If you need a laugh (or cry?) …
My friend Kent Annan (a gifted writer whose new book will be out in December - learn about his writing and his beautiful work in Haiti here ...) passed this on:
The other day I heard a comedian tell a joke that made me laugh out loud: "For a long time I was sponsoring an orphan in a really tough place somewhere in Africa. But not anymore. I was watching TV late at night and this ad came on and I realized, "What, for that same amount of money, I could be getting a coffee every single day!"
Gotta laugh and cry in this world, right?
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New resources from Chuck Smith, Jr.
Chuck and I met in the late 80's (sheesh!) at a Leadership Network event. We've both been through a lot since then, and have been friends to one another through a lot of life's ups and downs. I subscribe to his email "Reflexion," which is one of the spiritual resources that enriches me week by week. He just launched a new website to make his many valuable resources available ... I encourage you to check it out (and sign up for Reflexions!) here.
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A plea for a new generation of Republican leadership
I believe our nation works best with robust and civic dialogue and civil debate. For mature societal conversations to take place, at least two mature parties are required, and looking back over this summer, a second party is hard to find.
The Obama administration needs a worthy loyal opposition, just as any group in power does, and the president himself often says so. But people who shout "hitler, nazi, socialist" don't constitute a worthy loyal opposition. Nor do the birthers (who don't stray too far from the fictional portrait of the afterbirthers described satirically here). Nor do the nostalgics, who seem to keep waking up in the 1980's year after year, quoting Ronald Reagan.
[Regarding the nostaligics, one can't help but recall God's words to Joshua (Joshua 1:2): "Moses my servant is dead." Many Republicans, it seems, are like Joshua and need to be told it's time to move on and discover their own voice, to think their own thoughts, to face today's challenges, to start leading constructively and not just repeating old slogans - always revering the memory of their late-20th-Century Moses, of course, but moving on to face today's problems just as their oft-sung hero sought to face those of his day.]
More after the jump ...
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So much good stuff …
Emergentvillage.com blog has a great introduction to LeRon Shultz - via an article and podcast interview with Tripp Fuller. He is one of our planet's really important living theologians, with so much to offer.
There's also a good link to resources from Proost, some important thoughts from Phyllis Tickle, information on Generate magazine, a perceptive article by Gideon Addington, Julie Clawson's article anticipating Christianity 21 (wish I could be there!), and a thoughtful post from Nick Fiedler of the ever-interesting Nick and Josh Podcast. Give yourself at least a half-hour, and better yet an hour, to see what's available there right now.
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“Finding Our Way Again” – need a group study book?
This report recently came in ...
Our group finished Finding Our Way Again last night. About ten families were a part of the summer-long study. It stimulated some incredible dialogue and was a catalyst in our search for other material or resources to compliment the study and experience. The depth of connection was uncommon and wonderful. Both with God and others. ...Thanks again for the book. It is a rich source for those who want to see and find God and it particularly helped me see God in what I am already doing.
By the way, if you're interested in using EMC for a study group, I just saw the new paperback for the first time yesterday. It looks great. And don't forget the DVD study guide too...
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