After reading Brandon Haan's list of his current favorites, I realized that I as well have things that are my favorites currently (some people too). God blesses us in many different ways...so here how I've been blessed lately (some big profound ways...some not so profound...)
1) Michael Trent; He's the lead singer / guitarist of one of my favorite bands The Films. Well, lately I treated myself to his self-titled solo album and his alt-country album he put out with Cary Ann Hearst titled Shovels and Rope. Utterly Amazing! He has this ability to put into simple words humorous and heart-breaking stories. Earlier this summer The Films put out their new album Oh, Scorpio which began to show a new side to the band, a more folk / country tinged side, which was, as usual for the band, simple yet intricately creative and enjoyable. Need I say more, buy these three albums...they are all extremely different and yet carry a consistent, lyrically and melodically thrilling theme.
2) Richard Hays' book The Moral Vision of the New Testament. I never truly realized how varying the gospel and epistle writers differed on their comprehensive ethical visions until reading this book. Hays, a professor at Duke Divinity, spent the last 10 years on and off trying to synthesize all these accounts into one ethical philosophy that can, in one way or another, overlap each and every books ethical themes and views. It has been eyeopening, enlightening, and insightful. Who knew how deep eschatology affected the 1st century Christian ethical system, or how many apparent paradoxes exist in the moral vision of the New Testament. If you like a lengthy book that subscribes to detail and you enjoy a book that is a bit eggheaded pick it up, give it a read.
3) The beach; after all, I'm here in South Carolina for only 3 and 1/2 more weeks...one thing I will miss when I leave is my after-work runs to the beach. 2 miles there, 2 miles back, and nice quite time in between. The sea air, the soft sand, the cooling summer sun behind me, what an awesome world we live in!
4) Selfless people; when you work in a community like Grace, you begin to see how selfless some people are. The thing is you have to look really hard to find such people. for such people often are so selfless they try not to bring such attention to themselves. I've tried to emulate that, to be more Christ-like and realize the suffering servent mindset that Henri Nouwen talked so much about during our Fellow's reading of The Wounded Healer. Whether this selflessness means taking a back seat on a project, sacrificing study time for a much-needed talk, or to spend a beautiful afternoon visiting the old, the grouchy, and the sick, it is refreshing and beautiful and an honor to witness such serventhood.
5) My family; they're up for the weekend. Good times ahead.
6) Housemates...even tho I haven't seen them in a while it's something to look forward to. I love my house, 7 guys under one roof, 6 of them decent charecters...and then there's Tim Slager (just kidding...sort of). The senior year of college will be odd, much more odd than leaving high school, so I can't wait to once again reside at the Beltline Manor, playing Super Smash Bros on the N64, watching Saturday morning TV, and trying not to be too mean to Branden.
7) My sexy friend Nate Door coming to end my trip...road trip back to MI.
8) The book of Matthew...I've been working through sections of the Beatitudes and other portions of the book, digging deep into comentaries and translating the Greek...between that and Hays Moral Vision... I've really been blessed in learning a lot...not just in experiance this summer, preforming baptisms in the ocean, offering communion to the elderly, leading worship, or much more, but also in the knowledge I've been graced with...tho it still amazes me how God can shove what I need to know in when I need to know it (i've got a lot more to learn still)
9) Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest; Hana and I have been diving into this during out nightly talks. It has been great to have one-on-one discussion from two people who can see things so differently with Christ at the forefront. She has enlightened me and I sure hope I've done the same for her! Everyone needs someone to confide in, to trust, to tell the stupid and mundane to over and over again...and I'm glad I got her!
10) Life; it is a joy to be alive. Happiness is founded upon hap, chance, luck. Joy never ceases, it does not fade, it is God smiling upon us and us responding by putting him first. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice! Grace Community has been 7 weeks of joy and truly God has given me such a gift to be here. I hope you all know how much i appreciate being here.
And I appreciate you
you all are my favorites.
Blake
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