Elizabeth Gilbert is brilliant!

By Monica Brand, 25 January, 2010, No Comment

Elizabeth Gilbert lived in amazing places. Italy! India! Indonesia! And where does she choose to set up housekeeping with her new hubby ? Care to take a guess?

Elizabeth Gilbert, NewJersey

New Jersey. Ha. Take that nay-sayers. Not only is Gilbert planted in my Garden State, but she’s right here in my part of the Delaware Valley.

Elizabeth Gilbert, Frenchtown

We’re practically neighbors. I could bump into her at the IGA or the coffee shop or she might come to my church. (Errr. She’s probably not coming to church) Hey, how cool is it that after exploring an exotic place like Southeast Asia, it’s my unassuming little patch of Earth that she decides to call home.

Brilliant choice of real estate investing, Liz. Welcome, welcome.

Today I finished  Gilbert’s latest book,  Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage and this week I will be sharing my thoughts.

Have you read it? Do you plan on reading Committed?

Let’s discuss it together.

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A video funny

By Monica Brand, 22 January, 2010, 5 Comments

My video camera found it’s way into the hands of my 10 year old and the results were hilarious.


No girls were hurt in the making of this video.

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Doctrine, theology and . . . orthodoxy?

By Monica Brand, 18 January, 2010, 1 Comment

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

The word orthodoxy literally means “right opinion.” In the context of Christian faith, orthodoxy is shorthand for getting your opinion or thoughts about God right. It is teaching and beliefs based on the established, proven, cherished truths of the faith.

(page 14, Dug Down Deep)

Orthodoxy.

It’s mentioned frequently in Dug Down Deep (Unearthing What I Believe and Why it Matters) by Joshua Harris. (Much thanks to the publisher for my free copy.) When I think of the term orthodoxy, I immediately think of the Brian D. McLaren book, A Generous Orthodoxy, a somewhat-controversial book (From what I know of it, as I have yet to read it. My library doesn’t have it, and when I once requested it from BookSwim, it was a no-go. Boohoo.)

Harris was raised in the Evangelical church, so I was surprised to see him using the term so liberally in his latest book.

On the back cover:

. . . seemingly worn-out words like theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy were the pathway to the mysterious, awe-filled experience of truly knowing the living Jesus Christ.

And:

. . . orthodoxy isn’t just for old men but for anyone who longs to behold a God who is bigger and more real . . .

Interesting.

Skeptical Monica doesn’t like this word one bit. Sorry, Josh. Aren’t doctrine and theology enough? Must we Evangelicals take on orthodoxy too?

To me – the great Bible scholar that I am *wink* – orthodoxy is the tradition of men. And this Christian ain’t too keen on the traditions. Just give me Jesus and his Word.

Thoughts? Opinions? Disgust I would dare mention such serious topics on my normally lighthearted blog?

What does the word orthodox mean to you?

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The social justice fad?

By Monica Brand, 12 January, 2010, 9 Comments

Simple Compassion by Keri Wyatt Kent

Have you noticed? Social justice is a popular topic for the online church.

I spend a lot of time online reading blogs, surfing social media and listening to the chatter of the connected, Internet church. And it seems a lot of online Christians are into social justice.

Social justice is all over Sojourners. Blogs, blogs, blogs. So many blogs. (I wish I had more of these examples to share, as I’ve read a lot about this subject from various Christian bloggers, but I never bookmarked them.)

Of course there are books. Justice in the Burbs and The Irresistible Revolution, and there are more I’ve never read. And now Simple Compassion by Keri Wyatt Kent (I received a free copy from the publisher.) There is even a Social Justice Reading Challenge.

I’m not against helping people in need; I know what the Bible says. I’m not immune to feeling the pull toward social justice issues. Heck, I even have a social justice category here on this blog.

Still I’m concerned.

Is all of this a fad, the latest trend in our Christian-online clique? Or is this a true, Holy Spirit inspired move of God? In my flesh-and-blood church, I hear little about sex trafficking, clean water, or poverty, all popular issues within the online church.  That strikes me as odd.

Christians, we mustn’t forget it’s a grace salvation, not a works salvation.  Give to the poor, support organizations like Compassion International, commit to helping those in need. These issues of social justice are important, and must not be ignored, but let’s not forget the command by Jesus in Matthew 28.

.  .  . go and make disciples of all nations.

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Are paper books dead?

By Monica Brand, 4 January, 2010, 12 Comments

I do. I don’t know how long it will take. You know, we love stories and we love narrative; we love to get lost in an author’s  world. That’s not going to go away; that’s going to thrive. But the physical book really has had a 500-year run. . . But no technology, not even one as elegant as the book, lasts forever.

That’s Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos, mastermind behind that eReader gadget known as Kindle answering the question posed by Newsweek magazine: Do you think that the ink-on-paper book will eventually go away?

Now I ask you -

jeff-bezos-with-kindle

Will the traditional paper book cease to exist?

Is technology that powerful?

Are we so addicted to our electronics that the eBook will send the paper book into extinction?

And do we care?

image: scrapetv.com

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First Saturday

By Monica Brand, 2 January, 2010, 9 Comments

My New Year is off to a brilliant start. I spent a quiet morning today browsing the library shelves and came home with:

Fiction: Under the Lemon Trees by Bhira Backhaus, The Cold Light of Mourning by Elizabeth J. Duncan, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

Non-fiction: Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale or Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture by Taylor Clark and We’ll Always Have Paris: Paris by Ray Bradbury

DVD: The Kite Runner (loved the book, will I approve of the retelling in film?) and Whale Rider (which I’ve heard good things about. Hope it proves true.)

And. . . because this library visit happened without children in tow . . . I read a news magazine. Ah, yes. Me, a cushy chair and the indulgence of focusing uninterrupted. Pure joy.

Now you tell me: what are you reading?

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