Writing Update: The Cost of Community

Over on GENERATE Magazine I interviewed Jamie Arpin-Ricci about his book The Cost of Community. We discussed St. Francis, missional communities and a little bit about being a Mennonite Franciscan. Here’s a sample:

Thom: In a world that values superficial connection over intimate connections or presence, how does St. Francis teach the church to value real, authentic community?

Jamie: Because St. Francis saw the image of God—even Christ Himself—in every person he met. This approach meant that no person he encountered was incidental—each needed to be treated with the love and respect that he held for Christ.  Francis believed that when Scripture called the community of faith the Body of Christ that it was not simply being allegorical, but instead describing the mystical reality that we experience in Jesus. Again, Francis took Jesus’ teaching very literally.  He especially felt called to live out the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount.  So much of that message speaks to how we relate to others. It is not surprise then that being in an intimate and authentic community was central to Franciscan spirituality (as it should be for all Christianity).

To read the rest of the interview head on over to http://www.generatemagazine.com/interview-jamie-arpin-ricci-on-the-cost-of-community.

Writing Update: On Pinterest and Teaching New Poems

I have two new posts up today around the blogosphere.

The first one is “Teaching New Texts” on The Curator‘s blog.  I share some of my thoughts on why students do not feel comfortable with poetry. An excerpt:

Students have been brainwashed into thinking they cannot understand poetry. Part of this is the falling away of the arts in general from the definition of education. Poetry is not an integral part of teaching to the test. The other part, I believe, is that the poetry that is still taught in schools is not relatable enough. It’s the perennial problem of being three weeks behind in all your high school classes so that you never make it past the 1950s in History or English (those chapters on the Gulf War or Annie Dillard always sat neglected at the back of my textbooks).

You can read the rest of the post here.

Over on The Master’s Artist I discuss the rise of Pinterest as someone new to the social network and wonder what the end game of Pinterest is and how it could affect our view of art, beauty and truth in “Pinterest: Lust or Love?” An excerpt:

Art is valuable because it is wonderful, beautiful and true. That is a response of love. That is why I should pin it on my “board.” It is so easy to slip down the road of lust though, to share something just to puff myself up and feel “in the know” or cool. That road is a fire that can never be quenched.

You can read the rest of the post here.

Writing Update: Talking to Lynne Baab about Friending

I had the opportunity to discuss social media and theology with Lynne Baab, author of the book Friending: Real Relationships in a Virtual World. The interview, “The Art of Friending,” is published on The Other Journal‘s Mediation blog. Lynne expresses an ethic or rule for the use of social media that is refreshingly common sense. An excerpt:

Thomas: Are there ways that you believe social media can benefit spiritual disciplines like fasting, Scripture reading or prayer?

Lynne: Congregations can use social media creatively to encourage people to engage in communal practices to help each other draw near to God. Dates and prayer requests for a small group or congregation-wide fast can be described, reminders can be sent, brief testimonies can be given afterwards. If a congregation wants to encourage everyone to read the Bible daily, or read a passage before a worship service, reminders can be posted or sent out. Prayer requests are often shared using social media. These all seem good and right to me. Engaging in spiritual practices is a challenge, and any kind of support we can give in congregations will be helpful.

Read the full interview here.

As an aside, as a huge Lord of the Rings fan I was giddy when I realized that Lynne lives in Dunedin, New Zealand. Why is that such an amazing coincidence? If you know the answer, or you just want to respond to Lynne’s interview, feel free to leave a comment.

Writing Update: Shoplifting, Creativity and Food Ethics

A nice variety of writing news for today, if I don’t say so myself.

First off, I have an essay on digital piracy published in The Curator today. Not my typical forte, I know, but I think it has deep cultural undertones that question what the value of art as a product actually is. An excerpt from “Not Your Father’s Shoplifting“:

Artists and fans have moved far beyond the confines of the law. The whole artist and fan relationship is moving forward in terms of interaction, accessibility and the use of content while the record companies and movie studios are stuck in the dark ages of physical media. Sites like Bandcamp, NoiseTrade, Vimeo and Youtube are pushing the envelope of artist/fan interaction and giving fans what they want: access to media without the hassle of annoying record companies. The sheer brilliance of NoiseTrade and Bandcamp is that it gives consumers of music what they want: music at a reasonable price.

Yet is what consumers want actually right or fair?

Moving over to The Master’s Artist, I have a new post up discussing “Two Books on Creating with Children.” Both books are by the excellent author Amanda Blake Soule. An excerpt:

Two books that have been really helpful in constructing a “Turner Manifesto for Creativity” have been The Rhythom of Family and The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. Both of these books share how one family on a farm in Maine has woven creativity into every aspect of their lives, from making their own cough drops to sewing knapsacks for hikes.

Lastly, my meditation of food ethics and Lent, “Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness,” is featured on the blog Slow Church. Be sure to peruse some other great posts on the Slow Church blog and leave some comments.

Writing Update: Rutherford and Country Music

On Everyday Liturgy I try to have a moderate, temperate voice. It’s how I feel most comfortable talking about matters of faith and spirituality. But there is another side of me. A side that rants (it did make a rare appearance on Everyday Liturgy when I briefly discussed a certain bridge).

I ranted a bit on the topic of country music over on The Curator‘s blog in “A Lament for Country Music.” It got a bit out of hand, and became a bit verbose:

“Country music was founded on lyrical proximity to the grit of the earth. Now it is just dressed up in poser cowboy boots and abhorently bad musical renditions of arrested development, binge drinking, adolescent love, pseudo-Christian ideals and bad Shakespearean puns.”

You can read the rest of the essay here. I would also like to invite you to help choose the Top 20 country artists making music today by nominating three country artists in the comments of “Help Us Curate: Good Country Music.”

I also wrote about the town of Rutherford, and my general lack of knowledge about it. It’s a place featured in Wendell Berry’s book William Carlos Williams of Rutherford, and I explore how Rutherford’s proximity to me doesn’t mean I really know anything about it. An excerpt:

“I don’t really know Rutherford that well. I have frequented the Western store in Rutherford upon occasion. I went and watched Fourth of July fireworks there seven or eight years ago. But I haven’t actually stepped foot on Rutherford soil in at least four years. I just glide right through it on the train, at least 30 times a year.”

You can read the rest of my essay “Thomas On Glynn On Berry On Williams On Place” on The Master’s Artist.

Writing Update: Making Creativity Playful

On The Master’s Artist I wrote an essay today on some helpful tips to make creativity playful. It’s the childlike enthusiasm for creativity I see in my own daughter that I want to harness a bit more, instead of getting bogged down in perfection. There’s a big difference in the approach “let me write a poem like Robert Frost” and “let me have fun with poetry.”

Here’s tip one from my essay:

Tip #1: Stretch Yourself – you can make your creative activities playful by stretching yourself. Make creativity a game by stretching your art into a genre or sphere you have zero experience or knowledge in. I do this by drawing illustrations or illuminating some of my poetry. I have zero drawing skills, yet it helps me see the themes in my poetry that I don’t see myself at first glance, and it adds a color palette that I can use in my editing that I would have never noticed without drawing.

You can read the rest of the essay here: “Three Tips to Make Creativity Playful.”