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January 26, 2017 David Murray 0 comments

Blogs

What Is Happening to Our Pastors? | Jamin Goggin
A solemn and sobering read:

“A pastor’s fall no longer impacts the local church alone (if it ever did). We live in the era of celebrity pastors whose platforms of influence stretch far beyond the walls of their local congregation, and who shake the earth when they fall off their pedestals. Their books are best-sellers and their sermons are heard online around the world. In recent months one such figure has ignited the evangelical blogosphere and twitter murmurings, Tullian Tchividjian. But it wasn’t long ago that Mark Driscoll was the tip of this spear. Their behavior has been well documented, the age of social media has made sure their sins would be unveiled before all. As a result of their sin, churches have collapsed, conferences evaporated, and, most importantly, lives have been deeply wounded. Again, the question that plagues us is, ‘How could this happen?’”

Keeping Short Accounts | Nick Batzig, The Christward Collective
Probably part of the answer to the article above. What do short accounts look like in the Christian life?

The Case for Boredom | Kevin DeYoung, TGC
“Try out silence in your life this week. Give aloneness a try. In our crazy busy, crazy connected, need-to-know-now! world, we need the sanity and sanctifying power of boredom every once in awhile.”

A Dying Man Taught Me How to Live | Ivan Mesa, TGC
I read When Breath Becomes Air on my recent vacation and planned to review it, but Ivan beats me to it.

“…one of last year’s bestselling books, When Breath Becomes Air, is about making sense of our mortality. Stanford neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi—who died in 2015 at age 37, after a 22-month battle with stage-four lung cancer—wrote his book amid various cancer treatments and relapses, ultimately leaving behind an unfinished manuscript that his widow, Lucy, completed. “

Scientifically, When Does Human Life Begin? | Justin Taylor, TGC
“Three distinguished and brilliant professors have responded to the idea that there is no scientific consensus regarding the beginning of human life.”

Doctors Said Abort My Disabled Child, But He Became #MyUnintendedJoy | Elizabeth Gravely, The Federalist
“Women who receive severe or fatal prenatal diagnoses do not need abortion but support, such as palliative care, perinatal hospice, and programs like Isaiah’s Promise. The beautiful, although often brief, lives of children like Thomas are not meant to be taken before their time with abortion, but to be celebrated.”

Five Tips For More Productive Monotasking When You Work Alone | Bree Brouwer, Fast Company
Good one for pastors.

“When you’re the only one making choices about your schedule, staying on track can be tough. Here’s what the experts suggest.”

Depression as hard on the heart as obesity and cholesterol |PsyPost
“Depression poses a risk for cardiovascular diseases in men that is just as great as that posed by high cholesterol levels and obesity.”