Image from U2.com
The other day I visited U2’s website and read an article that Bono had just written as an op-ed guest columnist for The New York Times (January 11, 2009 post). A lot of stream-of-consciousness stuff, but I was intrigued by the title of the column, “Both Sides of the Song.” He reminisced about a visit with Frank Sinatra and their discussion about jazz. Sinatra observed: “Jazz is about the moment you’re in. Being modern’s not about the future, it’s about the present.” As 2008 was ending and 2009 beginning, Bono was thinking about Sinatra’s comment that music’s all about the moment, “a fresh canvas and never overworking the paint.”
And then the Irish singer reflects on how people’s voices often improve with age. He considered two versions of Sinatra singing “My Way.” The first version was recorded in 1969 and the 54 year old Sinatra (who had Paul Anka write the song for him) sang the song because he was quitting the music business because he was sick of it. Bono observes: “In this reading, the song is a boast—more kiss-off than send-off—embodying all the machismo a man can muster about the mistakes he’s made on the way from here to everywhere.”
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In my opinion, a major publishing event took place with the issuing of Bible Study Magazine late last year. If the September-November 2008 and the just received January-February 2009 issues are a preview of things to come, well, good things will be coming along for serious Bible students. A new tool from LOGOS Bible Software in print form! What a delightful surprise!
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I had the privilege of visiting Israel with a group of disciples of Jesus who love him dearly. It was a special blessing to have numerous seminary students with me. I have received permission from Tanner Green, one of my students, to post his reflections on the importance of the Sea of Galilee in the ministry of Jesus (download the PDF). It is because of students like Tanner that I have continued ministry in Lincoln for more than thirty years. Sit back and read the essay and marvel at how a knowledge of geography aids us in reading the Word. Perhaps next time I go overseas, some of you kind readers of this site will join me.
Zits the cartoon strip, not zits the skin blemishes we all remember from our years as teenagers.
I still read the comics and since the passing of Calvin and Hobbes and Far Side, Zits, the strip maintained by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman has become my favorite daily read on the comics page. Jeremy Duncan is a typical 15 year old and one of his best friends, Pierce, who lives up to his name with piercing over most of his body, complete with braces for maximum effect, had an exchange recently on the end of the world.
In the January 15, 16, and 17 drawings, Pierce is walking around with a sign announcing “The End is Coming.” He passes Jeremy who is by his high school locker and after reading the sign asks Pierce: “Before or after the geometry quiz on Friday?” And Pierce responds” “I’m telling everyone to prepare both ways.”
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For the first time, I am teaching a seminar on Revelation 2-3, a section of Revelation I have often taught in churches but never in seminary. Nine fine students are enrolled and this morning (January 20, 2009) I sent them a memo providing some tips as they begin their journey of study. As I re-read them, I thought it would be appropriate for me to share them with you. In 2009 heed the following:
1. Beware of getting on a hobby horse and focusing on only one aspect (or a handful of issues) of the passage you are studying (e.g., spending most of your time on identifying the Nicolaitans or the hidden manna). Once you are finished with your presentation (or once we are finished reading your paper), we should have a better understanding of the passage or topic as a whole. Some may be tempted to miss the forest for the trees.
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