Wisdom For Your Weekend: your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web.
Video of the Week
How to Make a Pro-Life Argument in Two Minutes or Less, Scott Klusendorf. This is a very helpful primer for those who want to defend their pro-life stance without appeal to Scripture. Arguments like this will be increasingly important in our society, since, “The Bible tells me so” doesn’t carry the same weight it once did. Plus, thinking through how to articulate biblical claims without direct appeal to Scripture is always a fruitful (albeit challenging) endeavor.
Articles of the Week
Seven Statements Leaders Need to Use Often, Ron Edmondson. “Note my magnificence” isn’t on here, which seems like an oversight. But the seven statements Edmondson lists here are a convenient way to translate leadership theory into leadership practice. Most leaders want to be encouraging, empowering, and challenging. These words give a tangible way of achieving that.
How Pixar Enchants Us and Moves Us, Michael Cavna, Washington Post. You an be pessimistic about Hollywood these days, but you’ve got to admit that Pixar shines as a creative beacon in the midst of banality. How do they keep doing it? Their secret is that they’re always trying to tell the truth. So regardless of the fantastic elements of the plot, the audience enters into Pixar’s world, feeling the story right along with them. It’s a beautiful thing.
Want to Get Stuff Done? Focus on Your Flow, Andrea Ayres. Any article that paints e-mail as a villain is a friend of mine. But Ayres does more than just point out how distracting and counter-productive e-mail is. She shares about the secret sauce of productivity—the wonderful little zone known as “flow.”
After Domestic Violence, Who Should You Call First? Pastor or Police Officer? Justin Holcomb. The statistics about domestic violence suggest that it is not some fringe problem for particularly troubled couples; it’s an epidemic in the United States. But people in ministry are often ill-equipped to address it. One of the many thorny areas is the overlap between pastoral care and legal involvement. As a general rule, pastors are too reluctant and too slow to draw in law enforcement. Holcomb’s wisdom is much needed: yes, you should call the cops.
On The Lighter Side
Smells Like Teen Shovel. You may not hear it at first…but then you won’t be able to un-hear it. Major kudos to the guy/gal who saw the original video and thought, “Hey, that shovel sounds like a guitar…”
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.”
