New Stuff!
I have most of my old archive of recorded songs now posted here! You can access them, to listen and/or download, why? .... because I'm a nice guy. Thank you - JB
Magnificent Mundane Project
Welcome to the magnificent mundane! This entire web site, of both music and writings, have all been inspired by this theme. Namely, that most of us live within an average, normal, and pretty mundane world. Yet for those who dig a little deeper and have been awakened by the grace of God, they also see the mundane world, but along with it, a beautiful magnificence!
Along with my new CD, is a five chapter E-book posted here that will explain my thesis much deeper for those interested.
But for now let me say that I believe in a personal, loving, all powerful God as revealed in the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. The absolute truth of the scriptures are the number one first source of seeing, and grasping who God is. But along with that, those same scriptures make it clear that all creation is also another source of seeing something of God's character and reflection! God will not, and cannot be put in a box!
Concerning my views on creation and Genesis, I believe that the final ultimate truth and understanding will be determined by true Biblical interpretation with science confirming it, and not the other way around. At this point, I am not dogmatic on many of the controversial views on this subject, but as a pilgrim, my search and quest continues. Yes, I have my ideas, but in the subject matter concerning things that are still debated and not clear in scripture and science, I simply submit my thoughts as stimulation for thinking.
Magnificent Mundane E-Book
My new E-Book can be found in the E-Book/Grace Notes page. It took a long and winding road...and what a long strange trip it's been! But I thank God that it is now complete! It contains a detailed, (and well thought out-I hope) outline of basically....seeing and grasping a much bigger picture of our lives, the world, other people, history, and of course God! Then, allowing that concept to seep into our daily mundane lives, to begin to see the magnificence of it all, hopefully, after some practice and re-arranging of thoughts, to see it without even trying! The goal is to live every second, every minute of every day, with a new awareness of who we are, and who God is! That is a rather big order...and I admit I am not there yet...but I can honestly say...I am on my way towards it.
If you are considering jumping in to reading some of it, here are the chapter outlines to help you decide where you might go first, although, the very best way is to start from the beginning, if you can! JB
1. Chapter One - The Mundane is Magnificent! - The Theoretical.
Here I deal with the over all outline of the whole idea, present my thesis, and submit my entire theory. In essence, you could look at this whole study as "Practicing the Presence of God from a Postmodern Point of View"....it's just that nobody would really remember that title!
2. Chapter Two - The Micro to the Macro - The Technical.
This chapter is just what you might think, technical! Sorry, but I am quite the science buff and have devoured dozens of physics, science and astronomy books, and continue even now! But I try to present it from a layman's point of view, which of course I am, as well as through the eyes and mind of one who has some training and history in Biblical studies, in other words, it's science meets the Bible to the max!
3. Chapter Three - The Miraculous Mundane - The Theological.
Here is where I shift from more science, to more Bible! In fact, from this chapter on I focus on some original ideas that began from my personal studies in Ruth and other scriptures. There is still some science, but largely shifted now to God's working within our mundane world, how he does it, and our awareness of it. For those who want to start out with a good Bible study, this chapter is for you.
4. Chapter Four - The March of the Mole People - The Typographical.
For the record...I have coined the term "mole people" to illustrate a common problem - mainly, how most people elevate Biblical characters into super-human, super-heroes! Mole people are imaginary creatures who live underground based on real animals from an old song....likewise...super-hero, super-saints are real historical people, but based on crazy imaginations of comic book heroes!
5. Chapter Five - Minute By Minute - The Transitional.
Here is where I try to pull everything together, kind of the gravity chapter! It is very practical, and I really hope to help apply some of these ideas into both your life and mine! I only request that no matter where you start and jump in and read, that you just find time to get to this chapter before leaving me, thanks! JB
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Chris Rice is a magnificent mundane guy! He's one of the few in mainstream Christian music, (He got there by accident) here are the lyrics to one of his tunes from "Smell the Color Nine". JB
(Recent Blog on this subject)
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Life is Magnificent and Mundane
Life can seem so
meaningless to a great many people, largely
because of the mundane routine of day to day
living. On one hand we really are "Dust in the
Wind", but on the other hand, if you believe the
scriptures as I do, every person is made in the
image of God and is of extreme value and
importance!
If every person is of extreme value then every
action is of utmost importance and
interconnected with everything and everyone
else. Life is truly mundane...yet truly
magnificent!
I believe that it would help our grasp of this
better if we could focus more on the big picture
and panoramic view of things rather than always
living with blinders on seeing only in front and
what affects me right here and now.
For the past few years I have been studying a
great deal of science from the quantum to the
cosmos...the tiny to the huge...the micro to the
macro! It really is amazing and magnificent and
we as humans, interestingly enough, are located
just about in the center of either extreme.
My interests and focus is mostly on the
connection of science and theology and how they
intersect. Also on how God is at work behind the
scenes right now and invites us to sense his
presence every moment of every day by the
wonders he created.
Is life and everything around us a mere fluke
and lucky accident? Or is it all carefully
planned and set in order by an incredibly
creative and personal God? I am convinced of the
latter and continue to be more convinced and
amazed in my journey
Things to Amaze your Friends By:
Cricket Chirps Tell Temperature
Crickets are sensitive to changes in air temperature, and chirp at faster rates as the temperature rises. It is possible to use the chirps of the male snowy tree cricket, common throughout the United States, to gauge temperature.
The formula for this is to count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and add 39 to calculate the temperature (degrees Fahrenheit.) If there are 30 chirps in 15 seconds, the temperature should be about 69 degrees F. This formula is said to be accurate within one degree. A variation is to count the chirps in 13 seconds, and add 40.
How to Calculate the Current Jewish Year:
The Jewish year begins from the time of Adam and Eve, which is different from ours. It is easy to figure out....simply subtract 1240 from the current year in AD....then add 5000. Example - if the current year is 2006/ here is the math: 2006-1240=766+5000=5766 (The current Jewish year)
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