My five most visited posts for the month of August:
1. The Degrees of Wind (Aug. 10 for One-Shot Poetry). It was the most viewed and most commented upon.
2. Did Jesus Laugh? My post for Bridget Chumbley’s One Word Blog Carnival on laughter (Aug. 9).
3. Saturday Good Reads for Aug. 7.
4. I Fix Mess, my post on L.L. Barkat’s God in the Yard for Aug. 4.
5. Do Church Signs Lie? My post on Michael Spencer’s Mere Churchianity for Aug. 16.
In the next group down, four of the five were poems. It’s interesting. When I started this blog a year and a half ago, I wasn’t even thinking about writing poetry.
I read Rooms by James Rubart this past weekend. Yep, it was one of those “can’t put it down” kinds of books. And it finally moved me to read The Shack by William Young. I bought it two years ago and let it sit on the shelf, resisting reading it because of all the hoopla over how it got published and all of the hoopla over whether or not it’s theologically correct. But the Rubart book finally convinced me to read it, and I’m almost done. I’ll be writing about the two books together.
I was doing my usual 20-mile bike ride on Grant’s Trail Tuesday evening, and it was crowded – a lot of walkers, bladers and bikers preparing for the MS 150. At one point, I found myself being followed, then engulfed, then passed by a group of eight bikers, who were blowing past everyone. Group rides can be a problem on a crowded trail – groups like to bike together and they pass you as a group and will often disrupt everyone else’s ride. Sometimes they blow right through stop lights at cross-streets. Sometimes they ignore trail etiquette and pull ahead of everyone else at waiting lights (you’re supposed to line up in the order you arrive). And sometimes, like Tuesday night, they have “Christian Cycling” printed on their biking shorts.
My expectations for behavior, on a bike or otherwise, are higher for Christians, and especially when they advertise who trhey are. This group of Christian bikers left a lot of aggravated people in their wake. And one embarrassed person: me.
If he’s recovered from his recent auto accident (a car accident and and getting engaged in the same week!), you can find links to more Pleasantly Disturbed Thursdays at Duane’s place.
13 comments:
looking forward to reading your views on "the shack" because i have not read it.
Although I'd love to take credit for writing Mere Churchianity, it was Michael Spencer, of course, not Robert. No relation. :=}
Bob -- that's what I get for doing a blog post late at night. Thanks for the catch - I've fixed it.
I'll be interested to hear from you about The Shack - Pete and I have met with the men who wrote and published it, so we know them on a different level than most people. It's such a polarizing book. I like your perspective, though, so I can't wait to see what you have to say about it...
Add me in to the list who is interested on your take on The Shack -- as Kelly said -- it's definitely a polarizing book.
Totally reader response, that one.
As a fellow cyclist, I feel your pain on the "Christian bikers" thing. It's getting to the point that I know I'm a schmuck, and the last thing I want to do is advertize that I'm also a Christian. If I'm just a schmuck, people will forgive me. If I'm a Christian schmuck, then I am damned.
Have been meaning to read "The Shack" for over a year now, was invited to a study on it...just not have had time for reading the way I used to. Looking forward tosyour review.
And no matter our faith -- we are all just human... and we often forget our manners when in a crowd!
have you ever noticed that? Gang mentality can take over the 'best' of us!
PS -- did Duane not do PDT this week?
Wow. I'm sensing some pressure here for you to review 'The Shack'!!! lol...
I picture the group of cyclists, interrupting others journeys... it often seems to be this way though... christian or not.. but part of the journey, don't you think? We are often blind sided from the path we're on.
I sometimes wonder. If it's supposed to keep us awake? oh... now I'm just writing on and on... sorry...
I've learned to just get out of the way of any and all bikers or just stay off the trail. But think: That bike ride could have been worse, had PCB and his crew (from that warehouse katdish "broke into") been behind you. Oh, the horrors of that!
that thing about the bikers, well, it's has been on and off my mind since i read your post last night.
so i came back to see what others had to say.
something megan wrote... "I know I'm a schmuck, and the last thing I want to do is advertise that I'm also a Christian" well, that gave me this thought... Perhaps, we are to mainly be known by our love...what i mean is, we are not meant to adveritse it as a biking club or as a word on our shorts.
that in itself is not having people know of a Christ believer because of God's Love. it takes the focus away from God and the working of His Love.
i am seeing more and more that God works does in ways that are not our ways. Ways that do not focus on us, but on Him. under the radar of the world, unless they see "Him" and not us.
perhaps we should not be so open about our own ideas of proclaiming our belief, but more open to the Love of God at work through us.
God has His own advertising staff "in house".
plus, someone used the word that means a person with the belief of Christ to name a "biking club"...how weird is that?
it's a club... a biking club!
the group is about people that are into biking...possibly with a capital B.
i think i'm going to go under-cover...the cover of Jesus.
I loved The Shack. However, it is all up to the reader if they want to enjoy it or not. And I can't wait to see what your thoughts on it are.
And thanks for continuing these PDT. I PROMISE next week it will be a carnival again. I tried writing something last night and then the meds kicked in and I got too tired.
Anyway, I'm glad I can start following blogs again. It's been TOO long. :) Yours was the first one I stopped by.
Take care!
Wow, Glynn, this is a lot of thoughts...pleasantly disturbed or not. I like peeking into your mind this way :) It's a cool place. The shack...opened my mind in a lot of ways. But I get both sides. I'll line up to wait for your thoughts there. As for biking? I"m still stuck on these little words: "My usual 20 mile ride"...wow, again!
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