Weekend A La Carte (2/2)

The Superbowl and Women [2] - This is a brilliant and very important article. Give it some time and attention! “I contend that the way we consume iconic national events like the Super Bowl better depicts what we really believe about women and their so-called roles than do our formal theological statements, denominational position papers, teachings about the spiritual disciplines, and admonitions toward modesty and fidelity. For in the invisibility of normality, there we find our idolatry.”

Going Outside the Camp [3] - James Coffield challenges us: “We have all ‘sinned against sinners.’ The church is often quick to reach out and serve those suffering from physical sickness, as it should.” But we do not do so well when it comes to mental illness. “As believers, we are often curious about the factors that may have contributed to the illness, but we are called to be humble and kind. We need humble curiosity when dealing with those afflicted with mental illness.”

Secrets of Grand Central Terminal [4] - This is fun. It’s an interactive map displaying some of the secrets of New York’s Grand Central Terminal.

The Rented Crowd [5] - I always enjoy Conrad Mbewe’s descriptions of the cultural nuances of his context. Here he writes about the African phenomenon of the “rented” crowd and warns you to be careful when counting attendance during your missions trips.

8 Notes on Counseling Abused Children [6] - I’m not sure how helpful it is to distill so serious a charge (the charge to counsel an abused child) down to 8 short points, but I did appreciate Victor Vieth’s attempt to set helpful directions. The final point gives us all a challenge: “Preaching the gospel to abused children involves more than waiting for one to appear in our office or even our churches--it means an active search for the lost.”

100 Kindle Books [7] - Amazon has 100 Kindle books on sale at $3.99 or less. There are a few worth looking at, including biographies of Lincoln, Jefferson and Churchill.

Superhero Dad [8] - If you happened to catch the viral photo of a superhero dad and his superhero son out shopping, this article gives context. It never ceases to surprise me how 15 minutes of fame can come about in a digital world!

Sex is from God. He gave it to us as a gift. It's a wedding gift. —Bill Shannon