Happy Birthday, Bilbo

Posted on September 22, 2022 by awtraughber

It’s that time of year again, when Bilbo Baggins’s birthday comes back around.  It’s always worth revisiting this clip from The Fellowship of the Ring:

In line with this Tolkien moment, we’re halfway through the first season of The Rings of Power, Amazon’s attempt to tell the stories of the second age in a condensed but thoughtful form.  I’m really enjoying the series.  I think any chance to dip your toes into the river Anuin (or Sirion, for that matter) is a good thing, even if some things are a little different.  I’m glad that some of the all-new characters have their own concentrated storylines.  And it helps that the production values are so high.  I found the final moments of episode four to be quite moving, which I wasn’t really expecting.  I’m curious to see how the rest of the season goes (and how it sets up season two).

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One More for Rich

Posted on September 20, 2022 by awtraughber

Yesterday I posted a link to a recent piece about the 25th anniversary of the death of Rich Mullins.  The folks over at First Things also posted an article.  The piece, written by Bethel McGrew, also includes links to multiple songs.  I was glad for one in particular:

Such a time capsule!  We just don’t sing like that anymore, which is unfortunate.  I’m glad that such things can be found online somewhere.

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25 Years after Rich

Posted on September 19, 2022 by awtraughber

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Rich Mullins.  To mark the occasion, a number of artists got together to record a variety of his songs for the Bellsburg album.  The Kickstarter project also gave backers access to deeper cuts by other artists as well as access to a number of other unreleased, concert songs (that have mostly aged well).  It feels like a good way to mark the time.

Over at Plough, Beth McGrew posted a nice piece about Rich with lots of good links to songs and other materials.  It’s a good piece: fair and honest.  Rich’s was a personality that could easily rub someone the wrong way.  He was brutally honest in his songwriting in a way that few others were (or have been since).  There’s a deep longing in his writing that more polished musicians haven’t really been able to achieve.  (The closest is likely Andrew Peterson, who records the opening song on Bellsburg).  See “Cry the Name” and “Hard to Get.”  But there was also deep joy and beautiful instrumentation: there’s so much good piano music in his concert footage.

I have often wondered what things would be like musically if Rich was still around.  Contemporary Christian music has changed a great deal in the last twenty-five years.  American Christianity has changed a lot, too.  Rich’s legacy is like a time-capsule that you keep getting to open up, a thing to visit frequently, not to feel good about yourself or to mourn a by-gone era, but to be challenged in a way that feels more and more rare these days.

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On Tour with Tuor

Posted on July 13, 2022 by awtraughber

There was a time where I thought this summer would be the time to reread the Lord of the Rings.  I even  packed my bags in preparation for it.  But to read LOTR is no small task, not something to walk into half-heartedly.  So I read “Leaf by Niggle” to get me in the right frame of mind . . . and then it didn’t happen.  So I put the books in the box of goodies that I shipped back to Honolulu to keep the load light. And then I read books that I bought tied to my time at Laity Lodge instead.

+ + + + + + +

Unfinished TalesOne of the questions posed early on at the Lodge a few weeks ago was the question of what authors we turn to for comfort (because these last few years have brought great need for comfort).  I told the couple I sat near that I would often turn to Tolkien and Lewis and Chesterton.  And it doesn’t matter much what I read from them as long as it is from them.  Granted, the shorter the better has been the case of late. I had just reread a number of shorter Lewis pieces collected in Present Concerns.  But I did want to read some Tolkien.  So I went back to Unfinished Tales.  I had read the entries tied into The Hobbit and LOTR a few weeks before but had, at that time, decided to stay away from the longer pieces from “the first age” that take up most of the book.  I’ve read the Silmarillion before and enjoyed it, but it is also a bit of a commitment.  And I’m a little leery of reading “First Age” and “Second Age” content with Amazon’s Rings of Power coming in September.  But I jumped into the story of Tuor and his journey to Gondolin anyway.  I’m so glad that I did.

+ + + + + + +

Unfinished Tales is a collection of pieces edited by Christopher Tolkien that are “elaborations ‘of matters told more briefly, or at least referred to elsewhere.”  Christopher Tolkien wove things together based on manuscripts and fragments and notes.  It is amazing to me how much of Tolkien’s voice shines through even in drafts and fragments.  There is joy and sadness and wonder in almost every little narrative piece. Tuor’s tale, which clocks in at about 30 pages, features a kind of depth you would expect from stories that are chronologically later.  Here Tuor shows up fully realized in a fully realized world.  A favorite text:

In this way, Tuor passed into the borders of Nevrast, where once Turgon had dwelt; and at last unawares (for the cliff-tops at the margin of the land were higher than the slopes behind) he came suddenly to the black brink of Middle-earth, and saw the Great Sea, Belegar the Shoreless.  And at that hour the sun went down beyond the rim of the world, as a mighty fire; and Tuor stood alone upon the cliff with outspread arms, and a great yearning filled his heart.  It is said that he was the first of Men to reach the Great Sea, and that none, save the Elder, have ever felt more deeply the longing that it brings. (25)

And that’s just around the 1/3 mark of the tale of Tuor’s coming to Gondolin.  And yes, it’s difficult to hold all of the names of people and places in your head.  And yes, it’s great to turn to the end notes that C. Tolkien added that point to connections (or contradictions) with the bigger story.  And there’s no real hurry to finish things because each piece of the book stands on its own.  It’s nice just savoring the wonder of each good moment.

+ + + + + + +

So now I’m onto the story of Turin, also set in the First Age.  And it’s good.  Hopeful and tragic at the same time, and not only because you know the “long story” but also because Tolkien renders each character so well while saying so little.

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Stranger Thors

Posted on July 11, 2022 by awtraughber

This past week was an interesting one with popular long-form storytelling.  I was able to catch the final two episodes of Stranger Things 4 while also watching the fourth Thor movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  While I enjoyed them both, one stood out more than the other (and it wasn’t the one I thought it would be).

Taika Waititi has been a favorite movie-maker for me for a while now.  His work with Thor: Ragnarok brought new life to the franchise and set up Thor for some great moments in Avengers: Infinity War.  Ragnarok was something of a buddy movie with more humor in 15 minutes than the first two Thor movies combined.  So I was looking forward to what Waititi would do with Love and Thunder, how the characters might progress and how they would fold a more recent comic book story (Jane Foster and Gorr) into the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.  There are some really good moments in the movie.  The cast does well with what they are given.  Much like with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, you get a real sense of the director’s unique vision.  And yet, when the final stinger went to black, I found myself more tired than anything.  The story itself was pretty tight without being minimalist.  There were some good, emotional moments.  Was the humor too much?  I think so.  And I say that as someone who found the goats pretty funny.  I think the story went off the rails for me when Zeus came into the picture.  Which is also why the Zeus-centric stinger fell flatter than usual for me.  It was a well-told tale, I think.  I just find myself a bit fatigued with things (and I say that as someone who loves serial story-telling).  With Phase Four, I’m kind of losing a sense of caring about what is next.  I’m glad that Marvel is getting to build someone beyond the Infinity Saga.  It’s possible, though, that their TV shows have become more enjoyable than their movies.  We’ll see how Ms. Marvel ends this week.

ST4 Express UKOn the other hand, I didn’t have too high expectations for Stranger Things 4.  It had been so long since the last series.  Humor has also been a hallmark for the show.  But the humor is there to humanize things and to keep things from getting too heavy.  And this season was quite heavy.  The show also took the risk of sending its characters in different directions for the entire run: three groups, actually.  Sometimes that can backfire.  But as with stories like Harry Potter, the adventures of Eleven and her friends gets better the more it digs into the past of things.  And I really think the show benefits from having set an actual conclusion to the story (which also helped immensely with shows like Lost).  And so the final scene, which isn’t quite a cliffhanger but definitely leaves you hanging, doesn’t grate as much as the conclusion and stingers for Love and Thunder.  And it sets you up for what you know will be the real finale.  The show has stuck with what makes it great: friendship, spiritual struggle, and something about life in the 80s.  Such an interesting story: so consistently tense with super-high stakes but with something of a simple set-up.  I’m glad that it still resonates on multiple levels.

It will be interesting to see what happens next, both with Thor and with Stranger Things.  Both are coming back, of course, though I’m not sure what timeline exists for Thor’s next chronological appearance.  Writing is about to start up for Stranger Things.  Until then, there’s all kinds of reading that can be done for behind-the-scenes information.  But the story is what carries it.  And the hope of resolution is a good hope.  It will be interesting to see how everything ends.

(image from express.co.uk)

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The Three Movements of This Summer

Posted on July 5, 2022 by awtraughber

Today marks the beginning of the “third movement” of summer 2022 for me.  My summer officially started after our commencement service back in the first weekend of June.  From there, the summer divided itself neatly into three movements.  The first was a time to decompress, to stay in Hawaii but also stay away from work as much as possible.  That movement lasted just over two weeks and was quite restful.  It was a nice mix of weekend routine plus good time downtown hanging in places I don’t get to see much during the school year.

The second movement, which came to an end yesterday, was rooted in travel: first, to Texas for a retreat at Laity Lodge and second, to Tennessee for time with family.  This movement had a rhythm of its own, too.  It involved travel time, which I mostly enjoy, and then time at rest.  In both the first and second “movements,” I tried to restrict work stuff.  I was mostly successful at it, I think.  And hopefully it won’t set me behind too much going into the next few weeks.  This part of the summer lasted right at two weeks.

The third movement of summer begins today and will last about just over 2 weeks.  Work will enter the picture again bit by bit.  The school year starts with an even that I have some responsibility for.  Beyond that, I’ve got a couple of new “hires” that I need to prep.  Plus, our new pastor just arrived, so I’ll be checking in on him and working on his installation service for later in August.  And, alas, I will need to do some real prep work for the classroom as the new year gets started.

A main goal of the summer was to put some distance between me and work.  I love what I do, and am hopeful that I will enjoy a more simplified “line” this school year with the “temporary vocational stretch” finally over.  But work is almost ubiquitous (for lots of people, not just for me), and I’ve felt the strain of that, especially this last year.  The hope has been that the distance will allow for some “deep work” that can happen beneath the surface of things . . . maybe getting some deeper roots in some things, adjusting my routine where things are less “bundled.”  I know that I don’t want to spend this year drawing from the “same well” as the last five, mostly because that well has kind of dried up (as well it should).

A lot of this goes back to that story Jesus tells about the guy with the unclean spirit that is cast out.  The man gets his life in order, but the spirit has no where to go, so it goes back to find things all “cleaned up” with the man, so he brings some of his friends with him.  And the man is worse off than he was before.  Now: work is no unclean spirit and the story isn’t about my life in particular, but it does illustrate something about people more broadly and the dangers we should be aware of.  “Let the right one in,” on some basic level.  This summer has, bit by bit, a way of trying to recalibrate for that.  To prepare to live differently even if those around me are embarking on another year “as usual.”

So here’s to the “third movement” of the summer of 2022.  You can plan all you want, and life will do what it does.  I get that.  But hopefully there will be a rhythm and routine that is particular to the next couple of weeks that will set me up well for the fall and beyond.

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Out to Pasture

Posted on July 4, 2022 by awtraughber

This short and recent piece by Alan Jacobs is about conservatism, but I can’t help but think it’s also true about so much more (like church or education).  It’s an interesting slant on ancient imagery about sheep, shepherds, and sheepdogs.   A quick quote:

What sheepdogs are useless at is caring for the sheep. They can’t feed the sheep, or inspect them for injury or illness, or give them medicine. All they can do is bark when they see someone who might be a predator. And that’s fine, except for this: the sheepdogs of the conservative movement think that everyone who is not a sheepdog – everyone who is not angrily barking — is a wolf.

Both sheep and sheepdog submit to the guidance of the shepherd.  Or at least they are supposed to.  These days it feels like shepherds, those who know what they are doing, are in short supply.  Or they’ve decided that really the sheepdogs can do all that is necessary (though definitely not all that is good).

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Checking In

Posted on June 17, 2022 by awtraughber

These first couple of weeks of summer vacation have been a little twisty.  Good, but twisty.

It’s taken some time for me to get used to the sun rising so early and setting so late.  It’s almost like I’ve not experienced this before.  I’m often up before sunrise, but these last couple of mornings have caught me off guard and ready to go back to sleep for a while.  Then, of course, you lose out on the early morning before the sun gets too high in the school for a good walk up into the valley.  If it’s not done by 7:30, it requires sunscreen.

So I’m definitely not living by my school-year routine.  Not only am I sleeping in until about 6:30/7:00, I’m also staying up later.  I blame a spate of quality TV for some of that.  Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ms. Marvel on Disney+, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and (of course) season four of Stranger Things have given me a nice way to wind down the day.  Kenobi finally picked up the pace this week (just in time for next week’s finale).  Ms. Marvel is off to an interesting start.  Star Trek: SNW is simply well-done.  This is my first season of Stranger Things that isn’t a communal viewing, but it’s still been good.  Just have to keep the volume down so as not to bother the neighborhood.

I have, for the most part, stayed away from school.  Things pop up a couple of times a week, either emails or texts or phone calls that are mostly time-sensitive.  I’m trying to respond quickly, succinctly, and graciously.  I did realize a few minutes ago that I forgot to set up the office for our in-coming Christian Ministries coordinator, so I do need to go on campus for a few minutes to take care of that next week.

The first half of this week was spent watching the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting online.  Definitely a sobering but encouraging watch for me.  The meetings (and the online commentary that came with it) is a point-for-point reflection of what is going on in the broader world.  There’s a lot that needs to be worked out.  But size definitely makes that more complex, I think.

Last week I finished the latest Rivers of London novel.  I put it off for a month, which is unfortunate.  But, as is always the case, Aaronovitch wove a wonderful tale.  He strings things along well without it feeling too much like plodding.  As with every good series, success is found in mining the world’s past as much as it is weaving the world’s future. I also finished up a quick re-read of the last chunk of Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales.  I mostly just wanted to read things pertaining to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.  It’s my way of revisiting the world without having to reread the whole saga (which will happen again sometime soon).  I find myself doing this kind of thing with Tolkien, Lewis and Chesterton.  I am truly amazed at the amount of world-building that Tolkien accomplished that can be found in manuscripts and notes.

Beyond that, I’m reading through NT Wright’s commentary on Galatians, Brown’s biography of Augustine, and Nouwen’s final journal.  It’s kind of an odd juggling act right now.  But it’s a good juggling act.  I’m reading the commentary because it’s been sitting on my table for months and it felt time to read some new Wright.  Augustine because he’s always hovering around my hopes and imagination.  And Nouwen’s final journal because it’s about his sabbath year and what he experienced during it.  All of this stuff goes into the big stew of my life.  It will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of the stew when the summer comes to an end.

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Adding a Category

Posted on May 30, 2022 by awtraughber

A few days ago I mentioned “two weeks, two months” as a kind of framework for my summer.  Two weeks for the school year to officially wrap.  And then, with some overlap, two months before the next school year starts.  And I might have mentioned the significance of the summer break, because the last five years I’ve been in an “temporary vocational stretch” that, along with Covidtide, has been a real challenge for me.  That’s probably true on multiple levels and in ways that transcend the classroom.

So I’m adding a new category for posts.  Most of my categories are general topics like “books” or “comics” or “movies.”  The “notes for a world’s end” category was primarily about Covid and events from the last few years.  There’s also “the long story,” which is for posts that reach back into personal history some.  For the summer I’ll be adding “recovery journal” as a category.  I know it sounds therapeutic, but that’s part of the point.  Early on in my “temporary vocational stretch,” I used the images of equilibrium and (de)stabilization for what was going on, that things had gotten more complicated and therefore less stable.  I’m hoping to recover some of that stability. And that’s going to be some work for me.  It’s part of why I’m imposing a “no work for the summer” rule.  There are some things that I need to recover (or rediscover) that I can’t do if work is “first and foremost.”  It doesn’t mean I won’t think about work: I’m grateful that I have work that lines up with and springs up from my heart and mind.  But, and here’s something I need to recover, I need to approach those things from the right direction.

So this is more of a book-keeping entry than anything else.

I will say, briefly, that I saw Top Gun: Maverick today.  I know the first movie mostly by osmosis, from growing up around it.  So I was probably a little more disinterested in the movie that others that I see on opening weekend.  Having said that, the movie was really good.  I saw it at the RPX, which is one step down from IMAX (which is fine with me).  The sound was amazing.  The shots were amazing.  And even with my disinterest, I was totally sucked in by the end.  Maybe it was the music.  Definitely a “see it in the theater if you can” movie.

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Even If You’ve Got Mail . . .

Posted on May 25, 2022 by awtraughber

A few years ago, I made the decision to remove my work email from my cell phone.  It was a great move for me, one that I can’t imagine ever undoing.

This past weekend, I removed my personal email from my phone.  Which means I can check it on my iPad or log in on my laptop.  Turns out that I don’t check it much until late afternoon, which has been great so far.

Recalibration and re-stabilization can take time.  And it helps (even as it hurts) to make small changes like putting email in a different place in the order of your day.

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