I can't think of a snappy title for this blog entry, so let's just dive right in, shall we? This morning I decided to start a reading of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) with a sort of beginner's mind. I'm trying to read these words as though for the first time -- trying to rid my mind of everything I already know, or think I know, about the gospels, based on previous readings and studies, sermons, songs, church plays, movies, and all other forms of mediation and interpretation. I got the idea after reading this article about the Bible, written by Brian McLaren. So I read Matthew 1 this morning from the Contemporary English Version.
On a somewhat related note, I finished reading McLaren's book A New Kind of Christian over the weekend. (I wanted to have it read before meeting McLaren at SearchParty later this month. I'm rather obsessive about trying to learn something about people I wish to meet before I meet them; a vestige from my days as a reporter, I'm sure.) It was the first book by McLaren I've ever read, and I understand he took a different approach with this book.
I also did some more work with G-Force, learning on the fly how to use it as presentation software. I was putzing with it on my laptop at church Sunday afternoon and showed it to my pastor, who was amazed with it. I suggested we use it for our overheads in the near future -- whenever we get a projector and a computer connected with our sound system. We're in a transition from being a "contemporary" church (as in what was contemporary in the late 70s/early 80s, when the church was just starting) into whatever it is we're moving toward. We got rid of the old overhead projector with the transparencies a couple of years ago, but haven't replaced it with anything, feeling that it was more important to invest in some other projects at the time (the food distribution center, local mission, etc.). But now we're at the point where we can afford a system to integrate with our music -- to bring visualization to sound and music to image.