Mr. Ward

Quick Notes on McCain’s Speech

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:46:41 -0400

I liked: Taxes: Lower business taxes and jobs will create themselves. This is too easy for most people to understand. Energy: Drill here; drill now. Can you imagine if we had gas stations that said, “We only sell fuel made in the U.S.A.? Foreign Aid: Stop giving money to countries that insult us all the time. You want our help; play nice. Foreign Policy: It’s nice to know someone isn’t so naïve to believe if you buy the world a coke it will sing in perfect harmony. Some people just have to be slapped.

I didn’t like: Bi-partisanship: It sounds like a good idea, but there are two problems. First, compromise means watering down principles; and principles are what our nation was founded upon. Second, it’s code for “Republicans have to agree with Democrats”. Notice the left never “reaches across the aisle”. The Quote: If we have heard it once we have heard it a hundred times; McCain said, “I’d rather lose an election than have my country lose a war”. We get it; no one here is questioning your priorities. I also understand that this makes you polar opposites with your opponent. But let’s not drive it into the ground. Taxes: I have a problem with raising the child credit. Health Care: The only thing government needs to do with medicine is stay out of it.

I have questions about: Judges: You say you will appoint conservative justices; fantastic. But if it ever comes before the court, a true conservative would deem The McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform unconstitutional. Are you willing to risk your greatest achievement? Change: You’ve had years in the Senate to fix DC. Why didn’t you? Trust: McCain says Republicans lost the people’s trust when they gave in to the temptations of Washington. Republicans lost my trust when they quit being conservatives. Do what I elect you to do.

One more note: We have heard the story of McCain’s years as a POW many times. It is what makes him a true American hero. But hearing it from him – told as a story of personal humility – got me. I was blown away that he took that experience and turned into a lifetime of serving others. Amazing.

3D on the 3D

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:09:15 -0400

So, it’s time for this month’s installment of “Third Day on the third day”; and this time it’s all about the live experience. No problem. Sunday night, Third Day performed at the Choctaw Nation Festival in Oklahoma and we were there. During “Rockstar”, Mac occasionally puts the microphone in an audience member’s face and has them sing the title during the chorus. As he walked over toward our side, he was looking at me and I knew what was coming. A snap decision needed to be made. How do I handle this? Do I attmept to do a Mac Powell impersonation? Do I try to be subdued? Do I try to give it the overblown “Whitney Houston at the Super Bowl” treatment? Do I shout it like a frat boy on spring break? I decided to leave it all on the table. The mic came down and I let loose with a full-on death metal sceam/howl. Imagine Pantera doing “Rockstar”. You can hear it here. I’m a bit proud of the moment. If I get that opportunity again, I’m doing it up old-school crooner style; sort of Buble like.

P.S. I know this is being posted on the fourth, but I didn’t have internet last night.

The "First" Night of the RNC.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:14:36 -0400

Just a few general impressions.

First, the media.

Look, we knew they did not want to cover this convention (to them whatever damage Gustav did was worth not having to cover the President live Monday night). Most of them identify themselves as Democrats if not liberals. So, I expected biased reporting and commentary. They did not disappoint. When they re-aired President Bush’s speech from earlier in the night, NBC edited out the crowd response which left him standing in silence for seconds at a time looking foolish and confused. Neither CBS nor ABC took out the crowd so don’t tell me it wasn’t intentional. During all the speeches, the networks kept cutting back to their media folk who talked over them. The disrespect with which the media spoke about and to the Alaska delegation was inexcusable.

Second, the speeches.

Fred Thompson played the attack dog role for the RNC. He pointed out many truths about Obama that the media have either been ignorant to or simply ignored; especially concerning taxes. Which led to him appropriately pointing out how fawning the media’s portrayal of Obama has been. Unfortunately, Fred didn’t look well and had trouble with his voice. I am afraid that in our looks-obsessed culture; that took away from the content. Some of my favorite moments were his “bucket” analogy and “character we can believe in”.

It was a bit surreal to see Joe Lieberman stumping for McCain. By doing so, he inadvertently underscored all the problems conservatives such as me have with our current nominee. The surprise came not that Joe talked about how great he thinks McCain is, but that he actually went after Obama. I think Joe’s working for a cabinet position under McCain. What if Obama wins? It is conceivable that the Democrats would remove Leiberman from all committees and not allow him to caucus with them. That leaves him with two options: roll over and play dead or caucus with the Republicans. Either way, it would prove that the DNC is really the party of exclusivity and small ideas.

Kenny is OK.

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:15:00 -0400

We went to see Kenny Rogers last night. While yes; he is older and the voice doesn’t hold out like it once did (he just turned 70), I was still impressed at the performance. He mixes the hits with some more personal songs and gave short shrift to none. His crack backing band was fantastic and made it look like they weren’t even trying. The most impresssive thing to me was how Kenny obviously understands his place in country music. His chats with the audience were funny and a bit self-deprecating, but he made you feel like he appreciated you being there and respected you. All in all, K.R. is worth the time. My favorite moment was when he broke out the almost 40 year old piece of psychedelic rock “Just Dropped In” while playing the video on screens behind him. Fantastic.

Clueless.

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:59:48 -0400

I’m listening to Obama’s acceptance speech. Here are a few thoughts on what he is saying.

He says that “You’re on your own” is a cruel thing to tell someone. No, it is a true and honest thing to tell someone. In the real world you are on your own. Based on his personal history, he should know that.

He claims that household incomes went up during the Clinton years and down during the Bush years. First, if that is true it is due to decisions made by the previous administrations. Second, that is certainly not true for me. When I go to vote this November, I will have a salary that is almost $15,000 greater than it was when I voted for W.

He says government is supposed to help us. No, government is supposed to protect us and stay out of our way. The man needs to read the Constitution.

He says he will wean us from foreign oil in 10 years. How? He thinks government can find the new fuel. Sorry, those types of solutions have always come from the private sector.

He says he will fix all our energy “problems”. If he has that answer, why hasn’t he already given it to us?

He says he will lower taxes on “95 percent” of working families. How can he do that while raising taxes on anyone who owns a business? He either thinks all business is owned by 5 percent of workers or business owners don’t actually work.

He says we need change. All of his changes would make my life more difficult; I don’t need that.

He says we should “hold firmly to the hope that we confess”. That is about Jesus Christ, not America.

This guy has said (and I assume believes) so much that is inaccurate that I wonder what world he lives in. All I know is that it isn’t mine.

So much for "change".

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:27:51 -0400

Joe Biden? Really? That’s your definition of “change”? The guy has been a senator almost as long as I have been alive. I realize Obama needed someone with experience to offset his lack of it, but this is overkill. Personally, I like people with experience to head to the White House, but up until now, that is not what this campaign has been about. Obama has spent months telling everyone that the old-time D.C. insiders are the problem. No one typifies that better than Biden. So, has that changed? Are they now the solution? If that is the case why not pick Robert Byrd? He’s been around even longer than Joe (Ok, I realize his former Klan ties would make him a bit touchy on Obama’s ticket; I’m using absurdity to prove a point). Better yet, why not vote for an insider as President rather than just V.P.? I hear there’s one running.

"Excuse me a sec. What are you babbling about?"

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:41:00 -0400

Back in 1987, Nike ran an ad featuring the Beatles song “Revolution”. It was a milestone for advertising that still reverberates today. However, not everyone was pleased. The three living Beatles at the time sued Nike (Yoko had given them permission to use the song), and baby boomers hit the roof. They felt they had been betrayed and their childhood had been tainted somehow. I’m sure the song meant something to them, but I think they may have simply felt guilty that instead of actually starting a revolution they became consumer driven yuppies. I love the Beatles too, but at the time I didn’t get the big deal.

Twenty-one years later, JC Penny is running a Back to School ad. In it, a group of kids run around a school building acting out scenes from the film “The Breakfast Club”. They even have a cover of Simple Mind’s hit “Don’t You Forget About Me” playing. I sat watching with my mouth open. This film and subsequently the song meant something to me. From the first time I saw the movie, I realized it captured some of the spirit of high school students in the mid-80s. I saw it multiple times. I was such a fan that four of my friends and I used to get together watch the film and quote the lines of the characters we were closest to in real life. Granted, these characters were stereotypes. Sam played football, but wasn’t as cocky as Andy/Emilio Estevez, Tonya wasn’t near the princess Claire/Molly Ringwald played, Traci was a bit different but not as freaky as Allison/Ally Sheedy, I was a geek but Brian/Anthony Michael Hall was a full on nerd, and James – well actually James was quite a bit like John/Judd Nelson. We felt like we understood these characters and John Hughes understood us. You don’t even want to know how annoying it was to be around us when the quotes started flying. As I watched the Penny’s ad, I felt odd. I wasn’t offended; I was just a bit disturbed. The ad doesn’t seem to be taking this movie or song seriously. Don’t they get it? Wait, do I sound like those baby boomers from the 80’s? Am I taking this too seriously? To paraphrase the film; am I going to be like my parents?

P.S. In real life, “Brian” and “Allison” just celebrated fourteen years of marriage.

SRC Winding Down

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:21:00 -0400

As the next to last week of The Summer Reading Club, I’m reviewing “In the Courts of The Crimson Kings” by S.M. Stirling. This is an intelligent, well-written science fiction adventure read. In this semi-alternate history tale, we discovered intelligent life on Venus and Mars in the 1960’s. The story here takes place in the year 2000. Without getting too much into details, it involves the last of a ruling line, his hidden daughter, mythic crowns (one on Mars, one from Venus now in a museum on Earth), a terran archaeoligist, and plenty of action. In fact, Stirling writes action pieces about as well as any sci-fi author working today. This book is a fun ride chock full of political intrigue with a little interplanetary romance and a surprising number of in jokes and references meant to bring smiles to every fanboy. All of this leads to a discovery of how life on Venus, Mars and maybe Earth are all tied together; but I won’t spoil the ending, you’ll have to read it for yourself.

Third Day on the third day; what to say?

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:35:00 -0400

I was just reminded that according to this guy, we are supposed to write about Third Day on the third day of every month. Ok, but what to write? Should I tell you that their new album “Revelation” is the best they have ever recorded? Do I casually mention that I have seen them live over 40 times? How about telling you that “You Make Me Mad” is my favorite Third Day song or one of my favorite shows was Tyler, Texas in October, 2006? Oh, I know; I could post the lyrics for “Revelation” and tell you how that is my idea of a “worship” song. You know what, just go buy “Revelation” and learn to love them yourself.

Edit: Apparently we were supposed to make this about something that happened this week since “Revelation” was released on Tuesday. Well, since I didn’t get my pre-ordered cd and my other copy was in the player in my car which spent the week at the body shop; I did not get to listen to the album the week of release. Now that Alanis, is irony. Edit: I forgot to say what really made this ironic: my car was at the body shop to repair damage done while I was at a Waffle House following a concert by…Third Day.

Kinda Like the Old Days - Or Not

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:39:15 -0400

Alright Wahoo fans let’s face it; the season’s over. Cleveland is not making the playoffs and are trading off all the guys whose contracts are soon to be up (Paul Byrd will be next). I guess next rear will be earmarked for “rebuilding”. Back in the 80’s, I used to say that the great thing about being an Indians fan was that the season was over early enough that you could start getting ready for football. Well, after looking at what Dallas has done in the off season I’m not sure I’m all that excited. Although UT may have a top 20 season. Even if they don’t it doesn’t matter; my favorite band has a new album so there will be live dates coming.

Hey, I know those guys!

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:17:34 -0400

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, July 29th), Third Day is the musical guest on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. With the exception of the Spin Doctors and actor David Keith, this will be the first time I have met the people performing on a major network show. I could not be more excited! I hope everyone tunes in.

P.S. I don’t think I’ll ever talk to Mr. Keith or the Spin Doctors again, but I certainly plan to see Third Day…soon.

Summer Book Club Vengeance Comeback

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:09:40 -0400

As part of the SRC, this week I read, Rapture Ready!: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture by Daniel Radosh. Radosh, who has very little experience with American Christianity, spends a year exploring all its facets. I had an idea what to expect, and was eager to go along for the ride. I laughed and sometimes winced at Radosh’s commentary on “Jesus Junk”. As an evangelical, I sometimes see the leaders and spokespeople of the American Church and yell, “Don’t be on my team!” Naturally, these people are discussed in the book, but Radosh also seeks out those on the more cutting edge of Christian pop culture.

I was surprised to find myself adopting a defensive posture when the author left his commentary on how Christianity was presented and began to dispute the tenets of my faith. I was especially offended when Radosh suggested that Christians believe in Creationism because biology is too difficult for most people to understand so we reject evolution (and people call me arrogant!). He did redeem himself a bit at the end when he concluded that mainstream pop culture open itself up to the better parts of Christian pop culture. I agree that most Christian pop culture is cheesy and shouldn’t be given much credence; but there is good stuff out there.

At any rate, this is a quick read (Radosh has an almost conversational writing style) and makes some excellent points.

Welcome To The Revelation.

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:28:00 -0400

By now, there have been numerous reviews of Third Day’s new album, Revelation. Most of them point out things such as producer and guest artists. Any song descriptions are musically vague and focus on the lyrics and meaning. I’m going to go another way. I’ll state some summary conclusions at the end (you can skip there if you like). Anyway, here is my song-by-song analysis.

This is Who I Am

This is a fantastic opening rock song. The verses feature some Peter Buck jangle guitar and a bit of funky bass. Buoyant drums with a seriously popping snare are present throughout and the chorus consists of powerful vocals backed by a wall of guitar. This song is a statement to prepare you for what is to come.

Slow Down

Here’s a mid-tempo rocker with punctuating guitars in the first verse. There are some interesting guitar moments in the second verse and you have to love that sustain in the chorus; as well as the great solo. There is an interesting bass line that drops down in the middle of the chorus along with Mac’s voice. Get ready for an awesome rock moment after the solo when everyone drops out then comes back in.

Call My Name

This is the best first single ever on a Third Day album. While there is nothing musically adventurous, it is all done perfectly. It features great guitar lines and a beautifully placed solo. The final chouses are so strong and on target that if you don’t sing along you need to stop now.

Run To You

Whoever decided the track order here knew what they were doing as this flows beautifully from the previous song. Again everything is simple but well done. It starts off with a great drum intro and the music backs the plaintive vocals perfectly. There is some good percussion on the bridge, and the ending of this song makes a statement both musically and vocally.

Revelation

This song is so good it is almost painful. I’m calling it a Worship Power Ballad and it is one of the best songs Third Day has ever recorded. Seriously, this is the kind of tune I could listen to over and over. The song is anchored by solid bass and drumming with a great guitar line underneath the chorus. That riff that follows the first chorus is enough to make this song awesome on its own.

Surprisingly enough, this song is even better live; as the staccato guitar drives the second verse and the band extends the ending into a fantastic rock jam.

The Other Side

This is my favorite song on the album. Even without the slide, this would be awesome but the addition of Robert Randolph’s screamin’ steel takes it to a whole other level. If you love rock guitar this song is for you: pick slides, power chords, vibrato filled solo, hammers, pulls, it’s all there. My favorite part is the bit of fuzzed-out guitar halfway through the second chorus. I think I found my new “driving too fast on a curvy back road” song.

Let Me Love You

Again, we have another great rock ballad. A song like this should be simple and it is. The strings are a nice touch, being barely noticeable until the final choruses when they lift the vocals. David Carr’s snare is perfectly placed in the verse and I like the way the cymbals rise in the chorus

Always Be True

When I first heard this live, I thought the melody sounded like early Steve Earle. Now I find it would have fit in nicely on Bon Jovi’s last album (then again, considering what that album sounded like, those two things may not be that far apart). The great bass line keeps your feet tapping and the chorus forces you to sing along. Mark Lee’s slide solo adds to the joy. This song will bring a smile to your face and is destined to become a live favorite.

Born Again

The vocals are appropriately the focus of this song. Both Mac and Lacey go far beyond their normal work to tell a story. The rhythm guitar chords are well done and Tai Anderson’s bass is surprisingly subtle, yet seems to hold the song up in places. You hear some excellent percussion in the chorus.

Give Love

Ah, some back porch on a summer evening music. I’m looking for watermelon and lemonade. After the intensity of the previous tracks this is a great place to relax. I love the banjo and the drum shuffle. Mac’s vocals are softer here than usual and there is a fun bass line. The wife says this song is full of sweet innocence.

Caught Up In Yourself

Mac’s vocals take on a different tempo here. The song is driven by quick drums (check out the percussion on the bridges) and highlighted by straightforward guitars on the chorus and the solo. The bass seems to be more upfront than on other tracks.

Ready

Those are some sweet opening guitar chords. As this is an anthem-like “message” song, the vocals are definitely at the fore. I love the bass on the verses and I like the way the song ends the same way it starts; after all that, we’re still ready.

Take It All

The closest thing to what people would call a “worship” song on the album. It seems that the trend lately is to close with a more melodic track and this fits the bill nicely. We find some great finger picking on the first verse and the closing chords. I really like the simple percussion on the bridge.

Shake

This pre-order bonus track is definitely something different for Third Day. You got funky guitar on one side, swirling guitar on the other. Is that Earth, Wind, and Fire’s rhythm section? I can’t wait for the dance remix.

Conclusions:

To begin with, this is the best album Third Day has recorded! Mac does things vocally he has never done before and he sounds better than ever. The band has never put this many consistently good songs on one record before. Nothing seems out of place and everyone’s performances are near perfect. Third Day fans have always differentiated between their “rock” songs and the “worship” songs. Here, the band has crafted something so right that those discussions are moot; it is all that good. Revelation has already gone to second place on my favorite Third Day albums list and has a good shot at taking number one.

This is also the best sounding album Third Day has done. I suppose the credit goes to Chris Lord-Alge who mixed it. Everything is done just right (although I always wish the guitars were more out front; but that’s a personal taste issue).

This should be the biggest album of the band’s career. I count at least 8 singles in the 13 songs here. The only legitimate complaint people can make is that this music isn’t cutting edge or progressive enough. Well, there’s nothing edgy about my mother’s cooking but you won’t find anything better. If you want some well done, straight up, no-frills rock, then Revelation needs to be your next purchase.

One last thing: Did you notice how often I mentioned drums or percussion in this review? There is a reason for that. David Carr has never been as strong or spot on as he is here. My vote for Revelation MVP is David Carr!

This was Summer School English IV 2008. Ashley, Alaina, Lydia,...

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:28:21 -0400

This was Summer School English IV 2008. Ashley, Alaina, Lydia, and Skye. Thanks girls.

I'm only a helping hand.

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:59:00 -0400

Today, Slate.com posted an article entitled, “Hot for the Wrong Teachers: Why are Public Schools So Bad At Hiring Good Instructors?” Let’s go ahead and agree on a few points made in the article. Yes, there are some bad teachers; but there are people in every profession who have no business being there. Yes, it is incredibly difficult to remove a teacher once they have tenure and the teachers’ unions are certainly largely to blame.

The main point of the article is how hard it is to predict who will and will not be a good teacher. First, I disagree with the criteria used to decide who is or is not “good”. We have decided that the only way to decide is by students’ test scores. The article does point out that there are other ways to decide who is good (love of learning, comprehension of course material, and I would add success in college in the same subject). Here is where I have a problem:

“What economists have found is that only one thing tells us how much a teacher will boost his students’ test scores next year: the amount he raised test scores in previous years. A good teacher this year will very likely be a good teacher next year.”

I realize that this is going to be anecdotal, but this would not apply to me. I have been given Value Added Scores for the past 5 years. For three of those years, the difference between what my students were predicted to score and what they actually scored was less than 3%. I received a score of NDD. That stands for “No Discernable Difference”. In other words the State Dept. of Education said to me, “It really didn’t matter if you were there or not, they were going to do that well anyway”. Thanks. Anyway, for the other two years, I have received scores above a 3% difference. One year I scored a +6. That is considered phenomenal by the way.

The first problem is that we have decided that standardized test scores are the best way to judge a teacher’s effectiveness. The article does make the point that some teachers are just good at teaching to the test. Personally, I think if you aren’t, it is your responsibility as a teacher to figure out how to be effective at that if those scores are the measurement. Anyway, I don’t think those test scores are the best measurement; it’s the easiest. Just last night, a former student walked up to the table and said hello. She then said, “I just want to thank you for everything you did for me in English. I had to take the Compass test this year for school and I blew the top off the English part. I couldn’t have done that without you”. Not to brag, but that kind of thing makes me want to take my Value Added Scores and make a government official eat them.

This brings us to the second problem. What do you think I did differently the two years I was a “good” teacher? That’s right; absolutely nothing. Same lesson plans, same curriculum, and same grading policies. The only difference was – wait for it – the students. Guess what? The two years I scored the big numbers I had honors classes. They are generally more concerned about their education and work harder. We have removed the students from the equation. I have access to every test score my students have ever accrued. The last one they take before their sophomore year is in the eighth grade. Do you remember how much you changed between eighth and tenth grade? Most teens that use alcohol or drugs do so for the first time during these years. It also the time most begin sexual activity (although not intercourse; that usually doesn’t occur until age 17).
Here’s my point: Teachers can only do so much. True, most of us could do more. I am not trying to shirk any responsibility. I take great pride in believing I do the best I can for my kids. All I’m asking is that they meet me half way.

SRC wks 4&5:

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:22:46 -0400

The past two weeks I have not really read a book per se. What I have read is Year’s Best SF 13. Real science fiction fans know that some of the genre’s best write short stories and this series mines all the mags and solicits original entries to find the gems. Since there are 25 stories here, I thought I’d review one I didn’t like and two I did.

“Baby Doll” by Johanna Sinisalo. I was a tad worried when the first story in the book had such a negative effect on me. It’s not that this translated from the Finnish tale is poorly written; it’s the subject matter that got me. Set in a not-too-distant future, this is a cautionary tale about kids growing up too fast via the sexualization of young girls in the media and the real world results. I think it disturbed me because I can imagine it happening in my lifetime. It did not make the wait for my delayed flight any more pleasant.

“Objective Impermeability in a Closed System” by William Shunn. Hector Baratoux has always knows his daughter was not actually his. After the death of his ex-wife, he is saddened by the fact that they don’t have a real relationship. How do you fix that? Build a time machine and change the starting point.

“Third Person” by Tony Ballantyne. Hey, it’s a futuristic war story hiding it’s real purpose; discussing the best point of view for writing fiction. What’s not for a lifelong geek/English teacher to like?!

Honorable Mention; the poem “They Came from the Future” by Robyn Hitchcock. Yes, that Robyn Hitchcock.

I hope this qualifies for the Summer Reading Club.

Urges Indeed.

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:17:31 -0400

I did it. I caved. I gave in. I sold out. I became a cog in the machine. Today, I bought the new My Morning Jacket CD, “Evil Urges”. This album is good, very good. It was one of those “hipper than thou” selections. You know the drill; a pre-release performance on SNL, appearances on the late-night shows, the cover of Paste and Billboard, the lead review in Rolling Stone, mentions on the cool music blogs. Normally, I eschew these albums (hence I own nothing by Death Cab for Cutie or Arcade Fire). I don’t like people telling me how to be cool. But I bought this one. I couldn’t help myself. I enjoyed the SNL performance, the song “I’m Amazed” transfixes me, and the reviews mentioned Prince (always a weakness). Again, this is a great album. So, what’s the problem? Well, as I was driving home I started to think about what this purchase means. Is it ok for this to be played in my seven year old Ford Focus; do I need to get on the waiting list for a Prius? I wanted coffee; should I still order my plain brewed iced or do I need to order some kind of hazelnut, soy frappe thing? Do Southern Baptists listen to MMJ? Am I still calling myself a conservative? Wait; can I still shop at Gap? I just bought a double-breasted navy blue raincoat! This had better not be the start of some kind of mid-life crisis; I refuse to try to stop my hair from growing gray.

"The Most Beautiful Girl"

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:50:46 -0400

The first non-church, non-children’s song I remember singing as a kid was Charlie Rich’s “The Most Beautiful Girl”. What does that have to do with anything today? Simple, it’s my wife’s birthday. The title of the post says it all. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRACI!

SBC: wk3(a)

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:16:31 -0400

I finished “The Shack” by William P. Young last night on the plane. This book has received tremendous reviews and even been compared to “Pilgrim’s Progress”. That’s pretty high praise. The set-up is simple. Mack experiences a horrific tragedy that brings about The Great Sadness on his life. He decides to go visit a shack where the events took place. Once he gets there, he meets God. Actually, he meets all three parts of the trinity in person form. Over the next three days, they explain to Mack the true meaning of who they are, deal with his pain, and bring him to a new understanding of what life is all about. Young does a good job of answering many of the questions and addressing misconceptions about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It is all about relationships; and this book explains that well.
Now for the parts I didn’t like. First, this is a fiction book that pretends to be non-fiction. Normally, that’s ok; but with a subject this important, it feels almost subversively deceptive. Second, the writing in this book is over simplistic. I understand that Young’s goal was to be accessible to most everyone, but the style he chose bored me. Third, the framework of the narrative bothered me. Can one only come to these understandings following a tragedy? If nothing really bad ever happens to you, will you not get to commune with God? Also, the “was it real or only a dream” felt a bit trite. I almost expected someone to say, “And I’ll miss you most of all”. Of course, there had to be something about reconciling with your inadequate father. What is it with baby boomers? Fourth, there were a few issues that I felt were glossed over or ignored. The mini-discussion of hell felt almost PC. The part about there being no rules or expectations rang a bit hollow as well.
“The Shack” is a good book for new Christians or for those who feel trapped in religion and are looking for spirituality. I just wish it had been better written and more complete.

SRC: wk3

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:23:15 -0400

Sorry, no review this week. Been a bit busy. I am in the middle of “The Shack” by William Young. So far, it’s not living up to the hype for me. More when I’m finished.