Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 60
November 30, 2018
3 Things I Like this Week – November 30
Each week (give or take one here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1. The Quotable Lewis edited by Wayne Martindale & Jerry Root
[image error]I’m a bit biased since both of the editors for this wonderful volume were professors of mine in college. Beyond that, however, this book is an incredibly valuable resource. It is organized by topic and pulling from all of C.S. Lewis’s writings from books to essays to letters to poems. In some cases lengthy portions and entire essays are included and in other cases tweetable gold is scattered across the pages. It shows the range of Lewis as a thinker, writer, correspondent, and communicator. The Quotable Lewis is essential for any appreciator of his work and an ideal gift for a Lewis lover.
2. Amazon Echo
[image error]I thought the very idea of the echo was ridiculous for a long time. But then I hung out with a few friends who had them and I realized just how handy they are, so I got one. Amazon is always running sales on these, so they are affordable enough that it doesn’t feel like a splurge or a risk. The sound quality of the speaker is excellent, the voice commands work flawlessly. You can make calls from it and link to any other Amazon devices you have too. It is a toy, a convenience, and delightful addition to any home.
3. Humble Beast
[image error]Record Label, Clothing Line, Book Publisher, Conference Host – Humble Beast does so many things and does them well. What sets them apart is the thoughtful, intentional craft and creativity they put into each effort. They care about artfulness because it is reflective of God and reflecting God is what they really seek to do. Words, pictures, beats, melodies, harmonies, and designs are all created and arranged with the specific intention if beautifully expressing and portraying the creativity of The Creator.
November 28, 2018
New Happy Rant: Santa Ron, Hipster Santa, and Christmas Creep
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas do what they do and wander to and fro through the following topics:
Ron’s conference hiatus
Hipster Santa Claus
Hipster Ron as Santa Claus
Christmas Creep and the motivation behind it
A TGC Christmas article that needs to be written
Revisiting Jared C. Wilson’s infamous list of influential reformed people
SPONSOR
[image error]Check out Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story by Christopher Yuan. It is newly published by Waterbrook Multnomah and is an excellent book. Yuan explores the concept of holy sexuality–chastity in singleness or faithfulness in marriage–in a practical and relevant manner, equipping readers with an accessible yet robust theology of sexuality. Whether you want to share Christ with a loved one who identifies as gay or you’re wrestling with questions of identity yourself, this book will help you better understand sexuality in light of God’s grand story and realize that holy sexuality is actually good news for all.
We’d also like to thank sponsor Noah’s Event Venue. Noah’s offers fantastic venues for churches to expand, to plant, or to start a campus and comes equipped with high end A/V, classroom space, and all the general meeting needs churches have (aside from a pour-over bar and leather aprons) – though they do have coffee/cafe services! They have multiple venues across the country in most major metro areas, so if you are a church leader looking for space to grow, plant, or move your congregation check them out.
Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:
Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)
Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!
To listen you can:
Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.
Episode #223
November 19, 2018
New Happy Rant: A Star is Born, The Pursuit of Fame, and Church Lawsuits
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted and Barnabas discuss the following:
[SPOILER ALERT] A full breakdown and review of “A Star Is Born,” the recently released Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper film
The pursuit of fame, happiness, and fulfillment and how the film portrays them
James MacDonald and church lawsuits
SPONSOR
We’d also like to thank sponsor Noah’s Event Venue. Noah’s offers fantastic venues for churches to expand, to plant, or to start a campus and comes equipped with high end A/V, classroom space, and all the general meeting needs churches have (aside from a pour-over bar and leather aprons) – though they do have coffee/cafe services! They have multiple venues across the country in most major metro areas, so if you are a church leader looking for space to grow, plant, or move your congregation check them out.
Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:
Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)
Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!
To listen you can:
Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.
Episode #222
November 13, 2018
New Happy Rant: Elections, Sexiest Man in Reformedom, and Church Home Global
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Barnabas, and Ronnie suss out the following:
Politics and the election in church and on campus
With People Magazine failing to select any of the hosts as 2018’s Sexiest Man Alive they set out to determine the Sexiest Man in Reformedom
Judah Smith recently released a video announcing Church Home Global, church in the palm of your hand, so of course the guys must discuss it.
SPONSOR
We’d also like to thank sponsor Noah’s Event Venue. Noah’s offers fantastic venues for churches to expand, to plant, or to start a campus and comes equipped with high end A/V, classroom space, and all the general meeting needs churches have (aside from a pour-over bar and leather aprons) – though they do have coffee/cafe services! They have multiple venues across the country in most major metro areas, so if you are a church leader looking for space to grow, plant, or move your congregation check them out.
Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:
Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)
Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!
To listen you can:
Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.
Episode #221
November 10, 2018
3 Things I like this Week – November 10
Each week (give or take one here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) A Star is Born
[image error]I hoped I would like this movie. I expected a bit of Bradley Cooper charm and fair amount of Lady Gaga vocal chops. Suffice to say, I set the bar way too low. Bradley Cooper was beyond exceptional as a worn, jaded, alcoholic blues/rock star. Gaga is masterful as an off-beat aspiring singer and song writer who Cooper’s character discovers. What follows I will not share in detail here for fear of ruining what is the best movie I have seen this year and maybe in the past few years. It’s a story of art and love and loss and honesty and emptiness. It is a beautiful movie, a heart-breaking movie, a thought-provoking movie, and masterfully performed movie (both acting and singing). I’ve been chewing on it non-stop since I saw it and listening to the soundtrack. If you like happy endings this isn’t for you. If you like formulaic romance or predictable story lines this isn’t for you. If you like Disney-esque “you can be anything you set your mind to” tropes this isn’t for you. But if you like raw, honest, human art weaving together sadness and beauty and complexity acted to perfection this movie will blow you away.
2) Chick fil-A App
[image error]I didn’t know Chick fil-A had an app until about 2 weeks ago. I hadn’t used it until today. I went to get breakfast for my kids and I this morning, and when I pulled in to the parking lot I saw the drive-thru line wrapped around the building twice. Even with their exceptional customer service, that was too long a wait for a spicy chicken biscuit. Neither could I disappoint my kids. Then I remembered the app In about 1 minute I had placed an order for the kids and for me. 30 seconds after I walked across the parking lot and into the building my food was waiting. And my guess is that by the time I got home some of those people were still waiting in line cursing the time it would take them to get their sanctified chicken. Oh, and I got reward points toward free stuff in the future. To sum up: easy-to-use app that saves time and offers free stuff at the greatest fast foot restaurant in America.
3) Jim Gaffigan on Camping
I actually like camping, but this bit by Jim Gaffigan makes me question my sanity just a little bit. so funny.
Joe Mauer and Major League Dreams
When Kirby Puckett retired I realized that childhood heroes go the way of teddy bears and G.I. Joes.
When Kevin Garnett retired I realized why adolescence is the thread running through so much sweet nostalgia.
When Joe Mauer retired I realized that I’m careening down the road into middle age and every vestige of youth is behind me.
Joe Mauer is the best athlete I ever shared a field with and it’s not even close. In the fall of 2000 my decidedly horrible Minneaolis South High Tigers football team faced Joe’s defending state champion Cretin-Derham Hall team in the first round of the sectional playoffs. I knew we’d lose before we ever took the field; that was never in doubt. But I knew they’d embarrass the life out of us when I saw Joe warming up.
Watching Joe Mauer throw a football in warm ups was like watching a greyhound out for a walk in the neighborhood – all grace and ease with the certainty he could do so much more, and to perfection. I don’t remember much of the game (traumatic experiences are like that) except that he played only one quarter and left with no incomplete passes, no sweat on his brow, no grass stains on his uniform, and a four or five touchdown lead.
Joe was the Gatorade National Football Player of the year and had a full ride scholarship offer to play QB for Bobby Bowden’s Florida State Seminoles. Yet football was only his second best sport. A few months later he would be selected first over all in the Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins ahead of college ace pitcher Mark Prior. At the time the pick was panned as a cost saving effort by the cheapo Twins front office and a huge miss on the best prospect. The next decade would prove Joe right for signing with the Twins instead of playing football and the Twins right for selecting him over Prior.
When Mauer broke into the majors it was so exciting—a fellow Twin Cities boy, my peer, starring for the hometown team. And star he did: 3 batting titles as a catcher (the only player ever to do that), 1 MVP, gold glove defense behind the plate, and a calm classy competitive drive that made opponents and teammates alike respect him. Watching Mauer wield a baseball bat was like watching Eric Clapton on guitar or Jimmy Chamberlin on drums. He was a master of his craft with a style all his own, part Wade Boggs, part Tony Gwynn, and all Joe Mauer.
When the toll of catching broke down Joe’s knees and one too many concussions robbed him of his wand-waving bat skills he didn’t pout or turn diva and he didn’t quit. He did what Joe always did – give a half smile, an “aw shucks,” and got back to work. At 30 he remade himself into a skilled first baseman who still deserved a spot at the top of the batting order.
During his fifteen-year career Joe generated exactly one scandal: a failure to hit enough home runs to please the troglodyte beat writers and rube fans. That’s it. The only one. Even in this age of social media foibles and public embarrassments he is squeaky clean, and not in a sanctimonious Tebowy way either. Just as the sort of guy who would make an even better neighbor than he was a baseball player.
Yesterday Joe Mauer announced his retirement. When I heard I wasn’t sad like I was when Kirby retired or nostalgic like when KG retired. I was proud for him and glad to be a fan and his peer. I was thankful for his contributions to the Twins and Minnesota. Mostly, though, I was melancholy that one of the last tangible links to my youth (and athletic prime) hung up his spikes. When Joe retired it was like I retired too – from identifying myself as an athlete, from imagining myself as an athlete, from being young at all.
I’ve known for decades that I would never be a professional athlete. My parents and friends probably knew before that and were too gracious to tell me. But, like many men, I’ve harbored dreams of stardom and imagined myself lacing a hanging slider into the left-centerfield gap. I’ve held these dreams vicariously through the success of others, especially those I had a connection to, like Joe Mauer – that Minnesota boy whose star shined on every youth in the Twin Cities at the turn of this century.
Joe will be missed by Twins fans because of his greatness on the field, his class off it, and his unmistakable, unshakeable Minnesotanness. But Joe will be missed by his peers for giving life to our dreams and carrying the weight of our imaginations. We knew we’d never be him, but we could live out our dreams with every web gem and line drive he generated.
Enjoy your retirement, Joe. Enjoy your family and your neighbors and the creep of your hairline and waistline. And enjoy the freedom from having anyone living vicariously through you. Welcome to the club.
November 6, 2018
New Happy Rant: Christian Wrestling, Reformation Day, and Reading Recommendations
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas hash out the following:
A Christian wrestling ministry from a church in Texas
What are people so obsessed with Reformation Day?
Reading and viewing recommendations we’ve enjoyed recently
SPONSOR
[image error]Big thanks to our sponsor Union University. Union University provides Christ-centered education that promotes excellence and character development in service to Church and society. It is a private, Christian, four-year, coeducational, liberal arts-based university offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. It also happens to be Ted’s place of employment and an all around excellent educational institution whose graduates are doing fantastic work in hundreds of fields across the country and around the world.
We’d also like to thank sponsor Noah’s Event Venue. Noah’s offers fantastic venues for churches to expand, to plant, or to start a campus and comes equipped with high end A/V, classroom space, and all the general meeting needs churches have (aside from a pour-over bar and leather aprons) – though they do have coffee/cafe services! They have multiple venues across the country in most major metro areas, so if you are a church leader looking for space to grow, plant, or move your congregation check them out.
Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:
Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)
Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!
To listen you can:
Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.
Episode #220
New Happy Rant: Christian Wrestling, Reformation Day, and Reading Recomendations
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas hash out the following:
A Christian wrestling ministry from a church in Texas
What are people so obsessed with Reformation Day?
Reading and viewing recommendations we’ve enjoyed recently
SPONSOR
[image error]Big thanks to our sponsor Union University. Union University provides Christ-centered education that promotes excellence and character development in service to Church and society. It is a private, Christian, four-year, coeducational, liberal arts-based university offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. It also happens to be Ted’s place of employment and an all around excellent educational institution whose graduates are doing fantastic work in hundreds of fields across the country and around the world.
We’d also like to thank sponsor Noah’s Event Venue. Noah’s offers fantastic venues for churches to expand, to plant, or to start a campus and comes equipped with high end A/V, classroom space, and all the general meeting needs churches have (aside from a pour-over bar and leather aprons) – though they do have coffee/cafe services! They have multiple venues across the country in most major metro areas, so if you are a church leader looking for space to grow, plant, or move your congregation check them out.
Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:
Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)
Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!
To listen you can:
Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.
Episode #220
October 31, 2018
Happy Rant Sports Episode #21 – Fantasy Football Sucks, Bad NFL Predictions, NFL Announcers, and More
In this episode of The Happy Rant Sports podcast Ted and Barnabas discuss the following:
Ted really, really hates fantasy football and can’t understand why anyone would play it.
The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad NFL predictions we made pre-season
The decline of NFL Monday Night Football announcers
Sports Book Recommendations
Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:
Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)
Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!
To listen you can:
Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.
Episode #21
October 29, 2018
New Happy Rant: Failed Pastors, Leadership Coaches, and a Love of Nostalgia
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas rant about the following:
What do guys do when they fail as a pastor? Why, they coach pastors of course!
All the ins and outs of influencer and leadership coaching
Why people love nostalgia so much
SPONSOR
[image error]Big thanks to our sponsor IVP Books who are highlighting their recent release Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper.
When we’re young, it’s easy to believe in the supernatural, the mysterious, the enchanted. But as we grow older, we learn to be more “rational” and more confident that reality is merely what we can see. Even as Christians who believe in the resurrection, we live as if miracles and magic have been drained from the world. Exquisitely written with thoughtful practices woven throughout, this book will feed your soul and help you recapture the wonder of your Christian walk.
We’d also like to thank sponsor Noah’s Event Venue. Noah’s offers fantastic venues for churches to expand, to plant, or to start a campus and comes equipped with high end A/V, classroom space, and all the general meeting needs churches have (aside from a pour-over bar and leather aprons) – though they do have coffee/cafe services! They have multiple venues across the country in most major metro areas, so if you are a church leader looking for space to grow, plant, or move your congregation check them out.
Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:
Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)
Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!
To listen you can:
Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.
Episode #219
