top_5_lists

Top 5 lists!!! (check out previous years: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)

Songs

1) Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons 
2010 was the year of Mumford mania. only controversy here was which song to pick. "awake my soul" might actually be my favorite, but this one kicks off the record and sets the tone for everything that follows: a quiet start, a big build, and a huge payoff. killer lyric: "love that will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free, be more like the man you were made to be."
2) City With No Children - Arcade Fire
from their incredible album, "the suburbs." they upped the ante with this effort. killer lyric: "you never trust a millionaire quoting the sermon on the mount, I used to think I was not like them but I'm beginning to have my doubts."
3) Invented - Jimmy Eat World
it might be that i love this band even more now than i did ten years ago. their stuff holds up, and they've aged well. soundtrack to over a third of my life. crazy. killer lyric: "i'm one more here, some old-time pioneer, who believes with shaken faith, i still have some cool."
4) The Ladder - Andrew Belle 
saw this humble songwriter at cafe 939 here in boston and fell for him immediately. melancholy, wise beyond his years, and gentle in his approach, The Ladder was probably the one non-mumford album i listened to the most this year. killer lyric: on a ladder from there to here i'll climb, all this clatter between my ears i find, does it matter if i can't clear my mind, there's a right and a wrong time.
5) Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
weird song, and not one that at first listen you would imagine to be humming hours later, but it is totally catchy. and at first glance the lyrics seem surreal and bizarre but end up being quite profound on repeated listens. killer lyric: "i still owe money to the money to the money i owe, i never thought about love when i thought about home, i still owe money to the money to the money i owe, the floors are falling out from everybody i know."

Books (required reading)

1) Practice Resurrection Eugene Peterson
the fifth and final installment to his "conversations in spiritual theology" series, which is my all time favorite canon of books on theology. i absolutely, with no hesitation, recommend these books to anyone the least bit interested in theology.  
2) Almost Christian Kenda Creasy Dean
maybe the "problem" with youth ministry isn't youth pastors, or the culture, or facebook, but the church? that's the central question of this startling book. dean argues that the "problem" with youth ministry is that we (adults, the church, theology) are not giving kids a compelling story to live, rather we are simply asking them to be "nice" (the cult of "moral therapeutic deism"). challenging stuff.
3a and b) The Seven Storey Mountain Thomas Merton and God Was In This Place and I, I Did Not Know Lawrence Kushner
a little bit of mysticism here in the middle of the top five list. these authors go about this in very different ways (one is Jewish, the other Catholic; one a midrash, the other an autobiography), but both push the reader to open themselves up to presence of God in the midst of us: right here, right now.
5) The Wisdom of Stability Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
a challenge to buck the cultural trend of constant movement and upward mobility and to see stability (calling one place home) as a spiritual discipline.

Book (non-required)

1) Born to Run Christopher McDougall
one of the most well written books of any type or genre i have ever read. i actually like the next book on the list more, but McDougall gets top billing for doing an amazing job at weaving everything from bio-mechanics to anthropology to good-old-fashioned sports writing into a masterpiece. you don't have to like running at all to appreciate this work.
2) Are We Winning Will Leitch
i love books. i love books about baseball. i love books about coming of age. i love books about quirky/semi-dysfunctional young guys who finally decide to get their stuff together. this book is all of that in one. changing the setting to san francisco would be the ONLY way to make me love this book more. i look forward to reading it again soon.
3) Cardboard Gods Josh Wilker
in many ways this book is very similar to Are We Winning, only the era is different and the style a bit more literary. i loved holding and looking at this book, and reading it wasn't a chore either =)
4) Zeitoun Dave Eggers
eggers made a name, and a fortune, for himself by telling his story (some would say "exploiting" and "embellishing" but i would vehemently disagree). since then he's taken to telling other people's stories. this is the most straight-forward, simple storytelling eggers has done, but it still packs an emotional punch. i love what he is trying to do and i hope he keeps on doing it. 
5) All Souls Michael Patrick MacDonald
talk to anyone who has lived in boston for the last 20 years and they have an opinion on this book. a strong one. a customer at starbucks who grew up in southie and moved out when he went to college calls it a "pack of lies." our friend bob says it's pretty accurate. the divisiveness makes me think he hit on some sort of truth. very helpful in illuminating some recent boston history, the racial tensions and divisions that still exist, and the yearning for peace that still permeates our streets. 

Movies

Didn't watch many movies this year, again. I will point you towards Willie's excellent movie blog because he will probably have some good year end stuff up soon. Here are a few i did enjoy in no particular order: Toy Story 3, Inception, The Town, The Fighter (love the Boston area films =), and I will be watching over and over the Giants' World Series DVD!

53359 Day 346

ET


saw this classic tonight.  it's probably been close to 20 years since i've seen it, which is somewhat amazing because my family owns it and i have seen it several times (standard boutry family sick day viewing).  anyway, boston does free friday movies on the esplanade and we have not been able to take advantage yet, so tonight was the night.  good times!

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inception


amy and i had some other plans fall through tonight, so we made a spontaneous trip to the movies where we were thoroughly entertained in the air conditioned theater for two and a half hours by christopher nolan.  i'm not much of a film critic so i will use this opportunity to once again promote my friend (and colleague in campus ministry) willie's blog...his take on this film is great.

38359 Day 190

alice


just got back from seeing alice in wonderland with amy and stacey.  pondering if i have "lost my muchness" or not.

34559 Day 152

holmes

for a period of my childhood i was obsessed with sherlock holmes.  i suppose it might be like some boys who get obsessed with superheros and comic books.  every time we went to a bookstore i would go straight for the section where this book was shelved and covet it mightily.

as i remember it i asked for it often but never got it.  there was one moment, in arizona of all places, that i asked for it quite passionately (facing a 15 hour drive home) and was turned down.  

don't cry for me though because i did receive it for a birthday, or possibly christmas, not long after that.  i've read every story in this book.  and then, at some point, my obsession with holmes passed, replaced with something else.  

my interest was piqued when i heard a movie was in the works.  i saw it tonight and it did not disappoint.  justice was done to a boyhood passion.  and robert downy jr. is the perfect holmes.

33959 Day 146

it_might_get_loud

lots to report on from today, but most of it is going to need to get processed a little bit before getting "blogged".

so, i'll talk about this movie amy and i saw today that i've been wanting to see for a while. it might get loud is about three great guitarists: the edge from U2, jimmy page from Led Zeppelin, and jack white from The White Stripes. they get together to talk about the guitar, their style, and their process for creating art through their instrument.

i loved every minute of it, but, and i'm probably generationally biased, i loved every minute they focused on jack white the most. having read the book getting the blues i knew most of his references and then i enjoyed these two quotes (which i am paraphrasing) very much...

on guitars: "i choose broken and beat up guitars and try to make some beautiful come out of them."

on the creative process: "it's a struggle...in genesis we see that part of man's curse is to work the ground and the elements...it's not easy...you have to struggle through until you get it." (as he said this they showed concert footage of him playing the guitar until his fingers start bleeding all over it...crazy).

31459 Day 122

2009 Top 5 Lists, enjoy...

Songs

1) How He Loves Us - David Crowder Band

click here for what I’ve already said about this song...I haven’t appreciated a corporate worship song this much for a long time.

2) Blood Bank - Bon Iver

three seconds in to this song and you will already be feeling numerous emotions...that’s the genius of Bon Iver: immediate, deep emotional connection.

3) Daylight - Matt&Kim

totally weird and totally catchy...features a mildly chaotic beat and piano frenzy that will keep you humming for hours. the fun side of indie-pop.

4) Eet - Regina Spektor

love regina, but I'm not sure if this is my favorite song of hers...good place to start though...and it did get a lot of listens this year.

5) Epistemology - M. Ward

great love/be yourself song with theological undertones (or is it overtones)...but the best part comes at 1:33 during the “solo” when the fuzzy guitars and mandolin/banjo get all funky...i could listen to that bit of the song over and over again.

Honorable Mention: I listened, as did the rest of America, to a lot of Kings of Leon this year, so I guess I should mention that honorably.

Books (required reading)

1) A Million Miles in a Thousand Years Donald Miller

everyone has an opinion on Donald Miller...he’s the greatest thing ever...he’s an Anne Lamott hack...he’s the voice of a generation...he doesn’t like women...and on and on it goes. but people have an opinion because he’s successful and because he’s honest. that will get you every time. i’ve already written and talked (God's story-Your story) about this book, so I don’t have much new to say except for this: you can see that Miller has been broken by life and matured since Blue Like Jazz and so have I, so I think I appreciated that as much anything. also, Amy and I LOVED reading this out loud to each other.

2) The Drama of Doctrine Kevin J. VanHoozer

the most scholarly book i've read since seminary, this served as our staff reading for the fall. vanhoozer’s masterpiece is both grounding and will also push your thinking. i found it both greatly affirming of the way we do campus ministry while also helping us to take some important steps forward, particularly as we think and dream about Sojourn campus expressions.

3) Drops Like Stars Rob Bell

this book is a little silly actually. you can read it in about an hour or two, but it is the size of a laptop computer...more of a coffee table book. don’t let the unusual packaging fool you, though, it is quite profound. we saw Rob Bell speak on this book and I think that experience is what pushes Drops Like Stars in to the top 5. i could watch him talk about the weather and I would still be riveted...a master teacher.

4) Flickering Pixels Shane Hipps

a lot to think about but not a lot of answers. certainly important and timely.

5) Introverts in the Church Adam S. McHugh

i found this book to be highly affirming...a little funny at times...i think it has also Amy and I to understand each other a little bit better.

Book (non-required)

1) Sex and the Soul Donna Freitas

I could not put this book down...as weird as it sounds...absolutely captivating. her exploration of college relationships and the hookup culture leads to some interesting conclusions, some of which could not be popular in today’s academic climate. primarily she wants to know: “where, or in what context, are college students actually able to discuss matters of faith and how faith connects to the rest of life, if it does at all?” every bit as affirming to my work with Sojourn as Drama of Doctrine.

2) Getting the Blues Stephen Nichols

thank you Dennis Benson for this suggestion. i love the idea of “theology in a minor key.” my dad always wonders why I like sad songs, and now I have some theological backing. even if if you don’t like the blues, we all have to “sing” them from time to time.

3) Plainsong Kent Haruf

one of the only novels I was able to read this year. terse prose and a bleak outlook turns out to be an apologetic for community.

4) Tribes Seth Godin

a short, practical book on leadership, it has several applications, not the least of which are its implications for fund raising. no other book I read this year has been as helpful in shaping my thinking on fund raising as this one.

5) Same Kind of Different As Me Ron Hall and Denver Moore

an inspiring true tale of an unlikely friendship that saves two men’s lives. you will cry if you read this book!

Movies

1) Up

those pixar people are really, really good at story telling. i guess ultimately, this movie is about the journey being less about where you are going and more about who you are going with, but to me, it’s really about marriage and the story you tell with your spouse. i have never been as moved by a movie as when we saw this in the theater.

Honorable Mentions: didn’t watch very many movies this year but here are a few more I enjoyed: (500) Days of Summer, Away We Go, Coraline, and I Love You Man...there are a lot of movies from this year that I would really like to see =(

the end...comment away. Happy NEW Year!

26459 Day 72

sentinel_films

today i would like to give a big shout out to my homeboy ramon and his crew at sentinel films. their most recent short film got accepted in to a film festival in nevada. ramon and zack flew out for the festival, had an opportunity to talk about the film after the screening, and also were able to talk to lots of interesting people about film. i got to be in one of their first films, last year, and it's awesome to see how far they've come in such a short period of time. good work guys!

16059 top_5_lists

2008 top 5 lists. enjoy...

Songs

1) A Milli Lil' Wayne
disclaimer: this song is totally inappropriate and vulgar. lil' wayne seems determined to do whatever it takes to ruffle feathers. but i feel compelled to make this song my number 1 for '08 (even if my wife thinks less of me) for the following reasons...a lot has been said recently about america entering a "post-racial" society (see the election of barak obama). progress has been made, sure, but we have a long way to go (witness several of my stories from conversations with my junior counselors at camp this summer). after hearing some of those stories the appeal of a lil' wayne makes a lot more sense...wayne is more punk rock than any rock band of the last ten years...finally, lil' wayne (and this song in particular) has been an ubiquitous presence during my six months in boston. i in no way endorse this song a something good and worth purchasing, but he is much easier for me to understand now than six months ago and that sort of learning is a major theme of the second half of my year.
2) The '59 Sound The Gaslight Anthem
asks the timeless question: what song will you hear when you die? more importantly it's just a great rock n' roll song.
3) Skinny Love Bon Iver
from a very quiet and very beautiful album (for emma, forever ago). a wonderful song on it's own and a great example of this band's sound.
4) Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love Coldplay
Coldplay did an interesting thing on their newest album (Viva La Vida). they smashed 15 songs into eleven tracks. this is the best example of that...a huge sound melded with an intimate moment...Coldplay is the best band at making you feel like you are in a movie.
5) Cath... Death Cab for Cutie
i love this song for one reason: the electric guitar sound (especially in the intro) is about the most perfect guitar sound i can imagine. it just sounds so pure and awesome...
Honorable Mention: Singalong by Phil Wickham
i always thought Dashboard Confessional's Unplugged album was what secular "worship" would sound like. Phil Wickham's Singalong is what Dashboard in a church would sound like...i loved it, thank you Phil.

Books (required reading)

1) A Community Called Atonement Scot McKnight
essentially this is a book that examines various atonement theories throughout theology and then proposes one that is "relevant" for today's emerging theologians and church practitioners. however, it really could be called "how to be a Christian." i could go on and on about how excellent this book is, but i think you should just read it. and then maybe read it again.
2) Tell It Slant Eugene Peterson
peterson continues to hit home runs with his "spiritual conversations" books. fresh perspectives on language, the book of Luke, and prayer. you can't go wrong with this if you are looking for something to provoke your thinking and breathe life into your praying.
3) Jesus for President Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw and Jesus Wants to Save Christians Rob Bell and Don Colden
essentially these are the same book but they go about the theme in very different ways...the theme being that christians, not government or politicians or policies, need to be the change we want to see (wait, didn't Gandhi say that?). anyway, they make strong cases against the church aligning too closely with the power offered by empire and urge us to find a "third way" solution to the injustices we see in the world. very good stuff.
5) Wide Awake Erwin McManus
really this should be a top 4 list because i read a lot of marriage/get your sex life off to a good start books, and not too many church/leadership/theology books. so, erwin gets on the list, even though i feel like i've read this book three or four times, because he is an old favorite.

Books (non-required)

1) The Fortress of Solitude Jonathan Lethem
i've already written about this book here, but just to remind you it is now my second favorite novel of all time.
2) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie
funny and heart breaking...simply a great piece of writing.
3) The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. Carson Clayborne Ed.
i think i wore out several red pens marking this book up...should be essential reading for all.
4) Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich Mark Kreigel
one of the better biographies i've ever read. i had heard a little bit about "pistol" pete but i could not put this book down...a tragic tale, expertly told.
5) The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed our Culture John Battelle
i've talked about this before too, but again, as a reminder, this books tells a great story and also lays out a vision of the future that is both fascinating and scary. if you use a computer you should read this book!

Movies

I did not watch many movies this year...if you want to see a good top ten list see Willie's Blog. However, here a few movies that I did see and enjoyed:

1a) Juno
1b) Slumdog Millionare
i loved both of these movies...however juno i saw on the 4th day of 2008 and slumdog on 340th...so it's hard to say which i'd put first...both though will make you laugh and cry and celebrate the process of falling in love.
3) The Dark Knight
a good, but not great, movie (in my opinion). i saw it after it had been out for a while and lot of hype was already surrounding heath ledger's role in the film. he did not disappoint...one of, if not the most, creepy movie role of all time. i was disturbingly fascinated.
4) Gone Baby Gone
set in dorchester and raises many interesting questions about society. also, well directed, cast, and acted...what's not to love.
5) Cloverfield
one of the best theater watching movie experiences ever. i saw it twice and the second time did not disappoint. i hear they are making another one...i'll be there if they do!

Happy 2009 everyone! Peace

15559

- shooting project: revelation

13759

- a cool story and pop culture updates...

story: the morning amy and i moved in we were greeted by our neighbor Leroy, who lives across the street from us.  Leroy often sits on his porch and watches over our street.  the first thing i observed about Leroy was the long-stem, hand carved pipe he was smoking.  he immediately held my interest!  over the weeks we've had many brief conversations, but i never mentioned my own pipe smoking tendencies.  finally, i drummed up the courage and i said, "Leroy we need to smoke one of these days."  we then discussed the beauty of pipes and where to by tobacco in boston.  the next day when i got home from work, Leroy was on the porch as usual and he called out, "hey steve, i got something for you."  he then produced a bag of cavendish and handed it to me.  sweet!

updates: jonathan lethem is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.  the fortress of solitude is outstanding.  also, while on the topic of books, scot mcknight is quickly becoming one of my favorite theologians.  

i love the new coldplay album.  i think they get better with each album...a rarity for bands.  also, check out amy crawford...our friend in boston (via pacific grove...small world).  we got to see her last night. 

last, but not least, i finally saw the new batman...creepy...still can't decide if it was such a unique experience because the movie was good or because watching a posthumous performance was so weird.  

11459

- this has been a great week of hanging out with amy!  we've gotten some stuff done, but we've also been able to catch up on some movie watching.  here's a summary:

1) Once (every one's probably seen this, but it's great...great music, interesting story, well shot)

2) Gone Baby Gone (takes place in the Boston neighborhood where amy and I hope to live...also raises some interesting questions about society)

3) King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters (story of two guys going for glory by recording the all time highest score in donkey kong...sounds lame, but it's unbelievable...probably the best of the three...a fascinating study in human nature)

that's it for now...

11159

wrapping up a big weekend...

1) we called last sunday (2/17) vision cast 2008...we said we wanted to continue practicing the habits of worship, community, and service, maximizing what we do through authenticity (in the spirit of love, acceptance, and forgiveness) and accessibility (by widening the metaphorical side and front doors of our church). this week we talked about what that looks like: namely, open small groups that are actively praying for the people about to come, and moving our weekend service to Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings accomplishes two things for us: a) it seems a better time for the people we are attracting, and b) it allows us to further partner and cooperate with matthew's house and patrick's crossing...an opportunity we are very, very excited about.

2) along those lines, the church co-op idea is gaining some steam...last night, in partnership with PC, we were able to screen the film Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. the response to the film was very positive overall (a few people walked out and the crowd was definitely made up of church people...not a bad audience for the film, actually), and i think the big take away was that there are some churches in this town who are in to cooperating and sharing resources, as opposed to competing against each other. pretty cool!

3) my thoughts on the film: quality production...i would have focused on some issues less and others more, but still a great effort. some people who did a great job (i.e. they were thoughtful, dignified, and passionate in a positive way): tony campolo, john perkins, bono, rick warren, and al franken. others did not come off so good...no need to name names. if you have the opportunity to see it this summer, i would strongly suggest it...you will cringe, feel embarrassed and angry, but also moved and inspired.

4) here's an interesting article, especially after watching this movie: evangelicals

5) new podcast page! we're trying to get the last two weeks on there as soon as possible.

peace

10359

pop culture thoughts

- i saw cloverfield tonight with seth, josh, keith, et al. unbelievable...my mind is still blown.

- someone asked me a few weeks ago about what it is i look for in music (i think dad asked me this). jon foreman's song "the cure for pain" pretty much sums up everything i look for in a song. listen to it here.

- also, more comments on the last post are welcomed.

ps. anna (who has a cool blog) became the first person (finally) to reference the quote under the title (stand at the crossroads...): major bonus points to whoever can tell me were that quote is from...i'll make you a shirt or something.

10059

- shoot man...it's been snowing a ton! here's some evidence

- addendum to top five lists #1

...saw Juno this weekend.  what a great movie!  it easily would have been 1b to Sant Ralph's 1A had i seen it in 2007.  great characters, good writing, excellent sound track, wierd sense of humor, fantastic casting, and one of the best closing scenes of any movie i've ever seen.

- today is january 7th, which means that it is exactly five months until amy and i get married...let the countdown begin! 

09959

final post of 2007 which means...

...top 5 lists!

Songs

1a) This Too Shall Be Made Right Derek Webb

1b) Ten Thousand Angels Caedmon's Call (performed by Derek Webb)

the best of both sides of the derek webb theologian/prophet coin...a cry for justice now and the longing for heaven

2) Keep the Car Running Arcade Fire

most listened to song of the year...you can't not enjoy this song

3) O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing David* Crowder Band

i don't normally like it went songwriters add a hook/chorus to old hymns (just do the hymn, it's fine the way it is!...see the "wonderful cross" remake by chris tomlin)...however, crowder does it just right with one...the line "there are so few words that ever grow old" is one of my all time favorites now

4) If You Find Her Future of Forestry

i had never heard of these guys until this year...i like their quieter numbers better and this is the best of those numbers!

5) Lifeline Angels & Airwaves

this band continues to impress and this is my favorite track off the new album

Books (required reading)

1) The Jesus Way Eugene Peterson

the newest of peterson's "conversations in" series...they are all excellent but this is the best of the three (in my opinion)

2) Soul Graffiti Mark Scandrette

a good follow up to last year's number one The Irresistible Revolution

3) The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser

an excellent book on christian spirituality written by a catholic priest...this book was a major source in rob bell's Sex God (#4 on this list).  the holy longing is a book i will probably revisit every couple years

4) Sex God Rob Bell

at this point the lack of good books i read this year in this category really starts to show up...we read this as a small group and it was a good experience...mostly i put it on here because people seem to have strong reactions to bell's premise, which usually means that the author is on to something...however, i would recommend reading #3 

5) The Multi-Site Church Revolution

again, not a great book in and of itself, but it was fun to read about the ctk story from an "outsider" perspective.  also, more symbolic than anything since we have started to experiment with the multi-site approach

Books (non-required)

1) The Book of Lost Things John Connolly

i feel like i've said this before here, but i am a sucker for magical realism (see Everything is Illuminated and Life of Pi...two of my favorite novels)...a wonderful story about coming of age and the importance of stories in making sense of our reality

2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J. K. Rowling

i was not into harry potter until about two years ago (whenever book 6 came out)...i thought the first couple were interesting but not well written...it felt like novels-by-numbers...by about book 4, though, i was hooked and the last two of the series are extremely well written...the story aside, reading the series is interesting just to see Rowlings development as an author.  anyway, this, the final installment, is excellent

3) A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini

the female version of the Kite Runner? yes, but while familiar, it is also an extremely well-written and moving story on its own.  this guy is a great writer

4) The Starfish and the Spider

not a novel!  but it does tell the story of napster, craigslist, wikipedia, ebay, and other "leaderless" organizations...the best non-theory book i've read on emergence

5) A Perfect Mess

a fun and interesting read...also, some sense of justification for enjoying lower levels of order!

Movies 

*author's note: i watched a lot of 24 this year...a lot!  as a result i have not watched very many movies making this a very incomplete list.  i may change it after i watch the following films (if i ever get around to them): The Darjeeling Limited, Juno, The Great Debaters, No Country for Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Gone Baby Gone

1) Saint Ralph

my friend seth introduced me to this fun film about the most unlikely of saints. inspiration for runners!

2) Amazing Grace

chip's view

3) Chalk

an "Office" type look at teaching...i laughed a lot!

4) Angel Rodriguez

also titled "Angel", it's actually an HBO feature that got put on dvd.  i enjoyed it more for the way it was shot than the story (although the story is really good too)...the whole time i watched it i kept thinking "i could do something like this."

5) I am Legend

as i was watching this movie, i could imagine pastors and youth pastors around the country scrambling for sermon illustrations (Will Smith = Jesus!!!)...the light/dark theme was much more interesting to me (especially if you read anything in the New Testament written by John)

- there you go!  feel free to comment/leave your own top fives/rip mine apart...

...happy new year!