So, I spend a lot of time reading. What started out as a hobby reviewing books for my website, The Christian Manifesto (www.thechristianmanifesto.com), has turned into a labor of love. Fiction. Non-fiction. Graphic novels. Textbooks. Who knew Christian publishers would be so eager to have their materials reviewed by a nobody from Rochester Hills, Michigan? And who knew people would consider my reviews worth reading?

In my short time as a reviewer of Christian materials, I have learned a few lessons.

First, there are a lot of books on the market that say the same thing. While this certainly happens in the general market (hence our ability to categorize titles), it also happens to the nth degree in the genre titled “Christianity”. In some ways, that’s the nature of the beast. As Solomon said, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” But, at the same time, it’s a bit disheartening to read so much and learn so little.

Second, it sometimes feels as if Christian authors don’t really know what to do with Jesus. The Jesus of Christian pop culture and theology only cares about what we care about when we care about it. That is to say, right now, it is popular for Jesus to care about the poor, the marginalized, and politics. Next week, however, the Jesus of pop Christianity will be forced to change his focus and passions towards whatever it is the Church thinks he ought to be passionate about at that moment in time. The poor, the marginalized, and the politicians will take the proverbial back seat. This isn’t to say that the Christ of Scripture has stopped caring about such things merely because we have moved on. But, it is to say that very rarely does the Jesus of pop Christianity care about things holistically. He is a compartmentalized God. He is a Jesus shackled to our passing whims and passions infatuations. And when the Christ of Scripture breaks those chains, we often come undone.

Third, Christian writing is much better than people give it credit for, but it often slides by on the coattails of the “Jesus card”. Allow me an example. I recently got into an exchange with a college professor regarding the depth of “Christian” music versus the depth of “non-Christian” music. My argument was that because Christ is included, by default, the music produced by Christians is automatically far deeper than that produced by their non-Christian counterparts. Many will cry foul at this notion, but hear me out. My point is this. Nothing in all of creation is deeper than Christ. Nothing. This is not to say that I am not moved to deep places by non-Christian music. Quite the contrary, actually. My point is that the depth I experience there and the depth I experience at the foot of the Cross of Christ are far different things. Unfortunately, the depth brought by Christ does not necessarily mean the product produced is worth purchasing. We are all aware of the argument that Christian music tends to pale in comparison to secular music. To argue the opposite would be pointless. I often feel that because Christ is the center of Christian music, artists do not feel a need to explore the implications and express the emotional spectrum over which Jesus is Lord. The same goes for Christian writing. Often because Jesus is mentioned repeatedly throughout a text, writers of Christian materials can get away with creating surface-level material.

Lastly, Christian writers tend to have a very thin skin. The ancient Christians were thrown to the lions, dipped in tar and lit on fire, forced to fight to the death in the Coliseum, run through with swords, and drawn and quartered. Modern Christian writers have a difficult time having their product critiqued. After all, they’re talking about Jesus, right? It reminds me of an episode of South Park where several of the characters are told that they have to like Passion of the Christ because “it’s depicts the suffering of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” There’s the idea in Christian pop culture that if you slap Jesus’ name on a product or mention his name ad nauseum, you don’t have to actually care about the quality of your artistic expression.

What’s the point? The point is Christians should be at the forefront of forming culture through music, literature, and the arts. Our Heavenly Father has created the entire universe and draw its borders with the breadth of his hand and he has endowed his children with a measure of his creative goodness, inviting us to join him in his ongoing work in the world. If the creator of the cosmos is the greatest creator (and the greatest writer), though our work will always pale in comparison, as believers in the risen Christ we have been gifted to bless the world with the greatest art the world has ever seen, the greatest music the world has ever heard, and the greatest literature the world has ever read.

Expect more. Create better.

Blessings.

Delusion of senses run ramped
Winding round and round

Longing to think straight
Makes you feel dizzier

What about the days ahead
Or the hours, the minutes

What will happen?
What will become?

A path lit only by a lamp
What if I want to see around me?

Full of questions
Very little answers

Deep breathes as I walk down the half lit path
Grabbing onto anything that is in reach

Can I truly live for you if I don’t trust you?
Tip-toeing and scared of the steps ahead

To depend on someone other then yourself
Relying on everlasting strength

My mind is weak, unable to hold the future
Peace arrives as I offer my hand up to Him

Out of His hands falls a book
Holy Bible written on the side

How do I read in the middle of darkness?
He answers, “Lift up your lamp”

Written are the answers to your questions
Here I will always be to guide your steps.

Trust in Me!

Wow, how time flies. It seems just the other day Dizmas were making their debut in the rock scene with “On a Search in America”. The album: a blend of rock, thrash, with a dose of screaming, made it hard to classify their sound as alternative or hardcore. It seemed more accurate to say a fusion of the two. Three years later, Dizmas are ready to make yet another debut, this time around, on their new found home Forefront Records.

While I didn’t have the pleasure of indulging myself in their sophomore release due to the sheer quantity of quality music that was released concurrent with the album, repeated spins of the first, along with partaking in their live show on The Art of Breaking Tour, were sufficient enough for me to develop a taste for their musical flavor. Their sound was hard-hitting; their show, chaotic, if a little brutal. Ironically enough their latest venture is nothing short of a complete departure from their previous sound. The album opens with “Yours,” a pop rocker that reminds me of The Turning. The album continues with tracks such as “Play it Safe” and “Redemption, Passion, Glory”: the former further confirming the 360 degree turn from “On a Search in America” and the latter a worship ballad which speaks of Christ’s love, asking “What love is this?”

Initially fans of the band’s aggressive sound will be completely taken a back, as this is the “lightest” side of Dizmas we’ve seen yet. However, with repeated listens comes an appreciation for the new style. In addition to the musical transformation, the lyrics have gone through an evolution of sorts, and are now more unabashedly Christ-centered than ever before. Upon first listen, they may feel a little “forced”; however as before, repeated listens make the album quite refreshing in a Christian music scene which is extremely cautious and/or metaphorical when singing about faith.

Things do pick up a bit on “This Is a Warning”, which makes for the most aggressive track on the album, showcasing some of the band’s youthful energy. Overall, however, “Dizmas” is more mature then previous projects, since they stepped into the scene 3 years back. Highlights include “Yours,” “Play It Safe,” and “This is a Warning”. Although “Dizmas” is not overwhelming original, it is a surprising refresher in today’s Christian music market.

4 out of 5
Release Date: April 29 2008
Forefront Records

Track Listing:
1.) Yours
2.) Play It Safe
3.) Save the Day
4.) Redemption, Passion, Glory
5.) Different
6.) Different
7.) Shake It Off
8.) Jealousy Hurts
9.) This Is a Warning
10.) Worth Fighting For
11.) Dance

Hugs. I tell most people that I’m not into them. That’s not entirely true… I mean… Well… usually I don’t need one and therefore I don’t really want one.

You see, I’m the kind of guy that looks for a hug when he needs a hug. (Wow! This guy’s amazing with words!) Ok, ok, let me explain.

I like giving hugs to people who need hugs. You can just see it on their face. It’s not like it’s been the worst day ever but it’s definitely not your best and sitting down doesn’t take the load off nearly as good as…

a hug.

That tight embrace that requires every ounce of strength to hold yet makes you feel light as a feather. It’s that hug that you never want to let go of. It’s a comfort that isn’t explained very well in words.

I needed a hug tonight and I got it and it was absolutely wonderful. And I thought to myself, “Isn’t God good?”

Can you imagine being hugged by God? What would that feel like? It would have to be the most comforting/relieving/relaxing/releasing/strong/gentle/warm/fulfilling/heart warming/satisfying/brings you to tears hug that you’ve ever received!

Can you imagine?

Maybe you’re stressed, maybe you’re sick, maybe you’re tired, maybe you’re happy, maybe you’re excited, maybe you’re depressed, maybe your so angry you want to cry, maybe you’re just not feeling normal and maybe all you really need, all you really want, is a comforting/relieving/relaxing/releasing/strong/gentle/warm/fulfilling/heart warming/satisfying/brings you to tears hug.

When we were on our honeymoon, Jim and I decided it would be a fun little adventure to go scuba diving together. We sat through an hour long video on what to do and what not to do when in the middle of the ocean. I was extremely overwhelmed! First of all, I tend to be very claustrophobic, so even thinking about putting on that mask and controlling my breathing while under water without freaking out was a lot for me to handle. Remembering all of the rules on top of that was an added stress.

After the video was over, the scuba instructor fit us to the correct scuba gear for our size and we were ready to head over to the pool to practice the techniques we had just learned. I anxiously grabbed Jim’s arm on our walk. While in the pool, our first test was putting on our mask and mouthpiece and swimming around the pool to get comfortable. I did great on this task, feeling completely comfortable. Our next task was to sit under water with weights around our waist while practicing taking our mouthpiece in and out of our mouth. The instructor performed a motion instructing us to watch her demonstrate first before allowing us to try it on our own. Anxiously waiting my turn, I decided to try myself and copy what she was doing- what a disaster! I lost my mouthpiece somewhere behind me and freaked out, quickly pushing myself to the surface to get air. The instructor came to the top to see if I was okay, and I reassured her that I just panicked, but was ready to try again. With my heart pounding a million miles a minute, I felt both stupid for not achieving this little task and nervous that I would screw up again. Nonetheless, no more then 30 seconds went by before I was up at the surface again, this time followed by Jim and the instructor. Before they got there, my mask was off and the weights were thrown on the side of the pool. Both of them tried to reassure me I would be fine and to relax for a second and try again, but I had already made the decision that it was too hard for me to handle.

Jim and I look back at this instance and laugh quite a bit, but I quickly end the embarrassing conversation each time with excuses such as “Well, I have a hard time breathing,” “I have asthma,” or “At least I tried”. But did I really try? I went into the situation with fear and negative expectations, knowing in the back of my head that it was going to be too hard for me to do. I went through the first part of the training, but I quit in the second part because it was too frustrating and too difficult. Let’s think about this for a second: if the scuba instructor would have let me go out into that ocean without all of the proper gear and instruction, who knows what could have happened. I may have gotten swept away by the first wave that rocked the boat, without even having a chance to explore the sea underneath me.

God has been challenging me lately. Instead of getting into the oceans of life and taking chances, many times I just avoid the water, fearing that one of those times that I go out too far, the ocean will swallow me up with no mouthpiece for me to breath into. Negative thoughts fill my head before I even jump into the water because I neglect to trust the instructor or myself. If I would have listened to the proper instructions that our instructor had given us during our scuba class without anxiously wanting to do it myself, I may have fulfilled the task with her guidance without a problem.

This is one of my favorite verses and is my prayer for myself and for each of you today:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God , which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

We can do anything with the help of the Lord; we just need to quiet our hearts and listen for His instructions.

Speaking as someone whose childhood was virtually defined by Indiana Jones, I can tell you that the oft-rumored, long-delayed fourth installment is a bit of a mixed bag. Leaving the theater, I found that I was not disappointed — and yet, neither was I entirely satisfied.

So the big news is that Indiana Jones is old now. Spoiler alert! This is all handled pretty well for the most part, and in some cases, with good humor. At the very least, we never have to endure brief cuts of the actual actor intermixed with ridiculous CG fighting. So yay for Harrison Ford and stunt doubles.

There are drawbacks, however- most notably that the film is now set in the ’50s. There’s really no way around that, I understand, but there’s something about it that just never quite gels. A huge part of what defined Indiana Jones in the originals was the setting and tone. The time update alters these so drastically, we sometimes feel as if we’re watching another movie altogether. It isn’t just the time period either — it’s also the subject matter. Without venturing into actual spoiler territory, let me just say that in terms of plot hooks, I preferred the supernatural/religious basis of the first three.

What we have is an Indiana Jones film that isn’t quite an Indiana Jones film. As if to embrace this, the movie introduces a brand new character (played by Shia LaBeouf), and proceeds to try to share the lead role with him. Like the rest of the film, this partially works. It’s an interesting experience, watching an attempt to evolve an established series in this way — and I think your enjoyment of the film is going to rest on your perception of it.

Do not expect to see Indiana Jones and the Sequel that Resembled the Other Movies. This is an update, a re-imagining if you will, and it is a pretty fun summer action movie all around. There are groan moments; there is some greatness there. It is a qualified success.

There is much more I could probably tackle: the use of CGI, the unfortunate presence of some cliches, some predictability, the bad guys, the action sequences, the plot devices, the pacing, and the climax. But it all boils down to a mantra-like repetition of the same refrain — sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I think this holds true whether you know Indiana Jones or not.

Next on tap: I have no idea and I’m way too lazy to check my list right now.

i suddenly remembered my charlemagne

When I was a kid I was a huge Speed Racer fan. So when I heard a Speed Racer film was being made, I leaped three feet into the air! I dashed to my computer to purchase a movie ticket and after an hour of fumbling through the theater’s website, I managed to finally buy one (I think I also accidentally signed up for two dating services and bought a Fergie MP3.) I hopped into my car (by jumping through the window, naturally) and sped to the movie theater, barely holding in my excitement as I wove through traffic like my childhood hero, Speed Racer.

As I sat in the theater and watched the images flicker before me, my anticipation turned into disappointment, and then into anger. Now, I understand that filmmakers have to take some liberties when translating a cartoon to a live action movie, but this film was nothing like the original animated series. Instead of the Mach 5 race car we all know and love, Speed Racer races in an iron suit that flies. Yes, you read that right. It was so ridiculous. He didn’t even race other cars- he raced jet planes in the sky. I understand that kids these days aren’t into race cars anymore, but to remove the essence of Speed Racer and transform him into a super-hero type who just flies around in a silly metal suit and fights terrorists is downright offensive. Yes, I understand that in this post 9/11 world you have to always have terrorists as the bad guys, but he could have at least raced the terrorists! At least they kept all the cool gadgets that the Mach 5 car had - like the rocket and the shield - but they just added them all to the iron suit. Stupid!

To add to all that, the casting was outrageous. Robert Downy Jr. as Speed Racer? Speed Racer is supposed to be a teenager. Just because you have a “Jr.” in your name, doesn’t make you automatically young. He’s also a whiskey drinking, womanizing, weapons manufacturer. Great role model for the kids - yeah right! And Trixie, Speed’s girlfriend, was in her 30s as well - and now has red hair. Give me a break! And probably the worst thing was that Speed Racer’s comedic sidekicks, Spridle and his pet monkey Chim Chim, were nowhere to be found. I guess it’s because they always stowed away in the Mach 5’s trunk to join him on his adventures - but there’s no trunk in a metal suit, is there?

I guess if you have no prior knowledge of Speed Racer, you might enjoy this movie. But if you, like me, were the president of the Speed Racer fan club in middle school, played with Speed Racer POGs and learned the theme song on your recorder, then do yourself a favor and spend your $45 on something worthwhile.

Rating: 20 thumbs down.

I enjoy a good cry every now and again. Wait a minute, does admitting that make me less of a man or more of a man? I will admit there have been times in which I have gotten teary-eyed and have tried to hold it back in order to maintain a sense of manliness, but lets be honest- when you are moved by something beautiful, something compassionate, something that exemplifies love…how can you not cry or tear up just a little?

Well, if you are ever in the mood for a good cry (meaning a cry which occurs at the site of the previous mentioned things and not the type of cry that occurs when you have been hurt) then I suggest hunting down an episode of two of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and a box of tissues. I was watching an episode this past Sunday in which the Extreme Makeover team made over a church in New Orleans that had been completely ruined by Hurricane Katrina. As I watched the show I got a little choked up and my eyes began to accumulate with a salty discharge; I am always moved when others sacrifice their time, their wants, their possessions, in order to pour out love upon an individual who is both deserving and in need of such compassion and love. Whenever I watch the show I always have this sense, this stirring in my heart that reminds me to continually and consistently show others such humble, selfless, and compassionate love. The key words there are continually and consistently because a lot of times I forgot about that. I get lost in the business of life and that overwhelming sense of complacency sneaks upon me like a ninja creeper in the night.

I find it funny in an ironic sense how we can easily be blinded by our business and hectic schedules and become unaware of the needs of those around us. It breaks my heart when I know that the needs of those around me can be as simple as just stopping and having a caring conversation with them, calling them just to talk or getting together with them to catch up and heck, maybe even to just “chill” and have a good time. The reason why this is ironic to me is because on Friday I was once again reminded of how easily I can tune myself off to others and be distracted by the static of my own noise. At the One Day prayer event, I attended the time slot for Student Ministries of Woodside, a ministry I just happen to be a little bit involved with. Anyway, we broke up into smaller groups to pray over and about certain matters and the last time of prayer was set aside to pray about our families (this time slot encouraged students and their families to attend together). At this time I was in a group with two others and what happened next is what reminded me of my complacency and lack of awareness in the matter of loving others. As we began to pray, each one of us opened up offering our prayers up to God and sharing our hearts with one another. We shared of the hurt our families were going through, the struggles and the stress, and the weight that tolled on each of us. We shared our hearts for our family and our desire to show them the love of Christ and for us to lay our worries at the feet of God knowing that He will provide for us, comfort us, never leave us. We prayed for strength and guidance to allow our lives to bring glory to God, and we prayed for healing in the lives of our family.

The sad thing is, I knew both of these people. They were not strangers- one would fall under the category of being an “acquaintance” perhaps, and the other is a friend that I have a closer relationship with. Yet I did not know their hurt or their struggle. I know there are some times in which we wear masks and we wear them well. I know that our hearts could be breaking and our lives could be spinning out of control and yet we are too scared to reach out to someone for love and comfort even though that is what we so desperately need and desire. I remember when my dad was in the hospital we went out to eat for my brother’s birthday. We weren’t trying to mask our hurt or anything like that but while we were out, I looked around the restaurant and began to think, “No one here has any idea what’s going on in our lives right now.” I was hit in the face with that reality again on Friday, that there are people that you see and interact with everyday and they could be drowning in a world of hurt and sorrow yet we don’t ever realize it, even when they’re not trying to cover it up.

So when faced with this reality…what will I do, what can I do, what will you do?

In the words of a mad man…”CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!”

Meaning to always be aware and attentive to the needs of those around us; to be aware of those we know and don’t know and to those who wear masks and try to wear mask.

1 John 4:7-8; 11-12

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete

Praise the Lord for all He has done for us! It’s overwhelming when I sit back and think about the Lord’s grace. I owe everything to Him for He alone has poured out the blessings in my life on me. First of all, I must thank Him for His greatest sacrifice He alone has made for me and us. The Lord has truly opened my eyes and showed me the true blessings of my life. I surely have done some of the worst deeds, destroyed and disfigured my life, but the Lord in His love and kindness has restored me and blessed me with some of the best family, friends and teachers. It is impossible to tell the members of Woodside Bible Church how much they mean to me.

I would not be where I am today had it not been for the love of Jesus. He has transformed me into something I could never have imagined. Forever I am in His debt because His grace is immeasurable. For Him to take an old, burnt-out junky and make him into a solider of faith and brother in Christ is beyond any work of man. This blog has been burning in my heart for a long time. I am sorry if this is unlike any of my other works but I feel that I must give thanks to the Lord and His arms and feet (that’s you people). Through Him, you all have show love and kindness that could not be found any where. I no longer feel ashamed.

It will be a long road ahead and I am sure that the road will be treacherous. However, I feel that with brothers and sisters that love Christ as much as you all do, nothing is impossible. I know that together we can change the world. Let us strike up the band and march to the tune of a Savior that gave everything for us. I will no longer hide in shame but walk in hope of a day when people will sing of the Lord and give thanks to an Almighty Lord whose love is unquenchable and unstoppable. Let bang our drums, strum our guitars, clap our hand and stomp our feet to an unrelenting Majesty that holds the stars in His hands and forgives the sinner.

In all of this I would like to conclude that I am truly blessed and surrounded by love. Who am I that the Lord of the universe should be mindful of me?

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a bad movie that a lot of people are going to like very much. I will now attempt to dig myself out of the hole that statement just created.

The problem is that the film is entirely inoffensive. This will trick many people into thinking it is actually good, as was clear Thursday night — because the world is full of simpletons, the theater had to endure applause no less than three times during the movie. But the distance from buttered toast to filet mignon is all the way from here to Lord of the Rings. Speaking of which –

I’m not going to start over who ripped off who, I can’t even be bothered to remember or do the basic research required to know how much of it was the book and how much was the adaptation. Let’s just say that Prince Caspian covers a lot of the same ground that Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter have already covered, only this time nobody cares.

And this is the heart of it — there is just no one to care about. There isn’t a single real human being in this movie — instead they are paper thin cutouts, a passable collage of cliches draped over a competent story-structure skeleton. Every single scene is just another bit of exposition designed to take us to the next plot point. It’s not awful, it’s just meaningless. And if anything, The Chronicles of Narnia was never supposed to be meaningless.

This was my main complaint with the first Narnia film. Aslan’s (spoiler alert!) death and resurrection was completely mishandled — what should have been the most epic moment in film that year was reduced to a nice bit of plot twist. What should have been earthshattering was merely interesting. This crime cannot be overstated.

The film does raise some interesting questions. For example, is it still a deus ex machina if you tell us beforehand that you’re going to use it? This is what Aslan has been reduced to, a story contrivance who does only as the plot dictates, and then offers platitudes cloaked as wisdom by way of explanation. Is a battle still exciting if it is almost totally devoid of danger? A character tells us early on that we may find Narnia “a more savage place” than we left it. This, as it turns out, is entirely untrue. And if one more person elects to punch someone in the face with the hand with which they are holding a sword I am going to buy a sword just so I can punch them with it.

It is a nice, safe movie. If I had kids I would take them to it, and I’m sure they would love it. The movie is filled to the brim with “good enough”. The main problem with this is I despise good enough.

Good enough is the reason we still have road construction every year. Good enough is why the only Christian movie ever that didn’t completely suck was not made by a Christian company. Good enough is the enemy of progress, of excellence. Good enough drowned a bunch of kittens in the lake.

Next on tap: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I am very nervous.

however, he had been burned