A lot of people are critical of short-term missions, but right now, a plane ticket to somewhere warm would look really appealing. In the meantime, here are some links to keep you warm, clicking anything that follows will take you to PARSE at Christianity Today and then you can click through from there.
- Our opener this week is from Soujourners, a list of ten things a true Jesus-follower should never be caught saying.
- It’s a major programming shift at the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Some longtime shows are off the schedule, with replacements not yet known.
- Finally! At last! Someone is planting a Bible-believing church in Atlanta. A few days later, the blogger who posted that one responded to comments.
- What’s most interesting about the man who was molested by a Florida Baptist pastor is the size of the settlement: $12.5 million.
- Missed this one earlier this month, five questions with veteran missionary Don Richardson, and some surprising answers.
- You know him as Hercule Poirot, but actor David Suchet has just finished a complete audio recording of the NIV Bible.
- Clemency: An eight-letter word meaning Iran could release imprisoned U.S. Pastor Saeed Abedini on its own terms. (Keep praying.)
- Did the onstage actions of a former CCM artist cause a current CCM artist to get up and leave the Grammy Awards? Could have been several reasons.
- Say what you want while touring the holy land, but don’t try to convert Muslims or knock Allah, warns a billboard.
- Essay of the Week: Asking someone about their ethnicity isn’t just politically incorrect; it’s also spiritually incorrect.
- Book industry behemoth Amazon — already publishing and marketing its own original titles — has now entered the world of Christian publishing with Waterfall Press. (Wow! Too close for comfort to Random House’s Christian imprint Waterbrook Press.)
- The final episode of Bible Secrets on the History network dealt with what the Bible says about sex. Unfortunately, the Bible doesn’t say what the producers suggested.
- “Translations can also be a window to our heart and theology and preferences.” The Bible you choose probably says much about your tribe…
- …And how many Bibles do you have at home? This video reminds me the value of something we take for granted.
- This link, ooh ooh, takes you, la la la, to an article by Bob yea-ah! Kauflin about these extra, whoa-oa-oh, generic syllables added to some worship songs.
- If you’re the kind of person who gets their kicks out of reading all the inane comments in your blog’s spam filter, you might also enjoy the insights on the Bible Students Say… Twitter feed.
- In a 40-minute Skype interview, Greg Boyd describes his journey to identify as an Anabaptist.
- An alternative to the dominant theory: What if Bonhoeffer stuck to his pacifist guns? (Pun intended.)
- Just for Women: Clothing matters, but it’s not what’s at the heart of modesty.
- The Pentagon is now allowing military personnel to request time off for prayer or to attend a religious service, and also allowing the wearing of religious clothing, as long as these things don’t impair the country’s defense mission.
- I never thought of those long lists of genealogies as The Traffic Jams of the Bible.
- From the same Jesus People who brought you the Cornerstone Festival, a new Covenant Church launches in The Wilson Abbey.
- After 40 years, a CNN reporter notes six changes evident in this year’s March for Life.
- Seven signs the book you’re reading was written by a prosperity preacher.
- Spiritual abuse in church can take many forms, and sometimes, it’s pastors who are the victims. One church owned up to this, and took steps to repentance. (Be sure to click through all five pages.)
- Well, one unhappy customer has filled in his comment card, and thinks that John Piper’s books and weekly YouTube Encyclicals take personal opinion and transmit it as doctrine.
- Liberty University has just posted a video that at least one writer might consider watching, Avoiding Plagiarism. (But skip the one on formatting essays, for 28 painful minutes the person operating the camera didn’t format his screen, and we miss 100% of the slides the lecturer keeps referring to!)
- Christian singer Jamie Grace discusses her new album and being a performing artist with Tourette Syndrome.
- Deep and Concise: We often say that “God exists outside of time;” but perhaps he allows himself to submit to it.
- You never know what’s around the corner online. This week it was SeekFind.org, a Christian search engine that seems both functional and discerning in terms of what sites are included.
- Steve McCoy asked his Twitter followers what they would choose if their future reading was limited to 3, 4 or 5 books, and got lots of responses.
- From the poet laureate of worship in the UK, Graham Kendrick, a beautiful worship song from three years ago with Good Friday applications.
- In all the excitement over the music in the forthcoming Alone Yet Not Alone movie, it’s easy to forget that before there was a movie, there was the book…
- …However, where one writer says the book and movie stand in relation to sectarian movements within Christianity may surprise you.
- KidMin Corner: Even if it’s not related to this week’s lesson, how can you deprive the kids of a chance to make an Elijah Taken up to Heaven Mask?
- I hate when this happens: You’re the Pope and you go to release a couple of peace doves and they get attacked by seagulls and crows.
- Unconventional Canadian Christian broadcaster Drew Marshall reflects on the recent antics of two of Canada’s favorite sons.
- Finally, another pair of silly articles highlighting Arminian and Reformed differences. No chickens were injured in the making of these, I trust.
We leave you today with “the thrill that’ll gitcha when ya get your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone.” In this case, Pope Francis in the current issue; click the image to read the story.
Paul Wilkinson is based in Canada — “You liked the first Polar Vortex so much we’re sending you another one” — and blogs at Thinking Out Loud and Christian Book Shop Talk.
The Christmas List Lynx is back; it must be December!
Thinking Out Loud 