Extreme Makeover: Religion is Worth It (For the Lucky Few)
For years now, one of the largest cultural artifacts shaping young families and sappy people everywhere is the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. At first glance, Extreme Makeover seems like a lavish outpouring of generosity - maybe even a picture of the gospel. But upon further look, it just might be one of the most dangerous shows on television, making Dexter look like a Saturday morning cartoon.
NY Times: Is Social Media Costing Us "A Piece of Ourselves?"
My friend Todd recently passed on an insightful little op-ed piece from Bill Keller, the executive editor of the NY Times. His musings about social media are well worth reading and contemplating:
Until the 15th century, people were taught to remember vast quantities of information. Feats of memory that would today qualify you as a freak — the ability to recite entire books — were not unheard of... [But] as we became accustomed to relying on the printed page, the work of remembering gradually fell into disuse.
What Is A Missional Community?
It's easy - and tempting - to adopt the nomenclature of 'missional communities' without actually reorienting your life around the mission of God. When I find myself falling into this trap, one of God's greatest gifts in my life is my friend Jeff Vanderstelt, who passionately and compellingly reconnects me to the outward movement of the gospel.If you're in a missional community... if you're thinking about launching missional communities... or if you're wondering what a missional community is... watch as Jeff explains the dynamic of missional community - and introduces you to his own.
Redemption: Strip Club Becomes Community Center
On Leavenworth Street near the 480 sits a windowless building with a dingy marquee that used to read "Girls! Girls! Girls!" You can imagine what kinds of things took place at Sheri's Show Club in light of its location just off of Park Avenue - a street notorious for drug use and prostitution. But all of that is changing. What was formerly a dark, depraved strip club is about to become a beacon of hope for a broken neighborhood. This past week, inCommon Community Development signed the paperwork to take over occupancy of Sheri's and turn it into the Park Avenue Community Center.
Why Catholics are Becoming Protestants
One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a separate denomination, they would be the third-largest denomination in the United States, after Catholics and Baptists. One of three people who were raised Catholic no longer identifies as Catholic.So observes Father Thomas Reese, summarizing new Pew Research Center data in an essay for the National Catholic Reporter. And to his credit, Reese dives into the data to honestly identify the root causes of the exodus: "Contrary to what conservatives say, ex-Catholics are not flocking to the evangelicals because they think the Catholic church is politically too liberal. They are leaving to get spiritual nourishment from worship services and the Bible."
Blue Bloods: Male Leadership Makes a Comeback?
I’m not much for television. But on vacation recently I caught a few episodes of CBS’ new cop show Blue Bloods and found it intriguing. So much so, in fact, that I’ve been keeping up with missed episodes online.Tom Selleck plays NYC Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. Reagan’s whole family is involved in law enforcement: his father Henry (played by Len Carilou) is a retired former commissioner; his two sons Danny and Jamie (Donnie Wahlberg and Will Estes) are cops; and his daughter Erin (Bridget Moynihan) is an assistant DA.