Reflections on Apple and the End Times

Two of my very good friends just bought the new iPhone from Apple. Even though this is one of the coolest things to be made in the last decade, I seriously dislike Apple, Inc. No one can fault them for producing quality machines. But, they've created a subculture around their computers that basically says, "you're not really cool, hip, or alternative unless you own a Mac." The near self-righteousness of many Mac owners (I have many friends who own Macs, so forgive me guys) is repugnant. What is more, I'm pretty sure that Apple, Inc. is a sign of the End Times. Here's how I got there:

To be sure, the iPhone is astounding. I toyed around with one a while ago, and I coveted the ability to seamlessly use your email, internet, play music, make calls, and much more. The technology is amazing. I can easily see how this can evolve into the next generation of ease and convenience. It wouldn't take much to integrate your personal banking and finances into the iPhone. Whenever you buy something, instead of pulling out your wallet just swipe your iPhone. In fact, you could easily make all of your personal identification securely ingrained in your device - no more need for a wallet at all. Heck, why stop there? Who wants to carry around a bulky iPhone? We can just miniaturize it and implant the device into our hands or foreheads. And, just to make security and identification easier, we can electronically imprint all of these devices with a key code, say... "666"!!!!

Does anyone else find it interesting that the first Fall of Man was also initiated by an apple? Is anyone else freaking out?!? While this is mostly tongue-in-cheek, I would be remiss to not acknowledge the seriousness of the End Times. I can't shake the sense the things are beginning to come to head in this world. I may be wrong - there have been many periods in world history that have been mistaken for the Apocalypse. But, there will be a time when it won't be very funny.

Reflections on Old School Baseball

Recently, my dad has been going through my grandparent's old picture slides and scanning them into his computer. The other day he came across these amazing pictures and emailed them to me. Top left is a picture taken of Crosley Field in Cincinnati during a game in 1961. Top right is the same game down at field level. The player on the right (#20) is Frank Robinson who won the MVP for the National League that year. Bottom left is Yankee Stadium during a game in 1960. You can see Mickey Mantle trotting around second after hitting a home run. Bottom right is the scoreboard at Yankee Stadium. If you look closely you can see "Mantle Home Run Was Number 8 of Season".

Reflections on Thirty Years

If you have ever felt like there was just something missing from the American church, you need to read the book I just finished. It's called Thirty Years That Change the World: The Book of Acts for Today by Michael Green, who is an evangelist and professor from Oxford. He basically is reflecting on what made the early church so amazing, and why we don't see these things in our churches today. He does a great job of avoiding the theological soapboxes found in Acts and focuses on the power, influence and priorities of the first Christians.

One of the biggest things I took away from this book is the fact that the church in the West has fallen into a maintenance mentality. By being focused on our buildings, church staff, and programs, we have for the most part lost our missionary and evangelistic zeal. The truth is that God is a God on a mission, and He has promised to equip His people in accomplishing that mission.

I want my life to be different. I want it to look more like those first Christians who were full of radical love, power, and conviction. But, I'm too much a product of my Christian culture. I honest don't even know what it would be like to have a life like that. But, I want it.

Reflections on Chicago Drill Bits

So, yesterday we drove back from a week in Chicago. We were hanging out with some old friends and doing some support raising. We spoke at a young adults group in the city, which yield new friends and good contacts. It was actually a very productive trip, but we are so happy to finally have a rest day tomorrow.

This is totally unrelated, but we found out this week that the soon-to-be tallest free-standing structure in North America is currently under construction in Chicago. It's call the Chicago Spire, and it's going to be a 150-story residential tower right on the lake front across from Navy Pier. They've already been laying the foundation, and it should be completed in 2011. They haven't published officially how tall it will be, so it is possible that it will recapture the tallest building in the world honors for Chicago (it may or may not be taller than the Burj Dubai which is currently being constructed in Dubai and will top out at 2,111 feet). I had no clue they were building this thing in Chicago. Isn't that wild?

Reflections on Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year, everyone! I figured I would get the first post of the year out of the way by sharing a great picture of my nephew, Gavin. We took this at his birthday last month.