It’s December 23rd, so . . .

I’d write more, but I’ve got to go dig up my aluminum pole . . .

Last week I downloaded Griffin House’s Flying Upside Down. This is the song that’s stuck with me over the last few days - “I Remember (It’s Happening Again).” A great song from a great album.

I’ve been listening to some Christmas music the past week or so. Here’s a few samples.

Once again, I did not read nearly as much as I wanted to this past year. I’m down to about half the books I was reading a few years ago (and even that is still far less than I would like to read.) So, I’ve got a long list to read for this coming year, many of which will probably go unread as well, but we’ll see. As was the case with my music list, this list is not limited to books released this year, but simply books I read this year. I suspect, had I read more, some or most of these wouldn’t have made the list. But, with a short list to start with, this is what you get. So, with that said, here’s the books I enjoyed the most.

10. Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life
Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker

I’ve never been a Colts fan, but I’ve come respect Tony Dungy a lot over the last couple of years. A friend loaned me this autobiographical book recently and I appreciated learning even more about Dungy and his life as a disciple of Jesus, a husband, a father and now a Super Bowl winning coach. I’m not big on the “God had a plan for us losing this game” kind of talk he uses on occasion, but still an enjoyable read by a genuine “good guy” in professional sports.

9. I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist’s Eyes
Hemant Mehta

Not a great book, but certainly interesting. Mehta is not a Dawkins/Hitchens-like atheist (after all, his blog is called “The Friendly Athiest”) and is not hostile to Christianity. He states several times that he is open to believing, but he just hasn’t been convinced. This book is a chronicle of his year-long visits to a number of churches (more about that here), and his opinion of what was positive and negative about his experiences as a non-believing visitor.

8. Tobacco Road: Duke, Carolina, N.C. State, Wake Forest, and the
History of the Most Intense Backyard Rivalries in Sports
Al Featherston

Obviously, as a fan of Duke basketball and the ACC, a book about the “big four” of North Carolina basketball is right up my alley. Having read Joe Menzer’s Four Corners, also on the “big four”, a few years back, I didn’t find a lot of new material here. Still, it was fun to read again through the history of the four programs.

7. Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and
Threatens America: An Evangelical’s Lament
Randall Balmer

Balmer, a religious history professor and Christianity Today editor, feels that voting Republican has almost become a necessary tenant of Christianity in America. Balmer is a politically liberal evangelical and in his book he discusses how the Religious Right came to possess the power they have, and his objections and alternatives to their agenda.

6. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Barack Obama

Now-presidential candidate Obama shares his ideas for making this country a better place and improving the increasingly hostile political climate. He talks about faith, values, race and family, among other things, as well as his own experiences that have prepared him for public service. A good introduction to him and his vision for the country.

5. Cinderella: Inside the Rise of Mid-Major College Basketball
Michael Litos

Litos, a VCU grad, spent the 2005-06 basketball season with the CAA conference. Boy, did he pick the right year. He chronicles the season, beginning with Drexel’s near-upsets of Duke and UCLA in the NIT, and ending with George Mason’s magical run to the Final Four. A great read if you love college basketball as much as I do (and if you don’t, you should.)

4. Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father’s Questions
About Christianity
Greg Boyd and Edward Boyd

This book by pastor/author Greg Boyd (The Myth of a Christian Nation) is a collection of letters exchanged between himself and his unbelieving father over a period of a few years. His father asks hard questions about God and faith and he provides his Biblically-based answers. The exchanges eventually resulted in his father’s conversion.

3. The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
Francis Collins

Collins is a geneticist who was once head of the Human Genome Project. He speaks of his life as a scientist and an atheist, and how his study in the scientific world played a part in his conversion to Christianity. A very good read, especially since so many Christians seem to be under the impression that science and faith must be rivals instead of complimentary to one another.

2. It’s Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case
and the Lives It Shattered
Don Yaeger with Mike Pressler

It’s a travesty that the Duke Lacrosse case went beyond the first couple of weeks. This book by author Don Yeager and former Duke Lacrosse coach Mike Pressler provides great detail as to why. While the case eventually ended positively with the players being exonerated, much of the damage done was likely irreparable. An excellent read.

1. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Ishmael Beah

At the age of 13, Beah was, along with many other young boys, forced to become a child soldier during the conflict in his native Sierra Leone. He tells of his background, his experiences in the war, the loss of his family and friends, the daily challenges he faced, and his eventual escape from the war and Sierra Leone, ultimately landing in the United States. This is an unforgettable story about an amazing young man.

That’s it. That’s the list.

If interested, you can see the complete list of books I read this year here (although I haven’t kept up in providing ratings and reviews for them all.)

There’s been so much written and said over the last couple of days, I really don’t know what’s true, what’s false, and what’s somewhere in between.

One thing is true, of course: Bobby Petrino is the new head football coach at Arkansas.

There’s some good in that. Petrino appears to have been pretty successful at Louisville. Averaging 10+ wins a year at a basketball school is pretty good, even if it was CUSA and the Big East. He also has a lot of people here excited about his offense, particularly the probability of more passing. People have been complaining about that for years under Houston Nutt. Now they may get their wish. At least for a while.

Everyone is now whining because of the “national media” and their commentary on what’s unfolded this week. The “national media”, particularly ESPN, “hates Arkansas.” But it seems, for the most part, that the criticism of this week’s events is justified.

Initially, my concern when I realized how nomadic he’s been during his career. He’s had - if my math is correct - around 13 different coaching jobs in 26 years. He’s spent no more than 4 years in one place. And, according to several reports, he’s actively looked for another job each of the last five seasons. Since he also left Auburn in 2002, that seems to make it actually six years in a row. Is he even going to be here in two, three years?

Some have suggested that his goal has been to get into the SEC, the king of college football conferences. And, now that he’s here, he’ll stay awhile. That’s a nice theory, but I’m just not ready to buy it. Sure, I don’t blame anyone for wanting to be in the SEC. Look at the coaches here now. An extremely impressive list. But, even if he stays in the SEC, who says it will be at Arkansas? If another job were to open up for whatever reason - Auburn, LSU, Georgia - would he then bolt for one of those programs, all considered a better job than Arkansas?

But with each passing hour over the first day or so, the worse it seemed to become. What bothers me most - and what the “national media” has targeted - is more of character issue. In the last two years, Petrino has signed a contract at Louisville and in Atlanta. He promptly left both of those jobs. And, of course, he just left Atlanta before the season was even over, reportedly the day after he told his owners that he would remain their head coach. He told his team via a letter left in their lockers - not face to face. He didn’t make a Saban-esque statement like “I won’t be the coach at Arkansas” in front of reporters (probably only because it happened so quickly, before they had a chance to ask.) However, considering what he said to Falcons owners, he really did the same thing, didn’t he?

I was critical of Nick Saban last year. Had I a blog in 2002, I’d have been equally critical of Dennis Francione and the way he fled Alabama then. And there are other examples. Now, Arkansas is supposed to benefit from the latest bald faced liar. Will we? I have to wonder if recruits will trust him. Word is that most of the current recruits out there are still committed, some even excited that he’s here. But will Petrino be committed to them, and to all of the euphoric fans I keep hearing, or is this just another temporary stop?

I suppose this is the way that the coaching business works these days. You have to lie. Loyalty and commitment are farther down the list of priorities than they used to be. It’s just business as usual in 2007.

But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

If you missed the intro and the second ten, check them out in yesterday’s post. One thing I failed to mention (although I suppose it’s obvious) is that I have included a clip with each entry so you can hear a little of what the album is like. So, with that, here’s the rest of the list - my top ten favorites of the year.

10. The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me - Brand New   (2006)

The latest from Brand New is, in my opinion, their best by far. I really like Jesse Lacey’s vocals and songwriting here, both lyrically and musically. Several reviews I read invoked the name of Pink Floyd, so I suppose that’s a valid comparison. And the song “Jesus Christ” is one of my favorites of the year. Also, it gets my favorite album cover award this year.

9. Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss   (2007)

What happens when one of the fathers of heavy metal and the reigning queen of bluegrass get together to make a record? Well, Raising Sand happens, and it’s far better than I would have imagined it could be. Plant and Krauss sound magnificent together, and there’s a lot here - country, folk, blues, rock - a little of everything. And it’s all done very well.

8. Emotionalism - The Avett Brothers   (2007)

Bluegrass, rock, country, pop - The Avett Brothers have it all. Scott describes them as “a meld of the Beatles and bluegrass.” That’s pretty much right on. I first heard them via a performance on Conan O’Brien’s show which left me wanting more. I grabbed the album shortly thereafter, and I was not disappointed.

7. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists   (2006)

The title is from Japanese folklore, a story told in three of the album tracks, among other often strange and sometimes dark lyrics. I recently remembered how great this album is as I watched them perform several of the songs on Austin City Limits. I had a hard time placing this one. It’s so good that I hate not to place it higher, but everything above it is also very good, so it lands here.

6. So Much More - Brett Dennen   (2006)

Dennen is a young singer-songwriter sometimes compared to the likes of Bob Dylan. I stayed away from this for a while because something about Dennen’s voice bothered me. But eventually I got over it and this became one of my favorites of the year. This is a great collection of songs, and very impressive considering it’s only his second album.

5. Hope & Other Casualties - Mark Erelli   (2006)

This album was the first I downloaded from eMusic (along with Ty Tabor) during my free trial back in February. Folk music wasn’t what I was looking for when I signed up, but I’m glad I found this one. Erelli is a terrific storyteller and his post-9/11 song “The Only Way” is the highlight of an album full of great songs.

4. The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance   (2006)

This probably doesn’t seem right, considering the other artists/albums in this list. But it is my favorites list, and this was a definite favorite. It’s a Queen-influenced concept album centered around a dying hospital patient, and despite the dark subject matter, I found it an extremely fun album. Granted, it’s not for everyone, but I couldn’t stop listening to it.

3. Magic - Bruce Springsteen   (2007)

I haven’t really paid as close attention to “The Boss” since my college days, but this newest release was one of the few I bought this year that was an instant favorite upon first listen. There is simply not a bad song on this disc, and if you’ve ever liked Springsteen’s work, you have to own this one.

2. The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter - Josh Ritter   (2007)

Early this year I was introduced to singer-songwriter Josh Ritter via The Animal Years, his release from last year. It was outstanding, and so, the day this newest release hit iTunes in August, I went from my bed to my PC that morning to download it immediately. He’s one of the best out there, and proves it yet again with this album. If you’re not listening to Ritter, you need to start today.

1. Noise From Words - Michael McDermott   (2007)

I suppose there are many injustices in the world of music, but the fact that Michael McDermott is not a more celebrated artist than he is may be the greatest. This is one of the best albums in my entire collection (of nearly 1,300 albums.) He can stand toe to toe with anyone out there today, and I defy you not to love this album. There’s not a bad song to be found here and the closing track is probably my favorite song of the year. Get this album today.

Okay. That’s it. That’s the list.

My next list will be my favorite books of the year. Again this year, I’ve read far less than I would like to have (you can see my list here), but I’ll nonetheless produce a favorites list from what I’ve read sometime next week, or perhaps the final week of the year.

It’s time for the latest of my annual “year in music” posts, detailing my favorite albums of the year. Due to an unusual amount of new music (over 100 new albums this year), I’ve chosen to go past simply a top ten, and include a second ten as well. The top ten will be forthcoming in the next day or two, but for now, the second half of the list.

A few notes:

• It’s not limited to albums released in the past year, but albums “new to me” (although most are from the last two years)
• I chose only one album per artist (the most recent) for the list, since I acquired multiple albums by some of the artists on the list
• Regarding links to the albums, all links below are to eMusic where available, with the rest pointing to Amazon.

So, with that said, here’s this year’s list, part one:

20. Five Score And Seven Years Ago - Relient K   (2007)

Relient K has always been a good pop-punk band, but they’ve also gotten better over time. I think this is probably their best to date. Their songwriting has improved over the years, particularly with this collection, and the 11-minute closer “Deathbed” is one of their best tracks to date.

19. Remedy - David Crowder Band   (2007)

The problem with recording an album like 2005’s A Collision is that you have to follow it up. And no, Remedy is not A Collision II, and, of course, it shouldn’t be. It’s also not as good (an unreasonable expectation), but is probably more accessible. If you don’t expect more than you should (which, granted, is difficult), it’s a very good album.

18. Freedom’s Road - John Mellencamp   (2007)

Scarecrow will always be my favorite Mellencamp album, but this is likely my second favorite, with some similarities to Scarecrow. I really have enjoyed it a lot this year. By now, you’re probably sick of hearing “Our Country” all over the place, but there’s other good stuff here as well, which sounds more like what he was doing in the mid-80’s.

17. Rival Factions - Project 86   (2007)

Project 86 first appeared on my radar in 2001 via the now-defunct Webrock.net. Since then I’ve become a huge fan of their brand of hard music and vocalist Andrew Schwaub. This new disc, while not their best (in my opinion), is probably their most accessible album yet. It’s varied in number of ways from their earlier stuff, but is still Project 86 and is outstanding in it’s own right.

16. Cassadaga - Bright Eyes   (2007)

I first heard Bright Eyes on one of my digital music channels earlier this year. Singer and songwriter Conor Oberst has one of those trembling voices that I tend to enjoy. I’ve seen it called alt country, indie rock, folk rock, and others. Seems to be a little of them all, but I just call it very good.

15. The Ringing Bell - Derek Webb   (2007)

Like Crowder, Webb’s recent work has caused expectations of future work to be high and perhaps unrealistic as well. Webb did not, for me at least, exceed his work on Mockingbird, but did create another very good album, continuing to speak to things other “Christian” artists don’t (or won’t). It also has, like his previous works, a slightly different musical feel from anything else he’s done.

14. Rock Garden - Ty Tabor   (2006)

I’m a long time King’s X fan, and so anything that any of these guys puts out immediately gets my attention. Ty Tabor has recorded several very good solo albums now, and while his previous solo work has been rightly labeled “Beatle-esque”, this one seems to be a mixture of his previous solo work and as well as his King’s X work. The result is his best album to date.

13. Some Mad Hope - Matt Nathanson   (2007)

I’d never heard of Nathanson until this year when I downloaded an acoustic live album from eMusic. This newest release was good the first time I listened to it, but seemed to get better with each listen. He’s been “under the radar” for quite a while, or so I read. Hopefully, he won’t remain there.

12. Vena Sera - Chevelle   (2007)

I found Chevelle at the time (and place) as Project 86, and this, their fourth album, is more of the same. Nothing new here, but I like what they do and so I’m fine with that. Often compared to Tool and Helmet, the heavy guitars, occasional screams and melodic choruses make for quite a good disc.

11. The Trumpet Child - Over The Rhine   (2007)

The newest disc by married duo Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist consists largely of love songs, although the excellent title track speaks to the end of time when Christ returns and makes all things new. I’ve heard of OTR for years, but only this year began listening to their stuff (thanks to eMusic.) It’s really great and I absolutely love Bergquist’s voice and the way she sings these songs.

That’s it for now. Up next, the top ten…

Since I had so much new music this year, here are a few albums that didn’t quite make the cut. Consider this my “honorable mention” list (in no particular order):

When I read this passage from Camp’s book, I was reminded of the Derek Webb song “A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fear,” particularly the line which says “tell me, since when do the means justify the ends and you build the kingdom using the devil’s tools.”

Here’s the quote from Mere Discipleship:

After the April 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, an angry letter to the editor appeared in one of the Nashville papers:

To the Editor:

Once again, we experience the tragedy of a mass shooting at one of our schools - [this] time in Colorado. The news anchors and President Clinton wring their hands and say, “What shall we do? What shall we do?”

The standard knee-jerk reaction is to try to pass more laws restricting gun ownership, but that is not the answer. The answer is simple: Execute the little bastards.

Texas has the highest per-capita rate of executions in the country, and you don’t hear about school shootings there. Maybe when we start punishing criminals, we will see a reduction in the crime rate. It’s time we realize that turning the other cheek doesn’t work.

In spite of the writer’s confidence about the efficacy of the Texas death penalty, within a number of months a gunman entered Wedgewood Baptist Church in Forth Worth, and killed seven of the Christians gathered for a youth prayer service.

In any case, the letter-writer’s logic merely updates the logic and faith employed by Charlemagne centuries earlier: certain things work, and certain things don’t. “Turning the other cheek,” it is claimed, “doesn’t work.” And in our concern to accomplish certain noble ends, we must make sure to be “effective.” How shall we convert the masses? Or how shall we accomplish a “reduction in the crime rate?” “The answer is simple: Execute the little bastards.”

Instead of grappling seriously with what Jesus could have possibly meant by “turning the other cheek,” the letter-writer’s crass reflex provides yet an updated example of the old Constantinian reflex to be “effective,” to “get the job done,” and do “whatever it takes.” Such a reflex appears deeply indoctrinated with a faithlike trust in the radical impracticality of Jesus’ teaching: if one wants to maintain culture, maintain civilization, maintain any good within the community, the assumption goes, one must utilize means that “everybody understands.” In this way, “discipleship” gets castrated, or at least sharply curtailed in its assumed rightful place. “Following Jesus” becomes something one does on Sundays and in one’s quiet time in order to “go to heaven,” but the way of Christ has no place in the real world of violence, injustice, and greed. “Church” becomes an institution necessary to instill “moral values” in the citizenry of a democracy, but the fundamental teachings of its Messiah are taken to be irrelevant to the way the world “really works.”

“If we have struggled to bring about a kingdom of heaven on earth, we have been willing to borrow our tools from the kingdom of hell.” Or so a contemporary philosopher described the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But might his words aptly describe not only the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan, but significant components of Christian history? - that in the name of the kingdom of God, we have made use of the tools of hell?

Our Sunday morning class is working through Jesus’ sermon on the mount right now, and this past Sunday covered “turning the other cheek.” Questions were asked involving various scenarios in which it just didn’t seem possible that turning the other cheek would possibly work. That seems to be the prevailing sentiment among many that I see discussing such issues of radical discipleship - Jesus’ way just won’t work.

I understand that feeling. But do we dismiss certain things which seem impractical, simply for that reason - that it “won’t work,” without actually trying it? The problem with Jesus’ way is that it won’t work the way we want it to work. The outcome may not be what we desire, and so move on to something that makes more sense to us. Something that will, as Camp says, “get the job done.”

I don’t doubt that Jesus’ way of operating in this world will, in fact, work. The problem is that sometimes we just won’t allow it.

The teaching minister at our church recently asked me if I would be interested in forming somewhat of a “book club.” Since I love to read, I was all for it. We decided to choose a book each month, read it, then meet to discuss what we read and what we thought of it. Initially, I believe, it’s only the two of us, although others may join at some in future months.

We decided to start this month, and suggested several books. We ended up choosing one we’d both read a few years ago, but both wanted to read again: Lee Camp’s Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World. So, after starting the book this weekend, I thought I’d post a few initial quotes and thoughts.

Camp opens the first chapter discussing the Rwandan genocide of 1994, highlighting the fact that Rwanda was considered “‘the most Christian country in Africa’, with as much as 90 percent of the population claiming some Christian church affiliation.” He questions why the Rwandan church failed to be the church during this horrific time. Why, if 90% of the country is supposedly Christian, did over 800,000 people die at the hands of their neighbors?

He suggests that perhaps the Rwandans brand of Christianity - largely imported from the West - was made up of Christians, but not of disciples of Jesus. Camp writes:

When push came to shove, the Jesus who taught his disciples to “love their neighbor” was missing when young men were hacking old men, women and children to death, simply because these neighbors were of a different ethnic background. Numerous Christian martyrs of both Hutu and Tutsi ethnic identity died because of their resistance to the massacres. But that these faithful martyrs were a minority among the fold of Chrsitians has led critics to suggest that the “gospel” imported into Rwanda failed to ever challenge the ethnic identities of its “converts” - they “became Christian,” but many remained first and foremost either Hutu or Tutsi.

This is not a unique failure of Christians in the history of the church, as he points out. The church has often used the sword in our history. What about Jesus’ example and authority in our lives? Camp continues:

“Jesus is Lord” is a radical claim, one that is ultimately rooted in questions of allegiance, of ultimate authority, of the ultimate norm and standard for human life. Instead, Christianity has often sought to ally itself comfortably with allegiance to other authorities, be they political, economic, cultural or ethnic. Could it be that “Jesus is Lord” has become one of the most widespread Christian lies? Have Christians claimed the lordship of Jesus, but systematically set aside the call to obedience to this Lord? At least in Rwanda, with “Christian Hutus” slaughtering “Christian Tutsis” (and vice versa), “Christian” apparently served as a faith brand name - a “spirituality”, or a “religion” - but not a commitment to a common Lord.

Then, Camp asks the following:

We American Christians, are we any different? Do we have all the same cultural assumptions about Christianity that would allow us to shelve our discipleship, to compartmentalize our faith, so that we too could fall prey to such demonic forces? Do we have on the same blinders? We good American Christians, could we do the same thing?

Recently, on a “Christian” message board, there was a thread titled “Communism and Christianity.” I no longer recall exactly what all was being discussed, but there was a quote that stuck with me, largely because it seemed so glaringly un-Christlike (and, by the way, it was made by one who is actually in ministry himself.) Here it is:

I like my freedom and will fight to the death to keep it!

“It’s all about me, baby. I will kill to maintain my lifestyle” - with an exclamation point. You might expect things like this from the more extreme folks - perhaps your Phelps’, or maybe even your Robertsons or Falwells, considering some of their off-the-wall comments in the past - but coming from someone in ministry and a part of my own tradition of Churches of Christ, it was a little more troubling.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that it’s really that uncommon. Many of the Christians that frequent that board, and many other boards/blogs like it, would apparently wholeheartedly agree with his declaration. (Particularly if the “enemy” were Muslim.) And so the more things like this that I read, the more it seems to me that the answer to Camp’s question - “Could we do the same thing?” - very well may be “Yes, we could.” I always come back to a quote by Shane Claiborne, which I’ve used here before:

Our world is desperately in need of imagination, for we have spent so much creativity devising ways of destroying our enemies that some folks don’t even think it’s possible (much less practical) to love them. We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving.

When it comes down to it, are we more willing to “die killing” then “die loving”? If we say we’re following Jesus, what does it really mean to truly follow Him? Is our allegiance fully to Him, or only when it’s convenient, only when it’s safe?

I am going to try to post regularly as I go through this book. That’s it for today, but hopefully I’ll post more later. And let me add one other thing, just to be clear: I’m asking those questions above of myself first.

There’s been a lot of discussion in these parts about Houston Nutt coaching against Arkansas next fall when Ole Miss plays in Fayetteville. Nutt can only hope it turns out as well as Tommy Amaker’s first meeting against his former team.

Amaker was shown the door by Michigan earlier this year and then landed the job at Harvard. Yesterday, Michigan traveled east to face the Crimson. It turned out pretty well for Amaker: Harvard 62, Michigan 51.

Harvard scored the last 11 points, holding Michigan scoreless for the final three-and-a-half minutes of the game. Considering the Michigan program is down, it’s not quite the same, but Harvard fans were chanting “Appalachian State” prior to the game. Amaker downplayed the personal aspect of the win, saying it was “a win for our program, not a win for Tommy Amaker.”

Yeah, right, Tommy. That felt great and everybody knows it. No sense in trying to hide it.