Hello and welcome to StoryWorks. I'm John and this is my little corner of the Web.
In "East of Eden", John Steinbeck wrote, "If the story is not about the hearer, he will not listen. And here I make a rule -- a great and interesting story is about everyone or it will not last."
I think that Steinbeck guy was onto something. That's why I'm sharing these stories.
Through words, images and sounds, these storytellers, storyworkers if you will, caught my attention. In some cases they captured my imagination.
Let me know if their stories resonate with you, too. I hope so.
Here's another video clip of the best of Mitt Romney. Why anyone in the GOP or anyone else takes him seriously is beyond me. (Remember, when he was pro-choice and a centrist when running against Sen. Kennedy?)
For the very first time, I heard John Gorka. (He was in concert at the Barns of Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia tonight.)
What a talented storyteller, singer-songwriter and guitarist!
(Why am I just now hearing him?)
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If Cal Cunningham keeps this up, I may have to write him a check.
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National Geographic is such a great magazine. Here's the latest example of their coolness.
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Usually when the NY Times writes about the South, and especially when they write about the Deep South, they end up resorting to stereotypes which are no longer representative of the what I like to call, "The Place Where People Talk Like Me."
This story is an exception and this story explains how an African-American Democrat has been repeatedly elected by a rural, conservative white Republican electorate. Along the way it gets at what's long been true about local politics around the country: when a race is a "friends and neighbors" election, the person with the most friends wins.
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As a Christian, I don't want anyone in my government controlling my church. As an American, I don't want my church controling my government. This story in the New York Times Magazines explains some of the pitfalls when that wall is breached.
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I just howled when I first saw this. This guy can tell a story like nobody's business. But a part of me is a bit sad watching this, because for me Christmas isn't really about any of the things in this song.
But maybe that's why the song is funny, because this family is so over the top and missing the point.
I don't know, but I'm going to buy this MP3. ;-)
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If you read one opinion column this week, read this one from former Sen. Max Cleland. Sen. Cleland is an American hero and one of the bravest people I've ever met.
As we prepare to honor our veterans, I hope we really take into account all the sacrifices they make for us.
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The first time I watched this video, I was completely caught off guard. I mean, it's hilarious.
Then I dug a bit and found this note on the You Tube video:
This was the opening video for our Student Fall Retreat called "You've Got Talent." Everyone is asking what inspired this. Here it goes...
1) We needed a great opening video that caught everyone off guard, and set the the tone for the weekend.
2) With this idea in mind, we thought we could use this video as a great object lesson about media choices (kinda creepy hearing your grandparents sing some of this)
3) This has been a GREAT transgenerational culture experiment. It has totally bridged a gap with our Senior adults and our students. Hope you enjoy!
In my church, we've been blessed with a huge number of new members in the last five years. Nearly all of these members are under 35. They are giving a higher rates that other members and they are a very active part of the congregation.
Some of our long time members, many of whom are over 75, are feeling a bit displaced. They have a different way of doing church and they are a little overwhelmed at the pace of change in our congregation.
I don't know what church created this video and I'm not sure of their theology, but I am sure that they were trying to address a similar generational divide. My guess is that they succeeded.
If our church is any guide, the divide isn't really age, but a comfort level with the pace of change. In my view, change is a sign of a healthy congregation. But try telling that to those who fear change or want to stop it.
What ideas do you have to make people a little more comfortable with the changes necessary to keep a congregation thriving?
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Have you ever gotten one those emails calling President Obama some kind of cryptic Muslim? Or did you get the one claiming that former President George W. Bush interrupted a GOP fundraising dinner to proselytize?
This story asks an important question: "So, why are Christians so willing to believe unsubstantiated rumors? And more troubling, why are Christians, who should hold the highest standards of truth-telling, so eager to spread such rumors -- and even downright libels?"
And here's one of the answers:
"Some Christians are so willing to believe rumors that reflect well on their heroes and poorly on their opponents that they abandon even a modest concern for the veracity of the rumors. Yet the Bible clearly prohibits “bearing false witness” and spreading rumors and gossip. Perhaps Christians who spread such rumors think they serve a greater purpose, as if the end justifies the means, some ethicists speculate."
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