I’ve been watching “24″ on Fox since the very beginning. The first couple of episodes were mesmerizing. I’m sure the final episodes will be as well. You know they’ve got some major plot twists coming. That said, the middle episodes–I’ve got the last three or so in mind–have been pretty weak. The mother with amnesia and the way too stupid daughter who just happens to stumble into a drug deal/bust strains even my bionic capacity to suspend judgement where realism is concerned. The novelty of “real time” TV may be wearing thin. Is it possible to pack every minute of a given day with something interesting, even when you have material from three or four engaging plots to choose from? Apparently not. To put that kind of pressure on a team of writers almost guarantees they’re going to have to reach for the ridiculous.

When I first started preaching on a weekly basis, I nearly killed myself trying to hit a home run each week. Then I read something by John Ortberg (I think) that said a preacher’s goal should be to get a base hit, not a home run. Lord knows I’ve struck out plenty of times because I was aiming for the fence. When I stopped trying to save the world in single message and instead focused on making contact each week, my preaching got better because I wasn’t trying so hard. Every now and then I’ll still knock one over the fence, but it’s usually because the Holy Wind carried it further than I hit it. I love those days.