Wednesday Link List

Random screenshot from this week’s Phil Vischer Podcast even though there’s no reference to it in the link list, because, honestly, we didn’t have a picture this week. Left to right: Phil, Christian Taylor and Skye Jethani (Click image to watch)

Each installment of the link list takes on a different flavor, and this one is no exception. No, that’s not right, it is an exception, that’s what makes it different. (Maybe I should have gone with the “no two snowflakes are the same” intro.) 

Clicking anything below will take to PARSE, who own the link list, then click the items there you wish to view.

• Okay, hands up everybody who knows where the Bible verse numbers came from?
• Here’s another Bible translation teaser: If you haven’t heard of the Modern Evangelical Version or the Hebrew Roots Bible, then you might want to follow The Bible Hunter.
• OverviewBible.com is an infographic project typified by this one, listing every dream in the Bible.
• Your mileage may vary: Not everyone will agree with all twelve points in this list of things preachers can learn from TEDTalk presenters.
• According to this writer, the ideal Christian radio station would include portions of intentionally dead air.
• Christianity Today talks to Brian Brodersen, successor to Calvary Chapel’s Chuck Smith. (They didn’t always agree.)
• Ready to quit the ministry? This writer speaks from the experience of crossing over to the dark side, with a knowledge of what happens after you submit the resignation.
• The Catholic Church is bolstering their ranks of trained exorcists.
• Sermon of the Week: From early last month, Gary W. Burge talks the Willow Creekers through the familiar ground of Psalm 23.
• J. D. Greear explains why planting additional campus locations might make more sense than planting new churches.
• Megachurch pastor Perry Noble goes public on taking anti-depressants for anxiety issues.
• A few weeks ago we looked at U2charist, but that was before we had heard of having a Hank Williams mass.
• Seven-time author Becky Garrison suggests that Mark Driscoll has been altering the history of his church, rendering it more of a one-man accomplishment.
• “You never think you’re in a cult when you’re in a cult.” A reminiscence of growing up under Bill Gothard’s teaching.
• Emmy award-winning Actress Patricia Heaton from ABC-TV’s The Middle on Christians in Hollywood.
• The latest abuse-of-children allegations are being pointed at Chicago’s Jesus People USA. The community birthed the Cornerstone Festival and Resurrection Band. The complaints against JPUSA form part of a 90-minute documentary.
• The lead singer of the band As I Lay Dying pleaded guilty last week to hiring a hit man to kill his wife.
• On my own blog this week, creating an online social media index for your church family; and a book review of Is Sunday School Destroying Our Kids, a short indie book that grew on me the more I read it.
• From the vault, one year ago, eight issues that don’t make or break Christianity.
• This one is worth consideration: A short essay on the proper and virtuous application of hate.
• I never thought about God as “the beginning and the end” as being less like a line and more like a circle. Another wrestling through ‘If God made everything who made God?’
• Many leadership blogs encourage aspiring authors to start building an online platform, but that goal is fraught with spiritual dangers.
• Tech stuff: This article is about the pursuit of excellence in our weekend services, but I especially love the title: Leading Worship from the Booth.
• With both the Olympics and Superbowl in the rear view mirror, David Platt laments our idolatry of sports.
• Does the church need to have a distinct ministry to its youth subculture?
• Yes, the Pope did say a bad word in Sunday’s sermon. (Confusing two similar Italian words is easy if it’s not your first language.)
• Writing from a country where we don’t have flags in our churches, it’s tough to grasp the religious significance of this type of story.
• Randy Alcorn on how we dress up, or dress down for church.
• The Son of God movie is going to have its detractors in the Christian blogosphere, of which this one is representative…
• …the same type of sentiment that resulted in the Noah movie adding a disclaimer…
• …while in other Noah news, Ken Ham is going ahead with plans to build an ark, at a cost of $73 million.
• Biomedical Ethics: The UK is moving toward a fertilization method that would result in three-parent babies.
• Finally, remember when the pastor told you to take John 3:16 and write your name in it? (“For God so loved Bill…”) Well, now you can have your name inserted in over 7,000 places.

Like I said, no time for picture shopping this week, so Mrs. W. suggested we mine the vault for classics:

Wednesday Link List

Click the image above for sourcing; meanwhile, here are the rest of this week’s suggested readings:

• The Economist catches up to the wind of Evangelical and Charismatic Christianity blowing through the church in the UK.  Yeah, really, The Economist. 
• I was recently scanning the four youth books that deal with cutting, addiction, abuse and food disorders by Nancy Alcorn, and noticed the books are somewhat of a commercial for something called Mercy Ministries. Then I read this report.
• Last week while we were linklisting here, Pete Wilson posted an article about all the damage being done by Facebook. Except that Facebook isn’t really the culprit. 
• At Internet Monk, Denise Spencer, wife of the late Michael Spencer who founded iMonk, shares some insights she discovered after being lost in a forest.
  
• Why do so many Christian blogs have Christian book reviews, and so few have Christian music reviews? Amy Sondova at Backseat Writer is the exception with this in-depth CD review of The Same Love by Paul Baloche.
  
• Here’s an intriguing idea: What if we read the directives in Paul’s epistles in the first person? This example from Galatians 3 models what could be an instant small group exercise. B. J. Stockman guest posts at Zach’s. (Chapters one and two are also blogged there.)
  
• Here’s an opportunity to wear your Spandex to the Red Sea: Stryper frontman Michael Sweet is leading a Holy Land tour.
  
• Why Writers Need Editors: A guy we associate with alternative Christian media doesn’t have much use for mainstream Christian media. Maybe too much so.  He apologizes, sort of.
• Here’s a short story that will rock your world when it comes to how we tend to view who pays for what when it comes to missions. Not everyone gets a 4-star hotel with M&Ms (red ones removed) either.
• Texas pastor and blogger Trey Morgan was involved in a house giveaway last week that didn’t involve either Habitat for Humanity or Extreme Makeover Home Edition. It’s the second house they’ve given away. (Here’s more about the first one.)
  
• If some are chosen, elect or predestined, why evangelize? Here’s a Calvinist with seven Biblical reasons.
  
• Wanna go deep? Here’s an article about the concept that worship is a physical act; there isn’t a higher or purer worship to be experienced; not in this life.
  
• Author Linda Mintle talks to CBN News about the “Am I Pretty?” YouTube video disturbing teen trend.
  
• And here’s another parenting must-read: Brad Whitt’s 20 Ways To Tell Your Child You Love Them
  
• Know someone responsible for worship and/or creative arts ministry in your local church? Tell them about Sunday online magazine.
  
• Dave Carrol has a great quotation from Randy Bohlender’s new book, Jesus Killed My Church.
• Speaking of books, Rick Apperson reviews the new Mike Howerton book Glorious Mess which he found literally too funny.
  
• Here’s a blog link just for the sisters; but the guys can read it, too. Sometimes parents exasperate their kids because we think that they have to learn to do a task the way we do it.
  
• Hometown (sort of) rapper Chris Greenwood aka Manafest, has a new album, Fighter releasing in April. One of the producers worked with Justin Bieber while another produced for The Newsboys.
  
• Don’t forget to have your link suggestions in by Monday night.
  
• For our closing picture below, we ask the musical question: Why throw out your old car parts when they can be part of the church stage design on Sunday morning? Click the image for the story link.