The Last Ever Post of the Oddblog...

Now, don't get all too excited... We're just upgrading... to ODDBLOG 2.0!


But, in fact, there's not a lot new or different going on; in fact we've tried to keep it all pretty much the same. So, us calling it the Oddblog 2.0 is sort of like saying we got a new car when really all we did is park it in a different garage.


So, that said, here's the new address of the blog:

http://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog

And here's the url for our new feed, those of you peering in from your favorite reader:

http://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog/feed/

And for those even more paranoid, the whole past of the blog is parked over there now too, as well as all the stats on visitors, comments, etc. It all made it, and the migration was relatively painless, in fact.


Again, welcome, and let's hope we all enjoy the new parking spot!

Goodbye, at least for now, Blogger ol' pal, it's been fun!

Advent Conspiracy

adventconspiracy.org

Gol Dern Kids! Dagnabbit!

Shannon today snapped this pic of what happens when one lets Halloween linger just a little too long.  He sent it to Orin with the following caption:

"Get off my lawn!"

Perhaps that's a reference to this pic that's been meandering around the internet lately?

Monk Fight

As aptly described by Orin's friend Christian C:

Monk fight! MONK FIGHT! Check out the video footage, too: an Armenian monk in full ceremonial garb sucker-punches a Greek Orthodox monk, and later makes a flying leap into the security team trying to break up the fight.

There's nothing quite like violence to emphasize Christ's message of agape and caritas.

For the full story and video, click here.

Honestly, I'm not sure it was the keytar either

Sorry for the fews days without posts - a busy weekend, an annoying head cold...  well, you understand.

Thanks to Erin B who brought the pictured hot keytar-related item to our attention.  I (Orin) will be sure to wear it next time I'm stuck in the bathtub.  (That's an inside joke, that bathtub bit there.)

Be Diverse!

The Catholic YM Blog has put up an interview with Shannon as its latest podcast: 

For Shannon, we need to be able to recognize the many diverse settings “where young people are already involved.” But, we also need to be multi-faceted in our approaches and appeals to young people.

Take a listen!

VOTE!

Now!  Right now!  (Unless you already did.)

Or are driving a car.  (but then, how are you reading this blog at the same time?)

VOTE!

All Souls' Day

The Shrine (where Orin is music and liturgy director) celebrates All Souls' Day:

A display of 20,000 roses in the church - each placed there by a member of the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate to remember a deceased loved one

Following the last mass of the morning, a procession to the Resurrection Garden where the names of those 20,000 were placed in a prayer capsule for the upcoming year.

Madeleine is 4!! (and...ur...um...16 days)

So, if you hang out with us regularly, you probably know that my daughter, Madeleine, celebrated her fourth birthday on October 16th. There was nothing, however, posted on the blog about it, and for that I'm really sorry. My wife pointed out the ommission to me yesterday. For all the pointless stuff we put up on this blog, I shouln't have missed this.

My little girl is awesome, outgoing (maybe more than me), smart, funny, creative, and full of life. I truly can't imagine life without her (nor the rest of my family for that matter). She makes my life so much brighter.

Here, for your enjoyment, is a recent conversation she had with a parent and fellow classmate from pre-school:

Adult (to the other kid): What does your dad do for a living?

Other Kid: My dad drives a truck

Adult (to Madeleine): And what does your dad do for a living?

Madeleine (almost with a shrug): Oh, my dad works with Jesus.

Happy Birthday Madeleine!!

-Shannon

All Hallows' Eve

The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows' Even (both "even" and "eve" are abbreviations of "evening," but "Halloween" gets its "n" from "even") as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day," which is now also known as All Saints' Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.

(Yay Wikipedia!)

Ewe Arrrgh Takes the No-Prize!

(For the back story, check a few posts further down...)

More saints per second than... Well, we're not sure actually...

In Honor of All Saints Day coming up Saturday, here's a little Gilbert and Sullivan spoof that Orin's friend David brought to our attention:

A BLT Story

Shannon, when not Oddwalking, is also a parish youth minister.  One of his successful programs with the teens there is "Prayer, Praise, and _______" -- this is a program where they all gather for (you guessed it) prayer, singing praise, and some food item, a different one each time.

One of the teens, Kitty, shot this quick video about the making of the last meeting's food item, a BLT sandwich.  Enjoy!

Fredbird!

Fredbird dropped by the Sts. Joachim and Anne Care Services Fundraiser, this past Saturday, October 27, 2008.  Oddwalk played at the event for a little over an hour, and in the middle of the set, Fredbird showed up to entertain the crowd and sign autographs.  In the video below, we introduce him and sing the old favorite "The Cubs Song."

Very Punny

In response to the "What's Missing?" Contest (see the post just below this one), Orin submitted the following entry:

Hey, did you hear about the young pirate sheep that’s apparently gone missing? He was well known because instead of bleating he would make pirate noises (even when it wasn’t International Talk Like a Pirate Day). In fact, he earned a nickname because of one of his more usual buccaneer outbursts.

So, anyway, there are posters all over town now, with his picture and this sad, sad phrase:

“Who’s missing? Ewe Arrrrgh!”

"What's Missing" Contest

A friend of ours is having a contest over at his Youth Ministry Blog:

If you are a regular reader of the blog or a recipient of my e-newsletter earlier this month, you might remember this post that played on the whole "Ch _ _ ch: What’s missing?" devise.

If so, I am sure you will appreciate how funny I found this picture from a local booze merchant.

Which leads us to a contest….. What other two words can be used to still get the "…: what’s missing? U R" effect.

Comment away. I’ll declare a winner on Halloween morning. I’m completely unsure what the prize will be, but you should probably be in it for the honor of being the first www.catholicYMblog.com contest award winner, anyway!

So, head over there and leave your entries in his (i.e. not our) comments!

"Walk Away Different" Reviewed

Published just a few days ago at gvonline.net -

Reviewed by Sally Bolderson

Shannon Cerneka and Orin Johnson are the duo that bring to life "Oddwalk Ministries", who are represented by GIA Publications, Inc. Their purpose is "to help young and old alike embrace life as Eucharistic people through fun, upbeat and interactive music and witnessing." Rooted in the Midwest in Illinois and Missouri, you will find them leading retreats and workshops as well as entertaining at concerts and coffee houses.

On Walk Away Different, their 4th CD together, they bring to light a more intimate depth of their relationship with God. In previous projects they have leaned more to the songs that would appeal to a younger audience with fun and frivolity. On Walk Away Different I get a sense of their reaching out to a broader audience with messages that could speak to young and old. There is a great variety here with songs of hope, pleading and challenge among the 16 tracks of this record. You will find upbeat pieces that will have you tapping your toes and then in another moment, contemplating your walk of faith with a soft, meditative song that will touch your heart.

The various adaptations of popular psalms are always welcome and are represented well on this CD. As a liturgical music minister, I can appreciate having options when it comes to the sung psalms and find their renditions of six well known psalms to be very congregational friendly. I will surely use them in my own parish setting. I found the vocals to be very good and the addition of Sarah Bauer on many of the tracks is wonderful. Her sweet yet strong vocals add depth to these selections. Being a fan of harmony, I was very pleased to hear very nice harmonies throughout Walk Away Different.

As I listened to the CD I heard overtones of other very successful liturgical writers such as the St. Louis Jesuits, David Haas and Marty Haugen.

My favorites vary as much as the selection of songs on this CD. I found myself straying away a time or two from my listening through the first several tracks until I came to "Get It Together." Once I heard that song, I could feel the passion and energy that would be typical of a live performance with this duo. Unlike the first 6 songs that were nice enough, but also forgetful, "Get It Together" stood out and got my attention. Likewise was the song "I Give My Spirit" which I found to be a haunting and extremely powerful rendition of Psalm 31. The deliberate tempo and strong vocals really drew me into this song, not to mention the theme that we all encounter so often . . . our brokenness and our pleas to God for help. Of note as well, is a great Eucharistic song, entitled "Share" which would work well in any congregation for a Communion song.

Overall, I found Walk Away Different to be full of great themes of our faith, admitting our weakness, understanding God as our Savior in the Trinity, challenging us to move to the Light, move where God wants us to be. I think there is something here for everybody with direct and to the point messages. I feel that this CD will make great strides in becoming a staple in any liturgical music minister's music library. The songs are simple and would be easily worked into your choir's music repertoire. You can purchase Walk Away Different through GIA Music at www.giamusic.com/products/P-725.cfm.

So, Apparently We're Running for President

We know, it was news to us too!

Watch the news report online here:

http://www.inews3.com/topstory.php?id=4f646477616c6b7c4d696e69737472696573

A Late Haiku Challenge Entry

A fan of the blog, Clay Imoo, Director of the Youth Ministry Office, Archdiocese of Vancouver, sent us this message today:

I was intrigued by your haiku challenge and thus wanted to send this to you. I made it with my sons a couple of years ago for a contest sponsored by the Vancouver Canucks hockey team:



Of course, he was too humble to add that they won that particular contest! Great job, guys!

Prayer Request

Friends, 

Please keep a friend of Orin's in prayer, Frank Quinn, OP.  Frank until recently was a prof at Aquinas Institute, and while Orin never had him formally in class, many of my friends did, and he helped a great deal on a couple projects of mine.  He was for many years a leading liturgical voice in America and the English-speaking world.

He is reportedly near death, please keep him and all who know and love him in prayer.  Thanks.