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One of the greatest book titles ever was the 1985 Neil Postman book Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman’s groundbreaking book was an insightful look at the corrosive effect that television was having on our politics, journalism, education, and even religion. I’ve been thinking about that book title lately, as it feels like it’s time to write a similar book for 2020. I call it Distracting Ourselves to Death....Keep Reading
I have a love/hate relationship with a lot of church advice and church growth gurus out there. One particular strategy that I am torn on is the idea of giving people “next steps” at the end of a sermon. This often takes the form of a bulletin insert with a sermon outline that ends with a few “next steps,” such as “I will memorize Romans 8:38,” “I will pray for my next door neighbors,” or “I will tithe next month.” What I love about this approach is the practical call to discipleship and transformation, in that it challenges us to not just be hearers of the word but doers of the word. But what bothers me about this approach is how easily it can turn the faith into a religion of law: “do more and you will be accepted and feel like a better Christian,” instead of “truly realize how you have been accepted in Christ despite what you have NOT done, despite your failures as a Christian, and you will find yourself doing more in response to His love and grace.” ...Keep Reading
The theory undergirding David Zahl’s book Seculosity is that as our culture looks less and less to God’s saving grace as our source of self-worth and justification (or “enoughness,” as Zahl calls it), we inevitably look to the good things of this world for that which only God can give us. Some turn to a romantic partner, others to a career, still others to parenting or technology. And some, as chapter 8 outlines, put their hope in politics....Keep Reading
As a parent to four children, I have noticed that one thing that has clearly changed over the generations has been play and leisure time. With every generation, it feels as if play has become less free and more structured. Instead of sending your children out to do whatever with their neighborhood friends and expecting them home by supper, now almost every activity is scheduled, with any downtime becoming increasing tethered to an electronic device. When children are finally faced with real downtime without electronics, you can almost guarantee that the first words out of their mouth will be, “I’m bored.” But children are not the only ones who have experienced a change in play and leisure time. ...Keep Reading
I think that one of the most humorous things in the Bible is that the all-powerful, holy and mighty God of the universe, after creating the world, rested on day seven. Was He really worn out from shaping all those llamas and aardvarks and mountains and stars and oceans? Or was there another reason behind that act?...Keep Reading
What a difference my smartphone has made for good in my life. It has helped me remember appointments and tasks, stay on track with my personal habits and disciplines, connect quickly with my family and friends, and redeem my down time by giving me quick access to edifying Kindle books, audiobooks and podcasts. What a difference my smartphone has made for bad in my life. It continually seeks to enslave me to its notifications and interruptions. It has made it so much harder to sustain attention on anything important, from praying to reading to even driving. And it pulls me away from giving my family and friends my undivided love and attention when I am with them....Keep Reading
I love being a pastor. And I love to read. But few things give me anxiety like the book table at a pastor’s conference. In every catchy title and accomplished author, I find yet another thing that I need to learn or don’t do well enough ...Keep Reading
You can take away religion, and you can take away God, but you can’t take away the human need to know that our lives matter and that we are loved. As our culture becomes less and less Christian, it seems clear that more and more people are looking to romantic love to convince themselves that their lives matter and that they are loved....Keep Reading
How are you doing? What answer comes to your mind when you are asked that question? In chapter 2 of David Zahl’s book “Seculosity: How career, parenting, technology, food, politics, and romance became our new religion and what to do about it,” he points out that more than ever, our answer to that question has become not “fine” or “good” but “busy” or “stressed.” Sound familiar?...Keep Reading
Once a year, I like to use this space to interact with a book that I find intriguing, looking at a chapter every week. I particularly enjoy interacting with books that examine our cultural climate in the light of the gospel and can help us share the gospel with our neighbors. Over the next 10 weeks or so, I will be interacting with the book “Seculosity: How career, parenting, technology, food, politics, and romance became our new religion and what to do about it” by David Zahl....Keep Reading