In the City

Check out this New York Times article (Registration may be required) about Tim Keller and the Church of the Redeemer in New York City. He's taken the unconventional route to ministry while maintaining an "orthodox" view. Semantics aside, his church is thriving in urban New York.

"This is Tim's thing," said Dr. Um. "He said, 'You need to enter into a person's worldview, challenge that worldview and retell the story based on the Gospel.' The problem is evangelicals have always started with challenging the worldview. We don't have any credibility."

Keller has attempted to embrace the culture without dilluting the gospel.

The Rev. Stephen Um, whose church in Boston, Citylife, began four years ago and now attracts about 500 people every Sunday, said he and other pastors had embraced Dr. Keller's emphasis on delving into the prevailing culture almost as much as into the biblical text.

At the same time, he has resisted stooping down to the lowest common denominator.

"A big part is he preaches on such an intellectual level," said Suzanne Perron, 37, a fashion designer who is one of many who had stopped going to church before she discovered Redeemer several years ago. "You can go to Redeemer and you can not be a Christian and listen to that sermon and be completely engaged."

Even Keller admits that there is no cookie-cutter style that he can export to other churches yet demonstrates that the gospel is more than relevant in urban New York.

Photography

I went to Georgetown yesterday to shoot some pictures with Stephen Elliott and his photography group. I thought I would post some of my highlights. Its amazing how much of every day life you catch on film. I'm finding that one need not find extraordinary events but rather find the extraordinary in what seems to be ordinary.

The Real Gold

Lost in all of the drama between speedskaters Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick is teammate and fellow gold medalist Joey Cheek. Cheek has outclassed all other athletes at the Olympics by donating the $40,000 from his Gold and Silver medal performances to Right to Play which will use the money for children in Chad and the Darfur region in Sudan. When was the last time you heard anybody do that? It is rumored that Cheek will carry the flag for the United States at the closing ceremony. It is fitting and appropriate. Does anybody remember who Bode Miller is?

The most admired company in America

Once again General Electric was named the most admired company in America by Fortune Magazine. Here's a few highlights about GE taken straight from the article by Geoffrey Colvin.

1. "The company's most important product was not light bulbs or transformers but managerial talent."

2. An ability to change direction unabashedly. "Most people inside GE learn from the past but have a healthy disrespect for history," says CEO Jeff Immelt. "They have an ability to live in the moment and not be burdened by the past, which is extremely important."

3. "GE does one more big thing: develop people, evaluate them, and act on the results."

4. "Most organizations will never establish any kind of intellectual leadership."

5. "The result of GE's seamless, constant reinvention of itself is that while companies are constantly emulating GE, they're frequently a step or more behind, and they know it."

6. "GE, like anywhere else, has a little bit of politics, a little bit of personal stuff and all that," he says, "but compared with all the other organizations I know, it's minimized. It's upfront. You know what you have to do to succeed."

A few laughs

I've been laughing all day long from this interview of "The Flying Tomato" Shaun White who just won gold at the Olympics.

Barbaric Orthodoxy

The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus is a short read in the storybook style which anybody could read in an evening. With a background in political military affairs, I found the constant reference to being a "barbarian" a little discomforting as I am quite particular about historical accuracy. But, if one were to read his work critically, you would easily be able to separate the difference between the literal and the implied meaning. It is obvious that he is relying on the connotation of the word and in no way hopes to make a historical commentary . However, let us not dwell on semantics.

My real point of this post is why must we refer to an authentic faith as "The Barbarian Way"? Is it that when we water down the gospel, pervert, or distort it, a return to authentic faith requires us to get radical in our descriptions?

Pastor Mark Batterson loves this quotes from Dorothy Sayers. "To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies."

Are we called to radicalism or is it that the genuine call is radical when compared to the norm? G.K. Chesterton states "People have fallen into a foolish habit of speaking of orthodoxy as something heavy, humdrum and safe. There never was anything so perilous or so exciting as orthodoxy."

How is it that fishermen are turned into fishers of men, a shepherd boy slays a giant and is made king of Israel, a cupbearer made governor, and one of the greatest persecutors of the faith becomes one of its most ardent defenders? Was there journey perilous? Exciting? Adventurous? Without a doubt. Is this way barbaric? Maybe. If you do not think so, perhaps we must get more graphic than this.

A love everlasting

Injustice stinks. Vindication rocks. Need a worthwhile six minute break? Here's my lunch break video of the week.

Trade Deficit

It should be no surprise with the lowest rate of savings since 1933 that the trade deficit is at an all time high.

"It's not just China, it's not just oil," said Jay Bryson, an international economist with Wachovia. "We spend more than we produce, end of story."

It is obvious that the oil issue is not going to be saved overnight but since the spike in oil prices over the last couple of years is demand driven, it looks like high priced oil is here to stay.

China has recorded record trade surpluses with the United States yet the solution is not imposing tariffs on the American side. America needs to continue pressuring the Chinese from artificially maintaining a low exchange rate and lowering trade barriers to Chinese markets.

Despite China and Oil, Americans still need to learn how to reign in their spending habits. As for the future, if the Bush administration continues to create federal budget deficits look for the trade deficit to continue. The Bush Administration will never encourage a recession and Americans still like to import foreign goods and drive their SUVs. It looks like the only means of change will have to be a painful one.

The Olympics

The opening ceremony for the Olympics is this Friday. Why am I still not excited? It was much more exciting growing up. Maybe the bipolarity of the Cold War made the unity of this event special and unique. Maybe it is because I didn't grow up on the luge or curling. I don't watch ice skating at other times so why will I watch it now?

2008 Predictions

We have not even reached the midterm elections yet but I thought I would make some predictions for 2008 and potential presidential tickets anyway.

Democrats: Former Governor Mark Warner of Virginia is the hot pick and considered a capable leader since his successor was able to get into office on his coattails. Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico may not be able to head a ticket but is often considered a viable running mate.

GOP: Senator Sam Brownback could inherit the evangelical base that Karle Rove tapped into in 04. Senator John McCain is very popular with the public but his support inside the beltway is shaky. Senator and former governor George Allen of Virginia has executive and national legislative experience. Governor Tom Huckenbee of Arkansas has been applauded for his record as governor.

Everybody is talking about Hilary Clinton but her liberal leanings will probably not survive the primary. Senate majority leader Bill Frist is not necessarily seen as a strong leader and has angered the evangelical base with his recent position change on stem cell research. Condoleeza Rice is very bright but has indicated that she is not interested in running.

Bono speaks before world leaders

With President George W. Bush, the King of Jordan, and most of the leaders of Congress in attendance, Bono spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC yesterday. Every year, the keynote speaker is a closely guarded secret. Bono proved to be a pleasant surprise as we are well aware of his musical accomplishments but may not expect him to have something important to say. His speech was impressive in blending humor, candidness, and a message. If you have 20 minutes today, take some time and watch the video of his speech as it may not be available online for very long. You can also read the transcript but I warn you that it will be a poor substitute. You will not look at Bono or his music the same way. What is Mick Jagger doing these days?

State of the Language

The President's State of the Union Address on Tuesday has left me feeling under whelmed. I do not mean to single out the President as I must note that the Democratic response from Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia was just as painful to watch. Instead I intend to comment on something that has bothered me for some time. Is it too much to hope for prose and poetry from our leaders and politicians? I have grown weary of speeches from politicians from both sides of the aisle who use the latest catch phrase while remaining careful not to jump off the reservation. Speeches today are short on analysis and long on fluff. The problem does not end there. Preachers adapt their language to the lowest common denominator of their congregation. PowerPoint is becoming the preferred means of presentation and is even invading the ranks of old school academics. Let's not even get started on MTV.

Granted, Presidents are rarely remembered for their State of the Union address as its purpose and forum constrain its format. But what has happened to the great orators? Why was Abraham Lincoln able to capture the realities of the moment in his second inaugural address? It is funny that he thought the Gettysburg Address was a bomb. Why is Winston Churchill still quoted today? "Hindsight is the luxury of the few" yet Teddy Roosevelt already captured this point over 90 years ago. Is this a new problem or was George Orwell on to something?

These individuals were able to capture the moment. They mesmerized audiences and galvanized the will of their followers. Perhaps they were visionaries with exceptional foresight. Many exuded credibility while others were attracted to their strength. There is one lowest common denominator that I can agree with, all exercised exceptional command of the English language.

Christian CEOs bond for love and profit

God's network: How Christian business owners help each other get rich and go to heaven

Verizon lays it on the line

Keep your eye on Verizon and CEO Ivan G. Seideburg. Economists on Wall Street are skeptic about Verizon's new fiber-optic network that will carry television, internet, and phone service at the same time. Verizon's capital investment in its new gamble has caused a ten percent drop in stock over the last year and a downgrading of its debt rating. Yet Verizon's captain is confident that he is guiding his ship to virgin territory and must reinvent his company. Seideburg is betting on a transformation of the market much like what mobile phones did to the telephone industry or compact discs to the record industry.

How many of you paid for DSL service to your house seven years ago? Perhaps the delivery of information and media is changing but how far will it go? Experts in Hollywood are wondering how the studio system will fare as some movies are quickly released to DVD and more amateurs are taking advantage of the digital age.

It looks like Seideburg is not betting on the industry so much as he is betting on himself in transforming it. Can he pull a Bill Gates by not only conquering the market but creating it? Wall Street is skeptic and time will tell whether he is right or wrong. Boeing practically bet the company to build the 747 and who knew that the Ipod would transform digital media and the music industry? However there were also economic debacles like Europe's supersonic Concord, Beta VCRs, and eight-track tapes. The key to seeing how this unfolds is not by analyzing the market as much as keeping an eye on Seideburg and Verizon.