Weekend Reading, 23 October

As par for the course, there was a lot of good goin’ on across the Christian blogosphere. I don’t catch everything so I encourage you to visit Jason Stasyszen’s Light Friday Hit List, Kevin Martineau’s Favorite Links Friday, and Glynn Young’s Saturday Good Reads. Now on with the show…

I include the brothers above because not just because they’re cool guys, but because there’s simply too much out over the interwebs to cover. Web 2.0 and social media has changed how we communicate with one another and I believe has created a virtual church without walls in which we can find encouragement, challenge, and inspiration through a limitless number of writers, bloggers, and free-thinkers. Of course, we need to balance the bottomless rabbit-hole of virtual relationships with the need to fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ who are right beside us. We also need to balance the time-suck that the Internet provides. With that in mind, there were several posts on ministry and social media.

• Tony Alicea writes over at Geek For Him about the dangers of “soulless social media” when we’d rather update or status than have a conversation with the person right in front of us.
• Shawn Smucker is consider taking a break to focus on what’s most important.
• On the opposite side, Cassandra Frear lists the advantages of blogging and how it can make us better people.

Regrettably, our churches aren’t perfect. People leave. Racism is still present. But yet Jesus is still Lord and we are still His body.

• There was an article on CNN this week about segregation in our churches. I tweeted that the most segregated part of America is Sunday mornings. I still believe that to be the case.
• Ron Edmondson asks us to consider why.
• An article in the LA Times wonders if the uncomfortable marriage between religion and politics has caused many to leave the church.
• While Stephen Lamb continues his series over at Jesus Needs New PR on why he left the church. This time he challenges us to consider that we may be too narcissistic when we think we have our own “personal Jesus”.
• Ryan Tate asks what signs do your church give that it is thriving?
• And Jonathan Pearson reminds us why the Church is still alive.

With our own personal walk our will is always challenged by God’s, be it through our jobs, our families, our ministries, or our sins.

• Jonathan Keck challenges us in the lost art of being open and honest while being painfully open himself.
• Bill Grandi gives us a personal story of things not going his way.
• Scott Couchenour gives several helpful tips for facing burnout in ministry.
• Jason Stayszsen gives us parents tips on praying for our children over at Make a Difference To One.
• And Chuck Salser is challenged to plant a church.

Hope you enjoy all of these posts. They should keep you plenty busy this weekend!