Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 66

New Happy Rant: Patriotic Church Services, Refusing Service, and Songs Ruining Scripture

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie and Barnabas do what they always do and wander to and fro through the following topics:

Patriotic church services
Restaurants and businesses refusing service
A couple new restaurant ideas built around refusing service
Worship songs that ruin portions of the Bible

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
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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:

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Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
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Episode #202

3 Things I Like This Week – June 29

Each week 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. Teton Hydration Pack

[image error]More than once I have headed out for a hike in June or August in Tennessee, made it half way through, and realized I’d forgotten water. Other times I planned carefully carried water, but by half way through the hike I was ready to chuck the cumbersome water bottle. So finally I decided to get a hydration pack, and it has been fantastic. It’s hydrated me on hikes in Tennessee, Minnesota, Arizona, and California – some of which were in triple digit heat and others with humidity so thick it was like dog paddling up a mountain. It also allows for easy carrying of wallets, keys, pocket knives, energy bars, or any other little items you might need. If you’re an outdoorsy type you should definitely get one.

2. Mason Jars

[image error]Mason Jars are the duct tape of receptacles. They can be used for so many things – drinking beverages of all sorts, serving sauces or jams, storing food or beverages, storing nails or screws, candle holders, catching or storing bugs (this one is for the little boys who flock to read my blog), or pretty much storing and keeping anything that will fit safe and dry. My current favorite use for them is making and keeping cold brew coffee. To top it off, drinking from a mason jar is apparently really cool because hipsters commandeer things normal folks have been doing for decades and call them cool.

3. Jim Gaffigan on Camping, Bed, and Bacon

For those of you think a hydration pack and any setting where it might be used are the worst ideas ever this video is for you.

New Happy Rant: Chris Pratt’s Speech, TGC Controversy, and Pastor Swapping

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas rant about the following:

Chris Pratt’s viral speech at the MTV Generations award in which he PRESENTED THE GOSPEL . . . maybe a little bit, or something kind of possibly akin to it if you listened close.
The recent hubub and controversy over a Women of Color Event at the Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference
The worst and awesomest pastor swaps between churches

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 #201

10 Ways Creating Connects People to God

The aim of any follower of Jesus should be to draw closer to Him. We are disciples and disciples are followers, learners, and imitators. We live to be more like Jesus and share more of Jesus in all we do. It’s clear how we do this in ministry or spiritual disciplines or evangelism. But what does it look like in work or in creative ventures – art, music, film, writing, design, entrepreneurialism, philanthropy, volunteerism, and more? How can creating craw us closer to God? Here are ten ways.

1) Image Bearing

“So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.” – Genesis 1:27

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? The answers are too many to list or explain, so let’s just focus on one: created. We were created in the image of a creator. To use the active voice, the Creator created us in his image. This means, in part, that God created us to create. Humans are unique in all creation as creators, as artists, as envisioners and imaginers. This is God’s image in us, and as we create that image becomes clearer.

2) Considering Creation

Only God creates from nothing; the rest of us create using the world God created. That means we need to know this world, to consider God’s creation. The best creators are those who observe the most keenly. And those who observe the most keenly are seeing something of God’s handiwork in a unique way.

3) Connection to Creation

As we see and consider creation we find ourselves relating to it differently. I don’t mean this in some sort of pantheistic, god-in-everything way. I mean that we gain appreciation for aspects of creation we previously had never noticed or cared about. We find ourselves drawn to new things for inspiration or to new places for reflection and rest. We find new genres and styles of art speaking to us. In all of this echoes the voice of God and on all of this lies His finger print. Appreciation for creation, in its proper place, is appreciation for the creator.

4) Connection to Creators

When God created the earth He did not do so in isolation. He did so with His Trinitarian self. If that sounds mind bending and confusing that’s ok – it is. God’s fellowship within Himself is one of the most mysterious, wonderful, and marvelous aspects of who He is. What it means for us is also wonderful and marvelous: we are not created to be isolated beings. Our image bearing is communal, especially because no one of us can reflect even an iota of who God is by ourselves. We need each other, and one way we connect is through creating. Art draws art lovers together. Collaboration enhances each other’s efforts. Music and film are celebrated and enjoyed with others. We can create by ourselves, but creativity at its fullest is a connecting bond between people.

5) Exploration and Discovery

A potter can make the same pot over and over again. A composer can write the same chord progression ad nauseum (just listen to modern worship music or pop country tunes). A journalist can take the same angle on every story or harp on a single cause piece after piece. But at some point these creative efforts stop being creative and simply become production of a product. The best creativity is curious – it explores and discovers new styles, truths, realities, places, people, stories, images, and other reflections of God’s handiwork. If we want to continue in creativity we must continually seek out new opportunities and influences, and as we do we encounter numerous opportunities to appreciate the almost seemingly infinite depth of creative variety in God’s world.

6) Learning Limitations

God has limitless goodness, power, and creativity. His “wondrous knowledge is beyond me.” (Psalm 139:6) “He spoke, and it came into being” (Psalm 33:9) – the entire universe created with a few syllables. While it’s obvious that we do not hold this same power our sinful hearts never cease to believe that maybe just maybe we would be better off if we were lord of our own lives. But then we try to create. We burn dinner, we crack the sculpture, we smudge the painting, we miss a note, we overlook a flaw. Our creations are imperfect. The best work we ever do may be brilliant, but all the blood, sweat, time, and tears we poured into it can’t bring it to the level of genius God showed by creating the heavens and earth, the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, the night and day. He speaks sublime creation into being while we sweat and strive and seek to reflect just a fragment of that with our work. Our limitations and flawed work are a reminder and invitation to revel in the majesty and genius of God.

7) Deriving

To call an artists work “derivative” is an insult. It means it was drawn from someone else’s work, a poorly disguised imitation, and possibly a theft. But every creative effort we put forth is derivative of God’s work. He made everything from nothing – every shade of color, every musical scale, every syllable and metaphor, every medium, every idea. All we do is work with what God created. All we do is use the ideas and vision he gives us the ability to see to spin His creation into new forms. Our deriving is an honor to God, and when we recognize from who we receive our abilities we find a new connection to Him as First Creator.

8) Dependence

Just as we derive all creative ability and opportunity from God so we depend on Him for it. Our minds depend on Him for ideas and clarity and truth. Our hearts depend on Him for inspiration and passion. We depend on Him for circumstance providing opportunities. Even as we diligently work we recognize that any success is a gift from God. He is the provider of everything from idea to effort to materials to opportunity to response. What a gift.

9) Growth

The creative process mirrors spiritual growth in many ways. Creators are either improving and expanding or they are stagnating. Creativity takes discipline and purpose. It thrives on inspiration and community. It depends on more mature and learned people to teach and set examples. Pride kills it while humility and willingness to correct mistakes and learn from them ignites it. One person’s discovery and growth can spark discovery and growth in others. See? The similarities are striking.

10) Expressing Truth

The best creative efforts express truth. This doesn’t mean they make statements; it means they reflect aspects of God and God’s will for the world. As we’ve seen creativity itself is a reflection of God, but when it is done in dependence on Him and with intentionality it will express even more: beauty, lament, healing, grace, justice, mercy, stewardship, and so much more. Some creative efforts use words and statements to express truth clearly. Others use images and sound to draw people’s hearts and imaginations toward God. Both are expressions of truth about God and what God intends for His people and His world.

This post was originally published at Bible Study Tools.

Happy Rant Sports #12 – Mariners Update, Manziel Minute, and Athletes Who Retired Too Early

In this episode of The Happy Rant Sports Podcast Ted and Barnabas hit on all the essentials this week:

Now that Ted has adopted a new MLB team they give a Mariners update.
The Manziel Minute
Players who they wish they could have seen more of because they retired too early due to injury or some other reason

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 #12

3 Things I Like This Week – June 22

Each week 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. Sony Wireless Headphones

[image error]Wearing noise suppressing headphones gives me a headache and makes me feel claustrophobic. However since I travel a fair amount, work in an open office, and write in coffee shops I really wanted a really nice set of headphones that weren’t quite so restrictive. On the other hand, I didn’t want to give up my second child to be able to afford the really really nice brands. It was a conundrum of sorts. Until I stumbled across these Sony headphones. They aren’t cheap but neither are they second-child-expensive. The sound is phenomenal – occasionally too much so, to the point I find myself distracted by my music and drumming along to the annoyance of nearby workers or passengers. And they don’t make me feel like my head is trapped in a white noise machine.

2. Americanos

[image error]I drink my coffee black. I am occasionally a bit judgmental and snide toward those weak-stomached, cowardly, spineless, gutless, no-taste hacks who put cream and sugar in their coffee. (I am always this way toward anyone who puts flavored creamer in their coffee.) That said, not all black coffee is very good – even at coffee shops. This is why the Americano is so vital to life (not an overstatement). It is simply espresso (nearly always better than drip coffee and often better than a pour over) with hot water added to soften its sharper edges. While black coffee must be approached with some caution, like reaching out to pet a strange dog, Americanos are consistently trustworthy and welcoming. Simply put, the Americano is the staple coffee beverage for any black coffee drinker and something to which all you namby pamby, lily-livered, infantile humans who despoil coffee with creamer can aspire.

3. The Lone Bellow and The Blind Boys of Alabama

The Lone Bellow is one of my top 5 favorite current bands and the Blind Boys of Alabama are legendary. This live collaboration on one of The Lone Bellow’s best songs is all soul. Turn it up. Turn it up more.  Enjoy.

He Reads Truth: Joshua Succeeds Moses

I have the privilege of contributing to He Reads Truth, a website of whose purpose is “To help men become who we were made to be, by doing what we were made to do, by the power and provision that God has given us to do it, for the glory of Jesus Christ.” They do this by providing scripture reading plans accompanied by reflections that can be accessed for free online or purchased as print books. For those of you looking to engage scripture in a fresh way – either because you are dried up or have been away from it, these studies/plans will refresh your soul and engage your mind.

What follows is one of the pieces I wrote for the Joshua plan. You can find the full plan HERE.

Joshua 1:1-18, Deuteronomy 31:1-6, Psalm 1:1-3

You remember that scene in The Fellowship of The Ring when the travelers emerge from the Mines of Moria? They are devastated, forlorn, almost hopeless. Gandalf, their leader, was dead. What were they to do? How would they finish their journey and accomplish their mission?

That must have been how the people of Israel felt when Moses died. Who would lead them? How would they face the conquest to take the Promised Land? They stood on the brink of an unknown land populated by warrior peoples and even giants. They had just wandered in the wilderness for more than forty years. Their future was far from certain.

Except it wasn’t uncertain because God had made a covenant. He had declared that He would uphold His side – to make Israel a great nation in this land – if they upheld theirs. (If they didn’t and decided they no longer needed to obey, the consequences would be dire.)  But the nature of God’s promise meant that the person leading Israel wasn’t the key to their success; obedience to God’s law and trust in His Word was.

Well before Joshua led Israel across the Jordan River into battle, God had made a promise: “I will give you this land, just be strong and courageous.” He promised to go ahead of the people and fight for them. The battle was His. The people simply needed to trust and obey.

But camped on the border of the future, Joshua needed reassurance. And God gave it to him. He didn’t give Joshua strategy or a battle plan or a pep talk. He gave Himself. He said, “Remember My Word. Keep it with you at all times. Never forget it and always obey it. Do this and the land will be yours. Be strong and courageous because I am with you and am going before you” (Joshua 1:8-9, my paraphrase).

Strength and courage in the Lord and obedience to God’s Word – these are the themes of Joshua. It is not a book about a man as much as it is a book about God establishing His people. Joshua is the man God appointed to lead Israel. But his leadership rests fully on faith and obedience.

This is stunning in its simplicity. What are God’s people called to when facing adversity? Or when we are called to lead above our capacity? Or when we have a challenge ahead of us that seems insurmountable? We are called to be strong and courageous because God is with us.

Our strength is not our own. Our successes are not our own. God’s hand guides and works as we follow His Word in obedience, and it will root us and establish us.

New Happy Rant: Bourdain, Suicides, and Success

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Barnabas, and Ronnie go a different direction with the podcast than normal. This episode is more serious and somber and reflective than normal. They discuss the following:

The suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade and the outpouring of response, especially by Christians
Mental illness and spiritual darkness
What success and satisfaction really is and the ways we pursue it vainly
High expectations, large appetites, and how they lead to disappointment

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 #200

3 Things I Like This Week – June 15

Each week 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. Ninja Blenders

[image error]Lest I bury the lede, the brand name is “Ninja.” This is fantastic in almost every context besides a twitter bio. It is so full of swag and confidence, and, to be fair, the product lives up to the name. These are great blenders at reasonable prices. They aren’t quite at Vitamix level of quality, but they are 80% of the blender at 25% of the price. For those of you who skipped microeconomics class that’s called “value.” I eat a lot of smoothies because I’m 35 and can no longer get away with a pizza/donuts/coke based diet. The Ninja whips a pretty decent smoothie. The one thing it can’t do is make kale taste like anything other than mulch. Maybe that’s why people pay for the Vitamix, but I don’t know because I like my ninja.

2. AmazonBasics Hardsided Luggage

[image error]I recently had to make the difficult decision to lay my trusty, 12-year-old burgundy soft sided rolling suitcases to rest. They had traveled across the world, to 30+ states, to countless Hampton Inns, and dozens of church related conferences with me. But it was time. Then I went looking for replacements, really hoping to find hard sided suitcases, and realized immediately my Dave Ramsey envelop of cash labelled “new luggage” wouldn’t get me much. Until I stumbled across this set. I just took one on my first trip, and love it. It is sturdy. It rolls well. The zippers and handles aren’t flimsy. And the whole set coasts less than a single suitcase from many brands. If you are looking for new luggage these suitcases are a great option.

3. Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury Highlights

Every year at this time, leading up to the NBA Draft, I am reminded of what might have been. So much talent. So much charisma. So much missed potential. So much crazy. And a beautiful nostalgic reminder of how awesome it was when Kevin Harlan called Timberwolves games alongside Trent Tucker.

New Happy Rant: Fit Pastors, Suave Authors, and Controversial Movie Opinions

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted is marooned in rural Alabama at a home school writing conference and Ronnie’s internet is on the fritz, but the boys make it work. Well, Ted and Barnabas do. They discuss the following.

Why have so many pastors gotten so fixated on being fit? Is this a good thing? Is it as weird as it seems?
We discuss what we are reading and watching these days, including some controversial opinions about movies.
Barnabas is reading a novel by Conn Iggulden, and naturally CONN IGGULDEN deserves a conversation all his own

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 #199