Your weekly installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web.
Video of the Week
Devin’s ReCity Story. Last year, the Summit helped to launch ReCity, an organization devoted to taking disconnected youth and connect them to community. Devin’s story is one of many we’ve seen so far, and one of thousands that we pray to see in the days to come. (Also, check out this national publication, which featured ReCity and captures the vision behind the organization well.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWsFcU1Ktsw&feature=youtu.be
Articles of the Week
Five Helpful Steps to Assess Missionary Candidates in Your Church, Pastor Mitch. So you have someone in your church that senses the Spirit prompting him to be a missionary? Excellent! Just send him, right? Well, not quite. If the church sends out missionaries (which it does), then church needs to think about who it sends, and it needs to equip those people, too. Our international church planting pastor reflects on five steps that every church should incorporate as they begin the sending process.
Farewell to Cuba’s Brutal Big Brother, Carlos Eire. Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader of Cuba, passed away this week. Some will mourn Castro’s death. Many have already praised him. But for the large number of Cubans who actually experienced Castro’s rule, his death is merely a moment to remember his heinous crimes. Eire takes a look at why the response to Castro has always been so complicated—how a man could simultaneously be a villain and the most charming and winsome fellow you could ever meet.
The Problem with Our Holly Jolly Christmas Songs, Russell Moore. Christmas can be a challenging time for many people, because it seems to be a time of levity and happiness. And if you’re life isn’t light and cheery, Christmas seems to have nothing for you. But as Moore points out, the true richness of Christmas is best understood when life is at its darkest.
Abortions in the United States at All-Time Low, Samantha Gobba. The United States government began tracking abortion numbers in 1969 (shortly before the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973). In the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), abortions numbers are lower now than they have ever been. In the last decade, those numbers have dropped 20%. What has made the difference? It seems to be a coordinated effort—a combination of legislation, education, and outreach. There is great cause for hope here.
On The Lighter Side
Cracker Barrel, Tim Hawkins.
Chris: True story–during our Thanksgiving travels, the Pappalardo family ate at Cracker Barrel three times. We love the Barrel. And yet, we’ve never considered some of the rather salient points that Tim Hawkins makes here. How, indeed, does a breakfast place not make omelets?
J.D.: I despise Cracker Barrel and cannot fathom how any civilized person would choose to eat there, especially since there’s almost always a Waffle House nearby if you’re in the mood for that level of food.
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.”
