Watching a church service online was novel the first couple of weeks. And while I’m grateful it’s an option, three weeks in I find myself grieving the necessity of it, and longing to be back with the people I love.
Today’s Kindle deals include lots of good deals from lots of good publishers.
(Yesterday on the blog: Locked Down Alone)
“No Wealth But Life”: Moral Reasoning in a Pandemic
“Two weeks ago we awoke from our dogmatic slumber of American exceptionalism to realize that the coronavirus was not merely some ‘Chinese virus,’ or the bane of aging Italians. America, and her public officials in particular, have been playing catch up ever since. Lacking adequate testing to have any clear handle on where the virus was and wasn’t, many states and localities began enacting stringent measures for ‘social distancing,’ to mitigate and suppress the spread of the deadly virus before it overwhelmed hospitals across America.” (See also Albert Mohler’s “Save Lives First, Repair the Economy Second: A Matter of Christian Priorities.”)
Your Wife and Daughter May Become Eligible for the Draft
Denny Burk writes about a “congressionally mandated commission” that is “recommending women should be eligible for the draft, a move that comes five years after the Pentagon opened all combat roles to women.” (See also this statement by CBMW.)
A New Christian Streaming Service “For Such a Time as This” – Redeem TV
Christian History Institute and Vision Video have just released their new streaming service, Redeem TV, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The streaming platform is donor-supported and free to use. No ads. No monthly fees. Redeem TV is stocked with family-friendly dramas, interesting documentaries, small group studies, and children’s programs. (SPONSORED LINK)
Everybody Sing!
Janie Cheaney expresses what I think a lot of people are feeling. “What do you miss most about church during enforced isolation? It might be the socializing, or the preaching, or the excellent Sunday school series that was interrupted. I miss the singing. “
The Severe Mercy of a Stay at Home Order
Jared Wilson writes about how the stay-at-home order has been, to him, a severe mercy.
An Update on Conversion Therapy Bans in Canada
Here’s an important update about Canada’s potential outlawing of so-called conversion therapy. “This federal bill would ban conversion therapy across the entire country with the threat of criminal sanction, including jail time, a penalty not available to provinces and municipalities.”
COVID-19: Living by Probabilities or Providence?
In this midst of this pandemic, are you living by probabilities or by providence? “Let me say, dear brothers and sisters, we shouldn’t find either our safety—or our doom—in numbers, statistics, and risk profiles. (I’m preaching to myself here, too!) Scripture turns our gaze elsewhere…”
Flashback: Never Sorry Enough
I wanted to see him shed a few tears for his offense against me. I wanted him to look and act sorry enough to satisfy my wounded ego. I had judged his apology sincere but insufficient, well-intentioned but trite.
Give according to the measure of the gospel’s dominion over your heart.
—Jared Wilson
