Broken Pedometers and the existence of God

Been a while since we last posted stuff for our community. We’ve been still meeting and talking about stuff, lately it has been mainly around personal items. How we are doing and how life is going.

Kevin told us today about the beginning of his preps for his marathon and the travails of a pedometer that doesn’t work. After thirty-six minutes and “three miles” he was quite disappointed in a 12 minute mile. He was pissed off and quite winded. Fortunately the three was actually 4.5, an 8 minute mile. Kevin had peace again. (Thanks “GMap”! www.gmap-pedometer.com)

We discussed some of the issues surrounding the change that occurred a few years ago when former atheist Anthony Flew changed his mind regarding the existence of a higher being. Apparently there was a TV show on EWTN recently that showed Anthony Flew debating Anthony Flew. There was an edited interaction of previously recorded debates that Anthony Flew did in the 70’s and then his responses today highlighting where he has changed his mind.

This opened discussion on the usual things regarding Christianity and the Bible about evolution, macro and micro, and the first 11 chapters of the Hebrew Scriptures.

We concluded that regardless of what one concludes on the issues surrounding the specifics of the Creation account that doesn’t change the unusual power of a persons encounter with the historic Jesus of Nazareth.

Because we know God to be real and true, and that all things in the known and unknown world are under his dominion, the discoveries of science need not be feared. His influence is manifest in the unfathomable complexity we find in the universe, in DNA in the laws of nature, in the consciousness of man, the existence of art. The burden of proof does not lie among those who walk with him.

We will add a few links regarding these matters soon.

Peace, Kirk, Kevin, Bryan, and Ryann

That's Hot...or is it cool?

Ryann brought up the writings and person of Marshal McLuhan and his writings on media nd mediums. Ryann was recently encouraged to look into his writings by a friend to assist him to be a better photographer. Ryann was specifically directed to look at McLuhan's thoughts on "hot" and "cool" media. "Hot" being the type that usually leans towards single sensory communication with little encouragement to think deeply about the message. "Cool" media being multiple sensory and deeper messages and questions raised.

For example, a photograph would tend to be "hot" and a poem would be "cool".

Here's the website that Ryann was looking at that inspired his thinking:

http://www.regent.edu/acad/schcom/rojc/mdic/mcluhan.html

Ryann, being a product photographer would have a tougher time designing a "cool" style photograph of a product than say an abstract photograph which would draw a viewer in to think more deeply about what they see.

We in the church have lost the ability to design and create "cool" styles of medium in order to make the message clear as to who Jesus is. May we become "cool" communicators in the church.

Would love to hear your thoughts...

Kirk, Ryann, Bryan, and Kevin

"High Low", "High Low" it's culture that we sow...

We talked mostly about personal stuff until the very end when we took up the discussion of those who think there is a quality difference between what is considered "high" culture and "low" culture.

Is symphony music better than the Beatles, or is it simply a taste preference? Is blues music now only considered "folk" culture which is seen as less quality than "high" culture or is it more than that? Who decides what is "low" culture is? Who decides what is "high"? If we use these categories is that constructive to creating good culture and art rather than "high" culture and art or "low" culture and art? Or again, is it simply a matter of taste?

We have talked of this issue the last few days based on some chapters in David Hegeman's wonderful book, Plowing in Hope. We don't exactly agree with everything in his tome however, he does a great job in laying out the biblical reasons the Church needs to be involved in culture making. Get the book and join in...

Peace,
Kirk, Kevin, Bryan, Tom, and special Swiss guest Michael...

Update and The Last Supper

We have been incommunicado the past few months although we have continued to meet, faithfully. The past few weeks have been more personal discussion rather than larger topics although those are not far from our hearts and minds. We’ve talked about stuff as grandiose as Mako’s visit to the White House to welcome the Japanese Prime Minister and his art installation in London alongside Yoko Ono, to things simply wonderful as Kevin getting a promotion and less time at work so now he can do more of his music. We look forward to hearing him play here in NYC with his quartet.

After Mako’s trip to London he and his family took a vacation to Europe. His particular desire was to go see da Vinci’s “Last Supper”. This morning we talked about his experience in seeing the painting and his thoughts on the importance of Philip in the painting. Philip is located on the right side of the painting in a cinnabar “pink” robe, seemingly in the midst of the action of standing up. Mako suggests that without Philip the painting would fall apart. Which drew him to think about why Philip would be so important to Leonardo? So Mako went back to the Gospels…

Not to leave you in suspense, nor to take some “fire” away from Mako, but the rest of these thoughts can actually be found in his next “Refraction” that he sends out via email. If you’d like to receive this “Refraction” as well as the others send Mako an email at refractions@makotofujimura.com.

Peace,
Kirk, Mako, and Bryan.

Does the Devil have all the good music?

Chamber Music America recently gave a grant to Cornelius Boots, the founder of Edmund Welles: The Bass Clarinet Quartet. For the grant he wrote a piece inspired by Agrippa’s three books of occult philosophy, which is musically influenced by everything from boogie woogie to blues to heavy metal.

I had, what I would consider, the fortunate opportunity to see the work premiered at the Stone (John Zorn’s experimental music club in NYC)—and really enjoyed it. So I thought I would bring a recording of it to the group and ask the difficult question “is this music evil?” Keeping in mind that there are no lyrics and the only instruments are bass clarinets, this question becomes more difficult to wrestle.

After playing several tracks we began to discuss. All agreed that the composition and performance were of the highest level, though several felt that they may not prefer to listen to it for casual enjoyment or while having a nice romantic meal, or even while painting because it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, relaxing or inspirational. This was mostly due, in my opinion, to the musical prominence of fast rhythms, dissonant harmony, and extreme range of dynamics.

Which begs the question, are our emotional associations with those musical elements merely the result or centuries of cultural conditioning, or do certain musical sounds have specific properties that cut across socio-cultural boundaries? Does the native music of Indonesia or India have the same emotional and spiritual effect on Indonesians as it does on Americans?

Ultimately, we agreed that with a finite mind it is challenging to place moral value on abstract music, at least because the effects of the music may not be able to be used as a criterion since they indeed differ depending on cultural background. However, even though the judgments are subjective, complex issues like whether or not this work is inherently evil, must be approached with a certain level of maturity. We must always listen to music, or view art, with discernment so as not be swayed by the wind and waves of deceitful ideologies.

We may not always be able to determine whether or not a work is truly good, or truly evil, but we can know that evil is only a parasite that cannot exist on its own—but, evil can point to good, because it itself is good twisted.

I leave you with this, “is the B flat in the fourth bar of the third movement a good or evil note?”

Kevin (and Mako, Kirk, Ryann and Bryan)

Working on the "Right" side...

We have shifted our time to meet from the glorious middle of the day to the dawning of the new day. This change to the AMs has made it possible for our once absent brothers to return to our fold, and we rejoice....ok...enough of the sappiness.

So we started our early morning discussion with a brief look at the Village Voice's recent article on The King's College (check out the cover at this link http://www.villagevoice.com/home/index.php?page=toc and the article at this one http://www.villagevoice.com/arts/0615,aviv,72805,12.html). It was a rather positive article for The Village Voice, especially as it is reporting on a conservative institution. Mako posed the question as to whether King's would have a The Village Voice "stand" for distribution at the college...most of us thought not, but then there are surprises in life. Kirk, mentioned that they only had majors in business and politics...or what they call "PPE"...but that they have failed to engage the artistisc realm which launched us into our next topic.

A recent book by Daniel Pink (www.danpink.com ) called "A Whole New Mind" posits that the future, in the West at least, will be highly influenced and directed by "right-brain" people. He makes a compelling argument using current cultural evidence to this fact. We discussed the implications of the imaginative and creative minds (more right-brained activites) becoming more influential especially since all of us around the table live in this community here in NYC. One of the points that Pink brought up was how many businesses are not looking for MBA grads but are looking for MFAers. Imagine that? Could this be part of the artisitc revolution that we are eeing here in NYC?

Peace,
Kirk, Mako, Kevin, Bryan, and Ryann...

B for Barnabas

CJ (15) joins our Barnabas Men's Group. Cj and his Barnabas dad just saw "V for Vandetta" and reported that it was a pretty good movie. Tom reports that the author, Alan Moore, removed himself from the movie, because the original version was about fascism verses anarchists, and the movie made it out to be conservatives against liberals.

What is destruction with a meaning?

Mark 4:11 states:

"He (Jesus) told them 'The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables."

Are movies parables? If so, what is "V for Vendatta" saying about us and our society? Was V a terrorist? Or was he a martyr? Was there an intended reaction that the viewer is asked to take? Or, as the creators of the movies attests, the movie is leaving the interpretation open ended? Or is the movie's whole point that all things should be open ended for people to own and decide.

What about Dietrich Bonhoffer, German Lutherine pastor of early twentieth century, who went back to Nazis Germany, a pastor who felt called to assassinate Hitler. A saint turned into a saint/assassin. And then a martyr.