he chooses nothing,but does only and wholly what he must do…”
― Ursula K. Le Guin
The first time I saw this quote, it was taped to the bookshelf of a favorite professor and personal mentor. Feeling a bit lost, I had come to him to hash out my own thinking on choices that (at the time) seemed like they would define my life. At some point in the conversation, he referenced the quote.
As I sat in Ray’s office, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the many options I felt that I had for further education and employment. I felt lost. It was tough to identify what I wanted to do. Really, it was tougher to identify who I was becoming.
His quiet listening and patience were what I needed to sort my brain and heart out. As I was leaving (the first of many such conversations), he reminded me of LeGuin’s words again.
“You may find that your life path is discovered more than it is chosen” he said.
I pretended that I understood what he was talking about. Read the rest of this entry »
