Category: Links to Think On

Christians Can Vote For Trump…

Key Quote: “Christians of sincere faith come to different conclusions about health care, LGBT rights, taxes and immigration. Some Christians oppose all war, and cite scripture to back up their position. Others believe war is sometimes justified — and they, too, support their stance with scripture. There are some things, though, that a Christian can’t support: torture, greed and blatant immorality.”

Is There Such a Thing as Church Authority?

Key Quote: “In our day and age, it’s at least mildly controversial to say the local church isn’t just a voluntary association of Christians, or a resource center for your Christian life, or a means of fellowship that you’re free to take advantage of if you want. It’s probably equally controversial to say that, in fact, the local church plays a unique and vital role in God’s work of redemption because it is the embassy of the kingdom of heaven in this dark and fallen world.”

The State of Theology in America

Key Quote: “Exactly half (50 percent) agree that the Bible has the authority to tell us what we must do.”

Rewriting Earth’s Creation Story

Key Quote: “There is absolutely not a single scrap of observational evidence that requires that scenario ever took place. We as a scientific community created an origin myth that has no more intellectual value than 1 Genesis,” Harrison says. “Although we’re very quick to criticize those that operate on faith, that’s exactly what we did.”

For The Bible Tells Me So?

Key Quote: “In the end, we simply have no place to go other than the Bible as God’s authoritative revelation. Christ, not the Bible, is the foundation of our faith — but our only authoritative and infallible source of knowledge about Christ is the Bible.”

Public Faith

Key Quote: “In the midst of another divisive election and a political culture that thrives off of conflict, many Christians and other Americans are tempted to check out and claim the posture of a conscientious objector or to dig in for even greater political hostilities. We believe that neither political withdrawal nor reinvigorated culture wars by Christians will help our nation and communities through the difficult challenges we face. Instead, we seek to offer a different voice: confident and hopeful, equally full of conviction and grace. As Christians, we believe that our faith has something essential to contribute in this moment.”

 

What Today’s Christians Need to Know About Living in a Pagan World

Key Quote: “In today’s climate, Christians have to restore Christ’s message of love and joy—not just talking about it, but living it every day. That does not mean accommodating ourselves to the pagan world, but witnessing for Jesus within that world. We don’t win over pagans by diluting our faith, but by living it out.”

Coffee: The Beverage that Fuels the Church

Key Quote: “The meaning of the ritual of coffee in the Western church exists only in iterations: Individual communities of believers define it according to their own purposes, needs, and beliefs. For some of those believers, coffee is a simple accommodation offered to friends and strangers alike. For others, it is a means of fellowship under the sign of the age. Still others see potential in it for meaningful engagement with some of the social injustices of our time. The resulting collage of activity renders a definite image when viewed from a height: The picture is of the church performing its mundane acts of transfiguration on everything that it touches and gathers to itself—even coffee.”

6 Tips for Making it Small in Hollywood. Or Anywhere

Key Quote: “Rather than ask, ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’ ask, ‘In what way do I wish the world were different? What problem can I help solve?’ This puts the focus where it should be — on how you can serve other people.”

 

Is the Church Good for Society? – Dean Inserra reflects on research indicating that fewer Americans think the church is improving society. Challenging and hopefully catalytic.

5 Things Christians Need to Stop Doing – Included in the list: Stop being so weird online. Stop handling conflict so poorly. He addresses it to the church, but it’s good for personal reflection (at least it was for me:)

Is There a Difference Between Preaching and Teaching? – This is a bit more niche, but Zach Hoag explains the difference between preaching and teaching in a church-centric fashion. Good stuff here!

Bonus: Worship Band Sliced to Pieces – If you aren’t familiar with the Babylon Bee, you should be. It’s Christian satire site (so don’t take it too seriously) but there’s always a good laugh to be had!

So, as I make my occasional forays around the wild and wonderful Internet land, I often come across articles that make me think. Enjoy!

Stop Renting Your Church Home – Church membership is old hat, church attendance is declining. Aaron Earls at Facts & Trends examines the difference between “renting” and “buying”a church home.

Can We Hope Again? – Trevin Wax advocates a distinctly Christian alternative to the distraction and distress our current situation often engenders: hope.

2016 Political Rhetoric – I value words. I love words. I believe that words matter. I’ve expressed before that I am both #NeverTrump and #NeverHillary, so this isn’t an endorsement or a new denouncement, but a fascinating look at the rhetorical tendencies of our major party political candidates, especially as they relate to evangelical Christian voters.

Bonus: Being a Lifeguard For the Best Swimmers In the World is Boring