en-us http://www.intensedebate.com/users/270931 Comments by SCBubba http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/10/the-new-stuff-christians-like/#IDComment37076483 Very nice layout. Looking forward to visiting here more often... Sat, 3 Oct 2009 21:46:08 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/10/the-new-stuff-christians-like/#IDComment37076483 http://human3rror.com/2009/09/08/how-long-can-i-be-the-new-guy-1-year-at-north-point-ministries/#IDComment33641670 Congrats n00b! :-) Tue, 8 Sep 2009 14:31:21 +0000 http://human3rror.com/2009/09/08/how-long-can-i-be-the-new-guy-1-year-at-north-point-ministries/#IDComment33641670 http://dewde.com/2009/08/how-to-maybe-become-a-writer/#IDComment29313594 Happy Anniversary! Sounds like you got a smart wife there my friend! I'm with you on the eating your own dogfood approach. A marriage counselor with a crappy marriage might be able to give good advice, but that won't make him a good counselor because the advice will probably not be taken by the clients. Anyway, I just realized that I didn't have you in my Google Reader and was just hoping over here when I saw links from you on twitter or facebook. I've resolved that issue and will now be among your subscriber counts. Thanks for the great posts over the year and keep up the good work. - Bubba Mon, 3 Aug 2009 15:28:12 +0000 http://dewde.com/2009/08/how-to-maybe-become-a-writer/#IDComment29313594 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/08/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-14/#IDComment26714069 I really likes this chapter for what Hipps had to say about brain balance and how the photograph brought the right brain back into the story. I haven't done any research on the subject, nor do I recall much from history classes on the 15th-18th centuries. So, I can't really point to what things looked like artistically during those times. At this point, I'll take his word for it. What I didn't exactly dig in this chapter was the use of the Prodigal Son story as an illustration of left/right brain dominance and balance. I think it was too much of a reach to try to fit it. Overall, this was a really good chapter and made up for some weaker ones previously, Great post! Wed, 8 Jul 2009 19:02:33 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/08/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-14/#IDComment26714069 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/06/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-13/#IDComment26468392 John, I really like your take on what Hipps is trying to say with his texting discussion. I think the GI Joe cartoons of days gone by used to end with PSAs telling kids that "Knowledge is Power!" With the advent of new and more accessible ways to get knowledge/information/content, the balance of power is changing. Teens have always thought that they knew more than their parents. And now Google makes them think they have confirmed it! :-) One thing that texting and similar technologies has done is give people more discrete means of communicating and accessing information. Teens may more easily hide their conversations from parents, etc using texting or IM with or without codes. I think the access to communications also has an effect on the power/control structure that Hipps brings up in this chapter. Love your questions at the end of the post. I need to think about them more.... Mon, 6 Jul 2009 14:42:15 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/06/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-13/#IDComment26468392 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/03/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-12/#IDComment26467997 Paul, I think you nailed the point here. We can, and often do, toss out anything uncomfortable or difficult because we are lead to believe that it is easier or better to get a new or different one. The prevailing thought, in Hipps' book and in the general population, is that virtual communities just make it easier to do what a lot of people are doing in "real" communities. What I notice about the people blogging on this book and commenting (myself included) is representation from people who have had (in general) success with communities, are drawn to or intrigued by technology/media, and are more intentional about relationship - virtual or otherwise. That is to say, we might not be representative of the general population Hipps is referencing in this chapter or in the book as a whole. Either way, if our culture is so ready to throw away relationships with people that share the same house, of course it will be ready to throw away relationships with people we've never seen in person. The technology is, at best, a minimal factor. The bigger question is whether or not technology/media has led us to this disposable culture or not... Mon, 6 Jul 2009 14:34:55 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/03/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-12/#IDComment26467997 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/01/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-11/#IDComment26019805 Good stuff, Adam. I like how you point out that it is just as easy to hide in (or from) biblical community in real life as it is in virtual life. I am a part of several communities of both types. I tend to drift between them pretty easily and there are several people that are in more tan one of the communities I belong to. I really enjoy the conversations and sharing that goes on both online and in person. I really enjoy when a virtual connection becomes a "real friend" as you put it because we met in person. I only see danger in virtual communities in so much as there is danger in anything that can draw us away from the 2 greatest commandments. I've been in both types of communities that were drawing me away from God and both types that helped me draw closer. In all cases, it has more to do with me than it did with the technology involved. Going to read "part 2" on your blog now... Wed, 1 Jul 2009 12:27:16 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/07/01/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-11/#IDComment26019805 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/26/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-9/#IDComment25573484 Great points Susan. I'm in the same boat with respect to my children. The people that our culture puts on pedestals are not the people that I want my children emulating or looking up to. I enjoy music but a good voice, talent with an instrument, or ability to dance does not speak to who the person is. Neither does someone's skill at a sport or ability to act. I applaud Phil for his desire to let the kids at the schools get to know him (and for him to get to know them). I admire Chris for how he uses his blog to help show his daughters and then his friends who he is. I'm saddened that the "common" is not valued in our culture only the extreme/outrageous/different. And then only because it is those things. To get to Phil's questions, I try not to just follow fame. I try to look for people that I think are modeling the things that I find important. I try to make sure that I find important what God has made important. It doesn't always work out for me. The only reason I try to have for anyone to follow me is that I try to follow Christ. Anything beyond that is shooting for fame... Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:38:21 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/26/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-9/#IDComment25573484 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/24/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-8/#IDComment25572409 Adam, I also keep having reactions to his premise of medium. Maybe not as strongly as what you are describing. For me, I sometimes agree with him about the medium being the cause or motivation for some of the culture. And sometimes I think he's stretching it too much. In the end, I may have to chalk it up to human nature making it hard to see or acknowledge the things that do shape culture. When something that intends to shape or change us is blatantly obvious, it often fails in its efforts, or is at least strongly resisted. The things that are slower or more subtly are often more successful at changing/shaping... Either way, I think most of the illustrations he has are good and make for some really great discussions. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:21:14 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/24/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-8/#IDComment25572409 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/24/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-8/#IDComment25318779 Great post, Jay. Love your take on this chapter. I can recall the day and the events when I answered an altar call at age 13. I recall several emotions around that day. Looking back, however, I can't really recall a change in my life resulting from that event. Maybe it is like when you flip the switch and you get a bright flash and *pop* when the bulb burns out. I have a very hard time with testimony too. I've come to realize that I actually fit the dimmer switch profile with respect to faith/salvation/etc and it is hard to characterize that in "testimony time". As such, I feel like my witness is diminished and it is hard to use "my story". Basically, our culture is not interested in the back story or character development. It likes the dramatic Damascus Road moments, the exciting "darkness to light" of the light switch. I mean this with respect to testimonies and just about anything else in people's lives. Any "reality TV" show will serve as an example. They don't deal with real life. They go straight for the drama.... Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:12:48 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/24/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-8/#IDComment25318779 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/22/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-7/#IDComment25318098 Great stuff, Dave. I don't think that images or words, in and of themselves, can be true replacements for each other. They are, most always, complementary, There are cases where they can be used to convey the same thing, but one is usually more effective than the other. I think the consensus is that a mixture of the two can be very effective in many situations but how it is done needs to be tailored to the desired outcome, the cultural context, the audience mood/background, etc. Drawing on the previous chapter that proposed that we are, as a culture, getting shorter attention spans I think there is a greater draw to images (still or moving) because of the perceived efficiency. I watched a show on the History Channel last night that documented the evolution of the comic book hero. One thing that stuck out was that Hollywood has a hard time making a "great" movie around comic book characters because the movie medium does not lend itself to depth of character like the graphic novel medium does. Reading the thoughts and emotions in the words included in the panels of a comic book convey a lot that cannot be captured on the screen. Very interesting in comparison with this chapter. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:02:08 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/22/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-7/#IDComment25318098 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/19/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-6/#IDComment25310882 Good post, Paul. I think Hipps' take on information vs wisdom is very true. Whether it was heralded by Morse and his little tappity-tap-tap may be up for debate (the telegraph was huge, I admit). It is true that many people thrive in the current information culture, but I think a lot of them are the exception and not the rule. That is, conventional wisdom is to have tons of facts and propositions but not to really have any depth of understanding. In the US today, I think we highly value the observation and not the understanding. While we don't necessarily value the memorization of long passages or list of facts (except maybe for those in the theatre), we still value the ability to find and state those facts. We have replaced long term organic memory with access to google/twitter/blogs/RSS/etc. To the questions: 1) I try not to bludgeon them with the Bible like it was a hammer. As with most things, I try to get a relationship going and make sure that the focus is on understanding them as much as it is on getting my point across. Many people today don't believe that you can listen and understand someone without agreeing with them. 2) I try to leverage the technologies available to go deeper and not just wider. It's hard because I am definitely a "chaser of shiny things" when it comes to information. Twitter is especially challenging because of the near endless stream of things to chase. But I've been getting better with using it to start conversations and relationships with people i would not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. Turning those in to "real world" relationships happens sometimes. Sometimes not. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:22:22 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/19/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-6/#IDComment25310882 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/17/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-5/#IDComment25307755 I was a bit confused by the "oral culture" piece as well. Reading Scripture and telling stories are not the same things. I agree that the mass availability of the printed word had an affect on western culture but to say that the church was not affected by it before Gutenberg is not really true. That being said, I think the mass production of the written word has led to some of the individualism Hipps describes in this chapter. Written or oral, reading and studying the Scriptures was a communal activity prior to general availability of printed Bibles and high percentages of literacy. Some churches still have something similar to communal Scripture in Sunday services or Sunday School, but the emphasis in many of them is to be introductory with the main study done individually (in my experience anyway). Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:28:02 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/17/flickering-pixels-%e2%80%93-group-blogging-project-%e2%80%93-chapter-5/#IDComment25307755 http://www.collidemagazine.com/article/220/seven-more-twitterers-you-meet-in-the-twitterverse#IDComment24043265 Love these two "Twitterers you meet" posts. I've probably fallen into several of these categories at some point in me tweet-span.... Keep the great articles coming. @scbubba Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:55:27 +0000 http://www.collidemagazine.com/article/220/seven-more-twitterers-you-meet-in-the-twitterverse#IDComment24043265 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/12/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-3/#IDComment24036459 I love your writing in this post, Chris. I just about spit coffee on my keyboard at "fundy, snake-handling Christian's dream date"... Hipps use of these stories to contrast the use of a technology/medium for "good or ill" is good. I like the way you used blogging to bring more practicality to the concept. There are a few examples of the blogging platform being used for good and noble purposes. There are a whole lot more Narcissus blogs out there... I found the placement of this chapter a little interesting. In this one, Hipps is showing how the technology or medium can be used send different messages. Coming on the heels of the previous chapter - the medium is not neutral to the message - it almost undermines his previous premise. Hipps makes up for that in the following chapters, but the 1st time I read it, I felt like the two chapters didn't work together. Great job on the group blog review. Can't wait for the next ones... Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:32:07 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/2009/06/12/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-3/#IDComment24036459 http://churchcrunch.com/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-2/#IDComment23826358 I think Dave's got the right idea about what "the message" is. The message that was "broadcast" from God is not necessarily "the message" that many people receive. What was sent (and the truth of it) does not, and has not, changed. What is received is affected by the medium as well as other factors (context, prior knowledge, translation, etc). Shane's book as a whole, I think, is dealing with the message as it is received by people not so much as it is at the source. So, we need to really take a look at the methods we are using when we relay God's message. The methods we used to receive it may have changed what we received vs the original. And how we send it back out will affect how it is received by others. All that being said, Hipps could have been a little clearer on what he was specifically meaning when he wrote that the message changes... Sorry for the potentially odd way of saying all that. I'm an engineer and we tend to look at things a little differently... :-) Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:15:10 +0000 http://churchcrunch.com/flickering-pixels-group-blogging-project-chapter-2/#IDComment23826358 http://dewde.com/2009/06/a-question-twice-the-size-of-my-large-intestine/#IDComment23361209 I'll jump on the "best read of the day" bandwagon, too. Really great post, Chris. You are making the rest of us dads look bad... Uh, I mean, you are really helping teach the rest of us dads a thing or two. Thanks, Bubba Thu, 4 Jun 2009 14:26:03 +0000 http://dewde.com/2009/06/a-question-twice-the-size-of-my-large-intestine/#IDComment23361209 http://human3rror.com/2009/06/03/my-wife-married-a-thug-a-previous-life-displayed/#IDComment23194177 Sweet! Nuthin' else right now.... just Sweet! Bubba Wed, 3 Jun 2009 14:56:19 +0000 http://human3rror.com/2009/06/03/my-wife-married-a-thug-a-previous-life-displayed/#IDComment23194177 http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2009/06/good-bye-buckhead-church-hello-buckhead-church/#IDComment23064030 Awesome Carlos! God bless you and the rest of the Whitakers. We will be praying for y'all as you step out in faith to follow God's calling. Disrupt away, bro! Bubba Tue, 2 Jun 2009 14:49:42 +0000 http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2009/06/good-bye-buckhead-church-hello-buckhead-church/#IDComment23064030 http://human3rror.com/2009/05/29/caption-please-20/#IDComment22988602 No. I don't need a man. I've got a little something in my handbag... :-) Mon, 1 Jun 2009 14:57:02 +0000 http://human3rror.com/2009/05/29/caption-please-20/#IDComment22988602