Carl Trueman on Evangelicals as Johnny-Come-Latelys to Lent – "I suspect that the reasons evangelicals are rediscovering Lent is as much to do with the poverty of their own liturgical tradition as anything. American evangelicals are past masters at appropriating anything that catches their fancy in church history and claiming it as their own … I also fear that it speaks of a certain carnality: The desire to do something which simply looks cool and which has a certain ostentatious spirituality about it …"
The Church and Beer Combo Meal – This time it was PBS' turn to highlight the trend: "At Pub Theology in Washington, most believe that traditional churches are too rigid and confining … it’s estimated there are upwards of 130 church pubs in the US, many more in Europe, and that the number is growing." But not all clergy interviewed for the story were supportive.
Debriefing the Sermon You Just Preached – Of the four points in this article, the second addresses the great vulnerability of a pastor right after speaking: "Any criticisms you hear need to be received, graciously acknowledged, and then honestly considered, but not one hour after your sermon. Most of us who have just poured our hearts out in preaching are not at a good place to evaluate criticisms. Always graciously receive all comments. However, those comments that may be particularly hard or even harsh to hear are better evaluated after two good nights of sleep. Write them down. Leave them on your desk. Try to forget about them until Tuesday …"
New Church Construction at its Lowest Since 1967 – In a four minute audio segment, NPR looks at the house church movement. "The Bible says, 'What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, a word of instruction, or an interpretation'—all of this done for the strength of the church," [Greg] Stultz says. "Where is that being done?" Furthermore, one of the groups would actually qualify as multi-site: "Three years later, Redemption now has three house churches that meet around Bristol. Once a month, they have a group service …"
Memo to Pastors: Knowing Your Audience when You Preach on Sex – "In your congregation are numerous people who have committed adultery. There are hundreds of porn addicts and fantasizers of both genders. We are not a sexually pure people. So please don't preach like we're riding on your high horse with you (whether or not you mean to be up there). The Bible is clear about sex and its place in marriage, and it is your job to preach it. But when you stand up there and preach like 'we all know fornication is evil' it shames us. When you lay low the adulterers with your scorn it shames them. And are you even thinking of those who became sexually active by force through rape or molestation? How low must they feel when you speak of the “loss of purity” like it's a candle that was blown out?"
Revisiting the President's Conversion Story – Within the church we call it a testimony. We call it a conversion. So when Get Religion—a website that reports on how religion is reported—looked at a recent statement by Governor Scott Walker, it also hauled out a 2007 transcript of Obama's own description of the day he responded to the altar call: "… I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity [United Church of Christ] one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany… But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to his will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth and carrying out his works."
Writing a Book for Limited Distribution – Every once in a while, an article surfaces which is more than six months old, but would be new to many of you. So even though older things online aren't as cool as things written yesterday, here are 5 Reasons to Write Books for Your Own Congregation. Sample: "You know your audience. Few writers get to target so specific an audience because most mass market books are geared for the widest readership possible. But when you write for your own congregation, you can tailor your subject, approach, illustrations, and suggestions to your unique ministry setting."
Poll Results – Not entirely scientific, but Thom Rainer asked his Twitter followers for reasons why churches today seem to be less evangelistic than in the past. Here's some random samples: "Christians have no sense of urgency to reach lost people." "Many church members think that evangelism is the role of the pastor and paid staff." "Church membership today is more about getting my needs met rather than reaching the lost." "Some churches have theological systems that do not encourage evangelism." "Our churches have too many activities …" He grouped the many responses into a list of 15 reasons.
40 More Recommended Articles – If you're a pastor trying to balance vocational ministry with marriage and parenting, David Murray, author of the just released book The Happy Christian has 40 online resources you don't need to search for.
One for the Road – Just as a figurine from the Playmobil toy company of Martin Luther — aka "Little Luther" — is shattering sales records, comes word that this summer Pope Francis will be a plush doll from the same company that does Yankees' pitcher Derek Jeter and the Green Lantern, Bleacher Creatures.
Paul Wilkinson writes at Thinking Out Loud and is available to do news roundups at your next church staff party. Inclusion here does not imply endorsement.
