KC Flynn, who just started blogging, wins the Have You read The Shack? Contest with this comment:

The best reason to read The Shack: so you can feel better about your previous decision not to read The Shack.

I asked KC for his address and then remembered he lives in Canada, and shipping would be expensive.  After some brief discussion, KC came up with this plan:

In an effort to reduce dependency on globalized transportation and shipping and encourage local thinking, I have donated the book to the the library.  Please use your local library.

The book will take its place among the literary treasuries of Saddle Brook Public Library. ... more

I use Google Reader as my RSS reader as I weed through the content of the dozens of people I browse/gloss/read each day.  There is a place for friends to share items with other Google Reader friends, and the friend who always shares the most is KC Flynn.  He reads Front Porch Republic a lot (I do too, when the article is short enough---it is hands down the best thinking that encompasses all the best of the agrarian, local economic, micro-capitalistic, new urbanism, and Christian traditions) and always suggests articles that really make a person think.

Now KC wants to make people ponder what he is thinking as well with his new blog Questionable Answers.  I saw on Theopolitical an aside that KC Flynn had good postings about Christianity and politics and I did a double take: I know him (online, anyway—we have a mutual friend Dan Porter).

KC has also written for The Everyday Journal.  He wrote "The Joining of Heaven and Earth: A Look at Wendell Berry and the Church" as well as a Eucharist poem. ... more

Have you read The Shack?  I haven't, and want to know whether it is worth a read by this recent MA English grrad. If you have read it (or even if you haven't), try to convince me to read it in fifty words or less in the comments box.  Humorous, ironic, and witty answers are encouraged.

Does it live up to the hype?

The best answer will receive a special prize, a book:

Finding God in The Shack by Randall Rauser

Euguene Peterson says, "If you have ever had a conversation on The Shack, whether with an enthusiast or a critic, you will want to invite this skilled and accessible theologian into the conversation. Before you have read a dozen pages you will know why we need to keep company with theologians. They help us keep our conversations on God intelligent, informed , and irenic."

If you have the best short and sweet answer convincing me to read The Shack this book will be all yours.

The contest will be open for two weeks.  Please have your answers in the comments by midnight June 15th.  On June 17th I will choose the winner and publish the winning answer and the author's victory speech on Everyday Liturgy.

Since I will need to contact you please have a link to either your website or your e-mail address in your comment. ... more

When Love Comes to Town - "Pentecost, Peace, and Grace."

Theolog - Donna Schaper writes about a double miracle.

I-YOUniverse - John Hamilton confesses that the Holy Spirit resides in his heart but not in his mouth.

Reflectionary - Martha Hoverson is asked to do a funeral the week before Pentecost .

Don't Eat Alone - Milton Brasher-Cunningham offers us a Pentecost poem .

Welcoming Spirit - Paula Jenkins struggles to understand the nature of the Holy Spirit.

Just Words - Ed Sunday-Winters reflects on the age of the Church. Almost 2000 years old, and yet Pentecost reminds us that the present experience of the Spirit is the locus of our power.

Unorthodoxology - David Henson: "I wonder if they still continue to speak in the tongues of men and of angels, because that is the only language they now understand."

Life and Faith - Ernesto Tinajero remembers a seminary professor who called the Holy Spirit, "Holy Breath."

Everyday Liturgy - Thomas Turner: "The Holy Spirit is more than a placeholder to complete the Trinity."

Where the Wind - Fiction by Adam Thomas: Davies writes a paper on the Holy Spirit.

Grounded and Rooted in Love - A Pentecost sermon.

Seeking Authentic Voice - Terri Pilarski reflects on Pentecost having grown up in a non-liturgical tradition.

Eclectic Faith - Christopher Keel reflects on Pentecost having been raised a Pentecostal.

Faith in Community - Diane Roth: Remembering Azusa Street.

I Thirst - Mark Hogg remembers Pentecost 2001.

Dancing on Saturday - Chad Holtz: Pentecost and the Ethiopian gospel choir." ... more

I am taking the day off from writing after a long church meeting last night, graduation the day before, and spending three hours doing landscaping as a service project for a local elementary school this morning. I'm tired.

On Thursdays I always write Third Way Thursdays and present two polar issues and try to form a synthesis out of them.  Any requests for the coming weeks?  If I choose to tackle your Third Way Thursday idea you'll receive a special mention on Everyday Liturgy. ... more

I graduated yesterday from Rutgers University with a Masters of Arts in Englsh.  I was also honored with the English Department Award for Highest Distinction in Literary Studies.

My wife graduated from Montclair this week as well with a degree in Anthropology.  Hurray! ... more

I publish a fair amount of book reviews on Everyday Liturgy and just wanted to let everyone know about how I receive these books, how I review them, and what ethical issues I see with reviewing books.

First, I receive the majority of the books I review on the blog at no cost from either the publisher or The Ooze's ViralBloggers network.  Though I receive these books for free this in no way means that I automatically give a positive review of the work (see my reviews of the CD albums from John Crowder and Zehnder for a comparison—both I received at no cost). 

I try to review books based on how they apply to my interests and the interests of my audience.  I do ask publishers to send me certain books at no cost because I feel that the work will be beneficial for my readership, yet once again this in no way determines wether there will be a positive review or not.

I am probably too positive in my reviews in some ways, and this is because I do not see myself as a bastion of knowledge that can disparage another writer A) because I know the complexity of the publishing process and how what the author invisions and writes does not always end up in the finished and published product and B) constructive critique allows future readers who read my review first to not come to the book biased but willing to engage with the book and either agree with my criticisms or disagree.  Reviews are the beginning of an unspoken conversation for me between the author, myself, and my (our) audience.

As to the ethics of reviewing books I receive at no cost I believe this is ethical because at no time is a positive review ever agreed upon or deemed necessary by a publisher in order for me to receive a book.  There is no transaction, no kick backs, and no blogging as advertising.  I post reviews on this blog because I want to and think it is beneficial.  This blog makes no money for me and doesn't even have advertisements on it (though that may change soon, more on that later). ... more

GENERATE is seeking writers, poets, thinkers, artists, bloggers, tricksters, students, educators, musicians, clergy, skeptics, mystics, sinners and saints — plus everyday janes and joes — to submit original, recent works that explore, probe, rethink/reframe, question, hack, contemplate, and offer insight into the growing global conversation about following God in the Way of Jesus—its intersections, its life, its resultant creativity and commmunity practice.

If you would like to submit a work or artifact please e-mail Submissions@Generate.

Submission guidelines are available here. ... more

Evan Curry just blogged a one-two punch with "Sola Scriptura: thoughts on the Eastern Orthodox view" and "Will the Antichrist be an actual person?"

Evan's Antichrist post points out the immediate, obvious, and literal interpretation of antichrist in John's writings (which include his gospel, the epistles, and his Apocalypse).  How ironic that the "literal" interpretation of the antichrist espoused by dispensationalists is completely figurative?  Very, in case you were wondering. 

The antichrist post is particularly timely for those that follow the daily lectionary since it is passing through 1 John as we speak. ... more

For Immediate Release | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

NEWARK, NJ — Everyday Liturgy, the prophet of liturgy in an evangelical wilderness, announced today that Tuesday does not meet the standards of liturgical significance and will be dropped from coverage on Everyday Liturgy.

"The mission of Everyday Liturgy is to contribute to a liturgical understanding of the other six days during the week," said Thomas Turner, Everyday Liturgy's founder. "But Tuesday no longer meets our standards of being a proper day, so it will be dropped from liturgical thoughts and spiritual contemplation.  We are still all about liturgy "everyday," it's just time to recognize that Tuesday is not really a day, it's more like a time-waster.  If time was a currency Tuesday would be the penny. People leave them around everywhere because they are useless."

Everyday Liturgy empasizes that they will continue to be an advocate of liturgy in all days of the week and encourages other groups to follow suit and relegate Tuesday from the calendar.  "It's not that hard," said Mr. Turner. "Pluto used to be a planet.  Now it's not.  That's because we thought it was a planet but then found out it's just a big chunk of useless  ice.  Tuesday is the useless day in the solar system of our weekly calendar." ... more