Top 8 Movies of 2009

As you can see from the title, I have a top 8 list, instead of a top 10 list - this is largely due to the fact that I simply had less time this year to go to movies due to an increased work load.

So here they are:

1. Up - The best movie of the year is yet another Pixar triumph. I think history will look back and see the Pixar team as the primary story tellers of our time. This film will motivate you to pursue your dreams, no matter your age, as the central protagonist does.

2. Precious - I just saw this film last week. The film centers around a teenage girl growing up in Harlem enduring a life of horrific abuse by both father and mother. She is transfered to a special school, and under a kind teacher and social worker, she starts to believe in herself again. This film never stoops to sappy hallmark movie of the week cliches. There are several difficult scenes to watch, but is an important film to open up those areas of our heart that we tend to cauterize through willful ignorance of the hurting around us.

3. District 9 - Perhaps the most original film on the list. This film is about how South Africa deals with the arrival of extra terrestrial beings. This is a film that is about how we treat the "other" in our midst. The choice of South Africa as the setting is particularly interesting.

4. Hurt Locker - A film about an Iraqi soldier who deactivates live bombs gives us a first hand look at the pressures that the men and women serving in Iraq and Afganistan are facing. The best recent depiction of how being in the extra-ordinary context of warfare affects the human psyche and soul.

5. Star Trek - The franchise is reborn! As an avid trekker, I was a bit nervous about this "prequel", giving us a young Kirk and Spock. But, my fears were laid to rest as J.J. Abrams brilliantly gives us the most entertaining Star Trek film ever. (Also - I was pleased to see Ben Cross, who portrayed runner Harold Abrams in Chariots of Fire, return to the big screen).

6. Anvil! The Story of Anvil - This unlikely entry is about the Canadian rock band Anvil, who for some reason didn't reach the heights of success as their peers, The Scorpion, Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses. Revered by other rock greats and their faithful fans, the band never seems to get a break. The movie covers their Spinal Tap like tour of Europe where they miss trains and play for crowds of 12 people at times, and the recording of their latest album. But its the bond between lead singer and guitarist that gives this film its heart. (Profanity and some sexual content may deter some viewers - like my parents).

7. The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) -An amazing film by one of the most interesting directors around -Michael Haneke (Cache). Saw it at the Vancouver FIlm Festival, and it is a true film fest. type movie - black and white with subtitles! Strange events in a German Village lead to a truly troubling discovery.

8. A Serious Man - The latest offering from the Cown brothers is probably their least accessible film to date. A man searching for answers discovers that religion is of no use. A rather cheeky slap in the face of religion, but entertaining none-the-less.

Movies that would probably be on this list if I had seen them: Up in the Air, Avatar, Invictus.

Not Dead Yet

Foolin' around

Ok - so I'm still blogging. I'm going to try to keep to at least a weekly entry. I used to be every other day, but I think those days are long gone.

I took Adam to a b-day party to this kids indoor playground called Koko's. There were about 6 birthday parties happening simultaneously. It was unreal. It also confirmed the fact that I could never run a day-care.

Had a nice time chatting with the parents of the birthday girl. They go to our church and are both RCMP officers which makes me feel quite secure - another job I am pretty sure I could not do.

I find it very fascinating how God creates people so differently - we are all created to pursue a vocation, and if we try to do something that is outside of the calling, we tend to feel frustrated and unfulfilled.

I think of what some of my friends do:

-pediatric dentist

-lawyer

-window glazer

-small business owner

-welder

And I realize that I simply could not do anything else with my life, apart from what I do right now. There is no dream job that I am waiting for - I already landed it. I love preaching, I love studying the Bible, I love visiting people at critical junctures of their life: births, weddings, funerals - what a privilege - what an honor.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that I am where I am supposed to be, and for that I am grateful

The End?

Well, I'm sad to say but my blogging career might be winding down.

I'm finding I have less and less time to write on here - and with Twitter I can give fast updates and opinions throughout the day.

I feels kind of weird if I just let this thing go - I've been blogging since May 2005.

I'll wait a bit - maybe I'll have a change of heart and start typing again.

U2 and I (Part 2)

Well, after that amazing encounter with Bono, the next time I would hear U2 would be in Mumbai India. I was living in India when their next album came out: All That You Can't Leave Behind.

I saw the video for Beautiful Day on tv in India. I think I ended up buying the album in Canada, though. This album marked a new era of creative excellence for the band. They toured that year and I saw them twice - once in Vancouver and once in Minneapolis.

I went to Vancouver with Felicia - our seats were behind the stage, which wasn't so hot - great show nonetheless.

Minneapolis was awesome - drove down with a bunch of guys from Saskatchewan. We lined up for rush seating on the floor. We had our sleeping bag and camped out at 8 in the morning - we were about 50th in line.

I have to say that staff at the arena were incredible. As the time got closer, they let the first 50 people into a small pub, and then into the arena - we ran and secured front row spots, right under where Adam Clayton would be. It was unbelievable to be that close to them! What a great show, and a great trip too.

After that album and tour, would come another incredible meeting with Bono. My brother was getting married to a girl from Dublin, so my whole family went there for the wedding. It was a dream come true! I had a whole U2 tour planned, but no one wanted to go except for Felicia who was almost 8 mths. pregnant at the time.

We first went to their offices - a security guard informed us that the band would be at their studio a little further away. We got to the studio - it was in an industrial part of Dublin with really nothing around it. There was no one there - we waited a bit and then a VW Jetta pulled up. A guy got out and we asked if the band would be by - he said come back at night. Turns out he is the manager of the studio and Larry Mullen Jr.'s drum tech. and has worked on every album U2 has put out.

So, after that we went and saw Bono's house which was cool. We went out for Chinese food with my folks - it was now quite late - about 10 PM and it was raining, and I thought of heading back - but Felicia insisted we go, as this would be my last chance at getting to meet them. So, we trekked back.

By now there were about 10-30 people from all over the world milling around. The entire band was inside and we were the first few people to hear the songs from their next album - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

After about an hour, the garage doors went up and a Mercedes came out - it was Adam Clayton - he slowed down and waved at everyone.

The next one out was Larry Mullen Jr. driving a very old Mercedes. He did not slow down, but sped past everyone.

I walked to the side of the studio, which overlooks a body of water and saw Bono come out the back with the guy we had made it earlier. I ran back to tell everyone he was coming.

A blue Maserati pulled out, scraping the curb. Bono drove up to us, got out and said "Howdy, folks". He spent almost an hour posing for pics and signing autographs for us!

Here's my conversation:

Me: Good day from Vancouver, Bono.

Bono - A good day in Vancouver it is! (He also wrote this on The Joshua Tree album that I got him to sign).

Me: Eugene Peterson says hi!

Bono: How do you know Eugene?

Me: He was my prof. at Regent College.

Bono: You're kidding me! You won't believe what that man's scholarship has meant in my life.

Later as he was leaving, I said "God bless you Bono - not just for your music, but all the good you are doing in the world!"

He said - Well if you know Eugene, then I'm sure you're doing some good as well!

At this point, Bono let a couple fans in his car and then announced he had room for 2 more. I turned to my friend from Dublin - it was his birthday that day! And I indicated for him to enjoy the greatest birthday gift he will ever get! And with that, I missed my chance to be driven by Bono!

It was pretty much one of the most amazing moments of my life - way more meaningful then the first time.

I ended up seeing them once on this tour - but I did get to be in a video shoot for the song "City of BLinding Lights" - that was pretty cool. This time, I again lined up early in the morning and Felicia and I were second row - I got some awesome pics from this show.

This past Wednesday I saw them once again with Felicia. It was at BC Place. We had floor tickets, but because I now have a job that keeps me pretty busy, I was unable to line up earlier - we got there just as the opening band was starting. I was surprised that we were actually quite close to the stage, and had a direct sight-line to the stage. It was the best U2 concert I had ever been to.

I already have tickets for the Edmonton concert, and plan on lining up early to secure front row seats again. I will most likely see them in Seattle as well.

So, as you can see, my life has really been formed by this amazing band from Ireland. U2 has opened up the world to me - without them, I doubt I would have heard or have even cared about a lot of the great social injustices of the day: drop the debt, Burma, fighting AIDS in Africa and so on.

Their music transcends a mere art form. They have soul. We all sat on the couch tonight and watched some of Rattle&Hum - it was so cool to explain to Adam who all the band members are. Adam has agreed that on the next tour he will be old enough to go. Sophia might still be a bit too you - she'll probably be about 6.

So, that's a summary of what U2 has meant to me over the years - from the War album to last Wednesday, they have been a pretty big part of my life, and will certainly continue to be.

U2 and I (Part 1)

U2 circa. 1991.

I have never written an entire blog on U2 before so here goes.

I first heard of U2 when I was 13. An older kid in youth group told me about this Christian band that were really big. I bought the War album on vinyl and liked it - especially "40".

I started buying more of their music and in high-school I gained a quick reputation as being the "U2" guy.

By this time I was collecting a lot of boot-lef albums and buying every magazine or book about this band.

Side-note --> In high-school, was also the first time I used U2 songs for class assignements. I used Sunday Bloody Sunday in Grade 10 english - have no memory of what the assignment was. I would again use the Robbie Robertson song featuring U2, "Sweet Fire of Love", for a grade 12 assignment.

I have since used U2 songs in my undergrad and graduate schools for assignments, and also in sermons that I have since preached.

In grade 10, I remember borrowing 5$ from someone to buy the Rolling Stone magazine that first featured U2 on the cover, bolding calling them the band of the 80's.

When my Dad got a cd player, the first cd I got was Joshua Tree.

In grade 12, U2 came to Vancouver and there was a train going from Saskatoon to Vancouver called the "U2-choo-choo". I couldn't convince my parents to let me go.

Next year U2 released a feature film called "Rattle and Hum". I drove my little sister, little brother and another friend to go see it. It was awesome.

U2 didn't do much until they released Achtung Baby in 1991. This was a dramatic shift for the band with a new image and sound which was quite different from anything that had gone before.

Just like Joshua Tree, they once again played Vancouver - this time I was able to convince my parents to let me go. So, I jetted off to Vancouver with my friend Warren. Our original plan for tickets didn't work out, so I had my first experience with a scalper. Our seats were beside the stage. At one point I wandered down to the main floor. I reached the cat walk just as Bono was walking on it - I didn't realize this was the first of a handful of encounters where Bono and I would be sharing the same breathing space. I was soon bumped back to my seat by a security guard.

After Achtung Baby, U2 released a couple of weak albums: Zooropa and Pop. Both had one or two good songs, but their departure in image and message ended up with them losing a few long time plans.

I saw them twice on the PopMart tour, once in Vancouver and once in Edmonton. The Vancouver show was pretty good, but I was high in the upper level and the sound was horrible. You felt like there was something going on, but that you weren't a part of it. It was still a great thrill to see them live again, though.

The day after became a day I would never forget. I was having a late brunch with a friend from InterVarsity at Sophie's Cosmic Cafe in Kitsilano. As we were eating, we noticed a security guard walked through. I mentioned that someone famous must be around. My friend said, its probably for him. I looked back, there was a guy in a suit, sunglasses and an ear-piece - he didn't look like anyone famous, then I looked at the table in front of him and directly across from me and it was Bono!!!!

After regaining the ability to breathe, I tore off a piece of my paper table mat and boldly walked to his table and asked for an autograph. Here's the conversation:

Me: Excuse me Bono, could I have your autograph?

Bono: Uh, I normally don't sign while I'm sitting, but I'll make it fast.

Me: Thanks, That was a great show last night - I've been a fan since I was 13.

Bono: Well, you'd better stay 13, then!

Me: Thank you so much!

Bono also wrote "stay 13" on the paper - which is framed with a picture of him and sitting in my office.

My next post will continue my U2 odyssey, including the 2nd encounter with Bono where he offered to give me a ride into downtown Dublin, and why I declined!

How Twitter Killed My Blogging

I've been on Twitter for awhile now. I have to confess, I really like it - I don't know why, but I like the ability to give a quick snap-shot of what I am up to.

And what I have realized is that my blogging has suffered dramatically. I think it is because I feel I don't need to give an extended analysis of stuff, I have given a brief update about earlier.

I've been feeling a little ambivalent about this blog lately.

When I got into blogging 5 years ago, I felt like I was entering this whole other universes, and that if you were a young emerging type leader you HAD to have a blog, and more importantly your blog needed to be linked up with this whole other network of emergent bloggers - alas my little blog never really scaled such heights.

But, the bloom is off the blogging rose for me now, and recently I feel as if my life has gotten a bit busier to keep it up.

But then again, I do enjoy opining on all matters from music to faith to coffee, so maybe the blog will live to see another day.

Its midnight and I'm in the basement office tidying up some stuff. Church was good today. Mike Todd spoke. Mike is an interesting fella and a much better blogger than I am! Mike spoke on Christianity and politics, and was very thoughtful and challenging - heard nothing but positives after.

We had a couple of friends from our old church plant over for lunch (they visited HMCC today). That was fun. After lunch I went to buy some component that our new wii needed. Yep, the Ninans have finally entered the 90's by buying a game console. We only have the game that it came with, but its all we need for now - I am coveting the beatles rock band or guitar hero 5. A trip to Seattle and a Canadian dollar at par should provide in the near future.

I visited a local sbux and tried a pumpkin spice latte which was quite tasty. Cracked open a new book - actually an old book - almost 1000 years old: Little Flowers of St. Francis - should be pretty good.

Came home and played wii with the boy for about an hour.

Felicia and I watched "Sunshine Cleaning" tonight which is a cute, touching little movie.

And that's it - that's all she wrote for October 18 2009.

How Thinking Changed How I Write Sermons

What I do after thinking.

I am a preaching pastor. I preach almost every Sunday - I probably preach a 25-35 minute sermon 45 times a year.

To get a sermon to go that long, it is usually 8-12 pages long in 12 pt. font., plus any extra quotes that are photo-copied and reading the actual biblical text.

When I first started preaching I did A LOT of preliminary academic study, prior to just sitting down and writing the sermon.

What that means is I would read the actual text several times in about 5 different bible translations: ESV, NRSV, TNIV, NLT and The Message. I would also read it in the original language - I am better at Greek than Hebrew.

I have noticed something change in the last couple of months. I still do the preliminary study - consulting commentaries, etc. But, now, I find that I spend a lot of time just thinking.... and thinking and thinking.

That is, I just play around with ideas in my head, revisit them and think about them some more.

Thinking - sounds pretty simple, but it just might be the most under used tool for most people.

Obama says he spends up to an hour a day thinking. Some C.E.O's I have read say that the most important thing they do is taking time out to think.

Bill Gates takes 2 weeks a year and goes to a cabin and..... thinks.

I wonder if the rapid fire barrage of pop media and high tech life has robbed of the capability to think well? When most of us spend most of our waking hours in front of a screen of some sort, perhaps it has.

About a month ago, I found I was thinking about a sermon about the story in Mark 2 of the 4 guys who lower their paralyzed friend through a roof to get him to Jesus. I thought about it all week, read it several times and then sat down and wrote the entire sermon in 2 hours in one sitting. I revised it a couple of times the next day and practiced it once. And it was a pretty good sermon - one in which some of the concepts will form my ministry for quite some time.

It has been quite interesting to see this transition take place in my professional life. My sermons still take quite a long time to write, but the way I spend my time has shifted somewhat.

Perhaps - the time I take out to sit quietly and think and pray opens up more room for the Holy Spirit to interact with my mind. Whereas, before I spent a lot of time filling up my mind with academic insights into the text - maybe now the Holy Spirit can go a little deeper into my mind and soul, by-passing the mere intellect.

This is all pretty speculative, but maybe I'm on to something. I would love to hear others thoughts on what I have written.