Wednesday Link List

Of course, there are probably things more important than coffee cups we should be concerned about…

…Time to kick off another edition of the news roundup where other news roundups get their news roundups, unless they get it from another news roundup or don’t borrow from another news roundup… 

…But first, we’re pleased to note another great match on Tinder:

• For the first time in seven years, local media in Charlotte snags an interview with Steven Furtick. The eleven outtakes from the story may be the more interesting content.
• Leadership lessons: When male pastors shepherd and disciple women, boundaries need to exist. This 35-minute podcast with Krsitie Anyabwile and Thabiti Anyabwile is part of a series on this topic. “If there isn’t a window in your office, put it on the budget; ask a carpenter to come by and put a hole in the wall.”
• Following the death of his brother, Canada’s new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau attended an Alpha Course.
• The Indianapolis murder of Amanda Blackburn was the death of both a Pastor’s wife and a Pastor’s daughter. Davey Blackburn issued this statement.  2,000 people attended her memorial service.
• KidMin: A major media look at changes in Christian Education. The Wall Street Journal notes: “[T]he children and families director at Riverside Church leads a jazzed-up version of Sunday school, without a Bible in sight.” 
• The missionary conundrum: How far to go in asking for financial assistance.
  
• Twenty years after the author’s death, in 2016 Convergent Books, a division of Penguin Random House will release new collections of the works of Henri Nouwen.
• “Part of the appeal of [Oswald] Chambers’ teachings and his famous devotional [My Utmost for His Highest] is his ability to capture deep, profound biblical truths in ways that are easy to comprehend, but force you to wrestle through them to truly understand.” Relevant Magazine highlights 12 Chambers quotations. 
• A shot of good news; the type you don’t hear so much online.
  
• “As [Justin] Bieber gears up to release his upcoming album Purpose on November 13, he has adamantly been bringing mainstream media on his faith journey with him during his promotional tours. In his recent interview with Billboard magazine, Bieber capped off the night at a church service…” More at Christian Post. 
• Blog Post of the Week: Seems Jesus didn’t take Joel Osteen’s advice.
  
• Christian author and professor Randall Balmer is quoted in a CNN article on Ben Carson: “His whole campaign is based upon his narrative, because he has no political experience and no record of public service…” Another Christian academic, Michael Duduit, notes: “”His selling point is that he is a man of integrity… [I]t’s OK to tell a story. Jesus told stories… Just don’t add details that didn’t happen.”  
• An authoritative blogger is threatened with legal action by Gospel for Asia.
• Spotting the difference between worshipers of God and worshipers of worship services. 
• Essay of the Week: “41,000 different Christian denominations exist worldwide. Causes for division are perhaps as numerous as the divisions themselves, and almost all show up during a church’s weekly services.”
  
• A look at the Biblical basis for the Gender Equality position.
  
• This link is more of mainstream media item, but it’s the actual Facebook post of a 22-year old woman caught in the concert massacre in Paris on Friday…
• …Also, a look at the song Imagine by John Lennon in light of last Friday.
  
• Tony Jones remembers René Girard, who advanced the Scapegoat interpretation of Christ’s death.
• For your consideration: Reasons the author believes contribute to an absence of Islamic terrorism in Japan. 
• Quotation of the Week: “I want believers to see that they can lead a big, God-glorifying life in the suburbs, the country, and the urban core. They can drive an SUV; they can buy Venti two-shot light-foam Caramel Macchiatos at Starbucks; they don’t have to quit their job, but can keep working at their vocation, whether that means barista in Brooklyn, stay-at-home mom in Des Moines, financial planner in Chicago, pastor in Bangor, Maine, or most anything in between.” Okay, maybe you need some context. 
• Certain vendors won’t stock this children’s book about their bodies because it uses the p-word and the v-word. 
• Tech Talk: The best WordPress blog and website themes for churches.
  
• Ever wished you could easily go back to those great lines from books you’ve read? Here are some tips on capturing quotations for all types of media.
• Video of the Week: Stephen Colbert’s attempt to convert Bill Maher.
  
• While you’re planning that late fall barbecue, remember that your Orthodox friends are observing the 40-day Nativity Fast.
  
• Finally, because we can, Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na BatMoses.
  

 

Actual photo of one Christian bookstore’s recommended shoebox items: Operation Christmas Child, saving the world one piece of cheap, useless, breakable junk at a time.

Time to close in prayer: