The 00’s came to a close, so I decided to make a media decade in review list. Here we go with the TV shows of the decade list. This is my weakest of all of the categories, as I don’t care about television all that much. Shows that I’ve heard I should be watching but I don’t include: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mad Men, The Wire, Dexter and The Sopranos. So maybe those could have made this list. My least favorites would have to include: American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. I apologize to all you that I just offended with that last sentence. On to the best television of the last decade.

10–The Office UK
9–Planet Earth
8–Pardon The Interruption
7–The Colbert Report
6–30 Rock
5–Lost
4–House
3–Survivor
2–The Office
1–Arrested Development

For the past several weeks, my wife and I have been practically glued to the TV from 7:00 – 11:00 every night.  It doesn’t seem to matter what event they are showing, we seemed to find ourselves hooked. But my personal favorite event of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics thus far has been the Men’s Snowboarding Half-Pipe.

Going into his second run in the half-pipe medal competitions Shaun White had already clinched the gold.  All he had to do was board right down the center of the pipe and cross the line.  He could have taken it easy and just goofed around.  Instead he gave the Canadian audience and the rest of the viewers watching from around the world one of the best athletic performances we’ve ever seen.   To everyone’s amazement, he went on to give to give us the Double McTwist 1260, which was a huge and unnecessary risk.  This trick was created by White himself and had never been successfully completed in competition by anyone else.  In fact White himself had taken a brutal crash at the last Winter X Games while attempting to complete this trick.  But with gold secured and nothing more to win and everything to lose, White held nothing back and it was inspiring.

After the initial celebration and awe of what I had just witnessed began to wear off, I found myself wondering if I would have gone for it, had I been in his shoes.  I’m not sure that I would have. But I love that Shaun saw value in completing that run, even if it wasn’t for a medal.   Personally, I believe that God takes joy in seeing us use our talents.  Even if there is “nothing to gain” at the moment.  I often find that I have a hard time engaging and enjoying things that don’t bring me obvious and immediate gain.  For instance, with this blog, will I be able to continue to write this blog, even if I never get any comments? Or what if nobody ever reads it? Will I still find value in taking the time to write out these thoughts?

What do you think? Was White’s final run courageous or foolish?  And would you answer the same way if he had busted his face and suffered a career ending injury?

The 00’s came to a close, so I decided to make a media decade in review list. Here we go with the movies of the decade list. My criteria for this list is less about the technical aspect of the movie and more about the story (which I realize the irony of that statement by placing Avatar and on my 2009 list, so no need to point it out). Did the story tap into some deeper truth about how our world works? Did the story help me realize something about myself or the about our culture? So, this is my personal top ten movies list, not necessarily the movies that I think should be up for the Academy Awards of the decade.

Honorable Mention
Castaway (2000)
The Incredibles (2004)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Once (2007)
Up (2009)

10–Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
9–Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
8–Children of Men (2006)
7–The Dark Knight (2008)
6–Royal Tennebaums (2001)
5–Reign Over Me (2007)
4–About A Boy (2002)
3–Wall-e (2008)
2–Memento (2000)
1–Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)

I had the great opportunity of doing some good ol’ manual labor yesterday at work. I spent the afternoon by myself workin’ on our indoor climbing wall.  It was a little slow movin’ but I really enjoyed it, because it gave me the opportunity spend some time alone with my thoughts (which unfortunately doesn’t happen all that often) and of course it gave me a chance to catch up on some old podcasts.

Seeing as I am kind of obsessed with podcasts and subscribe to a ridiculous amount, I had a lot to listen to, from a fun and fascinating podcast  about the Muppets, to a live music session with the Cold War Kids, to an interview with Rosanne Cash done by NPR’s Terry Gross.   They were  all really fun and entertaining, but it was the Rosanne Cash interview that really stood out among the pack.  At the time of the interview, Rosanne had recently released her newest album, The List.  This record is a collection of cover songs that she selected and recorded from a list that her father, the legendary Johnny Cash, had given to her when she was just 18.  He recognized that his daughter was missing out on a good majority of the music that had influenced him, so he made a list of the ‘100 essential country songs’ and gave it to her as a both a gift and a bit of a homework assignment.  What an incredible gift.

The rest of the afternoon,I found myself of how much I would have loved to receive a gift like that and how excited I am be able to pass on a list like that to my own children someday. Then I started thinking through what my list would be called and what songs I would put on it.  But then I thought back to a question that Gross had asked during the interview.  Terry pointed out the fact that the past several years had been rough on Rosanne, with the death of both of her parents and her stepmother June Carter and then she lost her voice for three years then to top it all off had to go through brain surgery.  “It’s been a rough period. And when people go through a rough time, I mean some people turn to religion, some people turn to drugs or alcohol, some people have nothing to turn to, some people are lost, some people find this inner strength…there were times in your father’s life when he turned to drugs or pills and, but through all his life, I think he had a sense of Jesus in his life….So what about you? (What) have you had that has kept you through all this?” To which Rosanne responds “I adhere to the religion of art and music and small children.”

Yeah it’s pretty awesome that Johnny was able to have such a great musical influence on his daughter.  The List is an incredible album.  I highly recommend it. Her cover of Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” is incredible and the duet she does with Springsteen on “Sea of Heartbreak” is breathtaking.   But unfortunately it won’t last.  As wonderful and powerful as music is, if she keeps looking to it alone for healing and comfort, she will eventually be let down.  I am still thrilled about that day that I get to pour hours into making the perfect Beach Boys mixtape for little boy or little girl to listen to while they go to bed.  But I am even more excited about the opportunity to spend every day sharing with my kids the love that Jesus has given to me.  And it is my hope that  rather than getting focused on grooming my child’s musical tastes that I will be able to pass on something much greater. So what kind of an impact are you going to have on your children?  And are you being intentional with what you pass on to them?

The 00’s came to a close, so I decided to make a “Media Decade in Review List.” We will start out with music albums from the last decade. My criteria for making this albums list came down to what albums have a significant meaning to me, what have I listened to the most, and which albums will stand the test of time. I find it hard to put anything from 2009 on my decade in review list because who knows if it will stand the test of time. Five years from now, will I still like Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective? Not sure. I am too close to it right now to be able to tell. I have obviously thought about this a little bit too much. Here is the list (in reverse order for dramatic effect).

Honorable Mention
Coldplay, Parachutes (2000)
Wilco, A Ghost Is Born (2001)
Interpol, Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)
Death Cab For Cutie, Transatlantism (2003)
David Crowder Band, A Collision (2005)
The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (2006)
Feist, The Reminder (2007)
Radiohead, In Rainbows (2007)
Kings Of Leon, Only By The Night (2008)

10–Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
9–Swell Season, Once Soundtrack (2007)
8–Travis, The Man Who (2000)
7–Pete Yorn, Music For The Morning After (2002)
6–Arcade Fire, Neon Bible (2007)
5–Postal Service, Give Up (2004)
4–Sigur Ros, Takk (2005)
3–Coldplay, A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)
2–Sufjan Stevens, Illinois (2005)
1–Arcade Fire, Funeral (2004)

Chris here.  Seems like everything I write on the blog is serious.  Friday is our “current” day, and while we want our writers to make connections and create discussion about people’s role in making the world a better place, today I’m just going to point you to a youtube clip.  Nathan McKinney is writing great stuff every other Friday, and Dan McIntosh is also contributing material to “current”, which will involve discussions about current stuff- music, books, art, movies….things that are thought provoking, and because they are artistic, they make the world a better place.

Well, there’s no analogy, no theological perspective (that I’m going to offer, this time) on this post.  Its just a clip from my favorite movie of the year, The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  I say we give this a shot- the world needs more good games for us to play- especially with burning pine cones.

Have a great Superbowl weekend, and remember, its just a game…..that just about everyone watches at the same time all over the world.

ck

For several years, I claimed the song “Elias” by former indie jam band, Dispatch, to be my favorite song of all time. While the song may have lost a bit of its luster to me over the years, it is still way up there on my list of greatest songs of all time. And one of the main reasons it has remained up there is the story that literally surrounds it. The story the leads up to the writing of this great tune, and the story that has continued because of it, is truly remarkable.

It all started back in 1994 when Chad Urmston, former Dispatch member and current State Radio frontman, went on a trip to Zimbabwe where he met and befriended a simple, but wise, gardener named Elias. As Chad watched Elias work hard and struggle to provide for his wife and two sons, he was amazed at his ability to love despite his circumstances. He grew to care deeply about Elias and from there, one of the band’s most beloved songs was birthed. For those who have never heard it, it is a beautifully written song, that starts off with a prayer in Elias’ native tongue Shona.

But the most exciting part of the story, is what has taken place after the writing of this great song. First there was the fundraiser, started by two friends of band, which accumulated to $13,000, guaranteeing Elias’ boys an education. Then came the grassroots organization, the Elias Fund, which works with local initiatives to empower Zimbabwean through strategic partnership and resource allocation. The song has also inspired the band to start the Dispatch Foundation which has a similar mission to build and support community growth in Zimbabwe. And there have been multiple benefit concerts all because of of this one song.

The obvious conclusion is to look at this story and to recognize the impact that this song has had on Elias and the rest of his community over in Zimbabwe. As great as it is, the song isn’t what I want to focus on. Very few of you who are reading this are actually song writers, and those of you who are can’t just go out and say “I’m gonna write a song to inspire change in an impoverished country”, and then make it happen. And Chad didn’t do anything significant when he wrote this song. He was just doing what he was created to do, what he had done before and is continuing to do today as he writes songs for State Radio. What was significant was his choice to go to Zimbabwe, and not just to visit and take pity on them, but he chose to engage in relationship with the people there. It was the relationship that he developed with Elias. That is what was significant.

So I encourage you. Wherever you are, whatever you do. Take the time and put forth the effort to engage in relationships and then keep doing whatever it is God created you to do. Change will happen.

MEDIA REVIEW 2009
MUSIC
1–Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion
This was an easy number one choice for me. By far my favorite album of the year. Some of their other stuff can be a little bit weird, but they pulled it all together for this album. The whole album is brilliant.
2–Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Very electro-pop. But really good pop songs. This album is not just Lisztomania and 1901. Its a great album to listen to from start to finish. I especially like the instrumental songs.
3–The Swell Season, Strict Joy
I am not a hardcore The Frames fan, but since the Once Soundtrack and seeing The Swell Season in concert, I have found myself listening to these guys non-stop. They played the majority of this album when I saw them in concert. It left me in great anticipation of the release of Strict Joy and it didn’t disappoint.
4–Andrew Bird, Noble Beast
I saw a live concert on OETA of Andrew Bird and it gave me a greater appreciation of Bird and his music. He plays like nine different instruments. Really like this album.
5–mewithoutYou, It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All a Dream! It’s Alright
This was a tough choice between mewithoutYou and Pearl Jam. I landed on this album because their lyrics are so fantastic. Every Thought A Thought of You, Timothy Hay, and Cattail Down are great tracks.

Honorable Mention
Pearl Jam, Backspacer
Pete Yorn, Back & Fourth
Matisyahu, Light
U2, No Line on the Horizon

MOVIES
1–Up
Pixar does it again. Up was funny, insightful, and moving. Interestingly, my top three movies of the year are all kids movies. Not sure Fox is considered a kids move, but still animated. Up took number one of those three. Also, interesting that both Up and Wild Things deal with a idealism.
2–Where The Wild Things Are
This isn’t really a kids movie either. I thought Jonze did such a good job visually and with the story. The story was great on the surface and also incredibly deep. I found it to be deeply profound on lots of levels.
3–Fantastic Mr Fox
One critic said, “Proof that Pixar doesn’t have a monopoly.” I like that.
4–Avatar
It was tough for me to put this here. But I was dazzled by the 3D cinematography and by world that Cameron created. The story was lacking, but I was so impressed with everything else. It was either this or Star Trek here but the special effects of Avatar seduced me.
5–Sherlock Holmes
This movie was very enjoyable. I like Guy Ritchie’s other movies as well, but I think what made me like this movie so much was that I like the show House so much. After watching this movie I saw so many parallels between House and Holmes. Actually, House is Holmes and Wilson is Watson. I love House and that’s why this movie makes it here.

Honorable Mention
Star Trek, The Soloist, 9

TELEVISION
1–House
The two hour season premiere was so incredible. I grew a greater appreciation for House this season, and I already had high appreciation for this show. The writing is not matched by many other shows on TV right now.
2–Survivor
Great season. Survivor is my guilty pleasure.
3–Modern Family
The dad, Phil, makes the whole show for me. And any show involving Al Bundy has got to intrigue you.
4–30 Rock
I am jumping on the bandwagon late here, but I now have an appreciation for the writing and the characters on 30 Rock.
5–Important Things with Demetri Martin
This only aired for six episodes but I still laugh at the thought of some of the characters on the show.

Honorable Mention
Community, FlashForward

BOOKS
1–Flickering Pixels, Shane Hipps
At some point during this year I was promoting this book to so many people, it was as if Hipps was paying me to spread the word about his book. I heard Hipps speak in Michigan during the summer and instantly got Flickering Pixels. The book is about technology but is also a great commentary on our culture. I kept saying as I was reading this, “I can’t believe I never knew this stuff.”
2–A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller
Someone forwarding Miller’s book said, “This book read me more than I read it.” I like that.
3–Orthodox Heretic, Peter Rollins
Rollins is a genius. This is a very insightful book. He sees the angles that other people don’t.
4–Follow Me To Freedom, Claiborne & Perkins
I really liked the banter back and forth conversational format of this book.
5–The Book Of Basketball, Bill Simmons
700 pages. On the NBA. Who writes a 700 page book on the NBA? Better question, who reads a 700 page book on the NBA? He is actually a hilarious writer and has great sports knowledge. He does go by the Sports Guy. This was an enjoyable book.

Honorable Mention
Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell

That is all for 2009. Thoughts on this review? What are your picks? More reviews to come…

The final season season of Lost is right around the corner, and I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am.  February 2nd could not get here faster.  Lost is one of those shows where you’re either in or you’re out.  As you can already tell, I am completely in.  I think it will go down in history as one of the greatest television dramas ever created.  Now let me share with you a couple of reasons why.

For starters the character development is completely unparalleled. They are able to go farther with these characters than any other show, because of consistency and the intentionality in which they write. I heard recently that each writer has a certain character that they know, and I mean they know everything about them, even things we as the audience don’t know, things that may never even come into play with the script.  So then as they are writing each episode, and ideas are thrown out, they can then respond with “no, that can’t happen. Kate would never do that because…”  I’m not sure if that’s true or not, but I love that idea.  Also with all of the background stories and intimate details of their personal lives that we are given about their lives prior to the crash, you feel like you truly know these people.  Which makes it all the more easy to fall in love with them, no matter how flawed they may be.

I think that overall the acting is pretty superb, especially when you consider the enormity of the cast from season to season. From guys like Dominic Monaghan playing the fun-lovin’ drug-addicted rockstar, to Michael Emerson playing the creepy and sinister Benjamin Linus, to Jeremy Davies playing the extremely nervous, but lovable physicist Daniel Farraday, they are all just excellent.

Not to mention they do a fantastic job with the music. Very rarely do they use pop culture songs to score the show, but when they have it has worked really well, like in the end of the Season 1 episode “In Translation”, where they used Hurley’s discman to play “Delicate” by Damien Rice.  That was a great moment. But the best thing about the music is the original score performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra and composed by Michael Giacchino.  They often use the score to invoke some sort of emotion in the audience, be it suspenseful or joyous.

Another highlight of the show for me is all of the incredible philosophical and biblical references and metaphors intertwined in to the story, which I won’t get into, for I do not want to spoil any of the plot-lines for those of you who have yet to buy in to this incredible series.

This last love of mine is a piece of contention among many viewers.  This is where Lost has lost a great portion of its audience.  It’s the fact that each episode leaves you with more questions.  Every time you think the show is about to go somewhere and give you some answers and a bit of resolution, it turns a corner.  And often when it does give you an answer, that answer merely leads to more questions.  Where some people find this infuriating, I find it invigorating.  I love this aspect of the show for many reasons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve finished an episode of Lost and immediately turned to the person next to me and started to ask them one of the many questions that I was left with.  And more often than not, that question has led into a great and very deep and meaningful conversation.  Not only that, but I feel like this is more true to life.  More often than not, in our quest for truth, and for answers, we have to wait a long time before we get them.  And then when we do receive answers, they often lead to more questions.

I think this is the way that our God often relates to us. “I am coming soon.” I mean how much more unresolved can you get than that. It’s been what a little over 2,000 years now .

It has taken me a long time to come to grips with the fact that I am never going to figure it all out. That I will never have all the answers.

So what do you think?  Is it ok for things to be unresolved?  What is your reaction to Lost when it leaves you with more questions than you can handle?  What’s your reaction to God when you seek Him in prayer dig into His word and all you are left with is more questions? Knowing that we will never be able to figure it out, do we just stop seeking?  Or do we seek harder?

Michael Giacchino – The Constant