Wisdom For Your Weekend: your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading around the web.
Video of the Week
I love Desiring God’s new series of “labs,” in which John Piper shows us how he reads and interprets a passage. It teaches us both what a particular passage is about, but much more, it also teaches us how to deeply investigate a text of Scripture. This is one of my favorite passages—one I memorized in a season of fear prior to going overseas—so I was excited to see Piper tackle it.
Articles of the Week
Don’t Adopt, Russell Moore. “For years, I’ve called Christian churches and families to our James 1:27 mandate to care for widows and orphans in their distress, to live out the adoption we’ve received in the gospel by adopting and fostering children. At the same time, I’ve maintained that, while every Christian is called to care for orphans and widows, not every Christian is called to adopt or foster. As a matter of fact, there are many who, and I say this emphatically, should not. If you want your ‘dream baby,’ do not adopt or foster a child: buy a cat and make-believe. Adopting an orphan isn’t ordering a consumer item or buying a pet.”
The Two Most Productive Hours of Your Day, Melissa Dahl. I’m just spit-balling on the numbers here, but I probably get about 90% of my work done on any given day within two hours of legitimate, focused work. From what I’ve read, I don’t think I’m alone in this: even if you’re “working” 10-14 hours a day, most of what you accomplish gets done in short bursts. So what time of day offers the best burst? (I’m proud to say that I dug up this little gem during my two most productive hours.)
Eight Trends About Church Bulletins, Thom Rainer. You probably don’t think too deeply about your church bulletin…if you even call it that. (As it turns out, many churches keep passing the things out and calling them something different.) But even if your church leans toward all things progressive and resists all things traditional, statistics indicate that you’re still passing some piece of paper out before your worship services. Rainer shows us what we’re using them for (and what bothers us about them).
No, You Are Not “Running Late.” You Are Rude and Inconsiderate, Tim Challies. I initially clicked on this link expecting to find something like Greg Savage’s delicious rant against the perennially tardy. As one who prides himself on his timeliness, I had donned my self-righteous punctuality hat (picture forthcoming), and was prepared to look down my nose at those too important to “respect my time.” And, well, Challies ended up giving me a well-deserved smack on the head instead. Promptness matters, and is often an indication of integrity. But—at times—lateness can be, too.
On The Lighter Side
“How to pronounce Worcestershire Sauce?” Orsara Recipes. I know it’s a bit of a tough word, but I’ve never come even close to some of this fella’s desperate attempts. It’s wonderful.
