Category: interesting stuff

Today is the first official day of Spring. Here in the sunny South we’ve already had spring. Followed by winter. Followed by spring, then winter, a couple days of summer, then winter, and then back to spring. The madness has begun and I’m looking for my Xavier Musketeers to go on a roll and go all the way.

Here’s the good stuff:

How to be a an Emergent PoMo pastor-leader person. Rum and restoration. Sounds like an interesting combination. (HT: Jonathan Brink) Bill Kinnon doesn’t pull any punches in this post. Evidently, Dr. Lewis used to be a dork. Is the American church too macho? Rich Wagner writes on the missiology of St. Patrick. iMonk has the antidote to the coming Evangelical collapse. Avoiding the appearance of evil. Are evangelicals anti-intellectual?

The Gospel of the Kingdom. Amy writes about the downtrodden among us. Brother Maynard on (consumerist) Christian theology. Jared Wilson reviews Christless Christianity. 1000 awesome things (HT: Brother Maynard).

Have a great weekend.

I decide to change the profile picture. I figured everyone was tired of looking at my arm. This picture was taken off the coast of Florida last summer. Winter is refusing to let go completely. The temperature has dropped from 83 on Tuesday to 40 today.

Here’s what’s interesting this week:

Why do they hate us? iMonk thinks he knows why. Are you a Christian hipster? (HT: Scot McKnight) There’s a woman in the footnotes. The most anti-essential Christian books (HT: Jonathan Brink). A new word. Jonathan Brink extends an invitation to women. Len on Reformation. Brother Maynard is tired, but still finds the energy to review Reggie McNeal’s new book. Jared Wilson reviews Christless Christianity. Bob Hyatt has more thoughts on video venue churches.

Have a great weekend. As God brings it to mind, please pray for Josh. He’s visiting NYC this week and has been laid low with a really bad sore throat and cold. He’s scheduled to fly home tomorrow. Thanks.

I know it’s Saturday. I was a bit busier than usual so I couldn’t post this until today. Now, if I had a decent laptop maybe I could have done this while I was out yesterday afternoon. (Hint, hint) 🙂

It’s been a good day. This morning Jan and I had the privilege of helping out with a project designed to connect the homeless in our city with things like social services, health care, even grooming help and dog grooming. It was an all day event. We helped with the food, serving breakfast and lunch to 75-100 people. It was a real blessing, sort of an Isaiah 58 type of fast for Lent. This afternoon, I was able to work out in the yard for a couple of hours and begin the work of getting it in shape for spring.

Here are the links to some of what caught my eye this week:

A Former Leader has some good thoughts on sin and relationship. Do we really believe that all things are possible with God? Another thing from AnneDroid. Cheerleaders. Yes, cheerleaders. Karen has some unanswered questions. Church or club? Jared Wilson says that it’s not about improvement. A failed gospel tract. Twenty-one ways you might be an evangelical. (HT: Brother Maynard) Rob Woodrum has begun a new chapter of
“Rabbi Encounters” here.

Whose history is it? Discipleship is soft (not soft discipleship). Brant Hansen wonders if it’s possible for Jesus and christian radion to co-exist. Grace on a perverted gospel. Life in Zimbabwe (HT: Scot McKnight). The South tightens its grip on Josh.

Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed tonight (or you can wait till 2:00 a.m.)

It’s time for another edition of TGIF! The weather here in the sunny South continues to tease, with temperatures in the 60s today and highs in the 40s forecast for Sunday. I guess March is going to come in like a lion.

Who knew? Evidently there was virtual church in the 1940’s. Lenten offsets? Good thoughts on helping the homeless. Structures for renewal (HT: Len). Do we really need another leadership conference? (HT: Jonathan Brink). Jeff McQ continues his series on love.

This is good. Brant Hansen reviews the John McArthur Study Bible. Grace writes about being missional. A network in need of a name. Dan’s thoughts on economics. Lent e-cards. How to be a gadfly. Amy’s thoughts on the upside-down Kingdom.

May God bless you this weekend.

I tried to think of something clever to say, and failed miserably, so I’ll just get right to the good stuff:

Will technology be the death of preaching? Jake Belder says that life is not a circle. Dan Edelen is writing a three act tragedy. Part 1 is here. Pam doesn’t want to be normal, and thinks that small is good. imonk asks why more churches aren’t being planted in the inner cities. These aren’t the tree houses you remember from your youth. (HT: Scot McKnight)

Brant Hansen has some ideas for T-shirts. Jeff McQ is doing a series on love. Part 1 is here. The perfect Christian dating profile. I tried to link to Brother Maynard’s blog, but something’s gone terribly wrong. Generosity and fear. Simplicity and simpleness. Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman on the American dream.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy your weekend.

For those of you who are superstitious, today is Friday the 13th. For the rest of you, it’s just Friday. I’m tired. Tired of school and tired of winter. Oh well. Like a kidney stone, this too shall pass.

I know how much everyone looks forward to the links of the week, 🙂 so here they are:

Karen Swank writes a letter to Bible study ladies. Death by Church? Todd Hiestand is feeling limited. How “Lost” would handle the economic crisis. Encouraging words from Jared Wilson.
Brother Maynard revisits the church doors. This is great photography, as well as being in the right place at the right time. (HT: Brother Maynard).

Jeff McQ does man thing. Grace on fasting. The search for Noah’s Ark. imonk writes about compartmentalizing.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day tomorrow.

It’s Friday again. I just got home from our basketball game where we lost by one point. We played a great game in every area except for the fact that we just couldn’t get the ball to go in the basket. We couldn’t hit the ocean from the beach. Oh well, that’s what happens sometimes. At least the girls played hard.

It’s been a busy week and I have a lot of stuff to catch up on this weekend. But, I’ll take time from my busy schedule to give you the links of the week: 🙂

The Watchman has an interesting suggestion for pastors. Bob Hyatt writes about “Dude-Theology”. Scot McKnight writes about Wisconsin Winter Habits. Jeff McQ on evangelism, and Jonathan Brink talks about relationships.

How many of these have you read? Not many, I must admit. (HT: Brother Maynard) Jared Wilson went to hear Tim Keller the other night. His thoughts are here.

Tomorrow, my team is going to spend two hours shooting the basketball. 🙂 You all have a good weekend.

This week has been busy and the weather has been on a roller coaster ride. On Tuesday, school was called of because of snow. Today it is sunny with a high near 6o. Today is Josh’s birthday. Stop by his blog and wish him a happy one. The country made history this week with the inauguration of President Obama. Of course that kicked the lunatic fringe of “Christianity” into high gear. Oh well. I guess folks have to find some enemy to fight.

Here are the good links for the week:

A Time to Laugh draws lessons from Mary Poppins. Dan Edelen again writes a good post, and Scot McKnight has some good thoughts about our new President and abortion. Lest you think the Israelis are the only bad guys, see this (HT: Scot McKnight). John Frye thinks we need to take Jesus back for America.

Brant Hansen gives a synopsis of the recent “24” episode. Next-Wave looks back at the last decade in the emerging conversation. If you’re interested in observing Lent, check out this from Christine Sine. Jared Wilson gives us some classic Larry Norman footage.

I hope your weekend is filled with God’s grace and blessing.

This week hasn’t been quite as hectic as last week. I’m also off work today, so I’ve been able to do some things that sometimes get pushed to the side. It’s cold here in the sunny South, with a high of about 30. I realize that it’s a whole lot colder where some of you are, so I’m not complaining (too much). 🙂

Here is some of the good writing (and other stuff) that’s out there:

Here’s proof that the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree. Jake has some ideas to transform suburbia, and Dan Edelen writes about attraction. I don’t think there are any churches like this. Are there? John Fonville responds to Natalie Dylan. imonk has a recommendation and a good question. Scot McKnight wonders what we can do (BTW, The Blue Parakeet rocks!). Now books in Christian bookstores are coming with warning labels? Not enough obviously.

Jeff McQ is thinking ironic thoughts. Do we really have to think alike? Brother Maynard asks, “Where are the doors to the church?” Check this out. TSK is loaning books.

Well, I have to go get ready for a basketball game tonight. Have a great weekend.