Category: interesting stuff

My heart is grieving with the people in Connecticut after the senseless destruction of so many lives. I can’t begin to understand how something like this happens. We do live in a broken world, and we long for God’s kingdom to fully come and this creation to be fully restored.

Here are some of the best of the links:

The Advent Shepherd.
Yard signs.
Good advice.
Thingamatizing Christmas.
Keeping X in Xmas.

If I was Mayan, I’d be worried about this.
Provocative post from Arthur Sido.
Matt Appling asks a good question.
Chaplain Mike on the horizontal Gospel.
Alan Knox on change.

The boundless riches of Christ?
Advent.
Sad, but too often true.
Pastor is not a title.
Maybe the Apocalypse really is upon us.

Is there a war on Advent?
Luke Hassevoort on brokenness.
The 2012 Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar.
Symptoms of a bigger problem.
A Christmas story.

This has been a pretty busy week. Jan and I found out that we are going to be grandparents. Josh and Alicia are expecting their first child in July. Basketball continues, as does all the usual stuff of life. I promise that I will get the third post in the series on table fellowship out this next week.

Well, the man who has been president for the last four years will be president for the next four. I still believe that our mission as followers of Jesus has not changed a bit, nor will it change after the elections in any year. Having said that, let’s move on the the links of the week:

Good words from Kansas Bob on Ecclesiastes 11:4.
Following Jesus beyond the culture wars.
Dan Edelen on the 2012 elections.
Mercy.

Bonnie May on love and skim milk.
Marketplace ministries.
Jeff Dunn on darkness.
Were some early church elders also bond-slaves?

If anyone wants to pay for Jan and me to go on this, you won’t hear us complain. 🙂
Man overboard!
Remix of Luke 13:4-5.
And all shall be well…

Dan Allen on a disappointing day.
Jon Acuff’s election post.
The problem of learning from strangers.
Dining in the valley.

Alan Knox on hospitality.
I believe this is a good thing.
Something good to think about.
American evangelicals and militarism.

Have a wonderful, blessed week.

The weather has turned colder here in the sunny South. The mornings are chilly, with temperatures in the 30s, but the afternoons are beautiful. This Tuesday is Election Day across the country. However you vote, or not vote, remember that no matter who is elected to office, Jesus is still King.

So much for my political statement for the day. On to the links:

Arthur Sido on living as peacemakers.
A good thing to keep in mind on Tuesday.
Swanny on the “F” word.
Alan Knox links to some good articles on table fellowship.
Hopefully you didn’t do this.

Keith Giles on weather reports.
This is pretty cool.
Duh! (HT: iMonk)
Interesting take on Halloween (HT: Jake Belder).
Len on lament.

Government and grace.
Young Americans and libraries (HT: Scot McKnight).
We should all be like this.
Jared Wilson has some good thoughts on the Gospel.
Tilling new creation soil.

Frank Viola has a series on sowing discord. Part 1 is here.
Eric Carpenter reflects.
Working with Daddy.
Romans 8 and the Prodigal.
I agree with Jake.

That’s it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend and a blessed week.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a weekend links post. The last couple of weekends were crazy busy, but things have settled down a bit. Here in the sunny South we missed the worst of Hurricane Sandy, but we are praying for the folks further north who are expecting to have a rough time the next few days. I wonder if any of the states have alternative ways of voting on Nov. 6, in case the power is still out due to the storms. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as that.

On to the links:

Becoming sauce.
Pastor Romney?
Already but not yet.
The unmentionable one anothers.
After pietism.

Jesus loves even Chaplain Mike.
Have you heard about this?
Some good posts on this synchroblog.
Keith Giles has a series on leadership. Part 1 is here.
Len reviews The Art of Neighboring.

Fear.
How not to interpret the Bible.
To be in Christ.
The pastor and politics.
On being wrong.

J.R. Miller has a series on elders. Part 1 is here.
Alan Knox has a series on the “body of Christ” metaphor. Part 1 is here.
Eric Carpenter lives in the tradition belt.
Frank Viola on half-answered prayers.
If you’re a leader in a church, please don’t buy this (HT: iMonk).

Beautiful (HT: Scot McKnight).
It’s time to party.
Sacred times and places.
Caption this.
Get small.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a blessed week.

After a few days of almost Indian Summer type temperatures, fall has returned to the sunny South. I spent the day yesterday at the local camp and retreat center where Jan and I work from time to time. They needed someone to fill in at the high ropes course zip line and to drive the bus to pick up a couple of groups of kayackers. I love being on the island where the camp is located. To me, it’s one of those thin places where the presence of God is palpable.

I’ve gotten behind in my blog reading this week, so the selection of links will be a bit shorter. I hope you enjoy.

A funny from Eric Carpenter.
Kansas Bob on friends.
It’s time to party!
M. Morford on fall.
How much does God give us?

The harder life.
Alan Knox on learning to trust.
Arthur Sido asks a very good question.
Donald Trump and the Gospel.
Good reminder for all of us.

I hope you have a blessed week!

Fall is making its presence felt here in the sunny South. It has been sunny and cool during the day, and at night it’s cool enough to sleep with some cover. My volleyball team started off with three wins in a row, then played like a different team and lost the next one. I guess that’s too be expected when dealing with eighth grade girls. It’s okay. Coaching is still the best part of my work day. There’s just over a month left in the election season. I, for one, will be glad when I don’t have to read or watch any more of the political ads for a while.

On to the links:

Good question.
The Merry Monk has a fable for the candidates.
Innocent or relevant?
Zack Hunt on the new Joel Osteen book.
When truth can be a lie.

Think you’re having a bad day?
Living community.
Arthur Sido on church and tax breaks.
Vessel.
iMonk classic.

Doctrinal differences.
Brant Hansen on Rich Mullins.
Lessons learned in the chemo lab.
Dan Edelen on a characteristic of great Christians.
God hidden.

Keith Giles on sacrificial love.
Seven habits of a lifeless church.
Richard Brand on a married Jesus.
The family of God in Ephesians.
Were there early Christian soldiers?

Have a blessed week!

Welcome to another edition of Weekend Wanderings! After a stormy week here in the sunny South, with rain causing the Democrats to move their stadium party indoors, the sun is shining again and there is a preview of fall in the air. Of course, those of us who live around here know that summer weather is not really  gone. It’s just hiding for awhile, waiting to jump out when we least expect it.

Here are the links:

A defense of faith.
Eric Carpenter on James.
The Thread.
Jeff Dunn on doing nothing.
Safety or peace?

Alan Knox on children’s games (sort of).
Feeling dumb. acting smart.
Jay Moore on missional living.
Dear God.
Scot McKnight on Peter.

Call us back.
Aly Lewis on semantics.
Christianity dying of old age?
Stephen Prothero on God in political platforms (HT: iMonk).
The dangerous business of change.

Matt on political parties and beer.
Apple pie.
Dan White, Jr. on missional marinating (HT: Scot McKnight).
Stay superficial, my friends.
Struggles.

Have a blessed week!

This was the first full week of school, and it was very busy. That explains why there are no other posts for this past week. Once I get used to the different schedule, there will be more posts for your reading pleasure. Hurricane Isaac has come and gone from the Gulf Coast, leaving behind a mess from the tremendous amount of rain it dropped. Continue to pray for the folks affected. The Republicans have had their convention, and the Democrats are getting ready to meet in the town just up the road from us. I’m glad I don’t work there, as the traffic is expected to be a mess.

On to the links:

Kansas Bob on friends.
Dan Edelen on delusion.
Scot McKnight on leadership.
Arthur Sido on following Christ in the midst of persecution.

Jesus, faith, and a universe of fear.
The trans-congregational church.
Too wonderful for us.
Andy Stager on being an upper room.

Learning to read the Bible (HT: Jake Belder).
Learning to let go.
Good question from Alan Knox.
Good words from Mark Davidson.

Good series from Keith Giles. The link is to Part 1.
Good post from Jon Acuff.
Lisa Dye writes a challenging post.
So, pray the hurricane away from the Republican convention so it hits the poor folks who are still recovering from Katrina?

I wonder how long this guy kept his job?
Into the cross hairs.
Five myths.
Mercy vs. sacrifice part 1.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a blessed week.

The first week of school is finished. It was a short week for the students as we eased into the year. No use jumping right in with both feet. My duties have changed, and I am spending most of the day in a self contained class. It’s a small class, and so far the students are doing fairly well. I’m sure things will change throughout the year, as they always do. Here in the sunny South we are waiting to see what the the tropical storm/hurricane Isaac is going to do. It all depends on a front coming down from the north. We’ll see.

Here are the links:

Barking like a dog may not be a spiritual gift.
Discipling as discipleship.
What if we didn’t have “church”?
The multi-site option is growing.
Psunday Psalms: Psalm 2.

Good post from Eric Carpenter.
I can relate to this post from Brant Hansen.
Funny post from Frank Viola.
Dan Edelen on a question.
Thoughtful poem by Jonnia Smith.

Make pancakes.
Shattered reality (HT: Alan Knox).
Caring for those who’ve got it made.
Vow-keeping faith.
Stuff that never happened.

Good words from Jon Acuff.
Focusing on the flame by Keith Giles.
Orientation by Zack Hunt.
Allen Madding on being the church.
At odds with America.

Rolls Royce pickups.
Chocolate (HT: Scot McKnight).
New quiz show.
Shark callers.
What did Paul think of his subordinates?

Have a blessed week.