tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67644281609222250522024-02-20T15:17:56.317-08:00blog | www.zacharybartels.comBlog of Zachary Bartels, author of Christian action and suspense novels, including Playing Saint, The Last Con, and Playing Saint: All Souls' Day.Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-55086526411965015812019-05-02T08:58:00.001-07:002021-04-29T11:43:20.856-07:00What Thanos Can Teach the Church<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[the teeny-tiniest of spoilers below]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Late last month, millions and millions of people from around
the globe (including myself and my family) assembled together in local
gathering places, all on the same day, all with a sense of reverence, anticipation, and
joy. We gathered together to celebrate victory over death and the vanquishing
of evil powers in this world. And, while people have attended similar
assemblies many times before, year after year . . . for the first time, our
gatherings grossed more than a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">billion
dollars!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am, of course, talking about opening night of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers: Endgame</i>, which premiered on
April 27 and which destroyed all previous box office records by earning $1.2
billion. The movie was pretty good, as far as such things go. As a life long
comic book geek, I continue to be torn between relief that being into Marvel
superheroes and villains and the Infinity Stones is now mainstream, rather than
a “Dork City” stamp on my cultural passport, and annoyance at all these
Johnny-come-latelies horning in on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my
thing</i>. I mean, if you would have told me in 1991 that the comic book
miniseries my friends and I were obsessing over would be made into a movie
almost thirty years later, I would have assumed the audience would be a small
niche-of-a-niche type thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that’s not what happened. Not even close.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TPnSVOsT8nMdbuYOmlg7LdvSYCY3g3KoNi48mIqy1VWjELM6EY9Ym3aRzM73YY1_speZZs9I-lNcc3SF7N__C7bYbJKMJpdtI_YLsTsFELFBEg8dPggydsyQ5vvCY_ZGRGC0expHqD1_/s272/thanos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TPnSVOsT8nMdbuYOmlg7LdvSYCY3g3KoNi48mIqy1VWjELM6EY9Ym3aRzM73YY1_speZZs9I-lNcc3SF7N__C7bYbJKMJpdtI_YLsTsFELFBEg8dPggydsyQ5vvCY_ZGRGC0expHqD1_/s0/thanos.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, even if you
haven’t seen any movies from the
Marvel Cinematic Universe, you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i>
know something about them. After all, there have been more than twenty star-studded films
over the course of a decade, all telling their own stories while also
furthering this one overarching plot, building up to a massive battle of good
versus evil, life versus death. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a Christian, that should sound sort of familiar. Our
sacred text is a collection of sixty-six books, each telling its own story
while furthering the overarching metanarrative of God coming to save us and
defeat the Dragon. Which brings us to the question: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i>, in a year when (according to <a href="https://www.nbc-2.com/story/40337032/church-attendance-falling-as-easter-sunday-approaches">one news story</a> I read) church
attendance was falling even while Easter approached, did a record number of
people cram themselves into crowded theaters for a three-hour-long movie with
really no good point at which to duck out and pee? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know, I know. Church is a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">completely different</i> phenomenon from a movie with lasers and aliens
and a $350 million budget (at least it should be!), but I still think we can
learn something from how, less than a week after Easter, a story about a “god”
of thunder (who has—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spoiler alert!</i>—kind
of let himself go) and his friends fighting a big purple bad guy can so engage
theatergoers on day one, even in an age of streaming movies, digital platforms,
etc.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Endgame</i> didn’t have a better
story than we do; so what accounts for all the success?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have several suggestions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Anticipation</b>
– This movie was the culmination of twenty films that came before it; it was
the grand finale and everyone knew it would be huge! I saw people dressed up as
superheroes at the theater. I saw people crying during the movie. People were
even spontaneously applauding, despite the fact that it was a theater, not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">theatre</i> and therefore the actors
couldn’t <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>actually hear the applause. Why
all this display? Because the audience had so built up inside themselves
expectation and desire for this event that when it finally happened, it was like opening the
floodgates of emotion. Granted, this one seems quite disconnected from
church on two levels: first, church isn’t (or, again, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shouldn’t </i><i>be</i>) designed to manipulate your emotions until you pump
your fist and shout or break down and cry. And, secondly, a movie only needs to
draw a crowd out once (or maybe twice); it doesn’t need to sustain the sense of
anticipation in an open-ended way. Still, perhaps something we
can learn from Iron Man and Thanos is that approaching church with a sense of
anticipation (after all, we are gathering together with the saints to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">encounter the God of the universe!)</i> can
set a tone and can be contagious. If those gathered have a sense of holy
anticipation or a sense of mundane routine, it can greatly color both our
experience and our desire to come back and experience that encounter again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Excitement
</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Okay, so this kind of overlaps
with the last one. But all the anticipation in the world won’t overcome a big
letdown if the delivery is underwhelming. In fact, high expectations can be a recipe for major dissatisfaction.
Luckily for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Endgame</i>, it delivered
laughs, tears, and tons of action and suspense. So, what then? Should
churches try and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do that,</i> only on a
much smaller (and much sadder) scale?<i> No.</i> A million times no! Rather, we should set
our anticipation—our hunger and thirst—on the things that the church is
supposed to deliver. Prayer, worship, reading and exposition of God’s Word. Where we set our hearts, excitement follows. In 1991, when I found a copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity Gauntlet #1</i> (the comic book
series on which this latest movie was very loosely based), I was ecstatic!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had longed for it and looked for it and
finally found and acquired it! If we long for encounters with God and find him
regularly in his Word and obey him in gathering together to encourage and edify
each other, to worship him, and to encounter him in the bread and the cup and
the waters of baptism . . . we will be excited. And not with the kind of
contrived excitement that lasts only a moment (or three hours), but with
something lasting. We will be <i>satisfied</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Community</b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">– </b>Feeding into the massive throngs on
opening weekend were the many conversations, fan theories, videos, etc. being
shared about <i>Endgame</i>—both in person and over the Internet. (Heck, I was <a href="http://www.11podcast.com/e/end-of-the-line-with-endgame/">on a podcast discussing the movie </a>the morning after I saw it.) You don’t get to a billion
dollars at the box office by enticing individuals to come see your movie; you
do it by creating communities of people, all coming together, talking about it the day before at church and debriefing it over
coffee and dessert afterwards. Likewise, it’s no accident that all the most
successful TV shows during my lifetime have been water cooler fodder—people
wanting to discuss a common interest, in which they are all invested. The same
is true of church. When we approach our spiritual lives as private,
individualistic aspects of our lives, of course they are going to run cold.
When we fan each other’s flames of faith and devotion, though, when we discuss
our lives as followers of Jesus and lift each other up, we are more likely to,
in the words of St. John, “overcome to the end.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Resolution</b>
– Most people who saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Endgame</i> had
seen most of the previous movies. I knew a number of people who were hurrying
to binge all of them in time for the finale. And those (like me) who had been
watching them for ten years were happy to have some closure/resolution. You
see, every Marvel movie had ended—after the credits—with a cliffhanger/teaser
for what was coming next. It left you always a little off-balance, a little
ill-at-ease. But now all that tension would be resolved. And while attending
church certainly doesn’t remove the cliffhangers and stress from our lives, we
do have the end of the story. We know how it plays out. And we can remind each
other of that. We can encourage each other in the name of the Lord. We can
gather together at the end of the weekend, as a new week dawns, and be reminded
that God will never leave us, that he is working all things for the good of
those who love him, and that he will not suffer all the loose ends hanging
there forever. He is a God of resolution. In fact, the over-arching story of
the Bible can be broken down into four parts: creation, fall, redemption, and
consummation. That last part is as real to us now as anything can be: our God
will wipe away every tear and right every wrong. It’s important for us to
remind each other of those promises.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Peer Pressure</b> – So let's face it, some people didn't care at all about the plot of the movie or any of the characters; they just didn't want to miss out. They felt like they <i>should</i> see it so they wouldn't be left out of conversations, confused by memes, etc. This used to be a factor with church as well, especially at Easter and other big holidays. I think this is fading away too. Which is just as well. Peer pressure can up your numbers but it's not the best way to bring people to the cross. Yes, the Word of God never returns void and I know of a number of people who have come to faith when they didn't really even want to come to church. But the world has changed and we can no longer count on some cultural sense of <i>I should go</i> to bring people to the Lord's house on the Lord's Day. Church attendance on the whole is down quite a bit and this is part of it.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But here's the weird thing: over the past couple decades, per capita attendance at movie
theaters has waned quite a bit as well, which makes these huge blockbuster successes all the
more noteworthy. And yet, I’ve noticed something else happening in theaters over
that same time period. There are a lot more perks, comforts, and even luxuries
to be had. At the cinema right near my house, you can now buy a glass of wine
to sip while you watch. You sit in big, cushy easy-chair-type seats, which recline with
the touch of a button. The picture is crisper than ever and the sound has never
made you feel more like you’re <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right
there</i>. We’ve got 3D films, IMAX screens six stories tall, and special seats
that shake and move with the action. And yet, none of this has kept people from
going out to the theater less and less. Tubs of popcorn with free refills and
seven different flavors of topping, robotic soft drink dispensers with 18 types
of Dr. Pepper (seriously, who wants <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peach</i>
Dr. Pepper???)—none of it really succeeded in creating the sort of pull that a good
story, a lot of excitement and anticipation, and a desire to belong to a
community could.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the same way, many churches today are trying to create
all the comforts and luxuries they can to entice a lost world to come and
experience an encounter with God. And while there’s nothing wrong with most of
it, we can easily become distracted from the story itself. Instead, let’s focus on
gathering together each week with a sense of anticipation, hungering and
thirsting for God’s Word, for the bread and the cup, desiring nothing more than
to lift up his name with our fellow believers and share our walks and lives
together. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s true that the word for “church” in the Greek comes from
the words “out” and “to call,” but by the time the New Testament was written,
it had one meeting: “assembly.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To “be
the church,” then, is to come together and worship, come together and serve,
come together and love one another and receive forgiveness in Jesus’ name. In a
time when casual and cultural church attendance has all but disappeared, it’s
perhaps more important than ever for those who truly follow Jesus to come
together with excitement and expectancy in the assembly of the saints.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or to put it another way . . . <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christians, assemble!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-67157821376585681662019-03-06T09:36:00.001-08:002019-03-06T09:41:06.623-08:00RERUN: Holified<h2 style="background: url("https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowwF-QGHeF8r7iJ1ssYW5EizOW3uiJyluVBY-jYhdd4uFQFE4nJpbU3jLZ5EJ8bOi8g-zMX4t__vncHb5M5UqVz5GQakWEMmy6YxaoRraK_JIQd2WjsJJ7JLlR7RvP33OOiqJzSBCfOI/s1600/border.jpg") center bottom repeat-x rgb(238, 243, 239); color: #371301; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -2px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 25px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">[Originally posted on 10/11/09, well before Acuff coined "<a href="http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/16/the-jesus-juke/">Jesus Juke</a>."]</span></h2>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background: url("https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowwF-QGHeF8r7iJ1ssYW5EizOW3uiJyluVBY-jYhdd4uFQFE4nJpbU3jLZ5EJ8bOi8g-zMX4t__vncHb5M5UqVz5GQakWEMmy6YxaoRraK_JIQd2WjsJJ7JLlR7RvP33OOiqJzSBCfOI/s1600/border.jpg") center bottom repeat-x rgb(238, 243, 239); color: #371301; font-family: Georgia, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -2px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 25px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://twelve60.blogspot.com/2010/10/holified.html" style="color: #561d02; text-decoration-line: none;">HOLIFIED!!!</a></h3>
<div class="post-header" style="background-color: #eef3ef; color: #535353; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" style="background-color: #eef3ef; color: #371301; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 1.4; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 550px;">
There’s a phenomenon that I bump into maybe once or twice a month, which occasionally manifests itself in ordinary spoken conversations, but is usually found on Internet social networking sites. And since I’ve never seen anyone else identify/ isolate/ name said Internet sensation, I’ve decided to refer to it as being <i>holified</i>.<br />
<br />
What does it mean to holify someone? Well, the holifier is a relative of the “story-topper” or “one-upper”—you know, the guy who always has to out-do you in conversation. If you got two speeding tickets in one week, he talks about the time he got three. You had painful surgery on your foot; she had the same surgery twice, and the second time, they left a pair of snips inside her big toe, which then became infected. If you say which ‘80s punk bands you like, he scoffs and explains how none of those are really punk, then schools you on which bands you <i>should</i> like. Story toppers are very versatile; they will one-up your story no matter the topic or context.<br />
<br />
Holifiers, on the other hand, are more specialized. They also can strike at any time, regardless of the subject being discussed, but they only spew uber-spiritual stuff. This leaves the one <i>holified</i> with the implied message that he hasn’t been holy enough in how he has expressed himself or even in his topic of conversation.<br />
<br />
This may all sound absurd and quite random, like nothing you’ve ever encountered before. Let me show you some concrete examples, and I’m sure you’ll recognize when you yourself have been <i>holified!</i><br />
<br />
It often starts with a quote, quip, or inside joke to which the holifier is not privy. For example,<br />
<b></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b>Facebook status:</b> “</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";">Do you ever just get down on your knees and thank God that you know me and have access to my dementia?</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">”</span> [this, of course, is a quote from George Castanza on Seinfeld]<br />
<br />
<b>Comment/response:</b> “<span style="font-family: "courier new";">I thank God that I know HIM and have access through Jesus Christ!</span>”<br />
<br />
<i>You’ve just been <span style="font-size: 18.59px;">HOLIFIED!</span></i><br />
<br />
Do you see how, even though you weren’t actually talking about gratitude or heavy spiritual matters, all the same you sort of look like the jerk now? I mean, compared to what that second guy is thankful for, your thing just looks downright irreverent, am I right?<br />
<br />
Some more examples:<br />
<br />
<b>Facebook status:</b> “<span style="font-family: "courier new";">I hate it when people cut you off in traffic because they’re texting, applying makeup, and eating at the same time.</span>”<br />
<br />
<b>Comment/response:</b> “<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Hate? How is that Christ-like? They only text while driving because they are in dire need of sound doctrine and religious conversion. You should be on your knees praying for these people, not on facebook complaining about them!</span>”<br />
<span style="font-size: 18.59px;"><i>Holified!</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>Facebook status:</b> “<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Check out this video; Mark Driscoll is awesome.</span>”<br />
<br />
<b>Comment/response:</b> “<span style="font-family: "courier new";">No man is awesome; that belongs to GOD ALONE. Soli Deo Gloria!!!</span>”<br />
<i><span style="font-size: 18.59px;">Holified!</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Facebook status:</b> “<span style="font-family: "courier new";">I hate so much...of the things you choose to be.</span>” [this, of course, is perhaps the funniest sitcom line ever, penned by Steve Carrel for The Office Season 2 finale]<br />
<br />
<b>Comment/response:</b> “<span style="font-family: "courier new";">Maybe I'm just stupid, but I thought Jesus told us to LOVE our enemies last time I checked!</span>” [This begs the question: do I need to love Toby Flenderson to be a good Christian—even though Toby is a fictional character and does not really, ya know, <i>exist</i>?]<br />
<em><span style="font-size: 18.59px;">Hoooooolified!</span></em><br />
<br />
Most of the holificiations I’ve encountered have been directed at other people’s statuses, tweets, etc., but I’ve been holified a good number of times. Of course, not every critical comment of a spiritual nature makes the cut. It must be at least somewhat passive-aggressive and come out of nowhere. If one is truly holified, it’s a straight-up topical ambush!<br />
<br />
You get it, right? At this point, you probably think I want to hear examples of when <i>you</i>have been holified. You are correct, and bonus points if they took place OFF-LINE.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #ffffcc;">_</span></div>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-53257272025091916532018-12-05T14:06:00.001-08:002018-12-05T14:06:56.334-08:00A Dozen Years of Christmas Sermons<a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/Christmas/">Click here</a> to access a bunch of my Christmas sermons through the years. Hope they bless you this season!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/Christmas/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="100%" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsDdaH1WPae3ml-7VtVOkuxuEMiqiloupSbNEQxKse5n7XOaVAaoyWkaZoskIEqOkzYlR-nNPfRkmPb7_Rg1Zuh6HCPVsEzjMhrIi3-NAwS9aFU9y0jkmU59w7XHwe_35XjQM9_Qg1bTj/s640/birthofchrist.jpg" width="473" /></a></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-48379801870312174412018-11-30T17:27:00.001-08:002021-04-29T11:26:55.836-07:00Baby Jesus Theft<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">So we decorated our church for the season on Sunday: Christmas trees, wreathes, candles, and lots of nativity scenes. Honestly, we probably have enough of those to put one in every room of the church building, and we nearly did.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">Last night, though, as people were getting coffee and hot chocolate before the Wednesday evening service, my son Calvin surveyed the nativity scene in the back of the chapel and asked, “Where’s Jesus?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 14pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Sure enough, Jesus is missing. Everyone else is in the proper place. The Virgin Mary is looking down into the manger, gesturing grandly—at no one. The shepherds are there to adore the empty manger and the magi are well on their way, hopefully braced for disappointed. It’s sort of funny-sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">Calvin himself has a nativity scene (or, as he used to call it, “activity set”) that remains out in his room year-round. It’s the kind that was hand-carved in Bethlehem and, I think, purchased at one of those kiosks in the mall. It’s missing a few people as well. I think there are two kings and one other guy who has to pull double-duty as both a shepherd and Joseph. But at least the baby Jesus is present and accounted for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">What happened to the Jesus figure from the chapel crèche? Who knows… Could have been packed in the wrong box. Maybe someone dropped it last year and it shattered into a dozen pieces. Or maybe….someone <i>stole it.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">Stay with me here. “Baby Jesus Theft” has become such a common thing that it even has its own Wikipedia page, which describes the phenomenon thus: “Baby Jesus theft is the theft of plastic or ceramic figurines of the infant Jesus from . . . public and private nativity displays during the Christmas season. It is an ‘enduring (and illegal) practice’ according to The New York Times journalist Katie Rogers, ‘believed to be part of a yearly tradition, often carried out by bored teenagers looking for an easy prank.’ </span><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">The prevalence of such thefts has caused the owners of outdoor manger scenes to protect their property with GPS devices, surveillance cameras, or by other means.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">According to the rest of the article, dozens of large, full-size community nativity scenes have had their bambino swiped in the past ten or so years . . . including the baby Jesus from the National Christmas Creche in Independence Hall. Even though it had been bolted down. Other incidents include: “In 2008, a Baby Jesus was stolen from First United Methodist Church in Kittanning, Pennsylvania and replaced with a pumpkin, and, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a thief not only stole the Baby Jesus from a public display but absconded with the concrete block and chain that was supposed to act as a deterrent.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">Seriously, we’re chaining Baby Jesus down to a cinder block—as if we’re about to send him “sleeping with the fishes”—and even that can’t keep our nativities whole. Other churches have organized 24-hour prayer vigils, which are actually thinly-veiled 24-hour guard services. “Pray with one eye open, guys . . . ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">All of this, of course, can preach itself. We live in a world that will happily celebrate Joy and giving and Peace on Earth and other vague Christmas-ish notions, but is eager to ditch Jesus at the first opportunity. Even as an hours-old infant, this Jesus is already dangerous and offensive to the sensibilities of our culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Maybe ten years ago, I started noticing yard signs popping up, bearing the common slogan, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” I’m never 100% sure what that means. Is it anti-Santa propaganda? For some, I think it started as a call to avoid the shorthand “X-mas” (which, by the way, is rooted in the fact that the name Christ is “</span></span><i><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Χριστός</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">”</span></span></i><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> in the Greek, often shortened to X), before morphing into a campaign against the greeting “Happy Holidays” replacing “Merry Christmas.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">But these things are all a distraction. Whether the world says, “Happy Holidays,” “Merry X-mas,” or “Merry Christmas,” the Jesus at the center of it all is surely fading away from the public consciousness. And it’s our job as the church to proclaim the real reason he came. Not for a vague, contextless sense of “peace on earth, good will toward men.” But rather, to bring peace to earth by becoming one of us, living a perfect life (when we could not), dying a sinless death (so we could live), and rising again—so we can follow him from death to everlasting life!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s glaringly obvious when a nativity scene lacks a baby Jesus; particularly, because it happens all at once. It wouldn’t work to gradually steal the babe from the manger, a bit at a time, over the course of many years. But when the work of Christ is slowly replaced with generic good vibes, it’s less obvious. At Christmas and all year around, our job as the Church is to <i>not let that happen, </i>to keep pointing people to the cross and the empty tomb. To leave people only two options—take Him or leave Him—and prayerfully walk them toward receiving Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">After all, “Keep Christ in Christmas” has a real ring to it. But at this point, perhaps our real battle cry should be, “Keep Christ in Christianity.” In Revelation 3:20, Jesus portrays himself as locked out of his own church. He stands there at the door, for a time, and knocks. But the people inside don’t seem to even notice that he’s missing. I imagine that, at Christmas time, all the little mangers are empty too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">Maybe one of your nativities is missing a Jesus as well. But but may your mission always be to keep Christ at the center of everything—through the Christmas season, into 2019, and beyond. From your work to parenting to relaxing to proclaiming the Good News, let us always keep our eyes on Him, not as a round-the-clock watch to keep a fiberglass figure from being stolen, but as believers in Christ, dedicated to following him in every area of life and ministry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-51414814194635260842018-07-02T12:02:00.000-07:002018-07-02T12:03:55.441-07:00Clinch: A Novel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNx5ZuoyTmTLhmaJAUZvCZGO-xpZPoe0bgS82EHOqJ8l6AXJyHo2xo-bdEQhJUXH0dyPGZHHScXeQ8it0nq61p4WBcHQoM0Dci-vy7ywwPE6pQeCTaGacwJyLJ8wHNOTvnNfMNsf_CSdGR/s1600/take2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="1002" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNx5ZuoyTmTLhmaJAUZvCZGO-xpZPoe0bgS82EHOqJ8l6AXJyHo2xo-bdEQhJUXH0dyPGZHHScXeQ8it0nq61p4WBcHQoM0Dci-vy7ywwPE6pQeCTaGacwJyLJ8wHNOTvnNfMNsf_CSdGR/s640/take2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2MHrZBv">Click here</a> to buy a copy of <i>Clinch: A Novel</i> as a paperback or ebook.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-72173616128160485562018-05-03T13:58:00.001-07:002021-04-29T11:39:41.134-07:00Believe (in) Me | This Week's SermonSure, you believe in Jesus. But do you believe Jesus?
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>Matthew 17:14-23, “Believe (in) Me” (4/29/2018) </h3>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="30" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/mountainsmove/" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="400"></iframe>
<p>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://archive.org/download/mountainsmove/myunbelief.mp3" style="text-decoration: none;">RIGHT-CLICK HERE</a> to download the MP3. You can access many<a href="http://www.judsonmemorial.org/audio/"> more of my sermons</a> on the church website, www.churchlansing.com)</span>
</p>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-59754437444116308022018-03-21T06:19:00.000-07:002018-03-21T06:24:56.466-07:00Judge Not?One of the sharpest shifts in our society recently is that the average person on the street now knows nothing about the Bible. When I was a kid, even the "unchurched" (I'm not a huge fan of that term) knew basic Bible stories and a few verses.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today, though, people only know ONE. "Judge not, lest ye be judged."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But what does that really mean? Stephen Altrogge wrote a great post on the topic, which I highly recommend. You can find it here: <a href="https://theblazingcenter.com/2017/11/judge-not.html">Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://theblazingcenter.com/2017/11/judge-not.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="1518" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcPCwiT9guCtS0zG-rWVccMxbuMz01wznxHxlzVezy6Kwbx_4su6g4WE3fUcY0jhJfyyy8Z5pWTSUyXwxGR31L7u1XVo6W00-H4UbCgycdvRs5MeP2hiqIeQ-zL7BZZwkrKSKrvp64ogI/s640/judgenot.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-4034651635877218942018-03-07T06:23:00.001-08:002018-03-07T06:34:41.028-08:00PODCAST WEEK: #4, "These Go to Eleven"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking two things...</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>1. </b>“Podcast Week was in November. It's over.”<br />
And to that I say, I've only posted once since then, so podcast week never really ended. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>2. </b>“<i>Another</i> podcast? You already had, like, <i>three</i>!” And to that I say, now I'm on <b>four. </b>I’m geeked to be co-hosting <b><a href="http://www.11podcast.com/">These Go to Eleven</a></b> with my boy Nathan Bell!</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Unlike the <a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast">Gut Check Podcast</a>, we discuss not just pop culture, but current issues, church life, practical theology, etc. And sometimes the Rev. James King pops by to excoriate us. My first ep dropped last night and I am greatly looking forward to many more to come. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You can follow on iTunes, and pretty much every other podcast app and aggregator, or on the <a href="http://www.11podcast.com/">web</a>.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Name: </b><span style="color: #990000;">These Go to Eleven</span><br /><b>Feed Location: </b><span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.11podcast.com/feed/rss/">http://www.11podcast.com/feed/rss</a></span><br /><b>New Eps Drop:</b><b style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every Tuesday night, timed so that each ep goes to 11:00. (<i>Get it?</i>)</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zacharybartels.com/podcasts" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="652" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Ih2dfzyTH7-NmHdE3smDWukNr38i9uIUFp1cJuCrCEopSKBSJt3Gk1TV6LDtDJx9cLcX7is29wvTWvjH8T2paObUv0C641h90itfcwayF4JEaoLxoOx08hnc1JFNfrv6WxSq2VZac3ey/s1600/podcasts_screeshot.png" /></a></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-9438443381850860722017-11-21T10:08:00.002-08:002017-11-22T05:10:50.263-08:00Let Me Fill Your Holiday Travel with My BlatheringSo, I told you about my three podcasts. Yesterday, for the first time I updated all three of them at once, all with longer-than-usual audio. If you've got a long Thanksgiving drive ahead of you and you're looking for podcast eps with a certain “Zach going on and on” quality, let me point you to:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Clinch: A Podcast of Fiction and Not-Fiction, Chapter 19</b></span><br />
In which I read from a platform-building satire and unload the next installment of <i>Clinch: A Novel.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.clinchpodcast.com/podcasts/clinch/chapter19.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GeDbuDZTXA00A0A25Pg36qhhGeehUBLBYstr5uEmJEi8nsCIGHqV9E_KUMbu9q0JFwt-8VmuI7MqM6Z05OSQVaJ4pklV8zf-T0mbCSZUHY4Yk_JWU2NfD56ZMP8jI33g81dX9TS0ald-/s640/clinchmega.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Judson Baptist Church Sermon, </b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">“Healing and Thanksgiving” </span></b><br />
In which I<i> </i>preach on Luke 17:11-19, Our Lord's healing of the ten lepers and the return of one to praise God and show his gratitude to Christ.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/other/TG2017.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTmH7aKgq1GKtzpVsdJkihCQl60aVVPtfpz5-mtqO8nQotU8HwbwVL8CxC4-0ZXdFD2-nO6L-qjgrqojwyGZlpeoD2DZYpgyaJmjpTSpoqbunlhEXN-EXIaNdezXKErp0xKeF1mul_0hk/s640/lepers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Gut Check Podcast, Episode 83</b></span><br />
In which Ted Kluck and I discuss a bunch of random stuff, including my new book <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2jdTMfE">Playing Saint | All Souls’ Day</a></i> and savage the proto-Nineties faux-deep trash movie <i>Dead Poet Society </i>for being about nothing while simultaneously being bloated with self-importance<i>.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast/episode83.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-fdeWQ3pEAS4ov6kHTNtXgWDrYBGq4vrRSJcVacxD4EO-uPIAEgsFvmHgan06MFL_7bUk899RhAF04LSSC1X9APvPpv2RbT0PFEtshfoZ7-KcmOkwxm_T1UK5GDgQvDMopB9JF4-WDXF/s640/gutcheck_DPS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-76490495253735766092017-08-31T07:16:00.000-07:002017-08-31T07:16:01.283-07:00PODCAST WEEK: #3, Clinch: A Podcast of Fiction and Not-Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Okay, so this "Podcast Week" is a week like Gut Check Literacy Month was a month. But anyway, here I am, highlighting my third (and final) podcast. This one is called Clinch: A Podcast of Fiction and Not-Fiction."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Every week, I talk about an aspect of writing or publishing, through the lens of my "writing journey" (ugh, I hate that phrase), including sort of a raw autopsy of my brief stint with the biggest of big publishers. Then, the second half of the ep is me reading a chapter from <i>Clinch</i>, a YA novel about a couple high school kids in a small town, one of whom is convinced God has called her to be a masked superhero. People seem to like it. You should check it out.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Name: </b><span style="color: #990000;">Clinch: A Podcast of Fiction and Not-Fiction</span><br /><b>Feed Location: </b><span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast/gutcheckfeed.rss">www.zacharybartels.com/podcasts/clinch/clinchfeed.rss</a></span><br /><b>Website: </b><span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.clinchpodcast.com/">www.clinchpodcast.com</a></span><br /><b>Updated:</b><b style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every Wednesday</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHgRDtqUbUlWITsQb63zeEWbOKoh9S6ILXplCz49VVgnJzJSfyDTOF3j6Z8ZJclHUyPol7KAn8lPARDqAIZq1WNesdJoFd315RzNwP1JmyCO0zfqMOcR5qbMgbIJJT2prb8iMcv12Pmui/s1600/clinchpod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1464" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHgRDtqUbUlWITsQb63zeEWbOKoh9S6ILXplCz49VVgnJzJSfyDTOF3j6Z8ZJclHUyPol7KAn8lPARDqAIZq1WNesdJoFd315RzNwP1JmyCO0zfqMOcR5qbMgbIJJT2prb8iMcv12Pmui/s400/clinchpod.jpg" width="365" /></a></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-65250968539306023822017-08-18T09:22:00.001-07:002017-08-18T09:31:49.002-07:00PODCAST WEEK: #2, The Gut Check Podcast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week (and, I guess, into next week), I'm featuring my <a href="http://www.zacharybartels.com/podcasts">podcasts </a>on my blog! Today, I bring you the <b><a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast">Gut Check Podcast</a></b>!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For the past few years, my buddy <a href="http://www.tedkluck.com/">Ted Kluck</a> and I have talked publishing, caffeine, cigars, and anything else that comes up. We spent a year and a half bringing you "Gut Check Literacy Month," in which we read an end-times satire called <i>re:raptured.</i> Once, we ate an entire box of tacos "on the air" and reviewed them. We also review gross energy drinks as if they were fine wines. It's not for everyone. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You can follow on iTunes, and pretty much every other podcast app and aggregator, or on the <a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast">web</a>.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Name: </b><span style="color: #990000;">The Gut Check Podcast</span><br /><b>Feed Location: </b><span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast/gutcheckfeed.rss">http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast/gutcheckfeed.rss</a></span><br /><b>Updated:</b><b style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About every other week</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gutcheckpress.com/podcast/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="672" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxnMIKYoYnyEA-hJOI8bcMbBh33GkjqtlaMmLvFvRlFrA063j16tYkRGDM7IKAQh3d8EfPh4tHB_Ziw6mdicUwILLRzEjBVInl-XqyMf-JTiwpxcfdHchkCHzT_4F6hTgAyB0C-vpEfMb/s640/gutcheck.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-54767662990301809782017-08-16T14:06:00.001-07:002021-04-29T11:40:11.944-07:00PODCAST WEEK: #1, Sermons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">ALRIGHTALRIGHTALRIIIIGHT!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week, I'm featuring my <a href="http://www.zacharybartels.com/podcasts">podcasts </a>on my blog! Today, let's look at the uber-creatively titled "Rev. Zachary Bartels' Sermons" podcast. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Each week, I spend many hours studying a text of God's Word and prepare a message, which I preach at Judson Baptist Church. Thankfully, in this day of mass-communication and interwebs, those messages can be beamed off to the very ends of the earth.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I just started preaching through the <a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/jonah/">book of Jonah</a> (<a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/jonah/">three sermons</a> so far) and I'm really excited about it! You can follow my sermon feed on our church's <a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/app/">iPhone or Android</a> app, by <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rev.-zachary-bartels-sermon/id380138924">subscribing in iTunes</a>, through <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/revbartels">Feedburner</a>, or via the <a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/">web</a>.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Name: </b><span style="color: #990000;">Rev. Zachary Bartels' Sermons</span><br /><b>Feed Location: </b><span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/sermpodcast.rss">http://www.churchlansing.com/audio/sermpodcast.rss</a></span><br /><b>Updated:</b><b style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #990000;">Ideally every week, although I sometimes let them get backed up</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.churchlansing.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1124" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO774OzkDVzlJCD9QwPMbUOg6vEIPpZ38_kXfsKVhElj-3l5b96_mLUE-FEOuESzW2N9ee1ir8aWr4Do0bTg0reEPfiQLubuZn7C-bDCSsEgoXG3ohyfkML8Aa69AnpxfyOQb_WyLsbWK/s640/JBCweb.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-13776172697014660112017-07-11T07:31:00.002-07:002017-07-11T07:41:18.104-07:00The Jets, the Sharks, and Jesus<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">“They’re like Romeo and
Juliet.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
I’ve heard that said when two people are deeply in love. What is meant, of
course, is not that the two people in question are star-crossed lovers,
destined to crash and burn as a result of their passionate feelings for one
another. No, it means that they epitomize the timeless, starry-eyed ideal of
the romantic love story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
But <i>is </i>Romeo and Juliet a timeless, romantic love story? I was reminded the
other day that this uber-famous play is actually about “a relationship that
lasted three days between a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old, which resulted in
six deaths.” Well, when you put it that way . . . Romantic? No. Timeless? Only
because we’ve made it so.<br />
<br />
In fact, <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> has been told and re-told in
countless different ways with as many different settings and backdrops (from
Nazi Germany to wherever Porky Pig lives). One of the most famous re-imaginings
of Shakespeare’s tale is the 1950s musical <i>West Side Story </i>(cue
snapping), which is set in contemporary (then) New York and involves street
gangs, knives, and zip guns (<i>zip guns!)</i>. Another well-known retelling
was a film called <i>Romeo + Juliet </i>that came out when I was in
college, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and set in a fictional modern-day location
called “Verona Beach,” which is probably in California. Car chases and
gunfights ensue, but the story of two star-crossed lovers remains the same.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7UwYxkWoqU-HsXqZJ6gflbpoLUoKjXES0bYRz0EQZ5iaqGNu91zb7FV8e5C1uroc-Ey23fPdJfvckWq3PP-U2NgQdnN9SYoWKAEa-eynWEWO_02gCr0-csO3UTdoBj5kN5JuzkJdEvG3/s1600/jets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="634" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7UwYxkWoqU-HsXqZJ6gflbpoLUoKjXES0bYRz0EQZ5iaqGNu91zb7FV8e5C1uroc-Ey23fPdJfvckWq3PP-U2NgQdnN9SYoWKAEa-eynWEWO_02gCr0-csO3UTdoBj5kN5JuzkJdEvG3/s320/jets.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
“Has anyone seen my zip gun? It’s this long. And it’s a zip
gun.”</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;">It seems that the setting
is incidental to this story. It’s really about the relationship between these
two families (or gangs or whatever) and how it affects two young people and
their budding relationship. The rest is just backdrop, which can easily be
replaced with another backdrop without harming the tale.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">This switching out of
backdrops for classic stories is pretty commonplace: <i>Clueless </i>is
really just Jane Austin’s <i>Emma</i> plopped down 180 years later in
a Beverly Hills high school and <i>O Brother Where Art Thou</i> is a
loose re-telling of Homer’s <i>Odyssey. </i>Both work because these
timeless stories can play before any backdrop. Georgian England or 90210 in
1995, the Trojan War or Depression-era chain gangs—these are just details not
essential to the plot. Now, there certainly are stories where this doesn’t
apply (for instance,Orwell’s <i>1984</i> ceases to make sense if you
remove the backdrop of a tyrannical dystopia), but <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> easily
survives a split from its historical setting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
Why do I even bring this up? Because our culture is viewing the world around us
more and more in terms of narratives—stories. This is good news for Christians,
since we have always viewed the world through the lens of the <i>meta-narrative—</i>the
one Big Story of how God created us, we fell into sin, and He redeemed us
through an incredible plan that climaxed with the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. When we speak in terms of stories, then, we’re speaking both the
language of Scripture and the language of the culture, which can make for some
pretty effective preaching and some rather naturally occurring evangelism in
the workplace, the family, or among friends.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">But we have to be careful
how we tell the Story. I’ve previously shared with you the best advice I ever
got about preaching: my homiletics professor told us, “Gentlemen, when you’ve
finished your sermon and think it’s just about ready to preach, read it over
and ask yourself this . . . <i>Could this message still be true and make
sense if Jesus had </i>not<i> died and risen again for our salvation?</i> If
the answer is <i>yes</i>, then throw it out and start over, because it’s
not a Christian sermon. It’s self-help or life-coaching or tips for family
dynamics, but it’s not a cross-centered message, which is what we are called to
proclaim.” In other words, if you’re about to deliver a sermon or teach a
lesson that is supposed to be rooted in the cross of Jesus, but you could swap
out the cross of Jesus for the Koran or a book on etiquette or a self-esteem or
productivity seminar (just as easily as swapping out Fair Verona for 1950s New
York), then there’s something seriously wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
Well, the same thing applies to our very lives—our narratives. How is it that
Jesus and his cross fit into your story? Is He part of the backdrop, a detail
not essential to the plot? Is He a set-piece that could be removed or replaced
without harming the overall story? Is the cross of Jesus like the setting of
Romeo and Juliet (incidental and unessential) or is he more like the shark in
Jaws? Think about it, you can do <i>Jaws </i>without
Jets, but not without a shark. No shark, no story. Then again, we could replace
the shark with a tiger or a huge snake or even a hurricane (after all, it’s a
basic “man-versus-nature” story) and not lose <i>too</i> much, I suppose. The story of Scripture, though, is
man-versus-God. And God Wins through His coming down in flesh to dwell amongst
us and His dying for our sins, only to rise again. It’s the tale of God, in
Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. You remove that and plug anything
else in its place and you’ve lost <i>everything</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
Rather than being part of the background or a supporting character in our story
(a character who might be written out at any time), God calls us to become a
supporting character in <i>His</i> story, the Big Story of redemption
that he is writing. That means that our whole existence is only meaningful in
relation to the plot of the Jesus Story. To remove us from that and try to find
any meaning apart from it would be meaningless, like trying to create a
spin-off series for the Close Talker or “Frightened Inmate #3.” When we realize
that our lives have meaning only because they are part of God’s Story (and not
because He is part of ours), then we can say goodbye to much of the uncertainty
and doubt that so often plagues us as Christians—doubt that we’re <i>doing
enough</i>, doubt that our story is compelling enough. It’s not. But His Story
is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
Just as a sermon should pass the “Would it make sense without the cross?” test,
so should our lives. When we prayerfully reflect on each day, perhaps we should
ask the question, “Would today have looked any different if Jesus <i>hadn’t</i> died
for my sins and risen again for my justification?” If it would have been the
same, take heart—God’s story carries on. Let’s repent of our attempts to make
Jesus part of the scenery and ask him every day to make us part of His Story,
which is timeless—not because it can be re-imagined in a number of different
times and places, but because it spans all of time. And he’s cast <i>you</i> in
the role of disciple. How could we possibly pass that up?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white; line-height: 115%;">.</span></div>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-40623759694292845612017-05-09T05:30:00.000-07:002017-05-12T07:11:07.157-07:00Earn Your Seat at the Fire<pre wrap=""><div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: normal;">
I've told you about my boy <a href="http://cliffgraham.com/">Cliff Graham </a>a few times (<a href="http://zacharybartels.blogspot.com/2013/06/and-arrows-to-our-enemies.html">here</a>, <a href="http://zacharybartels.blogspot.com/2015/05/praise-and-arrows-redux.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://zacharybartels.blogspot.com/2015/07/podcasts-everywhere.html">here</a>)—about how he's a friend of mine and I'm a huge fanboy of his. I'm super-stoked that I'll be headed to Israel with Cliff at the end of the month, and I'll surely be sharing some highlights of the trip with you.</div>
<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: normal;">
</div>
<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: normal;">
But today, I want to tell you about Cliff's <i>Gibborim </i>training course.“Gibborim” is the Hebrew word for “Mighty Men” or “Men of Valor” (some of Cliff's <a href="http://amzn.to/2qLsi6K">most popular books</a> are about King David's Mighty Men) and Cliff does an incredible job of grabbing hold of that ancient warrior spirit, while bringing a definitive modern warrior vibe to it.</div>
<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: normal;">
<span style="text-align: center;">I was honored to go to one of the first Gibborim training weekends last September and earned my place at the fire when the primary focus was on preparing for (and qualifying for) involvement in Cliff's rescue missions to help free women trapped in sex slavery. However, he is now opening it up to men who may or may not want to pursue that mission.</span></div>
<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: normal;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">There is </span><i style="text-align: center;">so much</i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"> that I could tell you. Instead, though, let me just share an awesome video Cliff's people have put together:</span></div>
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; white-space: normal;">.</span>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wOJsmtO-ox4" width="640"></iframe>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; white-space: normal;">
<pre style="color: black;" wrap=""><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; white-space: normal;">
<div style="color: #1d2129;">
<span style="color: white; text-align: center;">.</span></div>
<div style="color: #1d2129;">
If your life has needed some excitement, some testosterone, and some old-fashioned, Old-Testament <i>cavod</i> (honor, glory), consider taking part in the most amazing "men's retreat" you will ever attend—a simulated emergency rescue operation with a powerful spiritual component.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #1d2129; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIjd6PY5dQm5KfN8bq1vixKf-z1lMI6tSJZOiGrnzf2NLqLEGdJO0hP-jL5ex6RkAjVhFJBRobg6AjiD1yhRDDGIPQfdZYwG0aHRhZO-tAwvqbpjfglhlh2KqJi3XAJF_30Mvb1QDYNpG/s640/right_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliff and me in San Antonio, September 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: #1d2129;">
</div>
</div>
</pre>
<div style="color: #1d2129;">
The Gibborim course is being held every month led by military and law enforcement experts. It combines physical challenge with mental and spiritual development and was truly one of the most rewarding and unforgettable experiences I've ever had. Scholarships and subsidized spots are available and there will be opportunities for Father/Son weekends and church men's retreats.. </div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; white-space: normal;">
For more information, check out: <b style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gibborim.net%2F&h=ATNjY9tavznar1pvR6TOw6vdZMLuXU2hfPB5DTPQ7N-qxK-rKGGQ6JoocD23jGea2WXiclivc1MenPOc82tyQ2ysCJTwZeNIM2zpnI_KrN7B7aA9nTSdAdP9qlCliisPDcw9d5ZR_rbl-qg&enc=AZMzczaVLJIciu9my5_Q0XOkk3CctJnq-UxvgImplgG0KzfcpPUSUJXUf9GpyJPPA4TIgVGEW9AHO-eZjPJ58RsGe17v5NctrUMTQgv19Gdc6D0_os6OPjVWyTh9Msw_mkDj9lWRVQuFXCep8ryn5cLKy7hAfoSYribPqKmCZ20AoqctcWDBsklI5yT2U9YxoKH_Rkl-L4HrkAWTBwnCE4tG&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">www.gibborim.net</a>. </b></div>
</pre>
<pre wrap=""></pre>
<pre wrap=""></pre>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-19359885851396053162017-05-01T15:18:00.000-07:002017-05-01T15:18:33.679-07:00New Podcast Coming in June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGIWfNFoV8Hu3x8RPL7FVCcij4kcBArnX7SDy58eFMNVsmoCyO9QFyZWi7Jm9HAFPjgClmTC6UajpgMk2Xll80ePGuCz2_g-0goGdzy8-1B3AQmSQmKeOddjwKAIxJuyTxUA1FaU5udSC/s1600/fb_promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGIWfNFoV8Hu3x8RPL7FVCcij4kcBArnX7SDy58eFMNVsmoCyO9QFyZWi7Jm9HAFPjgClmTC6UajpgMk2Xll80ePGuCz2_g-0goGdzy8-1B3AQmSQmKeOddjwKAIxJuyTxUA1FaU5udSC/s400/fb_promo.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-18639942627506290132017-03-22T11:15:00.001-07:002017-03-22T11:15:15.862-07:00Thoughts on Killing Sin and Not Giving in This LentClick the images below to read a couple articles I wrote about resisting temptation and taking every thought captive this Lent.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://theblazingcenter.com/2017/03/living-inside-out-lent.html" target="InsideOut"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mlEy19Q4x0akKwM2DI708U05snfYmUaUqUtYdKrTFaFFlhUMNFIlpLCURu6_aL6FL_9KKRDYeVR7oe6iSPw55I3LiAR5SoLkndW7GMpINeKglLqjSaBhBcD3PffA7tW9FfXW0uac9Set/s1600/lent1.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://theblazingcenter.com/2017/03/take-every-thought-captive.html" target="captive"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBiVZgpQL36Iz7e3t6Hz23O_3nPe-laNhfHYl2D040UwKFXb3Es3PGcWCFH3YjIFNyCIpHaT1mrkCtGLJp671wFHO-Q9IvOYy_hpAcfEBSOD8SNSU6g_3Z9vC7kw796MA_OcjrfEAF3fS/s1600/lent2.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-18651609259202480222017-03-21T08:37:00.000-07:002017-03-21T10:47:47.166-07:00The Love of Christ and The ExorcistSo I've started pairing a picture with each of my <a href="http://churchlansing.com/audio/">sermons on our church website</a>, because I find it gets more people to notice/click on the link and also because I find it fun. <a href="http://churchlansing.com/audio/2corinthians/2Cor10.html">This week, my sermon</a> was on 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 and called “<a href="http://churchlansing.com/audio/2corinthians/2Cor10.html">Worthy of His Love</a>.” Oh, and the picture I chose was from <i>The Exorcist.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://churchlansing.com/audio/2corinthians/2Cor10.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0jTDI9OmBzAhJVG3W1p6ZwJgdWfb7gD7FpMlMWaQyRNKygW-GTyLTU0UMg6Mm841h8A2aDDboiP68_no6OfBiUIY_b9Uwt3r0oxL164-iK_di1rEoEMOwGJ9S_3TzsxCmx1FVphQStIi/s320/reagan.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I wasn't necessarily trying to produce a click-bait effect, nor was I sloppily announcing the return of my<a href="http://zacharybartels.blogspot.com/search/label/Tuesday%20movie%20reviews"> <b>Supernatural Movie Reviews</b></a> (which I <i>will</i> be bringing back soon, promoting <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2mM4TMq">Playing Saint: All Souls' Day</a></i>). So what does this floating demoniac have to do with a sermon on the love of Christ? <br />
<br />
You'll have to listen. You won't believe point #3! (Just kidding. But if you have 25 minutes to spare, you can <a href="http://churchlansing.com/audio/2corinthians/2Cor10.html">click here</a> to listen.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;"> .</span>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-15586655337290947102017-03-15T10:06:00.002-07:002017-03-16T10:32:06.310-07:00Cover Revealed: Playing Saint | All Souls' DayI'm excited to reveal the cover to my next suspense title, <i>Playing Saint | All Souls' Day</i>. We did a proper reveal on<a href="https://atransparentmom.com/2017/03/13/face-off-with-zachary-bartels-take-2/"> Charity Andrews's book blog</a> Monday, including round 2 of our "face off" (always hilarious) and a giveaway. You can still <a href="https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/344d8be268/">enter to win</a> both <i>Playing Saint</i> (paperback) and the new one (hardcover, when it comes out). 450 people have already entered, but more than one will win.<br />
<br />
The release date is October 30, 2017. In the meantime, you can also pre-order the book at <a href="http://amzn.to/2nsGX2m">Amazon </a>or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-saint-all-souls-day-zachary-bartels/1125912507?ean=9780983078395">Barnes & Noble</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UQyOktYb1quHTbVT7OUGmeTlAvAqgdvbz0J94xqrb66PfvhnOrGcvdThB07O-nkfkwt9A1H02CQbH1jQDcDOLp3aUCMJISWDYleY8ltF9AkjCyA1jFfPdgSc5v90fe54E0_yWXV9dr_B/s1600/ASD_front_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UQyOktYb1quHTbVT7OUGmeTlAvAqgdvbz0J94xqrb66PfvhnOrGcvdThB07O-nkfkwt9A1H02CQbH1jQDcDOLp3aUCMJISWDYleY8ltF9AkjCyA1jFfPdgSc5v90fe54E0_yWXV9dr_B/s640/ASD_front_cover.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7coQlaP7RNsW1ymNpWFkLkhWAuMc58jRnuGCiI77Q4m53WWMn_x0hLeuBbrIP2B38e7GzbS1UG7VPOR0cWABQcss5kZtW7xxtTMcoDVj9QCXqDu8B54uQ7lZ_ZTYXlNG9Ir3BUzYoiVy/s1600/ASD_back_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7coQlaP7RNsW1ymNpWFkLkhWAuMc58jRnuGCiI77Q4m53WWMn_x0hLeuBbrIP2B38e7GzbS1UG7VPOR0cWABQcss5kZtW7xxtTMcoDVj9QCXqDu8B54uQ7lZ_ZTYXlNG9Ir3BUzYoiVy/s640/ASD_back_cover.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-57786915041514504702017-03-01T13:11:00.005-08:002021-04-29T11:41:02.837-07:00Thoughts on Repentance and Ash Wednesday<center><br /></center>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
They say that the Inuit language has, like, thirty-seven words for snow because Eskimos are so overly familiar with the stuff that it would be silly to just refer to “snow” in general.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
That’s probably not true, of course, but it makes a good, broader point. There are many different types of snow, different kinds of love, different forms of stress, etc. and oversimplifying can lead to problems.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
And, as we commence our observance of Lent in the Christian church (except those hardcore Presbyterians—it’s too “popish” for them), with a day that is traditionally associated with ashes, sackcloth, and repentance, we might stop to consider that there are different kinds of tears.</div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; font-family: Montserrat, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 50px 0px 2.5rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A VARIETY OF TEARS FOR A VARIETY OF OCCASIONS</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
I’m sort of an expert on this (meaning, I read a Wikipedia article), so let me fill you in. You’ve got your basal tears, which are for lubricating your eyes and actually serve as part of your immune system. Then you’ve got your irritant tears. These are more reactive, like when a particularly nasty blast of wind comes your way, or you walk into a sand storm.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
Then, of course, there are emotional tears, which actually have a different chemical structure from the tears used for lubrication. So if your buddy says he has “something in his eye” while watching <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Up</em>, you could prove him wrong in a lab, with a sample of his tears, because emotional tears contain stress hormones.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
So that’s the scientific classification, but we all know that emotional tears can be subdivided into many more categories. Infants have three kinds of crying: basic, anger, and pain. When we had a baby, I was told that I would eventually learn the difference between “hungry” crying and “diaper” crying, but I call shenanigans on that.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; font-family: Montserrat, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 50px 0px 2.5rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;">BIBLICAL TEARS</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
As we grow up, we develop more complex categories of tears. These are common to all humans and have been from the beginning. We even see them in the Bible. I would . . .</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://theblazingcenter.com/2017/03/right-kind-tears-ash-wednesday.html">Next Page</a></span></b></div>
Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-8285562782881095752017-02-14T08:02:00.000-08:002017-02-14T08:11:21.027-08:00Love and Two Martyrs Named Valentine Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody!<br />
<br />
Or if you're a purist, Happy <em>Saint</em> Valentine’s Day. Because, of course, the Church originally set aside this feast day to honor <em>two</em> guys named Valentine (from the 2nd and 3rd Centuries), both of whom were killed as martyrs. (So if we want to be really pretentious, I guess we should insist on calling it “Saints Valentines’ Day.”) One was burned to death and the other, tradition tells us, was thrown to wild beasts. Yeah, I know—romantic!<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569516187685825458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvrufCudUv6k5MdVWnVf3E-1ubQGac3ZazhIUwD4CkefA_UvDYLU6zbsSB8V0BFipvKnIG9eJNbluX2gwlftzqCUNXnbxFPwb2DvbB0FUExvr1ZCKx7athlwX1sAtarxJ0CuAN1wRcUo/s400/valentine.jpg" style="float: right; height: 282px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 277px;" />Unlike most sacred-turned-secular holidays (which have slowly evolved from purely spiritual observances into vaguely cultural excuses to sit back, eat, and drink), Valentine’s Day was pretty much hijacked all at once by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th Century. Chaucer noticed that “on seynt Volantynys day…every foul comyth ther to chese his make.” No, that’s not a reference to chickens making cheese, and Chaucer hadn’t been drinking. Turns out everybody spelled things all janky back then. What Chaucer meant was that, during mid-February, every bird <em>chooses his mate</em>. Ya know, early spring, when a young bird’s fancy turns to love and all that. . .<br />
<br />
As a result, the day formerly dedicated to the Sts. Valentine instead became a day for men to pronounce their love for women by writing poetically-charged letters (eventually known as “Valentines”). The day has been so entirely secularized that, in 1969, the Catholic Church erased it from their religious calendar (even while they continue to make a case for St. Patrick's Day being spiritually grounded). These days, I would think it all but impossible to find anything pertaining to the original celebration of St. Valentine’s Day in any store amongst the $5 cards, lacy red underthings, and boxes of mediocre candy.<br />
<br />
In a way, this is a picture of what the world has done to love itself. We’ve taken it from a spiritual act, which we are bound to apply to our families, neighbors, and our enemies alike, and turned it into sensuality—a “feeling” which may come and go, and which we follow around from person to person.<br />
<br />
Case in point: I Corinthians 13, the “love chapter.” This passage is often trotted out at weddings and preached as though it is about how one should treat one’s soul mate. And, of course, this <em>is</em> how you should treat your soul mate. But it’s also how you should treat your boss, your annoying cousin, and that guy across the street who plays his music too loud, too late at night.<br />
<br />
Of course, I Corinthians 13 has a context—a place in the flow and development of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth—and in order to really understand the chapter fully, you’ll need to read the whole thing and get your mind around its place in the whole. Still, we can benefit from looking at this composite picture (not exhaustive definition) of love and asking the question: as a Christian, is my life painting the same picture? After all, Jesus said that the world would know we are his disciples because we love one another.<br />
<br />
“<strong>Love is patient. Love is kind. It is not self-seeking</strong>.” That pretty much drops a bomb on the cultural view of love as something we <em>feel</em>, something we follow around, that search for the “perfect someone.” Love doesn’t withhold until the perfect someone shows up. Love is patient and kind; biblical love is not discriminating, not focused on what I get out of the deal. Futher, “<strong>Love does not envy or boast</strong>” refers to the inward (“I want! I want!”) and outward (“I have! I have!”) manifestations of self-seeking. These things are foreign to biblical love.<br />
<br />
“<strong>Love keeps no record of wrongs</strong>.” When two people (whether friends, co-workers, or spouses) are always updating their mental grievance files, in anticipation of the day they can run down the list and announce, “Here’s all the horrible stuff you’ve done,” that relationship is not firmly based in love. Those lists exists solely for self-seeking. That’s not patient or kind.<br />
<br />
“<strong>Love does not rejoice in evil</strong>.” Most of what Hollywood calls “love” is the very opposite of love, because the silver screen continually rejoices in evil (the breaking of God’s Law) even while labelling that wickedness “love.” (This has led to the absurd situation where people who celebrate actual love are called “haters.”) I’m always disgusted when a film or television show will present two people as having slept together for some time and then one of them finally takes the leap and says, “I love you.” And we’re all supposed to be touched. That’s not biblical love. Love is patient and love does not rejoice in sin, but in Truth.<br />
<br />
“<strong>Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends</strong>.” The current incarnation of Valentine’s Day lends itself to the culture’s version of love: flitting about, something we “follow,” rather than something we lead; something very transient and temporary, rather than something that endures all things and never ends.<br />
<br />
Sure, romantic love is its own animal, and should probably be discussed according to its own attributes, but unless romantic love is rooted in sound <em>biblical</em> love—the kind of love that should mark a Christian’s dealings with everyone in his or her life—then it is not truly love; it’s not that thing which never fails, which always remains faithful according to Scripture. The kind of love that empowered two men named Valentine to go to their deaths for the sake of the Gospel.<br />
<br />
Even as we enjoy the cultural aspects of a cultural holiday, let me encourage you to inventory your <em>love life</em> at large. Are you loving your friends, your neighbors, and your enemies with the kind of love we see in Scripture, that Christlike love that puts others first and self last? If not, what a great opportunity St. Valentine’s Day gives us to ask God to continue breaking our fleshly ideas about love and replacing them with the real thing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;">.</span>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-15325563903879351352017-02-01T06:50:00.001-08:002021-04-29T11:43:51.850-07:00How To Know You Should Write Suspense<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Rapid Fire Suspense author Ronie Kendig recently put together a compilation of a number of suspense authors (including Brandilyn Collins, Colleen Coble, DiAnn Mills, Carrie Stuart Parks, Melody Carlson, and yours truly) taking a stab (heh) at identifying that one primary indicator that you should be writing suspense!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/2016/12/how-to-know-you-should-write-suspense.html">Click here</a> </b>to see the article.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;">.</span>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-51630451101983653122017-01-03T16:32:00.002-08:002021-04-29T11:46:59.089-07:00The Golden Rule (This Week's Sermon)<b><span style="font-size: large;">My sermon from New Year’s Day.
</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Matthew 7:12, “Golden” </h3>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="30" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/judson.goldenrule/" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="400"></iframe>
<p>
To download mp3 file, right click <a href="https://archive.org/download/judson.goldenrule/goldenrule.mp3" style="text-decoration: none;"><b>here</b></a> and choose <i>Save</i>.<br />
<br />
</p><div class="fb-like" data-share="true" data-show-faces="true" data-width="450">
</div>
<br /><br /><p></p>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-65012525239343445982016-12-30T06:40:00.000-08:002016-12-30T07:09:34.406-08:00My New Year's Resolution: Be More Like Knope.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1_rd4hD0PqRCj3vFVLE_bJhCM-1YYKTg94vqHAI6kl-vunAvywZg2435Mm7Q_4J1dapqi5jivd3Q4s6x9P4KiHP8XwKj1hJ-R3TB_b4UQg33IELiaUJJTQbYaBX7iooXxl9N0aQmlLRj/s1600/knope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1_rd4hD0PqRCj3vFVLE_bJhCM-1YYKTg94vqHAI6kl-vunAvywZg2435Mm7Q_4J1dapqi5jivd3Q4s6x9P4KiHP8XwKj1hJ-R3TB_b4UQg33IELiaUJJTQbYaBX7iooXxl9N0aQmlLRj/s640/knope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
My New Years Resolution? Be more like Leslie Knope. Why? Click over to <a href="http://theblazingcenter.com/2016/12/resolved-like-leslie-knope.html">my article at <i>The Blazing Center</i></a> to find out.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;">.</span>Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-51929069054774426012016-12-26T10:41:00.002-08:002016-12-26T10:41:31.648-08:00What Americans Need to Know About Boxing Day<br />
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764428160922225052.post-63726153824988166692016-11-24T06:15:00.000-08:002016-11-24T06:15:04.703-08:00If My Suspense Novels Were Amish RomancesI was reminded last week of these hilarious book covers put together by one of my readers (the one and only <a href="https://twitter.com/drewpdoane">Andy Doane</a>), depicting <i>Playing Saint</i> and <i>The Last Con</i> as Amish paperbacks. This is probably worth doing with your favorite books... 😄<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/2ggKE8r" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTlHbCps3jusdaiZzWCiuq14XwXkdF4qNw3QUrT60abO3YlNznXh669fUVNfST-XL02JItzgy-ZSlNH03ckcFVH3GQ-7FK8-47pWE49CW4DrHnRNX4WVbtibgA8k1CeWGZBb2KaYBxFR6/s400/plain_saint.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/2fnEMeq" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvLFYZuU-bk2NCFkiBHLhJZTQsU6HDsiXT05K-HsI6ppsJcDV5-VNzbErfruJXYnazcsUjdgun8YZFb-78rgEg2n4DSZBwjm4UOrBfnvFY9ls6oMt7l91LW3J5NMzr_bY5NmtOlwaok0r/s400/Lass_Con.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />Zachary Bartelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13188521505536660574noreply@blogger.com1