Mike Morrell profile picture

Mike Morrell

Summer's Sizzling Symmetry

About Me

Why hello! Welcome to one of the virtual homes of Mike Morrell. I maintain Sites Unseen , a haven for spiritual misfits traversing less-charted lands. I am an emerging churches coordinator for the Not For Sale Campaign , an urgent movement in the contemporary fight against slavery . Locally I am part of an intentional home church community in Raleigh, North Carolina. My wife Jasmin and I just had a little girl, Jubilee Grace, in June! We ply our trade as authors, copywriters, and editors, which is quite enjoyable. If you need any text support, please, give us a shout out.

My Interests

I enjoy camping, white water rafting, reading (history, comic books, spirituality), writing, contemplative prayer, dreaming and creative action.

I'd like to meet:

My guess is--if you're the kind of person who's reading this--I'd like to meet you. I enjoy spending time--either "actual" or "virtual" with anyone who has a refreshing approach to life, or is just a little bit different.

Music:

I enjoy a variety of music (well, as much as a Western, 21st-century white guy can make great claims to transcendence of taste), much of which can be seen in the "artists and bands" section of my site . In addition, I've really enjoyed Mesmerize/Hypnotize by System of a Down, the new album Hotel by Moby, and this eerily beautiful East Orthodox Jesus Prayer chant with Bjork and the Brodsky Quartet, composed by the British Minimalist composer John Tavener.

Movies:

American History X, Twelve Monkeys, A Scanner Darkly, the entire (yes, all of them) Matrix trilogy. Waking Life, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Being John Malkovitch...

Television:

I haven't really watched TV in seven years or so...not network (or cable for that matter) television. I sort've quit once I got to college--no time--and I haven't looked back. TV on DVD, now that's another matter entirely! Six Feet Under, The Office, Ren & Stimpy, Entourage...these are a few at present.But that doesn't mean I'm not a sucker for all those DVD season packages--Sopranos, Smallville, Ren & Stimpy...you name it.

Books:

Reading is one of the great passions of my life, and its one of the things that keeps me grounded from a shallow extroversion. First off, I read a ton of comic books. Some of my all-time favorites are Jack Kirby's 1970s Machine Man series, my buddy Bob Burden's Flaming Carrot Comics , and Peter David's ground-breaking run on the Incredible Hulk. I also read fiction--I love sci-fi like Asimov and Philip K. Dick, and "magic realism" like Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. I am presently enjoying "Immortality" by Fracno-Czech novelist Milan Kundera. Oh yes, and I read "Christian" books. The mystics, and church history mostly. And anything written by my friends.

Heroes:

Okay, at the risk of sounding hokey, I really admire the minority followers of Jesus through the ages--people hunted down and killed by small-minded religious types, salt of the earth saints who not only died but lived for the vision of God in Christ they saw, even as they stood at the margins of accepted faith and practice. I won't preach; you can see more of what and whom I mean by reading here .Who else? Hmm...Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Johnny Cash, and (because I don't want to sound too self-important) The Flaming Carrot .

My Blog

Cleft Pallet Music Blog

Sooo me churchmate Micah started a new blog, a kind've music revue. He calls it Cleft Pallet, 'cause he can't sing. Woo! Its good. Check it out here. ...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:21:00 PST

My War on Wachovia

How do we confront the supra-human corporations, the faceless principalities and powers that wage war on us while claiming no "personal" responsibility because they are, in fact, not persons but tran...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 10:41:00 PST

Viola on McLaren

"Our Lord said, "Beware when all men speak well of you." Those of us who call into question status quo beliefs and challenge sacred cows are no candidates for global praise. So the onslaught goes with...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:17:00 PST

This Subversive Lord

Viva La Subversive Christ!  This video raises some good questions. Check it out. Discuss.  ...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Sun, 28 Jan 2007 12:37:00 PST

Illumination and Darkness: Anne Rice Interview Complete!

The fine folks at the Burnside Writer's Collective (a writer's group started by Jordan "Ankeny Briefcase" Green and Don "Blue Like Jazz" Miller) have for the first time published my full interview and...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 06:08:00 PST

Furious Pursuit

Remember God Chasers? You might not if you weren't Pentecostal or Charismatic in the late 1990s, but this little volume made quite a stir, selling a total of 1.5 million copies in "Spirit-filled" chur...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Sun, 24 Dec 2006 02:59:00 PST

December, December, and a Shameless Plug

Hi everyone.  It's been forever since I've updated this puppy (oops! unintentional reference to my last post).  Life has continued in full swing as I look back at everything 2006 has brought...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 07:23:00 PST

Bizarre Dream - Puppy Love

I had this dream that a bunch of friends were with this family from a small down in deep southern Georgia.  It was dinner time and the order of the night was dog--they had killed two small pet do...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:43:00 PST

What I Want For My Birthday

...besides whirled peas, that is.  Yeah, my 27th is approaching in little more than a month (October 30), and if anyone wants to get me anything, check out Threadless T-Shirts.  The designs ...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:33:00 PST

Raleigh/Durham House Church Debutante!

Well September has arrived and so have we!  Jasmin and I are finally in Raleigh, NC.  It was a long move, but well worth it.  (For those of you reading in Atlanta:  We miss you!)&n...
Posted by Mike Morrell on Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:17:00 PST