
Baptist Food Pyramid: This Babylon Bee article, published exactly one year ago today, is accessed by clicking the image.

Finding True Religion: I took this picture a few weeks ago at Toronto’s Eaton Centre. Apparently True Religion is a brand of denim jeans. Click the image to visit their site.
I’m writing the introduction at 5:30 PM yesterday with the list not quite finished. This week really came together and in some respects I feel that this is one of the best Wednesday Link Lists (or whatever we call it now) that I’ve ever completed. I hope you’ll take the time — and it does take time — to read several of these which might interest you and share the link with your friends using this shortlink: https://wp.me/pfdhA-9Vh
► Your Article of the Week: “I’ll never forget hearing the phrase, ‘Make Sunday morning the best hour of their week!’ encouraging ministers to focus all of their attention on making that Sunday morning hour so popping, so exciting, so over-the-top memorable and fun, that kids couldn’t wait to come back. However, the trade-off for that is that we had to create programs that appealed primarily to the senses and not necessarily to the soul and spirit.”
► Your Quotation of the Week: “At this point in the pontificate of Francis, I believe it can be reasonably maintained that this marks the twilight of that imposing historical reality which can be defined as ‘Roman Catholicism.’ This does not mean, properly understood, that the Catholic Church is coming to an end, but that what is fading is the way in which it has historically structured and represented itself in recent centuries.” The writer then argues that Francis is using the playbook written by Martin Luther.
► Provocative Headline of the Week: “New Documents Reveal How the FBI Deployed a Televangelist to Discredit Martin Luther King.” The article details how “the bureau colluded with Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux, then a widely successful black radio preacher and televangelist, in their campaign against King.”
► As the Global Ambassador for The World Evangelical Alliance, Brian Stiller prepares to travel to a symposium on the subject, a look at what it means to be (called) Evangelical. “While the recent sharp reaction to the use of the label has come about in the U.S., in part because of divisions following the 2016 presidential election, a decision on what name best suits us globally is not a choice we can leave for Americans to decide. The U.S. does not set the agenda for the world, and we should not assume that what matters to them will define what matters globally. As influential as they are, and recognizing that American concerns do affect the world, the real place of evangelical growth is in the global south (Asia, Africa and Latin America).” (Be sure to also check out Brian’s new book from IVP, From Jerusalem to Timbuktu.)
► Congratulations to Terry Mattingly: “This week marks my 30th anniversary writing this national ‘On Religion’ column. The first piece ran on April 11, 1988 and focused – wait for it – on arguments about evangelicals and White House politics. Turn, turn, turn. Three decades is a long time, so allow me to pause and make something clear. I still believe that if journalists want to cover real news in the real lives of real people in the real world then they need to get real serious about religion.”
► Monday was not a good day for U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson, on trial in Turkey. “The day’s hearing ended with the court ordering Brunson back the prison where he was first held after he was detained in 2016, said the American Center for Law and Justice, a Washington D.C. advocacy agency that is supporting the pastor’s defense. It is a facility where nearly two dozen inmates are held to a cell, the center said. ‘Instead of being returned to the prison where he had been held most recently, the judge ordered Pastor Andrew to be taken back to an overcrowded and extremely grim prison where he was held initially,’ said the center’s chief counsel, Jay Sekulow. ‘As you can imagine, the news is devastating to Pastor Andrew and his family.'” (Background: The BBC reports “Andrew Brunson is accused of helping a group led by Fethullah Gulen, an exiled Muslim preacher who Turkish authorities allege was behind a failed 2016 coup.”)
► Allow me to go off on a tangent with this one. The article on lesser-known Bible translations, stressing the value of translation by committee, does recognize that we tend to celebrate the work of individual translators, mentioning Jerome, Tyndale, Luther, Jan Hus, and Robert Morrison. Really? So why is that we have some who now despise this very type of solo effort, condemning the work of Eugene Peterson (The Message) or Brian Simmons (The Passion Translation)? Makes no sense. If you have a CT subscription, or they haven’t pay-walled this by Wednesday, checkout Ten Bible Translations You’ve Never Heard Of (even though most readers certainly have heard of several of them.)
► Your word of the Week: Intercommunion. “the German Church has been thrown deeper into controversy after seven bishops appealed to the Vatican against new guidelines that would allow Protestant spouses of Catholics to receive Holy Communion…The more fundamental problem with intercommunion is that, even if the form is similar, different religious communities often have very different understandings of what Communion means…Either the sacrament is the Body and Blood of Christ, or it is not. If it is viewed simply as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice, that is another thing entirely. This is why, under established Catholic teaching, intercommunion is possible with the Orthodox Churches – though limited in practice – but not with most Protestant denominations, simply because they don’t agree with the Catholic view of what Communion actually is.
► End of the world predictions: Ed Stetzer–
I emailed…January 15, 2018 after his last prediction failed. I wrote him:
Hi…
It looks like all those predictions did not come together. I wonder if you regret them now and the embarrassment they’ve caused so many Christians?
Ed
…He explained that “revelation is progressive.”
But, it’s not…You are either a fraud or a fool, and it’s time for you to stop making Christians look foolish.
► Poverty in Kissimmee, Florida: “It seems obscene that such poverty exists in the shadow of the Happiest Place on Earth, perhaps even persisting under its watch. That the person serving my churro or checking my seatbelt on Magic Mountain could be living out of a derelict motel should be a devastating realization. A single day pass to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom costs $115, which means some of the park’s workers likely cannot afford the luxury of taking their family to visit Mickey and friends…. While we may cringe at the idea of seeing such raw stories played out on screen— 6-year-olds swearing at adults, spying on the topless elderly woman tanning at the pool, finagling adults into giving them ice cream money—assuming this all to be some horrific parable about the doctrine of total depravity, simply because the images are uncomfortable does not mean that they can be ignored.“
► Bible Contradictions: Six discrepancies that don’t actually exist. “Sample #3: James and Paul teach two different salvations. …The book of James would seem to teach a contradictory salvation of faith plus works (Ja. 2:14-17). However, the book of James never denies faith is necessary for salvation. Its focus on works is to show that live faith, like a live tree, blossoms and bears fruit…This is not denying justification by faith but simply showing that justification and sanctification are connected, albeit in a strict order.”
► Muting the choir so that you can hear the soloists: A parable on the danger of spiritual over-activity.
► Writing runs in the family: “I now find it much easier to find satisfaction in the small things in life. The beauty of a house in my neighborhood, an interesting piece of poetry, playing with my roommate’s dogs. All these things add up and make life much more enjoyable.” My son’s story about learning to appreciate anxiety-inhibiting drugs.
► Live near or within driving distance of Toronto, Canada? Here’s a last-minute notice for Thriving in a Babylon, a conference on living in a secular world happening this weekend.
► New Podcast: Just listening to Episode 1 of this 30-minute journey into eschatology. “If you’re ready to leave behind Left Behind: we get it. If you’ve been traumatized by doom-and-gloom preaching: let us bring you a good old-fashioned dose of hope. Together, we’ll explore the New Testament passages about the so-called ‘End,’ in intelligent and humanizing ways.” Host Kurt Willems has IMHO one of the best teachings (on his other podcast, The Paulcast) on understanding “caught up to meet him in the air” from 1 Thessalonians. So I can safely say that I think you’ll find the podcast, Rapture Drill most interesting.
► The Chicken and the Big Apple: Chick-fil-A arrives in New York City. “…the company has announced plans to open as many as a dozen more storefronts in the city. And yet the brand’s arrival here feels like an infiltration, in no small part because of its pervasive Christian traditionalism. Its headquarters, in Atlanta, are adorned with Bible verses and a statue of Jesus washing a disciple’s feet. Its stores close on Sundays. Its C.E.O., Dan Cathy, has been accused of bigotry for using the company’s charitable wing to fund anti-gay causes, including groups that oppose same-sex marriage…” The company “…is set to become the third-largest fast-food chain in the nation, behind only McDonald’s and Starbucks.”
► Words about Worship: 20 Quotations about worship for worship leaders. (The headline adds, “by worship leaders” but not sure how that applies to any of the people quoted.)
► Sexual misconduct allegations happen to atheist groups as well. The head of American Atheists, David Silverman is out.
► You thought we were kidding when six months ago we promised you, and yes, this book actually did get released. (We offer the CBD page as proof!) “An intriguing look at the enigmatic prophecies surrounding the Trump presidency. Examining how the chaos enveloping the world could signal the beginning of the end-time awakening, the authors explore the president’s interest in rebuilding the third temple in Jerusalem, the global economic “reset” announced by the International Monetary Fund, the establishment’s hidden agenda, and more.”
► I thought this was going to be something you’d expect to see on “The List” or “Access Hollywood” or “Entertainment Tonight.” But then Brittany Valadez surprised me with these 19 surprising facts about Paul, Apostle of Christ.
► There are still many bloggers who command a large daily readership, but how many have a Spanish language edition? Consider Tim Challies, bloguero, autor, y comentarista de libros. (Coming soon — I hope — the Internet Monk blog in Latin.)
► The weight of the matter: A Kentucky Baptist pastor realized he needed to do something when he was weighing in at nearly 500 pounds (223 kg). “I had lost my prophetic voice,” [Jeremy] Atwood said. “How are you going to speak to someone about their sin when you weigh 491 pounds?”
► I wasn’t going to go back to him again so soon, but Justin Bieber apparently led a worship set at one of the two weekends of the Coachella Festival. (He is bringing his faith into view more frequently…it’s an interesting trajectory.)
► In other celeb news from Relevant Magazine, Catholic nuns appealing to Pope Francis stop Katy Perry from closing the deal on the purchase of a convent in California. Sister Callahan of the Sisters of the Most Immaculate Heart stated, “in selling to Katy Perry, we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church.”
► The YouTube channel Mahima Ko Aawaz features worship songs in Hindi or Nepali. This one is titled Hallujhea vandai Hosana. Or for something more professionally produced, check out Mero Chattan. ♫
► Televangelist Ernest Angley is back in the news. “The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…decided to overturn a 2017 ruling that required Cathedral Buffet and Angley himself to pay more than $388,000 in back wages owed to workers as well as damages. The latest appeals court ruling, which was unanimously decided by a three judge panel on Monday, said the workers did not expect to be paid for their work at buffet, meaning Angley did not violate fair labor laws. Angley claims that the buffet never made a profit.”
► Truth is stranger… “A woman has sued the pastor of a megachurch in Georgia for pushing her head while praying for her, causing her to fall down to the ground and hit her head. She says she got a traumatic brain injury due to the incident. Since her fall last year, [Yvonne] Byrd has had headaches and dizziness, and has visited hospitals several times, he said, adding that the church’s insurance company has refused to cover the medical bills which is why Byrd filed a lawsuit against the church and the pastor.”
► Finally, Christian comedian Jon Crist and his wife are on vacation and trying to find a church.

Coming This Weekend to an Imaginary Location Near You: ♫ The Christian Coachella Festival ♫ (via. Jon Crist)