Welcome to WLL#348. It’s also Ash Wednesday. We have an unusual number of mid-month pieces here today even though the list was prepared the day before. So not fresh off the press, but we thought worth including. Don’t forget to try to get your suggestions to me by 6:00 PM EST on Monday; but later ones do get considered.
- The sermon not heard around the world. Not streaming this week’s sermon probably brought it more attention. Here’s what Andy Stanley said. (Also a dozen quotes in the “likes” section of my Twitter feed.)
- Of course, the big news this week was Tim Keller stepping down from Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC, and the breaking up of the 8-location body into three smaller churches.
- Franklin Go Home: Signatories representing half of all Christians in Vancouver, Canada wish Franklin Graham wasn’t coming for a weekend crusade.
- Quotation of the Week: You have to listen this. If you’re in ministry full time, or even if you aren’t go this sermon and jump to 28:16 for a minute or two.
- Sincere congratulations to Julie Anne at Spiritual Sounding Board on five years of investigative blogging and championing the cause of people who have suffered spiritual abuse at the hands of authoritarian churches.
- Parenting Place: When your kids ask, “Is _________ a Christian?” Sometimes you don’t know where to begin. Take the awards show a few weeks back with Chance the Rapper: “On one hand Chance has numerous songs with profoundly Christian lyrics, and he talks openly about his faith journey as a black rapper. Some even say he ‘represents Millennial Christianity.’ But on the other hand, Chance doesn’t hesitate to drop F-bombs, or rap about drinking and smoking weed. He even collaborates with extremely profane rappers like Lil Wayne and 2Chainz.” This is an excellent article on how to respond to this and similar situations…
- …Here’s a 15-minute interview Chance did with Katy Couric.
- The Chain of Grace: You just never know what your influence might be, or where an evangelism effort might lead.
- The Small Screen: A special needs parent examines ABC-TV’s Speechless.
- The funniest stuff around lately has been Garrison Keillor’s explorations into the faith of Donald J. Trump. One three weeks ago was inspired by The National Prayer Breakfast…
- …while a more recent one has Trump simply lapsing into Biblical language. “…here I am with goodness and mercy following me every single day of my life, not just mercy but goodness too, and we’re making tremendous progress, great numbers getting bigger every day, multitudes gathering everywhere I go, touching the hem of my garment…”
- So very sad: “Congregants of the [Spindale, NC] Word of Faith Fellowship were regularly punched, smacked, choked, slammed to the floor or thrown through walls in a violent form of deliverance meant to “purify” sinners by beating out devils, 43 former members told The Associated Press in separate, exclusive interviews. Victims of the violence included pre-teens and toddlers — even crying babies, who were vigorously shaken, screamed at and sometimes smacked…”
- …Not related: A 21-year old Oklahoma missionary has been sentenced to 40 years in Nairobi for the sexual assault of 3 girls and a boy in a orphanage. The case has had “a chilling effect on the lives of dozens of foreign volunteers in Kenya and elsewhere who must now live under the cloud of suspicion.”
- History Lesson: As of this week, this video trailer had been on YouTube for 4 years with less than 1,000 views. Koinonia Farm was “a small Christian community in Southwest Georgia where whites and blacks chose to live and work together as equals… Possibly the most daring social experiment in the South during the last century.”
- Richard Rohr (pronounced RROARRR) believes we are at the precipice of a paradigm shift he terms “a Trinitarian Revolution.”
- From a few months back: “When life collapses it doesn’t always catch you off guard. Sometimes you can feel it coming from a long way off.”
- Dialing for Doctrine: What to tell your kids (and unchurched friends) what we believe about angels.
- Listicles (complete with annoying pop-ups) at BeliefNet:
- Just not-in-time for the Oscars, 15 Top Born Again Celebrities. (Grab the camera!)
- For all you non-Anglican, non-Catholic readers, 6 Reasons to Observe Lent.
- Repairing a holy site in Christendom, Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre: “So who do you choose for such a restoration, when the stakes are so high? Whom do you call when the site in question is the holiest site on the planet for millions of Christians?“
- While churches and charities ramp up donation appeals at year end, another time to consider increasing your own giving is tax refund season.
- Video of the Week: 10 minutes on The Shack book and movie. “Should you go see the movie The Shack? Why wouldn’t you.” I like the balance in this discussion. (Another Shack link below.)
- Bible Time: For those who think they’re too busy, reading times for each Biblical book.
- Parsing terminology: Neo liberals, liberals, centrists, conservatives and neo conservatives defined. Then a suggestion that moderates need to be heard over the voices of extreme ideology.
- If you only get one tattoo and love irony, this is the one to get.
- John Piper Encyclical of the Week: You need to get rid of your dog. Right now. It’s distracting you from your Christian life. Bye, Bye Bowser. (But the Pipester himself is keeping Dusty. She is an eight-year-old golden doodle.) …
- …And now, the official response to Piper from Dee Parsons at Wartburg Watch. Full disclosure: Dee is owner of Lily, Petunia and Tulip (double entendre intended, bless her heart).
- Media Month: “It was reported that the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated alone now generates more profit than all the other issues throughout the year combined.”
- This is why the Wednesday Link List doesn’t contain a “Where are they now?” feature.
- Finally, a review of The Shack by someone who didn’t read the book and hasn’t seen the movie and decides to simply guess what the film is about. #NoSpoilerAlertsNeeded
Our extro image is from the Twitter feed Unvirtuous Abbey:
Thinking Out Loud 
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