One Thousand Words, One Thousand Days – A Shameless Self-Promotion
November 17, 2010
This is shameless self-promotion of a little project I am going to start over at my personal blog, Cognitive Dissonance.
An interesting thought has struck me. I have been watching and reading a lot of interesting pieces in the last several months that seem to address a common sensibility. That sensibility being that you are only ever truly great at something, even if only within your own generation, once you have spent countless hours doing it. Mastery occurs over a period of time that is basted with hard work and roasted in the heat of determination. Too often, I have feared writing something, saying something, or doing something, because I had not yet mastered it. How simply ridiculous of me that was.
So, this idea is a genesis of sorts. I have already written much, and so I am nearly intelligible to most readers, but as of late I cannot help thinking that Samuel Johnson was actually talking about me when he said,
Sir, he was dull in company, dull in his closet, dull everywhere. He was dull in a new way, and that made many people think him great.
Problem being, of course, nobody thinks I’m great – save, perhaps, my children and wife, but they feel a sort of obligation toward the notion. So, clearly, Johnson isn’t talking about me. Nonetheless, this notion of mine will drive me out of the ashes of obscurity in the minds of those in the “know” and perhaps propel me into the myriad of lesser known wordsmiths floating in the sea of paper that constitutes publishers’ willingness to foist anything on consumers. Ah, those will be the good old days with which I bore my grandchildren.
Consequently, starting tomorrow (you didn’t expect me to start today did you?!), I will write one thousands words in one thousand days consecutively. With the intent of writing whatever in the hell falls into my brain, so long as I am writing and I am improving that writing, I will plod along toward the road of mastery. The best part is that a blog threatens the possibility of an audience, but in reality it is merely a threat. However, if I pull it off, I will have documented proof. Will I be better at this after 1,000,000 words fall out of my brain? Who knows, but it seems an appropriate distraction from the horrendous fashion and music that seems to be popular right now.
What’s personality got to do with it?
May 24, 2010
Something that has always proven to be a great tool for dialogue is personal experience. I have noticed that people love to learn about themselves (and some people really love to talk about themselves - me, for instance). These observations have often lead me to wonder why the church does not incoroporate the role personality plays in achieving its goals more often. In fact, I often find my self wondering how much better equipped I would be to deal with my close relationships, if they just walked around with a myers-briggs acronym stamped on their foreheads.
So, let’s have some fun as we go into the summer months. Take one or more (usually more than one is good) of the following myers-briggs based personality tests and post your results for discussion. If you like, offer the group a brief description (or offer a link to said description) of your personality type. Of obvious importance to our group: What practical help do you think this type of practice would bring to the Church? What would a ”Theology of Psychology” or “Theological Psychology” look like? Do those “Spiritual Gifts” quizes count as personality tests for the Church? 
Here are a few links to free, on-line tests and my own personality type and its description.
Short Quiz:
Longer Quizes:
Quiz 3 – Results have to be sorted out of a list of greatest strengths in the left column
I took all of the quizes, and was identified as ENTJ by all of them but one (only a slight deviation ENTP) Here is the brief Myers Briggs definition of an ENTJ:
Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.
(Sorry for the double-post, Reed, but I figured both posts were light hearted enough that they wouldn’t detract from one another)
“Sunday’s Coming”
May 24, 2010
In a video too similar to a popular meme to be coincidence, North Point Media offers us a satirical look at the Big Box churches.
“Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.
It is all the more odd that the church responsible for Andy Stanley and a slew of church growth methods would now be poking fun at the very system it helped create.
Prayer For Knowledge of God’s Creation
Almighty and everlasting God,
You made the universe with all its marvelous order,
its atoms, worlds, and galaxies,
and the infinite complexity of living creatures:
Grant that, as we probe the mysteries of your creation,
we may come to know you more truly,
and more surely fulfill our role in your eternal purpose;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Book of Common Prayer, USA, 1979
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Prayer for Students
O Mary, Mother of enchanting love, of fear, of knowledge, of holy hope, through Whose pious intercession many make admirable progress in studies and piety despite crudeness of understanding, I choose Thee as protectress and patroness of my studies. Humbly I implore Thee that, from the heart of Thy maternal pity, and principally from the Eternal Wisdom that deigned to take on our flesh in Thee, and that exalted Thee in heavenly light above all the saints, Thou obtain grace from the Holy Ghost for me so that I might be able to penetrate with my understanding, retain in my memory, express by my life and words, and teach to others all that brings honor to Thee and Thy divine Son, likewise to the advantage of my eternal joy and that of all men. So be it.
O Blessed Thomas, Patron of Schools,
Obtain for us from God
An Invincible Faith,
A Burning Charity,
A Chaste Life,
And True Knowledge
Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Silly
Now I lay me down to study
I pray the Lord I won’t go nutty,
I can’t remember all this junk
So please dear Lord don’t let me flunk.
Now I lay me down to rest
I pray I’ll pass tomorrow’s test.
If I should die before I wake–
That’s one less test I’ll have to take.
Christ my Lord, the Giver of light and wisdom, who opened the eyes of the blind man and transformed the fishermen into wise heralds and teachers of the gospel through the coming of the Holy Spirit, shine also in my mind the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grant me discernment, understanding and wisdom in learning. Enable me to complete my assignments and to abound in every good work, for to You I give honor and glory. Amen.
Prayers Before Study
Most blessed Lord, send the grace of Your Holy Spirit on me to strengthen me that I may learn well the subject I am about to study and by it become a better person for Your glory, the comfort of my family and the benefit of Your Church and our Nation. Amen
Christ, the true light, who enlightens and sanctifies every person coming into the world, let the light of Your countenance shine upon me (us) that I (we) may see Your unapproachable light; and guide my (our) steps in the way of Your commandments, through the intercessions of Your all-holy Mother and of all the Saints. Amen.
Prayer After Study
I thank You, Lord our God, that again on this occasion You have opened my eyes to the light of Your wisdom. You have gladdened my heart with the knowledge of truth. I entreat You, Lord, help me always to do Your will. Bless my soul and body, my words and deeds. Enable me to grow in grace, virtue and good habits, that Your name may be glorified, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
I wrote a short story that was published…sort of. I will warn you now that it is completely godless, and has absolutely nothing to do with the stated purpose of this blog, so forgive my self-indulgence:
Pterodactyl by James Stambaugh on Danse Macabre du Jour
(If it is no longer the top story scroll down to the May 9th entry).
A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard
May 8, 2010
A graduate from my alma mater who is rocking the music scene of my city. (And perhaps yours… he’s selling out shows in Chicago and New York now) Buy his new album here and pay whatever you want for it.
Should Christians Own Bars? Now, What About Restaurants?
April 20, 2010
I had a rather lively discussion with some friends at work today. There was certainly a diverse group. There were RC’s, Jerry Falwell ”Liberty Way” types, American Baptists, Episcopalians, Non-denoms; so, it seems like all persuasions were present. Somehow, the topic of Christians or churches owning and running bars came up during lunchtime conversation. The standard arguments were made for and against the consumption of alcohol, but the fulcrum of the conversation remained stubbornly on whether it was morally right for Christians to run establishments that served alcohol. The line of reasoning that prevailed was the existence of a biblical injunction not to cause one’s Christian brother or sister to stumble. If a Christian should not live life in a manner that provides an opportunity for others to sin, they reasoned, then it was morally impossible for a Christian to own and run a bar.
I was thinking about the basis of their argument, and it seemed fair. Sure, the number of people who responsibly use alcohol vastly outnumber those that abuse it, but look at the trouble that those who abuse alcohol are actually causing for themselves and others. If you’re unsure about the costly nature of alcohol abuse check out an article from the Mayo Clinic, here. In fact, it is the general practice of the American Medical Association to recommend abstinence from alcohol, though some claim their “research” is biased and unscientific, here. The point for me, however, was not to argue the minutiae of whether a Christian can drink responsibly. The issue that stuck in my mind was that I think it is a fair argument to say that a Christian should not serve alcohol to those that abuse it.
Then a thought, an elaboration of the principle they hoped to employ in their argument, struck me. If it is unethical for a Christian to serve alcohol to an addict, is it also unethical for a Christian to serve huge portions of unhealthy, over-priced food to an addict? Should Christians own restaurants?
Think about it. Is there any longer any doubt that obesity has far surpassed alcoholism as a health epidemic? The Mayo Clinic has this to say about the obesity epidemic, here. The CDC names heart disease as the greatest contributing factor to death in the US, here. The American Heart Association says that obesity is one of the major contributing factors to heart disease, here. So, is it ethical, in the midst of a nationwide obesity epidemic (see this), for a Christian to own a restaurant?
Let the fight begin.
Tony Hunt
jstambaugh
Shawn Wamsley
