Jordon Cooper's Funeral (A Review)

Ok I know it's strange to review a funeral.  Jordon had terminal cancer, he knew his time was limited, and he prepared a serious piece of art for his finale. It deserves to be recognized as such.  Because of the subject matter I've kept the monetizing links to a minimum.

Songs from Jordon's Chemotherapy Playlist were playing as we entered the Lakeview Church auditorium. The final song to play: OK Go's cover of The Muppet Show Theme song.

"It's time to get things started 

On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, muppetational..."

I don't know about sensational or muppetational but inspirational and celebrational work well for a funeral.

Being a funeral there were eulogies, passionately delivered by Tammy Robert and Scott Williams.

The eulogies covered Jordon's time as a Student, Husband, Father, Future Mapper at Lake View Church, Blogger, Rural Pastor, Urban Church Planter, Safeway Employee, Activist, Side Hustler Extrodiar, Manger for Two Homeless Shelters, founder of a shelter for rape victims, Blogger, Urban Activist, Camera Salesman, Political Commentator, Lover of Saskatoon.


Oddly the Eulogy Jordon himself had written was not read.  Turns out Jordon removed it from the service in the interest of time.

There was a moving photographic salute by Jordon's son Mark Cooper.

What made the night a performance piece was Jordon's choice of 'The Prodigal  Son' as a theme.  The unlinkable Lee Cooper read the parable from Luke. The wonderfully bearded Jared Sibert delivered a homily on the Prodigal Son, covering the Parable, The Rembrandt painting and Canadian theologian Henri Nouwen's 1994 book The Return of the Prodigal Son.  Best sermon I've heard this year.  But then my church doesn't do sermons.  In summary Jordon was on a journey to become gracious like the father and in a fight not be like the elder son.

I'll insert here that I was and continue to be a recipient of Jordon's grace.  Back when blogging was thing, (2002) I started this humble blog, and started looking around for other Canadian Christian bloggers and found JordonCooper.com.  I figured out that Jordon was kinda a big deal when the New Your Times mentioned him in satirical bit covering blogs.  They described him along the lines of 'Books, Fundies make me angry, Hockey, Hockey' if I recall.  I know that when Jordon linked to a post my trafic went through the roof.  I even got a coveted spot on Jordon's blog roll.  Someone even created a Linked by Jordon Cooper icon.  However by the time the icon came out, I had been de linked by Jordon Cooper.  So I said so in the comments.  Soon after I was restored to Jordon's blog roll.  I never asked why, though he did once make a joke about it.  My read was the he put me back as an act of grace.  So the message of Grace that Jared adeptly delivered on Jordon's behalf resonated with me.

I was also with a friend who had been estranged from Jordon for about ten years, so I was very aware that grace is not simple or easy.  This reality was also acknowledged in the service.

Todd Peters performed a wonderful cover of Over the Rhine's All My Favorite People.


The whole song fit the night perfectly but the verse that stood out to me,

Orphaned believers
skeptical dreamers
Step forward
You can stay right here
You don't have to go

In many ways that summed up the community of people Jordon gathered online and in Saskatoon.

Indeed there was a wide range of people at the funeral, I'm told the Mayor of Saskatoon was there, the Premier of Saskatchewan sent flowers.  The young man next me in ripped jeans was greeted by name as he came in.  Not sure if he was homeless or a trendy church planter.  He gently snored through most of the service, don't read that as disrespect, but as someone who came for Jordon despite exhaustion.

There was a fabulous after party downstairs at Winston's.  More tributes from folks who knew Jordon as political commentator and activist.  There was a Conservative with Heart (who was mocked) and a Fiscally Responsible Socialist (who was mocked, really the jokes wrote themselves).

It was deeply moving to reconnect with Jordon and his community one last time.

You can support Wendy & the boys via the Jordon Cooper Family Relief Fund

- Peace

The Good Lie Review

The marketing of the Good Lie creeps me out.  A story of the Lost Boys of Sudan has Reese Witherspoon's air brushed photo on the cover.  The trailer above is a great example of this, it has 90% of her dialog from the entire movie.  That makes up most of the trailer, it is a minor part of the movie.

If you get past the Hollywood wrapper you get understated look at strangers in a strange land that has sublime moments of just how strange America is.  This isn't a polished movie, the plot threads don't come together perfectly, and we don't see the resolution of everyone's story.  But a polished RomCom approach wouldn't have fit this story, though from the trailer you know someone really wanted it to be a RomCom.

The heart and soul of The Good Lie are the Lost Boys played by actual Lost Boys.  Their authenticity  overcomes the Hollywood trapping that want to undermine this movie.  Despite my deep reservations about so much of the movie, the honesty and charm of the three main characters won me over.  I really enjoyed the The Good Lie.

The Good Lie could have been, maybe should have been a darker more complex movie, but then I doubt the story would have found the audience it has.  The Lost Boys of Sudan is a story that deserves an audience and The Good Lie is a safe feel good introduction.

Full disclosure: I was given a copy of the Blue Ray/DVD combo to review.  I was also given a copy to give away.  The Good Lie comes out on Blue Ray/DVD Today [Dec 23]

- Peace

Little Red Wagon

Little Red Wagon is story of how Zach Bonner became an advocate for homeless children before he was twelve. As a movie it's very "After School Special". However the subplot of a family that goes from middle class to homeless is real enough to be a good introduction to the issues of homelessness for children. The message that we can do something to help is also worth repeating. If your looking to engage a group of kids with the issues of homelessness then Little Red Wagon would be a good start.

- Peace

Les Misérables (Movie Review)

Was invited to a preview screening of Les Misérables.  Was told we'd be on the VIP list. Don't wait in line see the studio rep.  Arrived at the appointed time and the studio rep was not to be found, there were reserved seats so I didn't worry as the theater filled quickly.  When the rep showed up showed up at the last minute she didn't have our name on the list and the theater was full.  Ended up in the front row.   From VIP list to worst seats in the house.

Such a reversal of fortune is at the heart of Les Misérables, but I didn't know that.  I  missed the Les Mis phenon in the 80s when it was everywhere, even in Oboe Jones.  Can't even claim that I saved the money and gave it to the poor.  I did know about the candle sticks, that part has been retold in faith communities a number of times.  Now that I can put that story into the larger context I say Amen.

At it's heart Les Misérables questions what really changes the world.  Revolution?  The Law?  Grace?  It's doesn't offer a quick fix.  Grace can be repaid with theft and a refusal that burns like coals.  Grace can take years to learn, with painful and costly failures in the process.  To freely give is to be truly vulnerable with no guarantee of return.

The story of Les Mis is worth spending time with, and the movie adaptation is deeply engaging.   Powerful performances.  Music that gives voices to suffering and longing.   I can see why Les Mis the musical had a 27 year run.

Three weaknesses I'll note.  It may have been seeing it from the front row, but the visual style wasn't what I was expecting or hoping for from a period piece.  Had been hoping for glimpses of the historic grandeur of Paris that we had seen this summer.   Mostly the movie focuses in on the characters, given the personal nature of the story that makes sense.  The sets never feel real, they feel like elaborate theater sets.  Given the source material that may have been a deliberate choice.

I don't know if it's the movie adaption or inherent in Les Mis, but the romantic love story of the second half fell flat.  There's not much to it.  Boy sees beautiful girl.  Girl see's handsome boy.  Love at first sight.   Given the depth of the rest of the story, this felt really strange.  It's just a set up for more deep questions and moral choices for those around the pair and the movie recovers; but it's the one part of the movie that really dragged for me.

The closing number doesn't fit with the rest of the story.  It's seems to be an ode to the Revolution, but the rest of the story is quite ambivalent about the revolution.  Got rid of the King, now we have a new King as bad as the old King.  It's part of what makes Les Mis work. So having a closing number that seems to embrace the Spirit of the Revolution is odd.   I'm guessing the movie is being faithful to the musical and I'll have to read the book to see if the musical was being faithful to book.  My gut says the musical needed a simple way to wrap things up, and this was the simplest feel good way to do that.  Struggling with grace and it's vulnerabilities doesn't lend it's self to a good closing musical number.

Struggling with grace and freedom is why we need stories like Les Misérables and the movie is powerful and accessible introduction to it.

- Peace

First Grader: Brilliant with Dark Shadows

Kim, Sarah and I saw First Grader last night at the Globe. A great story of a man in his 80s who starts first grade in Kenya when free education is promised to all. Well worth seeing but the story has much darker moments then you'd guess from the trailer.

- Peace

Sonicare Works

After my last teeth cleaning earlier this year my RDH recommended I get a Philips Sonicare toothbrush.  I was skeptical but willing to give it a try.  Had another check up and cleaning today and my gums and teeth were in better condition than last time.   So for me Sonicare works, meaning the cleaning wasn't as painful as normal.   That makes it worth the money.

- Peace

Toy Story 3D

Loved the number of references to the original movie. Strong plot, tons of humor. Thematically it revisits mostly familiar ideas from Toy Story 2. The 3d was well done, and not over done. Better than Toy Story 2, not quite as good as the first but time well spent.

- Peace

The Philosopher Kings (Movie): A Short Review

Sarah took me to see The Philosopher Kings during the Calgary International Film Fest. From the official website:

In search of wisdom found in unlikely places, The Philosopher Kings takes us on a journey through the halls of the most prestigious colleges and universities in America to learn from the staff members who see it all and have been through it all: the custodians. This thought-provoking, feature-length documentary interweaves the untold stories of triumph and tragedy from the members of society who are often disregarded and ignored, and seeks out the kind of wisdom that gets you through the day and the lessons one learns from surviving hard times, lost loves, and shattered dreams.

The Philosopher Kings is a wonderfully humanizing work. Eight stories are woven together by various themes touching the nature of work, family, art and life. If you have the chance to see a screening then I'd highly recommend the movie. For 2009 I'd rank second only to Up!

- Peace

Vinyl Cafe Date

The Vinyl Cafe is in Calgary tonight and Kim is taking me :) Will update with a review after the show.

Update: Stewart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe crew put on quite a show, warm, friendly, smart with good music just as a packed room of CBC listeners would like to picture themselves. Live the Vinyl Cafe is almost as smooth as the Radio show, though the highlight of the evening was Stewart mixing up the words nozzle and novel. When he did get it right the crowd cheered so loud that he had to try again, only to mix it up again. If you're a fan of the show seeing it live worth it.

- Peace

Portal

Played Portal on the weekend and finished yesterday. The video gives you a bit of an idea what it is about and it won't. It will capture the puzzle aspect of game but I don't think it captures the creepy humor. The game is narrated by an AI with emotional issues. It's done brilliantly. Funniest AI since Marvin the Paranoid Robot. So play for the unique puzzles and stay for the final AI swan song.

- Peace

Blue Man Group: How to be a Megastar Tour 2.1!

It was a miracle whip liturgy of a post pop culture. I liked it.

The above photo is not an official Blue Man Group picture. Obviously.

- Peace

Transformers

Saw Transformers last night. If you read Patse's review of Transformers where it gets one star you'll be in good shape to enjoy the movie. Here are the main points

• Lot's of cool action,
• F/X and animation is very well done
  
• some awful 'romance'
• bits of other movies/shows thrown in: Men in Black, Herby the Love Bug, Batman, Voltron off the top of my head
  
• Not just an add for toys, now sells GMC and the US Air Force
  
• Funny in a meet the parents sort of way

I enjoyed it, but low expectations helped.

- Peace

SpiderMan 3

Saw it last weekend, I think I enjoyed it more than Jordon, but that's not saying much. Tried to tackle way too much in one movie, trying to wrap up plot lines from movies I & II while introducing Black Spidey/Venom. It really needed to be a TV season like Heroes to pull off what they were trying to do.

In both I & II you got to see inside the mind of the Goblin and Doc Oc as they went mad. If black Spidey was going to work as well, we needed to get the same insight.

- Peace

Lost Dogs, Mutt - Missing Gene

I've been listening to the Lost Dogs for over 20 years now, and that's odd given that they formed 1991, 16 years ago. The dogs were four members in four of my favorite bands: The 77's, The Choir, Adam Again and Daniel Amos. In 1999 Gene Eugene of Adam Again died in his sleep. And then there were three Lost Dogs.

I just got my hands on the Lost Dog's 2004 Mutt where the Lost Dogs cover music from the 77's, The Choir and Daniel Amos. It's put me in a melancholy mood. They've done a masterful job of reinterpreting some classics from three of my favorite bands ... but I can't help notice that they didn't cover an Adam Again song. I feel Gene's absence on every track. Strange that I would miss the one Lost Dog I've never met, but there you have it.

- Peace

Mere Joy

I kept hearing NT Wright's name in different places and added him to my mental author's to read list. Reading his quotes in Colossians Remixed pushed him up the list. I picked Simply Christian as the my first NT Wright book, getting his over view of the faith seemed like a good place to start.

Many of the articles I found on the book make the comparison to CS Lewis's classic Mere Christianity. The comparison makes sense, in that it is an over view of what it means to be Christian, without getting into denominational/paradigm divides. His approach though is much closer to CS Lewis's retelling of his conversion Surprised by Joy, where Lewis talks about the sign posts that lead him to faith. Where Lewis has sign posts Wright hears echoes: desire for justice, quest for spirituality, hunger for relationships, and love of beauty. He then surveys the stories of Israel and the Gospels showing how they clarify the echoes allowing us to hear the original voice of the speaker calling us to join in a great narrative. It took a while for me to warm up to the book, the first four chapters on the echoes are hardly original. But after that Wright does a wonderful job of looking at God's on going redemptive narrative.

Not sure what my net NT Wright book will be, offer recomendations in the comments, but He's definitely on my 'to read more of' list.

- Peace

Fruits Basket

Mike has mentioned Fruits Basket here before, and he was kind enough to give me a copy. I finally got to see it, Sarah loaned it to a friend who loves anime before I got to watch it. Mike's talked about it in terms of kindness and grace,and I don't have much to add to that other than he's right. It represents our deep desire for Grace. I will add that I loved the animation it's self. It's very self aware of the anime tradition, and switches styles on the fly. It even pokes fun at it's own animation. At one point a character takes the symbol used to show anger off of one of the other characters, places it on himself and says 'there now I'm angry'. The great thing is how smoothly it's worked into the the script, by the time you catch the joke they've moved on. If you enjoy anime and I'd give Fruits Basket a watch.

- Peace

Simple Bistro

After hearing John Gilchrist's review of Simple Bistro and realizing that it was in our part of Calgary (2335 - 162 Avenue S.W., just east of Sobeys in Bridlewood) we wanted to give it a try. Simple Bistro lived up to the promise of good French cuisine in a relaxed setting. I had the lamb, Kim had the salmon and we both thought it was excellent. I discovered that I like escargot, it's like muscles with out the sea food taste. We enjoyed the house wine more than some wine's that have come recommended with the meal at other restaurants. Bill for the two of us was under $100 including tip.

Luckily we didn't need a reservation as Simple Bistro's phone number isn't published in the phone book, a glitch that they are working on. FYI: Simple Bistro's phone number is 403.313.4426.

- Peace

The Astronaut Farmer: a review

The opening image of a man in a space suit riding on a sandy range to retrieve a wayward calf promises a movie rich in cultural symbolism. Unfortunately that promise never gets off the ground. Maybe if I hadn’t just seen Flight of the Phoenix (Battlestar Galactica) I’d been more impressed with the Astronaut Farmer.

In both stories a man builds a space ship against incredible odds, but Flight of the Phoenix is a much better story. Both men face opposition from friends and foes, but in Flight of the Phoenix Chief Tyrel wins over his skeptics one at a time, and they become the key to building the Black Bird. Charlie Farmer, yes a farmer named Farmer who’s an Astronaut too, builds his ship mostly on his own. He doesn’t win anyone over, no one comes along side to help. Chief Tyrel is building a ship to help the fleet survive against an aggressive enemy and to restore people’s faith that they can build anew, even when on the run. Farmer is chasing his dream, cause it’s his dream, and that’s what good American’s do – if you can defy some stereo typical bureaucrats along the way all the better.

My advice, skip the Astronaut Farmer and rent Battlestar Galactica instead. BTW I did get two free passes to see The Astronaut Farmer.

- Peace