The Marvel Universe as Modern Day Myth

If you've noticed a wave of superheroes dominating popular culture in the last few years, you may be surprised to know that they're all connected. Ant Man marks the two-thirds point of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, fans await the coming of phase three, due in 2016, with an almost religious fervor.

It's no wonder: under the leadership of producer Kevin Feige, the filmic undertaking has developed into an interconnected narrative web of stories, all united by a common theme: humanity's inability to save themselves from harm.

According to The Verge's Kwame Opam, on the What's Tech? podcast episode, "The Marvel Universe," the success of the Marvel Universe has kicked off a commercial trend that will continue for some time:

"Anything coming out of Hollywood for the next couple of years is going to be this highly meta-textual, intertextual narrative," meaning that viewers are now viewing and analyzing these films as a reader might analyze the Bible, reading context offered in one installment to provide insight into another. As Genesis might provide insight into the Book of John, so might The Avengers provide insight into Ant Man.

Ultimately, the Marvel Universe was a success not merely because of the interconnected nature of its stories, but because of its resonance. The final testament, phase three, kicks off in 2016.

Drawbacks of Open Offices

What if you were asked to do sermon prep in an open cubicle in the middle of a busy office? That's exactly the kind of environment workers are adapting to in approximately 70 percent of U.S. offices, according to The Washington Post, a trend spurred on by major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. Intended to increase collaboration, accountability, and available space, research has found that instead of enabling increased work performance, workers complain that lack of sound and vision privacy has stunted their productivity significantly.

In fact, in a 2013 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, research was published that suggested the more privacy one has, the more productive they are. Even working from home has been shown to boost productivity, flying in the face of tech-startup mentality. It may be a good time to try working on that sermon from home.

Why Facebook isn't Enough

"How important are your ministry, mission, and the lives you're trying to reach? I'd bet your ministry is too important to put in the hands of Facebook."

The downside of a church relying on social media is the lack of control given over the rules of those sites. A change in privacy settings or an unexplained account suspension can leave your congregation without important information they may need.

—Derek Ouelette, "How Important is Your Church's Website Really?" DerekOuelette.ca

Secular Spaces Made Sacred

Coffee shops that host church services, multiple religious groups sharing a space throughout the week, and churches whose meeting place changes monthly – these unique church-space situations are becoming more common, according to a piece in The Huffington Post. Local churches looking for space seem to be shifting their focus away from the church building and instead focusing more toward those who gather.

—Jaweed Kaleem, "The Surprising Sacred Gathering Spaces That Are Moving Into Your Neighborhoods," HuffingtonPost.com.

"Due to our history of anti-institutionalism and individualism, some evangelicals view church attendance as merely an add-on to the Christian life, one of many elective ways to grow in a 'personal relationship' with God … But for most of Christian history, a relationship with God was inseparable from a relationship with the church. Most believers over the last two millennia—Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox alike—would deem spiritual life without the church as incomprehensible and impossible as biological life without a mother."

—Tish Harrison Warren, "The Church Is Your Mom," via Christianity Today's Her.meneutics.

And Now, Inspiring Thoughts on Mowing The Lawn That Could Also Apply to Leading a Church:

"Some days I can move the mower slowly, along lazy paths. On my return from each lap, I see my daughters leaning against a window, laughing at daddy spinning around on a ridiculous machine. On other days, when rain beckons and the grass looks nearly knee-high, I need to scorch green earth. More often, I simply head out to the lawn with the same source of pride that I bring to words. I want the lawn to look nice because it is ours. We have worked years for it."

—Nick Ripatrazone, "Lines of Light and Dark: On Mowing and Writing," TheMillions.com