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.”
Articles of the Week
If I Could Change One Thing in My Church, It Would Be …, Thom Rainer. Rainer polled the social media world with that statement, then collected the answers and tallied them up into a handy Top Ten. I’m curious how our Summit members would stack up against these stats.
Give Your Children All of Your Attention, Some of the Time, Harriet Connor. As Pastor J.D. mentioned in a recent sermon, our generation seems to be torn apart by distraction like none other. That can play out tragically in parenting, as we are often present physically while being distant mentally. The answer, however, isn’t to torch the smart phone and only pay attention to our kids. It’s to put distractions in their proper place. (For what it’s worth, though, torching the smart phone may not be that bad of an idea on its own merits.)
Our Politics Should Address the Rebirth of Community, Ben Sasse. With the digital revolution pressing boldly onward, our communities are threatening to become, as Sasse puts it, “hollow.” Many of us have become dislocated in society, not rooted in any particular place or with any particular people. In an environment like this, immigration becomes an echo of political dysfunction, rather than a celebration of community. Both locally and nationally, we can do better.
The Imperfections of Perfectionism, Stephen Nichols. This was an interesting look into the Christian history of perfectionism—ranging from John Wesley to Charles Finney to B. B. Warfield. The perspective here is on the theological idea of perfectionism (we can become sinless), not the pragmatic one (we should do every work task with 100% excellence). But the critique Warfield offers strikes at both, reminding us that holiness comes in “the ordinary experiences of our lives.”
Moving Beyond One-Dimensional Sermon Applications, Michael Kruger. Calling all preachers! Kruger has helpfully outlined the three types of sermon applications. Find yourself within this trio, and then do everything in your power to break out of your usual rut. Three-dimensional preaching may be tougher, but it’s what your three-dimensional people need.
On the Lighter Side
Every Parent at Disney, John Crist. The Tigger cameo at 0:19-0:21 is a nice touch.
