Christmas Dance!

Don't worry, it's supposed to start out black and fade in.


On dial-up and would rather download it? Click here.

If life goes passing you by...

Don't cry
If you breaking the rules
Making your moves
Paying your dues
Chasing the cool...

Ever heard of Non-Newtonian fluid? You can make it with cornstarch & water. When stress/force is applied, well:


Anyway, just thought I should let all you wonderful readers of this blog that I have started up a second blog over at WordPress.com. It's firsttothepews.wordpress.com and, well, it's more directed and purposeful than this blog here. I kind of explain it in the introductory post.

But don't worry, I'll be keeping this blog for personal updates (although those are more frequently updated from Fran) and the weird stuff I want to share (like the above video) that aren't really appropriate in the format my new blog is taking.

Anyway, check it out if you like. Right now I am the admin for 5 different blog-based websites, so, yeah. It may take a bit to get rolling. Oh, by the way, I'm even more certain now than I was that I will not be joining Facebook. I despise MSN, and social-networking doesn't really appeal to me either. Sorry Gregg.

Have fun,
~Jon

Hullo from PEI!

That's right, I'm blogging from PEI! Though, it may not be as amazing as the simple fact that I'm blogging. Oh well.

Here's a little video that a guy named "Diggy" took when they came over for Sunday dinner back in early summer. That's his voice doing the narration and saying "who's daddy's boy," etc.



Anyway, I'm at the Atlantic Canada Nazarene pastor's and spouse's retreat, hence being on the island. We're actually in Cavendish right now. Very lovely little resort in a very lovely little town.

Well, the fact that I'm supposed to relax this weekend is probably why I feel like blogging. I also need to keep working on next weekend's messages since I'm the guest speaker at the rally.

Well, Finn's going down for his nap now. Hit ya later,
~Jon

Needa... new DNS!!!

Hello. Welcome to this once thriving blogspace of old. I have been wanting to write something here for the past few months, and yet, nothing... It comes down to two things.

The first is that I have been unbelievably, irrevocably, painstakingly, mind-numbingly, (and several more potent yet ambiguous adjectives) busy. Summer is supposed to have room to relax, right? Apparently not. Between directing one part of camp and aiding in the rest while running things back here in town and planning for fall... it's been nuts!

The second: technical difficulty et al. If it hasn't been due to computer/internet failure, it has been the fact that my domain name server (or, DNS) has been having technical issues for the past few months. Even now, you are probably only reading this if you went to my .blogspot address, not jonloch.com. I even tried to switch to another service but my DNS is so messed up right now that they can't even release the simple information I need to fix the problem. Very annoying. If you are looking for web service, you will have a hard time finding it at needa.com.

And even now I'm still busy (such that I need to end this post and get moving) and still held back with all kinds of technical crap! Sheesh! Anyway, I intend to relaunch my site (with reliable servers, as soon as I can get them) and blog based on my usual commitment (ie: at least once per month).

Given all the problems I've had, you'd think it was time to switch to facebook ;)

If you fall asleep in Africa...

...a cheetah will eat you.

I would just like to take this oportunity to draw a line in the sand and say, "hey, I'm probably not going to join facebook."

There. I said it.

If you want to spy on me and think to yourself "I would never actually write, email, call, or even talk to Jon, but we shared some kind of local proximity once so I should totally add him on facebook," it's probably not going to happen.

You see, I've got this disorder called don't-like-to-conform-to-whatever-is-currently-popular-ittis. I am now 70% sure that Stafford G will comment in some effect to my condition.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw that out there... not that any of you facebookers will ever read this. Your just going to have to come find me at www.jonloch.com. Like I said, I'm probably not going to join facebook. Just like I didn't join Friendster or MySpace or SixDegrees.

Race you over to Orkut!

"Disingenuous mountebanks and their subliminal chicanery! "

A POX ON THEM!!!

So, out of the weird links section of the Internet this week, be sure to check out www.whatwouldjesusdownload.com and it's subsidiary GodTube. Yeesh! With a "Christian Internet" up and running soon there will be radio, TV, bookstores, dating services, who knows what else!

Dodge Dynasty
A good example of autocratic leadership with no future perspective leaving nothing but power vacuums and yes-men... And it's a car!

May I just say a word or two about dynastic leadership? Thank you. Don't worry, I'm not talking about politics... at least not in a governmental context. I'm going to talk about my context: youth ministry.

You see, as my friend the 'K-car' so eloquently demonstrates, dynastic leadership is not effective over the long term. In fact, it's quite damaging.

Let me explain: Dynasty style leadership is the natural result of perfectionism, selfishness, inability to delegate, lack of mentoring, lack of vision, or any combination of the above subtly motivating a leader. Now, even though the elements that get us there are bad, the intentions or motives are usually very good.

For example, Leader A wants to run a tight ship and keep everything organized. Freudian psycho-sexual stages aside, Leader A is pursuing a good quality in administration. However, to reach this end (especially in the volunteer/not-for-profit sector), Leader A will likely burn herself out as she takes on every little task to see it done right. As time passes, Leader A also gets a subconscious self-esteem boost as she is needed to do the job properly.

But what happens when Leader A is to be replaced? Burnout, term limits, or lifespan will get her eventually. Well, enter stage right Leader B.
Problem: A ≠ B
So, what's the scenario? The volunteers perhaps cannot function autonomously and, at first, require micromanaging. Maybe Leader B will notice a vying for control among those who would have made good delegates. Whatever the case, Leader B may as well start at ground zero and cast a new vision or else clone the preceding leadership.

All that hypothetical A/B stuff aside, this can be a real problem. I guess it comes down to human nature and the automatic desire to preserve one's own interests. And that's not all bad. In fact, it seems to me, most problems (especially ministry related) seem to be ok at their core and only become problems in excess. Anyway, every leader is going to have a dynastic leadership to some extent. If you didn't have a dynasty, you probably had absolutely no impact too. It can't be helped on every level. It seems the only 'remedy' is discipleship.

Problem with discipleship is that You know, somewhere down the line, someone is going to forget that it was a movement of love You started and form an institution in your honour.

Happy Mother's Day!

My gift to you: 13 minutes worth of Rube Goldberg machines complete with catchy Japanese jingle and folk-pop song. Enjoy!

Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!

First off, you all need to read Watership Down by Richard Adams. I just finished it and it now has a permanent place in my best-books list.

So here's the thing about youth rallies: I can stay awake longer than the kids; I enjoy the speaker, band, events, etc; and it takes me about a week to get anything done after they're done. Why is inspiration so draining? On that note, checkout Michael Frost's lectures at Resonate.ca. I highly recommend them.

I'm busy as all get out. I'm also sick (though almost through with that). And last night, while emcee-ing (as pastor) a southern gospel quartet concert at the church, the format, direction, and message of next Sunday's service/sermon came together in my mind. For those of you who know my penchant for getting things done early, this will come as no surprise. It's all about the concept of Missio Dei - The "Mission of God" or "God's Mission" or "God as Mission" and, thereby, "Mission as Love". Basically the idea is that mission is not an office or activity or program or focus of the church... it is its source, purpose, existence, definition. But here's the catch, I'm not sure how to tie it all into Mother's day. On the other hand, this is the last Sunday I preach before Bob gets back from vacation and the last Sunday before Annual Meeting. Don't think for a second that this means I want to play it safe... frankly, though my job is mostly certain for at least another year, I'd kind of like to twang the threads of fate a little and tick some folks off their pews and into living Christ. I'd like to risk my livelihood and stir things up a little, if just to kick our Constantinian religion in the teeth and spread some love. Maybe I need to stop listening to Michael Frost for a little bit here... or maybe I'll just take up his challenge for pastors to work themselves out of a job.

I'm pushing my limits these days... whether the day be dark or light. I'm either going to collapse or march through. I think, perhaps, that I will buy a guitar.

Remember Sammy Jankis...

For your enjoyment:

I know this has been out for awhile but I've been busy relaunching the youth group website (which you can check out at www.oxfordyouth.org) among the various other things I've had to get done. Really, the fact that I'm blogging simply represents the eye of the storm--the calm between chaos. At least I'm drifting in the waters of useful busyness lately.

I'm afraid we're at an impasse. You see, our bible study buddies seem to be convinced (or at least hopeful) that we will abandon our calling, turn our backs on the church local and at large, give in to "plain reasoning" and tear down the "tyranny" of systematic theology and experiential faith*.

Frankly, I have similar hopes for them, but I don't follow them through town to that end. I mean, we sit there and listen to their little handbook, play a little "repeat after me" in answer to the question "what did that paragraph just say?", and really ponder hard if we can afford ten easy payments... I mean, yeah.

Then, as gently as I can, I pull the discussion into textual criticism and theological bias in translation and they either try to answer, hand me some material that offers a decent 'pat' answer, or write it down to get back to me. But, you know what, their super-slick sales spiel isn't accomplishing anything, and neither is my Koine-laden academic bludgeoning. We are simply at an impasse.

But, you know what, when we collectively decide that all that is done for the day, we have a good time talking about normal stuff. Stupid "cloister" mentality! Hmm... I wonder what they'll say when we tell them about Finn's dedication.

~If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read Fran's blog.

If you've got time, check this out.

How'd you do?--I see you've met my...

...faithful handyman...

Well, that was fun. Tonight was opening night for the little play I'm in (check it out here). I play a body guard who looks FBI/MIB-ish and is a self-proclaimed hyper-intellectual. It's quite fun. But, hey, I knew it would be when I found out I get to wear shades and a black suit the whole time and shoot people with blowdarts. Really, the only problem is the makeup makes me look like Boy-George from up close (apparently it looks fine from the audience, however). Alright. Now I've just got to get through 3 more nights of this play. But, like I said, we're off to a good start. Ah well.

I did have some thoughts I was going to write here about the yeast of the pharisees and white-washed tombs, but the play has got me in a better mood than that so I'll wait till later. Well, time for bed (and what a bed it is).

"I thought you were going to wake me at 6:30."
"I also said women like men who are shaped like potatoes. Can you find the pattern here?"

(BTW, you're going to have to look very hard for my hidden comments since I changed the template of my blog)

Comme tous les songe-creux,

je confondis le désenchantement avec la vérité.

A whole new look, a whole new theme/title/quote, a whole new set of pictures:

Finnan James vol 6

Other than that, you can expect some meanderings, thoughts, and generally misinterpreted comments to follow swiftly after this post (*please note: "swiftly" is a relative term).

"Pineapples aren't intelligent lifeforms."
"They're smarter than bananas. It's all relative."

3 part harmony

For some reason Fran didn't find this as funny as I did.

S. Morgenstern does not exist.

Now that that's out of the way, here are more pictures of Finn:

Finnan James - vol 5

"Talking money..."
"Talking monkey?"
"Talking monkey. Yeah... yeah, came here from the future. Ugly sucker. Only says 'ficus.'"