Grand Opening

One of my first blog posts here in Istanbul was about the Sapphire, the skyscraper that's being built in my front yard. Anyway, it looks like they're almost done, cuz this popped up on the jumbo tron. It's still looks bomboş (empty) on the inside- so I'm a little skeptical this grand opening is for reals.

2,000 FT MTB Descent

Riding 2,000 Vertical Feet with Darren Berrecloth from Bike Magazine on Vimeo.

Number one thing I can't wait to do after my clavicle is healed: ride my bike! I don't think I'll be trying anything this insane though.
HT: Bike Magazine

Africa

Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Kenya from Stumptown Coffee Roasters on Vimeo.

HT: Stumptown

N.T. Wright on Jesus

"My proposal is that Jesus took his own story seriously- so seriously that, having recommended to his followers a particular way of being Israel-for-the-sake-of-the-world, he made that way thematic for his own sense of vocation, his own belief about how the kingdom would come through his own work. He would turn the other cheek; he would go the second mile; he would take up cross. He would be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. He would be Israel for the sake of the world. He would defeat evil once and for all. But the way in which we would defeat evil would be the way consistent with the deeply subversive nature of his own kingdom-announcement. He would defeat evil by letting it do its worst to him."
-N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God, 564-65.

N.T. Wright to the Next Generation

HT:Patrick Schreiner

Broken Vessels

Being clumsy is a vicious cycle. Clumsy people are prone to break things, like glass or porcelain housewares. Clumsy people are also likely to get injured. Injured clumsy people with their even more impaired motor skills are more likely to break more household items.

That's the situation I find myself in. After breaking my clavicle because of my clumsiness at snowboarding, I now find myself with an even greater propensity to breaking dishes. This proved to be especially true when I broke part of my most important possession, my Hario Skerton hand grinder. Thankfully, it turns out that a mason jar actually is a perfect replacement piece.
Which is good, because it would be horrible is all this deliciously fresh Mauritania El Salvador natural process from Square Mile went to waste.

LFG in Istanbul

Istanbul is a world class cultural and business center, the former capital of 3 empires, and one of the largest cities on earth. I lot of important people live here or pass through here all the time. Nonetheless, I was surprised and excited to see on Twitter that my all time favorite athlete* Larry Fitzgerald was in town. Totally considering waiting outside the nice hotels to get an autograph.

*this honor is shared with Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash

Davidic and Solomonic Parallels in Jesus' Ministry

"Challenged about his activity, Jesus responded with a parallel: when David was roaming the country with his group of followers, he had the right as the anointed (but not yet enthroned) king to override the normal code of practice. The parallel makes sense only if Jesus somehow believed himself to be in an analogous situation. He had anointed by YHWH in John's baptism; those hunting him were cast in the role of Saul and his men. The fact that the messianic implication is not drawn out more explicitly by the evangelists (who have no inhibitions about the idea) speaks strongly in its favour - as well as suggesting that the concluding phrase, ' the son of man is lord of the sabbath', may also be intended to carry cryptic messianic meaning.

The second saying compares Jesus and Solomon. The setting is an announcement of judgment on Jesus' contemporaries, comparing them unfavourably with characters from biblical history. The men of Nineveh will denounce this generation, because they repented at Jonah's preaching, and something greater than Jonah is here; the Queen of the South will denounce this generation, because she came from far off to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and something greater than Solomon is here. Solomon, the temple builder, is an obvious messianic model. To claim that Jesus is greater than him is to claim that he is the true Messiah; that he will build the eschatological Temple; that through him the Davidic kingdom will be restored. The context also suggests that this Messiah will be the one to whom the nations will come and bow in obedience: through his kingdom the prophecies of messianic worldwide restoration will be fulfilled."

-N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God, 535.

The Mercy Seat & The War, Preview Video

Preview For The Mercy Seat-The War Split EP from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.

If you liked my review, You're going to like this video even more.

Christopher Wright on Creation

"Creation is not just the disposable backdrop to the lives of human creatures who were really intended to live somewhere else, and some day will do so. We are not redeemed out of creation but as part of the redeemed creation itself- a creation that will again be fully and eternally for God's glory, for our joy and benefit, and forever."

- Christopher Wright

X-ray Vision

I'm more machine now than man.

Ouch

I went snowboarding on Sunday and managed to break my collar bone my first time down the mountain. Eight screws and 1 plate later my clavicle is one piece again, but I'm still facing a long road of physical therapy, followed by another surgery in six months to remove the plate. Definitely not the coolest thing that has ever happened to me.

İmla Hataları

My never ending quest to find good espresso in Istanbul led me to Bebek to check out Cafe Lucca (because it popped up here amongst the winners of last year's SCAE competition). I didn't find the espresso, but I did find an impressive contemporary art exhibition from Turkish visual artist Aslı Biçer, entitled İmla Hataları (Spelling Errors). I particularly liked her use of collaged newspaper scraps. Check out some of Aslı's other works here.