Can I Live? Thanks for Listenin’
Discovered this Nick Cannon pro-life rap video while reading The Anchoress this morning. It’s worth your time.
The Anchoress on the Death of Pop Culture
I’ve been meaning for some time to link to The Anchoress’ The Death of Pop Culture post. In yet another classic Anchoress rant, she observes with her typical flair the Red Audience’s increasing distaste for the Blue Media’s offerings. Here’s just a taste:
People are weary of being lectured to by the media and the culture it promotes. They are tired of being told via sitcoms that their values are silly or via senators that the people they elect are losers. They are tired of reading that the traditions they wish to share within their communities are divisive if they insult an atheist, with no corresponding recognition that an atheist’s tirade is often filled with hate. They are sick of turning on a good cop drama, looking for an hour’s simple entertainment, only to learn that people like themselves, who hold with deeply-held religious beliefs, are really monsters of unenlightened hatred. To get away from that, they flip to C-span, just in time to learn that their traditional family units are insultingly heteronormative.
Treat yourself to the whole thing. I think she’s right that red-staters have a thirst for media and that while they are more than willing to tolerate diverse opinions, they are growing tired of being ignored and insulted. More and more of them are tuning out in droves, and that makes it even more difficult for the rare red media alternatives to get any traction for their products. The Anchoress’ blue pugilist may be going down for the count, but what will rise in its place?
Abbey Hedrick, Update III
Latest info on Abbey Hedrick is here. She is doing quite well. She’s moved to pediatric rehab in Atlanta, and you can follow her progress at carepages.com. You’ll need to create a user name and password. Abbey’s e-room is “AHedrick.”
Abbey Hedrick — Update II
Just heard that Abbey Hedrick started talking last night. Apparently, some of her first words consisted of a disagreement with her mother. I would wager that her mother was never so glad to hear her child sass her.
Abbey Hedrick: Update I
Abbey Hedrick is still progressing. She’s been moved out of the Pediatric ICU, and they’ve limited the pain meds, and removed the feeding tube through the nose and inserted one into her stomach. She’s apparently been pretty active, but as yet has not given any indication that she recognizes her family. Still, the professionals apparently remain optimistic.
According to their grandmother, the other girls are easing back into their normal routine despite their soreness and seat belt burns. The three-year-old is reportedly car-shy, understandably so, and doesn’t want to go anywhere near “the mess,” as in her mind the remnants of the accident are still strewn about the highway.
It’s my understanding that after an accident, the outpouring of support is immediate and strong, but that it eventually slows while the tragedy for the family lingers on. So do not let up in your prayers for this family.
Abbey Hedrick
Info on the status of Abbey Hedrick here. Abbey is the granddaughter of Joan Purvis, a co-worker. Joan’s daughter, son-in-law, and their three girls — Abbey is the middle-aged daughter — were in a serious car accident on Bristol Highway last Saturday afternoon. Original article here. (Registration required).
Abbey remains in the pediatric intensive care unit at Johnson City Medical Center. Please pray for her and her family. The above link has specific prayer requests and a link through which you can email the family to show support.
Ridiculing Pastors
Long-time friend Gene Reynolds emailed earlier regarding the posting of comments:
How do I post a comment if I don’t have a blog? Is there some kind of impenetrable blog world?
Of course I told him that the blogosphere didn’t want his kind. I mean, he’s a pastor, and me, as a former timeshare salesman and current nursing home lawyer, well, I have to have standards. And so I proceeded to ridicule him:
Seriously, I’ve never posted a comment. But, wonder of all wonders, Angela has, and she doesn’t even use email. She just learned to use the web a couple of months ago. So, I think you can do it, too. I think she told me she had to sign up for an account w/ blogger.com or something.
Nothing gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling like publicly poking fun at a pastor.
But during lunch I was experimenting, and I came across an option to allow anyone, not just readers registered with blogger.com, to post comments. So I changed the settings, and now anyone should be able to post comments.
joelhollingsworth.blogspot.com — Ending Discrimination One Class at a Time.
Comments, anyone?
UPDATE: Apparently not.
Who Am I? A Mere, Word and Power Christian.
First and foremost, I’m a Christian. More of a Mere Christianity Christian than anything else. Dogmatic on the fundamentals, but sort of laissez-faire on the minutiae that tend to erect denominational walls.
When we lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, we were members of Two Rivers Church, which was a church plant out of Fellowship Church, also in Knoxville. Fellowship was founded by Doug Banister, who, while he was there, wrote The Word and Power Church. This book described Doug’s vision of two rivers — one the evangelical tradition, and the other the charismatic tradition — flowing back into a single mighty torrent of knowledge of, and relationship with, God, as they were meant to be. Two Rivers Church was birthed out of this vision. It is full of great, Godly people, from Pastor Brad Brinson on down, and we miss them terribly.
But we are excited about becoming members of Celebration Church in Blountville, Tennessee. Celebration does not use water metaphors to describe it, but it appears to have the same basic vision. It describes itself as an “interdenominational,” as opposed to “nondenominational,” church. The distinction is one of emphasis, and it’s subtle, but important: it’s not that it doesn’t affiliate with any particular denomination, but that it welcomes all denominations. Again, assuming the fundamentals are in order. And like Pastor Brad at Two Rivers, Celebration’s senior pastor Craig Fry keeps the church anchored while at the same time constantly reminds and encourages the congregation to resist the tendency of Christians to become sour, dispassionate curmudgeons and instead, celebrate the good news of Christ.
