Skip to content ↓

A La Carte (3/20)

A La Carte Collection cover image

Praying for Politicians – “Having been a minister for twenty-six years and an editor of a church magazine for some of that time, I can safely say that there is no subject more likely to get you into controversy than the troubled relationship of the gospel to politics, unless you dare to touch the modern-day idol of people’s children.” That’s a good start to a good article.

Romans 12:1-2 – I don’t think anyone could ever exhaust the riches of Romans 12:1-2. Here is a short take on how that text provides the why, what and how of Christian living.

Google Glass – Expect to see the media inundated with articles about Google Glass in the days to come. This one makes the rather obvious comparison to Orwell’s Big Brother but then asks, “what would you say if instead of it being Google Glass, it was Government Glass? A revolutionary way of improving public services, some may say. Call me a cynic, but I don’t think it’d have much success.”

Top Ten Sentence Slip-Ups – “Creating correct sentences is a technical process that offers set guidelines for getting the structure right. Within those guidelines, we have the opportunity to flex our creative muscles in all kinds of unique ways (and even to occasionally burst the bounds of those guidelines if we have good reason for doing so). But in discovering how and where to flex in order to tap our prose potential without inappropriately bursting those bounds, we should first learn to spot the most prevalent sentence slips-ups and know when to eliminate them from our stories.”

Photographer’s Notebook – Note: There are some [non-sexually] graphic photos in this gallery. “It’s been 10 years since U.S.-led forces waged war in Iraq. In this collection of some of Reuters iconic images from the conflict, the photographers provide a personal account of the events they captured.”

Read the Fine Print – Trevin Wax says that we need to read the fine print before agreeing to any kind of “marriage equality.” “As the Supreme Court considers the merits of adopting or banning same-sex marriage, many politicians are voicing their support for changing the law. But just as smart shoppers know to look beyond an advertisement to read the fine print, Americans should look beyond the surface issues to the surprising details no one is discussing.”

Most people are brought to faith in Christ not by argument for it, but by exposure to it.

—Samuel Shoemaker

  • Optimistic Denominationalism

    Optimistic Denominationalism

    It is one of the realities of the Christian faith that people love to criticize—the reality that there are a host of different denominations and a multitude of different expressions of Christian worship. We hear it from skeptics: If Christianity is true and if it really changes people, then why can’t you get along? We…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 24)

    A La Carte: Growing in hospitality / What happens when the governing authorities are the wrongdoers? / Transgender meds for kids? / 100 facets to the diamond of Christ / Spiritual mothers point us to Christ / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 23)

    A La Carte: Climate anxiety paralyzes, gospel hope propels / Living what God has written / How should I engage my rebellious child? / Satan hates your pastor / How to navigate our spiritual highs / The art of extemporaneous preaching / and more.

  • The Path to Contentment

    The Path to Contentment

    I wonder if you have ever considered that the solution to discontentment almost always seems to be more. If I only had more money I would be content. If I only had more followers, more possessions, more beauty, then at last I would consider myself successful. If only my house was bigger, my influence wider,…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 22)

    A La Carte: Why my shepherd carries a rod / When Mandisa forgave Simon Cowell / An open mind is like an open mouth / Marriage: the half-time report / The church should mind its spiritual business / Kindle deals / and more.

  • It Begins and Ends with Speaking

    It Begins and Ends with Speaking

    Part of the joy of reading biography is having the opportunity to learn about a person who lived before us. An exceptional biography makes us feel as if we have actually come to know its subject, so that we rejoice in that person’s triumphs, grieve over his failures, and weep at his death.