Your weekly installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web.
Articles of the Week
Reflections on House Bill 2, Chris Pappalardo & J.D. Greear. Earlier this year, Governor Pat McCrory signed into law House Bill 2 (HB2), a piece of legislation that aimed to “create statewide consistency” regarding public restrooms—specifically, to codify into law the notion that men cannot use women’s restrooms (and vice versa). The bill was attacked from many quarters as a bigoted and discriminatory anti-LGBT maneuver. While the arguments about HB2 never completely subsided, they did wane … until this week. Earlier this week, the NCAA and the ACC announced that they would be removing many of their championship games from North Carolina. The decision, which will lose the state millions of dollars, has re-ignited the debate about the meaning of HB2. More discussions will be necessary in the days to come. But as a first volley, we offer the following resources from around the web to help Christians think through the issues surrounding this debate.
The Missing Ingredient in Missions, Nik Ripken. If you haven’t read Ripken’s books (The Insanity of God and The Insanity of Obedience), then you have your homework. Honestly, we won’t be hurt at all if you ignore this blog until you go and read those two books. But if you want a teaser, this article gives you a taste of what Ripken has to offer—an abundance of wisdom cultivated from hundreds of conversations with believers around the world.
Your Pastor Isn’t a Pundit, Barnabas Piper. We offer this article knowing it smacks of irony. As pastors, we are happy to disciple people in any way they require. And part of that discipleship lies in equipping our people to handle any circumstance in their lives with a gospel response. Thus, we offer articles here on topics ranging from missions to diversity to politics to Bible memory to parenting. But there remains a marked difference between expecting your pastor to equip you and expecting him to personally address every issue in your life.
Diversity Fatigue, David Livermore. Ethnic diversity is extremely important, which is why we have spent quite a bit of time discussing it here on this blog. But many of you have been to “diversity trainings” that leave you feeling much less excited about pursuit diversity. That’s because, as Livermore notes, so many of these trainings are done so poorly. Here are a few ways we talk about diversity all wrong—and a few ways we can actually move forward.
Six Ways Reading the Bible (As Fast As Possible) Changed My Life, Jordan Standridge. Even if you’re a tortoise, it only takes 77 hours to read through the entire Bible. Standridge encourages us to make that time and to blitz through the best book every written, because chances are we won’t ever be the same again.
On The Lighter Side
When the Guy Baptizing You Wanted to Be a Wrestler…But Became a Pastor Instead. I wonder if John the Baptist had this kind of style when he was dunking folks in the Jordan River. I don’t see anything in the text that says he didn’t.
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.”
