Invocabit 1: The Lord Fights

"You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven!' But you will be brought down to Abaddon." Isaiah 14

Lots of Junk Apparently, Like Coffee, and Oxygen, and... VIDEO GAMES!

It's the bane of mothers everywhere, but (we think) the least of our worries…unless we start counting any and all screen time as “video games” which they all are. (Some just tell you exactly what to think more than others.) All of them make you less happy overall.

But the problem is not mediums of thought. The problem is always one of quality of thought.

Did you scroll by already? Exactly. As we were saying…

May we suggest Lent is a very fine idea.

Who was President right before Abraham Lincoln?

And the answer is.... James Buchanan. But you haven’t heard of him because he was lost in ignominy and left the White House a dejected man. Now keep this in mind, he had achieved his dreams: he’d become the president of the USA, but his dreams weren’t all they were cracked up to be. It’s an average read from Altucher but a good Lenten reminder of the futility of the present age: even your dreams are self-made prisons apart from the freedom of the Christian.

FFVII … Probably Isn’t as Good as You Remember

Official MM Preview Review: Final Fantasy 7 flails arms about wildly in hopes that mid-generation CGI and boyhood nostalgia, can redeem the love, after squandering the previous potential to be the G.O.A.T franchise in video game history.

FF VII is the last FF that everyone remembers fondly. Sadly for Rev. Fisk, with no PlayStation at hand, playing it was never an option, but he did get to watch it at a friend’s house. It was an epic of truly epical and epitastic proportions.

Hopefully SquareSofts decision to totally remake it from the ground up indeed breathes life into what has effectively become an RPG on rails - lots of pretty smiling graphics hinting at parts of the world you’ll never get to explore 'cause they’re not part of the game. However, this particular remake of the opening sequence doesn't instill confidence as it is simply boring...unless you’re a fanboy... in which case, it's well drawn and boring.

While we’ve got your ears, if you care about video games, Rev. Fisk wants to recommend yet again Salt and Sanctuary, a metrovania-style dungeon crawl (with BEST CO-OP EVER!) that is effectively an indie/pixel almost rogue-like 8-bit tribute to Dark Souls. You can only go wrong if you have a queasy stomach or want the game to win itself for you. 

Oh. And not having an in-game map is an entertainment flaw... E'en so:

Rev. Fisk has been playing it with his 8 year-old son for two months now, and it’s the best bonding they've ever shared...outside of Baptism, of course. 

We kid you not: It’s a great game.

Madness Score:  .97 - Ridiculous Levels of Sweet Action

Hey You! Click Bait:

Imagine this but as your sunglasses

Seriously though. Somebody should make that.

Come for the Ash, Stay for the Judgment

The season of Lent is often thought of as morose and gray, a time of frustration and struggle. We see it as a time to relinquish our chocolate and steak, in the hope that our efforts will be rewarded by the god of this age who might create some brighter future, whether it be a thinner waistline or a happier new year. But, all such Mardi Gras-inspired approaches to Lent really miss the great beauty of the season.

Remember that Lent is the mirror to Advent. Both seasons infuse the church year with a solemn focus that typifies the church’s way of doing spiritual business, refusing to adopt the white-noise chaos of the present age. While the world rushes from here to there, always seeking another fix to momentarily stave off existential crises and the fear of death, the church walks carefully and patiently alongside Jesus, on the neglected and narrow road to Jerusalem and the Cross. 

Traditionally, this journey starts by following Jesus into the wilderness, where he confronts the archdemon head on, wielding the sharp words of God’s truth to send the dragon fleeing with his tail between his legs. In Exile and Return, this history corresponds to the story of Jericho where the same Jesus appears before Joshua, his namesake, and as the commander of the Lord’s armies, does not shy away from engaging the enemies of God’s people in battle. 

This is the key to all of Lent: this is not a ‘woe is me’ repentance. This is the grave and sober anticipation found in men preparing their minds for battle. This is the company of troops, preparing to follow Jesus through the trials and crosses of this age. This is the firm joy and conviction of a people who know that the fight is not theirs to win, but that they are carried along on the shoulders of a God who fights for them.

Let us pray: Mighty Jesus, commander of the army of the Lord, Valiant Jesus, from whom the tempter flees, demolish the strongholds of our flesh, and captivate our thoughts, that carnal arrogances never rise up against the true knowledge of God, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Rec's from RevFisk

This Week:  Peak Design

A year and a half ago, Rev. Fisk bought a Peak Design day carry backpack. He's loved it from the beginning as it's well-built, cleverly designed and stylish. It also has a lifetime warranty. Rev. Fisk was compelled to put this to the test recently, when one of the main zippers split open and refused to reconnect. (The Book of Concord presents a challenge for even the strongest zip!)

Even though this is the second bag to be replaced, Peak Design stepped up to the plate. After completing the somewhat rigorous proof of purchase process, and sending a quick email, Rev. Fisk had a replacement bag on the doorstep within two days. You can see Sales Rep. Jackie’s fast response below.

And for the thrifty out there, both of the old backpacks have been put to good use. Mrs. Mad Christian has claimed the original, which was only damaged in transit. Rev. Fisk's daughter has also been industrious with colored thread, sewing shut the broken zip on the latest casualty and making it her own.

Well done, Peak Design! Rev. Fisk will definitely be shopping with you again. One caveat: They’re not cheap bags, but remember you will have a lifetime supply of backpacks!

Madness Score: .95 - Definitely Sweet Action

Memes are back?  Rev. Fisk must be MAD!

Old School Viruses in Your Mobile Coverage

Have you forgotten about Coronavirus? Mobile World Congress, a massive convention where telecommunications companies regularly meet to discuss the future of their industry, was cancelled over concerns about travel and the transfer of animal flu. As at the time of writing, South Korea is on high alert with the number of cases there reaching 1,700.

We don’t know what any of this means and aren't convinced it’s time to panic. But, it’s important to remember the we dwell in the valley of the shadow of death. (Emphasis on death.)

Heaven, Keep the Planes in the Skies

Rev. Fisk is still seriously reconsidering trains.

Meanwhile, Airbus is hazarding a guess that you think flying in a B2 bomber would be awesome for your trip to Miami. Sounds like a foregone conclusion to us...

"Newer is truer and latest is greatest," so they say, but why "out with the old?" Why, just this week, a 747 set a new record, crossing the Atlantic in just 4hr 56 mins, thanks in part to storm winds.

Lutherans in Africa

Rev. Fisk’s involvement with Lutherans in Africa goes back to his time in Philadelphia, almost before the invention of Facebook (who knew there was such a time?), from afar and at times, face to face. He’s been nothing but impressed with their commitment to spreading the Biblical doctrines, as confessed by Lutherans everywhere, into the massive and complex mission field that is "the dark continent.” You should definitely check out the newsletter. We're pretty confident that this is what Lutheran mission is supposed to look like.

Quick Hits for the Eyebuds

1. Rockford is the 11th most dangerous city in America (say crazy parrots who apparently never learned about the Kung tribe, let alone the challenges of basic statistics), but I can park almost anywhere and still eat this month. Yippie-Ki-Yay, citizen. Oh, and this is ground zero in China.
2. Yes, but how can I text?
3. A little bird told me to read this book.
   Why read it before you listen?
4. We simply cannot end without asking... Easter egg, anyone?

Only Illuminati Need Apply
Your Own Kind of Personnel Madness

Amtrak isn't Demonic! It's just... "Special" :D

Amtrak isn't from the devil simply because it's government run, it sucks (on a lemon) because Amtrak as an organization doesn't own most of the rail lines it runs on - it leases/runs on private rail lines. And if Union Pacific (MO River Runner Line) has trains to run, they get priority on their lines.

Amtrak is actually a really interesting organization... it's basically a private company that runs like a private company, just with more politics. Passively interesting if you like trains.

Am really liking the newsletter, by the way.

Grace and Peace,

John the Sacramentarian

Here’s my notes from the last time I worked on Dust properly, some 2 to 3 months ago:

!!Next Action: Learn it again...

Exaug’tec and Endaug’tec are still in flux

Yeah, it doesn't make any sense at all.

The biggest challenge with writing a book is that a book is so large that no single human mind can remember all of it. In fact, the essence of the act of writing is always that thoughts cannot be remembered and retold unless they are written.

So how do you start it?

So here I sit, two days before the next Mad Mondays newsletter hits the inbox, fully prepped to launch into a serial novel for the ages, with plenty of content, not enough order, and a broken soul's worth of confidence.

The single biggest thing that stops you from achieving your dreams is your fear of achieving your dreams.

Dust.

That’s what it tasted like.

That’s what it was.

That’s what I would be soon if I didn’t get movin’.

That's the first four sentences, the first four paragraphs, and the first 21 words.

Should I change them?

If so, why?

And maybe most importantly, did you want to read more?

And also, only for nerds, did you catch the dystopian-dialect geek-deep language-theory-at-play foretaste?

I know that I want to write more. What do you think?

Dark Sun

Let us pray: Mighty Jesus, commander of the army of the Lord, Valiant Jesus, from whom the tempter flees, demolish the strongholds of our flesh, and captivate our thoughts, that carnal arrogances never rise up against the true knowledge of God, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.