November 2009
4 posts
table for two →
Tumblr experiment is over - taking it back to imclaren.wordpress.com
dissonance and psalm 22
dis⋅so⋅nance
- noun
1. inharmonius or harsh sound; discord; cacophony. 2. a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion.
Over the past couple of days, I had the opportunity to head into Toronto and spend some time with my good friends Chris Lewis and Jason Locke in and around Tyndale, our alma mater. The basis for the invitation...
thoughts on miller's 'million miles'
I began reading Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years last week. Lauren and I recently had the opportunity to go hear him speak at the University of Waterloo, so I already had a bit of an idea of what to expect. I am enjoying it, and wanted to share a few key bits that have stood out to me so far.
The basic premise of the book is that Miller was approached by some filmmakers...
October 2009
13 posts
the couch / water tension
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
It’s a rainy day here in Guelph, and I have spent the afternoon sitting in the back sun room with a fire burning in the wood stove reading the new Donald Miller book and listening to a Rob Bell sermon. Throw in a cup of tea, and it’s been pretty great.
Rob Bell spoke about how the verse quoted above...
where the wild things are
Last night, we finally made our way to the cinema to see Where The Wild Things Are. I have been wanting to see this movie for months, ever since I first caught a glimpse of the trailer and began reading about the bold stance by director Spike Jonze had taken in terms of the edginess of the content and his strong desire to use larger than life puppet costumes for the wild things as opposed to...
tim and sid: uncut →
Two of my favorite sports guys - who happen to be Canadian and regular contributors on The Score - have started a weekly podcast. I’ve listened to the last few, and it’s generally pretty hilarious and insightful. Highly recommended for any fan of sport.
“Busy weekend ahead. Off to St. Catherine’s for the night, and then...”
– Ian, via Twitter
mars hill sermon on the mount series →
A few weeks ago, Rob Bell started a new sermon series @ Mars Hill that will move verse by verse through the Sermon on the Mount.
Here’s an excerpt from the description of the series.
[Click on the post title to go directly to the SotM page.]
Nowhere does Jesus talk more clearly about what it looks like to follow him than in the Sermon on the Mount … It’s about what happens...
currently reading eggers and wright
While perusing a used bookstore here in Guelph last week, my good friend Chris Lewis showed me a book by Dave Eggers, explaining to me that this particular author was tremendous and that I would find myself seeing his name everywhere. Right he was. I browsed a few titles at Indigo on Saturday, and then proceeded to watch the fantastic film ‘Away We Go’ (which he co-wrote) that evening....
the search for God and Guinness
The subject of the adult beverage has often been quite contentious in Christian circles. In his ‘biography of the beer that changed the world’, Stephen Mansfield addresses the topic within the context of a world wherein beer has played a prominent role and has often been embraced - in moderation - as a gift from God by prominent Christian leaders throughout the centuries.
Mansfield...
the aberdeen playlist
When we left Manitoba a year and a half ago, I posted a list of the albums that defined that chapter of life. Along those same lines, I thought it was only appropriate to offer up some of the tunes that were on heavy rotation over the past year.
Sufjan Stevens - Come On, Feel the Illinoise
I had heard so much about Sufjan in the past, but had never had the chance to really listen to his music. I...
“Happy Thanksgiving. Off to Lauren’s family gathering, and looking forward...”
– Ian, via Twitter
“Wedding season - going to PA for one on Saturday, and looking forward to...”
– Ian, via Twitter
new blog experiment
I have been blogging since before Lauren and I got married. Every so often, I become very bored with the whole process, and am always looking to tinker with the theme and presentation.
We are definitely at an interesting point in our lives - having spent a couple of years in Manitoba, and having just returned back to Canada after a year in Scotland, the future is pretty wide open for us.
This...