Entertainment

High School Musical: Broken Arrow Lip Dub

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

A feature in USA Today this week caught my attention. They highlighted a lip dub video from Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma.  The 2017 video is a sequal to the school’s lip dub video that went viral in 2015.

Ordinarily I probably wouldn’t really care about such things. I may admire the artistry and the work that went into it, but after a viewing it’s likely I wouldn’t give it another thought. But this is different.  Broken Arrow High School holds a special place in my heart. My family moved to Broken Arrow just before I started high school. I went to Broken Arrow High School for my Freshman and Sophomore years of high school; before our family moved to Nashville for my final two years of high school.

Though I did not graduate from BA, at least a part of me will always be a Broken Arrow Tiger.

Here is the link to the 2015 USA Today article highlighting the original video.

Greatest Ever Fictional Basketball Player

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Fictional B-ball

Over at Grantland.com a discussion has been started to occupy the few down-time moments of sports fans during the NCAA March Madness.  The discussion: Who is the greatest ever fictional basketball player?

Here are the rules:

Rule 1: The Blue Chips Rule

The film Blue Chips was loaded with actual NBA stars playing fictional characters. It would be too easy to just pick the guys from this movie, or to simply add in another guy or two. So the Blue Chips Rule is: You can’t pick more than two players from any one movie.

Rule 2:  Split Personality Rule

If someone has played a basketball player in more than one movie, you can pick only one of his or her roles.

Rule 3: The Earl Manigault Rule

You can’t pick anyone who was portraying a real-life basketball player.

Rule 4: The Fletch Rule

There is no restriction on the type of movie referenced. It doesn’t have to be billed as a basketball movie; it only needs to contain some basketball scenes.

Rule 5: Fiction Rule

This is not a “Who Was the Best Basketball Player” to ever play in a movie thing, this is a “Who Was the Best Fictional Basketball Player” thing. In other words, while Shaq may have been the best player to ever play a fictional basketball character, it is not actual basketball skills this contest measures. (NOTE: Michael Jordan is disqualified from this contest because he played himself in Space Jam.) Rather who is the best fictional basketball player, which may include not only skills shown in the film, but the character he plays.

With those rules in mind, here is my team:

Bench:

Coaches:

Bob Newhart: Just Stop It

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During the NCAA Championship football game last night, between Oregon and Ohio State, comedian Bob Newhart unexpectedly began trending on Twitter and Facebook.  Likely this was because of the games referee, who had an uncanny resemblance to Newhart – a much more buff Bob Newhart.  When I first noticed this resemblance I did not say anything, assuming the association was probably in my mind only.  Not long after another guy in the group shared his observation, and several others agreed.  Before long one of the guys checked Twitter, and lo and behold the trend.

As a kid I watched The Bob Newhart Show on many a Saturday night. In fact, it was because of that show I briefly thought  becoming a psychologist, and counseling for a living, might be an interesting career.  But that idea soon faded.  So it seems a little ironic that, as a pastor, a fair amount of my time is spent in counseling.

While  have posted this video before, several years ago, because Bob Newhart is back in vogue – at least for today – I thought I would post it again so that those who never had the opportunity to see The Bob Newhart Show, or those who have forgotten, can see the master at work.  Of course this video is not from the actual TV show, but rather is a comedy sketch. Nevertheless, it is Bob Newhart counseling a client.  His approach here in not one I would intentionally employ, but I do have to admit there have been times it would be tempting.

A Season of Miracles

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Check out the trailer for a soon-to-be-released movie, taken from a novel written by my good friend, Rusty Whitener. The book and movie are titled A Season of Miracles.  Set in the early 1970’s Deep South, A Season of Miracles in an engaging, feel good story, about baseball, autism, coming of age, faith, and baseball.  I read the book when it first came out a couple years ago, and recommended it to a number of others.  Now I am looking forward to seeing the story come to life in movie form.

Cotton Candy Christianity Scorecard

/ Dennis Griffith / 5 Comments

I don’t want to become one of those bloggers who becomes known for what he is against, or for pointing out how wrong other guys are, but this was just too funny to pass up.  It is also important to distinguish the gospel from all its counterfeits. For as Paul warns in Galatians 1.6-7:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

Upon further thought, it might not be as funny as I thought.  It would be funny, if it were not so serious & sad.

Thanks to the folks at Modern Reformation & White Horse Inn for the scorecard. As they said:

“It’s like Bingo… Only better.”

John Piper is BAD

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

Michael Jackson asked:

“Who’s BADD?”

The answer, apparently: John Piper.

I don’t know if it is because John Piper staunchly believes in the doctrine of Total Depravity (as do I) – which recognizes that as a consequnce of the Fall all humnaity is infected by sin in every aspect of our personality – or if there is some other underlying motive, but someone has produced this clever video:

Just in case you are curious, Piper has seen the video and he thinks it’s funny.

St. Patrick’s Breastplate

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This famous prayer, one of the earliest known European vernacular poems, has been attributed to Patrick – though some scholars say a few of the words indicate a later period. But there is no question that they ooze the spirit and substance we see in Patrick’s Confession. And they reverberate with the power of Christianity that Patrick gave to his adopted land – Ireland.

Some Christians today find great value in memorizing this classic prayer and repeating it each morning upon arising. But even if that is not something you think you might want to try, at least take some time to read through this prayer, reflect on the awesome truths expressed in thus poetic prayer.

***

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity. Through belief in the threeness, through confession of the oneness Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism, Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial, Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension, Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom…

I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me: God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to save me from snare of devils, from temptations of vices, from everyone who shall wish me ill, Afar and anear, alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils, Against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and soul Against incantations of false prophets,against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry, Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the threeness, through confession of the oneness, Of the Creator of Creation.

***

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I Will Rise

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

I will rise and seek my God,
And bowed down beneath my load,
Lay all my sins before Him;
Then He will wash my soul from sin,
And put a new heart me within,
And teach me to adore Him.

O ye that fain would find the joy –
The only one that wants alloy –
Which never is deceiving;
Come to the Well of Life with me
And drink, as it is proffered, free,
The gospel draught receiving.

I come to Christ because I know
The very worst are called to go;
And when in faith I find Him,
I’ll walk in Him, and lean on Him,
Because I cannot move a limb
Until He say: “Unbind him”.

– Robert Murray M’Cheyne