Yeah, I'm still preparing for the beginnings of a series of posts that might well run through some mid-point of the next year. Consider this yet another installment of the prequel.

but one delay I'm up against is that my preceding "Chaos Week" has been extended a week. Another stall is that Amazon is taking their sweet time to ship me my goods, making this month nearly free of any new reads on my part. In this case, it's taking a week to get stuff shipped out - the price I pay for picking up books from the scratch & dent aisle. Oh, and three of the four books look to play a key role in these posts, I should point out. The Amazon delay takes some getting used to as I'm now scurrying through some of my older reads for something worth reviewing. Oh, and I'm also still hoping to pick back up on a chapter-by-chapter review of Joel's book. Don't go thinking I've forgotten about that, either.

But as one more added datapoint, I thought I'd pass on some song lyrics that have stuck with me for nearly 20 years now. Also, I have to blame a good friend of mine for raising one tipping point issue that goads me onto this series. But that probably pales in comparison to the fact that I'm already in the mood to do some longform think-posts around the blogosphere ... maybe it's just my own way of either taking stock at age 40 or simply a matter of experiencing my own weird form of mid-life crisis.

The lyrics below are from the greatest 80s Christian punk band ever, the Altar Boys. The first CD of theirs I picked up was G.L.M. and I can tell you that at least three of the songs on there will probably still be among my lifetime Top 20 anytime you check with me - be it today, 20 years ago, or 20 years from now. With that, I give you "I'm Not Talking About Religion" ...

:::I'm Not Talking About Religion:::
Words and Music by Mike Stand

Everybody's going around saying this, saying that
You don't know what to believe man,
You just don't know.
There's some truth here and a little over there
Do this, do that, it's just a big zero!!
It gets so confusing yea
But let me tell you plain and simple!

(Chorus)
I'm not talking about religion
I'm not talking about just a belief
I'm not talking about going to church
That's not Christianity
I'm not talking about science
I'm not talking about politics
I'm not talking about shaving your head
I'm talking about God and
That's relationship ah yea!

Some say if you want to find truth it's in your mind
Some place, somewhere, it's deep inside
Just sit there on the floor
Cross your legs and shut the door
Say this word over and over
and the truth will come, man it never does
You wanna find truth, You wanna find love well

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
I'm not trying to hand you some old line
I'm telling you God lives in my heart,
that's right!
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Do you understand what I'm talking about?
Do you? Do you? Do you?!!!!!!!!

A lie is a lie and no matter how it's said
I'm tired of all the destruction,
I'm sick of it!
I'm gonna say it like it is Jesus is God
He died for you and rose from the dead
That's the way it is!!!
Just turn and you will see
A life set free, listen to me!!!

(Chorus)

On something of a sidenote, I should also add that Joyce Meyers adds a two-part series on the topic of "What Should a Real Christian Be Like?" I should note that I'm not the biggest fan of Joyce's - though I'll be at her conference sometime this week. But those messages were very much of the same peice that Greg Boyd's was despite the two being very different types of preachers. All more food for thought as I brace for, and put my notes together for this little blog-opera, if you will.

Anyways, just those random asides for now. Talk amongst yourselves. Video fun to come for Monday & Tuesday.