C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer . . . and Larry Norman
February 26, 2008
Larry Norman, “father of Christian rock,” has gone home. After suffering a severe heart attack and other ailments, he slipped away at 61.
Larry Norman was the writer of a number of popular Christian songs, including “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” many people’s first encounter with the chilling eschatology of the Rapture. He popularized, and perhaps even invented, the “One Way” gesture of the index finger pointing straight up. He helped launch the careers of many talented artists, including Randy Stonehill (my personal favourite, from whom Norman later became estranged), the Daniel Amos band, and many others on his “Street Level” and then “Solid Rock” labels.
For me, however, Larry Norman in particular was a larger-than-life figure who, with authors C. S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer, helped this Plymouth Brethren teenager, in the backwoods (literally) of northern Ontario, look out onto a larger world of Christian possibilities. Indeed, he helped me to look out onto the larger world itself and feel that perhaps I could actually live there, rather than just briefly venture out into it to evangelize a soul or two and then hurriedly withdraw to the sanctuary of my sect.
Church Bulletin Classics
February 17, 2008
You’ve likely seen lists such as this one before. But this is a pretty good one, and I’ve been awfully serious of late, so let’s lighten things up a bit as we find out more about our churches than perhaps we want to…
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
———————————————————-
The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”
———————————————————-
Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.
———————————————————-
Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
———————————————————-
The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
———————————————————-
Don’t let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
———————————————————-
Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
———————————————————
Read the rest of this entry »
Why No One Here Is Laughing at My Jokes
February 13, 2008
I’m finishing my very brief first visit to India–Bangalore, in particular. I have given six lectures in three days, enjoyed several meals on the campus of the ACTS Institute where the week-long seminar for graduate students is being held, and driven back and forth through Bangalore’s kaleidoscopic traffic in those three days.
Everyone who comes to India for the first time records profound and moving experiences. Usually those experiences are described in terms of shocking juxtapositions: ancient/modern, Indian/British, rich/poor. I’ve had those experiences, too, but cannot think of a single original, interesting thing to say about them. They’re just real: profound and moving.
But here is something else I’ve noticed, not so profound, but disconcerting at the least. My best jokes, throughout my lectures, have flown across the room, making no evident connection with my audience, and then have silently disappeared in a far high corner where they went to die.
