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Posted in arts by Caitlin Woodward on 2/6/2010
 Give yourself away. Inspired, yet? Give yourself away... now. Motivated to do something? Anything?
Why is it difficult for Americans to be selfless? What is that wall
that prevents us from sharing with others? Whether it's our possessions
or ourselves, we need an earthquake to shake our apathy. Literally.
Most times we understand how to throw money at people or problems. But
only when we can afford it. What's the point of surrendering when it
doesn't cost us anything?
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Posted in arts by George Elerick on 1/25/2010
Someone once said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Gehenna
(the Aramaic word used in the New Testament used for "hell") was this
trash heap outside of Jerusalem where dead bodies were tossed amongst
all of the trash. Emanating from the depths of this place were
atrocious smells and maybe even half-hearted screams of those who might
be hanging on to all of their broken limbs if the fire didn't get to
them first. Hell was rhetoric for a way of life. And if you turn on
your television or walk down the street, you might agree with me that
the man living in his cardboard hotel is living in hell.
And we can do something about it.
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Posted in arts by Caitlin Woodward on 1/20/2010
It was your average small-town bar. Inviting and friendly atmosphere. The evening was welcoming - its usual crowd and the stage was set to rock...
A couple years ago I had met two of Avienne's band members at a church in central Michigan. They seemed like average high school guys at the time. Mike Tooman and Chris Fader helped start the praise band for that small church. I would see them play t... Click here to continue reading...
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Posted in arts by Joshua Cody on 1/17/2010
Up in the Air
bills itself as "the story of a man ready to make a connection," and
the plot is straightforward and unsophisticated. If you're not
familiar, I'll prime you:
Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) is a professional terminator.
He lays off employees for bosses who don't have the guts to do the deed
themselves. After nearly a million miles of travel, technological
advances leave him grounded. It's much cheaper to fire people via a
teleconference from a remote location, and Ryan must come to terms with
a life lived apart from airports and hotels.
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Posted in arts by Jeff Goins on 1/12/2010
 I don't particularly care for Christian pop music. While
tremendous strides have been made in the past 10 years to make
Christian art much more relevant and excellent, I still find much of it
to be rote and cliche. Not only does it seem that many Christian music
groups borrow creativity from the secular recording industry (in many
cases, these are blatant rip-offs), but they have even inherited the
ego and hunger for stardom that accompanies many of their peers.
That's why when a band like 1000 Generations
comes along, it's a breath of fresh air. With Christian music moving
more and more towards becoming a facsimile of mainstream music
(complete with ridiculous style sense and bravado), it's refreshing to
find a band who considers their music not only an art and a job, but
also a ministry. Click here to continue reading...
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Posted in arts by David Roark on 1/2/2010
 Fantastic Mr. Fox is a unique and quirky animated film fantastically filled with
Wes Anderson spirit.
Inevitably, it is the characters that make this film so unique.
Voiced by George Clooney, Mr. Fox is a clever,
daring rogue who succeeds over every obstacle put before him, including his
dangerous escapades stealing livestock from local farmers. Yet he has one thing
holding him back: a family. While Mr. Fox lives for adventure, Mrs. Fox (Meryl
Streep) yearns for a normal life, in which she can be assured of her husband's
safety. So following a few close calls and news of becoming a father, the
sneaky thief promises to end his risky lifestyle.
But refraining from a life of crime is eventually
too much for Mr. Fox to handle.
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Posted in arts by Jeff Goins on 1/1/2010
 One week night several weeks ago, my wife Ashley and I
decided to see The Box, a movie with Frank Langella and Cameron Diaz that we thought would be a bit of a suspenseful
thriller. I had no idea how wrong we would end up being.
The films starts off with Cameron Diaz's character Norma Lewis (who is a teacher)
sharing with her class about existentialist philosopher Jean Sartre and his
play No Exit. According to Sartre, she
informs them, "Hell is other people."
Sartre's picture of hell is, essentially, the movie's plot. Click here to continue reading...
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Posted in arts by Sarah Fujimoto on 12/30/2009
As I took a look at the cover again of He Is Just That into You, the phrase beneath the title struck me. It reads, "Stories of a Faithful God who Pursues, Engages, and has No Fear of Commitment."
I couldn't help but remember that flick that came out last Valentine's Day, entitled, yes; you guessed it, He Is Just Not That into You. Memories of the girls and I packing it up and in for the ... Click here to continue reading...
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Posted in arts by Sarah Fujimoto on 12/23/2009
Oakland, California, Winter 2006
The night was still. An eerie still, where a stream of peace
was surrounded by tensions of strongholds in the community,
foundations, and air. We set off for the evening, midnight ministry of
delivering hot meals to those on the streets seasoned with prayer and
conversation for those in need.
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