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Read That, Not This

I spent yesterday working through my to-do list, trying to check off what I really need to accomplish before everyone arrives next week for Thanksgiving. One of the items at the top of the list was “write Friday’s blog post.”

I didn’t get it done.

Then my good friend Cynthia posted two back-to-back blogs that are much better than anything I would have come up with. So I’m sending you to her blog, while I take a much-needed break (and clean the house, buy a turkey, catch up on the laundry, edit a book, post-process about 200 photos, water the houseplants, pay the bills…).

First read this.

And then read this.

See you Tuesday.

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Sin and Grace

As I mentioned in my post last week on “Hate the sin…”, there seems to be a backlash among Christian writers. Everyone is up in arms over survey results showing that the church is primarily known for its judgmentalism and hypocrisy. In an effort to repair the damage and improve our image—and hopefully move closer to the truth—a number of noted authors are coming out with books proclaiming God’s grace and acceptance of everyone and everything. The problem is many of them are ignoring the reality and consequences of sin. Here are my thoughts on three recent reads:

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Need an Opinion? Ask for God’s!

I was originally planning to be the only blogger on the planet who didn’t comment on the Caylee murder trial verdict. In case you’ve been in a coma for the last several years, you know by now that Casey Anthony was declared “not guilty” in the murder of her daughter Caylee. Since I have only skimmed a few headlines pertaining to the case, I’m not qualified to have an opinion about the outcome, although that hasn’t stopped anyone else.

While I have largely ignored the trial, it’s pretty much impossible to ignore the outpouring of opinion. My friends’ facebook pages, the headlines on every news feed on my homepage, the assorted blogs I follow—all are consumed with the topic. You’d think nothing else of importance happened anywhere else on the planet.

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Mnmlist

My daughter was all excited about a promotional give-away. Seems you can register online at the HGTV website to win a “green” (as in “environmentally friendly”) house, car, and $100K. She had already entered and was urging me to do so too.

I have to admit, my first thought was “Wow, we could really use $100K!” But that was quickly followed by a bunch of other considerations. We’d have to sell the house. Houses are not selling well right now; it could take months or even years. Most of the money would go to cover taxes on the whole deal. The vehicle was nice, but not one we’d normally choose for ourselves. Even if we beat the odds and won (a very remote possibility!), it would create a ton of work!

As I pointed all this out to our eager daughter, I explained that I was choosing not to enter the contest. We just didn’t have the time or energy we’d need to deal with the prize.

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Another Way to Do Church?

As I mentioned a week and a half ago, I’ve been plowing through lots of books on how to “do” church. My most recent read is Houses that Change the World, by Wolfgang Simson. And I have to say he’s shaken my understanding of church.

The book has been around a while—maybe you’ve already read it. Published in 1998, a number of his predictions have failed to materialize, but that doesn’t diminish what he has to say. (He was merely analyzing trends, not trying to be prophetic, so we don’t need to take him out and stone him.)

In general, Simson argues against churches patterned after the synagogue, with a set routine performed by “professional Christians” in front of a lay audience, and in favor of small “organic” house churches where our faith is lived out in the context of real life. I certainly see his point. He’s very persuasive, and I tend to agree with him more often than not.

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[Advent Conspiracy]

There are 22 more days until Christmas, and most of us are juggling to-do lists, shopping lists, budgets, and calendars, trying to fit it all in. How did this become the norm for advent? Somehow, somewhere, we’ve gone horribly wrong.

Enter the  [Advent Conspiracy] (yes, the cute little brackets are part of the name). While most of us acknowledge the problems of a commercialized, frenzied, over-committed, hollow shell of a holiday that has lost its heart, they have a cure. Click on their logo to watch their short video. At the very least, you will be inspired, and this might even change the way you do Christmas!

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What Do You Want to Know?

Have you ever wondered about such conundrums, but despaired of ever learning the answer? Well, despair no more. Cecil Adams will use his superior intelligence and amazing talents of investigation, and tell you “The Straight Dope.”

Think of a snopes.com with a somewhat sarcastic, but very funny, twist, and you have Adams’ blog. With the byline, “Fighting Ignorance Since 1973 (it’s taking longer than we thought),” you know it’s got to be worth your time.

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Operation World, a Prayer Almanac

Last week I wrote about how prayer is the first thing we should think about when faced with a world in need of a Savior. Then the obvious next question is, what should we pray for?

The Bible gives us some great suggestions…

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matt. 9:37-38)

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….” (Matt. 5:44)

“I urge… that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim. 2:1-3)

ow2010-bookThere is another resource that helps us know exactly how to pray for the world. Operation World is a prayer almanac. It lists every country on earth, along with the kind of information we need to target our prayers effectively: What are the dominant religions? How many believers are there in this country? What people groups live there? What about their politics, economy, education? What specific issues should we pray for? Continue reading →

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Get Radical

radical-book-coverAre you happy with your life? Are you blessed? Are you pursuing the American Dream of a good job, a nice family, and a home filled with everything you need, and a bit more beside?

Even with the economy the way it is, most of us still hope that things will improve in the future—that we’ll someday be able to have that house-with-the-picket-fence and all the trimmings.

We love to read verses such as “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it” (Proverbs 10:22) and, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). We hear sermons about verses like this; we repeat them to others. As God’s children, we delight in the truth that they apply to us.

But what about some other verses…

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Reading about Missions

Summer is coming to a close, and a lot of our friends are back from their short-term mission trips. I’ve always been supportive of short-term missions (see my daughter’s post about them), but lately I’ve wondered. Did these missionaries make a difference? Did God change their hearts? Did their trips improve the lives of those they went to serve?

Our friend Bob works for  Partners International, one of my favorite cross-cultural ministries. He has compiled a list of mission books that he recommends. The first two, Serving with Eyes Wide Open, by David Livermore, and When Helping Hurts, by Corbett and Fikkert, address my questions about our short-term mission efforts. I can’t wait to buy and read both of them.

Bob discusses these and other mission books on his blog. Because I know and respect his opinions, I highly recommend his list to you.