Music That Gives Me Hope. . . Part 1. . .
Once again, I want to invite you into some things that have become a part of some annual intentionality for me. It’s Easter weekend. My only hope comes from the grace shown in the events we celebrate this weekend. Over…
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Mapping Intercourse. . . Literally. . .
People like me who live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania hear the jokes and the questions all the time. Yes, there are some towns here with some funny names. They’re the kind of names that evoke chuckles from folks who don’t…
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Bully. . . The Movie. . . The Reality. . .
The new documentary film Bully opened on Friday. I have yet to see it. A quick run through the movie page of our local paper indicates that at this point, it isn’t playing anywhere nearby. I’m going to keep looking…
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The Hunger Games. . . The Movie. . .
Saw the movie yesterday. . . with my buddy Marv Penner. . . in a Dallas theater. . . that was surprisingly empty. It was energizing to be with Marv and talk about the book, then watch the movie, then…
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“The Hunger Games. . . .”
There was no need for me to stand in line at a movie theater or even read the paper to know that there’s a cultural phenomena sweeping the nation and the world that’s known as The Hunger Games. It all…
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Has Anybody Out There Seen This? . . . .
Every once in a while the music world drops a short video that not only catches our attention by telling the ugly truth, but makes us stop in our tracks. One of my friends emailed me with a heads-up about…
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“I Love College. . . “
A few years ago Asher Roth got himself nominated for a VMA with his video for his song “I Love College.” The song celebrated love for all things college. . . all things – that is – except for academics,…
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Brand New From CPYU! . . . .
Technology is amazing. The older I get, the more amazing it is. Technology can also be really, really good. I find it to be good when it improves our lives and gives us deeper tastes of what it means to…
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True or False? I Don’t Know. . . And That’s What’s Scary! . . .
During a conversation with a youth ministry friend the other day, we were lamenting the growing level of shallowness in our youth ministry and church world. The conversation – not surprisingly – included some dialogue about Thomas Bergler’s upcoming new…
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“I’ve Got A Kid. . . . “
There were three harrowing phone calls the other day that began with someone in ministry saying, “I’ve got a kid. . . ” In each case, what followed were descriptions of horrifying brokenness and hurt. Call #1- “I’ve got a…
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Jimmy Fallon And A Spot-On Cultural Critique. . .
Over the course of the last couple of years I’ve become increasingly convinced that the worst enemy we face here in the U.S. is an enemy that lies within. In fact, that enemy is ourselves and the allegiances we have…
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The Chardon School Shooting. . . And “We’ve Got Nothing God”. . . .
These are the times when we want to have and to give answers. A 17-year-old boy goes on a shooting rampage in his Ohio high school. We ask “why???” His act leaves three dead and others wounded. Again, we ask…
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