Xanga Post Friday June 2, 2006

June 2, 2006 in xanga with 5 Comments

My summer reading has gotten off to a bit of a late start.  However, my first choice is Telegraph Days, the latest by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author, Larry McMurtry.  I’m not far into it, but I like it a lot.  Of course, if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, then you already know that I’m a huge McMurtry fan anyway.  However, EW gave it a B+ in its latest issue as well as having Stephen King name McMurtry as the greatest contemporary Western novelist.  I would say he’s quite possibly the greatest living American novelist period.  King recommends the four-book Berrybender Narratives.  I would second this recommendation.  These novels capture McMurtry’s style and wit and passion for the West better than anything else he’s written of late.  Of course, they’ve added his recent Academy Award win to his bio.  I’m glad he won.  I wish he had won for something else.

5 Responses to “Xanga Post Friday June 2, 2006”

  1. kanonday June 2, 2006 at 11:44 am #

    Summer is great for the reading.  I’ve always thought so.

    Reply
  2. zachfranzen June 2, 2006 at 11:56 am #

    Absolutely untrue. There’s a difference between wanting something, and wanting to want something. I think by the grace of God that I want to want Christ revealing worship, but frequently, I just actually want a good liturgical service where we quote part of the Hiedelburg Catechism and someone sings John Rutter. I want something that seems important. Something with high rhetoric and maybe a Dostoevsky quote thrown in. Of course, neither of us would probably find trouble with any of those things. It only becomes wrong when we glut ourselves on sensations that arise independently of truth about Christ. Sensations divorced from truth. I think it was Augustine who one day confessed that he sinned at worship because he was more moved by the music than the words of the song. To him it was wrong to indulge in emotions not grounded in facts about Christ. This might be going slightly overboard. A personal example: At Briarwood, i am frequently more moved by the choir singing Amen after the opening invocation then the prayer itself. I like it because it seems religious. There’s nothing wrong with the singing, but it does reveal something wrong with me that I feel “really connected to God,” after my mind’s wandered all through the prayer. It’s like the marathon that takes a short cut through the woods and only arrives at the end of the race. Sadly, I’m much more ready for Pizza or Doughnuts than say a prayer meeting. And what Sinner doesn’t want Christianity without the cross. Perhaps you’re remarking about the video clip/liturgical dance thing. Well, I can’t say that I’m looking for a church on those merits so maybe you’re right about that one.

    Reply
  3. zachfranzen June 2, 2006 at 12:06 pm #

    Also, I should mention. I don’t consider myself to pursue Medieval forms of worship, but I do pursue sensation apart from truth, and it’s wrong to do so. Ergo, the inclusive “we.”

    Reply
  4. zachfranzen June 2, 2006 at 12:19 pm #

    One more thing, (sorry to comment so much) what are your thoughts on Tim Keller?

    Reply
  5. taylorrobinson June 8, 2006 at 12:10 am #

    are you guys arguing over xanga?

    Reply

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