After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed in California , an archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet. Shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: 'California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.'
One week later, the Houston Chronicle, a local newspaper in Texas, reported the following: 'After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Alvin, Brazoria County, Texas, Bubba Mitchell, a self-taught archaeologist and graduate of Texas A&M, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless.
Thomas Hardy (d. 1928) was a gloomy Victorian. That's why his poem, "The Darkling Thrush," is such a surprise. He wrote it on the last day of the year in 1900, about hope (or Hope, capitalized). Hardy was no Christian, or at least no evangelical: he "Never Expected Much" he wrote on his 86th birthday ("just neutral-tinted haps and such"). He preferred to see his life under "Crass Casualty" ("Hap") instead of the sovereign providence of a caring God. And he committed to "enjoy the earth no less/ Because the all-enacting Might/ That fashioned forth its loveliness/ Had other aims than my delight" ("Let Me Enjoy").
And yet Hardy glimpsed Hope in the gloom. Here's to the unexpected testimony of birds--and other creatures of our God and King:
He likes the Facebook app and the interfaces Google has created (including the blogging workaround he is now using).
The contestant has purchased an app to get his anchorcourse mail, and there's word that Windows Live will release an app to access the inbox soon.
The player of 'Will Tom Keep His New iPhone?' still finds it maddening to use the one-fingered-peck to type, and he wishes iPhone had cut-and-paste ability. But Tom is getting accustomed to his pretty toy.
At 85, legendary Fred Beckey is still planning ascents. His intensity should inspire us all, because we’re all called upward.
The New York Times described Beckey as a legend in the mountaineering world. In 7 decades, he’s claimed more virgin ascents than any other living climber, and has ascended peaks deemed unclimbable by other experts. At 31, he scaled Mounts McKinley, Hunter and Deborah in the Alaska Range in a single summer, and the feat became known as his Triple Crown. At 40, he logged 26 first ascents in a single year. He’s put up new routes across Wyoming, Colorado, California, British Columbia, and Alaska.
Now 85, he’s still looking for the next challenge. To complete his opus, he wants to chart new routes up Mount Monarch in the Coast Range, Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, and Mount Assiniboine in the Canadian Rockies.
As I said, his devotion should inspire us all, because we all have a climb to make. At Hillcrest, we call it out H.I.L.L. to crest:
Honor the Lord of Life Invite Your World to Life Love the Fellowship for Life Live the Word in Life
Don’t think of these as tasks we only do at church. This is the path for anyone who wants to know fulfillment. Wherever you are--at work, at school, on vacation, in the hospital--your job is to HONOR God’s Name, INVITE others to God’s Grace, LOVE God’s People, and LIVE God’s Word. That’s the H.I.L.L. set before us.
As you turn the calendar page to 2009, make a fresh commitment to be a faithful climber. Your church exists to give you the training and encouragement to take the summit. While gaining the help you need, also look for others who could use inspiration from you as they make their own ascent.
In the Swiss Alps, there is an epitaph on a tombstone for a Swiss guide: “He died climbing.” It looks like that’s going to be the way people remember 85-year-old Fred Beckey. Make it true of you, too!
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Welcome to the hottest new game show: "Will Tom Keep His New iPhone?"
The game began yesterday with the purchase of the new phone, and here's the way the game is played: Tom has 30 days to decide whether his iPhone stays in his pocket.
So far, it's not looking likely. Tom acknowledges its a pretty toy--a gorgeous toy--but he's lost so much by setting aside his Treo.
The contestant in "Will Tom Keep His New iPhone" lives by his to-list and has an extensive collection of notes. Both his to-do list and his notes collection sync beautifully between his Treo and his Outlook. Neither sync with the iPhone. Inexplicably, while the makers of the iPhone decided to take entries from Outlook's contacts and calendar, they decided that Tom didn't need to access any tasks or notes that he had built over the years in his Outlook and Treo. Tom is annoyed: he uses these features for Getting Things Done.
Yes, there are fee-based apps. Tom purchased KeyTasks and for an annual fee of $10 to keep the app active Tom can sync his to-do list between his computer and iPhone. Tom is annoyed: he has been syncing his to-do list between his Treo and Outlook for free all these years.
The contestant hasn't found any way to move all the notes from his Treo/Outlook to the iPhone notes feature. And, since there is no desktop version of the iPhone notes feature, Tom will have to enter each keystroke of each existing note should he choose to manually move his existing notes into iPhone. Tom is annoyed: the iPhone notes feature is fine enough for new notes, but he'd like access to all his existing notes.
Documents-to-Go, which came free on his Treo, allowed Tom to read and edit documents created in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. Tom is annoyed: Tom didn't depend on that too much, but it was nice to have. He viewed his lengthy "Books to Consider" Word document whenever he was in a bookstore.
Tom has discovered that the iPhone will not accept his email from the two email accounts he accesses. The main work account, tom@hbcaustin.org, requires some certificate changes to the church's server, so Tom will wait until those changes are made in the next couple of weeks. But Tom's other account, tom@anchorcourse.org, is a Windows Live account connected with his Anchor Course website, and the iPhone and Windows Live accounts do not speak to each other. Tom is annoyed: why pay $30 more a month for a data plan he can't use for his e-mail?
Basically, the iPhone is an iPod that can place phone calls but Tom has serious doubts that it can help him do his work.
Stay tuned for the next episode of "Will Tom Keep His New iPhone?"
Did you miss the “Links to Your World” during the holidays? Find the Christmas edition here.
“If I’m serious about keeping my New Year’s resolutions in 2009, should I add another one? Should the to-do list include, ‘Start going to church’? This is an awkward question for a heathen to contemplate, but I felt obliged to raise it with Michael McCullough after reading his report in the upcoming issue of the Psychological Bulletin. He and a fellow psychologist at the University of Miami, Brian Willoughby, have reviewed eight decades of research and concluded that religious belief and piety promote self-control.” (John Tierney in the NYT)
Hobby Lobby President Steve Green was invited to speak of how the company's success yields opportunities for eternal significance by Oklahoma Baptist University's Students In Free Enterprise group. (story)
"James Mumford is a well-dressed 27-year-old from the posh London neighborhood of Pimlico. He holds degrees in philosophy from Oxford and Yale and, like many of Britain's elite, spent a post-graduate stint working in London's finance industry. But tonight he wants to talk about how he came to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart. 'I don't mind talking about my faith,' he says, sheepishly. 'But it's a touch embarrassing. Just don't brand me as a mindless evangelical.'" (Opening paragraph of "Finding Jesus in London." Read the rest here.)
Ever heard of a “Thrisis”? It’s a new term, referring to crisis in one’s 30s, when someone doubts what they’ve been doing with their life. This writer explains. If you’re in your 30s, read this and let me know if you can identify.
I ran across this list of recommended books defending the dependability of the scriptures. Check them out.
I got inspired reading about our outgoing president's reading habits. So, Tim Raymund and I are going to enter into our own little competition. I doubt I'll get thru a book a week as our outgoing president does, but maybe one every three weeks is reasonable? First up for me will be:
Finish The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris, so I can get to his Theodore Rex before he releases the third of the trilogy sometime this year.
In Search of a Confident Faith by J.P. Moreland, because I want a more confident faith.
What We Can't Not Know by Christian and UT prof J. Budziszewski, because I want to review his take on Natural Law.
Neither Poverty Nor Riches by Craig Blomberg, because I need a fresh reminder of what God wants me to do for the poor.
Just Courage by Gary Haugen, because I was inspired by his introduction of his organization, International Justice Mission at this year's Willow Creek Leadership Summit.
The last two Harry Potter books, because I'm still a kid.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
Master and Commander, the first of the Patrick Obrien series, to see if I care to read the rest of his Jack Aubrey stories.
That should get me through--what--May?
Got any other suggestions? Want to join us on the challenge?
A good one as you make your New Year's resolutions, here's "Learn to Be Still," by the Eagles. If you're accessing this post via Facebook or a blog reader, you'll need to go to my website to hear the song.
It's just another day in paradise As you stumble to your bed You'd give anything to silence Those voices ringing in your head You thought you could find happiness Just over that green hill You thought you would be satisfied But you never will Learn to be still
We are like sheep without a shepherd We don't know how to be alone So we wander 'round this desert And wind up following the wrong gods home But the flock cries out for another And they keep answering that bell And one more starry-eyed messiah Meets a violent farewell-- Learn to be still Learn to be still
Now the flowers in your garden They don't smell so sweet Maybe you've forgotten The heaven lying at your feet
There are so many contradictions In all these messages we send (We keep asking) How do I get out of here? Where do I fit in? Though the world is torn and shaken Even if your heart is breakin' It's waiting for you to awaken And someday you will Learn to be still Learn to be still
Christmas Canceled! And it’s your fault! Well, that’s what you can tell your friends by inserting their name in a news report at this website. Cute!
“It's Christmas, and we want to reach our nonbelieving family members….Here are a few tips to help you follow the leader this Christmas and help make a difference for all eternity.” (story)
In "The Advent of Humility," Tim Keller says that Jesus is the reason to stop concentrating on ourselves.
James Martin reminds us to remember Joseph when we reflect on the Christmas story. Slate's usually not a resource to turn to if you're looking for authors confident in the Bible's accuracy, so this article was a surprise.
Forty Years ago, Christmas Eve 1968: "That evening, as families finished their Christmas Eve dinners, the astronauts [of Apollo 8] pointed their camera out the window and beamed home a grainy, gray view of the alien world they were circling. Everywhere on the planet, viewers tuned in, making up what was then the largest TV audience in history. Borman, Lovell and Anders had been instructed to do whatever they felt was appropriate to mark the moment. A friend of Borman's had suggested they read from the book of Genesis, and so its first 10 verses had been typed up on a piece of fireproof paper before the crew left Earth. They took turns reading aloud. When they finished, Borman, as the skipper, concluded the broadcast: 'And from the crew of Apollo 8,' he said, 'we close with good night, good luck, a merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.'" (Time magazine recounts the first trip to the moon)
The Economist.com says the divorce rate has gone down recently, and we have the recession to thank for it. According to Market Watch, couples are choosing to stay married when they consider the prohibitive cost of running two households on the money it currently takes to run one.
The WSJ reports that church buildings on the auction block during these economic tough times. (HT: Of Sacred and Secular)
"How does our commitment to the primacy of the gospel tie into our obligation to do good to all, especially those of the household of faith, to serve as salt and light in the world, to do good to the city?" Tim Keller answers.
"Research has shown that the average American family pays anywhere from $50 to $150 extra a year on wasted energy costs from plugged-in electronics that aren't being used, such as DVD players and TVs that are ostensibly 'off' and cellphones that are fully charged but whose chargers continue to draw a trickle of electricity from the wall outlet." (Wired, announcing a new "smart plug" to address the issue)
"Despite 9/11 and dozens of equally pitiless massacres, some journalists, Mr. Marshall says, are reluctant to accept the 'fundamental religious dimension' of jihadist motives. Such journalists concentrate on 'terrorist statements that might fit into secular Western preconceptions about oppression, economics, freedom and progress.' When terrorists murdered Christian workers while sparing Muslims in the offices of a Karachi charity in 2002, Mr. Marshall observes, 'CNN International contented itself with the opinion that there was 'no indication of a motive.' Would it have said the same if armed men had invaded a multiracial center, separated the black people from the white people, then methodically killed all the blacks and spared all the whites?'" (From a WSJ article about journalists who don't "get" religion)
I ran across this list of recommended books defending the dependability of the scriptures. Check them out.
"James Mumford is a well-dressed 27-year-old from the posh London neighborhood of Pimlico. He holds degrees in philosophy from Oxford and Yale and, like many of Britain's elite, spent a post-graduate stint working in London's finance industry. But tonight he wants to talk about how he came to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart. 'I don't mind talking about my faith,' he says, sheepishly. 'But it's a touch embarrassing. Just don't brand me as a mindless evangelical.'" (Opening paragraph of "Finding Jesus in London." Read the rest here.)
Shane Raynor explains why his church (Granger Community Church) doesn’t openly identify its denominational affiliation (United Methodist). Do you agree?
“The Right should have had the wit to fight, and the Left should have had the will to fight. Both failed.” (Mark Helprin in the WSJ, criticizing both the execution of the war on terror and the opposition to it.)
President-elect Obama is “a late-wave boomer, a child of the 1970s -- as are half of the two dozen people he's selected thus far to help him lead the country….And their shared experiences offer insights into how they may govern: They tend to be less ideological than early boomers, more respectful of contrary opinions, more pragmatic and a lot less likely to get bogged down by the shibboleths of the 1960s, according to historians, marketers and pollsters.” (LA Times, talking about my generation, the one that gets inaccurately lumped with Boomers. I’ve written about Generation Jones before.)
The Jesus Way is going to get you both loved and loathed by the world. Neither reaction should be your aim, of course: we only want to hear Christ's "well done." But if nonbelievers aren't reacting to you with alternating admiration and criticism, you're doing something wrong.
The most recent case in point: Rick Warren. His book, The Purpose-Driven Life, has sold in excess of 30 million copies, and he's been widely respected for what he's done with the fame and wealth from the book: his "reverse tithing" (giving away 90% of his income to charity and living on 10%), his relief work in communities ravaged by AIDS, and his commitment to put the "civil" back in "civil discourse." But he's in a firestorm of criticism at present because he has the temerity to call homosexual behavior sin and he recently encouraged Californians to pass a proposition that would formally define marriage as between one man and one woman. Last week the criticism followed him to the national stage: gay rights advocates are protesting President-elect Obama's plans to have Rick Warren lead the invocation at the presidential inauguration.
Some evangelical critics of Warren are reacting with a wry smile to this. One leader whose opinions I regularly follow and usually enjoy used Warren as an example of pastors who have pursued being "cool" in the culture but who will always have to make a hard choice between being "cool" or being faithful to God's word.
I'm not sure that's the lesson to learn from Rick Warren's current troubles. Instead, I think if you're consistent in the way you present and practice the Christian worldview, you will be both loved and loathed by the world.
Tim Keller has been saying this in different settings for years. He ought to know something about being loved and loathed, being a biblically-faithful pastor in New York City. In “A New Kind of Urban Christian,” he wrote:
In every culture, some Christian conduct will be offensive and attacked, but some will be moving and attractive to outsiders. "Though they accuse you — they may see your good deeds and glorify God" (1 Peter 2:12, see also Matt. 5:16). In the Middle East, a Christian sexual ethic makes sense, but not "turn the other cheek." In secular New York City, the Christian teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation is welcome, but our sexual ethics seem horribly regressive. Every non-Christian culture has enough common grace to recognize some of the work of God in the world and to be attracted to it, even while Christianity in other ways will offend the prevailing culture.
So we must neither just denounce the culture nor adopt it. We must sacrificially serve the common good, expecting to be constantly misunderstood and sometimes attacked. We must walk in the steps of the one who laid down his life for his opponents.
And in a sermon from 1 Peter 2:12, he said:
I don’t know whether we can become a movement of people who understand what 1 Peter is saying: that the gospel creates a counter culture, but a culture that engages the community around us at the expense of persecution . . .
New Yorkers love what the Bible says about forgiveness and reconciliation and caring about the poor. They hate what it says about sex and gender and family. Go on to the Middle East and find people who love what the Bible says about sex and gender and family, but abhor the idea of forgiving people, 70 times 7. I think what 1 Peter 2:12 is trying to say is in every single culture, if you actually live distinctively in an engaged way, you will get persecution AND you will get approval. It will always be different depending on the culture. You will attract people, you will influence people. You will be salt and light and at the same time you will get punched in the mouth.
If you are only getting punched in the mouth, or if you are only getting praise, you are not living the gospel life.
Warren's evangelical critics have been annoyed that he's been presented (and done some presenting himself) as a new kind of evangelical--a gentler, kinder replacement to the old image of evangelicals as "culture warriors." They now offer a wry smile on seeing him being punched when he's been so often praised.
But that leads me to an important question: If you are a "culture warrior" who is used to getting punched, where are you getting praised? Again, our aim should be the evaluation of Christ, not the evaluation of our neighbors. But if the only thing you always get from your community is criticism, can you say you're consistently living out the Jesus Way? The same Bible that says "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12) also says we must serve our community in such a way that people will "see your good deeds and glorify God" (1 Peter 2:12). Seems to me we need to be as famous for one as for the other. Warren has received punches and praises, while some of his critics in the evangelical world need to examine why they're only getting punched.
Listen to "Gather Round Ye Children Come," by Andrew Peterson. This is the opening song from his 2007 project Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ. If you're reading this blog post through a reader or Facebook, you have to go to the website to hear the song:
This is an article I wrote for the 2005-06 Winter Quarter of Leading Adults magazine. It explains how to use the Apostles' Creed as an outline to introduce the Christian faith to seekers. For more information, go to www.AnchorCourse.org. I just uploaded this file to Scribd and I wanted to see how the embedded file looks:
Sure, you'd expect a line like that coming from me. But that was from Penn Jillette, a comedian and illusionist who happens to be an outspoken atheist. He was describing a recent encounter he had with a Christian. Penn says:
I don't respect people who don't proselytize. If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, 'Well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward'... How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it and that truck was bearing down on you, there’s a certain point where I tackle you—and this [eternal life] is more important than that….This guy was a really good guy, and he cared enough about me to proselytize and give me a Bible.
There are four primary doorways the mind uses to obtain information. Some people are visual learners, some are auditory learners, some are experiential learners, while others are independent learners. While everyone learns through all four of these doorways, we have a strong preference for one or perhaps two. As a leader, you need to be sensitive to this. A teacher needs to design his lessons and a leader needs to design her presentations to “enter” these various “doorways.”
VISUAL LEARNERS acquire information through the eye door. They prefer to read books, newspapers and magazines and they like viewing information over the TV by watching live programs or pretaped videos. They like watching others work and perform so they can see how things are done. They prefer to work with visual aids such as photographs, computer screens, charts, graphs and handouts. They like seeing pictures, paintings and movies and are often focused on how information is organized and presented, preferring it to be logical and sequential.
AUDITORY LEARNERS acquire information through the ear door. They prefer to listen to others talk in person and through the radio, TV and tapes. They like music and are good at remembering lyrics and specific sounds. They are also good at remembering names and details because they are naturally good listeners who focus on others when they are talking. They often prefer to hear more than one opinion before deciding on something and learn best when they can hear key points repeated several times.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNERS acquire information through the kinesthetic or “moving, touching” door. They prefer to touch things as they are learning about them. They are very people-oriented and like learning with groups of people. They want to be allowed to be active while learning. This means they especially like to talk and move their hands and legs during the learning process. They also love to hear the leader tell stories and jokes to illustrate their learning points.
INDEPENDENT LEARNERS acquire knowledge through any of the above doors they choose. They strongly prefer to learn without assistance from others. They prefer to take things apart and put them back together; to work alone rather than with others; to learn quickly rather than slowly; and to be in charge of what is being learned or taught. They are very goal-oriented and want to know how what is being learned can help them to reach their goals. If learning is not linked to their goals, they often “tune out.”
Now which of those four is your preferred learning style? We typically teach or lead in the manner we prefer to be taught or led! To increase your effectiveness, try to identify the preferred learning style of others, and send your information through all four doorways!
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
When I was a kid, my friends and I thought we were being clever to choose John 11:35 whenever a teacher at church challenged us to recite a scripture from memory: “Jesus wept.”
Without knowing it we had actually selected one of the most revealing texts about Jesus. John tells us about Jesus’ tears in a setting that’s natural for tears. Jesus’ good friend Lazarus had died, and Jesus did what you and I do at funerals for good friends: he cried.
In her hit song, “One of Us,” Joan Osborne sang, “What if God was one of us . . . just a slob like one of us?” Some consider the song irreverent, but Osborne was asking an important question: does God know what we’re dealing with down here?
The answer is in the Christmas story, when the angel told Mary that people would see her child and exclaim, “Immanuel!” which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
Jesus was everything it means to be a man, just as he was everything it means to be God. What does his humanness mean for us?
First, it means Jesus is our example. Simon Peter said, “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Of course, Christ was doing much more on the cross than simply setting an example for us (1 Peter 2:24). Still, the Bible says we should imitate Christ’s faithfulness in our own hardships.
Second, Jesus is our encourager. The Bible says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Sometimes we want to pray, “Lord, I’m tempted” or “Jesus, I’m struggling down here,” or “Lord, life just hasn’t been fair to me recently.” It’s good to know that we can bring those things to a Lord who can say, “I know what you mean. Follow my example and hang in there.”
Joan Osborne asked an important question, and Christmas is the answer. God was one of us.
Come celebrate the birth of Christ at Hillcrest this Sunday at 9:30am or 10:45am, and also on Christmas Eve at 6pm.
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
In a recent article for www.PreachingToday.com, Craig Brian Larson says that the spiritual formation movement has addressed some neglected areas in discipleship, but the movement has a big blind spot. "Read books on spiritual formation," he wrote, "and you will be hard pressed to find anyone who lists listening to the preaching of God's Word as a first-order spiritual discipline."
So, Larson describes some things that biblical preaching can do that "individual Bible reading, memorization and meditation does not."
1. Good preaching rescues us from our self-deceptions and blind spots, for left to ourselves we tend to ignore the very things in God's Word that we most need to see. Preaching is done in community, covering texts and topics outside of our control.
2. Preaching brings us before God's Word in the special presence of the Holy Spirit, who indwells the gathered church.
3. Good preaching challenges us to do things we otherwise would not and gives us the will to do them. God has put within human nature a remarkable power to spur others to take action.
4. Good preaching brings us into the place of corporate obedience rather than merely individual obedience. This is a uniquely corporate discipline that the church does together as a community, building up individuals and the community at the same time. We are not just an individual follower of Christ; we are a member of his church and are called to obey the call of God together with others hearing the same Word.
5. Good preaching contributes to spiritual humility by disciplining us to sit under the teaching, correction, and exhortation of another human. Relying on ourselves alone for food from the Word can lead to a spirit of arrogance and spiritual independence.
6. Good preaching gives a place for a spiritually qualified person to protect believers from dangerous error. The apostles repeatedly warned that untrained and unstable Christians—as well as mature believers—are frequently led astray by false doctrines. Christians are sheep; false teachers are wolves; preachers are guardian shepherds. A preacher is a person called and gifted by God with spiritual authority for the care of souls in the context of God's church.
7. Preaching and listening is a uniquely embodied, physical act. It literally puts us into the habit of having "ears that hear." There is something to be said for this physical act of listening and heeding. Good preaching is truth incarnated, truth mediated through a person from its ancient setting to today, truth we can feel through another person's heart, truth conveyed through an embodied person, truth we receive sitting shoulder to shoulder with other embodied Christians.
8. Good preaching does what most Christians are not gifted, trained, or time-endowed to do: interpret a text in context, distill the theological truths that are universally true, and apply those truths in a particular time and place to particular people in a particular church—all this with the help of resources informed by 2,000 years of the Church's study that average Christians do not own. This is a challenging task for well-trained preachers; how much more so for those untrained?
9. Listening to preaching has a much lower threshold of difficulty for almost all people. While many spiritual disciplines sound like exercises for the spiritually elite, both young and old, educated and uneducated, disciplined and undisciplined can at least listen to a sermon. It is God's equal-opportunity discipline. Preaching and listening is everywhere in the Bible because it is doable by the masses.
A grandmother has sold the best seat in front of her TV on eBay for Christmas to avoid the fights that usually result when the extended family gets together. (story)
“As their ranks swell, singles reach out to others, pamper themselves, or simply relish their solitude” (“Singles forge new holiday traditions” in the CS Monitor)
“These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.” - G.K. Chesterton
“David Beckworth, an assistant professor of economics at Texas State University, looked at long-established trend lines showing the growth of evangelical congregations and the decline of mainline churches and found a more telling detail: During each recession cycle between 1968 and 2004, the rate of growth in evangelical churches jumped by 50 percent. By comparison, mainline Protestant churches continued their decline during recessions, though a bit more slowly.” (NY Times)
“You arrive at the hospital as two people, and you leave as three. You can't just make a baby and walk away. It's yours forever. Unless, that is, you make a baby through in vitro fertilization. In that case, you can put the embryo away in a freezer and decide what to do about it later. Or never…. Nobody focuses on the extra embryos. The patients and doctors are preoccupied with making a baby. If you get one, congratulations. Anything extra is an afterthought. We treat the leftovers as raw material, available to be used or thrown away. But they aren't raw material. Eggs and sperm are raw material. Embryos are what we make with that material. They're us.” (William Saletan in Slate. Saletan, unlike me, is pro-choice. But Saletan, like me, sees the moral dimension of decisions over embryos.)
“We can compare our energy levels to, let's say, an air in a car tire. If the tire has no holes, it can keep the air inside for years. If the tire has a hole, even a tiny one, it will deflate with time and all your efforts to pump it up will be useless until you plug that hole. The same applies to your energy level. Before deciding where to begin to increase it, I would recommend looking at your energy zappers first. No matter how strenuously energy boosting you do, the energy will just continue to drain until you plug your "holes". Check out these energy zappers and see how many apply to you.
In last week’s “Links to Your World,” I commented on Newsweek’s cover story promoting gay marriage. Steve Waldman, who used to work for Newsweek and now serves as editor-in-chief of BeliefNet, was stunned at the Newsweek piece, especially editor Jon Meacham’s defense of it: “My head is just spinning about the transformation of the newsmagazine. This cover may ultimately become known less for its significance in the culture wars but as a watershed in the history of American journalism.”
“While [John Meacham and Lisa Miller in the Newsweek cover story advocating gay marriage] both claim they are arguing against exclusiveness and for inclusivity, they have managed to exclude from this crucial national conversation a significant proportion of the American population who happen to believe there is a strong biblical case for traditional marriage. The one thing we biblical conservatives will never do, however, is exclude people like Meacham and Miller from any conversation that matters to us. So, we invite them to sit down with us, or someone from our world, to have a biblical, intellectually rich conversation about marriage—if they really are interested in being serious about this crucial topic.” (from the Christianity Today editorial, “Looking for a ‘Serious’ Conversation”)
“A team of Franciscan archaeologists digging in the biblical town of Magdala in what is now Israel say they have unearthed vials of perfume similar to those that may have been used by the woman said to have washed Jesus' feet.” (story)
“Today is December 7 — the day that this government killed over 80,000 Japanese civilians at Hiroshima in 1941 — two days before killing an additional 64,000 Japanese civilians at Nagasaki by dropping nuclear bombs on innocent people” (Jeremiah Wright, in a December 7 sermon helping the people of his church commemorate Pearl Harbor Day—you know, the one that will live in infamy).
“Hospitals and laboratories are doing research to find ways to treat and prevent Alzheimer's. Now a church in the United States has a program to help fight the disease” (Voice of America story)
“You might have seen the headline on CNN.com or in The New York Times earlier this week: ‘Attorney elected U.S. first Vietnamese Congressman’ [in Louisiana]. What you might not have realized was the subject of those stories, Anh “Joseph” Cao, is a Baylor Bear.” H-m-m. It’s also interesting that he was a Jesuit seminarian before he went to law school. And who knew the world of Louisiana politics would be so diverse: first, they elected Bobby Jindal as the nation’s first Indian-American governor, and now they’ve elected the nation’s first Vietnamese-American Congressman. Cao will be one to watch.
“More women are drinking, and the women who drink are drinking more, in some cases matching their male peers. This is the kind of equality nobody was fighting for.” (“Gender Bender” in New York magazine)
“‘It's a very homey feeling. You can't forget going to your grandma's house, and there's no way you can forget the smell, especially when the tamales are being made fresh,’ says Ms. Flores, now in her 20s.” (The Monitor covers an Hispanic Christmas tradition)
“At the slightest interruption -- an irritating ring tone, an insistent email alert or the hushed conversation in the adjacent office cubicle -- our thoughts can plunge into the mental underbrush like hounds snuffling after the wrong scent. As scientists document the normal brain changes at fault, they are highlighting a growing conflict between the push-me-pull-you demands of modern multitasking and our waning powers of concentration. By one estimate, the average office worker is interrupted every three minutes. Indeed, our inability to ignore irrelevant intrusions as we grow older may arise from a basic breakdown of internal brain communications involving memory, attention span and mental focus starting in middle age, researchers have discovered” (“Surveying the Brain for Origins of the Senior Moment”)
“Bill Gaither may not be an A-list celebrity or household name, but over a half century he has sold 20 million recordings and 20 million DVDs -- more than any other gospel performer. And the impact of this musical legend far exceeds mere sales figures” (Washington Post)
"How do we change in order to contextualize without changing the gospel?" “That is the practical question in ministry. If you under-contextualize your ministry and message, no one's life will be changed because they'll be too confused about what you are saying. But if you over-contextualize your ministry and your message, no one's life will be changed because you won't really be confronting them and calling them to make deep change….To over-contextualize to a new generation means you can make an idol out of their culture, but to under-contextualize to a new generation means you can make an idol out of the culture you come from. So there's no avoiding it. There's far more to say about this subject, but I'll just give you one bit of advice. The gospel is the key. If you don't have a deep grasp on the gospel of grace, you will either over-contextualize because you want so desperately to be liked and popular, or you will under-contextualize because you are self-righteous and proud and so sure you are right about everything. The gospel makes you humble enough to listen and adapt to non-believers, but confident and happy enough that you don't need their approval.” (From an interview with one of my favorite church leaders, Tim Keller)
“Angels We Have Heard On High” … played on broccoli? (He begins playing about 45 seconds into the clip)
Here's Ron Sexsmith's song "Maybe This Christmas." Leigh Nash did a nice cover of this, too, when Sixpence None the Richer was taking a break. Once again, for those of you accessing this post via Facebook or a reader, you have to go to my website with a Flash-enabled browser to listen to the song:
Maybe this Christmas will mean something more Maybe this year love will appear Deeper than ever before And maybe forgiveness will ask us to call Someone we love Someone we’ve lost For reasons we can’t quite recall Maybe this Christmas
Maybe there’ll be an open door Maybe the star that shone before* Will shine once more.
And maybe this Christmas will find us at last In heavenly peace* Prayed for at least For the love we’ve been shown in the past Maybe this Christmas Maybe this Christmas
(The lyrics sites say these lines should be "the star that shined before" and "in heaven at peace," but that rendering doesn't make sense, and I don't hear him singing it that way.)
I believe God is leading us to a single 10am Sunday morning service, and our staff and deacons agree. Now we seek your support for this move.
In October and November, our congregation enjoyed six weeks together at 10am, and it was great to have the energy and sweet fellowship when everyone from ages 5 to 95 filled up the room. We’re at our best when we’re together as a church family. The staff and the deacons join me in proposing we come together in a single 10am Sunday morning service.
The bylaws neither require nor forbid a congregational vote on when to hold our Sunday service. However, I recommended to the deacons that we hold a vote on this, and they have agreed. We will vote on this matter in the same manner we vote on the annual budget: a Wednesday meeting for discussion and a Sunday morning vote. On Wednesday, January 7, we’ll hold a special called business meeting at 6:30pm. On Sunday, January 11, we’ll take a ballot vote. For the proposal to pass we will seek a majority, in keeping with our bylaws. Should the proposal pass, we will begin our new 10am service Sunday, January 18.
God has taught us some valuable things through the Sunday morning format we’ve had the last three years. We have more musicians in the music ministry than we did before, we have a wider range of musical expressions than we did before, and Common Ground turned out to be a wonderful success. But just as we followed God’s leadership in forming two services, it’s time to follow God’s leadership into one 10am service now.
After six weeks of combined services in October and November, everyone I’ve talked to agrees that a combined service is best, but some still have questions about holding the service at 10am. At Hillcrest, we want members and guests to participate in two activities every Sunday morning: worship and small-group study. There are several advantages to our small-group ministry for setting the worship service at 10:
First, our Common Ground ministry needs to meet after the worship service. While Sunday School classes aren’t dependent on what happens in the worship service, Common Ground groups are. Common Ground groups use discussion guides built on the Bible lesson taught in the worship service. Did you know that about half of your church’s small-group attendance is made up of Common Ground participants and the kids they bring to preschool, children, and youth classes? Common Ground has been very successful in the last three years, and we need to try to accommodate to this ministry in the schedule we create.
Second, I believe Sunday School classes will benefit from this schedule as well as Common Ground groups. I know that in some classes teachers get frustrated watching class members trickle in to Sunday School the first 15-20 minutes of class in our current schedule. Some classes really can’t get rolling until 9:50 because of this. But during the six weeks in October and November when we were together at 10am, everyone showed up to your class room at the same time.
Third, whether you’re in a Sunday School class or a Common Ground group, it’s very easy to meet a guest in the service and invite him right away to the Bible study ministry. During the six weeks in October and November when we were together at 10am followed by small-group ministry, we had a 50 percent increase in the number of visitors in our Sunday School classes and Common Ground groups.
Fourth, holding the service at 10am allows for the option to hold Bible study classes before the worship service. Entire departments or classes—or just groups of individuals from existing classes—may select this option if members do not need children's activities at the same time. These early Bible study classes would meet from 8:45 to 9:45 and then go to the worship service. Some leaders of youth, children, and preschool ministries would also have the opportunity to attend an adult Bible study class if they desired.
While most adjusted quickly to the special six-week schedule in October and November, I know that others struggled with how it impacted their familiar Sunday School routine. But we need to be in one service, and that’s going to require adjustments from all of us.
As church members discuss what the Hillcrest Family should do on this matter, there are three levels of evaluation:
At the lowest level, people will say, “I like or dislike this proposal based upon what makes me comfortable and what fits within my preferences.”
Some will rise to a higher level and say, “This proposal doesn’t exactly fit my preference but I’ll tolerate it because I’m supposed to think about others.” Even though that’s a step up from the basement of selfishness, it still doesn’t quite get us where God wants us to be.
There’s a third level of evaluation where you say either, “I’ve prayed about this and I believe God wants us to figure out how to make this proposal work” or “I’ve prayed about this and I don’t believe God wants us going this direction.” The highest level goes beyond personal preference, and even beyond resigned consent to a point where we seek divine guidance.
Since LeaderLines is aimed at Hillcrest leaders, I want you to pray and help me influence our entire congregation to get to that third level of evaluation. In our discussion and vote, I want us seeking God’s will for Hillcrest. It’s obvious I believe God is leading us in one combined service at 10am. Through a lot of thought and prayer, the staff and the deacons are in agreement. Now it’s your turn to weigh in on this. As you do so, “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" caused a stir at a New Hanover County school. A parent complained about the song's religious reference and got it pulled from her child's kindergarten Christmas show at Murrayville Elementary School.
The song was pulled "because it had the word Christmas in it," said Rick Holliday, assistant school superintendent.
A Jewish mother, who didn't want her name published, objected to what she called "religious overtones" in the song. So the principal agreed to pull it from the program.
After other parents complained, "school board members, administrators and attorneys listened closely to the song's lyrics and decided the song was secular."
Taranto, in his characteristic wit, pointed out: "The real outrage about this story, though, is that the school district is so anti-Christian that it forces the poor assistant superintendent to call himself 'Holliday.'"
Here’s a “head’s up” on an exciting event in January 2009.
I know, I know. Your mind isn’t on 2009 yet. You’re busy with all the Christmas events that wrap up 2008--and I hope that includes the Hillcrest Festival of Christmas Music this Sunday, December 14, at 6:00pm!
But I want to get another event on your radar, too. Mark your calendar for our “Winning Ways” banquet on Sunday evening, January 25, in the Multipurpose Center. Jay and Dee Simpson will be cooking the barbeque, our own country recording artist Brent Blaha will sing, and my friend Representative Jim Keffer will speak. Among other responsibilities, he currently chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. In addition to hearing from Rep. Keffer, you will be able to meet some of the men and women who represent you, including those from the United States House and Senate.
I expect it will be easy to get your friend to an event like this—and that’s exactly why we’re organizing it!
I’ve dreamed and prayed about organizing an event like this for some time. In fact, I hope to hold an annual “Winning Ways” dinner where you can invite your friends to hear a Christian testimony from a prominent personality from the world of business, politics, sports, or entertainment. After a great meal, great music, and a great testimony, I will share the gospel and invite people to make a response on cards provided at the table.
I’m excited to have Jim Keffer as the speaker for our first Winning Ways event! I was Jim’s pastor in Eastland when he began his political career in 1996, and he has been in the Texas House ever since.
You will need a ticket to attend, and I hope you’ll buy two: one for you and one for a friend. They will go on sale soon. Seating will be limited.
So, may God bless you this busy Christmas season, but pray and plan for our Winning Ways banquet, too! It’s right around the corner!________________________________________ Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Well, after reading Lisa Miller’s advocacy piece, “The Religious Case for Gay Marriage,” which Newsweek elevated to the status of their cover story, I was sure there would be deserved reaction. Mollie at GetReligion didn’t let me down—you should really take some time with her exasperated critique of Newsweek’s journalistic debacle. With a cooler head, Albert Mohler also pokes holes in Miller’s brazen advocacy. If you’re interested in more on the subject of gay marriage, Christianity Today has set up a special section on their website.
“Teens and twentysomethings are no less pro-life than their elders, even though they're more socially liberal [on] most other fronts. The deeper question, of course, is why this should be so -Why are social conservatives holding their ground (and maybe gaining some) on abortion even as the country moves leftward on the nest of issues surrounding sexual orientation?” Ross Douthat in The Atlantic suggests an answer.
“What differentiates a zoo in Louisiana from other zoos? The Louisiana zoo has a description of the animal on the front of the cage, along with a recipe.” (This, and 49 other jokes at “50 Jokes for 50 States.”)
“My teen wants a computer in his room. I say no. Here's why.” Moms of teenagers, especially sons, should read this.
“A cup of strong coffee might make you feel wide awake, but a small study suggests that for improved physical and mental performance, an afternoon nap works better.” (For a pick-me-up, lie down)
“I’ve been musing recently about how we express our musical opinions. Why do we feel so strongly about songs, bands, and styles? And why do we draw conclusions so quickly? Nope. Don’t like it. That stinks. I can’t stand that kind of music. You like that stuff? Is there anything wrong with raving about the music/artists we love and and being swift to trash those we despise? If we’re Christians, yes. Let me suggest ten reasons why musical forbearance might be good for our souls.” (Read Bob Kauflin’s 10 Reasons at Worship Matters. HT: Pure Church)
“The same digital dynamics that drove the irrational exuberance—and marketed the loans to help it happen—are now driving the downside in unprecedented ways." In any given morning, Carr braves televisions in taxi cabs and elevators, news tickers in Times Square, email alerts, online advertisements, and instant messages that all feed the fear.” (David Carr, “Stoking Fear Everywhere You Look”)
“We might consider this current economic disaster as first and foremost a spiritual disaster. And a spiritual opportunity. That sort of talk would not make sense if we didn't know God's mad method of working in and through things like crucifixions. But he does. He is even said to bring on disasters, economic and spiritual, so that people will return to him.” (Mark Galli at CT discusses what the old prophet Amos said about economic trouble)
“Help! I am a hip, young New Yorker. I am not supposed to have a crush on Mike Huckabee.” (Cute article…in Slate?!)
RESOUNDworship - On Christmas Day by Matt Osgood, Free Worship Song RESOUNDworship.org is a UK based site features brand new worship songs, with free-to-download mp3s, lead sheets and chord charts. Each song started life in a local church context, and has been honed in peer critique to ensure strong biblical lyrics, usable themes and engaging, singable music. (HT: Martha)
“There are 50,000 people who are living in the jungles rather than going back and becoming Hindus….That is something that really speaks to us.” That’s from an unnamed retired pastor in the World magazine article, “When Religions of Peace Aren’t,” regarding the atrocious violence against Indian Christians who refuse to convert to Hinduism. Observers fear that more killings will take place before Christmas. Some younger Christians, fed up with the persecution, are joining Maoist ranks on the promise of guns and retaliatory strikes. This trend would severely complicate matters. The article says that the violence is funded in part by supporters of Hindu nationalism who live in Western countries. If so, is there anything Austin believers can do to build bridges to Indian expatriates and immigrants in our area who financially support Indian nationalistic movements that are revealed to be tied to this persecution?
“Ever wonder whether happy people have something you don't, something that keeps them cheerful, chipper and able to see the good in everything? It turns out they do — they have happy friends” (story). Research shows that cheer spreads.
“University of Virginia moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who coined the term elevation, writes, "Powerful moments of elevation sometimes seem to push a mental 'reset button,' wiping out feelings of cynicism and replacing them with feelings of hope, love, and optimism, and a sense of moral inspiration." …But uplifting rhetoric came to sound anachronistic, except as practiced by the occasional master like Martin Luther King Jr. or Ronald Reagan. And now Obama….We come to elevation, Haidt writes, through observing others—their strength of character, virtue, or "moral beauty." Elevation evokes in us "a desire to become a better person, or to lead a better life."… Haidt's research shows that elevation is good at provoking a desire to make a difference but not so good at motivating real action. But he says the elevation effect is powerful nonetheless. "It does appear to change people cognitively; it opens hearts and minds to new possibilities….Haidt acknowledges that in "calling the group to greatness," elevation can be used for murderous ends. He says: "Anything that takes us out of ourselves and makes us feel we are listening to something larger is part of morality. It's about pressing the buttons that turn off 'I' and turn on 'we.' " (Slate story)
“The smell of fear, one of the most terrible cliches of pulp fiction, is founded in fact, scientists claim today. People can unconsciously detect whether someone is stressed or scared by smelling a chemical pheromone released in their sweat…The research suggests that like many animal species, humans can detect and subconsciously respond to pheromones released by other people.” (Guardian)
“Two-thirds of women said they felt their mothers-in-law were jealous of their relationships with the sons, while two-thirds of mothers-in-law said they felt excluded by their sons' wives.” (“Why Mother-in-Law Problems Are Worse for Women”)
“Prayer has found a home on the Web….The sites are not all Christian, but most share a belief that if more people pray for something, it has a better chance of happening” (“If You Post It, They Will Pray”)
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the challenges that the North American Church is facing. What keeps you encouraged? “Prayer. Meeting God in prayer. Sorry to sound so trite. Prayer and meditation brings joy. God is on His throne—everything's going to be fine in the end. The new heavens and new Earth are coming in which "everything sad is going to come untrue." Don't get too bent out of shape because your church didn't grow this year.” (From an interview with one of my favorite church leaders, Tim Keller)
The sweetest--(sniffle)--news bit from this week. Watch and then pray for our troops away from home this Christmas:
I have a lot of Christmas songs in my collection with theologically-thoughtful lyrics about the Incarnation. Um, this isn't one of them. Tap your foot to The Eels, and be thankful for friendship. Here's "Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas"--
remember last year when you were on your own you swore the spirit couldn't be found december rolled around and you were counting on it to roll out
well, everything's gonna be cool this christmas everything's gonna be cool this christmas everything's gonna be cool this christmas
well everybody's lookin' for you down at the house the tree is looking so inspired there's a yuletide groove waitin' for you to move i'll go and throw another log on the fire
everything's gonna be cool this christmas everything's gonna be cool this christmas everything's gonna be cool this christmas
as days go by the more we need friends and the harder they are to find if i could have a friend like you all my life well i guess i'd be doin' just fine
everything's gonna be cool this christmas everything's gonna be cool this christmas everything's gonna be cool this christmas
“Isn’t it a great irony that one of the greatest missionary examples in history—whose work is celebrated each year at Christmas—is not our model?”
This week our church begins to collect our annual Lottie Moon Christmas offering, named for one of the greatest missionaries in Southern Baptist history.
But Ed Stetzer says that Southern Baptists are unwilling to apply her missional methods in their own local settings. As I wrote in this week’s “Winning Ways,” Lottie Moon was a missionary sent by Southern Baptists in the 1800s to China. She adopted the Chinese culture, dressed in Chinese clothes, and ate Chinese food. And, according to Stetzer, we honor her for her dedication—we just don’t emulate her.
You really should take 28 minutes and watch the video of Dr. Stetzer “bringing it” at the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio. Clearly, the convention organizers saved the best for last. I have links to the speech at the end of this article.
Spontaneous applause interrupted Stetzer’s address several times as he preached from Acts 16:7-10. Stetzer said that Paul immediately responded to the vision he had seen where a man was standing in Macedonia begging for Paul to “come to Macedonia and help us,” adding that Paul immediately crossed over into that culture. “Our Macedonias are calling us and we have not crossed over to help,” Stetzer said.
He said that we falsely divide the work of international missions from our own local church work when, in fact, we should do our local church work in the same way that missionaries do their work in other fields. We should live as missionaries in our own context.
Using the same three words he’s used in many other speeches, Stetzer insisted that our churches must contend for the faith, contextualize the gospel, and cooperate together.
Contend: “No group without a firmly held theology reaches people for Christ,” he said, “Rallying around missions while ignoring doctrine does not work. Missions without doctrine leads to compromise. Compromise leads to a lack of commitment to biblical truth. Soon, we no longer see the need for evangelism because we have flawed and weak doctrine.”
Contextualize: “There are things we [as Southern Baptists] find essential for the Gospel and some things we find convictional as Baptists. We cannot reach this continent by compromising those, but we do need to live them out in different contexts.”
Complaining that “a trip into many of our churches is a step back into another time period of culture,” Stetzer referenced Romans 9:3-4, saying the Apostle Paul was willing to sacrifice his very salvation so that the Hebrews might be saved. Unfortunately, he said, Southern Baptists often cannot “give up [their] Sunday morning preferences” that have become an impediment to reaching the culture around their churches.
“From this very SBC pulpit,” Stetzer said, referring to the various speakers during the SBC annual meeting in San Antonio, “we have preached against models and ministries that are reaching more people for Christ than we ever have.”
Cooperate: “Is it debate that enlivens us, controversy that excites us or is it God’s mission?” Stetzer asked the audience. Accomplishing the Great Commission requires the combined efforts of others.
To see the whole address, go here, click on "View 2007 Annual Meeting Video Archives Online," and find Stetzer's challenge near the bottom of the page. To watch a portion of his 28-minute challenge, click here. And if you want to hear more from this remarkable SBC leader, this blogger has collected a bunch of Stetzer mp3 files onto one page.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
If you’ve been thinking about membership at Hillcrest, this Sunday would be a perfect time to attend. On December 7, I will lead the Discover Hillcrest class during a free lunch. The class is for those who want to become members, and for those who just want to learn more about Hillcrest.
While I teach the adult class, Karen Raulie teaches “Discover Hillcrest Kids” for children ages 8-12, and Jim Siegel teaches “Discover Hillcrest Youth” for students in grades 6-12. Childcare is provided for children under the age of 8.Pre-registration for the class is encouraged but not required. You can register by contacting the church office. Encourage others to attend with you, too!
Support International Missions. I hope you’ll join my family in giving to the cause of international missions this Christmas. The “Lottie Moon Christmas Offering” that our church promotes each December is named for a Southern Baptist missionary who served in China in the late 1800s.
Nicknamed “Lottie” by those around her, Charlotte Moon was born to a wealthy Virginia family in 1841. She began her work as a missionary to China in 1873. Slowly, she overcame her language problems and cultural differences to connect with the Chinese people. She wrote about her experiences to churches in the United States, and her letters became popular sources of information about Christian mission efforts.
When China was swept by a famine, Lottie suffered this deprivation with those she served, refusing to eat any more than what was available to those around her. She soon became ill and she was ordered back to the States. But before the boat left port, she died. It was Christmas Eve 1912, and she was 72 years old. Now, Southern Baptists have an offering called “the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering” to honor her service.
Today, our church contributes to the support of 5,193 missionaries through our giving to the International Mission Board. Last year, these missionaries started 23,486 churches and celebrated 475,072 baptisms around the world. Their work continues, as over half of the 11,362 people groups worldwide are still unreached, meaning that less than 2 percent of the population identifies with an evangelical church.
It costs $40,866.61 a year to support an IMB missionary, which includes things like housing, food, children’s education, and retirement. About 13 percent of your regular contributions to Hillcrest already go to missions work locally and around the world. But at Christmas time, we challenge you to give directly to missions through the Lottie Moon Offering. _______________________________________ Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
“‘People say to me: Oh, how fascinating, it must be a treat to have a perfect memory,’ she says. Her lips twist into a thin smile. ‘But it’s also agonizing.’ In addition to good memories, every angry word, every mistake, every disappointment, every shock and every moment of pain goes unforgotten. Time heals no wounds for Price. ‘I don’t look back at the past with any distance. It’s more like experiencing everything over and over again, and those memories trigger exactly the same emotions in me. It’s like an endless, chaotic film that can completely overpower me. And there’s no stop button’” (“An Infinite Loop in the Brain,” about a woman with absolutely perfect memory)
Forget Guitar Hero—this Christmas season try your skill with Handbell Hero free online.
Christianity Today Online has a daily Advent calendar for you. Start here.
“Astronaut Don Merkley has space-walked six times, repairing broken latches, attaching antennae to the space station — and praying over all the earth. ‘I intercede for each continent as I pass over it,” says Merkley, an evangelical Christian. “I have the high ground, spiritually speaking, over the prince of the air. It’s a tremendous faith boost.’” (LarkNews)
“Lesley helped with the ultrasound [on a woman who wanted an abortion but was too far along to have one] and saw the fetus moving. It was 20 weeks, 3 days old and ‘pretty real’ to her. In previous weeks, she had tried to keep similar-sized babies alive. This ‘conflict of effort’ was, to Lesley, ‘weird, even surreal.’” (From a WaPo article about a young medical student trying to decide whether to follow her abortion-rights convictions into the abortion business. Let’s hope she continues to think about why this “conflict of effort” would be “weird, even surreal.”)
Why do pro-life convictions begin at conception? Listen to this 90-second clip from Albert Mohler’s interview with Yuval Levin of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (You can listen to the whole show here):
“Some say that creating better programs, preaching, and worship services so people ‘come to us’ isn’t going to cut it anymore. But here’s my dilemma—I see no evidence to verify this claim….I realize missional evangelism takes a long time, and these churches are often working in difficult soil. We can’t expect growth overnight. But given their unproven track records, these missional churches should be slow to criticize the attractional churches that are making a measurable impact” (Dan Kimball, “Missional Misgivings“)
“It’s an amazing compliment to our team, our fans and Baylor,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “We’ve worked very hard to get to this point. To be ranked in the Top 25 out of 344 Division I teams is a testament to how far we’ve come as a program.”
“Jesus came to wash my heart clean,” said Safi, spontaneously breaking into song about the strength of Jesus and her love for Him. “I am strong because of Jesus. I believe.” Safi is the first believer among 8,000 Vigue people who live in southern Burkina Faso. The Gospel has come to the Vigue by way of Bartlett Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tenn., in partnership with the International Mission Board. (story)
“The Papua New Guinea jungle has given up one of its darkest secrets - the systematic slaughter of every male baby born in two villages to prevent future tribal clashes. By virtually wiping out the ‘male stock’, tribal women hope they can avoid deadly bow-and-arrow wars between the villages in the future.” (London’s Daily Mail)
“At the very moment when Obama and his party have won the trust of so many Catholics who favor at least some limits on abortion, I hope he does not prove them wrong. I hope he does not make a fool out of that nice Doug Kmiec, who led the pro-life charge on his behalf. I hope he does not spit on the rest of us — though I don’t take him for the spitting sort — on his way in the door. I hope that his appointment of Ellen Moran, formerly of EMILY’s List, as his communications director is followed by the appointment of some equally good Democrats who hold pro-life views. By supporting and signing the current version of FOCA, Obama would reignite the culture war he so deftly sidestepped throughout this campaign.” (Slate; HT: Terry Mattingly at GetReligion)
“From James Bond to Batman, recent movie heroes have been saving the world not out of cheerful duty but rather righteous anger. Can these figures be seen as psalmists in lament – crying out against the injustice of a fallen world – or is rage simply all the rage right now?” (Think Christian)
“Teenage girls drawn to Twilight and its shallow look at romance need to understand what real love looks like” (Megan Basham in World) I know nothing about the book or film, so you tell me whether Basham is on target.
“‘Children’s normally and naturally developing minds make them prone to believe in divine creation and intelligent design. In contrast, evolution is unnatural for human minds; relatively difficult to believe.’” From an article in The Telegraph explaining one academic’s claim that children are ‘born believers’ in God and do not simply acquire religious beliefs through indoctrination.
“Manhattan is the capital of people living by themselves. But are New Yorkers lonelier? Far from it, say a new breed of loneliness researchers, who argue that urban alienation is largely a myth.” (New York magazine; Even if you don’t live in New York, if you live alone in a city, there’s good news in this article)
