The Wide Emblem

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalm 91:4

As I reviewed my mystory I came across a few themes that seemed to connect across many of my blog posts. My parents' love for me was a big one. They shielded and protected me, and showed me how to be an adult in the real world beyond the limits of their shelter. That helped me to appreciate and favor entertainment and community values that reflected what they had taught me. Their faithfulness to what they believed was true was my "shield and rampart." And one day I'll pass on and instill those same values in my family.

The hummingbird represents my pursuit of ministry as I explained in the "Mapping Home" entry of this blog. The larger and smaller birds represent family and protection themata. The lightning storm represents the somber realities of the world around us, but is juxtaposed by the peace that can be experienced within the refuge of the larger birds wings despite the chaos.

Part 4: Community Discourse

Part 4: Community Discourse- Main Assignment p.191

When I was growing up in Madison, Alabama one of the most exemplary and inspiring figures in our community was the Bob Jones High School principal Robbie Parker. He had an especially southern accent that every high-schooler heard most mornings over the intercom. He was always friendly and would talk to students in the hall, and made it a point to inspire everyone he came across. Even in an atmosphere where teachers, administrators, and adults in general might have faced resistance in connecting with students, Mr. Parker was always able to connect with students by getting on their level and treating students with respect.

I remember when Mr. Parker gave a speech at our class's graduation. It was a very inspiring speech that emphasized the importance of family over career and education, despite the importance of all three. Mr. Parker had inspired so many students and parents within the community that he received a well-deserved standing ovation at the end of his speech. Mr. Parker has become a commonplace name among the community because of his service to the students and parents of the community.

Part 4: Chapter 7: Exercise p. 182 "The Quest Schema"


In the movie Click Adam Sandler seems to play both the hero and the villain where the "universal" remote he acquires begins to take over his life, but the consequences are still of his doing. Adam's ORDINARY WORLD is his life before he gets the remote. In this world he is under appreciated at his job and feels threatened by another man who flirts with his wife, his OUTER PROBLEM. His INNER PROBLEM involves his desire to be a better dad by being able to balance all of his current life problems. In Adam's search to make his life easier, Christopher Walken offers Adam a solution, the universal remote to control his universe. Adam eagerly accepts the CALL without knowing the full-potential and consequences involved with the remote. The remote seems to make Adam's life easier by finally making available to him his SPECIAL WORLD. However, the remote begins to TEST Adam when it begins to learn his preferences and automatically make his decisions for him. At first this seems convenient but quickly gets out of hand when Adam can no longer control the remote that is slowly making his life worse by ultimately realizing the current path he was heading down, his ORDEAL. Adam attempts to RESURRECT his life before the remote by attempting to mend relationships, but soon realizes his attempts are futile. While Christopher Walken seemed to be the villain in this story, we soon realize he was the MENTOR all along. As the remote's consequences come to a close, ultimately destroying Adam's relationships and ending his life, Walken steps in to show that the whole SPECIAL WORLD of the universal remote was a test. Our HERO is allowed to return to his ORDINARY WORLD before the remote and his RESURRECTION is finally realized giving him a second chance to live his life with the knowledge that he gained during his ORDEAL.

Part 4: Chapter 8: Exercise p. 223 "Lyric Evaluation"

"We sent out the SOS call.
It was a quarter past four in the morning when the storm broke our second anchor line.
Four months at sea, four months of calm seas to be pounded in the shallows off the tip of Montauk Point.
They call them rogues, they travel fast and alone.
One-hundred-foot faces of God's good ocean gone wrong.
What they call love is a risk, cause you will always get hit out of nowhere by some wave and end up on your own.
The hole in the hull defied the crews attempts to bail us out.
And flooded the engines and radio and half buried bow.
Your tongue is a rudder.
It steers the whole ship.
Sends your words past your lips or keeps them safe behind your teeth.
But the wrong words will strand you.
Come off course while you sleep.
Sweep your boat out to sea or dashed to bits on the reef.
The vessel groans the ocean pressures its frame.
To the port I see the lighthouse through the sleet and rain.
And I wish for one more day to give my love and repay debts.
But the morning finds our bodies washed up thirty miles west.
They say that the captain stays fast with the ship through still and storm.
But this ain't the Dakota, and the water is cold.
We won't have to fight for long.
This is the end.
This story's old but it goes on and on until we disappear.
Calm me and let me taste the salt you breathed while you were underneath.
I am the one who haunts your dreams of mountains sunk below the sea.
I spoke the words but never gave a thought to what they all could mean.
I know that this is what you want.
A funeral keeps both of us apart.
You know that you are not alone.
Need you like water in my lungs.
This is the end."

The mood of these lyrics is a very somber one and seems to be an extended metaphor to indicate that the end is close for a relationship of some sort. There is a lot of strong but sullen imagery and while the song never says "I'm sad this is ending" it's very evident that is the case. While the visual in the video above is only an image, black and white seems to fit the atmosphere that the song creates as the singer seems to be standing alone, displaced from his surroundings. The music itself coordinates well with the lyrics. The guitar and vocals are very paced and leering and there's even a change in the music's time within the last verse that seems to signify the actual transition to "the end." 

Part 3: Entertainment Discourse

Part 3: Entertainment Discourse- Chapter 5: Main Assignment p.127

Click (2006)

I have different favorite movies for different reasons, but on one of the most basic emotional levels this movie takes the cake. My entire life has been filled with ling conversations with my dad about how the most important thing in life is and will always be relationships. This movie embodies that idea in such a beautiful way, and it's full of humor too!

I saw this movie when it came out 9 years ago and I remember one of the sweetest moments with my family concerning my then-six-year-old sister. My sister has always been extremely perceptive. Since she was little, as with this case, she could always follow a storyline without getting distracted or confused. It was always amazing to us how deeply she could follow a story. As we watched this movie in the theater, one of the final scenes of the movie that was very emotional was playing, and as we watched this scene unfold we hear my sister sniffling. We all look and she has tears streaming down her face. You just know that in that moment she put herself in the situation, and was experiencing the emotions as if she were a character in the movie. And all of this at the age of six! 

This just served as monument in my mind to the teaching and understanding that our dad bestowed upon us as children.

Years later my mom got into a very bad car accident. She lost control of her vehicle on the interstate and flipped her car several times, at least one of which caused her head to strike the pavement while her car flipped. For the reader's sake currently, my mom is perfectly fine. She made a quick and speedy recovery. When this happened, however, I remembered this movie and how it made me feel. I thought of how I could have lost my mom just like that and everything would be different. Suddenly, I could relate to those feelings that I had felt years earlier and I was able to make that emotional connection from something I had witnessed through entertainment and was now experiencing those same emotions in a real life event.

My dad has often been told he looks like several celebrities, one of which is Michael J. Fox. Michael J. Fox has also been a fairly inspiring figure for my life. I remember watching a section of a documentary on him and how he would fight through the hardships associated with the onset of Parkinson's disease to continue acting. I always thought that was admirable compared to the alternative of falling victim to those hardships and giving up on doing what you love. I feel as though my dad has tried to instill those same principles in me during my upbringing.

Part 3: Chapter 3: Exercise p. 76- "Decision Scene"

(This entry was originally intended for the Family Discourse but I felt that it fit better within the scope of entertainment)

I have been playing video-games for almost as long as I can remember. I remember my dad playing computer games when I was 5 or 6, so he got me easy games I could play. I remember those games explicitly. While I love playing video-games I really only see it as a hobby and not a very impactful part of my life. However, my memories both of and around video-games are some of my clearest and detailed memories. That being said, I have come to appreciate and greatly enjoy the moods and atmosphere associated with the challenges involved with video-games. Especially considering the multiplayer aspect of video-games. I'll give you an example...

This is an actual clip of me playing a video game accomplishing what some would say is an impressive feat by wiping out the entire enemy team. I remember this specific instance and the excitement and pride that I felt as a result. Sometimes there can even be quite a bit of frustration and anger leading up to a moment like this, but it's always worth it because of the sense of accomplishment I get from an achievement like this one.

Similar feelings of excitement and pride can be expressed in different forms such as completing different kinds of challenges or even music. Here are some examples I have found that evoke similar moods and atmospheres in my opinion.

(You have to watch on YouTube)

I really enjoy soccer and Lionel Messi is one of the best players in the game. Watching him play definitely gives me excitement, and in the sense that I root for him, I get a sort of pseudo-pride in watching him do well.

*Disclaimer* Most people will probably not like this music... That being said, this is a Christian music group that has very inspiring lyrics and I have grown up listening to this music since my early pre-teen years. When I listen to their music it often gives me a feeling of excitement and pride for being a Christian considering how the lyrics relate and apply to my beliefs and my life.

Part 3: Chapter 5: Exercise p. 165- "Fetish Screen"

(Perhaps this would be more appropriate for the family discourse)

I don't think I have anything currently that serves as a "fetish" honestly. The first thing that comes to mind is how I had a lot of stuffed animals as a kid, but I had a particular stuffed dalmatian dog, from the 101 Dalmatians animated movie, that my mom got for me during a trip to get me band-aids after I had gotten hurt at home. 

That stuffed animal meant a lot to me as a kid. Eventually I passed it on to my sister. I believe that that object served as a reminder and confidence in the recurring theme of my parents' love for me. Eventually that idea became embedded in me and I no longer needed an object to reaffirm that feeling. 

Part 2: Family Discourse

Part 2: Family Discourse- Chapter 3: Main Assignment p. 86

One very impressionable family memory for me as a kid was when my dad would play wrestle with my brother and I on the living room floor. I remember often thinking how today was the day I would stand a chance! Today was the day that I would pin Dad down! I had practiced a new move or whatever. But every time he would wrestle me for a minute and then when he won he'd just lay on top of me or my brother in a way that made you laugh uncontrollably to the point of losing your breath. You'd try to squeak out tiny surrenders through billows of laughter but to no avail. It was the kind of laughter that hurt and made your muscles feel like useless, wet noodles. Completely debilitating. But I loved every second of it. I suppose there was something about being totally helpless under this larger person, and yet trusting them to the point that you can uncontrollably laugh while being crushed beneath their weight. You just know that you are safe, and loved, and happy all at the same time. Just this complete cocktail of emotions. My dad was and is a huge part of my life. It was moments like these that opened the doors for us to have the kind of relationship we have today. And I love that I shared those moments with my brother as well. We used to be pretty bad about fighting and not getting along a whole lot as kids, but remembering moments like these has enabled us to establish a bond that we might not have been able to establish otherwise. My brother and I are best friends now and we love recalling these kinds of childhood memories together.

Part 2: Chapter 3: Exercise p. 73- "Home(page)sick"

I'm going to use this picture again! because it really captures what home felt like to me as a kid. It was humble, but cozy, and very playful and there was always something to do. As kids my brother and I, and a lot of friends from the neighborhood would find new ways to play everyday. We'd make up games, hide in new spots, play with new toys, make our own toys, act out our favorite cartoons and when we weren't outside we were playing video-games while nestled into my mom's ugly (but comfortable) couch. A place where you can be that carefree is what home means to me.

This picture represents home to me because it reminds me of my backyard during my childhood. In my childhood neighborhood, my house had the largest backyard where everyone came to jump on our trampoline, play football, and have water-gun wars. I love that a lot of my memories of home were memories of a place where I could have fun. It wouldn't be until later in my life, however, that I found out that my parents would often urge my brother and I to play outside for hours because they fought often and didn't want to expose us to their failing marriage. I appreciate that now. I appreciate that I was able to associate my backyard as a home away from the inside of my home that still provided me with a carefree childhood. My sense of home might have been a lot different if it weren't for that.

This picture represents a different type of home to me. If my literal house was my main home, and my backyard was my outer home, then my bedroom was definitely my inner home or (to put it biblically) my inner sanctuary. Imagine my surprise when my I received news of a little sister that would force my brother to bunk with me in my room... (remember those brotherly fights I mentioned?) My room was a home where the idea of carefree may have crossed the line. Despite how chaotic and messy my bedroom might have gotten as a kid, it had become a home to what makes me me. Everything else was shared, as most things will be for the rest of my life, but my bedroom was mine for a time and there was a special comfort in that messiness. Even today, as of now I have an "office/ man-cave-room" that is mine and it gives me special comfort that the rest of my home doesn't. Don't get me wrong though. That room gives a different type of comfort than the kind of comfort I get from sharing other rooms with my wife. I cherish both and I know that a day will come when I no longer have that room for myself. But I pray that I get to enjoy this space for a little longer before the pitter-patter of little feet begin to fill it. I can't wait to experience that new sense of home where I get to provide a home for my kids to experience in our own unique way.

Part 2: Chapter 3: Exercise p. 89- "Family Album"

I honestly don't have an extensive volume of family photos to reach into for this exercise without maybe traveling to Alabama. My mom has always been one for taking on the occasions that I see her while my dad will almost never appear in a photo willingly. So this might not be the most productive exercise, but I think I can still make the connections that Kuhn outlines in the text. 

This is a picture of me with my mom and siblings at a Sonic Drive-In in Madison, Alabama. I am the one in the center with the blue and orange shirt. I remember having this picture taken when I visited my mom shortly after moving to Georgia. This was probably one of the first times I had brought my then-girlfriend Brittany to Alabama to spend time with my mom. Brittany is the one behind the camera. Normally I probably would have thrown an immature fit for my mom demanding to take and retake and retake pictures over and over, but I probably didn't want to expose that dysfunction within my family to my semi-new girlfriend. I'm glad my mom pestered me into these pictures though. I can guarantee my mom has this photo stored on her phone's memory card or on the digital photo frame I got her for Christmas one year where she likely looks at it often. She's pretty sentimental like that. This photo in particular reminds me of how silly my family is and makes me laugh when I remember how my little sister would always roll around in her Heely's shoes at Sonic.

This is a picture of me with my brother, my three cousins, my best friend, and a few of my cousins' friends at a campsite in Alley Springs, Missouri. My extended family meets every year at this campsite and this photo captured one of the best years I had at that campsite. This photo reminds me of late night campfire talks, walks on muddy gravel trails to go cliff diving, and some of the closest bonds of friendship I had at that time in my life. This photo evokes desires to get some of that back. After I moved to Georgia, got a job, and started college it became a lot harder to make these trips and reconnect with these family members. In that sense this photo evokes some somber emotion when I think how I likely won't ever see some of these people again. I wish this photo had better resolution but it was a shared photo and has somehow survived years of passing between computers so I'm probably lucky to still have it. I'd be really interested to know if someone else still has this photo in fact.

                           

This is a picture of my mom and me striking a gangsta' pose at a Taco Bell in Alabama. I explicitly remember taking this picture and then looking at our "gangsta" pose afterward only to find out my mom's idea of a gangster is apparently Spock from the Star Trek series. We both laughed for so long and I remember thinking how much I loved my mom's silliness. She always knows how to make me laugh and as I've matured I've come to appreciate her silliness, not as embarrassing, but rather as an attempt to connect and bond with me. I love that she has always made that a priority in our relationship. I don't know if my mom ever got this photo. I believe she would greatly appreciate it if I sent it to her.

This is my side of the family of which my new wife is now a part! I can't imagine all of the emotions that are involved with all of the different family members in this photo. They have all gained a new family member and have watched my wife and I grow into the relationship we have today. While I can't understand right now, one day I hope to understand the feeling of bringing another person into this world and watching them grow up and become an adult. When we had this picture taken by our wedding photographer we wanted him to capture moments like these. I believe he did a great job framing our family together into a felt of different emotions and experiences. Some have looks of excitement, some of nervousness, others of joy and pride. Everyone depicted will cherish this moment in our lives with pictures like these and I'm so grateful that my family could be there to witness this stepping stone in my life.

Part 2: Chapter 3: Exercise p. 92- "Micro Scenes"

Casting Away

Joshua had returned to Georgia with the memories of his most recent conversation with Brittany still fresh on his mind. Nonetheless, he still pulled out his cell phone to ensure that their agreement to meet for the first time outside of church was real. As Joshua sat in his car debunking his doubts his mood change from happy to confused to nervous all too quickly. He had no idea what he was planning to do when he got to her house. What would he say? What would he do? What would she think? These thoughts plagued his entire drive. The nervousness mounted.

Joshua arrived, fumbling with his phone to determine where Brittany wanted him to go but he had no cell reception. As if the circumstances could not get any worse, Joshua was now lost. Then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Brittany turns the corner and is face to face with Joshua. They had met face to face before but this was different. Tensions were high, along with the excitement and nervousness they both felt.

At this point, neither of them knew what to do until finally Joshua suggested they watch a movie. They both searched through her parent's DVD library, laughing over the disorganized array of plastic cases, half of which had the wrong disc or no disc at all. Joshua held up Cast Away in suggestion, half joking. Of course, Brittany agreed...

They sat for what felt like ages while they watched the longest movie of all time. In his uncertainty, Joshua had awkwardly spaced himself from Brittany on the couch, never even touching her, frozen in place, afraid to even shift into a more comfortable position for fear of seeming even more weird than he felt already. He looked at Brittany as she stared forward at the screen, also frozen and afraid. Joshua remained clueless and his time to leave had come. They didn't say much before Joshua leaned in for an awkward goodbye hug and then headed home.

How could he have asked for a better night?

Flat Screen Morning

Joshua woke up with that choked feeling in his throat that comes with that kind of cold. He headed downstairs to the sound of excited voices and quick foot steps already clamoring across the hardwood floors below. Joshua emerged from the staircase and found it difficult to smile through the collection of tissues in his hand. He sat, attempting to enjoy Christmas morning as his family unwrapped their gifts. Drowsily he would present his siblings and parents their gifts. This had been a hard year financially so his presents required thought and careful planning and the reaction of his family would not disappoint.

It seemed that everything was winding to a close when suddenly his parents announced one last surprise. "Get up! Come to the bedroom," they said, essentially asking the impossible and with far too much enthusiasm for Joshua to handle in his present condition. But he trudged on a few steps behind his brother, Jordan. As Jordan entered the room all Joshua heard was, "No way." Joshua, suddenly intrigued, stepped into the room to find two massive flat screen TVs sitting on the floor with red ribbons attached. 

Growing up, Joshua's parents were never able to give his siblings and him this kind of a Christmas. It wasn't the TVs themselves that meant so much to him on that day. Rather Joshua knew how important and excited his parents were to be able to give such a gift. He wished he could show how truly appreciative he was to his parents for loving him so much. He also couldn't wait to be able to show that love for his own kids one day because he knew how much it meant to himself.

Part 2: Chapter 4: Exercise p. 110- "Mapping Home"

This is a map of my hometown with memorable or important points plotted out:

Here, I have taken the plotted points and connected thew in two ways. One with straight lines and one with hand drawn lines:

The image I derived from this exercise resembles that of a hummingbird in my opinion.

As I explore some of the connections that might help the hummingbird to serve as a wide emblem for my Mystory, I have gathered some basic facts. Hummingbirds' wings enable them to move in nearly any direction be it left, right, up, down, or even upside down and they can even hover by flapping their wings in a certain pattern. Their feet are only used for perching, not for walking or hopping. They have a fast heartbeat, breathing rate, and high body temperature that requires them to eat often. There are many species spanning a large geographic area making their population difficult to calculate. Hummingbirds are very territorial and can be found often chasing other hummingbirds and even hawks to protect their territory.

I find it interesting that hummingbirds must intake energy so often to keep up with the demands their bodies put on them. Being such small and delicate birds I imagine they can't stay still for very long without being targeted by other predators. Yet their intense flight forces the necessity to always look for food, which in turn requires more intense flight. There seems to be a vicious and demanding cycle on the hummingbird.

I feel that this relates to me in the sense that I know that I desire to be in ministry but to be in ministry, especially at the beginning, requires a lot of time and sacrifice without seeing that investment pay off for awhile. However I know it's necessary. Much like the hummingbird knows that it's necessary to keep moving even though the movement requires even harder work. I feel like I am in that same vicious cycle but I also know that I love ministry and helping others and serving for something larger than myself. So, I know it's all worth it. Hummingbirds must know that all of that movement is worth the sacrifice that's required to keep moving.

Part 1: Career Discourse

Part 1: Career Discourse- Chapter 1: Main Assignment p. 21

Currently I am a Communications student in the field of media studies. I know that this is the field of work that interests me, that I want to pursue, but I have trouble putting my finger on exactly what I will use it for. But I know that I need it. I know that it's what I need to do to accomplish what I want for my life, for my ministry (I'm a Christian), and even for my family, which is very important to me.

I suppose, on a logical level, when talking about ministry and communication, a key object of analysis would be apologetics: the reasoning and arguments to justify why what I believe is true. Without many of the arguments related to apologetics, or at least questioning why I believe something, there would seem to only be room for a lot of blind faith. And blind faith doesn't speak to people like it used to. Perhaps that's why a lot of people were influenced by fear and necessity than actual belief, and that still goes on today but not as prevalently. In this day and age people require evidence to believe anything. But not just evidence; many people require undeniable, irrefutable, and quantitative evidence with no alternatives. Many of the physics and cosmic arguments deeply involved in Christian apologetics were unapproachable at the early stages of Christian belief. And since belief is necessary in Christianity, how could one expect people with less evidence than what we have currently to believe in such an idea? That being the case, Christian text tells us that creation is evidence enough. So perhaps this is more of a key problem within the field of Christian ministry and communication than it is a key object of analysis.

Nonetheless,  I feel that this key problem has influenced why I want to do what I want to do.
I know that right now my greatest desire is to apply my skills and what I am learning about communication to ministry. The ability to speak and be heard and understood are essential to spreading a message that you believe. So I want to be able to do that better. I want others to understand the truth that I understand internally but not always externally. Not always by my speaking and expression am I able to convey what I know in my heart. But I know that it is exactly that, the speaking and expression, that is necessary to spread that message.

That being the case, I believe that Dr. William Lane Craig is a key figure within my career domain. Dr. Craig is an American Christian apologist, philosopher, and theologian and Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist University.

According to reasonablefaith.org, Dr. Craig has authored or edited over thirty books. One of the books that he authored is The Kalam Cosmological Argument. It just so happens that this is one of the first arguments within apologetics that I ever heard and subsequently, my first exposure to the work of Dr. Craig.

At that point in my life I was already a Christian, in fact I have been a Christian nearly my entire life, but hearing these arguments brought completely new understanding to aspects of my belief and to my hopes within my future career that I had never had before. It took experiencing someone who had laid out the logical and even scientific foundations for me to appreciate my beliefs in a way I never had before. My dad, Paul Coats had always been a major influence in my life and therefore my career path, as well as other pastoral figures I respected such as, and especially, my youth pastor Robert Conover. Now my brother, Jordan Coats, has been influenced by my dad and Robert as well, and he was the one who actually showed me Dr. Craig's work through a group called Ratio Christi on the Kennesaw State University campus. So all of these people, my brother, my dad, my youth pastor, Dr. Craig, they all became a part of my network. They have all in a sense been a part of why I want to do what I want to do and have influenced and encouraged me to create this path in my life.

As it turns out, Dr. Craig's first degree was a B. A. in Communications, which is the same first degree I will have once I graduate KSU. 

Coincidence? Yep. But a pretty cool one.

Part 1: Chapter 1: Exercise p. 35- "Term Extensions"

My career field in communications in a more narrow sense would be ministry. I will take the obvious course of action and choose "minister" as my craft for term extension. It seems like the kind of word that likely has some deeper history that most people might not be readily aware of.

Before delving into this term extension, my first impressions of the term are that it involves administering. Much in the way that a drug, vaccine, or any type of medicine is administered to a group of people to help them, my impression is that by ministering, you are administering medicine in the form of knowledge, doctrine, and truth.

The literal definitions of minister in its noun form are "a person whose job involves leading church services, performing religious ceremonies, providing spiritual or religious guidance to other people" and "an official who heads a major government department" and "a person who represents his or her own government while living in another country (Merriam-Webster.com)." It's verb form is a little more similar to my first impression. Merriam-Webster.com says it is "to function as a minister of religion" and "to give aid or service."

These definitions are interesting, especially the more non-religious, government related ones. I still consider those definitions to be relevant in the sense that a ministering Christian represents the "Kingdom" of God. And the last verb form definition seems to coincide with the idea that ministering is related to administering. While there was no connection from minister's definition to administer's, administer did cite minister as a term of origin.

Therefore, the exercise calls for an extension of the root "craft." So to administer, according to Merriam-Webster, is "to manage the operation of something or the use of something," "to provide or apply: to put something into effect" and "to give or present." Ministry seems to reflect many of these meanings. As a minister one must manage the operation of their given department within a church, one must provide information and knowledge and also actively apply those same teachings to one's ministry, family and life in order to be an effective example and leader, and similarly give and present that same knowledge in an interesting and enticing way. I believe understanding what it means to administer greatly benefits the understanding of ministry.

Part 1: Chapter 2: Exercise p. 46- "Obtuse Meanings"



"The Wooden Cross"
Studium meaning - a literal cross of two pieces of wood, used as a method to crucify criminals in older cultures. Obtuse meaning - a symbol of the love and passion that Jesus Christ has for humanity. It's often not understood the true sacrifice that was made under the circumstances that Jesus Christ was in. The cross serves as a reminder for me and many others that his death meant life for anyone who would believe. The literal meaning of the cross is dwarfed by the obtuse meaning in this case. Personally, however, I often see the cross used in borderline heretical context such as in exorcism movies and on clothing and jewelry as more of a decoration or exploitation rather than with true homage and respect. So there's a double entendre of the cross with me. When I see it used in the former, it brings me great joy and a sense of humility and appreciation. But the latter induces disappointment and disgust to the point of anger, maybe even wrongfully so.



"Church"
Studium meaning - Literally a building where Christians meet to worship, fellowship, and hold religious services. Obtuse meaning - a place I have gone several times a week, every week, for nearly every week of my entire life (vacations and major life events aside). I am often one of the first to arrive, and often the last to leave. It is a place with which I am intimately acquainted. I believe it is important, and my heart places an emphasis on being at church that I can't even fully understand or explain. I believe church means something different to me than it means to most people, including many Christians. To me it is a necessity. Not a building. Not an event. Not a gathering. Just something I know I need.

(P.S. This church looks like a chicken! :D )



"Preacher"

Studium meaning - literally a man presumably speaking to an audience holding a book with material related to his speech. Obtuse meaning - a man sharing intimate knowledge of God's word revealed to him by the Holy Spirit with anointing and conviction to help a congregation understand the intricacies and character of a god who loves mankind unconditionally and wants nothing more than to spend eternity with His creation.

Part 1: Chapter 2: Exercise p. 51- "Haiku Design"

I like the last image shown in my previous entry. I believe it captures a lot of emotion and inspired me to write the obtuse meaning for that image. I believe it captures the essence of "haiku" in that it's simple, yet has great depth. As the saying goes, " a picture is worth a thousand words." So I have decided to follow our guide's suggestion to create a poster with this image as the background.



Part 1: Chapter 2: Exercise p. 62- "Illumination"

When I was a kid, about 10 or 11, I remember dressing up for halloween (or "fall festival" because halloween was bad... and I was at church) as a "youth pastor." I wore the coolest "Christian" graphic t-shirt I could find, I spiked my hair, and I wore jeans with holes in them. I don't think at that time I had decided that I wanted to be a youth pastor. There was probably no way anyone who saw me even knew what I was dressing up as. I had taken cues from several youth pastors I had been exposed to up to that point but I probably just looked like a kid making some kind of fashion statement for my age group. I remember thinking that I was wearing the coolest costume at the church fall festival and being really proud for doing something other than dressing up as Spiderman or the Hulk. It wasn't until later though, that I recalled that instance and thought that that may have been some indication of what I wanted to do with my life. And even now as I think about it, I remember a verse from the Bible. To paraphrase, God gives us the desires of our heart. I believe that that desire was placed there even when I chose that halloween costume, and it has remained in my memory as an interesting quirk in the back of my head to this day. I love that I did that in the sense of what I am pursuing now.