Open Mike

My Secret Life with Michael Jackson

It's time to confess.  I spent hours alone with Michael.  Locked in my room. 

Listening to Michael.  "Off the Wall" and "Thriller."  Trying to get the Moonwalk down just right.  I saw him do it on the 25th Year of Motown TV special (in 1980-something) and I wanted to be able to do that! (that was back when everyone watched one of three things on tv at any given time, so almost all of us saw it!  Like when all americans listened to Kasey Kasem tell us the top 40 hits of the week, but today you could do top 40 of country, urban, rock, alternative, folk, indie, disney, or top 40 Hannah Montanna hits THIS WEEK.  boy times have changed.  cause for reflection, but that's another subject). 

i hope and pray that my zeal for imitating Jesus, and his ordinary habits, approaches my zeal for imitating MJ back in the day (if we knew how he danced at the wedding at Cana, wouldn't it be cool to learn his dance?  you know he danced - ever been to a Jewish wedding??? 'nuf said).  I'm trying to do that today.  Jesus prayed a lot, and read the Scriptures a lot.  So that's what I'm doing today in the middle of real life.  Not because its 'right' or will create 'blessings,' but today I'm doing so because those were the ordinary habits of Jesus.  And he also ordinarily hung out with his close friends.  And helped people he happened upon who had a need he could uniquely meet.  And he regularly worshipped with others on the sabbath.  And he regularly spoke truth to dipsticks living in un-truth.  There's more, but enuf for now.

I don't mind saying how satisfying it was to actually do the moonwalk at a frat party (i realize I've opened myself to eternal mocking here, but I'm owning my story). Here's a pic of some friends from those 80's days at our college reunion

To follow Jesus is to follow not only his beliefs (world view), but also (more importantly becuase its real and measurable objectively in this world?) to follow his ordinary habits of life.

Colbert Report on Heaven

GREAT THOUGHTS ABOUT HEAVEN ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.  My friend Mark Denning let me know that my favorite contemporary theologian (NT Wright) was just interviewed by my second favorite comedian (Stephen Colbert - who is a Sunday School teacher at his church).  Please, please enjoy.  And Learn.

Here is the exact link to the clip with N.T. Wright. http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=174352

(if the link doesn't work for you, go to comedycentral.com, click into colbertreport/videos, and find Thursday June 19)

'Kitt, I'm your father'

So my son Austin is discovering the joy of cool talking cars, at the age of 12, just like I did at the same age - Knight Rider rides again on Fox!  We are checking it out tonite.  Fun with my boy.  And it never ceases to amaze me - the core of so many stories that catch our culture's fancy?  'Who is my father?'  The longing to know my true family, relax into a secure identity is so human as to provide a plausible, even compelling core to such a story as a robotic talking car.  This is what struck me from the beginning about Harry Potter (I simply couldn't comprehend conservative Christian boycotts of those great books).  A boy, longing to confirm the sense he is special, he belongs to someone special, and there is a better world than this one.  Amen.  I am that boy.  So are you.