Rarely do I see a clearer manifestation of the pathetic nature of our culture than at Halloween. I’m all for having the kids dress up to go and collect candy. But yesterday I stepped into a store and noticed that the section for adult costumes was bigger than the section for kid’s costumes. Two words: grow up! The men’s costumes had some variety; the women’s costumes appeared to come in two varieties, witch and prostitute (and, of course, the ever-popular witch-prostitute). Again, it’s time to grow up. Let the kids have their fun and leave the adults out of it.
Contend for the Faith – Mounce talks about what it means for Jude to contend for the faith. “Jude is telling the church that it is time to take the kids’ gloves off and duke it out. This is not the time for caution and reserve. It is war. Whenever I read Jude I think of John Piper’s admonitions to accept a war-time life style. It is war, and the battle is both within and without the church. For Jude and many churches, the fieriest battle lie within.”
In Christ Alone – The mega-popular band Owl City has recorded a rendition of “In Christ Alone.” (Owl City is a band that gets a lot of mainstream play) This must be the 300th cover of that song, at least. I’m a bit bummed that he left out the second verse, without which the song is quite a lot weaker. Still, check the comments on his blog and you can see the kind of ministry this guy has.
A Lost Loved One – Randy Alcorn gives a wise answer to this question: “How would you respond and minister to unsaved friends or family (or even strangers) who have lost a loved one and assume their lost loved one is in Heaven, even though that person clearly did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ?”
Gay-Friendly Sesame Street – Here’s yet another controversy about Sesame Street (I find it hard to believe that the show still exists). “Sesame Workshop says it’s not out to appeal to a gay audience but with such recent actions as a ‘True Blood’ parody, inviting openly gay guests like Wanda Sykes, and an interesting tweet by Bert, some are feeling the love.”
Same Sex Relationships – Speaking of which, a new study finds that 9.3% of teens has had a sexual experience with a member of the same sex. “Carlat said the increase in teens with same-sex partners can be explained in part by cultural shifts in the last decade, including the legalization of same-sex marriages and unions in some states and the spike in celebrities talking about same-sex encounters. He pointed to Katy Perry’s hit song ‘I Kissed a Girl’ as being a ‘watershed moment.’”
O Church Arise – I enjoyed this rendition of Getty/Townend’s “O Church Arise”:
A sermon without Christ as its beginning, middle and end is a mistake in conception and a crime in execution.
—C.H. Spurgeon
