John Wesley in film

Thanks to the UM Reporter blog I am now looking forward to a film biography of John Wesley. I've seen one before, and it may was probably this 1954 version which has the redeeming quality of at least being accurate, if not entertaining.

That's a shame, because John's life is interesting and full of good drama, so I'm hoping that this film will raise some interest in his life. I wish that it had been completed a few years ago, when the church was celebrating the 200th anniversary of his birth, but October is good too. Taking the church to see it would make a good church trip for All Saint's Day.

You can watch the preview here: Wesley

TMBG Names and what they do.

There's been lots of ink spilled on names and identity and those sorts of things. Some churches have been sublimating their denominational name as a means of reaching out to the unchurched. So you get "The Westfield Church" instead of "Westfield Baptist". I don't necessarily like it, but I understand it. It reminds me of the video below. It's a good song, which I think would have gotten more play if it hadn't been for the band name.

It's They Might Be Giants, an alternative band that doesn't get much radio play. I heard it on XM Kids. I wonder how much more play it would get if it was by some anonymous band. Then again, would I have given it a second listen if it WASN'T from TMBG, a band that takes up some space in my CD collection?

This video is just someone's homemade Youtube video. I couldn't find a better one on Youtube.

Derek Webb

I was trying to do music on Fridays, but my whole blog schedule has been thrown off lately, so I'm posting this anyway.

I like Derek Webb for his singing style and his heart. That he covers great artists like Dylan and Elvis Costello is also part of his gift. It's amazing to me that in this song he makes the Nick Lowe song, (What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding? which Elvis Costello turned into a hit - sound like a Derek Webb song.

Battlestar Judaica

I don't watch much television, but it's not because I hate tv, it's probably more that I could sit and watch it for hours. However, there are some shows, such as Lost, that I watch and spend time looking at. It probably has to do with good writing. Battlestar Galactica has writing that appeals to me.

I was old enough to watch Battlestar Galactica, the first series, as a 10 year old fan of Star Wars. It failed to grab my attention. When the second series came out, 4 years ago, I was not interested, until some fairly interesting and intelligent people I know started saying "you have to watch this." And so I did, and now I'm a junkie. It's got a monotheism/polytheism angle, and a Christian/Jewish angle, and issues surrounding identity and sin and predestination and on and on.

Here's some great talks on the show, which are good to watch even if you haven't yet gotten into the show (and there's only a half season left, so I encourage you to get into it.) The links come courtesy of Galactica Sitrep, which is the best Galactica blog out there.