Keeping my mind on what matters
5 things I'm grateful for this week
MUSIC: LOOK OUT FOR ME / SEEIN’ STARS By Turnstile
Thank God for older siblings! My older brother put me on Turnstile like 8 years ago -we even got to see them at a sweaty club in Houston (not stage diving at that show is still one of my top 18 regrets of my life.)
Now they are one of the biggest hardcore bands in the world. I mean, they just got featured in the New York Times and Charlie XCX declared it a “TURNSTILE SUMMER” at this year’s Coachella.
I know this makes it sound like I listened to them before they were cool - I didn’t, but my brother did.
Anyway, Turnstile’s latest offerings sound so so funky! The visuals are groovy too.
BOOK: You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith
For as long as I could remember I would try and be a cool guy. You know non-chalant, never be the first to say hi to that person you know you follow on Instagram. There were so many instances I let my own insecurity make me lose out on a fun conversation all in the name of looking “cool”.
But those days are long gone! Life is too short to not be genuinely excited by each interaction. People can be beautiful creatures full of humour, insight, and creativity.
Have you ever come across someone who is infectious and beaming not merely with intellectual insights but with life and hope? The kind of person you leave an interaction with and feel as if the sun has shone on you for a brief moment on a windy winter day. Well James K.A. Smith is such a person. Though I’ve never met him his writings have provided a necessary reenchancement on the Way of Christlikeness for me.
And I know I’m late on this one but this week I started reading You Are What You Love, and well… I LOVE IT! I’m only 81 pages in but I think it should be mandatory reading for every seminarian, pastor, and follower of Jesus.
Here are a few of the sentences I’ve underlined so far:
“To be human is to be a liturgical animal, a creature whose loves are shaped by our worship.” (33)
“Liturgies work affectively and aesthetically - they grab hold of our guts throught the power of image, story, and metaphor.” (46)
“Worship isnt just something we do; it is where God does something to us. Worship is at the heart of discipleship becasue it is the gymnasmum in which God retrains our hearts.” (77)
PODCAST: How To Learn From Experts and Enemies
I drive alot for work - an average of 15 or so hours a week, which means lots of podcasts. This week’s best was from an interview with another of my favorite theologians - Dr A.J. Swoboda on the gift of learning and cultivaing a teachable spirit.
At one point Swoboda says: “If your intellectual immune system never has to deal with the bad ideas, then you're not inoculated against them.” 🤯 That one sentence is worth the listen alone.
Swoboda is humble, raw, and highly intelligent. His new book is out now and it will for sure be my next read (hopefully next week).
TV SHOW: Special Ops Lioness
Im not a huge series guy but Facebook recommended this so I started it. “Special Opps” show follows Zoe Saldana as the head of a special operation’s team in the CIA.
Not only is it highly entertaining but after one episode it raised subtle traces of sexism dormant in my heart. As egalatarian as I am in my theology, I kept thinking “women can’t be soldiers” but these actresses pulled off some awesome feats.
I do believe women are badass yet the more I watched this show the more I became aware of that there are still deep seeds of unhealthy maleness embedded in my thoughts.
This is both confronting and good news because sometimes television can be used to uncover things in us we otherwise would allow to govern us unnoticed.
While I don’t know where to go from here - I’m genuinley grateful not only for an action packed series (beware there is violence and some nudity) but that the Spirit will use anything to make the warped and crooked paths in my heart straight.
PERSON: My Dad’s Birthday
On Monday, my father turned 59. We are 30 years and thousands of miles apart but I got to facetime him and tell him happy birthday.
Growing up my dad didn’t get everything right but neither did he get everything wrong. He taught me that real masculinity is found in falling on your knees before Jesus in awe and gratitude, that real men do cry, and that it’s never too late to change. He also taught me that frienship matters more than degrees or plaques on a wall, to always seek out older mentors, and that laughter is a fruit of the Spirit.
In another podcast conversation A.J. Swoboda said that one of the leading factors of children that grow up to become robust disciples of Jesus is how their parents modeled humility. Again, my dad didn’t get everything right, but over the past years his purusit of humility has healed the deepest childhood wounds in my heart and for that I thank God - the perfect Father.
Anyway that’s it for this week!
I wonder what have you been reading/watching/listening to?
Who is one person you are deeply grateful for?
love this bro🙏🏼