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1.) Carol shares an inspiring story from last tuesday’s momentous day.
2.) I’ve enjoyed some of the prayers that Christine Sine has put together, here she provides an advent meditation and some other advent resources.
3.) JR Woodward provides a primer on the missional church.
4.) In this season of stewardship in the church, Andrew Sullivan points to a book review by Ron Sider about Christians and giving.
1.) Matt at Glocal Christianity frequently points to some great sources for quality, global Christian art. In this post he points to Japanese Christian artist Sadao Watanabe.
2.) Be There…a challenge to those who struggle with repetitive prayer.
3.) Tony Jones challenges the notion that America is an “empire.” Not sure I totally agree…just because we don’t have an emperor doesn’t mean we don’t have the traits characteristic of an empire. It’s worth considering his thoughts, and the comments that follow.
4.) This is pretty funny: Are you ready for Feb 17, 2009?
5.) Today’s photo captures what we all should take the time to do this fall.
1.) Michael Kruse points out that from the very beginning there were warnings about possible economic problems from extending mortgages into risky pools.
2.) This comic sure is a zinger.
3.) Here is another perspective on the west’s economic crisis, from the Ethiopian Church.
4.) While I don’t have any objection to a ‘Green Bible,‘ I do wonder why it is so popular to publish special interest edition bibles these days.
5.) Here is a nice review of Scot McKnight’s new book, the Blue Parakeet, about reading and interpreting the bible in a post-modern world.
6.) It’s fall around these parts, so here is an autumnal photo for your enjoyment.
Here are a few links for your enjoyment:
2.) What would you preach if the economy were to truly collapse?
3.) Some thoughts on becoming missional.
4.) I’ve marked these to listen to later, but I like the idea: Testimonies on “How I can be a part of what God is doing.”
5.) Here is your photo for the week.
1.) Jan once again offers some good thoughts on the changing church. The reorganization she has done at her congregation sounds quite remarkable.
2.) Whether you happen to be for or against her, this spoof ad for Hockey Moms against Sarah Palin was pretty funny.
3.) Pastors, here’s why you should be blogging.
4.) Here are two pictures for today: One from one of my favorite photoblogs. One from a flickr group of Iowa photos.
4.)
This sermon was preached on September 21st, 2008. The sermon text was Matt. 20:1-16.
So far, this season of presidential campaigning has been quite fascinating to watch. And I’m willing to bet that its only going to get more interesting as things get revved up for election day in early November.
There has been a lot of intrigue, especially given the roles of two totally and completely different female political candidates.
First we saw Hillary Clinton lose her bid to become the first ever female nominee for President. And now, little known, Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, has been thrust into the national spotlight as McCain’s nominee for Vice President.
These two female candidates have focused the spotlight on the role that sexism can still play in our country. In her first speech to America following her selection, Palin urged voters to help her shatter the glass ceiling that Hillary cracked.
Since Palin’s selection, Obama has increasingly talked about equality between the sexes as well. In a speech given in Ohio, he said when he is president, he will fight to support equal pay for equal work.
The National Organization for Women, has been on this crusade for a long time. According to their figures, full-time, year-round female workers are paid on average about 77% of what men are paid. For African American women the figure is 71% and for Latinas it’s 58%.
Here are a few items for my Wednesday Roundup:
1.) A “broken blessing”
2.) Michael Kruse explains Intrade and tells us how it is forecasting this year’s election. I checked Intrade the day before John McCain made his VP announcement and noticed that Sarah Palin was the projected nominee.
3.) Missional Order looks like a promising new website, to help faith communities form a new missional identity. (ht: missional church network)
4.) This past week, I added some new photoblogs to my google reader, so today’s photos, Honey Wheat and Blade of Light, come from two of those new blogs.
It’s been a while since there has been any activity here on this blog. Lori and I got away for a few days around Labor Day and in the ensuing time things have been pretty hectic! Anyway, here are a few highlights from around the Web:
1.) After listening to the rhetoric of the DNC and RNC, Todd Heistand offers some excellent reflections on preaching.
2.) While we are on the theme of politics, my friend David Pepper offers some good reflections on not putting too much hope in it all.
3.) What do you want to do before you die? (HT: Jonny Baker)
4.) Sometimes the comic, Basic Instructions, is lame and other times it’s too funny. This was one of the better ones: How to select a T-shirt.
5.) The Naked Pastor, David Hayward, almost always nails it right on the head with his comics, and he’s sure got it right with this one..
6.) And as expected, here is a photo for your pleasure.
1.) I love some of the stuff that new faith communities are doing…they are bold challenges and proclamations to existing congregations. Internet Monk singles out one new congregation that is committed to giving 60% of their budget to mission!!…If they can do it, why can’t we?
2.) As always Jan raises good observations and questions about the nature of staffing in the established church today. I’d love for her to be a colleague in this presbytery, as we need to hear more of her voice…
3.) Tony Campolo presents what seems like a reasonable, faithful response to the problem of abortion in our country.
4.) How many of the 100 NEA Recommended books of fiction have you read? I’ve read book #6, but I’m not really sure why it’s considered a “work of fiction.”
5.) Today I’ve decided to point to a few of my recent favorite photos from my flickr contacts. I particularly love the lighting in this one and the depth of field in this one.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
A deeply sorrowful story, with a few slivers of hope. This story is not quite a good as the author’s first book (The Kite Runner), but it is still a richly detailed and compelling work set in war torn Afghanistan.
Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
Not done yet with it, but the best part of this book is the eye-opening interpretations of scripture, especially key new testament texts. The weakness so far, is that it fails to deal with the issue of violence in the Old Testament, glossing over it on its way to achieve its narrative purpose. Still this is an important, compelling, and ultimately convicting work about who our true Lord really is.
View all my reviews.
As promised, here is the Wednesday Roundup. As they say, better late than never.
1.) JK Rowling offers some thoughts on living the good life. Dr Geoff Pound has put together a nice collection of Stories for Speakers and Writers.
2.) Having grown up, I’m no longer a big fan of Garfield, though I sure did love it as a kid. Garfield minus Garfield, however, makes it all the more interesting.
3.) My candidate of choice takes a bit hit on the blog Faith and Theology. I’m not really sure I get the point of the argument, so maybe some astute reader of this blog can go over there then come back and elucidate it for me?
4.) Some thoughts on ministry and people, from the blog with the best name ever “Letters from Kamp Krusty”
5.) Here is your recommended photo of the week.
1.) The PC(USA)’s General Assembly is just over a week away. There are many things I’m looking forward to and one of them is the Church Basement Roadshow which happens to be passing through town on the first Friday of GA. Check out a preview of CBR here.
2.) While I wait patiently for my economic stimulus check to arrive in the mail, this post on God’s Politics makes me wonder if there aren’t better things that both the government and I could do with the money.
3.) Jan, as always, has another good post. She looks at the difference between two coffee houses in the exact same location, one successful and the other one not, and asks what the church can learn from this.
4.) A while ago, I asked some questions about doing youth ministry. The internet monk has some great suggestions that I think are spot on.
5.) Today’s photo creatively and humorously depicts the current reality of major river flooding in northern and eastern iowa.
1.) Johnny Baker points to some mind boggling images of consumption meant to help us think about the impact of our consumer habits on the world. Be patient, the images take a long time to load, but the wait is worth it.
2.) Tall Skinny Kiwi interviews Brian McLaren about some burning questions related to his new book “Everything Must Change.” I found the interview helpful as I process my own thinking about McLaren’s book.
3.) Here’s more commentary on the Obama/Wright flap. Here is a poignant cartoon and a blog post with some good observations.
4.) Here is a Christian creed that comes from the Massai tribe in Kenya. I’ve seen this before but think its worth linking to, especially since I spent a summer in Kenya in 1990 and visited a number of church gatherings in various Massai villages.
I realize it’s Tuesday and this “Meaty Monday” comes about 24 hours too late, we took a day off yesterday to rest up a bit after a busy Holy Week.
I’ve decided to wade in a little bit into the controversy between Barack Obama and his long-time minister Rev. Jeremiah Wright. These are just a few loosely connected thoughts from my perspective:
1.) I can’t remember who it was that said this, but there is a popular saying out there that the preacher’s job is to “comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.” I take that to mean that we shouldn’t always be in a position of agreement with our minister. He or she should be saying things that we may not agree with and that will challenge us.
2.) While I think Rev. Wright used a poor choice of words in saying “God damn America,” the whole of his message, from Sunday to Sunday, is what really needs to be judged not just a sound bite or two taken out of context. Also, it’s not just the preacher’s words that need to be evaluated. The preacher is more than words, the preacher is the sum of his/her character. How do they love their people? How does the message of their life compliment the words from the pulpit? Those are the questions we need to be asking. It’s quite possible to disagree with things said from the pulpit and still respect, love and stand up for your minister because of the integrity of the message and the entire package of the minister’s life.
3.) I had the chance to hear Dr. Wright preach a year or two ago at Dubuque Seminary. I walked away thinking “Wow, that sure was a challenge.” He said some things from the pulpit that I found difficult to hear and I am sure that others found difficult as well, especially considering the fact that he was preaching to a predominantly white, middle class, and male audience. But I also came away thinking that most of what he said was truthful, honest, spot on, and needed to be said.
4.) And speaking of being truthful, I’m going to raise some hackles with this one: Obama’s church is often criticized for being “Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian.” What’s the big deal??? I mean think about most churches in America: Aren’t most of our churches “Unashamedly White?” they just don’t go around advertising it. Really, now, who is being more honest and truthful?
1.) The most recent Decently and In Order podcast picked up my Techno-Sabbath post as a topic of conversation. They discussed their various perspectives on some of the issues I highlighted.
2.) In case you were wondering, Paul Wolfowitz really IS a shady character. My good friend Mark writes of an encounter with Wolfowitz in Rwanda.
3.) My favorite preacher, United Methodist Bishop William Willimon, by way of the Internet Monk, offers an interesting perspective on the story of Jesus and Zaccheus.
4.) I ran across this list of 100 spiritually significant films, but realize I’ve only seen about twenty percent of them and only one of the top ten.
5.) Hillary Clinton offers a few of her perspectives on faith and is promptly taken to task in the comment section for not affirming the sole significance of belief in Christ for salvation. Once again proving the difficulties of being a politician and holding nuanced positions on things. Talk amongst yourselves…
6.) Here’s another pretty picture for your enjoyment.
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