Other blogs I work on

If you're one of those poor souls who just can't get enough Chris Bloom, then I've got good news for you.  Some of you already know that I help out over at the Universal Source of All Universal Masculinity, COBRASAURUS!!!!!, but starting tomorrow there will be three more Bloom-blogs (Bloogs?) to follow.

Review #004: 'Simply Jesus'

Simply Jesus, by Joseph M. Stowell, is a short, easy read intended to help readers develop a closer relationship with Christ.  Stowell addresses Christians who have a knowledge of Christ, but who feel that they lack a true relationship with him.  Of course, this is hardly virgin territory; innumerable books have been written on this very theme.  It's been particularly popular over the last twenty years or so.  The question, then, is this:  does Stowell bring anything new to the table?

Review #003: 'Vegucated"

Vegucated is a documentary with an intriguing premise:  get three carnivorous New Yorkers to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks, ostensibly to show the health benefits.  Now, please understand that I am about as unvegan as a man can be.  I'm a Southern Baptist preacher, for goodness' sake.  I'm pretty sure that Chik-Fil-A will be served in Heaven.  I eat fruit and raw vegetables about like grannies play ice hockey:  seldom and only under duress.

God, compressed

God is big. Really, really big. Bigger than space. Bigger than time. Bigger than space-time. Bigger than all those lame alternate space-times on Sliders. Bigger than anything you can imagine. Bigger than anything you can't imagine. Imagine infinity. Real infinity is infinitely bigger than that, and God is infinitely bigger than infinity. Big, big, big.

Bringin' the stoopid #006: W95T

I'm not particularly computer savvy.  I don't have any real love for any specific system or OS.  I like what works, and I generally don't like snooty Apple users or their bland-looking products.  I do remember Windows 95, though, just because it was the first Windows I ever really used.

Please like me!

Fair warning: this is just a bit of shameless promotion.

So here we are ...

[At Chik-Fil-A, where all good Baptists will be after the end of the world.]

Well, here we are, the day after the end of the world. Now what do we do?

Five sermons that wrecked me

One common misconception among professing Christians in America is that Jesus makes your life better.

Kindle freebies and cheapies, 20DEC12

Here are a few good books for the Kindle that are either free right now or really cheap.  Enjoy!

Good free music #009: Heath McNease redux

A few weeks ago I called attention to Heath McNease's hip-hop album Thrift Store Jesus.  Today I want to share a very different project from McNease, The Weight of Glory:  Songs Inspired by the Works of C. S. Lewis.

Rather than quirky rap, Weight of Glory is rather beautiful folk-pop.  I don't want to say too much, as I found each song a real joy to discover.  I'll just say that it's worth checking out whether you're a fan of C. S. Lewis or not ... though you'll get more out of it the more you know of Lewis' works.

Reblogged #003: Derek Webb on "Christian" art

I was going to start this by saying that Derek Webb is either an insightful critic of modern American Churchianity or an annoying gadfly who makes a living just stirring the pot to see what comes up.  In fact, he's probably a little of both, the proportions depending on the situation.

All that said, I thought he made some very good points in this blog post.  What do we mean by "Christian art"?  Is Jesus "safe for the whole family"?  What do you think?

Away with a manger: My beef with the Baby Jesus

I hate "Away in a Manger".  There.  I said it.

Theocracy? Thearchy!

One accusation made against professing Christians who choose to get involved in politics -- and one that's not entirely without merit -- is that they want to set up a "theocracy".  Presumably this means that the Christians in question want to reshape the government to enforce their own particular brand of morality and religious belief.

A warning for prayer weasels

Did you know that there are times when Satan would love for you to pray?

My most recent sermon (maybe)

I'm not sure if this will actually work, but I'm giving it a shot.  Some of you who have never heard me preach have asked me to post sermons online, but I've never really known how to. (Those who have heard me preach don't generally ask me to post anything, because they know exactly what they're missing.)

At any rate, if I can follow simple instructions there'll be a link that takes you to the most recent sermon I preached.  It was given at Bluff Park Baptist Church in Hoover, Alabama on November 11, 2012.  The text was Jeremiah 9.23-24, the focus was on the sufficiency of God, and the accent is pure hillbilly.  You have been warned.

Let him who boasts boast in this ...

Good free (not) music #008: Donald Miller

Donald Miller of Blue Like Jazz fame is offering his first book, Through Painted Deserts as a free audio download on NoiseTrade.  I haven't listened to it, and honestly don't remember much from reading it a few years back, but 'free' is my favorite genre of literature.

I always find Miller's work interesting, if ultimately unsatisfying.  Like a lot of authors of our generation, he's better at posing questions than offering answers.  Still, he makes me think, and while I can't say he's been a huge influence on my life, he hasn't hurt.

And again, I like free books.

A ministry worth supporting #002: King's Addition Baptist Mission

There are places in northern Canada that haven't been systematically evangelized in centuries, if they've been reached at all.  For someone from small-town Alabama, it's mind-blowing to think that there are huge stretches of the world that not only have no churches, but have almost no people.  "To the ends of the earth", indeed.

Last year I had the pleasure of speaking with Pastor Gordon Wiegold of King's Addition Baptist Mission in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada.  I don't know that Fort Smith is the actual ends of the earth, but I'm pretty sure you can see them from there.  The story of the mission's founding, and of his coming to serve there, is an amazing one, and I'd recommend that you contact him and learn about the work that they're doing up there.  (And for the record, he didn't ask me to solicit for him.  I didn't even approach him about doing this.)

Too often we consider "home" or "North American" missions to be limited to large cities or densely populated suburban areas.  We forget that you don't have to go to the Congo or Kathmandu to be a missionary.  Our neighbor to the north has vast stretches of land where few people live, but that doesn't mean the Gospel isn't needed there as well.  Please remember Bro. Gordon and the King's Addition Baptist Mission in your prayers and giving.

Stockholm syndrome

The other day I wrote about the incompatibility of modern American culture with the teachings of Christ as we see them in Scripture.  The fact is that what we do -- what we in the church do -- is often directly opposed to the clear and unambiguous Word of God.  Far too often, when faced with this dilemma, we choose to turn our backs on Scripture.  Why is that?

Bringin' the stoopid #005: COBRASAURUS!!!!!

"Bringin' the stoopid" is what happens when I stay up too late playing on the computer.  Readers should be warned that they will never get back any of the time they waste on this post.

Tonight's stoopid is frankly as shameless as a shameless thing:  it's a plug for my stoopid other blog, COBRASAURUS!!!!!  It arose from the sort of idiot conversations men get into when doing a fairly mindless job together, and I think it carries on that tradition nicely.

Was Jesus Christ an idiot?

I guess that got your attention, huh?  Rest assured, the answer to that question is 'absolutely not', but that leads to another, harder question.  If Jesus Christ wasn't an idiot -- if he knew what he was talking about and was able to correctly convey his thoughts to his followers, and by extension to us -- then why do so many people act as if he were?

Reblogged #002: Interview with Paul Washer

Paul Washer is a preacher and missionary whose books and sermons have greatly impacted me over the last few years.  Recently he was interviewed by Tim Challies and David Murray for their Connected Kingdom podcast, and it can be heard here.

Good (not) free book #003: 'How to Choose and Use a Wide-Margin BIble'

Randy Brown over at Bible Buying Guide has put together a short ebook on the virtues of wide-margin Bibles and how to pick one and use it to its best advantage.  Randy's site is one of the two I'd recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about quality Bibles; it was one of his reviews that led me to the LCBP Notetaker's Bible, my personal favorite wide-margin layout.

He's distilled a lot of good advice into his book, and it's a worthwhile read even if you don't plan on buying a wide-margin Bible.  The book is currently $2.99 at Amazon.

Where y'all are?

This is just a reminder that the comments are open on these posts.  Feel free to respond, reply, or regurgitate; I don't moderate the comments, but I do reserve the right to delete or pitilessly mock any abusive or inappropriate comments.  What's abusive or imappropriate?  I'll let you know when I see it.

Good free (or not) music #007: Heath McNease

Heath McNease has released a lot of music in the last couple of years, and everything I've heard has been very good.  Thrift Store Jesus is a rap album that came out earlier this year, and it's definitely worth a listen.  There's a good bit here directed at the church in America and our tendency to judge; McNease says some things that need saying without coming across as harsh or preachy.

Thrift Store Jesus is a good album, and can be downloaded here.  There's the option to name your own price, which means you can get it for free if you'd like or pay whatever you think it's worth.  There's a few other albums available on his page as well, which I may share here when I get the chance to listen to them.

Ruthlessly clinging: The Tale of Grunkle and Gruntley

The other day I read a post on Google+ that really struck me.  Greg Gordon of sermonindex.net wrote, "The deception will be so strong in the end times that only those who ruthless cling to the Lord and His promises will be safe."  I assume that he meant "ruthlessly cling", and I thought that "ruthlessly clinging" is something I know a little about these days.

Good (almost) free book(s) #002: Richard Wurmbrand

Richard Wurmbrand was known for his faithfulness under persecution in his native Romania, and for his dedication to spreading the Gospel throughout the world through Voice of the Martyrs.  Amazon has a great many of his books for $1.00 each, including his most famous work, Tortured for Christ.

If you'd like to read Tortured for Christ and either a) don't have a Kindle, or b) don't want to spend a dollar, then you can request a free dead-tree copy here.

Good free music #005: Jars of Clay

It's hard to think of a more consistently great band than Jars of Clay.  They've been recording for almost 20 years now, and I really can't think of a bad album they've released in all that time.  Gather and Build is a collection of newer songs, remixes, and various rarities, and it's free on NoiseTrade.

If you don't know Jars of Clay, you should definitely check out this sampler.  If you do know Jars, you'll probably already have downloaded it by the time you finish reading this.  Enjoy!

Bringin' the stoopid #004: WM

"Bringin' the stoopid" is what happens when I stay up too late playing on the computer.  Readers should be warned that they will never get back any of the time they waste on this post.

This one isn't so much stoopid as very odd, though I guess that the combination of this particular singer and this particular genre would indicate a truly stoopid amount of wacky terbacky was consumed.

Good free music #004: Odd Thomas

I'm by no means an expert on hip-hop, but I know what I like.  In rap, as in every genre, I admire people who don't sound like everyone else, and who are able to mix in a little humor and satire with their music.  Odd Thomas does that very, very well.

You can download his album The Divine Use of Animosity and Ridicule here.  Check out the other artists on the site as well; Humble Beast Records has some really great music, and it's all free.

The answer is always simple

On Monday evening I read a G+ post that essentially called me an idiot who didn't care about babies being murdered because I didn't vote against our president in the last election.  (For the record, I abstained from voting, because no candidate was acceptable.  As Charles Spurgeon said, "When faced with a choice of two evils, choose neither.")  Aside from reminding me of the constant bickering that drove me from Facebook, it drove home once again the desperate need for professing Christians to understand the way the world actually works.

Bringin' the stoopid #003: K all the P

"Bringin' the stoopid" is what happens when I stay up too late playing on the computer.  Readers should be warned that they will never get back any of the time they waste on this post.

Tonight:  we like to blame politicians, but it's the bureaucrats who make all the important decisions.

Book review #001: 'Pagan Christianity'

I should go ahead and warn you that this will not be any kind of in-depth, academic, or even very useful review of Pagan Christianity, by Frank Viola and George Barna.  I read it fairly quickly, absorbing more of the general thrust than the specific arguments.  In truth, I think that's probably the best way to approach it.

Bringin' the stoopid #002: AC

"Bringin' the Stoopid" is what happens when I stay up too late playing on the computer.  Readers should be warned that they will never get back any of the time they waste on this post.

Tonight:  if you've ever said to yourself, "A five-year-old could write this" ... you're right!

Good free book #001: '[Citation Needed]'

[Citation Needed] is a collection of material from the blog of the same name, which of course happens to feature the queen mother of all cuss words as its post today.  That's as good a way as any to learn that the blog occasionally features language you probably didn't learn from your sainted mothers, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Good free music #003: The Collection

I can't say enough about how I love this album.  Interesting music, (mostly) clever lyrics, and banjos as far as the eye can see.  If you want to hear something new and unusual, try The Collection EP by The Collection.

If the David Crowder*Band and mewithoutYou had a baby, that would be very disturbing, but it would also sound a little like this.  Man, I love me some banjo.

Filth pays

The last couple of days there's been a lot of talk about the kid who stars on Two and a Half Men and his statements regarding his new Christian faith and its effect on how he sees the show.  I can't comment on the kids' faith, of which I know nothing, or the content of the show, which I've never watched.  One thing that's jumped out at me, though, is how much he apparently gets paid for the show he now describes as "filth".

Bringin' the stoopid #001: B meets G

"Bringin' the Stoopid" is what happens when I stay up too late playing on the computer.  Readers should be warned that they will never get back any of the time they waste on this post.

Tonight:  a classic in every sense of the word!  Find out what happens ... when worlds collide!

Why I like e-sword

There is a lot of great Bible study software out there ... or so I'm told.  Most of it costs money -- some quite a bit -- and since I have the spiritual gift of being a cheapskate, I can't actually speak to how good any of it is.  I can talk about why I like a really nice free program, e-sword.

Reblogged #001: JMB's gift guide

I don't plan on using this blog to post bare links -- that's what Google+ is for -- but a new article on Bible-buying from J. Mark Bertrand is always worth sharing.  For the record, if anyone wanted to buy me an ESV Clarion or Single-Column Journaling Bible, it wouldn't hurt my feelings any.

"Good" free music #002: Mark Hewes

Derek Webb's Stockholm Syndrome was a very controversial album when it was released in 2009.  The huge shift in musical styles, the pointed attacks at those who shamed God from both inside and outside mainstream evangelicalism, the notorious use of a particular word in "What Matters More" ... there was something for everyone to argue about.  So what do you do with such a divisive work?

You make a Christmas album out of it.  Duh.

Thoughts on (maybe) preaching my first funeral

There are a couple of firsts every new pastor looks forward.  His first baptism.  His first wedding ceremony.  His first communion.  One that I doubt anyone looks forward to, though, is preaching his first funeral.

A real fan

Oh, is that game today?  I don't know how I forgot, because I really, really love Alabama football.

A ministry worth supporting #001: Gospel for Asia

Every so often I want to point out a ministry that I believe deserves your support.  This time around it's Gospel for Asia.

Good free music #001: Derek Webb

For a limited time, the good folks at NoiseTrade have an acoustic version of Derek Webb's latest album, Ctrl, available for download here.

NoiseTrade is a huge site where artists can post their music and fans can download it for free.  Derek Webb is a founder of NT and one of my favorite singer-songwriters.  Ctrl is ... well, I haven't heard it yet, so I can't say a lot about it.  I've never heard a bad Derek Webb album, though.

Again, it's for a limited time, so get it while you can.  Unless you hate good music or something ...

Five weird things I'm thankful for

Since this is the time of year we all tend to look around and appreciate what we have, I'd like to offer this list of things that may not seem at first blush to be blessings at all, but for which I actually am thankful.

You spent how much?

I have a confession to make:  I own a $200 Bible.

I own another that retails for $100, though I admit I didn't pay that for it.

Yet another cost me $75.

I won't even get into the ones I've bought for others, or just given away.

Believe me, I'm not saying these things to brag.  In fact, the reaction I get most often is, "Why would you pay that much for a Bible?"

Four proofs I'm called to ministry in Newfoundland

A few weeks ago I read Bruce Waltke's book Finding the Will of God:  A Pagan Notion?.  In it, Waltke examines the rather superstitious ways that modern Christians in America tend to try and find God's will for their lives ... or at least find ways to justify what they already want to do as "God's will".  He then contrasts that with the ways that the Bible gives for knowing God and what he desires from and for us.  It's a really good book, and opened my eyes to a few ways in which I'd been soothsaying rather than actually listening to God.

I also inspired me to find superstitious reasons for the calling I feel to share the Gospel in St. John's, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.  Looking back it's all so clear how God was giving me signs my whole life!

Why I quit Facebook

This morning I finally did what I've been thinking about for weeks:  I deleted my Facebook account.  Of course, the good folks at Facebook have kindly instituted a two-week period in which I can reopen it, but I honestly don't see that happening.  It felt good to cut that tie.

Five books

Again I find myself in the position of ripping off my good friend Greg; his post on the five books that had most influenced him influenced me, so here's my doubtless inferior effort.  I've probably averaged 100-150 books a year over the last 20 years, and I rarely reread anything.  These are the ones that I have read, some dozens of times, and that have helped to shape me into the person I am today.

The inevitable introductory thing

I've had this address for a couple of years now, and never done much with it.  Until a few months ago I was neck-deep in college and seminary, and on those occasions when I just had to write something non-academic, there was always an argument on Facebook.