W4YW: Crockpot Writing, Illegal Immigration, & Internet Outrage

Your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web.

Articles of the Week

Our Sexed-Up Culture Has Ruined Healthy Male-Female Work RelationshipsHalee Gray Scott. If you haven’t thought much about male-female work relationships, chances are you don’t have any. There are two ways to go wrong when it comes to these types of relationships: on one end, being naïve and avoiding boundaries of every sort; on the other end, treating those of the opposite sex solely as a temptation. Scott charts a helpful middle course.

What Kind of Writer Are You: Microwave, Crockpot, or Stir-Fry? Trevin Wax. This probably applies to just about any long-term project, but it’s particularly relevant for those of us who traffic in the written word. Wax fancies himself a stir-fry kind of guy. I (Chris) think I tend more toward the crockpot. But it seems wise to have the capacity to do all three. Where do you fall?

Nine Things We’re Glad We’ve Learning in Our Marriage (So Far)Aaron Armstrong. The road to the altar was a “long and complicated one” for Armstrong. I suspect that’s true of many contemporary romances, so it’s encouraging to hear what Aaron and his wife Emily have learned since saying “I do.” (Also, not central to the article, but noteworthy nonetheless: Armstrong taught me a new euphemism for trying to get pregnant. It’s “leaving the barn door open.” Indeed.)

Five Ways to Rise Above Internet OutrageBrant Hansen. Outrage isn’t new, of course. But internet outrage seems to be in its prime, particularly with the rise of social media. (Did Zuckerburg know what mayhem he was creating with that online catalogue of faces? Did he know? I digress…) It’s easy to respond to current events with anger and outrage. So how do we, as Hansen puts it, “wade through a sea of insults and general wrongness without getting worked up into a self-righteous lather?” It’s a good question. And he has a good answer.

Ten Considerations as Pastors Consider Illegal ImmigrationNathan Busenitz. Many churches haven’t started to think through how they minister to undocumented residents in the U.S. But it’s high time we have the talk, because the political conversation certainly isn’t giving us many helpful cues. Busenitz (a pastor in L.A.) has given us a very helpful head start.

On The Lighter Side

Every Time Owen Wilson Says “Wow,” Owenergy Studios. I wonder if this is written in to the script every time, or if he just can’t help it. Either way, all I can say is…well, you get the idea.

Wisdom For Your Weekend is presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with occasional guidance from J.D. Greear. 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.”