Our link list artist this week is David Hayward, better known as Naked Pastor. He actually gave away the original water color of this last week, so with blog giveaways like that, you might just want to become a regular reader.
Off to the links we go…
Rick Apperson reviews basketball fundraiser Austin Gutwein’s Take Your Best Shot, at the blog Just a Thought, while the whole genre — including some video clips of Austin — is examined at Christian Book Shop Talk. Like Zach Hunter, Austin, pictured at right, got into the whole international relief thing at a very, very young age. If I were still in youth ministry, I think I would build a whole evening around the videos describing what Zach and Austin are doing.- The whole Charismatic thing got started in the 1970s, right? Not exactly. If you’ve got some time to invest, Brazillian-born Leo Di Siqueira links to a lengthy article that blows apart the “cessationist” view that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit died off with the first apostles. Writer Nigel Scotland documents examples of the “miracle” gifts occurring in the first five centures of the church. The link is approximately a 15-page .pdf file.
- Garrison Keillor explains the book publishing industry for all the children in the audience who are too young to remember what a book is on the pages of The New York Times. (Here’s a related piece I wrote at my book industry blog.)
- John Freeman at Ligoner Ministries suggests a balanced approach to dealing with the issue of homosexuality specifically and sexual sins in general; meanwhile…
- …”When Ray Boltz and Azariah Southworth perform in concert at Covenant of the Cross in Nashville on June 17, 2010, they will kick off a national tour as well as an affirmation of their status as openly gay Christian music artists.” Continue reading that story in Out and About a gay community blog. But wait, there’s more…
- …At the blog Monday Morning Insight, Todd Rhoades posts a piece about Boltz’ new album and some sample song lyrics which invite the broader Christian community to embrace greater tolerance.
- For the time being, Raymond Hosier can wear his rosary beads to school, as reports the Washington Post. Now the school in question faces a lawsuit.
- Once-disgraced Colorado Pastor Ted Haggard announced today he is starting a new church and “will be happy if only a few people join.” Read about St. James Church at NBC’s Denver affiliate.
- They sold their house and named their RV after the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This is actually an October, 2009 YouTube clip from Good Morning America, but someone sent it to me, and it is inspiring.
- By their CD collection you shall know them: Brett McCracken thinks true “hipsters” would be nostalgic for these contemporary Christian music classics.
- Many a college or university began life with solid Christian roots which they would sooner forget in the secularized 21st Century; but sometimes, as Mark Roberts points out, the architecture of their older buildings betrays this history. (My own alma matter, once proudly part of the now liberal United Church of Canada, is emblazoned with, “The Truth Shall Set You Free.”)
- Trevin Wax had two great links last week: First, when the Westboro gang decide to picket your church, if you’re in the deep south you serve them food! Second, a link to Head Heart Hand, which suggests that bloggers are usually either Creators or Curators.
- Relatively new blog: Faith and the Law chronicles those times where Christians run afoul of the law in both the U.S. and around the world.
- Our cartoon this week are from Doug Michael (upper) and Dennis Daniel (lower) at Baptist Press (we’re going to have to put these guys on the payroll…) What’s with all the first-name last-names at BP?
Thinking Out Loud 