This week's links lynx is actually an Iberian Lynx
A special blessing will come your way if you click all these links and then send the list to ten friends. Seriously. Would I lie to you?
Actually, it’s just a list of things I found worth reading this week. This weekly list is now consider the #1 list of links published on a Wednesday by a blog called Thinking Out Loud. BTW, the Iberian Lynx is making what is only his second appearance here. The first was in January this year.
- If 56 million Bibles are printed annual in China, why would you bother to smuggle any? Maybe because the number of Bibles produced are often English Bibles and Bible story books for kids which are exported for sale here in the west. So the need is still there.
- She was the champion of the use of the arts in church worship. And still is. But right now, former Willow Creek creative arts guru Nancy Beach is sitting in a director’s chair in Toronto on the set of a movie.
- Sometimes you hear about charity fund raising projects and you wonder if anything is actually being accomplished. 18 months ago, I wrote about one involving worship musicians, Compassionart. (I still enjoy the CD/DVD combo, especially the DVD.) This past week, Rick Apperson dug up the stats on the projects accomplished by the project so far.
- You can vote in the comments section whether or not you love this week’s YouTube clip or hate it. But how can you not like little Mary Margaret’s flawless dramatic narration of the story of Jonah?
- Back to the heavy stuff. Here’s a great piece at Think Christian that helps you identify American “civil religion” when you see it. Simple marker: “Any statement that identifies the USA as God’s unique instrument for the salvation of the world is by definition blasphemous and idolatrous for a Christian to make.”
- Mandy Thompson’s husband discovers that he didn’t actually marry that Mandy Thompson.
- Thirty seconds of thinking: Seth Godin on why it matters that there’s a difference to jazz versus bowling.
- David Fitch wants you think twice about church planting in an auditorium as opposed to church planting in a living room. Your choice could have repercussions for decades.
- Here’s a great 5-minute animation of the Casting Crowns song, Praise You In The Storm.
- Actually, I’ll give you a bonus video this week. This is by Aaron Niequist, former Mars Hill (Grand Rapids) now doing the same job at Willow Creek. The song is simply titled Changed.
- Then again, why not go three-for-three. This one may not fit your definition of a worship song, but it earn the adjective as much as anything else. Check out Owl City’s Meteor Shower.
- It’s one thing to have a more gender-inclusive translation of the Bible, but T.C. Robinson wonders aloud what do you do when “elders” in Titus 1 is gender-neutral as it is in the Common English Bible?
- Are you a book-review blogger? Here’s some advice to put what you do in perspective.
- Skye Jethani is concerned because there are people attending church each week who are just plain bored. Certainly that shouldn’t be.
- Personal link: This is what my oldest son gets up to when we’re not looking. The musical instrument he’s playing here is called a Sonome. Elsewhere on his channel you can do a quick tutorial he posted and find out how they work. (If you’re reading this months later, it’s the Super Mario clip that was upfront when I wrote this.)
- Our comic this week should be familiar to you. Here we have Dolly partially deep in prayer at The Family Circus by Bil Keane. Do you ever pray like that? I’ll bet Mary Margaret does.
Thinking Out Loud 