heaven and hell

Very thoughtful read here from Christianity Today.

david kennedy and the future of crime

Hopeful read here about a-political solutions to recividism and incarceration and the like. Kennedy is a modern prophet out of NYC. I read his book Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect of Sanction in 2007. I even had a pilot program based on his community collaboration ready to go in a high-crime neighborhood in South Trenton, until answering the call to come to Waco. Great news that this may go national.

christianity in crisis

The popular weeklies usually have a religious article or two around Christmas and Easter. This one is a pretty good read from Andrew Sullivan via Newsweek.

commodification

Here's a thought-provoking piece from the April issue of The Atlantic.

worship and its end

A staff member encountered this during a class and sent it over. I think it typifies where I am regarding worship, and by some extension where Calvary is.

Read the article, focusing more in the theology and philosophy of worship behind it than the anecdotes within it. As we approach a new season at Calvary regarding worship, this article may provide us with entrance into some church-wide discussion.

slow church

Some interesting pieces on a new church movement; submitted by one of Calvary's most eloquent story tellers:

This author has a forthcoming book on it: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slowchurch/2011/09/29/the-slow-church-conversation/

Here is an article in the Houston Chronicle about Slow Church: http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Slow-food-movement-serves-as-church-inspiration-2080311.php#page-2

Also, here is another article on Robert Putnam, the author of Bowling Alone, and his research on church-based friendships. http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1200867.htm

wall street and the customer as king

Very forthright resignation letter decrying the lack of morality at Goldman Sachs by Greg Smith, (former) executive at Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs here stands in for the Wall Street culture at large.