Reads of the Week
1) Everything I Know about Racism I Learned in the Church by Christena Cleveland
"As a millenial, I’ve lived most of my years in our so-called 'post-racial' American church. Yet my earliest and most painful experiences of racism have all occurred in the church – at the hands of sincere Christians. And unfortunately, my stories are consistent with the stories of many other people my age and younger."
2) Silver and Gold by Ben Bishop
"I’m tired. Weary of bearing witness to the violence we human beings rain down on one another. There are days when I feel wrung out like a washcloth, sick to death of trying to talk to scabby drunks holed up alone in their trashed apartments swilling mouthwash because it’s the cheapest way to dull the pain of life. What good am I doing? I’m tired of picking up one starfish at a time and throwing it back into the ocean."
3) 5 Reasons I Am Reformed by Nate Pyle
"For many, their understanding of Reformed theology stems from certain Calvinist voices. So when they read the above they may question if I am really Reformed. The short answer is, 'Yes.' Reformed theology is broad and diverse. What is typically represented by John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and Albert Mohler is one stream of Calvinism, but is not representative of all Reformed theology."
4) The Legacy of Thomas Szasz: A Meditation on Mental Illness and Metaphor by Richard Beck
"Szasz argues that mental illness is a social fiction that is used to mask moral conflicts within society. Crudely, behaviors we don't like we label 'ill.' Behaviors we like we label 'healthy.' We then use the medical profession, backed up by the state, to regulate social behavior."
5) Millennials Need to Know Church MUST Be Boring and Irrelevant by Ed Cyzewski
"Listen, church isn’t a party.
If you’re not slightly bored and a little depressed, then something is most certainly wrong. You’re all so worried about everything in life being a grand old time that you never stopped to ask: 'Does everyone else like going to church?'
No. We most certainly don’t. Does that stop us? Not at all. That’s because it’s not about us."
Honorable Mention
I Am A Millennial or When the Gaithers Make Me Cry by Krista Dalton
The Color of God by Billy Coffey
Listening Dialogue by Marty Troyer
Tweets of the Week
"Currently testing my theory that a good haircut solves all my software upgrade problems at work.
"When you look at Twitter's trending topics, it's a lot easier to understand why they have to write "Do Not Eat" on silica gel packets." - Ashley Feinberg (@ashfein)
"I admire your goal, but remember, if you blow it, now Hitler has a time machine." - Alex Baze (@bazecraze)
On Pop Theology Week in Review
On Pop Theology Podcast: Episode 34 - On Women in Ministry w/ Jen Thweatt-Bates by Ben Howard
"This week on the show Ben sits down with Jen Thweatt-Bates, theologian and moderator of Gal328.org, an organization working for gender equality in Churches of Christ."
Warrior Christ: Why Fox News Should Love Reza Aslan's Jesus by Charity Erickson
"A refresher, for those of you who were living in a cave (Sicarii-style) last week: Fox News put the 'most embarrassing interview [they] have ever done' on the internet and, in addition to launching a boatload of delightful snark, it pushed Reza Aslan’s new book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus to the top of Amazon’s best-seller list."
A (Not So) Serious Man by Ben Howard
"I am not a serious human being. I can say that with some certainty because in the last two days I've tweeted extensively on my war against the sun and why sharks are jerks."
Reflections on Ecclesiastes at a Gazillion Feet (Approx.) by JaneAnn Kenney
"Flying has always helped me put my life back into perspective, which might be why I waited until now, on a Southwest flight headed west, to begin writing again."
Song of the Week
"First Breath After Coma" by Explosions in the Sky
Peace,
Ben
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