2.22 Logo

I've been after Aaron Malyk for quite some time now to design a new logo for 2.22. He has accomplished his assignment and done well, IMHO. You'll be seeing this new logo incorporated into blog headers (hit "F5" to refresh this page and watch a different header image appear), flyers, etc. (bumper stickers?). Below are some excerpts from an email he sent me explaining the elements of the logo. I thought that it would help you understand the artistic expression behind what we stand for.

With the name of the group being 2:22, I felt the most important basis for the 'branding' was to find a typeface with a good '2' numeral (see BBC Two branding links below.) After searching and searching and not being able to find what I was looking for, I ended up designing a custom '2' numeral based around circles and complementary geometrics, to try and achieve the most perfect '2' ever designed. This might sound completely crazy to you, but I really couldn't find a '2' which looked good enough. I wanted perfectly rounded ends, a good heavy weight and clean straight lines.

I've used the 2 numeral I designed, with a subset colon. I felt it was better to go with a colon than a period, since that's how scripture references are usually presented and without it you lose the meaning entirely. But subsetting the colon provides an aesthetically-pleasing deviation from the norm and makes the logo distinctive and memorable. The subset colon gives the text and identity, and creates a logo.

I've also paired the 2:22 logo with a brush-strokes icon which I really like. The idea with the brush strokes was to, very loosely, tie in the logo with the scripture on which it is based. The scripture commands us, in summary, to flee passions on the one hand, and pursue virtues on the other. So the brush strokes icon gives a sense of movement from (left to right) disorder and passion to more order and solidity. I think together with the clean 2:22 type on top there is a distinctive icon which makes for a logo with 100s of applications...

Be sure to thank Aaron for his hard & creative work!

Blog Under Construction

Your patience is appreciated as I'm doing some much needed updating to the blog. All the blog posts are still available below and in the archives tab on the right. The other sidebar items will return gradually. Meanwhile, let me know what you think about the new design & what you'd like to see added.

Christmas as a Child...

As promised in an earlier email, here are the childhood pics of many of your fellow 2.22ers & leaders. Guess who?
(If you see a big black space below, keep scrolling down to see the pics. Apparently Blogger has an unresolved bug right now!)

Three Share Thoughts from Na

From Beth Riley:

What are the idols in your life? Or "in the pursuit of something, do you sin to get it or sin when you don't get it"? (Todd Murray, he wasn't at the conference :)) In defining idolatry John Calvin stated that the evil in our desire usually doesn't lie in what we want but that we want it to much. Thinking through my daily pursuits I am convicted of the time I spend pursuing pleasure. Pleasure such as being "comfortable", feelings of happiness, getting my way, receiving other people's good opinion ... Whether or not these "sins" are viewed "as bad as" the world or not, the motivation is still the same, namely the pursuit, or idolatry, of SELF. We should call it the "S-word".

Mahaney gave four ways to identify idolatry:

1. through scripture

2. through the Holy Spirit

3. through the church-example: blue strip on his cargo shorts (listen to the sermon for a good laugh)

4. circumstances-what is your response if you don't attain your pursuit?

Mahaney also gave the hard reality of idols in your life, namely that they NEVER deliver. They ALWAYS disappoint. Pure joy cannot be derived from idols, or anything created but can be found only from shifting focus from created things to the Creator. Applying this is hard. I see so much sin that I have been blind to. I see just how much like the world I am in my thinking. But, I am encouraged to be able to struggle and strive to become more like Christ. This is just one of the truths from the conference. I encourage you to listen to the sermons and plan to go next year for the Word taught WILL reveal sin, encourage your heart, and build relationships between the body.

~a debtor to mercy alone

Beth Riley

From Sarah Ross:

Here are my thoughts on the conference. It was Amazing. It completely opened my eyes to so many things. My walk with Christ is so much Stronger and I was able to see sin in my life I was totally oblivious to. It was a true blessing to be able to hear Awesome sermons from such Christ like men. I was able to build friendships and add on to those I already had. I have a clearer understanding of what discernment is and means. One verse that stuck out to me is 1st Corinthians 10:13-14, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."

My action point that everyone could pray for is that I need to be an imitator of God.

From Peter Witkowski:

Spiritual discernment is often something we foolishly believe we possess or it is something we do not realize we lack. Falling into the later category, I ventured into the NA conference believing that my heart would only be warmed by a fleeting emotional high, facilitated by exciting music and passionate pleas from the portable pulpit. I left 4 days later truly convicted, challenged, and encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Through the sermons of Piper, C.J. and the other speakers, I saw that my spiritual growth was being stunted by my “own affections” (2 Cor. 6:12b). I was relying upon my heart to guide my spiritual life, being one of the many who spent less than 8 minutes a day in scripture and who often saw their horizons darkened by the despair of sin. This conviction has caused me to spend more time each day reading and studying the word so that I may live more fully for Christ. I also know that God is not pleased by obedience designed as a repayment for Grace. During these past days, I have been applying the teaching I heard by checking my heart to see if my spiritual desire is being replaced by cold, methodical studies.

The music was also resonated with my soul. The songs were all scripturally based and seemed to readily express the repentance and joy that was flowing through my heart. The music presented a rare blend of superb theology and contemporary music. I left with several CD’s.

In short, I would encourage people to go next year because NA is one of the few Biblically based conferences that are designed to equip people of all ages for their life in the real world. The environment is rightfully charged with emotion, because the conference is about making much of grace and more importantly, making much of God. I encourage all to go to the New Attitude website and download the sermons for free.

Cheers,
Peter Witkowski

Praying for VA Tech

Pastor Jeff mentioned Tuesday night an indirect connection that we have with other believers in Blacksburg - namely, J.R. Foster, the leader of the Reformed University Fellowship on the VA Tech campus and good friend of Pastor Tim Senn. (Those of you who came through the BCLR Youth Group might remember when J.R. spoke at a Fall Retreat in '99 or '00.)

Tim Challies has some helpful information to inform your prayers that he received personally from some of the pastors & leaders at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Blacksburg (J.R.'s church). Including this letter:

Statement from Pastor Chris Hutchinson, pastor of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Blacksburg, VA, Tuesday, April 17th, 2007, 10:00 AM: 1) Our first priority is to try to find out whether any of the dead or wounded attended GCPC or our campus ministry, RUF, so that we may minister to them or their families. All media requests take a secondary place to that task. As of Tuesday morning, we do not know of anyone who attended GCPC who was killed or wounded. However, several worked in Norris Hall, and need prayer for the trauma they have undergone.

Read the rest at Challies' blog.

down with the dc Talk

One of Jeff Crott's claims to fame is that he attended the same school with homeboys Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max Smith and Michael Tait - better known as dc Talk. I think they were even considering bringing Crotts on as a fourth member of the Talk, but they couldn't sell the concept of "Surfer Rap" to the record labels. That, and the fact that Crotts can't dance.

Just after I became a Christian, their album "Free At Last" came out & it was the first Christian album I ever bought (it was either that or Smitty's 10 year album, I can't remember). So I've been down with the dc Talk for quite some time now.

Well, looks like they have a new album coming out - but hang on, don't get excited and start tearin' down the walls - it's just another one of those 10-year-anniversary-tribute-albums performed by various Gotee Artists. They did something similar before, but it was just a re-release with a few bells & whistles- oh, and a bonus documentary/movie that was supposed to be released in the theatres, but for some reason - perhaps they were busy as a school boy makin' an "A" - it was never finished, so they decided to slap the unedited film on a dvd and sell it for the same price as a fully edited movie (I bought it).

I know it's normal for bands - dc Talk no exception - to do "Greatest Hits" albums. In fact, I snatched theirs up quick, fast in a hurry (their re-mix of "Say The Word" has got to be one of the best re-mixes I've ever heard). But another 10 year anniversary tribute to another old album? You'd almost think two things:

1) It's just a marketing tool to make some more money. But hey, you know that they're down wit the flow in the know on the go like a pro not for show 'cause they ain't in the biz for the dough or the me or the ray, all the dough's gotta stay 'cause they can't, no they can't, take it home anyway.
So it couldn't be that.

2) They don't have anything better for a new album. Even if DJ's don't play it.

I don't know...I really don't suspect either. After all, since their "temporary" breakup, Toby & Tait have had successful solo albums. Oh - and K Mart K Max too (just ask him). And I've never been dissappointed with anything new the group has come out with in the past.

All speculations aside, from what I've heard so far, it sounds pretty good.