2007 Recommended Reading List

Today I wish to blog about books I have read either in their entirety or in part (but enough "part" to be able to make a recommendation) this year. Some have been textbooks in classes and others have not.

The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan = I read most of this with my accountability partners this year. It is an excellent book about God's attributes written in plain language. The unique takes in this book on the parable of the Good Samaritan as well as on God's Wrath are especially good.

Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer = The former CEO of Big Idea, Inc. and the creator of VeggieTales gives an autobiographical look at the rise and fall of his company. You really must read this book in its entirety in order to get the full impact.

The Peacemaker by Ken Sande. Required reading for one of my courses but an excellent study in how to resolve conflict.

Making Peace by Jim Van Yperen. Also required reading for the same course on the subject of resolving conflict.

Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson. The title pretty much describes the content (how to raise boys as a parent).

Seven Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, Laine Jones, and Reggie Joiner. A thought provoking study on seven things the authors believe a church must practice. These are more philosophical than theological in nature, but the authors make a strong argument for these practices.

God's Power to Change Your Life by Rick Warren. A study on developing the fruit of the Spirit into your life. Very easy to read.

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This 17th century monk gives a strong argument for doing what the title says. Beware of moral perfectionist theology within the work, though.

Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film, and Culture by Spencer Lerewenz and Barbara Nicolosi. A collection of essays by practicing Christians in Hollywood on various aspects of the screen world. I found some of the essays to be very valuable while others I felt were quite lacking. Read all of them, though, for some mental candy to chew on. You will likely find some of your attitudes about Hollywood challenged by this material.

and for something different:

The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World by Julie Neal and Mike Neal. It's extremely colorful and very helpful on planning a visit to WDW.

The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World by the Imagineers. Similar in design to the previously read Field Guides for the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, this one covers Animal Kingdom. Very good. Very colorful. Very informative.

Recommended DVD Viewing

You may be bored with the latest offerings on DVD. Or you may just want to watch something you know little about, but you don't know what is good. Here are some recommendations for you from The Thinking Servant.

Lewis & Clark This would be the Ken Burns Documentary. It is (in my opinion) the best Ken Burns documentary I have ever seen. Highly recommended. And it is much shorter (4 hours) than some of his other choices like The Civil War or Baseball.

WKRP in Cincinatti: Season One This has just been released on DVD. This season (the 1978-79 season of the show) was definitely the show's best. If your not old enough to remember the show, I recommend it. The First Episode is a classic! As is the Thanksgiving Episode! (this does not necessarily endorse every episode of the season as I don't remember all of them, but there were plenty of good ones).

Any Pixar film Even the relatively mediocre Ratatouille (I hope I spelled it right) is better than most films. My favorites include both Toy Story films, Monsters, Inc. (I just saw this one for the first time) and Cars. I have not seen The Incredibles yet.

The first four seasons of Frasier Though this show declined in it's later years, the first four seasons were mostly excellent (on average they would produce about six lesser episodes each year, leaving some eighteen that were great). If your not familar with the show start with season one and go from there. I rate the third season the highest overall (though it started off poorly with a bad plot line involving Frasier and his boss. You can skip those episodes and most of the rest were excellent).

Support Your Local Sheriff A 1969 western comedy starring James Garner. It's Great.

What About Bob? A 1991 comedy with Bill Murray as a mental patient who follows his new psychiatrist on vacation.

Empires: Martin Luther A PBS documentary about the life of Martin Luther. Features theologian Allister McGrath as one of the commentators.

These are just a few to get you started.

Movies We'd Like to See Made

NOTE: Though these are written in a somewhat humorous vein, I really would love to see these movies made below.

10) The Godmother.

9) Ferris Bueler's Day at Work

8) The Sound of Preaching

7) Tech School Musical

6) Dances with Porcupines

5) The Bob Newhart Story

4) Monty Python and the Titanic

3) Forrest Gump and the Temple of Doom

2) Preachin' in the Rain

1) The Thinking Servant: The Movie (what else would you expect here)

Do You Hate Me Yet?

I am about to reveal things about me that may cause you to hate me. I'm talking primarily to you Christians. It seems we have trouble with loving each other because we have differences with each other. I am going to give you the reader a test of your love level toward your brother in Christ. If you struggle with still accepting me as a brother after this you may have trouble fulfilling Jesus command of unity found in John 17. Here goes:

Preferred Worship Style: Contemporary completely. I like the old hymns when sung in a contemporary style. I do not like traditional organ music (I have sometimes joked that the organ was invented in Hades - my apologies to you organ lovers). I do not like southern Gospel styles of music (I don't like to OD on music about heaven which is probably about 75% of this style of music). Within contemporary styles, I'm not much on hip-hop or Chritian metal.

Political Involvement of Christians: Vote for sure. I believe in Christians holding political office. I believe preachers can comment on politics as long as it is relevant to their sermon topic. I believe Churches should not endorse candidates but also believe the government is wrong for making this practice illegal. I believe individual Christians should voice with freedom their political views and that definitely includes pastors. I do not believe that other Americans should have rights that a pastor would be denied.

Calvinism/Arminianism: I'm in the middle but lean closer to the Calvinists. Man is definitely totally depraved. Pre-destination and election are definitely in the Bible but I believe they do work together with free will which is also clearly there (I can't explain how this works anymore than I can explain how the trinity works). Christ's atonement only covers those who accept his grace yet it is not arbitrarily withheld from some. It's hard to argue for an irresistable grace when we have plenty of Biblical characters who rejected it (i.e. rich young ruler, Agrippa). On the other hand, the idea you can lose your salvation seems clearly to be ludicrous and makes your salvation dependent on your actions rather than God's. God is very much a sovereign deity!

For the record, I will note that I admire past Christians on both sides of this debate. I admire Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, William Carey, and C.H. Spurgeon who were all Calvinistic. I also admire Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf and John Wesley who were more Arminian in their theology.

Preaching Preference: INTERESTING!!! I am not as concerned with topical/expository debate because if your boring it doesn't matter which style you use. You will not communicate to your audience. For the record, I believe that both are needed in a church. You simply must go through the books and preach them to mature your people in the faith. It is also necessary from time to time to address what the Bible says about a particular issue in a topical format. There is a huge amount of junky stereotyping (i.e. Expository sermons are dry and boring, Topical sermons are shallow) of each side that is totally uncalled for and needs to be abandoned.

Prophecy: I believe in a pre-tribulational rapture of the church before the seven year tribulation period that precedes the millenial reign of Christ. I reject the idea that the seven churches of Revelation represent different eras of the church age. Postmillenialism is an idea that makes no sense to me and I don't see where in the world it comes from. On the other hand, it is inexcusable fro pre-millenial Christians to fall into hopeless cynicism about the world getting worse and worse and thus fail to work for social change when necessary.

That's just five areas of testing. I suspect that virtually noone in the world will agree with me completely on these issues. Please don't send replies trying to convert me to your view one way or the other (as the purpose of this column is not about engendering debate). This column is just a test to see if you can love a brother who has differences with you on some issue(s). It is also a test for me too on whether I can love those who disagree with me.

Best and Worst of 80's Movies

A new list to add to my TV list below.

BEST MOVIE ABOUT SKIPPING SCHOOL: Ferris Beuller's Day Off (1986)

WORST MOVIE ABOUT SKIPPING SCHOOL: I didn't see any of them, but I'm sure the teenage sex comedies of the early and mid-eighties did much of this. Pick one. Any one. Pick all of them for this award.

BEST HARRISON FORD MOVIE: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

WORST HARRISON FORD MOVIE: Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom (1984)

BEST MOVIE ABOUT A SUMMER CAMP: There were none.

WORST MOVIE ABOUT A SUMMER CAMP: Take your pick. the various Meatballs sequels. Ernest Goes to Camp (1987). Any Friday the 13th movie. Thats just a start.

BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE: A Christmas Story (1983). Runner-up: Scrooged (1988).

WORST CHRISTMAS MOVIE: I didn't see it, but I have a strong hunch that Silent Night, Deadly Night (198?) would fit here. Runner-up: I didn't see this one either, but I heard that the Dudley Moore move Santa Claus: The Movie (198?) was a turkey as well.

BEST MOVIE STARRING ANDRE THE GIANT IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: The Princesss Bride (1987).

WORST MOVIE STARRING ANDRE THE GIANT IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: I don't remember him in any other movie, but probably if he was in another movie, it was bad.

BEST SPORTS MOVIE OF THE 80's: This is a tie between Hoosiers (1986) and Field of Dreams (1989).

WORST SPORTS MOVIE OF THE 80's: Eight Men Out (1988) is not really that bad, but it is long and boring.

BEST SUPER HERO MOVIE OF THE 80's: Superman II (1981). Better than the first one was. One of the best superhero movies of all time.

WORST SUPER HERO MOVIE OF THE 80's: Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). It's sad to see a great franchise fall so far in such a short time. I didn't see it, but I heard that Supergirl (1984) was a disaster as well.

That's all I have time to blog about right now.

The Best and Worst of 1980's Television

Yes, I'm headed to an 80's party this coming weekend and so I have to give my best of the 1980's awards for TV shows. In my opinion the 80's were the true Golden Age of Television though there were a few clunkers as noted below. My categories are somewhat unique:

BEST SHOW WITH CHARACTERS HIDING THEIR TRUE IDENTITY FROM THE AUTHORITIES: The A-Team (1983-86). Runner-up: ALF (1986-90)

WORST SHOW WITH CHARACTERS HIDING THEIR TRUE IDENTITY FROM THE AUTHORITIES: Small Wonder (1985-89, I think).

BEST SHOW FEATURING A GRUFF OLD CODGER PAIRED WITH A YOUNG PERSON WHO BRIGHTENS UP THEIR LIVES: Punky Brewster (1984-86, 87-88).

WORST SHOW FEATURING A GRUFF OLD CODGER PAIRED WITH A YOUNG PERSON WHO BRIGHTENS UP THEIR LIVES: Jake & The Fatman (1987-90)

BEST SHOW FEATURING SLIME: You Can't Do That On Television (throughout the 80's on Nickelodeon)

WORST SHOW FEATURING SLIME: You Can't Do That On Television (hey, it was a very uneven show)

BEST SITCOM ABOUT A CONVENTIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY: Family Ties (1982-89). Runners-up: The Cosby Show (1984-92); Growing Pains (1985-92)

WORST SITCOM ABOUT A CONVENTIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY: Married..with Children (1987-way into the 90's). Runners-up: Roseanne (1988-97); Mr. Belvedere (1985-90).

BEST SITCOM ABOUT AN UNCONVENTIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY: The Hogan Family (1986-91). Runner-up: Diff'rent Strokes (1978-86)

WORST SITCOM ABOUT AN UNCONVENTIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY: Who's The Boss? (1984-92). Runner-up: Mamma's Family (1983-whenever)

BEST ACTOR IN A HIT TV SHOW: Michael J. Fox in Family Ties (1982-89)

WORST ACTOR IN A HIT TV SHOW: Richard Dean Anderson in MacGyver (1985-92).

BEST ACTRESS IN A HIT TV SHOW: I hate the show, but it is honestly Betty White in The Golden Girls (1985-92)

WORST ACTRESS IN A HIT TV SHOW: Anyone on Designing Women (1986-93).

BEST SHOW SET IN ATLANTA: Matlock (1986-95).

WORST SHOW SET IN ATLANTA: Designing Women (1986-93)

BEST SHOW FEATURING TALKING MACHINERY: Knight Rider (1982-86)

WORST SHOW FEATURING TALKING MACHINERY: All other shows that had this.

BEST TV CATCH PHRASE OF THE DECADE: "Hi, I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, this is my other brother Darryl" - as said by Larry on nearly every episode of Newhart (1982-90) that he appeared on.
Runner-ups: "Hey, Let's Be Careful Out There" - the first chief on Hill Street Blues (1981-87), said after the roll call that started each episode.;
"Of course I have, don't be ridiculous" - Balki on Perfect Strangers (1986-92), when trying to pretend he knew what you were talking about.

WORST TV CATCH PHRASE OF THE DECADE: "Who Shot J.R.?" - not really stated on the show until after it was the big phrase in America during Who Shot J.R. mania in 1980. The show was Dallas (1978-91).

and finally:

BEST DRAMA SERIES OF THE DECADE: Magnum P.I. (1980-88)

BEST SITCOM OF THE DECADE: Newhart (1982-90). Runner-up: Family Ties (1982-89).

This list will of course engender debate providing it actually gets read of course.

Veggie Tales: The Best

I am a great fan of the Veggie Tales video/DVD series. I have seen almost all of them (as of this writing) except for the most recent Larry Boy DVD, the How To Draw DVD, and some of the recent silly song compilations (I've also not seen the repackaged versions of some of the Bible stories). Therefore, I am going to give you what I believe the Top 10 are and a brief reason why (I will not include the Silly Song compilations in this list as they should be judged seperately in my view).

10) Lord of the Beans. A great sendup of "Lord of the Rings". Great silly song with Larry as an "Elvish" impersonator.

9) Summo of the Opera. I love the story of Saint Patrick on this DVD in addition to the bizarre combination of Japanese theater and Rocky.

8) Duke and the Pie War. Unfortunately, the baby Moses story is a little slow, but the rest of the DVD does very well.

7) Madame Blueberry. Sometimes a simple story works best and this one about thankfulness is still memorable nine years after it came out. Contains the classic Silly Song "His Cheeseburger".

6) Josh and the Big Wall. Even after ten years, this story of Joshua's battle over Jericho still resonates with truth. "Song of the Cebu" is still one of the all time best Silly Songs.

5) King George and the Duckey. If you thought there was no way to tell the David and Bathsheba story to children, you would be wrong. This tale of the tragedy of selfishness still has chilling effect with the song line "Oh, King George, You are that man!". The opening segment of the "Englishmen Who Went Up the Hill and Took All the Bananas" is hilarious as well.

4) Lyle, the Kindly Viking. Classic casting: Mr. Lunt as Ophelia from Hamlet (well, Omelot in this version). Great story of kindness (not to mention another of my all time favorite silly songs: Larry's High Silk Hat).

3) Gideon, Tuba Warrior. Admittedly I just saw this one, so in the future I might lower its ranking, but I loved this one. Believe it or not, Billy Graham appears in this one (as a stick figure - Don't worry, its respectful). Also, I can't get "Lance the turtle, Aloha Lance, Lance the turtle, Dance, Dance, Dance" out of my head.

2) A Snoodles Tale. You might just cry after this lesson on self-esteem. "Oh, Oh, you and me in our Sport Utility Vehicle....." is a silly song that will grow on you the more times you see it. Also, a great bizarre mixture of Victorian England and Disco.

1) The Ballad of Little Joe. A Western Bible story. Really! This old west retelling of Joseph's story is nearly flawless (including Larry's great line "Desperados! You better come to your senses" as outlaws are tying him up). Also contains my wife's favorite silly song: "Belly Button"

The rest of the Veggie Tales stories are great too. Any Top 10 list that Dave and the Giant Pickle (another great DVD) does not make, means that you have a great group of DVD's ahead of you.

Vacation Destination Recommendations

It is usually in about January when those who are organized begin to plan their summer vacations (those who are unorganized never plan it all other than a vague notion that we will "see the west" or something like that). Having been in 47 of our 50 states (Delaware, Michigan, and Hawaii are the only ones I have left) I am willing to share some of my favorite spots in the USA for your family vacation.

Walt Disney World, FL. This is possibly my favorite place on planet earth. PLEASE GET A GUIDEBOOK OR TWO AND USE THEM!!!!!!!!! Some of you are still under the misinformation that WDW is one single theme park. It is a whole complex containing 4 outstanding theme parks, 2 water parks, and many other recreational opportunities. Visit the 4 theme parks in this order on your first visit: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Each of these parks is a uniquely incredible destination. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Black Hills of South Dakota. Some of you may wonder about this. Check it out. This is where Mount Rushmore is as well as Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Flintstones Bedrock City (really!), Reptile Gardens, the Rushmore-Borglum Story, the 1880 train, the Black Hills Passion Play, the historic town of Deadwood, and many other things. A recommended day trip out of the hub city of Rapid City is to go east to Badlands National Park and the world famous tourist trap (in a good way) Wall Drug Store. Wall Drug is not a pharmacy but a whole complex of shops and mechanical singing cowboys (you really will like it).

Wisconsin Dells, WI. The mecca of tourist traps. I recommend the Upper Dells Boat Tour, the Ducks Boat tour, Noah's Ark water park, and the Timber Falls complex (the only miniature golf course with a built in log flume ride that I am aware of).

Branson, MO.. You don't have to be 75 to enjoy this place. Silver Dollar City theme park is worth the drive and I recommend the Shepherd of the Hills outdoor drama as well. There are also a collection of show theaters featuring celebrities whose glory days are behind them (but most of the celebrities there seem to enjoy being there).

Holiday World Theme Park, IN. This neat small park features an impressive water park and has 3 world class roller coasters (I've only been on two since the third was added since my last visit). And for budget watchers there are two things not found at most theme parks: free parking and free soft drinks. Really!!!! Also, you can see a man claiming to be Santa Claus as well (by the way this is in Santa Claus, Indiana.)

Maggie's Jungle Golf, KY. This isn't really a big destination. My first official date with my wife was here. You'll find it a mile from Kentucky Dam in far western Kentucky. You can play golf here as well as take a golf cart around to see various animals like Ostrichs, Llamas, and so forth. The best place to eat nearby is about five miles away in Grand Rivers, KY. and it's called Patti's (it is expensive to eat there though). If you can't afford Patti's, you can eat at the Mr. Gatti's or Ponderosa in Draffenville or at the Cracker Barrel in Calvert City.

Yellowstone National Park, WY. My favorite lower 48 national park. There is Old Faithful, Lake Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone falls, Mammoth Hot Springs, the Paint Pots, and nature in general to entertain you. Nearby to the south is Grand Teton National Park and the resort of Jackson. To the east is the outstanding Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody.

Denali National Park. AK. My favorite national park of all I've been to. You can't drive very far into the park so you have to take a bus tour. This bus tour is sort of like a safari as you look out for Grizzly bears, moose, caribou, foxes, wolves, dall sheep, and other Alaskan wildlife. You can also see sled dogs. In the village of Denali Park you can see about whitwater rafting and helecopter tours. Oh Yeah, their's also the tallest mountain in North America. Take the Alaska Railroad from either Fairbanks or Anchorage for added trip enjoyment.

Finally you should see Rock City. This little place near Chattanooga, TN. is fun to wonder around on the top of Lookout Mountain.

My list here is not exhaustive. I may be back to recommend more in the future.

More Book Recommendations: Church Life

I previously posted a list of books I recommend. These are largely Christian volumes aimed at a more general audience. As a Seminary student, I would to recommend some books I have read both at Seminary and apart from my Seminary studies (as well as some I have in progress but believe I've read enough to recommend them. These are primarily about practical church work and not about theology or Biblical Studies. My theology and Biblical studies lists will come later.

The Purpose-Driven Church by Rick Warren has become something of a classic now. The Purpose-Driven phenomena is frequently abused, misinterpreted, or otherwise misunderstood by both critics and fans. I recommend reading it yourself (cover-to-cover) before judging the book.

Confessions of A Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll will also clarify what an Emerging church is and what it is not (there is frequent confusion on all sides about this movement). It details Driscoll's story in planting Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. Driscoll is Scriptural in his theology but is definitely not a traditional Southern Evangelical loaded with traditions and legalism. The book is very challenging.

Visioneering by Andy Stanley. Though not specifically about church work it is definitely a must read and should be read by all pastors and staff in light of church mistry.

The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. Also not specifically about church work but a must read along the same lines as Andy Stanley's other work.

Spiritual Leadership by Henry and Richard Blackaby. The Blackaby's have a unique take on leadership that sets their work apart from all other works on leadership. Much practical insight here.

Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. This is a true classic that has impacted many over the years.

Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer. For those going into church planting, this book which I have in progress has already been worth every penny spent on it.

Boundaries of Light by Elmer Towns and Ed Stetzer. Guidance to those in the Emerging church movement on how to remain Biblicallly faithful while ministering to post-moderns.

Power in the Pulpit by Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix. A thorough and exhaustive guide to expository preaching that is valuable.

Communicating For A Change by Andy Stanley. Stanley's unique take on preaching has much practical wisdom.

Letters To Timothy by John Bisagno. Worth every penny you spend on it for the pastor. A treasure of practical wisdom on practical ministry.

Back To The Heart of Youth Work by Dewey Bertolini. This book written almost twenty years ago has much valuable wisdom on relating to people in general in ministry even if you are not specifically in youth work. Absolutely priceless for the youth/student minister.

Teaching To Change Lives by Howard Hendricks. Another classic - this one is about teaching.

There are probably more I could list but that is what I have thought of for now.

My Favorite Sitcoms

Believe it or not Christians watch TV and I have seen a great deal of it in my life. I regret greatly the demise of the TV Sitcom in recent years. Are there any good ones anymore? I've liked a wide variety of them over the years. Some were loved TV critics and other adherents of "Quality TV" and some have been absolutely despised by the critics. Here are my Top 10 favorites of all time (and I've tried to remember when they were on and what network they were on but my memory may be shaky on a couple of those).

10) Green Acres (CBS: 1965-71) You have to love a show where the characters were always saying things that made no sense at all but you still laughed because it worked well. Oliver and Lisa Douglas buy a farm in Hooterville and the locals are crazy. My favorite was Mr. Kimball who had a wonderful way of talking: "Good morning, Mr. Douglas. Well, it's not really a good morning but it's not really a bad one either; actually it's not really still morning either...." . This was the type of thing he would say. And don't forget Arnold the Pig.

9) The Brady Bunch (ABC: 1969-74) Had I not loved this show when I was a kid I probably would not have liked it, but I have wonderful memories of the vacations to the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, and to King's Island theme park. Also, any episode where Bobby was in crisis was usually good, and wouldn't everyone like to have Alice around. Yeah, it had really corny dialogue at times, but it's still a sentimental favorite.

8) Home Improvement (ABC: 1991-99) I especially loved all the conversations Tim had with Wilson and then Time would mangle whatever story Wilson had told. And Al was a perfect character: more competent than Tim at work but desperately needing Tim's help with his personal life (and Al's mom was one of TV's greatest unseen characters ever). However, sometimes in their disputes Jill needed to get over herself and try to see something from Tim's perspective for a change.

7) Perfect Strangers (ABC: 1986-93) Larry and Balki were one of the funniest comic duos in TV history (and easily the most underappreciated). It was a great setup as on first glance it appeared that Balki was the crazy one but in reality Larry was the lunatic. For those who don't remember this one, it was about two cousins sharing an aparment: Larry the neurotic American and Balki the fun loving native of a mythical Mediteranean country. They had girlfriends as well.

6) Family Ties (NBC: 1982-89) Alex P. Keaton was a great character and the writers of this show were among the greatest comedy writers ever. The setup of former Hippie parents with conservative children was fairly lame but the actors and writers rose above the setup to create a very funny show. One of the best lines ever: in the episode where the kids rent the house out as a hotel while the parents are out of town and Dad comes home to catch them...Alex asks his dad if he's planning to stay mad at them for the rest of their lives; Dad's response "That is my plan". It loses something in print, but trust me, it was hilarious.

5) Frasier (NBC: 1993-2004) Frasier and Niles were the funniest brother act in TV history and Maris Crane, Nile's wife, was also a great unseen TV character. The show declined in its later years, but in its first few seasons it was one of the best shows ever on TV. Picking the best episode of this show would be hard because there were so many classics (Niles and Frasier open a restaurant; Niles and Frasier try to write a book together; the Ice Fishing trip; the RV trip; and Niles and Frasier confront their childhood bullies is a list that starts it off) but probably the best was the show where they recreated the radio drama with disastrous results.

4) The Andy Griffith Show (CBS: 1960-68) Mayberry was the ultimate hometown and what a parade of classic characters: Ernest T. Bass, Briscoe Darling, Otis Campbell, Gomer and Goober Pyle, Floyd Lawson, and the funniest lawman in TV history: Barney Fife. It declined during the years after Barney left but at its height it was always good to go to Mayberry.

3) Gilligan's Island (CBS: 1964-67) Another childhood favorite with so many classic episodes: the time they made the silent movie; the one where the rock band the Mosquitos landed on the island; the one where the robot landed on the island; virtually any episode with a dream sequence; and virtually any episode where they were invaded by hostile natives.

2) M*A*S*H (CBS: 1972-83) It had its faults: It was too pacifistic, it was stupid for the characters to wonder why they were there when the reason was so obvious, it had stupid high concept episodes from time to time (i.e. the dreams episode) and virtually every supporter of the Korean war was depicted in a negative light. But it's strength was in the interesting and well-developed characters it created: Hawkeye, BJ, Colonel Potter, Radar, Klinger, and Father Mulcahy. Though show was a bland cartoonish sitcom when it started but gradually strengthened into a quality ensemble comedy-drama; in its later years the drama was over-emphasized. Of the eleven seasons, Seasons three (the last with Trapper and Blake) through Season eight (when Radar left) feature the show at its highest quality.

1) Newhart (CBS: 1982-90) An overlooked gem that never makes anyone elses Top list even though it should. This was (contrary to popular opinion) a much better show than the Bob Newhart show. The Stratford Inn, the Minuteman Cafe, WPIV-TV, and the craziest small town in history were the setting for a show with great major and minor characters: George, Stepanie, Michael, Larry and the Darryls, Officer Shifflet, Jim, Chester, Harley, JJ, and the rest joined innkeeper Dick Loudon in an ensemble that produced some of TV's funniest moments. A true classic (not to mention probably the most memorable final episode in TV history).

Maybe one day they will make good sitcoms again.

My Favorite Sports Teams

I am a sports fan though I do not watch as much of it as I used to watch. In fact I rarely watch any sports anymore on TV. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps its because a) I don't have cable, which does limit what you can watch; b) my broadcast channels are fuzzy much of the time, which also severely limits what you can watch; c) my wife hates sports (except for Olympic events that are scored by a panel of judges, which are the ones I dislike); d) I don't live in a guys dormitory anymore, where sports were the center of the universe (along with theology); and e) there's only so much disappointment I can take each year that Kentucky doesn't win the NCAA basketball championship (and Kentucky football is just down right depressing).

I guess in that last paragraph I gave away that I am a huge Kentucky Wildcat fan. I grew up in Kentucky, and we didn't have professional sports there (unless NCAA violations were occuring, which is another story) and Kentucky is the only real team in the state people can root for and see a winner on a consistent basis. Some of you may say "Hey, what about Louisville?". Louisville is practically in the state of Indiana and the rabid fan base for the team practically all live between I-265 and the Ohio River. Also I have never lived in Louisville, but I did spend a total of 24+ years living in Kentucky. And lets not forget the NCAA championship scoreboard: Kentucky 7, Louisville 2 (and Louisville, in my opinion, only has one of those because of an unfortunate Elite Eight game in the 1986 tournament that UK should have won and then UK would have beaten Louisville in the Final Four round and then won the 1986 championship to make it eight).

In other sports I do root for the following teams:
Baseball: St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers
NFL: St. Louis Rams
NBA: Whichever team currently has the strongest tie to Kentucky represented by the number of former UK players and coaches on the squad.
NHL: I'm really kind of neutral on this one though I do like to watch hockey. In a pinch, I guess I have a slight preference for the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators.
MLS: Are you kidding? I am an American over the age of 30 so that means I don't really follow soccer at all.
NASCAR: I don't follow this either though most everyone I know back home does.
Formula One Racing: I follow NASCAR far more than I follow this.
Running of the Bulls in Spain: I root for Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern in this one.
Australian Rules Football: OK I'll stop now.

Answers to Questions You Haven't Asked

Q: Are You Married?
Yes. I have a beatiful wife that I love very much. Her nickname on this site and in all postings referring to her will be Baby Love.

Q: What is a Seminary?
Contrary to what you have heard it is not a synonym for cemetery. Actually it's a graduate school training pastors, theologians, music/worship leaders, counselors, and other church related personnel.

Q: Who is your favorite preacher?
It would be hard to limit myself to just one but some of my favorite preachers are Andy Stanley, Adrian Rogers, Rick Warren, Charles Swindoll, Ed Young, Jr. , Rob Bell, and my own pastor.

Q: Who is your favorite actor?
It's probably a tie between Bob Newhart and Kelsey Grammar. "Newhart" and "Frasier" are two of my all time favorite TV Shows and their presence in either one boosts the credibility of a project in my view. I enjoyed the NBC 75th Anniversary Special a few years ago where Newhart "criticized" Grammar for basically playing the same guy in two different sitcoms. This is the only time I've ever seen the two of them on-screen together and it was great.

Q: Who is your favorite President?
I like Washington and Lincoln as most do, but my favorite of the last 100 years is Ronald Reagan (chances are I'll write about Reagan in a future column).

Q: You like history. What are your favorite things in history to study?
I like all history pretty well but my favorite subjects are: the period between 300-600 A.D. when the Roman Empire fell, the Protestant Reformation, the Lewis and Clark expedition, World War II, and the Reagan Presidency.

That's enough questions for now.

Books I Recommend.

The first thing I shall do is recommend some of my favorite books to let you do two things:
1) Know more about me.
2) Introduce to you books you should read.
This is not an exhaustive list and I will likely expand it further at a later date.

MY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
1) The Bible. This is unique among all books in that it is God's Word and not, as my pastor frequently says, man's opinion. It is authoritative in your life and mine. You dont' decide what parts of the Bible you will accept. You allow the Bible to dictate to you what you will believe and do. It is infallible and innerrant in that God's Word contains no errors in what it says and teaches. You will find errors in the quotes of men the Bible contains at times, but the Bible will demonstrate for you how what is in those quotes is in error.

Other books that are not on the same level of the Bible but are vital for a person's knowledge and wisdom are the following titles. I have some minor disagreements with the author's opinions in some of these books, but the larger material covered is vital for a healthy life.

a) The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. Especially good for those of you with little background in Christianity or in understanding why God created you in the first place.
b) Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby and Claude King. Very helpful in learning how to discover and maintain a personal relationship with God.
c) Wild At Heart by John Elderedge. Cuts to the core of what it means to be a man.
d) If You Wanna Walk on Water, You've Got To Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg. Teaches you how to walk in obedient faith with God.
e) Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala. The importance of prayer is underscored in this book about the real life story of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church.
f) More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell. For those of you skeptical of Christianity out there, this short book gives powerful evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
g) Rebel With A Cause by Franklin Graham. This autobiography of the son of Billy Grahams will show his struggles with becoming a Christian in the first place and then it will show you the excting ways he has been used by God since becoming a Christian.
h) God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew. Some titles of this were published under the name The Narrow Road. This is an autobiographical story of a man God used to smuggle Bibles into Communist countries during the 1950's and 1960's. Don't let the time period of the book lead you to believe it is not worth your time. It is extremely fascinating reading.

That is the list for now. I plan to publish more recommendations on books in areas related to the life of a church in the future. I am also an avid history buff and will plan on giving a list of those recommendations as well.