Important Notice: OOC Blog has moved!

As part of our ongoing site overhaul this year, we've moved the blog to a new location. You can now read, post and comment at:

http://www.oldorchardchurch.org/weblog

If you'd like a user account for our new location (your Blogger one will no longer work on it), please contact Nate or Matt. Oh, and don't post anything else here at this blogspot location anymore.

posted by Pip at 4:18 PM 0 comments

Are you a "centrist" evangelical?

Here's a good article that suggests evangelicals are improving the image of Christianity (and in a way that I would imagine pleases God, I might add):

The majority of these centrists, like the traditionalists, oppose gay marriage and abortion on demand. The religious differences between the groups lies, according to Mr. Green, "in emphasis and tactics." Centrist evangelicals are less likely to explicitly proselytize and to announce that non-Christians are going to hell. They've tried to bring greater racial diversity to their churches, believe in a broader role for women in society, and are more likely to view homosexual behavior as a discrete sin rather than to blame homosexuals as a class--for, say, terrorist attacks.

Amen. But the "centrist" label, like "moderate," still connotes middle-of-the-roadness, fence-sitting and lack of commitment, and these evangelicals are not antithetical to "traditionalism" insofar as it seeks after the true origins of the faith. Can't we think of something more accurate? How about "authentic evangelicals" or "faithful evangelicals? "Genuine" is perhaps most to the point but admittedly sounds a bit immodest.

posted by Pip at 1:12 PM 0 comments

Introducing the "7-Point Review": Match Point

In an effort to get people writing/reviewing popular culture, I'd like to introduce a hopefully fun little idea that I'm calling the "7-Point Review" -- a quick way to review movies, books, music and other art forms. The idea is to convey a few main thoughts on whatever you've just seen, read or listened to. Since full-length reviews take time to write, this hopefully will inspire us to write more often and cover a wider variety of subjects. Of course, if we feel like it, we can go back and "flesh out" one or more of the bulletpoints later to make a more traditional review (my personal goal is to do one of these for every movie I see).

So without further ado, I'll begin with a 7-Point Review of Woody Allen's latest film, Match Point:

Match Point

1. I liked it better the first time when it was called "Crimes and Misdemeanors." As Megan said, it's a younger, sexier version of that film.
2. It revisits themes of guilt/conscience and luck/chance.
3. It has an interesting ghost-visitation scene a la Macbeth.
4. Humble recommendation to the legendary director: When you have a scene in which the detective wakes up in the middle of the night with a "I know who did it!" revelation, it's much better if it's really a revelation rather than something that was explicitly already known to the audience (perhaps a sign that Woody Allen is losing steam).
   
5. A Woody Allen movie just isn't a Woody Allen movie without Woody Allen in the movie. As Megan said, Woody Allen appearing in it "would've ruined it," which is kind of my point: It only felt like a WA film at the beginning (with the Woody Allen font in the opening credits -- hat tip: Megan) and the end, when we hear some good philosophical dialog about how people justify their actions and how "chance" affects people's lives. The other 90% of the movie is a self-serving, drawn out -- if passionately drawn out -- affair of two beautiful, selfish people; not exactly compelling art unless you're interested in the eye candy of wealthy, young, sexy British people.
6. All the same, it's got some classic WA touches: Riverside scenes, matinee movie scene and scratchy-quality opera music overdubs but too few philosophical or intellectual considerations and too little humor.
7. Recommendation: Go rent Crimes and Misdemeanors instead.

posted by Pip at 3:16 PM 0 comments

Afghan Convert May Be Unfit for Trial

This is a deeply disturbing story. What does everyone think?

http://keenspot.blogspot.com/2006/03/afghan-convert-may-be-unfit-for-trial.html

posted by keener at 7:56 AM 2 comments

Podcasts for Covenant Worldwide materials

In case you missed it, Covenant Seminary is offering beaucoup des courses online, free of charge. That's right, high-quality seminary-course material, free for the download. I'm currently listening to the legendary Dr. David Calhoun teach Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, a real treat. So far, it's the only class that the site provides with a podcast feed. However, Nate reminded me how easy it is to create one's own feed, so I went ahead and did so for another fab course taught by a fab prof, Jerram Barrs's Apologetics and Outreach. Here's the feed:

• http://oldorchardchurch.org/podcasts/podcast-cts-apologeticsoutreach.xml

The sound quality for that one won't be as good as the Institutes class, because the Sem is still in the process of remastering the digital files. Here's a note from Ann Copeland, the Seminary's web master:

We will be podcasting all the courseware, but currently do not have the other courses' audio produced with a sample rate that plays well on a non-iPod MP3 player. Until AV Services can re-sample all the other courses, I don't want to advertise a feed for files that sound like somebody talking underwater when you play them on some MP3 players. All the files should be OK to play on a computer, though.

Be aware of that issue if you choose to post a feed to any other course than Calvin's Institutes at this time. I will be posting feeds as the re-sampled audio becomes available.

I know I can't wait, so I may try to make a few more feeds in the meantime.

This is truly an outstanding development for the church worldwide, as people who otherwise wouldn't be able to access the fine teaching at Covenant can now do so. While it may not have the same impact as the Gutenberg Bible, it certainly is a gesture in the same direction, and Covenant should be lauded for the efforts.

posted by Pip at 8:57 AM 0 comments

KSDK: Billboard Campaign Offers Way To Change Sexual Orientation

I noticed that this report was going to air, but I didn't see it. The article from Channel 5's site has the accompanying video.

Thoughts?

posted by Pip at 10:47 PM 1 comments

The Chronic -- WHAT! -- les of Narnia!

This is a must-see/hear:

Now quiet in the theatre
or it's gonna get tragic,
We're gonna get taken
to a dream-world of magic!

posted by Pip at 9:54 PM 1 comments