San Antonio Folk Dance Festival

Last weekend Katie and I were in San Antonio for the SAFDF. On Saturday evening there was a perfomance by groups from San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Our group did a set of dances from the Czech Republic. It was perticularly exciting for me, because it was my first show to direct and choreograph. We came up short of perfection, but we got lots of good reviews from the audience, and I think the Houston dancers were pleased with how things went. Overall, the whole show was the best I've seen in the three years I've been going. People had obviously put a lot of work into costumes and practice, and the lights and sound came off without a glich. There was more of a feeling of energy and excitement than there has been in past years.

Beyond Conservatism

I tell people that I am a conservative because it is the quickest way to communicate to them a basic idea of where I stand on many issues. In reality, though, I would prefer to be known by some other title. The goal of conservatism is to preserve what we have or to get back what we used to have. Conservatives are like people in a fort on a hill. They are constantly fending off attacks from those who would drive them from their stronghold. The conservatives may be strong and smart, and they may have provisions to last for years and years. Eventually and inevitably, however, they will be pushed back, if their goal is last year’s status quo.

The problem with conservatism is the goal. Our goal should not be to make America what it was 50 years ago or 200 years ago. It should not be to make our churches like 17th century churches or even 1st century churches. We should not base our clothing, our music and movie choices, our theology, or our ethics on what we grew up with or what our great-grandparents grew up with. Our standard has to be the Scriptures. We need to fight not for man’s institutions, but for God’s Word to have authority over every area of human existence.

Thinking this way allows us to take the offensive, instead of propping up systems, like the government school system or an artificial dress code. We can engage the culture where it stands, since we have a standard that is universally relevant and which never becomes antiquated. Now we are free to abandon the fort and pursue better ground.

So what am I, if not a conservative? A radical? A reformer? A progressive? I don’t know if there is a label that fits. But I do know that by God’s grace I will never just sit back and be satisfied with the status quo, whether in government, church, or my personal life.

Guitar Tapping

I enjoyed this a few days ago. My hands are way too stiff to ever do that on a guitar.

Happy New Year!

Yes, it's been a long time. I make no guarantee that I will post faithfully in the future, but I do appreciate the few of you who have continued to check back occasionally. You're either persistant or bored.

In the past weeks, (okay, months) my family celebrated three birthdays, reacquainted ourselves with a traveling family band, enjoyed a visit from my grandparents, and many other fun activities. We also found a church which we intend to join.

On the work front, I've had a few outdoor projects lately. I built a deck, and I've started a gazebo. The gazebo is actually a replacement for an existing gazebo which was beginning to fall to pieces. A feng shui advisor told the homeowner that a wooden structure was one of the best things he could have in that quadrant of his property, so he figured he better have one that was in better condition. I hope he doesn't blame me if he gets sick or has a car wreck before I get the new one built.