tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121776472011-11-10T20:50:33.535-05:00For the love. FOR. THE. LOVE.vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.comBlogger1401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-75182926697187755492008-04-27T20:14:00.001-04:002008-04-27T20:15:59.927-04:00

I am now a contributing editor at Off the Wire - I'll be posting there from time to time... or you can always check in on the young'uns.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-60813779914683011312007-08-01T22:30:00.000-04:002007-08-02T22:32:25.765-04:00

Elizabeth Roseone day old

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-47424508410733331342007-06-25T16:59:00.000-04:002007-06-25T17:01:57.543-04:00

If you're interested in stocking up your John Piper collection, all books in the Desiring God Online Bookstore will be on sale for $5 June 27-28 only. Get some!

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-26064224952265829042007-06-04T14:15:00.000-04:002007-06-04T14:14:37.442-04:00

He was, after all, only visiting.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-50934841501453577222007-05-15T23:41:00.000-04:002007-05-16T00:37:48.698-04:00

I am in Kentucky visiting friends and family. My wife and son flew. I drove. What better way to pass the last 350 miles of my 10-hour road trip than to bust out some haiku? Enjoy.Ode to HaikuThis is better thanIambic pentameter.It is a haiku.Cops Dave Whitfield, I wasPulled over by a cop whileListening to you.Okay, I told youA lie, but I was afraidIt would become true.After all, maybeNinety-five

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-89517629949497670672007-05-03T23:22:00.000-04:002007-05-04T01:27:02.703-04:00

As of 10:30 tonight, my boy Erik and his wife have a beautiful new daughter. Welcome to the 'hood, Diddy.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-83458377090185706222007-05-03T12:20:00.000-04:002007-05-03T14:51:08.553-04:00

Now this is just plain silly. A digital video artist in L.A. has put together an installation-piece-slash-video-game called Christ Killa."Described as the ultimate arbitration between politics and Christianity, 'Christ Killa' is a video game linked to video projectors and television monitors. A first person shooter in which the player shoots hordes of homicidal Jesus Christs, the game landscape

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-63327965822964717492007-05-01T14:43:00.000-04:002007-05-01T15:06:33.991-04:00

William Saletan argues that the real challenge to the continued legalization of abortion is the ultrasound machine. From the Washington Post:Abortion opponents are often caricatured as stupid creationists who just want to put women back in their place. Science and free inquiry are supposed to help them get over their "love affair with the fetus." But science hasn't cooperated. Ultrasound has

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-70606206062788200102007-04-30T15:17:00.000-04:002007-04-30T16:20:47.841-04:00

After I saw Driscoll's video today (see previous post) I found this post from Internet Monk that gives a friendly critique on Driscoll's "style of maleness" and his particular assertion that men want to learn how they can have sex with their wives at least once a day. While I think that particular remark was not really the point of Driscoll's message, I.M. uses it as a launching pad to articulate

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-79158952141706428822007-04-30T11:56:00.000-04:002007-04-30T16:36:58.267-04:00

Here is a link to Mark Driscoll's video "A Good Soldier" that he put together for a church planting conference. Bill Hybels apparently banned the video from the conference,* however, as Driscoll neglected to mention women church planters. The eight-minute clip is worth a look though. I like when he says Jesus is not a gay hippie in a dress.[HT: Off the Wire]*Addendum | In doing some more reading

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-17415351567761869642007-04-18T10:25:00.001-04:002007-04-18T13:08:17.737-04:00

I invited my good friend Dave Doyle to speak to our young adults group last night regarding the sovereignty of God over tragedies like the Virginia Tech shootings. Dave was already scheduled to speak on the will of God, but graciously agreed to change his topic last-minute in light of the recent events at VT. Dave is not only one of my favorite people, but one of the smartest guys I know - he is

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-2171178117802305232007-04-16T19:47:00.000-04:002007-04-16T20:37:14.209-04:00

What does one do in the face of such tragedy as today's shootings at Virginia Tech? Several of our church staff spend much of the afternoon contacting parents who attend our church who have VT students enrolled. We praise God that this event - at least as far as we know up to this point - has not directly resulted in the death or injury of anyone within our church community. But certainly, this

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-60920127324147426192007-04-10T15:46:00.000-04:002007-04-10T16:46:16.018-04:00

Yesterday, I read a very interesting article in the Washington Post about Joshua Bell, who is an internationally acclaimed violin virtuoso. By "acclaimed," I mean he is indisputably one of the best classical musicians in the world. This year, he was the recipient of the Avery Fischer prize as the best classical musician in the U.S. (an award so prestigious, apparently, that one has not been

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-69932099455820764812007-04-06T16:23:00.000-04:002007-04-06T16:25:44.208-04:00

"It is a strange and terrible perversion of the gospel to say that since Jesus suffered for me, therefore I don't have to suffer—I can be comfortable and prosperous. The stumbling block of the cross is removed if we say he became homeless that I might have the finest of houses. He was rejected by men that I might be admired among men. He lived in poverty that I might live in luxury. He endured

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-78779096713269609972007-03-28T09:01:00.000-04:002007-03-28T09:12:31.643-04:00

Allie tagged me on Seven Songs I Have Been Enjoying This Week. This is good timing, for (as you may have noticed) I am a little short on material lately.Long Distance Call by Phoenix: If Kings of Leon were on tranquilizers, from Paris, and yet somehow spoke better English, you'd probably have something like Phoenix.The 80's by Denison Witmer: That melancholy little tune makes me want to wear my

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-80042504276127145082007-03-27T12:09:00.000-04:002007-03-27T12:53:37.975-04:00

I found two things today that make me embarrassed to be associated with certain aspects of Christian culture. Permit me, friends, a brief rant on said dos cosas:1.) The first is a "Christian video sharing website" called GodTube. There have been points in history where the Church lead society (in a good way) in innovation and trend-setting ideas. Now we just follow it. Nigh everywhere, apparently

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-77614338656450320012007-03-26T10:58:00.000-04:002007-03-26T17:05:17.698-04:00

Here is an excellent lecture by Tim Keller on how Jesus Christ is "intellectually credible and existentially satisfying." That is to say, Jesus (and thus biblical Christianity) is rational and coherent, while at the same time relevant to the current needs of all people.Free Mp3 Download

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-25087926307668892512007-03-20T16:21:00.000-04:002007-03-20T16:38:08.801-04:00

Last fall, I remember seeing a video of Curtis "Voice" Allen, an independent Christian rap artist, perform at John Piper's church. If you've ever been to Bethlehem Baptist, you know it is probably one of the last places you'd expect to hear rap. I remember thinking "good for Piper for stepping out of his norm."As a result of his performance, however, Allen - and the rap genre as a whole - was

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-2626699998512152192007-03-16T10:07:00.000-04:002007-03-16T11:47:12.694-04:00

An elementary school in England recently changed the name of its school play from "The Three Little Pigs" to "The Three Little Puppies" in an effort to be sensitive to Muslims, who are forbidden to eat pork.Even though this is an isolated incident, it is certainly indicative of trend toward hyper-sensitive, all-inclusive political correctness that continues to emerge and express itself in absurd

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-2823730162226413892007-03-15T09:09:00.000-04:002007-03-16T11:47:44.850-04:00

"Unlove is deadly. It is a cancer. It may kill slowly but it always kills in the end. Let us fear it, fear to give room to it as we should fear to nurse a cobra. It is deadlier than any cobra. And just as one minute drop of the almost invisible cobra venom spreads swiftly all over the body of one into whom it has been injected, so one drop of the gall of unlove into my heart or yours, however

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-82144663261993577242007-03-13T12:17:00.000-04:002007-03-13T13:26:03.602-04:00

People relate to God in different ways. Myself, I generally tend to relate to God through theological study. I love me some systematic theology, and I find great value in being able to articulate and teach doctrine. I have a distaste for doctrinal wishy-washiness, so I seek knowledge. The downside of knowledge, however - even biblical knowledge (maybe especially biblical knowledge) - is that

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-42867418612000795502007-03-08T12:47:00.000-05:002007-03-08T15:30:11.478-05:00

You thought Left Behind: The Video Game was awesome? Check THIS out. Oh mercy...

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-19511230883801330842007-03-07T11:06:00.000-05:002007-03-07T11:08:36.291-05:00

I really would.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-64728557349046586732007-03-07T09:51:00.000-05:002007-03-07T13:53:27.308-05:00

Pastor John Piper's dad died yesterday. He wrote a very good journal entry about it.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-24697528436718088892007-02-21T13:42:00.000-05:002007-02-21T14:07:28.017-05:00

Amazing Grace, a movie about the life of William Wilberforce, opens this weekend. Wilberforce is one of the greatest proponents for social justice from his day, and his life is certianly worth learning about. This year marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, largely due to his efforts. Not sure if I'll get to see it this weekend or not, but if anyone does, let me

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-24653569917795152782007-02-16T09:29:00.000-05:002007-02-16T09:39:04.115-05:00

Does God's judgement make Christianity a religion of fear? The Internet Monk has a good post on the subject. Of notable quotability:I am particularly interested in how evangelicals tend to see events in their lives and in history as expressions of God’s direct judgment. The belief that God is actively judging people through the events that happen in life is a significant source of fear for many

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-76921132668178064832007-02-14T15:45:00.000-05:002007-02-14T15:49:30.773-05:00

Is it just me, or did Google leave off the "L" in their customized Valentine's Day logo? What better way to say "Happy Valentine's Day" than "Googe"?...Ugh.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-20077150850752859582007-02-13T19:58:00.000-05:002007-02-13T18:31:54.136-05:00

Here is an excellent - and concise - article from Jean Luc Picard Tim Keller summarizing the purposes of the Church.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-51024262601399085332007-02-12T17:10:00.000-05:002007-02-12T17:24:36.566-05:00

Here's an article from CNN about children being abducted and brainwashed to become soldiers and killers. Honestly this is such a difficult thing for me to read about - especially as a new father. I first became aware of stuff like this through the documentary Invisible Children. I know sin is sin, but when I see things like this, I am amazed that God does not immediately obliterate us off the

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-50782019932953093412007-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:002007-02-07T08:03:50.614-05:00

A church congregation in Los Angeles recently held a "mass baptism" by spraying folks in the street with water hoses. Interesting.From the L.A. Times - Fire hoses were used in the street, said Pastor Wilbert Swaringer, because Los Angeles does not have access to the river Jordan, where the faithful believe Jesus was baptized. When asked about the Los Angeles River, Swaringer looked alarmed and

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-61784377926201834862007-02-02T15:35:00.000-05:002007-02-02T15:42:02.161-05:00

Interestingly enough, TIME magazine interviewed Al Mohler after he recently recovered from pulmonary embolisms, a frequently fatal form of clotting in the lungs. Check out the interview, now posted on TIME magazine's web site: A Calvinist Faces Death[HT: T-mac]

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-66448857708080088182007-02-02T15:23:00.000-05:002007-02-02T15:25:38.852-05:00

Vandorsten.blogspot.com is now www.thedieselblog.com. You probably think this blog is about you. Don't you? Don't you?

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-24766958883433159972007-02-01T11:53:00.000-05:002007-02-01T12:03:49.884-05:00

The newly redesigned and improved vandorstendesign.net is up and running. Huzzah! You know you want a sweet new banner for your blog.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1170109091437618892007-01-29T17:15:00.000-05:002007-01-29T17:18:11.556-05:00

Have a soul you're not using? BlasphemyChallenge.com is an anti-Christian website that offers a free movie to the first 1001 people who will "record a short message damning yourself to Hell" and upload it to YouTube. From the site:"You may damn yourself to Hell however you would like, but somewhere in your video you must say this phrase: 'I deny the Holy Spirit.' Why? Because, according to Mark 3

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1169488490015304322007-01-22T12:40:00.000-05:002007-01-22T13:13:35.646-05:00

Yesterday, Truitt sent me a link to a post by Adam Omelianchuk about breaking off your dating relationship according to theology. Pretty funny stuff. Here they are, shamelessly reprinted:Atheist: The burden of proof is on you to establish the existence of this so-called “god” but I believe that if there was any such divine entity “it” would not want us to continue dating. Intelligent Design

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1169138086091382202007-01-18T11:26:00.000-05:002007-01-18T11:53:21.530-05:00

Here is a case of backwards justice: Today two border patrol agents serve the first day of eleven- and twelve-year prison sentences, respectively. In February of 2005, the two guards stopped a suspicious-looking van on the U.S. side of the border. Inside they found an illegal Mexican immigrant, who had successfully (well, up to that point anyway) smuggled nearly 750 pounds of marijuana into

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1168920618991565282007-01-15T22:41:00.000-05:002007-01-15T23:58:55.263-05:00

Being a white guy on staff at a predominately white church does not often lend itself to thinking outside of my own racial culture. That is not an excuse, just an observation. I am ashamed to say that in the four years I have been here, I cannot recall racial issues ever having been discussed beyond a few comments here and there. Those comments were generally about the need for our staff to

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1168617002749058282007-01-12T10:33:00.000-05:002007-01-12T10:50:02.780-05:00

At a breakout session at Passion07, Pastor John Piper used a phrase that some may find inappropriate. Here, Pastor John explains why and his reflections afterwards. Of notable quotability:I think if I had it to do over, I would not say it. On the one hand, I don't like fanning the flames of those who think it is hip and cool to swear for Jesus. That, it seems to me, is immature. On the other

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1168545506265035022007-01-11T14:50:00.000-05:002007-01-11T14:58:26.316-05:00

Below is an email sent this afternoon from my brother in Colorado Springs, who serves as active military in homeland security:Greetings friends and family, My original intent of this note is to inform you of the possibility of our Army Chaplains being prohibited to use the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in their prayers. This is most absurd. Being a follower and believer in Jesus

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1168441619388594732007-01-10T09:52:00.000-05:002007-01-10T10:13:52.800-05:00

As any self-respecting technophile or Mac geek will know, Apple introduced three new devices yesterday: a widescreen iPod with touchscreen capabilities, a phone, and a "breakthrough internet device." The kicker was that they are all the same device. Experience has generally led me to believe that devices that try to cram a lot of functions together into one inevitably trade quality for quantity

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1168262593368198482007-01-08T08:11:00.000-05:002007-01-08T09:15:33.316-05:00

As a bonafide out-of-the-closet Chipotle burrito addict, Crossings Church in Richmond, VA may be on to something here:"They worked a deal with Chipotle to give each visitor a free burrito. Crossings passes out a playing card (provided by Chipotle) that serves as the free burrito coupon. If you've never been to Chipotle, this ain't your momma's Taco Bell tortilla roll-up. This thing is huge, and

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1167110231419992612007-01-05T09:09:00.000-05:002007-01-05T13:51:38.466-05:00

Let me just say how honored I am to have been chosen as Time magazine's "Person of the Year." Oh, hey - you won too."The annual honor for 2006 went to each and every one of us, as Time cited the shift from institutions to individuals - citizens of the new digital democracy, as the magazine put it. The winners this year were anyone using or creating content on the World Wide Web." (Larry McShane)

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1167861907012321662007-01-03T16:49:00.000-05:002007-01-03T17:05:07.050-05:00

The ride up Copper Mountain was slow, cold, and utterly beautiful. Dozens of skiers and ‘boarders whipped down the slope, which lay roughly three vertical miles below my dangling feet and board. I tightened my kung-fu death grip on the rail. The snowfans below zigged and zagged, leaving flowing streams of fresh powder in their wake as they gracefully wove through the beautiful evergreen trees

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1166112150363953842006-12-14T11:02:00.000-05:002006-12-14T11:02:30.366-05:00

During the last winter Olympics, I watched snowboard prodigy Shaun White tear up a half pipe with style and ease as he took home the gold for the U.S. I’d have to say, I was inspired. This kid made it look so easy and cool, and I wanted give snowboarding a shot. It would be Something New to try and experience.Anytime I try Something New, I secretly wish and fervently hope that I have some

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1165857460371126072006-12-11T12:17:00.000-05:002006-12-12T16:30:28.896-05:00

I just went snowboarding for the first time ever. Here amidst the snow-capped mountains of Colorado, folks apparently do this sort of thing often. Maybe it is because of the awesome snow here. But I think it may also have something to do with the high altitude and really thin air.For those of you who may be unfamiliar with snowboarding, allow me to explain the raw elements of this sport. Even

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1165470731913275412006-12-07T06:33:00.000-05:002006-12-07T00:55:52.896-05:00

Six Muslim imams were removed from a U.S. Airways flight in Minneapolis just before Thanksgiving. They were questioned by police for several hours before being released. Their offense: saying their evening prayers together on the plane.Good Will Hiking points out that most of the media coverage of this event centers around allegations that this being a case of racial profiling and religious

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1165186928381178852006-12-03T17:54:00.000-05:002006-12-03T18:02:08.406-05:00

"Now that the first Muslim has been elected to Congress ... Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison intends to take his oath of office on the Quran, rather than the Bible, and his decision is bound to spark a difficult debate with no easy answers." This is an interesting clash of America's Christian tradition versus cultural/religious inclusiveness. Read the rest of this article from Travis McSherley at

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1164848493099907502006-11-29T19:43:00.000-05:002006-11-29T20:04:51.986-05:00

Words escape me. Good luck with that, friend.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1163653342720010182006-11-27T11:33:00.000-05:002006-11-28T16:08:26.203-05:00

I was sick yesterday with some kinda stomach bug or whatnot. So I spent a few hours trying to ignore my nausea and splitting headache by mindlessly surfing the 'Net. I managed to kill a few minutes by taking some o' those nerdy little online quiz whatamajig things. Let the good times roll.This one is supposed to tell you what your evangelical worldview is. The results are in. It reads a little

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1164227852583848642006-11-22T15:34:00.000-05:002006-11-22T15:37:32.620-05:00

"Here's some bad news for your marketing efforts: You lost your domain and a porn site snatched it up. Too bad you just handed out fliers at the local Apple Harvest Day with the old site--now sending lots of unexpecting potential visitors to a porn site. Doh. True story. It happened to Hope Community Church in Dover, N.H. The mix-up happened when the church was switching Internet service

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1163607068476404352006-11-16T08:26:00.000-05:002006-11-16T08:35:39.040-05:00

"Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world, wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where would you sit on one of those lists? Here's your chance to find out." - Global Rich ListClick the link above to see where your salary falls on the global scale. If it's anywhere close to accurate, prepare to be surpised... and grateful.[HT: The

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1163544376394821842006-11-15T09:20:00.000-05:002006-11-15T12:50:34.433-05:00

Earlier this year, in June, the Episcopal Church voted Nevada Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori as the first female leader of the entire church. She will now be the presiding bishop at the National Cathedral in Washington, becoming the first female priest to lead a national church in the nearly 500-year-old Anglican Communion.I have some concerns about that alone, and many of you may agree or

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1163445896058604832006-11-13T16:00:00.000-05:002006-11-13T16:26:24.386-05:00

I hit the road last week to hit up the DRIVE ’06 conference at Andy Stanley’s church just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Turns out, I liked it a lot. I would have to say I liked it as much as the Desiring God conference, but in a different way. Let me explain. What the DG conference was for straight-up quality theology, DRIVE was for the practical how-to side of church organization, structure,

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1162827964068654872006-11-06T10:32:00.000-05:002006-11-06T10:46:24.320-05:00

Got to Hotlanta late last night for the DRIVE '06 conference at North Point Community Church; Andy Stanley and his dad Charles will be the keynotes. A friend went last year and invited me along this year, saying it was prolly one of the best practical "how-to" conferences he'd been to. From the DRIVE '06 website:This year at drive, we are going to pop the hood and take a look at some of the

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1162829079386207322006-11-05T16:02:00.000-05:002006-11-06T11:07:55.503-05:00

For anyone following the news surrounding the fall of evangelical leader Ted Haggard, Between Two Worlds has posted public letters that Mr. Haggard and his wife asked be read to their congregation.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1162485864659136812006-11-02T11:41:00.000-05:002006-11-02T20:15:41.836-05:00

"Redeem the culture" is becoming more and more the cry of Christianity today. Scott McClellan over at Igniter Media wrote a quick blurb on the subject, citing Johnny Cash's cover of Trent Reznor's Hurt as a perfect example. Cash recorded a cover of Trent Reznor’s “Hurt” and released it on the album American IV -The Man Comes Around. The music video that followed was amazing. Footage of Cash,

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1162323924318228762006-10-31T13:58:00.000-05:002006-10-31T14:46:29.913-05:00

The Evangelical Outpost has some strong commentary on the infamous Chick Tracts. Joe Carter, who wrote the aforementioned commentary, expresses his displeasure regarding Halloween Chick Tracts using no uncertain terms:I think it's safe to say that if the Lord hates Halloween then he must despise Chick tracts. When a well-intentioned but overzealous Christian gives these "comics" to a child it

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1161919959717664782006-10-30T11:26:00.000-05:002006-10-30T11:59:58.470-05:00

The U2 Eucharist could be coming to an Episcopal liturgy near you. Maybe now you'll find what you're looking for. Or not.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160768269668948582006-10-27T15:50:00.000-04:002006-10-27T15:52:24.636-04:00

'Tis the season: time for the kiddies to get all dressed up in them costumes and go get some candy (while ultra-conservatives pass out strange... um... literature. Boo. And I don't mean like a ghost.)Whichever side of the fence you fall on regarding the celebration of or participation in ye olde All Hallows' Eve, Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA, offers a thorough history of the holiday. As far

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1161789479059400982006-10-25T10:47:00.000-04:002006-10-25T11:17:59.176-04:00

The birds and the bees may be gay, according to the world's first museum exhibition about homosexuality among animals.With documentation of gay or lesbian behavior among giraffes, penguins, parrots, beetles, whales and dozens of other creatures, the Oslo Natural History Museum concludes human homosexuality cannot be viewed as "unnatural"."We may have opinions on a lot of things, but one thing is

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1161752250909305422006-10-24T23:28:00.000-04:002006-10-25T01:05:52.600-04:00

Sometimes, Christian perspectives on dating can be (may I be brutally honest?) downright stupid. Boundless, a webzine from Focus on the Family, actually has a pretty decent article on the subject, though - and written to dudes."Too often in dating relationships we think and act like consumers rather than servants. And not very good consumers at that. After all, no one would ever go down to his

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1161620705606258172006-10-23T11:41:00.000-04:002006-10-23T12:27:20.866-04:00

The Sony Bravia marketing gurus are at it again - and while this is not a product endorsement, you know I love me some sweet visual imagery. If you remember, these guys produced the bouncy ball-filled eyefeast that I wrote about here. The newest installment involves a highrise in Scotland and apparently several tons of non-toxic paint. Imagine a fireworks show using colored liquid instead of

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160966426214948002006-10-16T06:05:00.000-04:002006-10-15T22:42:47.923-04:00

Northern Virginia is the vanity plate capitol of the world. I kid you not, almost everyone here has one. I do not have one, but only because I haven't thought of anything clever enough to put on one. I thought HI-8-US might be pretty good, but that's already taken. Please help.Actually, all of this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I am going on vaction this week with my wife. We

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160750504221458122006-10-13T10:15:00.000-04:002006-10-13T10:41:44.366-04:00

Church Marketing Sucks recently posted an article promoting the use of MySpace as an effective means of church outreach. The article is actually written by Joe Suh, co-founder of MyChurch.org ("not MySpace for Christians"). Suh says,"Community within church walls is great, but it makes for an easy excuse to avoid outreach outside the church building. The digital world is no different. 80% of

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160572520805639082006-10-11T09:08:00.000-04:002006-10-11T10:44:09.023-04:00

Dearest wife, I cannot remember what life was like without you.I do not wish to.Thank you for being the voice of love and wisdom in my life. You show me Christ in so many ways.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160507132980102002006-10-10T13:56:00.000-04:002006-10-11T09:30:00.270-04:00

Feminist rag Ms. Magazine has started a "coming out" campaign for women who have had abortions. Said campaign involves signing a petition that simply declares "I've had an abortion" - which over 5,000 women have apparently signed. According to Ms. Magazine, the purpose of the petition is to "save lives and to spare other women the pain of socially imposed guilt" in an effort to repeal "archaic

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160280807770007492006-10-08T00:12:00.000-04:002006-10-08T00:13:27.966-04:00

Got a new look all up in yo grill. Holla.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160139780824072842006-10-06T08:40:00.000-04:002006-10-06T09:11:16.660-04:00

In response to the recent rash of school shootings, Wisconsin lawmaker Frank Lasee is planning to introduce legislation that would allow teachers and other school personnel to carry concealed weapons. Lasee says this option would "make our schools safe for our students to learn." His rationale? It works great in Israel and Thailand.I'm sorry... what?! I shudder to think of some of my high school

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1160055702054715012006-10-05T09:28:00.000-04:002006-10-08T00:32:16.453-04:00

Don't know if you've noticed, but a recent (and hopefully passing) buzz in Christian blogdom has centered around some remarks made by John Piper at the Desiring God Conference to Mark Driscoll. Now while some folks have gone as far to say that Piper "publically rebuked" Driscoll, etc., etc., I would hardly say that is the case. But don't take my word for it - Mark posted an email exchange

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159902009156789952006-10-03T14:53:00.000-04:002006-10-03T17:37:43.810-04:00

The audio from DGC06 - Above All Earthy Pow'rs : The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World - is already available. Glad these fellas are quick on the draw. I commend these messages to you and hope you'll take the time to listen through them.1 | David WellsThe Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World2 | Justin Taylor, John Piper, Tim Keller, Mark DriscollA Conversation with the Pastors 3 |

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159901590142329242006-10-02T18:31:00.000-04:002006-10-03T14:53:10.333-04:00

Session 6 || Sunday Morning || John Piper – The Supremacy of Christ and Joy in a Postmodern World"Don't aim to preach only in categories of thought that can be readily understood by this generation. Aim at creating biblical categories of thought that are not present. …Some of the most crucial and precious truths of the Scripture are counter-intuitive to the fallen human mind. They don’t fit

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159824541261549312006-10-01T18:31:00.000-04:002006-10-02T17:29:01.410-04:00

Session 5 || Saturday Evening || D.A. Carson – The Supremacy of Christ and Love in a Postmodern World "Neither modernism nor postmodernism is easy to define. Even experts in intellectual history disagree on their definitions.The majority view, however, is that the fundamental issue in the move from modernism to post modernism is epistemology – i.e., how we know things or think we know things.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159805620940499662006-10-01T16:07:00.000-04:002006-10-02T14:28:36.886-04:00

Session 4 || Saturday Afternoon || Mark Driscoll – The Supremacy of Christ and the Church in a Postmodern World"Many Christians simply thought that postmoderns were a new kind of Christian. But, I believe postmoderns are simply not Christians. Anytime you have a hyphenated Christianity (i.e. New Age Christian, liberal Christian, etc.) then you have negated the Christianity. For postmoderns the

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159678919173939982006-10-01T00:54:00.000-04:002006-10-01T01:01:59.196-04:00

Session || Saturday Morning || Tim Keller – The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in a Postmodern World“We never get beyond the gospel in our Christian life to something more advanced. The gospel is not the first step in a stairway of truths… The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom. We are not

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159675050595135972006-09-30T23:49:00.000-04:002006-10-02T11:07:28.220-04:00

Session 2 || Saturday Morning || Voddie Bauchman – The Supremacy of Christ and Truth in a Postmodern World“Truth is under attack in modern American culture. Rare is the person who believes that there are facts that correspond with reality (truths) and that those facts are true for all people in all places and at all times. Common, however, is the man or woman who believes that all religions are

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159619762141551622006-09-30T08:19:00.000-04:002006-09-30T08:36:02.276-04:00

Session 1 || Friday Night || David Wells – The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World“It is only as the evangelical Church begins to put its own house in order, its members begin to disentangle themselves from all of those cultural habits which militate against a belief in truth, and begin to embody that truth in the way that the Church actually lives, that postmodern skepticism might begin to

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159507196499386412006-09-29T06:00:00.000-04:002006-09-29T01:39:14.500-04:00

I'm off the '06 DG Conference. Ought to be good. Pray that it will be. If I have internet access there, I'll try to give you a running commentary. If not, I'll hit you up with some conference posts post-conference.In the meantime, you should definitely listen to this right now.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1159506204177385992006-09-28T22:06:00.000-04:002006-09-29T01:32:15.253-04:00

That's right - Bob the Tomato & Company are coming to network TV. But don't get too excited yet; it won't be the VeggieTales you're familiar with. Instead, you'll get a watered-down "values-friendly" version of your old favorites that is carefully censored so as not to "advocate any one religious point of view." Even Bob the Tomato's signature sign-off line, "God made you special and he loves

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1157988159976554222006-09-11T10:22:00.000-04:002006-09-28T19:06:39.826-04:00

I almost hate to break this to you, Christian - but I probably should. So get ready - here goes: Security is an illusion.I assume you know what illusion is. But to clarify, when I say "security," I'm talking about it from the aspect of having some assurance of safety, even if that assurance is mental or physical, real or imagined. Security in this regard is also often defined as freedom from

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1157758713940455682006-09-08T19:33:00.000-04:002006-09-08T19:43:19.516-04:00

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this. Either way, looks like it's good to be The Je$u$.Well, at least this guy seems to have a good handle on the situation. I'll keep saying it - watch your life and doctrine friends.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1157660253490422152006-09-07T16:08:00.000-04:002006-09-07T16:17:33.513-04:00

Hooray for free stuff! Boy oh boy, the buzz around DW's Mockingbird is all the latest throughout Christian blogdom, so here's another freebie to throw in the mix. The Billy Graham Crusade is giving away copies of John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life this month only - fo' FREE. Grab yours today.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1157571244258034002006-09-06T15:23:00.000-04:002006-09-06T15:35:21.383-04:00

My boy Derek Webb is giving his latest album, Mockingbird, away online for free. Says Webb, "My most recent record 'mockingbird' deals with many sensitive issues including poverty, war, and the basic ethics by which we live and deal with others. but i found that music has been an exceptional means by which to get this potentially difficult conversation going. ...We hope this bold campaign will

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1157556966527040322006-09-06T11:25:00.000-04:002006-09-06T11:36:33.780-04:00

After watching the film Invisible Children at 7.24 (see last post), a friend and I were discussing our reactions. The documentary ends with several suggestions as to how to help the situation in Uganda. Although we both agreed that something should be done - must be done - we shared a frustrating sense of helplessness. After all, what does throwing a couple bucks at a national civil war really

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1156217768064901932006-08-21T22:00:00.000-04:002006-08-21T23:59:29.930-04:00

Nightfall in Northern Uganda brings more than darkness: fleeing brutal abduction from the elusive Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), literally thousands of impovershed children cram themselves into basements, alleys, and hallways of Ugandan towns. Each night these children flee the LRA, African rebels who routinely beat and brainwash scores of little kids as "recruitment" into their war against the

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1155652784582147662006-08-17T11:10:00.000-04:002006-08-17T11:34:20.866-04:00

Filling Up Space recently responded to an article from The Boston Globe that featured "a profile of believers who have reconciled their faith with the right to abortion." One Paul Simmons, apparently a Baptist minister of sorts, is quoted in the Globe's article as saying "Jesus never mentioned abortion." Simmons also points to the fact that the apostle Paul never mentions abortion ("...If anyone

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1155651394949556762006-08-15T09:25:00.000-04:002006-08-15T10:21:24.973-04:00

Andy Stanley, senior pastor at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, wrote a book a few years back called Choosing to Cheat. Although few people really think about it in a practical way, the premise is pretty simple - you only have so much time to give, so something must be "cheated" at the expense of something else. In other words, most folks must divide their time between work and family.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1155049614354218882006-08-08T09:17:00.000-04:002006-08-08T11:23:25.546-04:00

I was tagged by Off the Wire to fill out the following book list. I guess you could answer "The Bible" to any of these - although true, that might be cheating. At any rate, I love me some readin', so here you go:1. One book that changed your life: Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis (I consider this Lewis' quintessential work . It cleared out a lot of cobwebs in my early days) Bonus book: Wild at

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1155042999925154942006-08-08T09:03:00.000-04:002006-08-08T11:13:56.046-04:00

A month-and-a-half hiatus, and this is the best I've got for you: a man in a chicken suit. I accidently stumbled across this oddity the other day. It is a creature of unrivaled hilarity, but at the same time it is somehow profoundly disturbing. You should probably drop everything and go here now:http://www.subservientchicken.comHe moonwalks, cartwheels, and even breakdances. Truly amazing. How

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1150469168559276352006-06-16T10:36:00.000-04:002006-06-16T11:01:04.403-04:00

CNN ran an interesting article today on gender selection. Couples from other countries are circumventing laws that prohibit gender selection in their home countries by coming to America, where - if you have the money - it's currently legal to genetically orchestrate the gender of your unborn baby. Rejecting the term "designer babies," an Australian man mentioned in the article preemptively

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1149299613092620772006-06-02T21:51:00.000-04:002006-06-02T21:56:26.386-04:00

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1147452368134390882006-05-12T12:13:00.000-04:002006-05-12T12:46:08.176-04:00

Today I found my latest example of why we must guard our life and our doctrine closely. John Clark, a self-proclaimed "non-Christian servant of Jesus" has written his own version of the New Testament that omits the word 'church' on the basis that, as he says, "no mention of that beast exists anywhere in the original New Testament writings." He also seems to have problems with the doctrine of

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1147362255221169812006-05-11T11:32:00.000-04:002006-05-11T11:44:15.236-04:00

The PrayerBookProject blog recently posted a short but sweet example of the consumeristic mentality that pervades much of North America's local churches. Any worship leaders or pastors out there will particularly relate - especially if you've ever gotten one of "those" calls. This guy is actually pretty tame compared to others I've heard about or recieved myself.Listen. (I think you'll

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1147270210570709582006-05-10T10:02:00.000-04:002006-05-10T10:15:02.300-04:00

"How does one take seriously the reality of eternal damnation and at the same time not let it quench your joy in God?"My friend GrahamCracka candidly explores the difficult topic of reconciling divine judgement and joy in God in a recent post.Check it on out.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1147194463965297572006-05-09T12:48:00.000-04:002006-05-09T13:26:52.500-04:00

My brother Jeremiah got baptized last weekend. Sweeeeeeet! Here is what the bro had to say about it.i've done went and got myself baptized last sunday. i'm a new feller now, out with the old and in with the new! ...maybe i'm not that different than just a few days ago. but in striving to be more like our King, Jesus, and in obedience to God's own Word, i reckoned it was time. i'd never been

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1145025086546888692006-04-14T10:15:00.000-04:002006-04-14T10:31:26.896-04:00

On April 14, 2005 - one year ago to this very day - ol' diesel.blog raised its Frankenstein head out of the virtual murk of the interweb and looked around, slightly confused. Way back then, we were our own little writer's triad, Samb, Diddy, and I, each our own three biggest fans. Though we hitched a ride on the blog train long after it was already cool, I'm happy to see we've reached some

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1144957633753007872006-04-13T15:41:00.000-04:002006-04-14T10:14:09.790-04:00

Last post, there was some good discussion over a variety of topics, including the TNIV, Open Theism, time, omniscience, sovereignty, etc. Many thanks to those who took the time and effort to respond intelligently to the topic at hand.In minor-league, in-house theological debate, I find that there is often an undercurrent of "do these things we are discussing really matter?" I found my own mind

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1143829084389301272006-03-31T13:15:00.000-05:002006-03-31T13:18:04.440-05:00

“A Generous (or not so generous) Theology” The following will assume a reading of the post linked above. Let me preface this post with the following clarifications. Allie, who wrote the referenced post, is my friend, and a trusted friend of my family. As such, I want to make it clear that I am not attempting a retaliatory personal attack on her. Nor am I attempting to start a “blog war

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1143494863587061432006-03-27T16:31:00.000-05:002006-03-27T17:41:24.203-05:00

Today I was reminded of what was arguably the best toy of my early childhood. Colorful. Plentiful. Delightfully unpredictable. Small enough to be dangerous, but seemingly harmless enough not to arouse suspicion should it be set about to mischief. If at this point you're thinking G.I. Joe or Transformers (or their dispicable offshoots, the GoBots)... wrong and wrong.I'm speaking, of course,

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1142873070189420542006-03-20T11:25:00.000-05:002006-03-20T13:27:35.260-05:00

In his debut post, my friend Good Will Hiking poses the question of religious plurality; that is, is there more than one way to God? Specifically, Will asks "...How do you respond to a Christian who believes that other faiths are valid ways to God--that Christianity isn't exclusive and Christians don't have a "monopoly on truth." Can this person be a Christian?" Check it on out.

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177647.post-1142368033656890762006-03-14T14:36:00.000-05:002006-03-14T15:33:22.796-05:00

The Church of Fools has been hailed as the first 3D interactive web-based church. Sponsored by the Methodist Church of Great Britain, it was initially conceived as a three-month experiment and was launched in May 2004 – and ran until that September. After logging on, visitors are able to choose a cartoon double, then walk around a virtual sanctuary, kneel, pray, shout hallelujah, play a hymn, and

vandorstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551123148428933747noreply@blogger.com5