Prologue: The Opponents, Part I
On Adam, Eve, and Anaphora
The first telling of the story of Adam and Eve is one of the more expertly crafted stories in the history of literature. It follows a circular pattern of narrative, for the first chapter alone is a collection of statements presented as irrefutable fact. All of these statements begin with a repetitive structure, a technique…
Cain and Abel – The First Brothers
Imagine the time of the birth of the first second son. Eve out of the painful throws of childbearing is sleeping quietly in her recovery. Adam, wiping the condensation of worry from his brow, calls to his son, “Cain! Cain, come quickly.” Peeking out from behind the folds of a dusty, wool covered flap, we…
On Binary Sunsets
I’m not really a “crier”, but I turn into a blubbering baby when I watch the original Star Wars films. There are only a few films that can do this to me: Lonesome Dove, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring are probably the only other two. In a previous post entitled The Incorruptible…
Nativity
See the Child. He is born unto us, the breaker of all chains. For within this tiny vessel resides usurping power of the wholly divine. His first earthly cries stretch out in echoes that usher away darkness, pain, and invite all living creation to partake in a new genesis. A fresh baptism for all the…
A Multitude of Infirmties, Part IV: The Aimless Journey
My pastor Steve Wells has been going through the story of Joseph in Genesis, his series of sermons revolve around the idea of, “God’s dream for your life,” and how that can often times put you in conflict with yourself, your family, and the world around you. Last week Steve preached on how Joseph suffered…
A Captain Indomitable: On the Importance of Heroes
This past Sunday I taught a bible study lesson for a wonderful group of people via South Main Baptist Church. The title of the lesson was, Comic Books: An American Mythology. It started out exactly like you’d expect – “Hi, My name is Seth, I write comic books and here is how they have affected…
The Incorruptible Son
In the first act of Star Wars: A New Hope, Luke Skywalker takes nineteen steps toward the desolate horizon emblazoned by a binary sunset. The audience, ushered forward by John Williams’ score, sees a longing in Luke that the more elderly viewer knows is afforded to only the very young. As time passes in our…
A Multitude of Infirmities, Part III: The Weapons of Dereliction
Everyone goes away. In our lives we are forced to deal with death. Death – when the strings of a human instrument are cut loose, and all the music from that glorious vessel suddenly ceases to harmonize with our own melody. And for the rest of our lives we think on how sweet the lifesong…
Brad Ellison – Zen Baptist, Writing Mentor, and Chosen Brother
This is Brad Ellison – Yeah. Drink up all that ferocity for a minute. Don’t worry if you feel like he’s kicking your courage in the teeth, it’s okay, that’s the normal mammalian reaction to such a predatory visage. Take comfort in this, dear friends: The first time I met Brad was at the Karaoke…