December 2005 Archives

Merry Christmas to you all. Have a lovely holiday with family and friends. Make sure to have just a few to many of your favorite holiday treats. My personal favorites are the peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies (dark chocolate preferrably) and the caramel rolls that my mom's friend brings to the family every year. Happy Holidays.

BOOK REVIEW

Atkin, Douglas. The Culting of Brands. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 2004. 230 + xix pp. $24.95 (USD). ISBN: 1-59184-027-9.

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Exploring the devotion that cults inspire in their membership, Douglas Atkin, creates a “how to manual” for creating that same devotion in consumers through cult brands. Using a generous definition of a cult that includes most currently practiced religions, he creates a definition of a cult brand that seeks to have a devoted, exclusive, following whose members find meaning and community through their relationship to the brand and become followers who often act as advocates for the brand.

Sorry that is has been so quiet here lately. I've been preparing for finals and writing papers a plenty. I've been working through some of my thoughts on the challenges of young adult ministry in the US and have compiled them into a paper. You can download it here. It is still a bit rough and incomplete, but I would love you comments.

There are some folks starting a new church here in Minneapolis by the name of Mercy Seat. Check the site for a teaser of what this church is working to be. I am not sure what they mean by Critically Orthodox, but it will be interesting to find out. Make sure to give a listen to the music, they've got a cool thing going on with this Jazz liturgy.

At last, the perfect gift for that someone in your life that has everything, the lumberjack / werewolf transforming plush doll.

Today is world AIDS Day. You can find out more information at the United Nations Programme for HIV/AIDS. Check out the beautiful photo story on AIDS orphans in Kenya by Gueorgui Pinkhassov. Also, if you are in the Minneapolis area, you can get involved at Spirit Garage's World AIDS Day Benefit Concert tonight. If you are the praying type, take a moment today and say a prayer for those who are living with the disease and all who are affected by this global epidemic.