Wisdom for Your Weekend is your regular installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web. Presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with guidance from Pastor J.D., this is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” While we do not always agree with everything these authors post, we share these resources because we find them challenging and enriching. As we often say around the Summit, when it comes to reading, “Eat the fish and spit out the bones.”
Resources for the Church
Caring for the Care Team in Crisis Situations, Brad Hambrick. “Crises have a way of creating a variety of needs. Sometimes it is within the capacity of the care team to meet a particular need; other times it is not. Sometimes it is ‘caring’ to meet those needs; other times it can be ‘enabling.’ When a care team feels like it is the expectation of the church that they meet whatever need arises (i.e., ‘blank check’ assistance), the care team can feel burned and taken advantage of.”
Video of the Week
Three Ways to Get Involved in Disaster Relief for Hurricane Florence, J.D. Greear. Hurricane Florence is currently doing its worst along the North and South Carolina coast. Pastor J.D. shares three ways you can help, especially if you’re nowhere near the landfall. This is a moment for Christians to put the service and generosity of God on display.
Hurricane #Florence is expected to impact millions along the east coast. Here’s how you can prepare:1. Pray – Prayer is our primary strategy. Pray for God’s mercy, especially for those who are sick, widows, and those in under-resourced communities.2. Give – Go to NAMB.net, click Hurricane Florence right in the middle of the page, and pick which state you’d like to give to specifically.3. Contact your local church to see how you can get involved with your state convention disaster relief.-Disaster Relief ResourcesNAMB: https://www.sendrelief.orgNC Baptists: https://baptistsonmission.org/Mission-Projects/By-Mission-Type/Disaster-Relief/Hurricane-FlorenceSC Baptists: http://www.scbaptist.org/preparing-for-hurricane-florence/SBCV: https://www.sbcv.org/hurricaneflorence/BGAV: https://bgavdr.org/responses/florence/
Posted by J.D. Greear on Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Articles of the Week
Skim Reading Is the New Normal (And Our Society Is Dying Because of It), Maryanne Wolf. Nicolas Carr has been warning us about the neurological dangers of digital media for years, and it seems his tribe is growing. When it comes to the brain, one rule does not alter with age: Use it or lose it. As we opt for skim reading over deep reading, we craft ourselves into beings we do not want to be. Unsurprisingly, skim reading makes us less literate, less patient, and less discerning. More surprisingly (and importantly), it stifles our ability to show compassion and blinds our senses to beauty. If you want more love, beauty, and truth in your life, ditch the screen, pick up a book, and slow down.
We Expected the War on Terror to Unite Us. What Went Wrong? Charles Lane. This week marked the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the U.S. Pentagon. The aftermath of that horrific event was varied. For many, the world seemed more unsafe and unsure. For others, it seemed a chance to unite around a common enemy. Nearly two decades on, however, it has become increasingly clear that our War on Terror has not united our country as we had hoped. What went wrong?
How Can I Become a Better Question-Asker? Lore Ferguson Wilbert. I love the distinction between being a “There you are!” person and a “Here I am!” person. I’ll freely confess, however, that I usually do not fall on the right side of that line. Asking good questions—and listening deeply to others’ answers—is one of the most underrated and underdeveloped gifts in the church today. Listening is loving. So ask good questions and unstop those deafened ears.
On the Lighter Side
12 Letters That Didn’t Make the Alphabet, M. Asher Cantrell. If you’re a total language nerd (*hand raised*), you’ll probably recognize a handful of these. But you’ll also learn a thing or two, as I just did about the etymology of the word “ampersand.” And if you aren’t a total language nerd, you can read this and be thankful that our alphabet isn’t 38 characters long.
