Reflections of a Jazz Theologian

Exciting Changes Coming to Jazztheologian.com--Need Your Input

As I posted earlier there are two big changes coming to jazztheologian.com:

1)  New Design:  A new, sleek look is just around the corner.

2)  I have been asked to blog for Beliefnet.com.  Beliefnet is the worlds largest religious website with an average of over three million unique hits a month.  I'm excited about this opportunity though there is one big difference--advertising.  This is where I could use your feedback:  Will the presence of advertising on my blog effect your willingness to visit?  It's tastefully done and is not that intrusive...sometimes you just need to close a pop-up for World Vision before you can read the post.  (Check out Scot McKnight's blog for an example of what my blog will look like)  Let me know what you think.

Stay in the groove,

robert

Super Bowl Commercials Upon Reflection

Upon reflection, here are my thoughts on the Super Bowl commercials.

The Prayers of the Saints

 "The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints went up before God..." Rev. 8.4

This weekend was our 2020 Vision Prayer Summit at CCC.  What a priviledge it was to lead our church in praying for our city, leaders, other churches and healing.

I will never forget this day.  I have to confess...I thought that attendance would go down this weekend because we were gathering "only" to pray.  

I was wrong!

(Check out that light shining...It's almost as if...)

 

Cornel West's Note to Obama

Bible verses on Gunsights?

Bible verses on gunsights used by U.S. military in Iraq...

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  2 Cor. 4.6

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

(Read the story here)

What do you think about that?

Favorite Book of 2009: The Divine Commodity

Of all the books that I read this past year, The Divine Commodity:  Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity by Skye Jethani, is the one that has proven to be most memorable.  

Simply put, this is an elegant book.  Jethani leads us through the always relevant topic of the effects of consumerism on faith while making use of the artwork Vincent van Gogh.  It is this use of the van Gogh narrative that makes The Divine Commodity a must read, for it awakens the imagination in ways that few books have.

Favorite Jazz Album of 2009: The Bright Mississippi

I can't stop listening to Allen Toussaint's, "The Bright Mississippi."  If you only buy one jazz album from 2009 this is it.  Toussaint, who is mostly known as an R & B pianist, is joined by Joshua Redman (tenor saxophone), Nicholas Payton (trumpet) in this album that is soon to be a classic.

Nominated for a Grammy as Best Instrumental Jazz Album, The Bright Mississippi, blends New Orleans swing, blues and soul in a way that will delight any jazz fan while not out of reach for jazz dabblers.

The Richest Man in Town!

At the end of, "It's a Wonderful Life,"  Harry Bailey proposes a toast George saying, "To my big brother George, the richest man in town."

When I look at this picture I feel the same way...

 

My cup overflows...

Who said it?

Can you guess who said this?

Abortion is "the most barbaric method" of family planning, equal to "infanticide."  She also said, "abortion was the wrong way--no matter how early it was performed it was taking a life."

If you guessed Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, you were right.

This has to STOP!!!

Innocent after spending 35 years in prison...Lord, have mercy on us!