Editors needed

As a would-be writer who has had a few things published, I am not always appreciative of editors. I like that they correct grammar or spelling mistakes that i don't catch. However, they also feel qualified to delete entire sentences that they think are superfluous or don't fit the tome of the publication. Delete my breathless prose will you? They're cultural Philistines.

However, I can think of one place that an editor would help: Facebook photo pages. People, just because you took 40 pictures of you and your friends at a party or the beach or a baseball game does not mean that you have to post each and every one of them. Especially when 20 of them are of the same people in the same basic pose. A few samples will satisfy even the most narcissistic subject in the photos.

The satirical on-line publication, The Onion, ran this story today: Police Slog Through 40,000 Insipid Party Pics To Find Cause Of Dorm Fire. The "story" led with: "The fire was ruled an accident after a tedious review of thousands of digital photos documenting every second of the five hour party."

That's how I feel after viewing some photo pages. Let's make a deal. I'll promise to look at your photo pages when you post them if you promise to self-edit and not publish every single picture you took. Deal?

Down moods

Are any of you moody? That's definitely one of my traits. I don't think I get moody just because. Normally there is an event or series of events that send me into a funk. And once there it takes a while to climb out. I hate it.

That's actually the reason I haven't posted since Monday. I have some things to say (and will get around to them), but a couple of things happened over the weekend to make me a bit sour. I don't think I've been ugly with people, but I can see that I have retreated into my shell.

This is the one thing that I do that most drives Tina crazy. When I get in a funk like this, I just pull away from everything. Oh, I keep working on what I have to, but everything else falls by the way. She will say at these times, "You're pulling away from me." Most of the time, I don't realize I'm doing it until she says something or I'm almost through it.

Are you the type of moody person who retreats into yourself? You need someone to tell you when it happens. Are you married to a such a person? You need to have a talk with him/her to gain some understanding and then get permission to help pull him/her out when it happens.

I don't think this is the same as true clinical depression. That's a different story that may need professional help. I'm just talking about the down periods that come upon melancholy people. If you are one, find someone to trust. If you know someone, help them.

War, peace, and soldiers

I am actually a bit conflicted by Memorial Day. By nature a pacifist, I am always uncomfortable with the idea of war. Though a pacifist, I am also a biblical realist; as long as the world is infected with sin, military force will be necessary to protect people.

I never served in the armed forces. I came of age just after the draft ended for Vietnam. I was glad to see that war ended and could not see myself in the military.

I supported Desert Storm in 1991, though it was hard to see what we accomplished in the end (except protect our gasoline).

I thought that taking out the terrorists in Afghanistan was necessary and proper, even if that meant removing their government. I never supported the war with Iraq as I thought our reasons were specious (and falsehoods as it later turned out).

So what do I think of soldiers, sailors and air personnel--past and present? I am glad for their existence and for their faithfulness to their job. I appreciate that I have the right to free speech to disapprove of the war because they are there to fight when necessary.

Many died in necessary wars; some in unecessary ones. It doesn't matter--they're all heroes. Thanks to you all.

Baseball in Heaven?

There's nothing I want to complain about today and I'm in a good mood after the Cardinal's sweep of the Cubs. So today, a story.

Two elderly former baseball players were reminiscing when Jorge asked, "Do you think there will be baseball in heaven?" Jason said, "I don't know, but I sure hope so." As they continued to talk, they made a pact that the first one to die would make every attempt to return to the other with the answer.

A couple of years later Jason died. As his friend lay sleeping a week after the funeral, he was awakened by a voice, "Jorge, it's me Jason." Jorge woke with a start and exclaimed, "Jason, you did it. You came back. So tell me, is there baseball in heaven?"

"Well, I have good news and bad news on that front," answered the ghostly figure. Jorge cried out, "Give me the good news first." The specter spoke, "Yes, there is baseball in heaven." Jorge said, "That's wonderful," and then turned silent. After a moment he asked, "What's the bad news?"

Jason replied, "You're pitching Friday."

Baseball Is the Perfect Sport

Growing up in southern California, my parents followed all the local sport teams. Dodgers, Angels, Rams, Lakers, USC football (mom), and UCLA football and basketball (dad). Track and field, horse racing, and the Olympics also drew our attention. But above all was baseball. Specifically Dodger baseball.

My first sports-related memory was my parents bringing me a Dodgers World Champions t-shirt from game 4 of the 1963 sweep of the Yankees (Sandy Koufax won 2-1). I was 6, but my love for baseball was set.

Baseball does not have the same level of popularity that it once did. Because of gambling, football garners more attention. Basketball attracts more inner-city youths than baseball now. Baseball is too slow, games last too long, has a steroids problem, blah blah blah.

I'm not having it. Attendance is as high as ever and you can catch a game on TV any night of the week. I have not caught a game in person this season yet, but that will change soon. My Dodgers have the best record in both leagues and my adopted Cardinals just beat the Cubs twice in a row. When baseball is going on, all is right with the world.

There are problems. The game must be rid of steroids and recent evidence suggests that the corner is being turned on that front. I would speed up the game just a little by forcing pitchers to throw a pitch within a certain time. The DH should go (or at least remain confined to the wimpy AL).

Every spring, some network plays "Field of Dreams" on TV. I almost always watch it at least once. My favorite scene is the speech that James Earl Jones gives about baseball. It sums up my feelings. Watch this clip and tell me if you don't get goosebumps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__X7ybW9Ljg

Track Record

A 13-year old boy and his parents in Minnesota are attempting to refuse chemotherapy for the boy's Hodgkin's lymphoma. They claim that chemo will not cure the tumor and that alternative herbal treatment will. They follow a group called the Nemenhah Band from somewhere in Missouri that uses native American natural healing treatments.

As a Christian who believes in divine healing, I admit to some mixed feelings on this issue. As the father has stated, "Chemo is not foolproof." However, it does have a pretty good track record with this type of cancer. The results of the Nemenhah Band? Who knows?

A week after becoming a Christian we had a case in California of a family who refused treatment for their son because God was going to heal him (his pastor counseled against this). He died and they were prosecuted. Later the father wrote a book where he admitted his arrogance and failure.

And this is the problem with these parents. If the boy dies and he had not received the best available medical treatment, their mistake has permanent consequences.

Believing in religious freedom, I understand and am somewhat sympathetic to all the arguments in support of the parents' decision to withhold treatment. However, on the practical side, I cannot remember a single publicized case of someone surviving after recommended medical treatment is refused. If history is any guide, this boy will join all the others and die without treatment. If he is forced to have treatment, the results are hard to predict (some valuable time has been lost).

When Jesus healed the ten lepers, he sent them to the priests to be declared healed. Until the doctors agree that alternative treatment is working, this boy should not be allowed to refuse treatment.

A Tree Died

I am a nerd. No, this is not a 12-step confession. It's the truth and I'm proud of it. I have my interests and I can be somewhat single-minded about them. I love books, especially about theology, and know way too much trivia about baseball, the Beatles and guitars. I am not cool and really don't care about pop culture.

(Note: According to my definition, a nerd is not the same as a geek. The latter is the type of person who cannot carry on a normal conversation and who you want to avoid. I hope I do not fit that category.)

But my nerdiness was tested recently when I saw the latest issue of The Sixteenth Century Journal. (For the record, I do not read this journal as it is not one of my interests. My job requires me to check the books reviewed in it against our catalog to see if we already have them.) For their fortieth anniversary (break out the party hats), they devoted their book review section to the best book reviews of the last forty years. Earlier they asked their readers to nominate those reviews that "most profoundly 'got your attention.'"

This is a new level of nerdiness than I could ever imagine. Not best books of the last 40 years, but the best reviews of books from the last 40 years.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think of a book review not as art, but utility. It is supposed to tell me enough of the book that I can make an intelligent decision as to whether I should buy it or at least check it our of the library. A good critical review will briefly acquaint me with the scholarly debate that surrounds the book. Review can also be helpful in determining a particular reviewer's view of a subject if he/she has not written about it elsewhere.

But a collection of the "best"? As my boss responded when I showed it to him, "And for that a tree died."

Last Call

I promise that this is my final post regarding Miss California, Carrie Prejean. And actually it's not about her at all; it's about us and Christian celebrity.

Let's get these points out of the way:

1. Her answer (to an unfair question in that setting) was courageous. Not real intelligent-sounding, but it is off the cuff and she's not a scholar or public speaker.

2. She was and still is being criticized for her stand which is contrary to that of the mainstream media. Similarly, the release of her semi-nude and topless photos are to embarrass her and her position.

3. She did pose topless for some photos. She told the Miss California organization that none existed. After the first ones came out, she insisted there were no more. When the latest ones surfaced, she blamed the wind. She has not been truthful.

None of this is what really bothers me. What I find difficult to understand is the conservative Christian media completely defending her and making her into a celebrity spokesperson. Are we so desperate to declare our opposition to gay marriage that we will so willingly ignore all the problems with her character and use her to further our message? This is simply wrong.

Let's say she gave a less-than-definitive answer to the gay marriage question. Even though she is a Christian, would James Dobson still have had her on his radio show? Worse, if she said that she was a Christian who supported the right of gays to marry, wouldn't he have attacked her? And then, if the photos came out, he would have questioned her character and integrity and said that this is the kind of supposed Christian who would support gay marriage. Tell me I'm wrong.

Instead, because she gave the right answer, he and others have to downplay the other issues and build her up as much as possible. Not because she is a fellow-believer, but because she said the right thing. And because she is now a celebrity.

How sad. If it were not for her own complicity in seeking out the media (she could have said no), I might start feeling sorry for her. She is being used by people who, once her celebrity fades, will be content to toss her aside and ignore her. I can imagine that 15 years from now, when her star has long faded and she is going back to college to finish the degree she abandoned to chase the celebrity dream promised her, she will look back and realize that she was used.

Had I been her advisor after the pageant, I would have counselled her to make one appearance (Today show, perhaps) and issue a statement like, "Hey, I'm just a colege student and beauty pageant queen. I stand by my answer, but it is up to everyone in this country to search their hearts for the right answer." And then, I would have her go back to school and turn down all media requests.

But, of course, I would have advised her not to take the racy photos that she did in the first place, too.

Baseball Should Not Be This Sad

My friend Jeff Morris jokingly asked me why I didn't post about Manny Ramirez and the steroids (or more specifically the female fertility drug used after steroids). Since I am a fan of the Dodgers who beat his snake bitten Cubs in the playoffs last year, he thought it only fair.

I would never shrink from such a challenge, but the truth is, I just don't know how I feel about specific instances of steroids in baseball any more. I feel as if the last 15 years of the most wonderful sport on earth has been robbed of its beauty. I remember when the ball started flying out of the park in record numbers in the 90s (Brady Anderson, of all people, hit 50 in 1996). We thought that the baseballs were juiced. Turns out it was the players.

I enjoyed the Mark McGuire record setting season. Unlike many, however, I always felt this nagging thought in the back of my head that it was less than right (we found out in the middle of the chase he used Andro--since banned).

Baseball has always been about numbers. In 1969, my friend Steven Johnson and I spent the entire summer playing darts on the baseball game on the back side of the dart board. We kept box scores and tallied batting averages and ERAs. I know a lot of the big numbers: Babe Ruth, 60 and 714. Hank Aaron 755. Roger Maris 61. Rogers Hornsby .422. Don Drysdale 58 scoreless innings. And, no, I didn't look any of those up.

The numbers put up in the steroids era takes the magic out of the numbers. And that hurts. On a competition level maybe it doesn't matter. Sure, Barry Bonds undoubtedly used steroids to get to 73 HR. But some of the pitchers who got him out were also on steroids. But the numbers aren't as meaningful anymore.

I think what makes baseball the greatest sport, at least to my generation and older, was the magical connection with kids. When I grew up, even the dorkiest of us dreamed of being a big league baseball player; no one dreamed of being a pro basketball or football player. We followed the players and kept track of their stats.

It was magic. Even though the times have changed and kids today probably don't have the same connection, it is still sad to see the joy sucked out of the numbers.

I still love baseball. Living in St. Louis now, I have been privileged to watch a sure future Hall-of-Fame player (Albert Pujols) entire career. I plan to get out to the stadium when the Dodgers come to town in July and watch often of TV. (If Pujols is ever proven to be a steroids user, I will be crushed.)

But there is an element in which it will never be the same. And that's too bad. I could blame a lot of people--players, owners, the commissioner, the people who invent this stuff--but it really doesn't matter. It's just a little sad and that's really all that can be said about it.

Wayman Tisdale

After my previous snarky post about a bad-boy NBA player, I was saddened to read of the passing of one of the good guys, Wayman Tisdale.

Tisdale was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma, averaging 25.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game in his three years. He played twelve seasons for three teams in the NBA, averaging 15.3 and 6.1. Like many others before and since, his size (6'9") allowed him to dominate in college, but made him just a little too small to have anything more than a good career in the NBA as a post player.

What makes Tisdale noteworthy is his character. You could consider him the antithesis of what most consider the typical NBA player. He was a dedicated Christian who got his college coach to move practice from Sunday morning to Sunday night so he could go to church (where his father was the pastor). I don't ever remember him getting in a fight, causing a scandal, or fathering children other than with his wife.

After retiring, he carved out a new career as a jazz bassist. Most ex-athletes seem to have nothing else to do when they quit. It seems they all either play golf, coach, or go into the broadcast booth. Not Wayman. A self-taught musician, he recorded eight albums, two of which topped the Billboard Jazz chart.

He suffered from bone cancer which cost him a leg, but not his smile. He died today at 44.

Here is a link to a terrific ESPN piece from last year:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?page=tisdale-081203

Here is the link to his web site:

http://www.waymantisdale.com/

News Flash

From today's Belleville News Democrat:

"NBA player Darius Miles charged with pot possession in Fairview Heights."

In other news, the sun rose in the east.

Ezekiel: Full of Faith or Wimp?

Yesterday I read a fascinating little comment in a sermon by John Wilbur Chapman from 1894. He quotes another 19th-century preacher, John McNeil, on the story of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). You know the story. God asked Ezekiel "Son of man, can these bones live?"

Ezekiel does not say yes or no. McNeil imagines the prophet looking down at the dead bones in which no life was present and being afraid to say yes. But then he also looked up to God in heaven and, knowing that God probably wouldn't have asked him if it was not possible, was afraid to say no. So he punted: "Oh Lord God, only you know."

If McNeil is right about Ezekiel's hesitation, I am right there with the prophet. It is so much easier to have faith when studying the Bible or in prayer or in theoretical discussion about the power of God. However, it is another thing altogether when you are called upon to pray for a dying child or for a marriage that has crumbled. Then the reality, even impossibility, of the situation intrudes on all the best theories.

On the other hand, it is one thing to have all the faith in the world that God can fix the situation before you. However, how do we know what God intends or wants to do in this situation? I forget who said that it was difficult to speak for a God who keeps his own counsel. It is perhaps just as arrogant to believe that every person you pray for will be healed as it is faithless to believe that none will be.

In the end, I wonder if McNeil was too hard on poor Ezekiel. Perhaps the prophet was not undaunted by the monumental task. Maybe he just didn't know what God wanted. So he gave the best answer he could: "Only you know."

The Liar's Crown

We can now sleep easier at night. Carrie Prejean will be allowed to keep her crown as Miss California. Donald Trump accepted her explanation that her topless photos were just lingerie shoots when she was a teen-ager.

However, now racier photos were released that she earlier claimed did not exist. The new photos are not from behind, but clearly show her breasts and nipples (the news outlets that released them covered up the nipples). There is no lingerie being advertised here and it seems that she was 20, not 17 as she claimed, when she posed (before her breast enhancement).

Now I understand that she probably lost the Miss USA crown because of Perez Hilton's totally unwarranted response to her answer to the gay marriage question. And these photos may indeed have been released to mock her Christian confession.

However, the girl is a liar. She signed a form stating that no photos like this exist. 1st lie. Then she stated that there were no more shots other than the lingerie shot from behind. 2nd lie.

Why in the world is she being held up as some kind of Christian role model? She is attempting to make a living and a career, not on talent or ability or hard work, but on her looks--both natural and enhanced. Do we want our young girls to emulate her in strutting her body before talent judges or a camera lens? And do we condone her lies?

Let Ms Prejean return to the scrap-heap of obscurity where she belongs. Let her go back to school and finish her degree and become a teacher. And stop holding her up as a defender of the faith. Let's reserve that for people who are actually doing something for God out there.

PC or Common Sense?

We all have experienced PC (politically correct) language. For example, people who we once described as handicapped or disabled become differently-abled because it doesn't sound so negative. Sometimes it is just silly (see my post about the Blind Curve), but not all examples of what some people call PC speech are necessarily so.

I have come into the habit of referring to the Old Testament as the Hebrew Bible. This happened because of my dissertation work on an OT topic and through my involvement with the regional arm of the Society of Biblical Literature. It has become the preferred scholarly term within many in that guild.

This definitely makes sense in the SBL. This is not a Christian organization; it is a scholarly one. It includes scholars and teachers who are dedicated churchmen, lapsed Christians, Jews, and hard-to-pin-down-religiously. You may be surprised to know that not everyone who studies and teaches the Bible for a living is a strong Christian. Just check out the religion faculty at your local community college sometime.

For an organization like this, though they recognize that the Bible is claimed as sacred Scripture by Christianity, the purpose of SBL is not to promote it as such. Therefore, the Bible does not properly belong to the Church, since it is also claimed by Jews and less-than-orthodox Christians. The purpose of SBL is to study the Bible academically, and let religious groups do as they wish with the findings.

Old Testament is not properly a scholarly term (neither is New Testament, but SBl and others use that term without problem), rather it is a church term. It describes that part of the Bible which the Jews considered sacred at the time of Jesus and which the church considers to be also part of its scriptures since the New Testament continues the plan of God begun in the OT.

To Jews, however, Old Testament implies two things: (1) that their Bible is outmoded when compared with the NT and (2) that it somehow belongs to the Christian church. Using the term Hebrew Bible, however, solves all difficulties and allows all scholars to speak together. Hebrew Bible (note--not Jewish Bible) refers to those parts of what is considered to be the Bible that were originally written in Hebrew (with a smattering of the related Aramaic).

In fact, there is a question as to how well the terms Old Testament and New Testament reflect good Christian theology. Did God have one plan that was replaced? If so, is there any benefit to reading the first plan at all? Or is it all just one plan?

There is no way that the modern church is going to adopt Hebrew Bible and Greek Scriptures or something similar for OT and NT. The familiar terms are just too familiar. But if you hear me or anyone else refer to the Hebrew Bible, don't accuse us of being PC; we are just using a term that is better for the circles in which we sometimes travel.

Gibson Les Paul Premium Plus Review

Recently I purchased my first real electric guitar--a Gibson Les Paul Premium Plus.

Like many other people, I have always considered the Les Paul the holy grail of guitars. Big sustain, growling humbuckers, and that classic style. For the longest time, however, I had talked myself out of the Les Paul. They are expensive and heavy. When the time came that I could start shopping, I started looking at SGs since they have similar pickups but are a bit cheaper.

First, I need to say that I would not own an Epiphone version of the Les Paul or SG. I played a couple of them years ago and was shocked by the poor quality. Since I am an acousitc player first, I tend to press hard on the neck. I was actually bending the necks of the Epiphones enough to change the pitch. No thanks. It's Gibson or nothing (I'll talk about the difference between Gibsons and Fenders another day).

Another part of owning a guitar like this is the way it looks (you look good, you play good). So I eliminated the models without block inlays (most SG Standards, Les Paul Jrs, and Les Paul Studios).

At a Guitar Center, I played a couple of SGs and then saw my guitar--a used Les Paul Studio Premium Plus. As expected, it has the great Les Paul tone. But what sold it for me was the look and the price.

The Premium Plus (which is not made any more) is an upgraded Studio in that it has block inlays, gold hardware, and a flamed-maple top (mine is natural finish--you can also find them stained different colors). What the guitar lacks when compared to a standard Les Paul is binding around the body and fretboard (neither of which are important to me) and no pickguard (more on that later).

Being a newer model, it features a chambered (partly hollowed out) body. This reduces the weight significantly (from 10 down to 7 pounds according to some) that makes it much more comfortable to play. I have read purists that hate the chambering, but I find it has all the sustain I can ever use. How long do you want to hold one note anyway?

What really makes this guitar stand out is the flamed maple top. As you can see in the picture, it is gorgeous. So much so that Gibson did not include a pickguard so as to not cover it up. Therefore, this might not be a good option if you really beat up your guitars when you play.

The final selling point for me was the price. The new SGs that I was looking at cost $1500, but I got this beauty for $1100. A Les Paul rather thanb an SG with an upgraded top and for less money!!! I couldn't buy it fast enough.

Since Gibson does not make this model anymore, you would need to look around for a used one (I've seen a few on e-bay). Obviously there are issues with used guitars. The back of mine had buckle scratches and the gold hardware is already fading a bit. Of course, the factory warranty is no longer in effect. But if you can evaluate guitars and do not mind a used instrument, I have been seeing these in the $1100 to $1500 range.

To sum up, this is a great guitar that will be my sole electric for the rest of my life. If you can find one, check it out.

Keep Piling On

A PhD is a prestigious degree. In many fields of academic study, it is as high as one can go. There is nothing beyond the degree but to continue to research, write, and teach.

Of course, there are cynics who see it differently. Some of my friends possess a B.A. degree. If you get your degree in one of the sciences (or, curiously, in accounting), you get a B.S (Bachelor's of Science).

Well, everyone knows what else BS stands for. So if you go on and get a Master's, that's an M.S.--More of the Same. Finally the Ph.D. stands for Piled Higher and Deeper.

With that in mind, I would like to call the attention of everyone who is doing, has done, or is considering graduate school (especially PhD) to the wonderful online comic strip titled, naturally, "Piled Higher and Deeper." Though its author concentrates on science majors (one humanities character just got "laid off" from the strip for economic reasons), students and former students in any field will get a chuckle (professors, less so). Here is one of my favorites:


His site can be found at: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php.

The Joys of Longetivity

You've heard the old jokes: I had a great sex life and then I got married. Or the little boy who wrote this definition of a widow: Someone who lived with her husband so long that he died.

Among people who have been married multiple times there is a new term: serial monogamy. In other words, being faithful to one person in a relationship at a time. When that relationship fails, you are faithful to the next one.

I guess serial monogamy is better than infidelity anytime, but people who have not been married to one person for a long time are missing out on some wonderful joys.

Today is my anniversary. Tina and I have now been married 28 years. One of the pleasures of being married this long is that I have got to watch her change and grow close-up.

When we got married, Tina was a 19-year old. She smiled a lot and laughed at my jokes. We played games and did silly things. Then came children and she grew into a young mother. It was all good.

Then, in her mid-to-late thirties, she began to change. One day, without discussing it with me, she went out and got a job (a good thing, as it turned out). On that job, she advanced and gained a lot of confidence. In her early forties, she got a tattoo (and one more just recently). She got her license and last year bought a motorcycle (by herself, since I don't ride).

These things are a bit superficial, but they are emblems of a deeper reality: She has grown into a much more interesting person than I married. And not only is she more interesting, I got to go along for the ride.

And that, among other things, are what people who don't hang on to their marriages never get to experience. They experience a spouse at certain times of their life, but not through the growth times. And it is a joy to do so.

It will be interesting to see what the next 28 years bring.

This Just In....

General Francisco Franco was the dictatorial ruler of Spain from 1936 until his death in 1975. He took sick in 1974 and was in and out of the hospital. The last time he went into the hospital, the American national nightly news programs typically led of their newscasts with some report on the health of Franco. It was comical how there was never anything new to report, but they felt the need to do so anyway.

Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update parodied this intense focus after Franco's death. For several weeks Chevy Chase would open the faux-newscast with, "Tonight, General Francisco Franco is still dead."

I thought of this old comedy bit when I read this headline: "Favre tells Vikings He's Staying Retired." Enough, already!!! I don't want to read Brett Favre's name again unless he un-retires (actually I don't want to even read that) or when he goes into the football Hall of Fame. Until then, spare me.

Skeletons in the Closet

Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was pilloried by many for her stand on one man-one woman marriage. Her answer to Perez Hilton was clear and sensitive. I wonder why such a loaded question was allowed in the contest to begin with, but that's another subject.

No it turns out that Miss Prejean has some semi-nude pictures in her past. The first one that has been published was a lingerie modeling shoot and, while it shows a whole lot more than I want my daughter revealing, is a long ways from porn. The most recent report suggests that there are three more racy pictures. Until they surface, neither I nor anyone else can express an opinion on them. We will probably see if it's true and the nature of these pics over the next couple of days.

I am not surprised that she has been attacked an neither should she. Possibly she did lose the Miss USA crown over the answer, which is unfair. I applaud her for giving a truthful and morally correct answer.

She has reacted to the uproar over her photos by calling it an attack on her Christian values. And she is correct. When you don't like the message, attack the messenger.

But Miss Prejean shares some of the blame here. She posed for the photo (an possibly more--we'll see). Further, she was not content (nor was the Christian media) to just give her answer, lose the title, and then go on her way. No, she milked her 15 minutes of fame by appearing everywhere to defend herself and her answer. In so doing, she set herself up for attack.

I am against gay marriage and believe in the right of everyone to speak out. But what makes a beauty queen some kind of expert or role model? Why should she think that her opinion needs to be heard. By speaking out anywhere and everywhere she made herself a target.

Being a target would be okay had her closet been clean of skeletons. The particular photo is one that could appear in nearly any magazine in the country, but it is a morally questionable choice for a young Christian woman with stron moral values.

I am not saying that she should not have spoken out. But she also should have known that any photos that she took in the past would come out. If she is surprised, then she is quite naive.

James (3:1-2) said that not everyone should strive to be a teacher because they have greater accountability. The larger principle revealed by this statement applies to anyone who will dare to speak out in society. Make sure your own house is in order before you put yourself before the world as an example of morality.

Where's the Outrage?

Last week something came out of Congress that in a parallel situation a few years ago provoked outrage from certain corners of the news media. Why is that any of their business? Don't they have anything better to do? But this time, those voices are silent. Yes, it is time to take on that bastion of the media.........................sportswriters and sportsvcasters.

A few years back Congress had hearings on steroids in baseball. Besides the discussion about steroids themselves, the overwhelming majority of sports writers, columnists and talking heads decried Congress taking up this matter.

Recently Congress again entered into the sports world by holding hearings regarding the BCS system of producing a champion in college football. This time no outrage about Congress investigating something that shouldn't matter to them. Just discussion of the arguments. Of course, the congressional committee was hard on the BCS people and seemed to support a playoff system. Wow, the same opinion as that held by the majority of the sports media. You don't suppose there's a connection, do you?

Amazing. Because the tone of these congressional hearings lined up with the majority opinion in the sports world, it wasn't a waste of time in their eyes. Even though the economy is still in the tank.

If I had to choose, I would rather have Congress investigate steroids than the BCS because the former potentially impacts impressionable young athletes all over the country. The type of system college football has to determine its national champion affects who again?

Some in the sports media like to say that we who decry steroid use are "hypocritical" without saying exactly why. If they excoriate Congress for holding hearings on the important issue of steroids, but don't on the important issue of the BCS, who is the hypocrite?

What's In a Name?

The Mexican or Swine Flu that has caused so much panic now has a name: H1N1. Although if I understand what I'm reading, This particular strain of flu is a sub-type of H1N1. The 1917-19 epidemic was a strain of H1N1, but not exactly the same. H1N1 was considered behind half of the ordinary seasonal flu in 2006.

But as soon as the WHO gave it a name, the news media had to pick up on it. Mexico was getting a bit bugged (pun, get it?) by the name Mexican Flu since it absolutely killed their tourist business. Pig farmers were unhappy with the term Swine Flu because some people were avoiding pork products.

But if H1N1 is only a class of flu and not the designation for this strain within that class, isn't using H1N1 actually imprecise? Mexican Flu identifies the place of its first known outbreak, just as the 1917-19 epidemic was called the Spanish Flu. (Although researchers believe that it originated elsewhere and had its initial big outbreak among WWI soldiers in France. Military control over the media in France kept the news out. The first that the world heard of the outbreak was from Spain. Hence the name.)

I have always been amused at the desire for faux-precision in terms. Recently I saw this sign. Didn't we used to call this a Blind Curve? Surely, the sign-makers were not motivated by some desire to not insult the blind. I think it is the quest for unnecessary precision at work again. No, the curve itself does not lack sight--it is trying to describe a curve that you can't see around so you should be careful. But everyone understood Blind Curve. To be honest, this sign makes me stop and think a second, "What in the world are they talking about?"

Precision in language is a good thing. I have to be aware of it all the time when doing exegesis and theology. But sometimes precision becomes ridiculous.

The Lost J-40

Note: A lighter post today. From time to time I do want to talk about guitars and baseball. Today is about my guitar. My guitar playing friends should appreciate it. The rest of you may like hearing the story about it.

Chris Martin's primary invention at the Martin Guitar Company was the J-40. It is the guitar for which he says he will be noted. He once boasted that it would become "the dreadnought of the nineties."

Well, it simply didn't happen. By the late nineties, dreadnought sales dwarfed that of the jumbo series. Though I understand that Martin owners can be a bit traditional, the relative failure of the jumbo to capture the market's attention surprises me for no other reason than this: The J-40 is an outstanding guitar!

Structurally, the J-40 is an OM guitar (sometimes called a 0000, which is just a bigger 000) with dreadnought depth. This results in very even tone from the lowest bass to the highest treble. Though it is not as bass-heavy as a D-28, it has plenty of bass response since it is made of rosewood.

Additionally, it is LOUD! The large size combined with scalloped bracing make this a boomer. Another guitarist borrowed mine for a gig we were doing (I was playing mandolin that day) and was blown away by its volume. He simply could not tell if the guitar had been added to the monitor mix or if he was just hearing it naturally.

I think that Martin may have confused the guitar-buying public by the style and price changes over the J-40's history. The original 1985 model added gold tuners, white binding on the fretboard, hexagon abalone fretboard inlays, and a pearl soundhole ring. By the early nineties, the pearl soundhole ring disappeared (see picture of my 1994 model, above). Its price was about the same as an HD-28. In the late nineties, Martin made a J-28 with all the extras stripped off and upgraded the J-40 with the 45-style Martin headstock inlay along with pearl inlay in the soundhole and top binding. The J-28 was priced like a D-28 and the J-40 was getting up into the D-41 range. The J-28 was eventually discontinued and the current J-40 seems to have the same appointments as the late nineties model (see picture at right). As a result its list price is $1000 more than an HD-28 and almost $1500 than a D-28.

In other words, I think Martin messed up their best invention of the last 20 years. The only jumbo model in their catalog has so many added cosmetic features that the resulting price drives away the average guitar buyer. If guitarists are unaware of the marvelous sound of the J-40, the extra price will keep them from seeking it out.

If you are in the market for a great guitar, can afford something in a dreadnought range, and don't mind buying used, it would be worth looking around for an older J-40. If you play one, I think you will find that, like mine, it is the finest guitar you have ever played.

Form without Substance

One of my favorite musical artists is Lyle Lovett. He is a terrific songwriter, always puts together an incredible band, and just makes good music. His songwriting is inventive and quirky, some might even say a bit odd (imagine me liking something odd).

I have seen him play live twice in St. Louis on the banks of the Mississippi in the shadow of the Arch. Both shows were outstanding. Tina, who is not a fan, saw the 2006 concert with me and was blown away.

His 2004 appearance was supporting his 2003 album, "My Baby Don't Tolerate." This album closes with two gospel numbers and he closed the concert with them as well.

I do not know Lyle Lovett's heart or his relationship with God. He was raised Missouri-Synod Lutheran, but does not currently belong to that church. I am not being unfair to say that he has never made a statement that indicates a born-again experience. Some of the details of his life might also cause you doubt that he believes as evangelical Christians do.

But he does have an ear and a feel for gospel music or at least for black gospel. The two songs--"I'm Going to Wait" and "I'm Going to the Place"--are theologically sound. If a choir performed either one of these songs in your church next Sunday morning, you would be blessed by the music and the message.

But I remember being a little troubled by these two songs as I heard them live. It's not just that they were being sung by a guy who I wasn't sure what he believed about the message. Then it hit me. Both songs talk about heaven, God, my Father, my Savior. But there was no mention of Jesus.

You might think I am quibbling over some trivial point. I don't think so. Now each and every Christian song does not need to explicitly name the name of Jesus. But in the case of these two Lyle Lovett songs, I just felt as if the absence was telling. Salvation without sacrifice. God's love without a mediator. Heaven without a relationship with Jesus.

As Lyle wrapped up his show, this verse popped into my mind: "Holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power" (2 Tim 3:5). It just seemed to me that these songs held out a vague belief in a universal salvation, but never examined that it is only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross that buys that salvation. In our celebration of salvation, we must never forget how we get there.

Here is a Youtube clip of one of the songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k56DJuP4DXU

Exercise: Valuable or Worthless?

As I worked my body on the elliptical machine at the YMCA today, the verse in 1 Timothy 4:8 (in the KJV) echoed in my head: Bodily exercise profiteth little. How to reconcile Paul's admonition to my thrice-weekly routine?

The first thing to recognize (and all the commentators are in basic agreement on this) is that Paul does not say that the benefits of exercise are so little as to be no benefit at all. There is a parallel comparison with the next phrase:

For bodily exercise is little usefulness,
But godliness is all usefulness.

Well, when you put it like that, of course anything we do for our physical bodies is meaningless in comparison with having godly character. So, in context, Paul's purpose is not to preach against physical exercise (he has no other comments on the practice), but to put it in proper perspective to being like God.

Naturally, even here we could make comparisons with people who exercise obsessively or who hone their bodies to painful perfection. How chiseled do you have to be to work at a desk?

Even so, I think we need to be careful when comparing what many of us do (or should be doing) in relation to exercise when compared to Paul's time.

First, the average person in Paul's day was not in need of exercise. In truth, they "exercised" all day long--we could call it work. Farming, keeping house, woodworking, or whatever a person did all day long was physically demanding in ways that most of us do not understand. They had no machines, it was all done by hand. And legs. And back. The last thing that the average person thought after the end of the work-day was, "Maybe I should go down to the gym and lift some weights." There were many fewer seriously overweight people than we see today. And though they were smaller, they were comparatively stronger than we are on average.

Those who did the kind of exercise to which Paul refers were the athletes in each city who were trained between 16 and 18 to participate in games between cities. What they did was for show and for a short time. Their work pales in comparison to what a godly man or woman could accomplish.

Most of us, however, do not do physical labor that compares in any way to what the average man or woman did in the first century. We are rich by comparison so we eat too much. We get soft. A good steward of the body that God gives needs to get in some exercise. I had a heart-attack four years ago. Though one artery to my heart was completely blocked (there's the over-eating fatty foods), the monitors showed that I had 100% heart function. The doctor attributed it to my workout regimen.

So we need to understand Paul's point without being bound to the cultural background which makes up the literal expression that he uses to make the point. Physical exercise has much more benefit to us than to those in Paul's day. But in comparison to being godly, it is still of small importance. So let's do both: take care of our bodies and live as he wants us to.

Maybe We're Not All Going to Die After All

In the words of the late Emily Litela, "Oh, that's very different. Never mind." Now it seems as if the swine flu might not be "a more serious strain than seasonal flu."

Unlike the kneejerk reactions of some, I really don't blame the news outlets or government authorities for causing panic. The news needs to be reported and the government needs to be proactive.

The real "villain" here is modern technology. 200 years ago, the severity of the disease would have been known long before the news could travel widely. In fact, you stood a good chance of getting infected yourself before the news reached you that an epidemic had spread. Today we know instantly.

I put "villain" in quotes because though modern technology allows news to be spread widely before enough facts are known, it does not qualify as some kind of evil. Had the disease been as bad as first feared, knowing as soon as possible would be a good thing.

I repeat my original point. When we hear bad news, we need to spend at least as much time in prayer as we do following the reports. If we do that, God can properly align us with him so that we might trust him in everything.

Killer Flu?

Note: I am still thinking about the death of my co-worker Regina today. I went to make tea and would have left the remaining hot water for her (as she did for me), but there was no need today. I just poured it out. That was hard. I have written some lighter stuff already, but not today. I will post that stuff next week.

There is another lesson from the terrible epidemic sweeping around the world: Despite all of our knowledge and advances and hubris, we are not in control. There are many things that are just bigger than we are.

This latest spreading killer is not a new type of cancer or a disease that we have never heard of. This is the flu. Now we've all had the flu, both the cold-symptom flu and the stomach flu. And while we use expressions like, "I'm so sick I think I'm going to die," we know that we won't. It's just the flu!

I assume that, as with any disease, those who die are from the pool of people in poorer health or with weaker immune systems. Even so, the flu, an illness that typically causes you to miss a couple of days of work or school, can become so bad that it kills people. It's a bit scary when you think about it.

As thoroughly modern people, we live most days as if we do not need God. When we need food and shelter, we work for it. When we are sick, we go to the doctor. When our transportation breaks down, we take it to the mechanic. We are normally capable of meeting our own needs or can get the help that we need in this world.

Modern medicine has become a victim of its own success. We cure nasty cancers. He have pills and shots for problems we didn't even know we had. Artificial limbs have become commonplace. Therefore, when our modern technologies are unable to fix a problem we are surprised.

I broke my shoulder in December 2007. Badly. Even so, I never doubted that it could be fixed; it was simply a matter of what needed to be done. Imagine my surprise when the doctor said that the 50% range of motion that I had was as good as it was going to get.

Anyone would be unhappy with a prognosis like that, but I was doubly disappointed because I had placed my faith in the ability of modern medicine to fix anything.

We are not in control as much as we think. We sail along through life and then the economy tanks or a teeny tiny germ lays us low. And at times there is nothing we can do about it.

This is why we need God. You might still lose your job or I might still get sick. But when those things happen, we need to be holding his hand and not putting our trust in ourselves.