What I didn't get for Christmas

OK, it's not the worst case of Jesus Junk I've read about, but this review of the Left Behind: Eternal Forces video game puts it in the Top Ten.

It's a real-time strategy game, but, as the game's web site FAQ says: "The difference is that our game features fictional battles set on the stage of an apocalyptic world. Our game includes no intestines, no blood spatter, no severed limbs, no vulgar language, no sexual conduct, no morally reprehensible conduct – such as cop-killing, prostitute-bashing, or other criminal behavior ..."

An excerpt of Kamp Krusty review:

Does Left Behind: Eternal Forces let you kill people?

Yes. But only in self-defense.

With a tank?

Yes.

But you're protecting others, so it's morally good, then.

No, it costs you Spirituality Points. It's still bad. But sometimes, you have to kill bad guys, but it's still morally bad, but you should do it sometimes, but it's morally bad, but sometimes you just have to, you know? But it's bad.

Hat tip: Letters from Kamp Krusty

Sundry links and excess bloggage

Here's what I've been looking at on the Internet lately:

• Someone's mocking, Lord, kumbayah! Why is "Kumbaya" the designated silly-song to represent phony or ineffectual friendliness? Hat tip: Get Religion
• Why Christians should love "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip": This article's kinda old, but still explains why I'm stuck watching the show every Monday.
• Where's my invitation? I missed the monthly Fort Wayne "geek dinner".
• Fun and challenging and semi-educational, too -- Whizzball!

Our trip to Chicago: Day One

Hi! Hey, you can check out photos from the first day of our family's recent trip to Chicago at my Shutterfly page.

Pictured at right: Street view of the Sears Tower.

New 'River' lyrics

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything, but November is Birthday Month here at the Swerens household, as some of you know. So we've been busybusybusy with birthdays for Sarita and Caleb plus that surprise party for Mary.

She was surprised.

But here, I want to post the new lyrics for my song "River." Thanks to the ministrations of my dear Mary and of the fellow songwriters who met at Mimi Burns' place the other night, I've amended the lyrics. And here they are:

River
By Jon Swerens

River, you carve the valleys in two
River, you bring new life into view
River, you prove your promises true
River, o River

River, an island stands in your way
River, you simply wear it away
River, even the rocks must obey
River, o River

CHORUS:
Flood my walls and flood my ceilings
Flood my reckless thoughts and feelings
Soak me through like laundry in the rain
Flood my cellars, flood my rafters
Flood all my befores and afters
Leave no place where dryness can remain

River, bleach me whiter than snow
River, until my heart overflows
River, take me wherever you go
River, o River

CHORUS

River, sweep me far from this place
River, to an ocean of grace
River, where I can look on your face
River, o River

©2006 Jon Swerens

Best local campaign ad

In honor of election day, listen to this short radio ad put on the air by a local candidate:

That's John McGauley, who's getting my vote.

Free music (and good, too)

Now here's a deal for you, and there are very few strings attached. A talented Christian folk-pop singer by the name of Derek Webb -- formerly of Caedmon's Call -- is offering his new album, Mockingbird, for free.

Why? He simply wants to make sure people can listen and take part in the conversation he's starting. As he says on his site:

one of the things that excites me most about the future of our business is how easy it is becoming to deliver music to people who want to hear it. i heard a story once about keith green caring so much that people were able to hear and engage with his music that he gave it away for free, which was a very difficult and expensive thing to do at that time. it's actually never been as simple as it is today to connect music with music fans. and i want people to have a chance to listen to mockingbird and engage in the conversation.

The catch? You just have to list five emails of friends who you think may also be interested. That's all.

So, if you have five friends (heh heh!), click on the little birdie link to the right or just go to freederekwebb.com.

PLUS! Perhaps you've heard me mention and rave about Andrew Peterson. Well, he's set up a place online where you can listen to two entire albums free. He's not giving them away, but it's a great way to try before you buy.

Click on the following links to listen to 'em!

The Far Country
Behold the Lamb of God (his Chriatmas album)

Off to Angola

Well, we'll be leaving for the gig up in Angola in a little bit. If you want to join us, we'll be at Cahoots Coffee Cafe, at 218 W. Maumee Street right in Angola.

Thanks for your support! And northern Indiana fans: Hope to see you there!

Diagnosis ...

Went to the doctor because of my cough. I've had it for a few weeks.

He look in my throat and listen to my lungs and, before a minute was up, diagnosed bronchopneumonia.

Not as fun as a broncoburger, I'll have you know.

So now, big time medicine for me, including horse-pill antibiotics and stupor-inducing cough medicine.

But I should be better in a few days.

Mocking the devil

This is a repost from about this time last year.

Soon after my wife and I became Christians, the first holiday out the window was Halloween. It was obviously devilish, and we wanted our children to have nothing to do with it.

Back in the '80s and early '90s, Satanism scaremongers like the now-discredited Mike Warnke saw nothing but evil in the celebration of Halloween, and American Christians, steeped in the belief that the end times were upon us, were all too eager to believe the worst about any subject.

As my wife and I grew to understand more fully the sovereignty of God, our views on Halloween relaxed. But we were never completely comfortable with the idea.

Until (2004). Funny how one well-written article can dismantle all manner of faulty prejudices.

You must read the whole article. For one thing, it's short. Well, kinda short. For another, it's rare to find someone with this opinion of what is so commonly believed to be a Satanic holiday co-opted by the church. The truth may very well be the opposite:

(M)any articles in books, magazines, and encyclopedias are written by secular humanists or even the pop-pagans of the so-called "New Age" movement. ... These people actively suppress the Christian associations of historic customs, and try to magnify the pagan associations. They do this to try and make paganism acceptable and to downplay Christianity. Thus, Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc., are said to have pagan origins. Not true.

Oddly, some fundamentalists have been influenced by these slanted views of history. These fundamentalists do not accept the humanist and pagan rewriting of Western history, American history, and science, but sometimes they do accept the humanist and pagan rewriting of the origins of Halloween and Christmas, the Christmas tree, etc. We can hope that in time these brethren will reexamine these matters as well. We ought not to let the pagans do our thinking for us.

Read the entire article. (This is a slightly different link than what I had last year.)

BONUS: Carve your own online pumpkin.

Apple Store update

Fort Wayne student (and former News-Sentinel intern) Andrew Welfle left a post down below telling me that, yes, there do seem to be plans to open an Apple Store right here in Fort Wayne, at the somewhat-chic Jefferson Pointe shopping mall.

(Photo is of the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.)

King Tut photos online

No one is allowed to take photos of the King Tut items. Sorry 'bout that.

But instead, as you wait for us to post our own photos from our trip to Chicago, you can see many of the items we saw at the Field Museum's own web site. Check out the wonderful photos of the traveling exhibit.

Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs

It's in Chicago only until January 1. After that, the exhibit visits The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, so if you're reading this from out east, you still have a good shot at seeing these priceless pieces before they return to Egypt forever.

We're back from Chicago!

Hi! Our trip to Chicago and The Field Museum went great! We left Wednesday morning and got back Thursday night. Wow, we were tired by the end of it. The drive back seemed to take twice as long as the drive there.

This is our photo of the Sears Tower. I'll post much more later, but we have a busy day today, with me meeting a friend for coffee this afternoon. Plus, we're going to be carving pumpkins with another family this evening. Then, I work tomorrow morning, and Mary has a craft show tomorrow, too!

So, stay tuned for more photos, maybe in a few days.