photo credit: Pleuntje

Not being Catholic, I didn’t know much about Ash Wednesday. I had hoped to offer something to the community this year to recognize it, but the holiday kind of rushed up on me, oh well.. maybe next year.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a 46 day repentance, it’s a compilation of several biblical traditions all rolled into one. First it’s a time of sadness and so the worshiper receives ashes on their forehead following the middle-eastern practice of covering yourself with ash as a sign of mourning.

Jeremiah 6:26 (CEB) “My people, put on funeral clothes and roll in ashes; weep and wail as for an only child.”

Next, the observance spans a 46 day period that leads to Easter, this honors the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry.

Luke 4:1-2 (CEB) Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted for forty days.

Interestingly enough, the ash used for the ritual is made from the Palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday Service. Several Christian denominations observe this day, but primarily by the Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians.

So in honor of Ash Wednesday and those who practice it, I offer this meditation:

1 John 4:18 (CEB) There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.

I think a time of repentance and remembering can be very cleansing for the soul and spirit, so long as it is done as part of a catharsis, meaning – as part of an inward journey. I think symbols and rituals are very helpful in our worship and Ash Wednesday can be a very powerful and very meaningful observance so long as it is done as a reflection that we do for ourselves. John says, “there is no fear in love” meaning, with God, we no longer have a fear of judgement or condemnation because of our actions. Self-generated pity or mourning is not something God needs to see to convince him to forgive us.

The tradition of throwing ash on the self was turned into a public display, so that others would see your dedication, and I would hope that none of us today receive the ashes simply so that we can wear them to work as if to say, “see, I am a good Christian.”

The ashes are not for a show to others, or even to God. He doesn’t care if we honor the day or not.  John says, “if you do this because you’re afraid…then perhaps you have not yet heard the good news.”

For me, Ash Wednesday is the ribbon cutting to Easter, it’s a man shouting “And we’re off!” It’s the moment to spin and shout… “You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy!” Psalm 30:11 (CEB)

Today’s Geek report is solely devoted to one of the greatest trilogies of all time – The Matrix. I recently got the movies on blu-ray and since I now have 3 sets in my house, I thought I would write up a quick summary of what is included with the blu-ray movies.

A long time ago, I purchased the original trilogy individually, then later the Ultimate Colection on DVD and now this blu-ray release. I knew eventually that I would need to scale up to blu-ray, but was always worried that I would “lose” some of the special features.

The Matrix movies are certainly one of my all time favorites (next to Star Wars and LOTR) so I didn’t want to down grade by purchasing the blu-ray set. Let me start off by saying – this is not the case. I don’t know that the promotional material has done a good enough job explaining what you get on this release, but there certainly are some differences.

The DVD’s were on 10 disks- but, the blu-ray set is on 6. You get 4 blu-rays (one for each movie) and then a set of 2 DVD’s for the bonus features. The Zion Archive DVD is exactly the same as the one from the Ultimate DVD set – and then the “Burly Man” and “Roots” DVD’s are mashed together on either side of a single disk.  But here is the break down for the rest of the disks and since I own all of them – let me show you exactly what you get comparing the original DVD release, to the Ultimate DVD release to the now Ultimate Blu-ray release:

1.1 Matrix DVD

• 2 Commentaries the actor track and the music only commentary with Don Davis
• Making the Matrix
• Bullet time (as an Easter egg)

1.2 Ultimate Matrix DVD

• 2 Commentaries “the philosopher” and the “critic”
• The music revisited
• Behind the matrix
• Take the red pill
• Follow the white rabbit.

1.3 The Matrix blu-ray

• All 4 commentaries together. (great feature)
• Everything from the Ultimate DVD plus:
• The Music Revisited
• Rock is Dead Music Video
• Trailers and TV spots

2.1 Reloaded DVD

• The Matrix unfolds
• Pre-load
• Get me an exit
• The MTV movie awards reloaded

2.2 Ultimate Reloaded DVD

• 2 Commentaries “the philosopher” and the “critic”
• Car chase
• Teahouse fight
• Unplugged
• I’ll handle them
• The exiles
• Enter the matrix the game
• All 23 live action shots from Enter the Matrix the game

2.3 Ultimate Reloaded Blu-Ray

• Everything from both previous editions including:

• P.O.D. music video

• Theatrical and TV Trailers

3.1 Revolutions DVD

• Revolutions recalibrated
• CG revolution
• Super Burly Brawl
• Future Gamer
• Before the Revolution
• 3-D evolution
• Operator

3.2 Ultimate Revolutions DVD

• Crew
• Hell
• Super burly brawl
• New blue world
• Siege
• After math

3.3 Ultimate revolutions Blu-Ray

• Everything from both previous editions including:
• Neo realism – the evolution of bullet time

• Super big mini models
• Double agent smith
• Mind over matter

In addition, each Blu-Ray features an in-Movie experience. The IME is included on all 3 of the Matrix films. The IME is an exclusive interactive feature that allows viewers to enjoy new ways of accessing interviews and other material while the movie is running. For these titles, the IME will let viewers experience via picture in picture the evolution of all The Matrix’s ground breaking elements through the recollections of the cast and creative team.

So you are not losing anything with this set.

The negatives: first the thing that bummed me out the most… no fun menus. Each menu is a static matrix code screen shot (that doesn’t even move) it looks like the wallpaper that you had on your desktop back in high school. You’d think on a blu-ray disk, you;’d get something fun and awesome, but it’s boring, there are not even little transition videos like the other releases had. Oh well.

Second, I play my movies on a Playstation 3 and all of my Blu-rays show up with the title, an icon and perhaps even music from the movie. These discs all show up as an unknown file. Not even a title – you can’t tell which disk is in the player from the PS3 menu. Kinda lame.

Other than that – these movies have never looked or sounded better. Amazing transfer! I watched these on my new HD-TV with my surround sound up and I felt like I was back in the theatre. Definitely pick these up!

Since the late 80′s, Patrick Morley has been one of America’s most respected authorities on the unique challenges and opportunities that men face. After spending the first part of his career in the highly competitive world of commercial real estate, Patrick has been used throughout the world to help men think more deeply about their lives. I received his latest book Man Alive: Transforming Your Seven Primal Needs into a Powerful Spiritual Life from Multnomah publishers & Edelweiss for an honest review.

From the onset, Morley writes, “Over the last four decades, I’ve met one-on-one with thousands of men. Most of them know that Jesus promised “a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10), but too many are confused about what that looks like. In fact, I’d estimate that 90 percent of Christian men lead lukewarm, stagnant, defeated lives—and they hate it.” Morley does a terrific job in Man Alive relating how to fulfill the things that most men feel are basic needs. As a reader, you feel immediately that Morely knows how to relate to men, and how to speak their language.

Morely describes the 7 primal needs as:

1. To feel like I don’t have to do life alone.

2. To believe that God loves and cars about me personally.

3. To understand how my life has a purpose, and that my life is not random.

4. To break free from the destructive behaviors that keep dragging me down.

5. To satisfy my souls thirst for transcendence, awe, and communion with God

6. To love and be loved

7. To make a contribution to the world

This book is a great companion to any man’s life who has reached this stage where he is seeking answers to what and why. The book is laid out so that each chapter addresses one of the primal needs, along with personal examples and stories from the author. Each chapter also contains follow up questions to help push the reader further.

This book would make a great men’s group discussion topic and would certainly recommend this book to any man who wrestles with these questions. This book would also be a great read for women who wish to understand the mental workings of things that men wrestle with. This was a great book and I will certainly use it’s teachings as a resource in the years to come.

Leonard Sweet is currently the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew University, Madison, NJ and a Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University, Portland, Oregon. Author of more than two hundred articles, over twelve hundred published sermons, and dozens of books, including the Jesus Manifesto.

His latest book, I am a Follower is a leadership book for anyone who has never connected with leadership books. What I mean to say is, it’s an anti-leadership book.

As a pastor I read leadership books all of the time, and there are a lot of great ones out there. I also bump into a lot of “leadery leaders” who have the expensive jeans, the goatee and the latest Rick Warren book in their back pocket. I try to go to leadership conferences every so often to see what other leaders are doing – to draw inspiration from leaders and to just bask in the fact that we’re all leaders together and isn’t being a leader, fun?

Leonard Sweet’s book is not about any of that, and yet it’s still about leadership, or rather it’s about followership. Does the bible really ask us to lead? Or does it tell us to follow? “Leadership is an alien template we have laid on the Bible.” I tweeted that quote as soon as I read it. That quote resonated with me to my very core. Why is the church so busy to create leaders, to raise up leaders, to hire leaders when all along, we should be making followers?

Sweet explains in his book what it means to be a “first follower.” Someone who takes the initiative to go out into the open, exposed to the world and to begin to follow our Savior the way he asks to be followed. Jesus said, “follow me.” He never said study me, or listen to me, or memorize me, or any of the other frames we have used to feign allegiance. Jesus didn’t even invite his students to be attached to the Torah, “he invited them to be attached to himself.”

Leadership is typically about being front and center, about being looked at, and admired. Leadership is the big chair, the cherry wood desk, the final say, and the loudest voice. Leadership is about privilege, private meetings and private jets. But front and center is not where you will ever find Jesus. In fact the bible says that Jesus often “retreated to lonely places.” Whenever fame and fortune were thrust on Jesus, Jesus quickly rejected them. “To find and follow Jesus, we must decentralize our thinking and decenter everything.”

I loved this book, not because it “taught” me anything, but because it put words to a theology that I have always felt at my core. Don’t get me wrong, I will still go to leadership conferences and I will still read leadership books, but at least now I will remember the real reason why I lead… to create followers of Jesus.

I received this book for free from book sneeze

Jud Wilhite is an author, speaker and senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. Jud graduated from Dallas Christian College and holds a master’s degree from Lincoln Seminary. Jud co-founded People of the Second Chance which is a blog and a movement of people championing grace and love in our culture. Jud is an espresso fanatic and loves playing the guitar.

I got his latest book “Torn – Trusting God When Life Leaves You in Pieces.”  from his publisher Multnomah Books, so that I could write a review for my blog; and I think the title speaks for itself – this book is about trust.

Wilhite writes in a very open and very easy to read voice. I think he does a good job explaining that all Christians suffer at times, sure it’s not what we expect, but we learn to trust God though it all.  This isn’t an easy thing for believers. I mean, how do you “trust” God when it seems “he” is the one beating you up? Wilhite dives into the misnomer that being a Christian means your life is going to be easy and free of pain.

Wilhite breaks the subject in half – trusting God and then putting the pieces back together, and for its size and subject matter, he does a great job getting you the basics. That’ what this book is, a refresher, a reminder, a devotional on hurting and pain. This isn’t a biblical treatise or even the “why” to the issue. After all, how would the author talk about “why” anyway? Can any of us truly answer the sovereignty of God question? Doubtful. Wilhite moves past “why” to address the matter of “who” – who is God? And moreover, “who is God at this moment?” We trust God when things are going great – we should trust him even more when we feel torn.

I think this book would make a great gift for pastors who are looking to offer key members a shoulder or a catalyst towards being put back together again. This book is for anyone who is hurting and broken and who needs a gentle reminder who holds the needle and thread of our lives.

photo credit: wolfgangfoto

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The word “complete” is the word artios and it means perfect. Wait, you mean the bible makes me perfect? No, only Christ makes you perfect, but what the bible does is that it reveals that you are perfect. We talked about how the Bible can be a mirror sometimes.

When you stare longingly into it, when we read the bible, it shows us our true nature.

Most of us don’t know our true nature, the world beats us down, sometimes even religion beats you down and in the end we believe the lies rather than the truth. If that’s you, I want to tell you something: God has not failed you, the Bible has not failed you, People have failed you. And somewhere along the way you’ve have been lied to about who you really are. The reason why I need the bible to light my path, give me confidence, restore me, equip me and reveal to me that I am whole is because my own image of myself is flawed.

Without this book, I will believe the lies…

And the bible will never be able to change my life until I first realize that it gives me life.

Without this book I will never know the truth.

Jesus says in John 8:31-32 “If you abide in my word, you will know the truth”

Yes, the bible can do a lot for you – but ultimately what the bible does – that no other book can do – is it GIVES YOU LIFE

Jesus said to his disciples in John 6:63 “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

Jesus said that his words were more than just words, they were life. In some way, Jesus’ words were more than sound and syllables, somehow they contained energy and passion and movement and vitality. When Jesus was walking on the planet 2000 years ago he brought people back to life simply by speaking.

The Bible says in Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.“

God gave us the universe by simply breathing.  The word “breath” in the bible is most used to convey life. Things that are alive, have breath, things that die loose breath, and so for Paul to write that All Scripture is breathed out by God is to in effect say that the bible is alive.

The author of Hebrews says in 4:12, The word of God is living and active…

So there is this ancient idea that somehow these writings contain the same breath that created everything – and these words contain life – these words have a heartbeat, they have a pulse.

I need the bible to give me life.

There was a time when Jesus was fasting in the desert, he was alone and hungry; and when he was tempted to just make food appear, Jesus quoted  his own memory verse from Deuteronomy 8:3:

Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

I need the bible to give me a word from the Lord, Jesus says it’s a spiritual supplement that I take in order to live.

These words have power. These words give life. These words are as important to us as breathing and food. God’s breath is in us – and God’s breath is in here (the bible) and when you and the bible come together – something powerful happens – life happens.

I can’t explain it, I can’t prove it to you – you just need to do it for yourself and see.

photo credit: ~Asu

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

Training is the word paideia in the Greek and it’s a word used to describe how you were raised. It’s how you were taught by teachers, punished by parents, how you grew in mind and body, the entire growth process that took place as you came to maturity is the paideia of your life. But here Paul uses the word not to talk about physical maturity, but to talk about Spiritual maturity.

The bible equips you for spiritual maturity.

And so if teaching shows you the path and correction brings you back to the path, then training equips you to stay on the path.  Those things that your parents taught you as you were growing up, those were lessons so that all your life you would stay on the right path.  The bible has the power to grow you and equip you for spiritual maturity.

Two things real quick: one, I don’t want the blogs this week to become another “read your bible every day” reminder. That’s not what I am saying. Can you be a good, saved Christian and not read your bible? Of course. Would you still go to Heaven if you never read your bible? Of course. But, if you don’t read your bible will you ever become spiritually mature?

No.

No, you will not grow, or develop as a Christian if the bible just sits there. Just like you won’t learn to change the channels on your TV without your remote. You can not “will” the channels to change with your mind. The remote is the conduit between you and more options. It bridges the gap between you and the TV.

The bible connects you to God. And so to grow and change and develop as a Spiritual being, we need these words.

Second, I think there is also the problem that we sometimes read the bible for a time, and then become frustrated that we didn’t become spiritually mature… right away. I want to become spiritually mature, right now! If you’ve tossed the bible aside because like diet and exercise you didn’t see results right away, you read it for a time and now you don’t feel any more enlightened or any more mature than I would argue that you didn’t give it enough time.

Nobody grows up over night. Our physical paidea takes 18 years. The same goes for plants, trees, flowers – growth (any growth) takes time.

I love the last line from the Parable of the Sower, Jesus says:

Luke 8:15

As for the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with (what?)  patience.

Paidea takes patience. Bible reading and bible study takes patience and I would argue that for the majority of people who place the bible aside and say “it doesn’t work for me” or “it’s broken” have lost the patience it takes to see it through.

If you want the full sized file – click here

“Hey, we can’t ALL be Batman!”

Well, there is just no denying it anymore. I have a confession to make. I am also a GEEK. Yes, in addition to being a fan of “Greek” I am also a fan of all things “Geek.” And since blogs are supposed to reflect the honest and open nature of their creators, I felt it was about time I came clean.

This week in GEEK world for me, I stopped collecting my 20 issue run of Todd McFarlane’s Haunt comic. After issue 18 Todd’s writer and penciler left, and since then the quality just went south. Half the reason I collect a title is for the art work, so when you change the creative team like that – sorry, I gotta let you go. Ryan Ottley was what first pulled me over to Haunt (amazing artist) and he left to exclusivity work on Invincible.

Robert Kirkman used to help with Haunt and now he is exclusively with Walking Dead (more on that later). But the last straw was Greg Capullo’s departure. This guy seriously knows how to draw and so now that he jumped ship – literally – from Haunt (an Image Comics title) to Batman (a D.C. title). I have decided to start collecting my first D.C. title in over a decade.

That’s right, I collect ZERO D.C. titles, it’s always been the “anti-publisher” in my mind. I am a Marvel guy, the same way I am a PC guy, a Pepsi guy and I will never buy an American Car guy. But if Capullo can bring Batman to life the way he did with Haunt, then you got me D.C.

Of course, Batman is up to issue #5 by now (I am a little behind) so I am scrambling to get all of the issues so that I can catch up. As we speak #1 is in the mail, so I am on pins and needles waiting for the mail man.

Also in Comic News – recently AMC premiered their new reality show Comic Book Men with Kevin Smith (yes, THAT Kevin Smith). Apparently, Kevin Smith owns a New Jersey Comic Book store called Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. And so this a show that follows the employees of the shop (as well as a groupie named Bryan).

The pilot episode was pretty good, it felt like Pawn Stars and LA Ink and Comic-Con all playing Modern Warfare 3 in a man cave. The show bounces between the “unscripted” (nobody says ‘reality show’ anymore) scenes at the Comic Book store (people coming in to pawn their collectibles) and the on air podcast (is it really a podcast?) between Kevin and his Geek minions.

For now, the series will stay locked in my DVR so good job Kevin Smith, you have my attention.

photo credit: John Picken

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

In the Greek, the word “correction” means “to bring back to an upright state.” If something has fallen over, you correct it. If you walk by a picture on the wall that’s crooked you correct it.

When we say things like:

“My life is falling apart”

“My life has gone to the dogs”

“I feel like I’m at the end of the rope.”

“I am at my wits end.”

When that happens, God comes in and He restores my life.  He gives me a whole new life.  He gives me a fresh start. He lets me start over.

The Bible calls it being born again; and it’s called being “born again” because it’s that dramatic. Born again means you get a whole new life, you don’t just turn over a new leaf; you get a whole new leaf!

This means that when my life has gone off the path, when I have fallen away, God’s word picks me back up and restores me – and places me back on the path. I read the bible because I need correction, I need alignment and reminder of where I need to be.