tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71888642011-08-22T08:06:39.913-05:00Home to the random rants and raves of Patch.Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1161718189561884232006-10-24T14:27:00.000-05:002006-10-24T14:29:50.163-05:00

My little girl, Elora, loves giving hugs and receiving hugs to pretty much...anything. People...apples...hairclips. She's a little lovebug.In the spirit of her recent behaviour, someone recently forwarded this to me. Check out FREE HUGS!http://www.youtube.com/v/vr3x_RRJdd4

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1160752005266885232006-10-13T10:05:00.000-05:002006-10-13T10:06:45.786-05:00

Here's something interesting for your day: Moby talking about Christianity. It doesn't surprise me to learn that he has an interest in Christ. Funny that Eminem mocks Moby as a Buddhist.Check this out for yourself:http://www.sojo.net/special/multimedia/audio/061004_moby/player.html

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1160165374214083972006-10-06T15:07:00.000-05:002006-10-06T15:09:35.310-05:00

I was perusing various sites today on the book of Deuteronomy and Old Testament law; and came across this great website that gives us some very pertinent and colourful illustrations on God's Law as it was handed down to Moses....through Lego.Check out my particular favourite Old Testament verse Deut. 25:11.http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/index.html

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1158099751207855442006-09-12T17:03:00.000-05:002006-09-12T17:22:31.800-05:00

I had some interesting conversations with some students last night as we gathered to inform first-year students about the various Christian faith communities around UW.In one of their conversations, I discussed how my particular community is often labelled as left-wing. A large reason for this is our focus on the poor; our willingness to partner with organizations like the UW Muslim Students

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1156863518774243692006-08-29T09:58:00.000-05:002006-08-29T09:58:38.990-05:00

Well, it's been another long while since I posted to this blog. Consider it a summer off. :)For the comeback, here's a compelling video recommended to me by a friend. Consider it a platform for discussion rather than a particular opinion.**Warning: strong violent content towards the end of it**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjfOfe5DTNg&mode=related&search=

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1152544939410117222006-07-10T10:22:00.000-05:002006-07-10T10:22:20.293-05:00

I've decided that my blog needs something a bit lighter after the ultra-heavy topics of the last few posts. So here's an update on some of the things that my daughter, Elora, tends to say these days:I got you (said when anyone is in pursuit to actually get her)Where's the bubbles? (said in reference to an actual inquiry as to the whereabouts of bubbles that you can blow)Mama (said when she

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1151354736302537652006-06-26T15:40:00.000-05:002006-06-26T15:45:37.220-05:00

Here's an article on Alternet.org that you may wish to check out.*Warning: Content may offend some readers.*http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/38084/I think that the author here has a very good point in regards to how racism is appearing in the current war in Iraq. The perpetrators of many of the racist crimes that have emerged during this war are not necessarily exceptionally bad people. They

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1150121086999526592006-06-12T08:58:00.000-05:002006-06-12T09:04:47.013-05:00

A colleague of mine passed this article on to me. I've been following this game for awhile now, but it still fascinates me each time I look at it.http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-godgames10may10,0,1546594,full.story?coll=la-home-businessSome of you have heard me speak on LaHaye and Jenkins' series of books in the Left Behind series, and you know that I'm not a big fan of the whole use of

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1148923993380551462006-05-29T12:28:00.000-05:002006-05-29T12:33:13.396-05:00

Here's an interesting article from CBS News on superheroes and contemporary cultural issues.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/26/entertainment/main1660039.shtmlIt suggests that comic books are currently creating discussion around issues such as homosexuality, terrorism, and modern war.My personal favourite is Superman debating the decision to invade the imaginary Middle-Eastern country of

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1148494005008550892006-05-24T13:05:00.000-05:002006-05-24T13:06:45.026-05:00

Here is an interesting article to check out in regards to the recent release of the Da Vinci Code. I believe that I will pick up the book today in preparation for a message on the book that I plan to give in June.http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=news.display_article&mode=C&NewsID=5400

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1142274240094199562006-03-13T12:18:00.000-06:002006-03-13T12:24:46.580-06:00

Aaah, Mr. Klein. We love you so. You are a torchbearer for privatized health care throughout the world.Check out what Rick Mercer had to share about him here in this week's Rick's Rant:http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/Why is it that the idea of privatized health care just rubs me the wrong way? Everytime that I think about it, I always get this image of Jesus walking into a privatized health care

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1141074712579929052006-02-27T15:04:00.000-06:002006-02-27T15:11:52.593-06:00

Well, it's official. The Meeting House is coming to the city of Waterloo.If you have not heard of The Meeting House, they're a very exciting church movement out of the Greater Toronto Area. To be more precise, they are a church for people who are not into church. You can check them out at www.themeetinghouse.ca. I have written about their teaching pastor Bruxy Cavey here at Patchworx

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1140466461981847422006-02-20T14:11:00.000-06:002006-02-20T14:14:21.983-06:00

A friend of mine forwarded this article to me, and I think that it says volumes about the church or the body of believers who follow Christ. Much as we have come to feel about how evangelical churches responded to the AIDS crisis in the '80's; I feel that we must also react this way to the war in Iraq. We must say, "We are so sorry that we did not do more to alleviate the suffering of others."

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1139247327215465772006-02-06T11:33:00.000-06:002006-02-06T11:35:27.233-06:00

Although I think that U2 is a little overblown as a band that Christians enjoy, I do highly respect the band and Bono for what they have done to create global awareness of serious global issues. Recently, Bono appeared at a prayer breakfast of all places where President Bush, members of Congress, and many other high-powered American officials were present.He delivered this stunning talk. Enjoy!

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1138638900510728572006-01-30T10:00:00.000-06:002006-01-30T10:35:00.573-06:00

Well, we have a new prime minister and a new minority government. My prayers will definitely work in overtime for Mr. Harper and whoever he appoints to his cabinet.If you know me, I have some serious reservations about the Conservative party. Their general neo-conservative approach to economics has lead to some serious problems in my own province of Ontario (ie. Walkerton, child care, poverty,

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1138046347899333192006-01-23T13:56:00.000-06:002006-01-23T13:59:07.926-06:00

Hey, what do you know? Rick Mercer and I use the same online blog software. Check out his own blog at http://rickmercer.blogspot.com/You definitely have to check out his photo challenge. I love the pic of Martin and Harper sumo wrestling.Be sure to also check out Rick Mercer's website at http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/Funny stuff!

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1137434665451002392006-01-16T11:57:00.000-06:002006-01-16T12:04:25.463-06:00

One of my students directed me to this article on faithtoday.ca. It's an interesting insight into how our Canadian political parties are dealing with the issue of faith in politics.Check it out at: http://www.faithtoday.ca/article_viewer.asp?Article_ID=189One addendum: The larger reasons for a lack of response from the Bloc Quebecois are related to the historical relationship of that province's

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1136839363050393572006-01-09T14:38:00.000-06:002006-01-09T14:46:03.290-06:00

Continuing on my discovery of Firefly, here's a quote for the ages as far as I'm concerned:“If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters, and people who talk at the theater.”See my previous post entitled "Theatre-Viewing Down"http://patchworx.blogspot.com/2005/06/theatre-viewing-down.htmlYou can hear a sample

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1136231328426925792006-01-02T13:39:00.000-06:002006-01-02T13:48:48.436-06:00

Well, I've just been turned on to a great (now cancelled) television series called "Firefly." I've meant to check out this series for some time now simply because it is written by Joss Whedon. My wife and I are enormous fans of "Angel" and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," and so we fully expected "Firefly" to also be good. Over the holidays, we watched "Serenity," the film based upon the series,

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1134422222105888222005-12-12T15:05:00.000-06:002005-12-12T15:17:02.116-06:00

This week, Navigator staff from across Ontario gathered in our fair city of Waterloo to share ministry stories and touch base as far as the future direction of the Navigators of Canada ministry. During that time, my co-worker Jeremy Horne shared a wonderful devotional story with us.Jeremy suggested that as much as people often hunger for God or some sense of the divine, God also hungers for us.

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1133210986520515682005-11-28T14:36:00.000-06:002005-11-28T14:49:46.536-06:00

Yes, it's drawing closer to that magical time of gumdrops, and sugar canes, and dreams in the heads of children everywhere. This Thursday Dec. 1st, my wife and I will observe our annual tradition of putting up our Christmas tree and basically Christmas-a-sizing our home. It will also be the first time that our young daughter actually gets to really enjoy the time with us. Well, at least, the

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1132607710226066132005-11-21T15:02:00.000-06:002005-11-21T15:15:10.236-06:00

In the 80's, Peter Weir produced a film that would profoundly affect my life. This film was entitled "Dead Poets Society" and it would also be the film that put a younger Robin Williams on the map as a dramatic actor. Williams plays a prep school English teacher who teaches his students to basically think for themselves and live life as an adventure. I suppose that the most memorable quote

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1127852784955354122005-09-27T15:17:00.000-05:002005-09-27T15:26:24.963-05:00

Well, our Navigators community (my personal ministry) has survived yet another Fall Retreat. This year, we heard from Meeting House teaching pastor Bruxy Cavey on the topic of Sharing Your Faith Without Embarassing Yourself or God. Much fun was had by all, and we picked up some great pointers to bring back with us to the Waterloo campus.Bruxy reminded us of the cultural divide that exists

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1127158890040301112005-09-19T14:27:00.000-05:002005-09-19T14:41:30.046-05:00

http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/09/10/Arts/Cronenberg_violence20050910.htmlI can't really say that I've ever enjoyed a David Cronenberg film, but this one could be interesting. I like the choice of Viggo Mortensen for the lead. Mortensen has come under fire in the past for wearing pro-pacifism shirts when he depicts a sword-wielding king in The Lord of The Rings. That's right, he

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1126297117233076482005-09-09T15:03:00.000-05:002005-09-09T15:18:37.240-05:00

It's that time of year at Waterloo once again. The campus is crawling with Frosh decked out in purple, white, pink, and indescribably coloured shirts (the last one possibly due in part to whatever food-like substances they've drudged through this week). Everywhere, there is excitement.I always get a little nostalgic at this time of year. In the fall of 1995, I had my own Frosh Week at Waterloo

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1122319462043054872005-07-25T14:11:00.000-05:002005-07-25T14:24:22.050-05:00

Well, last Thursday we made it out to our Babies in the Ballpark Blue Jays game, and true enough, as I predicted in my previous blog entry, not only one but TWO foul balls came our way. Thankfully, the Skydome planning staff were smart enough to place our section at a 90-degree angle to homeplate, so if any foul balls came our way, they would come in at a downward angle and not screaming in at

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1119295909377988452005-06-20T14:25:00.000-05:002005-06-20T14:31:49.383-05:00

Yesterday, I celebrated my very first Father's Day with my daughter, Elora, and we had a great time.My wife, Michele, and Elora both presented me with tickets to Babies in The Ballpark at the Skydome next month: an entire section of the Skydome for families to bring their babies and watch the Jays in action; complete with change tables.In five years of attending Blue Jays games, I have never seen

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1119020004323324522005-06-17T09:38:00.000-05:002005-06-17T09:53:24.326-05:00

According to an article on the CBC's website, less people go to the theatre to see a film these days. Apparently, most Canadians prefer to watch films at home.Here's the article: http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/06/16/Arts/poll050616.htmlI can add some input to this. The article suggests that the slump could be due to some poor products this year. Possibly...but Cinderella Man,

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1118082321977609842005-06-06T12:57:00.000-05:002005-06-06T13:25:21.983-05:00

In 1999 and 2002 respectively, my wife and I lined up from the early hours of premiere day to see each of the Star Wars prequels that were released in those years. I fondly remember the cheer of the crowd when John Williams' theme rang out across the theatre in The Phantom Menace for the first time since the Special Edition releases in 1997. I also remember the adrenaline that ran through the

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1116255734107425672005-05-16T09:42:00.000-05:002005-05-16T10:02:14.116-05:00

Well, yet another extended absence on my part from my blog. What can I say? It will happen again, but I write when I can.I'll kick it back off with a look at some films I've seen recently.First, my wife and I recently saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Like Wes Anderson's previous work of The Royal Tenenbaums, this film was a dry comedy that somehow expertly combined biting wit with deep

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1111422715424082122005-03-21T10:17:00.000-06:002005-03-21T10:31:55.426-06:00

It's been awhile since I've posted, and my apologies to all for failing to post yet this month. Oddly, March has been a very busy time.I've spent a lot of time in thought recently about why it really matters to follow Jesus. We discussed this topic at my students' Winter Retreat this year. I think that followers of Jesus (including myself) can often make their choice seem complacent or trivial

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1109624244113926002005-02-28T14:48:00.000-06:002005-02-28T14:57:24.116-06:00

Here follows some comments on The Oscars:A fairly good show. Not extremely memorable, but decent.I felt good about the Best Actor/Actress and Best Picture decisions.I definitely enjoyed Chris Rock's introductory monologue. 3 years ago, members of the Oscar audience booed Michael Moore for saying "Shame on you, Mr. Bush!" Today, Chris Rock gets hired for making fun of the American President.

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1109274507173418072005-02-24T13:45:00.000-06:002005-02-24T13:48:27.173-06:00

On a non-political, non-technological, non-cultural studies, and non-military note, my daughter Elora and I have learned to play our first game together.Whenever I place Elora on her change table, I will say, "Where's that hand for, Papa?" Elora will then raise her right hand, and I pretend to chew on it. She has even begun to imitate the growling noise that I make as I pretend to chew on her

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1109107545397459142005-02-22T15:14:00.000-06:002005-02-22T15:25:45.396-06:00

I will go on record as saying the following: Canada will participate in a space-based ballistic missile defence program. And are we really surprised?Check out this article on cbc.ca: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/02/22/mckenna-missile050222.htmlI once gave a book entitled How To Be A Canadian to some Australian friends in my community on the Waterloo campus. In that book, the

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1108739467558277832005-02-18T08:54:00.000-06:002005-02-18T09:11:07.560-06:00

Well, we've come one step closer to Baudrillard's concept of human as code. Perlegen Sciences revealed today "a map of genetic variation across populations." (Guterman, The Chronicle of Higher Education, http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/02/2005021805n.htm) The map suggests that "many diseases and medicines affect people differently, at least in part because of variation in genes. " (Guterman

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1108654198054528172005-02-17T09:20:00.000-06:002005-02-17T09:29:58.060-06:00

I was reading The Chronicle of Higher Education this morning (an online journal of higher education [go figure] issues and discussion you can find at http://chronicle.com/), and read an interesting article on the films of Krzystof Kieslowski and the moral philosophy of Charles Taylor (a Canadian btw). I have actually never seen any of Kieslowski's films, that include The Decalogue series and the

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1107806381629108222005-02-07T13:42:00.000-06:002005-02-07T14:03:31.996-06:00

And so it has begun... The "monster" described in The Matrix films has taken its first step into actualization. In case you haven't heard, Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. have teamed to produce a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlaying Game) called The Matrix Online. This game has actually been in production for quite some time now, but I write about it now because I am currently

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1107442771085094172005-02-03T08:56:00.000-06:002005-02-03T08:59:31.086-06:00

Recently, I have been advised by many of my students to see the film Napoloeon Dynamite. Apparently, it's a little bit of a cult classical film right now. Although I certainly intend to see this film very soon, one of my students sent me a quiz where you can find out which character you are in Napoloeon Dynamite. The results for me: I am a liger...pretty much the coolest animal ever. I am

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1106233105533982702005-01-20T08:52:00.000-06:002005-01-26T10:22:01.226-06:00

If Survivor is one of my guilty pleasures (a pleasure I actually overcame once this past season simply had no interesting characters), American Idol is one of the guilty pleasures of my wife, Michele. Of the many fun things to do with my wife, two of them are 1) watching Ben Stiller movies with her and 2) watching American Idol with her. In both circumstances, you're waiting for a train wreck to

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1104784510398805972005-01-03T14:32:00.000-06:002005-01-03T14:35:10.400-06:00

Great news for my wife, myself, and our family! On Dec. 10th, we had a baby girl who we have named Elora Danielle. Interesting that I would go from writing about my thoughts on upcoming parenthood in lieu of Finding Neverland to writing about the birth of my first child. As you can imagine, the holidays were tremendously busy as we allowed multiple family members and friends to fawn over and

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1101762149794554212004-11-29T14:23:00.000-06:002004-11-29T15:02:29.793-06:00

My wife and I went to see "Finding Neverland" last night; starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. It was a fairly decent film. Then again, I have found most Johnny Depp films to be remarkably good. The viewing was especially interesting for Michele and I because we are literally on the verge (3 days and counting) of becoming parents. "Finding Neverland" is a tale of how J.M. Barrie's playful

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1100549904632996722004-11-15T13:55:00.000-06:002004-11-15T14:20:30.366-06:00

Well, my students have admonished me for quite some time for not seeing Fahrenheit 9/11; but two weekends ago, my wife and I finally got around to seeing the film. Interestingly enough, we chose the period of George W. Bush's re-election as President of the United States. Many viewers of the film suggest that this documentary is not nearly as good as Bowling for Columbine due to its blatant

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1099684293841091802004-11-05T13:36:00.000-06:002004-11-05T13:51:33.840-06:00

Hey folks. Sorry for the delay, but my Internet access at home has been down for some time now. Anyhow, here are my continued responses to your e-mail, Juan. Juan: I'd say that our subjectivity is related to our individuality, we are always biased. So then to dissolve into God, we lose our individuality and our bias. We are no longer able to cognate. Perhaps we cognate in that we always

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1099070951908968102004-10-29T13:23:00.000-05:002004-10-29T12:29:54.416-05:00

Sorry, one more post before I continue my conversation with Juan. Did anyone see SNL the other night when performer Ashlee Simpson simply, literally, and egregiously messed up her lip-synching routine? If not, you can see the clip here: http://www.ifilm.com/viralvideo?ifilmid=2654002 If this isn't a simple exposure of the nepotism, manufacturing, simulation, and deceit in our understanding of

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1099070209571868872004-10-29T10:56:00.000-05:002004-10-29T12:16:49.570-05:00

Juan: Thanks again Patch, and thanks to the other people who offered commentary on thetopic. Sorry to take so long to get respond to your last message. Earlier this week I started writing out a follow-up and realized that the context of my thinking was becoming more like "logical" argumentation whereas you were asking me more about spirituality. So I'm starting over with that mind, not avoiding

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1097782946330707082004-10-14T14:23:00.000-05:002004-10-14T14:42:26.330-05:00

It's been awhile since I did a highlight on an influential musical band in my life; so here's another one: Faith No More. This power quintet (give or take a few guitarists over the years) fused heavy metal with rap, blues, lounge , flamenco, gospel, big band, carnival, and pop music in no way that I have ever seen elsewhere. I would truly rank them up there with some of the greatest rock

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1097266699161982662004-10-08T15:08:00.000-05:002004-10-08T15:18:19.160-05:00

I have a confession to make. I am fascinated by the television "reality" series of Survivor. I have followed the series since its first season, and my interest was certainly re-invigorated by the All-Star edition earlier this year. My friends and family know that I deplore much of what is passed for entertainment on television today. They also know how much I talk about our North American

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1096656951333637992004-10-01T13:20:00.000-05:002004-10-01T13:55:51.333-05:00

Juan: Thanks for the responses, I'll try to give some follow up in an organized manner. Patch: Sure thing. Juan: Regarding Christianity as religion vs. philosophy. I'm kind of making this up as I go, but I'd say that religion is a concrete institution whereas philosophy is an abstract one. Patch: Agreed. Juan: Religion centers itself in the temple, whereas philosophy is centered in the

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1096315538404269792004-09-27T14:33:00.000-05:002004-09-27T15:05:38.403-05:00

This past weekend, my students and I congregated with other students from across Ontario to discuss what it means to live life with a view from the end. Our speaker, Eric Stolte, presented a challenging series of talks that deeply engaged many of us. Here are some of my thoughts from that weekend: Eric spoke about the temples that we build in our lives: value/worth; performance; security; etc.

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1095898712002812372004-09-22T18:40:00.000-05:002004-09-22T19:20:53.550-05:00

If you've followed any of the comments that follow my posts on The Passion of The Christ, you will see that a fellow by the name of Juan has asked me to pursue some questions as far as Christianity and faith. This post begins our conversation, and it comes from an e-mail that he sent to me. You'll see that I've interspersed some of Juan's conversation with my own responses. Hope you enjoy it as

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1095698059814923772004-09-20T11:21:00.000-05:002004-09-20T11:34:19.816-05:00

My aunt-in-law hosted a baby shower for Michele and I this weekend, and it was wonderful. Our friends and family were more than generous with gifts and things for our expected baby, and I am very thankful for it. However, I was certainly struck by the sheer amount of stuff that we brought home. Stuff...here's some of my reflections on stuff. You cannot buy people's love with stuff. Stuff

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1095100849722141402004-09-13T13:30:00.000-05:002004-09-13T13:43:09.686-05:00

I'd like to follow up the story of my experience with The Passion of the Christ last week with some of my thoughts on the film. This was a film with a lot of potential. With excellent cinematography, quality actors, and a great vision, The Passion could have served as a wonderful way of sharing the story of Jesus. However, as I alluded in my Friday entry, the violence just takes it too far.

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1094844114403365562004-09-10T14:11:00.000-05:002004-09-10T14:21:54.403-05:00

Well, I completed my study on The Jesus I Never Knew, but far more compelling than for me to tell you how it went, is for me to tell you about my recent experience with The Passion of the Christ. As many of you likely know, The Passion was released on DVD and VHS last week. On Wednesday evening, after much deliberation (see my post entitled Maybe Later: A Non-Look at The Passion of the Christ),

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1093664974397061512004-08-27T22:38:00.000-05:002004-08-27T22:49:34.396-05:00

Well, starting Sunday, I will lead a week-long study on Philip Yancey's book The Jesus I Never Knew. I've lead a couple of small groups on this book, and I always enjoy sharing this material with others. Yancey does a great job of stimulating engaging and insightful conversation on the topic of Jesus. As I did with my Counter-Cultural Christianity study, I will write a few of my current

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1093461888738310372004-08-25T14:21:00.000-05:002004-08-25T14:24:48.740-05:00

The summer is almost gone and over...A new term is about to start at the University of Waterloo. I look forward to the expectation of new faces, new acquaintances, and new stories. Who knows what God will bring our way at Waterloo? I'm definitely excited. Still the summer did seem to go by rather fast.

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1092860786365342092004-08-18T15:07:00.000-05:002004-08-18T15:26:26.366-05:00

Alright, a post like this was going to happen sooner or later, and since I had a conversation with a student about this last night, I might as well post some of my thoughts as they're fresh in my mind. These are just some early thoughts and are entirely open to debate. First of all, I find little evidence in the Bible to suggest that homosexuality is a lifestyle that God wants for us. That

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1092774313656112382004-08-17T15:21:00.000-05:002004-08-17T15:25:13.656-05:00

Disappointing news for Michele and I yesterday in the expectation of our first child. Apparently, a woman may only make up to 50-55% of her normal wages during her maternity leave. This seems like a rather discrepant deal for women (being the only sex capable to bear children and all). I'm not sure about much of the conversation around this topic, but I will see what I can't find out over the

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1092666642446692802004-08-16T09:15:00.000-05:002004-08-16T09:30:42.446-05:00

It was in 1994 that I first made a conscious decision to follow this Jesus fellow, and honestly, the outlook for so-called Christian "safe" music was not good. DC Talk's "Time is Tickin' Away" was still a big hit around this time (no offence to those guys, it just wasn't what a grunge fan as myself was looking for to speak to him spiritually). Then a friend introduced me to Sometime Sunday, a

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1092422777839204722004-08-13T13:35:00.000-05:002004-08-13T13:46:17.840-05:00

Well, my study has come and gone, and I've had the opportunity to hear a wide and diverse range of opinions on what really is counter-cultural Christianity. Here's some of what I heard... Charles Colson believes that counter-cultural Christianity is the willingness to uphold what he believes to be Biblical and Christ-like principles in the face of secular non-Christian opposition. This

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1091042800593780052004-07-28T14:15:00.000-05:002004-07-28T14:26:40.593-05:00

Next week, I'll be leading an adult bible study called CounterCultural Christianity by Chuck Colson.  Although Colson and I do not agree on many of the spiritual issues that he raises, I think this series should still create some fine and engaging conversations.  I look forward to posting some of the ideas that I discover with this study next week. In advance thought and consideration of what

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1090522392796531762004-07-22T13:34:00.000-05:002004-07-22T13:53:12.796-05:00

I've decided to start a series of posts here on what I consider to be some of the biggest musical influences on my life.  Every now and then I'll post some links to bands that I think you (the reader) should check out at least once in your lifetime.  These are all artists that affected either my thought or my music altogether.  Maybe these groups will have the same influence upon yourself? I'll

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1090262737592528562004-07-19T13:28:00.000-05:002004-07-19T13:45:37.593-05:00

It's a beautiful day outside today.  Even though there's some slight cloud cover, the sun continues to make itself present and felt.  My friend's sweat after moving 500lbs of paving stone today can account for that.   Although I'm presently in an office without windows  and working on a computer, I've still found some time to think about how relaxing it would be to go for a walk in our local

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1089914655972653752004-07-15T12:53:00.000-05:002004-07-15T13:04:15.973-05:00

Well, I know that this news is long past and possibly out-of-date for discussion, but nevertheless, I should say something about our Liberal minority government. It still astonishes me what a political party can do and still receive the vote of the public (arguments about proportional representation aside). You can improperly spend tax dollars and still get re-elected (although Quebec clearly

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1089913986682612062004-07-15T12:51:00.000-05:002004-07-15T12:53:06.683-05:00

My apologies to those of you who have checked out my blog, but I was away for a period of time amongst a combination of trips; moving into a new home; and work. I am back online and ready to resume writing. Hopefully, I should have something out as early as this afternoon.

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1088451682215069342004-06-28T14:40:00.000-05:002004-06-28T14:41:22.216-05:00

If you are a resident of Canada, make sure that you get out and cast your vote today! Many people fought for you to have this form of government, so make the best of it! More to come once I actually see the voting results...

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1088104085750248782004-06-24T13:56:00.000-05:002004-06-24T14:08:05.750-05:00

What do you get when you take some of the best voice-over talent in cartoon animation today, put them in the same room, and make a mockumentary film? You get a decibel level of about 1000 and you get the Mark Hamill-directed flick, Comic Book: The Movie. I recommend this one for viewing. It's made in the Christopher Guest (re: Best in Show, This Is Spinal Tap, etc.) fashion, and it's fairly

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1087845708389366652004-06-21T14:08:00.000-05:002004-06-21T14:21:48.390-05:00

If you haven't checked out the ad campaigns for the Liberal and Conservative parties nowadays, you're missing out on some interesting advertising. I checked both the Liberal and Conservative websites, and neither of them actually have the ads that I'm thinking about, but check out these pages anyways, if you like. Maybe they'll post the ads I'm thinking of eventually. http://

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1087584745666371272004-06-18T13:33:00.000-05:002004-06-18T13:52:25.666-05:00

Well, I apologize for my tardiness on getting out a response to the debates. I have spent some days discussing the debates with others, and the reactions of other people have possibly been more fascinating than the debates themselves. First of all, I enjoyed these debates much more than the 2000 federal election debates. While there was still quite a bit of redundant repetitive argumentation (

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1087236147321744962004-06-14T12:47:00.000-05:002004-06-14T22:41:40.616-05:00

Le debat de la langue francaise pour l'election federale Canadien est ce soir. I highly advise all Canadians to put aside Fear Factor in order to watch this very important piece of television programming. Tonight, the federal candidate mud-slinging and (hopefully) issue-grinding kicks off. Tomorrow night, there will then be the English language debate. This could be a good chance for you to

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1086892728976569462004-06-10T13:37:00.000-05:002004-06-10T13:38:48.976-05:00

Lol, I love how having the words "Harry Potter" in one of my post titles has caused the nice commercial banner over top of my blog to lead you all towards Harry Potter posters for sale. Aah, commercialism at its finest. ;) Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I entitled one of my posts "Hairy Feet"?

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1086892398098945472004-06-10T13:08:00.000-05:002004-06-10T13:34:34.326-05:00

Here's a thought that I've had in various conversations with university students, colleagues, and various other people. Actually, it's been written about for some ages now, most notably to my knowledge by C.S. Lewis. These are my initial thoughts on the problem of pain in human existence. It is altogether possible (and seemingly inescapable) that God intends for us to experience pain in life.

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1086807501894794622004-06-09T13:52:00.000-05:002004-06-09T14:36:39.580-05:00

How many times will you read a headline like THIS in the news? http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/ RTGAM.20040609.wxmartin09/BNStory/specialDecision2004/ It's a keeper to be sure. I particularly enjoy this paragraph: >Both the NDP and the Bloc Québécois oppose participation in >missile defence. The Conservatives support it, while the Liberal >government delayed a decision and has not

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1086635093942338332004-06-07T14:04:00.000-05:002004-06-07T14:33:20.536-05:00

My wife and I saw Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban on Friday evening. Cinematographically, it was a decent flick. The special effects were also on par with most other fantasy films out nowadays (kudos to ILM as always). Gary Oldman was entertaining and talented as usual. Some of my colleagues may castrate me for this comment, but I do think J.K. Rowlings is a good writer. I’m sure

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1086292929734177562004-06-03T14:51:00.000-05:002004-06-03T15:04:07.196-05:00

Thanks to the Liberals' hurried and worriedly strategic call for a federal election, I have had quite a few conversations with people about voting NDP. Many people fear that a vote for the NDP in Canada is a thrown-away vote. They believe that the only two parties who really matter today in Canada are the Liberals and the Conservatives. I have to say that I will still vote NDP. I have

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1086208067654927992004-06-02T15:25:00.000-05:002004-06-02T15:27:47.660-05:00

Mel Gibson is a fine film director. The Academy and at least several other film fans and theorists would probably agree with me. Braveheart is my favourite film of all time. It is a compelling story of an individual who takes courage against all odds and has faith in himself to do the right thing. It is also an extremely violent film. With that in mind, The Passion of the Christ appears

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188864.post-1086207820833874962004-06-02T15:19:00.000-05:002004-06-02T15:23:40.833-05:00

Hello readers, Well, this is the first post for my brand spanking new blog. Here, I'd like to post various thoughts and ruminations. Some posts could be reactions to things I've heard in the news. Those who know me, know how I can rant at the news. Some posts will be thoughts that I have on various faith issues. I will also post various news about me and my family. Basically, I'd like this

Chris Huttonnoreply@blogger.com0