Yes, it's true; Target does have people who visit Wal-Mart and link list creators do drop in on other link lists to see what's making the rounds. If you find yourself craving more of this sort of thing by Saturday, two of my weekend favorites are the Saturday Ramblings at Internet Monk and the Saturday Links at DashHouse. I only borrowed one from iMonk, but linked three stories from church planter Darryl Dash, so this week's lengthy intro was mostly guilt-induced.
- Are some prominent pastors' sermon series timed to coincide with national release dates for their latest book?
- Some students at Gordon College didn't connect at all with the gospel-styled worship leader at chapel services …
- … which led this pastor with a broad church background to write about the value of denomination hopping.
- A long-running Canadian Christian talk show, 100 Huntley Street is entering the U.S. market with a distinct American edition and Eric Metaxas as co-host. Teaser/sample: Metaxas on The Quirky Bible. Long form sample: Interview with Mark Burnett & Roma Downey.
- With fact-checkers like this out there, if I were Ergun Caner, I might never utter another word.
- The American Humanist Association successfully got a memorial cross removed from public property in California, but a number of others quickly replaced it in protest.
- The United Methodist pastor who officiated at his gay son's wedding and was then defrocked now has a book deal.
- I normally have an aversion to articles that start with a number ("7 Must-Implement Church Growth Ideas") but I do want to recommend 10 Signs You Might Be A Legalist …
- … From the same author, Jeremy Myers, check out his list of offbeat sources for church demographics. (Don't miss the map on the Forbes link.)
- Buried in this story is a suggestion from Pope Francis that what Pope Benedict did by resigning should be normative, thus making Pope Emeritus a more frequent designation.
- A pregnancy center in Buffalo, New York is offering both birthing services and abortions in the same building, believed to be the first such facility in the U.S.
- Quote of the Week: "First-world believers are 'right-handed' readers interpreting a message written to the spiritually and socio-economically 'left-handed. '" Read the rest!
- Post-debate discussions on creation continue; this one on the age of the earth particularly resonated with me.
- And this story happened literally close to home: Canadian broadcaster Lorna Dueck's story on the 20th anniversary of the Toronto Blessing. (Though she avoided the topic of the role of Rodney Howard-Browne and "holy laughter.")
- Justin and Trisha Davis take a brief look at the value of separation after an affair for the purpose of achieving reconciliation.
- The Mormon Church has issued a statement to help clarify some elements of its doctrine considered outlandish by non-LDS members.
- Short Essay of the Week: An open apology to local congregations by Katelyn Beaty.
- Long Essay of the Week: An insider look at sexual temptation in the homeschool community.
- Essay Runner-Up: "… now, most of us live public lives on a worldwide forum." With Facebook and Twitter, we're all celebrities now.
- John Ortberg's PCUSA congregation becomes the second mega-sized church to exit that denomination, but at great financial cost. (If you have 30 minutes, click the sermon audio link.)
- The pastor of a 3,000 member megachurch in Sweden and his wife have resigned and become Roman Catholics.
- Women's Corner: Does embracing Biblical submission mean this writer might as well quit med school?
- Analogy of the Week: Rinse-and-spit devotional time.
- Want to expand your weekly podcast experience? Try the Christian Podcast Directory.
- If even half of these stories are true, British church organists are up to a lot of mischief.
- Metaphor of the Month: The long forgotten analogy of the pastor as fisherman. (Ideally, the pastor and everyone else, too.)
- Life at Christian Colleges: Sometimes transportation issues leave younger students no choice, but there are reasons to pass on the church all the other students attend. (The article was written more for graduate students, but has broader application.)
- From the wife of a well-known pastor, five (or maybe seven) things kids should know before heading to college.
- Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? First there was Not a Fan and now there is Unfollowers, a new title from Wesleyan Books. (But that said, I just ordered a copy!)
- The east edition of the Creation Festival will include Tullian Tchvidjian, Eric Ludy, and Jeff Bethke; and there are rumors they might also have some musicians.
- This writer creates a Mark Driscoll catalog of offenses …
- … However, two voices that have not been heard, plus an ironic picture.
- Finally, here's a classic, one-minute movie clip that you must watch full screen. (Thanks to this sleuth blogger!)
The Wednesday Link List is a production of Paul Wilkinson with proofreading assistance from Mrs. W. who is actually the better writer in the family.
