Interactive Sermon

Why Whine?

Whine def. to snivel or complain in a peevish, self-pitying way; to complain or protest in a childish manner.

One of the unfortunate byproducts of the social networking craze is an expansive platform for whining.  What used to be limited to the ears one or two people within earshot of a whining voice, now has the platform to subject dozens, hundreds, thousands and more.  It's become epidemic.  Facebook.  MySpace.  Twitter.  Whining.  Whining about jobs.  Whining about spouses.  Whining about relationships.  Whining about finances.  Whining about circumstances.  Hours of each day spent whining about how unhappy, unsatisfied and unfulfilled you are, and for what? 

Why whine?  What is the desired outcome?  Is it a hope that someone will take note and take action to change your circumstances?  Are you hoping for a sympathetic pat-on-the-back?  To find a network of like-minded whiners to hang out with?  To have someone offer up an 'I love you' or an 'it will be okay'?

More from the dictionary: Sniveling is akin to sniffling, but in a demonstrative manner - sort of a "look at me" fashion.  One of the definitions of peevish mentions 'habitual fretfulness'.  Self pity, meanwhile, is defined as the psychological state of mind of an individual in perceived adverse situations who lacks the maturity, confidence or ability to cope with it. It is characterized by a person's belief that he or she is the victim of events and is therefore deserving of condolence. I think we're all pretty clear on the definition of childish.

Think about a whining child.  The child wants a toy at the store and whines demonstratively.  What should a parent do?  Buy the child the toy?  The child whines because they are told 'no'.  Should the parent change their position at their child's every whine?   If that's your parental philosophy, good luck!

Yet, a quick visit to any of the social networks, and the whining comes in real time.  All the time.  Simply think of all the time spent by people each day whining online, and reading and responding to one another's whining. 

Here's a New Year's Resolution from me:

Resolved!  I'm going to cleanse my social networks of habitual complainers in 2009.  I'm not talking about folks who occasionally share "...is having a bad day."  I'm talking about folks I perceive as taking whining to a world-wide-web-art.  I'll be severing our social network ties in the New Year.  Doesn't mean I don't love you.  Just means I'm going to treat whining like a good parent would - and not reward it.

Anyone out there like my resolution?  You want to join me?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon,Social Networking,Facebook,MySpace,Twitter,Whining

Design Your 2009

Here we are on the eve of the eve of... er, a couple days until New Year's Eve, and I'm waxing contemplative.  These sorts of thresholds work on my psyche.  Birthdays and anniversaries, I spend some time looking backwards and forwards.  New Year's is a biggie for me, a natural precipice at which I feel compelled to consider the year past, and adjust my hopes for the year ahead.

I'm interested to know, what are your hopes and aspirations for the New Year?  Sort of in the spirit of the 43 Things website (if you're a fan of that sort of thing), what are some of your goals, or perhaps your dreams, that you would like to pursue with your 2009?  I'll be glad to share some of mine over the next day or two. 

How about you?  Willing to share?  Chime in!

What's On My Mind?

A mind is a terrible thing to paste.

Christmas ~ We had a wonderful Christmas at the Shaw house.  We were up at a descent hour - which is a first on Christmas for us.  I was actually up a whole hour before any of the girls, with time to enjoy a cup of coffee and a some Bible reading in front of our Christmas tree - complete with some Christmas music softly in the background - before anyone else stirred.  The morning's gift exchange gave way to a great meal together.  We went with the Shaw family traditional roast pork, sauer kraut and mashed potatoes.  Then, we had some dear friends over in the evening for desert.  Awesome day.  Hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas.

Family ~ My nephew John and niece Jenna arrived from Florida today for a nice ten day visit.  We are thrilled.  And praying for a blizzard for our Florida kin.  Pray with us?

Voyage of the Dawn Treader ~ I heard today that Disney dropped its participation in the filming and funding of the third movie in the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia series.  It's a budget thing, they say.  Shame, because the first two movies grossed hundreds of millions each.  Word is that Fox Entertainment may be in line.  I just hope they get it done.  I'm waiting.

Writing ~ Three more of my Big Buts articles and another short story have been accepted by the folks at EZineArticles.com and I am thrilled.  Have you visited my new site www.darinmichaelshaw.com yet?  Signed up for the email updates?  What are you waiting for?  Don't forget, the podcasts of Chronicles of War will debut in January. 

What's on your mind, this day after Christmas?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon,darin michael shaw,Christmas Music,Chronicles of Narnia

Lyrical Analysis: The Twelve Days of Christmas

In the words of my friend Dave: What the smoke?  Twelve days of Christmas?

This song, believe it or not, is among the most often recorded Christmas carols around the globe.  Here at home I've heard two versions that I really like - the parody version recorded in the 1980's called The Twelve Pains of Christmas, complete with Archie Bunker and lamenting the "five months of bills", and Straight No Chaser's 2007 version including "I Have A Little Dreidel" and Toto's "Africa" mixed in.  I vaguely recall a version involving different mixed drinks for each day and a progressively inebriated vocalist trying to get the lines out.

I've heard all sorts of explanations for the song and it's strange content - Lords a'leaping?  Maids a'milking?  I've heard that the twelve days represent the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany (or the arrival of the wise men) to see Jesus.  I've heard that the twelve also represent the months of the new year, and argument augmented by an explanation of how each of the twelve gifts correlate with the months seasonally.  Okay.  If you say so.  I always think of partridges and pear trees in January.  I've also heard that the song is a Catechism of sorts to help Catholic children learn more about their faith.  The four calling birds... Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  I see.  No wonder that so many of my Catholic friends are confused about the theology behind their beliefs.  They haven't been singing The Twelve Days of Christmas!

Oh, and those lyrics... in the interest of saving space, I'll give you this run down, from day twelve to day one - as all the 'gifts' are in there. 

Twelve drummers drumming; Eleven pipers piping; Ten lords a'leaping; nine ladies dancing; Eight maids a'milking; Seven swans a'swimming; Six geese a'laying; Five golden rings; Four calling birds; Three french hens; Two turtle doves; and a partridge in a pear tree

So, your turn.  Take a stab at either (1) sharing a memory connected with this song in any of its many versions (I dare you); (2) turning it into a Catechism, representing elements of our faith (I double dare you); or (3) seriously explaining the lyrics of this song (I triple-dog dare you).

Maybe some of our more musical-types out there could give us an analysis of the song's peculiar musical meter - seems to be some 4/4 bars and some 3/4 bars and some other oddities mixed in.  Any takers?

Merry Christmas!

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon,Christmas Music,Twelve Days of Christmas

First Glance

Tomorrow promises to be a great day of Advent spirit and joy.  First, at both the 9AM and 11AM service, we will be led in Christmas song by Jesse and members of the Worship Band.  We will be considering the Davidic Covenant, and how Jesus fulfills the promises of God on this fourth Sunday in Advent.  If you want an advance look, give 2 Samuel 7 a read tonight.

Don't forget about the Christmas Rock-N-Roll concert at night.  At 5PM, Jesse and members of the World Famous Worship Band will be presenting an evening of rocking Christmas songs from the Trans Siberian Orchestra and others.  The cost is either a suggested donation of $5 per person OR new or gently worn men's winter hat or gloves - all of which will be donated to The Upper Room Ministries in Nashua.

I look forward to gathering to praise and worship as the body of Christ tomorrow.  Merry Christmas!

A Piece of The Whole

Sunday night at Christ's Church (Dec. 21st, 5pm) members of the World Famous Christ's Church Worship Band will be presenting a night of Christmas themed Rock-N-Roll.  Music from Trans Siberian Orchestra, Third Day, Amy Grant and others are included in the order.  We're making it about more than music and fellowship, however.  Cost of admission will either be a suggested donation of $5 per person OR new or gently worn men's winter hats or gloves, all of which will be donated to The Upper Room Ministries in Nashua.  I was asked to weave a little story into the evening's music.  Here's an excerpt.

Let me tell you another true story.

The year was 1861. In April of that year the first shots were fired in the Civil War. There was a man named Henry who lived with his beloved wife Fanny and their five children in Cambridge, MA. On the evening of July 9^th, Fanny wrote in her journal: “We are all praying for a good sea breeze to replace this stifling heat.” The next day, after trimming her seven year old daughter’s hair, she decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. While she was melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell unnoticed onto her dress. That longed-for sea breeze arrived, gusting through an open window, and setting her dress ablaze. She was instantly wrapped in flames. To protect her young children, she ran into the next room – Henry’s study. Henry tried to extinguish the flames with a throw rug, and seeing that fail he wrapped his arms around her and used his body to put the fire out – receiving very severe burns to his hands, arms and face in the process. Fanny died from her burns the next morning. Incidentally, the burns to Henry’s face were so severe that he would never again be able to shave – thus the trademark shaggy beard of… Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

When Christmas came that year Henry wrote, “How inexpressibly sad is this holiday!” A year after his dear wife’s death he wrote, “I can make no record of these days; better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.” And his journal entry for Christmas Eve 1862 reads: “Merry Christmas say the children, but that is no more for me.”

Almost a year later, just before Christmas of 1863, Henry received word that his eighteen year old son Charles, who had left home to enlist in the Union Army, was critically wounded – a bullet entering his shoulder and dislocating one of his vertebra. Longfellow’s journal does not have an entry for Christmas of that year.

Then, on Christmas Day of 1864 – his son alive, but still suffering from his wounds – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow heard the Christmas bells of the local church ring. He was powerfully reminded that there was, indeed, reason to hope. He sat down and penned the poem “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”.

He who has ears…

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Is There Anybody Out There?

That's one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen lines.  He usually shouts that line out when there is a stadium of 75,000 screaming fans in front of him.  Um, yeah, Bruce.  There's a few people out there.

I thought I'd give you an update on progress on things over at the other site.

My Literary Craft ~ I've been accepted into the literary coaching practice of Ariel Gore.  I'm thrilled.  She is an author whom I tremendously respect.  Over the next few months I'm hoping to learn a lot from her about the craft, platform and market.

Chronicles of War: The Podcast ~ I'm a dangerous animal now.  I got a microphone and some recording software - lookout world!  The plan is to begin production of ten minute, weekly podcasts of the historical fiction novel I've been working on for a year.  Look for its debut in January and then: Subscribe!  Subscribe!  Subscribe!

EZineArticles.com ~ The editors have approved my first article there, and I have two more on the verge of acceptance.  No, that's not arrogance on my part - they have a little graph that shows me how far along the process of acceptance each article is.  Here's the cool part: that first article has already been viewed by 160 people.  That's not a lot, you might say.  But to me, it is amazing.  Still waiting on other Zines. 

Story of Me ~ I'm ready to release a few more shorts from my memoir.  Bwa-ha-ha-ha (and my siblings shudder in fear!)  Coming soon.

darinmichaelshaw.com ~ While not Springsteen-like numbers when he asks "Is there anybody out there?", I'm very excited to see the daily traffic numbers here on that blog continuing a slow but deliberate increase.  So, hear me clearly: THANK YOU for stopping by and for your interest in my literary endeavors.  As always, I'll plead: head over to darinmichaelshaw.com and (1) sign up for my email subscription list in the left hand column; (2) link to the blog; (3) tell someone else the URL.

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Christmas Memories part deux

So how about some of your Christmas Memories?

In the absence of Christmas spirit on your part, so far, I'll offer up another of mine.  No bah-humbugs here! 

Found this photo in the archives.  It was 1978, making me 11 and my sister Diann... um... just a little older.  I remember this Christmas like it was yesterday. 

First of all, the picture is of the two of us - we were the only kids left at home - holding the gifts we had gotten each other.  I am holding the KISS belt buckle my sister bought just for me!  Is my sister cool, or what?   I wore that buckle proudly as a member of the official fan club, the KISS Army. 

I'm not sure what it was that I gave her that year.  By the looks of the photo, she wasn't sure what it was either.  But always the good sport, she played along for Dad's camera.

This picture actually brings back a ton of memories for me.  The house was in Altamonte Springs, Florida.  I remember those dark paneled walls of the family room and those lacy orangish curtains.  Do you see the angel on top of the tree?  Real feathers!  Guess what?  I still have that angel.  Mom gave it to me years ago.  She's not on our tree this year... we have a rather unorthodox tree this year with no perch for an angel, but that's another story.

On the wall is a gold colored metal decorative plate.  I'm not sure what they were all about, but I remember them.  There were three and they were hung in a triangular pattern (only one visible in this photo).  What I recall about those things is that one day Dad decided to take them out in the driveway and touch them up with some gold spray-paint.  Sitting in the house we heard some metalic grinding noises outside.  We opened the door to find a family of ducks in the driveway trying to drag the big gold cookies away.  I remember the obscenity laced admonitions that Dad gave the ducks to leave our property.  Something about a man running down the driveway, wrestling a tin wall hanging out of the mouth of a duck and cursing at them... ducks, meanwhile, just quacking away... becomes indelible in the memory banks.

What I also remember about this photo and the KISS belt buckle was that my sister had truly demonstrated her love for me a couple of months earlier when she stayed up late with me so that I could watch the movie KISS Meets the Phantom.  It had to have been the worst thing ever captured on film.  And my sister put up with it!  For me!  And that, even after I had set her bedspread on fire.  Oops.  Another story for another time.

How about your Christmas memories?  Family traditions?  Your Dad cussing out ducks?  Something?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon,Christmas,Memoirs

What's On My Mind?

 A mind is a terrible thing to haste.

Quiet & Stillness ~ The grand total was 84 hours without power when the anticipated 'click' was finally heard.  No heat.  No water.  Those were the difficulties.  No refrigeration - no problem... it was below freezing, for crying out loud.  Refrigerator?  We don't need no stinking refrigerator!   No lights?  Ah, but we have oil lamps (because there is certain renaissance man in the family who LOVES to read by lamp light) and candles.  And, in the language of our Namibian friends, we have torches.  No television.  No computers.  No internet.  It was actually refreshing!  Time to really be together.  Time to read.  Time to play games.  Time to share the load of managing under adverse conditions.  Ice storms and power outages - I highly recommend every family try this once or twice a decade.

Writing ~ With the power back on, I was able to crank out a little more creativity today.  Wuz phun.  Nothing like Mondays for me - the day off!  While I'm at it, don't forget to run some traffic over to the new site www.darinmichaelshaw.com  Thanks!

Yesterday's Worship Service ~ For those of you who were not there, I'm sorry.  I arrived to find Steve filling the coffee pots with hot water he had carried from home - sanctuary was 45 degrees.  After a little while we were joined by a half-dozen or so adventurous souls.   We decided since there were so few of us that we would meet in the church entry hall, as it was a good deal warmer than the sanctuary.  We set up ten or so chairs, got out a few hymnals and Mike and Jesse broke out their guitars.  Then, the floodgates opened.  CCA folks and even a couple of visitors started streaming in the door.  After we had moved 40 or 50 chairs into the hallway, we realized it was a lost cause - we rounded them all up and braved the cold of the big room.  Talk about singing!  Without all the distractions like microphones and... heat... we huddled close to one another and sang out.  Marvelous!  All I can say is that if you couldn't make it, you missed a wonderful worship gathering.

Good Friends ~ Through the course of this little community emergency, friends offered help, encouragement and humor along the way.  It was great to share the journey.  Thank you to all who banded together.  Thanks even for the well wishes on the cell phone and here on the blog.  Blessings to you all!

What's on your mind?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon,darin michael shaw,Winter Storm 2008,Christ's Church

Under The Weather - Literally

 

Sorry for the slothfulness of posts these last couple of days.  Our wonderful ice storm has left us without power - 48 hours and counting.  The power company estimates it will only be another 3 or 4 days!  So, we're keeping fires and kerosene heaters running, hoping to keep our pipes from bursting.  Down into the single digits tonight.  Oh joy!  Lord willing, I'll be back to the routine here in a day or so.

Tomorrow morning at Christ's Church???  I'll be there.  There is no power at the building and the last we checked the temperature in the sanctuary was about 40 degrees - so bundle up if you're planning to come worship with us!  

Blessings!  And... be warm.