A few random bits on a Sunday night:
- Am I the only one who loves this Wipeout show? I know it’s ridiculous, but I DVR’d a few episodes last week and the show makes me laugh out loud more than any show I’ve watched lately. And I’d love to take a run through the Wipeout Zone, just to see how I’d fare.
- Is Phil Jackson the best coach we’ll see in our lifetime? The man has won 10 championships in 19 years. This year’s championship is sweet for Kobe, obviously, since he’s proved he can win one without Shaq. But I think it’s also important for Jackson’s legacy; with each of his previous Finals victories, Jackson had at least 2 Hall of Fame caliber players on his squad (Mike and Scottie; Kobe and Shaq). This year, although Pau Gasol is a nice player and all, he’s certianly not in the same class as those other players.
- For some reason, I also like the Kobe – LeBron puppet commercials. Those things have to be cheap to make; maybe we’ll see them get their own pilot in the fall. Although, I don’t really get this one. What does the NBA have to do with jumping into a car?
I’m reading a great book right now: The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. Stearns, a former corporate CEO and current President of World Vision, argues for a holistic gospel that most evangelical Christians fail to emphasize, a gospel of good news for the poor, the orphaned, and the forgotten. By asking the question “What does God expect of us?”, Stearns presents a whole gospel that moves us beyond altar call “pie in the sky by and by” forms of Christianity to a vibrant engagement with the world to bring the Kingdom of God to the here and now. Read this book.
- My St. Louis Cardinals were nearly no-hit last night by Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians. Of course, if I had the same strike zone that Lee was getting all night, I’d have fared pretty well, too. This week, I’ll have the chance to visit another new ballpark: Nationals Park in D.C. I hear the park is beautiful. We might be the only people in the stands, though. Nats / Jays isn’t exactly a big draw. Actually, Nats / anybody wouldn’t be a big draw. Who knows? Maybe they’ll ink Stephen Strasburg real quick and get him up with the big club. He’d already be their best starter.
already & not yet 
wipeout rules!
I just finished a book last night that I think you'd really like – it's called "Why We're Not Emergent" by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. DeYoung is a 30 year old (when the book was written) pastor in MI – actually in the same town where Mars Hill, Rob Bell's church is – and Kluck is a former sports writer. Anyway, it's an answer to books like "Velvet Elvis" and "Blue Like Jazz," and all of the emergent leaders like McManus, Bell, Sweet, etc. I really did love "Blue Like Jazz," but this book had some really great discussion points, and has made me re-think a lot of my stances concerning the emergent church. Just thought you might be interested! :-)I'll have to check out "The Hole in Our Gospel" too!
Thanks for the tip, Amanda. I've actually seen the DeYoung / Kluck book but I've never read it. I'll see if I can track down a copy. I read "Jazz" 3 years ago and enjoyed it (in spite of the massive hype I'd heard prior to reading it). I just finished "Searching For God Knows What" and I thought it was great.
We call the group of people that try out the stunts on Wipeout the "Black and Blue" group because of all their bruises….maybe you'd like to join?:)