This Week’s Good Reads

Every week I compile a list of interesting articles from around the web. Here is this week’s list. Check it out.

1. “What You Need To Know About Those ‘Selfie-Girls’” by Kelly Holmes

When the critical story went around about these girls at a baseball game who were caught taking selfies, I just knew it had to be the worst possible reading of their activity. The argument was that these girls were vain and were failing to live in the present. When I watched the video footage – which was clearly edited – I thought the girls looked very much like they were enjoying themselves and enjoying each other. Holmes writes in this piece that there was a lot more to that story and in fact that really was the worst possible reading of the girls.

2. “Listening Closer: ‘Something Good is Coming’: An Interview with Andrew Peterson” by Jeffery Overstreet

With the release of Peterson’s newest album Overstreet decided to sit down with him and talk about inspiration and songwriting. A great conversation with a great musician. Check out the embedded audio file in the article.

3. “Gotham Does Not Have a Joker Problem. It Has a Sin Problem” by Tyler Huckabee

In this satirical piece, Huckabee writes as a fictional city councilman in Gotham City to point out that the heart of Gotham City’s problems is a sin nature. The piece is funny, but its intent very clearly is to take a jab at those who say we shouldn’t address the tangible manifestations of sin, but only the sinful nature itself. So, in Huckabee’s piece, we need to stop focusing on the Joker’s escapades, and instead just address the nebulous issue of Gotham’s sin problem. I loved this piece. As both a comic book nerd and theology nerd its great, but even more as a satire piece on Evangelical political tendencies this is brilliant.

4. “Beauty is a ‘Clue’ that God Exists” by Kyle Werner

In this piece from TGC Kyle Werner interviews composer Dan Forrest. Forrest talks about the value of beauty as a pointer to God, and its place in pointing us towards Him. He answers Werner’s questions as both a professional composer and as a churchman and so in that regard opens up a new world to many of us who only see worship music from a pragmatic point of view. I am a firm believer in the value and importance of beauty (see my article in the most recent Free Seminary Theological Journal), so this piece caught my attention. Check it out.

5. “Does a Woman Need a Spiritual Covering?” by Cheryl Schatz

I would not agree with all that this author says about Complimentarianism, but I do agree with the general truth that the “spiritual covering” idea is a farce that has come to harm the church and especially women. It should be abandoned. There is only one spiritual covering any human being needs: Jesus Christ!

6. “The Most Happily Multi-Ethnic Church I Know” by Tim Challies

I appreciate so much the stories of this church and its cultural diversity. I think Challies suggests that we don’t need to do anything to pursue diversity, just preach the word, which I think is short-cited and naïve. But I love the diversity represented by his celebration of his congregation. I desperately want such stories to exist in our church and, where possible, in all churches!