W4YW: Augustine on Prayer, To-Do List Hacks, & Gay Family Members

Wisdom For Your Weekend: your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading around the web.

Video of the Week

Bible scholar N.T. Wright discusses the redefinition of the term “marriage.”  As a Brit, the situation for Wright is slightly different than here in the U.S. But the terms of the debate are familiar enough that Wright’s words here are insightful.

Articles of the Week

Four Principles on Prayer from St. Augustine, Tim Keller. “Anicia Faltonia Proba had the distinction of knowing both Augustine, the greatest theologian of the first millennium of Christian history, as well as John Chrysostom, its greatest preacher. We have two letters of Augustine to Proba, and the first (Letter 130) is the only single, substantial treatment on the subject of prayer that Augustine ever wrote. I had the chance to read the letter recently and was impressed with its common sense and some of its unusual insights.”

Four Strategies to Cut Your To-Do List in Half, Michael Hyatt. I’m a to-do list kind of guy. They give order to my world and make me feel safe (judge if you must). But when to-do lists begin to sprawl, everything seems a bit out of control. Hyatt’s suggestions here are helpful for the type-A folks out there who need to tame their unruly to-do lists.

What If Your Child Is Gay? Russell Moore. “You will, without a doubt, have someone close to you in your family come out as gay or lesbian, if not already, then sometime in the future. How should a Christian parent or grandparent respond? One of the reasons this is such a crushing experience for many is because they assume that their alternatives are affirmation or alienation. I either give up my relationship with my child or I give up the Bible. The gospel never suggests this set of alternatives, and in fact demonstrates just the opposite.”

Abortion Is Not Women’s Healthcare, Melinda Gates. This is an encouraging and courageous distinction from one of the biggest philanthropists of our day. Gates continues to hold her cards close to her chest regarding abortion, but insists that we are harming women if we conflate women’s health with the completely separate issue of abortion.

On The Lighter Side

You’re Getting Old. We all are, of course. But this site makes for some fun factoids about how you specifically are getting old. Enjoy.