Indispensable – Be sure to read Greg Lucas’ beautiful article “Indispensable.” “My son is a 20-year-old autistic man with the cognitive mentality of a 2-year-old child, yet he is indispensable to the congregation of Redemption Church. He cannot speak (although he can make plenty of noise) yet he is indispensable to the worship service.”
The Amalekite Genocide – “One of the standard ways that the New Atheists attack Christianity is by using some of the Old Testament war passages to argue that God is violent and petty. One of the favourite passages for this is the so-called Amalekite Genocide of 1 Samuel 15. But difficulties with passages such as this are not restricted to atheists.”
The Great Molasses Flood – “In 1919 a wave of syrup swept through the streets of Boston. Fluid dynamics explains why it was even more devastating than a typical tsunami.”
The Monster Under Your Bed – This is a wonderful article about fear. “As an adult, I’ve long since conquered my fears of the dark. But I still have monsters under my bed and they taunt me night and day…”
Reza Aslan’s Jesus – This is a great review of Reza Aslan’s much-discussed book Zealot. “The general public, however, over time experiences breakthrough fatigue – an increasing contempt coupled with a decreasing curiosity toward any new claim about the man from Nazareth. The net effect is a weary scepticism that we can know anything about the historical Jesus or about history at all.” (See also Craig Evans and/or Darrell Bock.)
Facebook Photos – It seems there is some moral significance to posting tons of photos to Facebook. “Our research found that those who frequently post photographs on Facebook risk damaging real-life relationships. This is because people, other than very close friends and relatives, don’t seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves.”
Bankrupt By Beanies – There has to be a moral and a sermon illustration in this short film which depicts a man who pretty much bankrupted his family collecting Beanie Babies.
Our best works before we are justified are little better than splendid sins.
—J.C. Ryle
