a recent industry poll indicates that 55% of people in churches
want to understand the bible in greater depth
over half
of the people
already in church
have a desire
to know
the bible
better
this news excites me
this news disturbes me
it excites me because i am a bible teacher
i love to teach the bible
all levels of the bible
last year i taught two survey courses in the bible
one old testament
one new testament
the classes were exciting
people were reading portions of the bible they had never read before
yes, we covered the minor prophets
yes, we covered numbers
yes, we covered revelation
yes, it was fun, it was exciting, it was energizing to me the teacher
but the news disturbes me
does it mean that my compatriots (other bible teachers) and i are not doing a good enough job
the bible is the biggest selling book in this country and in the world
it outsells everything
yes, even after all this time, more bibles were sold last year than any other book
more copies of the bible were purchased than copies of the newest harry potter book or newest grisham novel or lastest self-help tome
i know this because "wife of fish" is now in the bible selling business, at least the editing portion
the bible is still an interesting book to many, many, many people
there is an old, very old, country song adamsfishyodor learned once upon a time while spending a weekend in athens, ohio
the song is titled, "dust on the bible"
dust on the bible
dust on the holy word
the teachings of the prophets
and the sayings of our lord
so get the dust off your bible
and redeem your poor soul
during the early years of his ministry
billy graham gave out specially made bibles with red Moroccan leather covers
the color was chosen because he believed the bible needed to be "read"
perhaps a bit corny, but it was the early '50's
even after 30 years of teaching the bible
there is still work to do
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
twenty-one
little fish turned twenty-one.
big stuff.
screaming jon visited to help celebrate.
almost daughter loren also came. (she's been little fish's room mate for three years so she qualifies as an "almost" daughter.)
they are the next generation of christian leaders.
screaming jon is also a pk.
neither he nor little fish are planning to become pastors even though they started their own church last fall.
any church who has them involved (almost daughter too) will be blessed to have them.
i suspect they will shy away from churches that are too slick or try too hard to be relevant or make big claims to be "unique."
i suspect they will want someplace with good music, good teaching, and good friends.
big stuff.
screaming jon visited to help celebrate.
almost daughter loren also came. (she's been little fish's room mate for three years so she qualifies as an "almost" daughter.)
they are the next generation of christian leaders.
screaming jon is also a pk.
neither he nor little fish are planning to become pastors even though they started their own church last fall.
any church who has them involved (almost daughter too) will be blessed to have them.
i suspect they will shy away from churches that are too slick or try too hard to be relevant or make big claims to be "unique."
i suspect they will want someplace with good music, good teaching, and good friends.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
music part three
radio
where would music be without radio?
i remember summer days listening to top ten am radio
("it's my party and i'll cry if i want to . . . hey, hey paula . . . dream, dream, dream, dream, dream . . . little gto . . .)
but there have been times
and still are
when radio music is stale, very stale
my junior year of high school, an evening dj started playing an expanded play list that included "underground music"
he introduced me to groups like vanilla fudge and eclectic artists like arlo guthrie
unfortunately, even though i loved it, someone else didn't and the dj was gone
a few months later,
late one summer evening, listening to a new radio my father bought that had fm as well as am and suddenly "the who" was coming out of the radio,
"i can see for miles"
at song's conclusion the dj said, "that was side two of the who"
i thought, "what radio station plays a whole side of an album?"
then the dj introduced the pusher
i was amazed
those songs were not heard on the radio
i was hooked on an afternoon show called "jelly pudding"
every day during my senior year of high school i listened to "jelly pudding" and heard frank zappa, the dead, jefferson airplane, and many other artists that received little or no airtime on am radio.
it expanded my musical horizons
and expanded my record collection
on a radio station that the rest of the day played classical and jazz
a little known cincinnati radio station called webn
within a few years it was a 24 hour rock station
today it is a pretty stale station that broadcasts
the same repetitious playlist that hundreds of other stations duplicate
when i listen to radio today, while back in cincinnati
i am drawn to wnku, especially in the mornings
with michael grayson
good guy, old friend
plays a great, eclectic assortment of music
give it a listen, 89.7
if you do not live in the cincy area, you can listen on their web site
www.wnku.org
so what about "christian" radio?
that's a different story
for a different entry
stay tuned . . .
where would music be without radio?
i remember summer days listening to top ten am radio
("it's my party and i'll cry if i want to . . . hey, hey paula . . . dream, dream, dream, dream, dream . . . little gto . . .)
but there have been times
and still are
when radio music is stale, very stale
my junior year of high school, an evening dj started playing an expanded play list that included "underground music"
he introduced me to groups like vanilla fudge and eclectic artists like arlo guthrie
unfortunately, even though i loved it, someone else didn't and the dj was gone
a few months later,
late one summer evening, listening to a new radio my father bought that had fm as well as am and suddenly "the who" was coming out of the radio,
"i can see for miles"
at song's conclusion the dj said, "that was side two of the who"
i thought, "what radio station plays a whole side of an album?"
then the dj introduced the pusher
i was amazed
those songs were not heard on the radio
i was hooked on an afternoon show called "jelly pudding"
every day during my senior year of high school i listened to "jelly pudding" and heard frank zappa, the dead, jefferson airplane, and many other artists that received little or no airtime on am radio.
it expanded my musical horizons
and expanded my record collection
on a radio station that the rest of the day played classical and jazz
a little known cincinnati radio station called webn
within a few years it was a 24 hour rock station
today it is a pretty stale station that broadcasts
the same repetitious playlist that hundreds of other stations duplicate
when i listen to radio today, while back in cincinnati
i am drawn to wnku, especially in the mornings
with michael grayson
good guy, old friend
plays a great, eclectic assortment of music
give it a listen, 89.7
if you do not live in the cincy area, you can listen on their web site
www.wnku.org
so what about "christian" radio?
that's a different story
for a different entry
stay tuned . . .
christianity . . .
christianity . . .
tormenting atheists since 30 ad
(the preceeding thought from son of fish)
tormenting atheists since 30 ad
(the preceeding thought from son of fish)
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
invisible god
some people only know god through the rules they keep
and the activties they avoid
this is an invisible god
and the activties they avoid
this is an invisible god
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
bible shopping
The Catholic Bible
The New American Bible
The Word on the Street
The Bug Collection Bible
Baby's First Bible
Billy Graham Training Center Bible
Amplified Bible (but is there an unplugged version?)
Everyday Life Bible
True Identity (for women)
Grace
The Message Remix
Archaeological Study Bible
The Power of a Praying Woman Bible
The Holy Bible
Illustrated Study Bible
The Duct Tape Bible
Apostle's Bible (is it just the old testament?)
New Jerusalem Bible
Couple's Bible
Women of Color Study Bible
Becoming (for women)
Quest
Bible in 90 days
Sanctuary (for women)
Seek/Find: The Bible for All People
The Bible Experience
Extreme Teen Bible
The Maximized Living Bible
Friendship First
some of these, i find incredibly offensive. some of them are laughable. but the point is that my cart is still empty.
The New American Bible
The Word on the Street
The Bug Collection Bible
Baby's First Bible
Billy Graham Training Center Bible
Amplified Bible (but is there an unplugged version?)
Everyday Life Bible
True Identity (for women)
Grace
The Message Remix
Archaeological Study Bible
The Power of a Praying Woman Bible
The Holy Bible
Illustrated Study Bible
The Duct Tape Bible
Apostle's Bible (is it just the old testament?)
New Jerusalem Bible
Couple's Bible
Women of Color Study Bible
Becoming (for women)
Quest
Bible in 90 days
Sanctuary (for women)
Seek/Find: The Bible for All People
The Bible Experience
Extreme Teen Bible
The Maximized Living Bible
Friendship First
some of these, i find incredibly offensive. some of them are laughable. but the point is that my cart is still empty.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
good music prt. 2
good music is listening and performing
the previous blog described how i started performing music
listening is equally important
sometimes more important
listening involves connecting with good music
a matter of personal taste
there has always been music i do not like, with exceeptions
most soul music from my teen years i did not like
the exceptions - marvin gaye, wilson pickett, some temptations
disco could not fade soon enough
but donna summer was a great talent
disco ruined the bee gees
heavy metal has mostly excaped me, though led zepplin I & II; amazing
today i avoid rap, though a few months ago i saw a rap artist on letterman who was really good, very intelligent lyrics, very melodious, i don't remember his name
what do i like or have learned to like
beatles, beach boys, bruce cockburn, stevie ray vaughn, wagner, italian opera, early chicago
CD's i've recently listened to over and over:
beatles on capital, vol 1 & 2
love, beatles
tom petty, highway companion
rod stewart, great american songbook, vols 1-4
michael mcdonald, motown vol 1 & 2 (especially 2)
stevie ray vaughan's first three recordings (texas flood, couldn't stand the weather, soul to soul)
ric blair, fields of freedom (check out his web site and order his cd's: www.ricblair.com)
if no one listens, is it still music?
little fish has eclectic taste in music, very indie
the previous blog described how i started performing music
listening is equally important
sometimes more important
listening involves connecting with good music
a matter of personal taste
there has always been music i do not like, with exceeptions
most soul music from my teen years i did not like
the exceptions - marvin gaye, wilson pickett, some temptations
disco could not fade soon enough
but donna summer was a great talent
disco ruined the bee gees
heavy metal has mostly excaped me, though led zepplin I & II; amazing
today i avoid rap, though a few months ago i saw a rap artist on letterman who was really good, very intelligent lyrics, very melodious, i don't remember his name
what do i like or have learned to like
beatles, beach boys, bruce cockburn, stevie ray vaughn, wagner, italian opera, early chicago
CD's i've recently listened to over and over:
beatles on capital, vol 1 & 2
love, beatles
tom petty, highway companion
rod stewart, great american songbook, vols 1-4
michael mcdonald, motown vol 1 & 2 (especially 2)
stevie ray vaughan's first three recordings (texas flood, couldn't stand the weather, soul to soul)
ric blair, fields of freedom (check out his web site and order his cd's: www.ricblair.com)
if no one listens, is it still music?
little fish has eclectic taste in music, very indie
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