Welcome to the World Series of Christian news and opinion stories. Two teams: People who are screaming to be heard, and people with stories they wish we didn't know.
- Just in time for Halloween: Ten reasons why the resurrected Jesus was not a zombie.
- On the same theme, I'm not sure about calling this a Christian horror movie.
- In more movie news, "an EMT tells a dying construction worker about Jesus, resulting in a legal battle." The creators of God's Not Dead are working on a new movie about religious liberty.
- Perhaps The Vatican's Synod on the Family didn't flip flop on homosexuality, but rather their original statement contained an error in the English translation. (The words valuing and evaluating are indeed fairly close.)
- Love this analysis from the New York Observer: "Every major church growth breakthrough happens on the heels of a communication breakthrough. Rome built roads, and then Paul planted churches. Alexander conquered the then known world and gave it one common language, and the New Testament was canonized in his Koine Greek. The printing press was invented, and Martin Luther put a Bible in the hands of anyone who wanted one."
- Four characteristics of Millennials who are embracing traditional orthodoxy.
- Rethinking the parish system in the Church of England: "In the Diocese of Exeter we have 607 churches, many of which are listed. Over 200 of them attract less than 20 to Sunday services, and 124 attract less than 10. The average age of a committed member is 65"
- Video of the Week: An incredible testimony of coming to faith from a Muslim background.
- No, seriously; click the previous item. Yes, you; the one looking at the computer screen.
- Persecuted Church: Meriam Ibrahim is free but now the story replays with Asia Bibi in Pakistan.
- Hermeneutics Hangout: While others prefer the word "tree," the NIV translation of Galatians 3:13 has Jesus "on a pole," but when you check out the cross-reference in Deuteronomy, you see the translators had their reasons.
- Russell Moore dares to ask the question: If your municipality wants to subpoena your sermon transcripts, why not simply hand them over?
- Modesty in Ministry: What type of car is right for a pastor to drive? Much depends on where you are.
- There was a lot of attention online last week to a short article offering five benefits to having a teen who rebels.
- Photo Journalism: An inside look at the underground church in China.
- The Vatican operates an observatory, and one of its leading scientists said last week that a young-earth, literal reading of Genesis is comparable to blasphemous theology.
- The Christian conference grounds we stayed at last week had an internet filter which blocked Christian humor and satire site Naked Pastor. Now there are calls for McDonald's and Starbucks to have similar filters.
- Later this week Philip Yancey kicks off a seven-city book tour supporting his newest, Vanishing Grace. Jesus Creed on why the book is important.
- From the scene of Mars Hill Ground Zero, The Janet Mefford Show, a debrief of recent events with Warren Cole, and another hour of the program with Warren Throckmorton.
- They totally exploited the coffee joke: Download a sample of an eight-week, five-days-per-week personal Bible study on the book of HeBrews. (Not a typo!)
- In Canada, the average annual income for ministers was pegged by a government agency at $34,315. Imagine entering that job market with $20,000 of student debt.
- Essay of the Week: On the times we get angry with God.
- A remix of the Apostle Paul's love chapter.
- Meet Mormon journalist (and comedian) Jenna Kim Jones, a force behind the film, Meet The Mormons.
- Grab the kids for story time and tease them with chapter one of Mark Batterson's new children's title.
- Hillsong refuses to be pinned down on the gay issue…
- … as opposed to this approach …
- … Oh wait, as Nadia's parishioners remind us, they don't like the word issue …
- … in a video she filmed for The Nines conference, happening November 4-5.
- The Seventh Day Adventist church will vote in July on whether to allow female clergy.
- Songwriters: This Christian Song Competition has a fairly good track record for exposure.
- My rant on the damage Bible verse numbers do to context.
- Graphic Image of the Week: The John Calvin Pumpkin.
- An atheist and a conservative Christian walk into a Facebook discussion …
- Finally, Ship of Fools is looking for horribly inappropriate Advent calendars (for me that would be anything involving chocolate) or what it calls Badvent calendars.
For the hottest Seattle, WA church real estate deals, follow Paul's blog, Thinking Out Loud, or for something more sedate read Christianity 201.
Posted October 22, 2014
