Around the Blogosphere

Around the Blogosphere for January 14, 2010. We hope you take the time to look at each one of these interesting post from the world wide web.


Village Idiots
1) Phil Johnson has written a post about the collapse of the Emergent Village. In this article Johnson writes, "Meanwhile, Emergent Village's best-known celebrity voices have likewise fallen silent—mostly. Andrew Jones and Tony Jones, both living icons of "emergence," had a little back-and-forth exchange last week, which culminated in Andrew's public, formal separation from the organization. I'll give a link to that exchange in a moment." If you are half way interested in the adverse effects the Emergent Church has on the Real Church, you should read this article. You can read it here.

The Wonder of Words
2) The Nine Marks blog has posted an article by Thabiti Anyabwile about the importance of words. Anyabwile writes, "Have you ever thought about how important and mysterious words are? I don't simply mean have you ever thought about choosing the right words, or the effect of words. I mean, have you stopped to ponder the existence of words, and the meaning of the existence of words? " You can read the whole article here.

Are You Resolved?
3) Steve Lawson has written an article about Jonathan Edwards and his life Resolutions. Lawson writes, "Edwards began his Resolutions with what he desired to be the driving force of his life — an all-absorbing passion to pursue the glory of God. “Resolved: that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory and to my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved: to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved: to do this whatever difficulties I meet with, how ever so many and how ever so great.” You can continue reading here.

Are You Easily Offended?
4) Kevin Deyoung has posted an article on Christians being offened. In his article titled, "Why are We so Offended All the Time", Deyoung writes, "For starters, being hurt is easier than being right. To prove you’re offended you just have to rustle up moral indignation and tell the world about it. To prove you’re right you actually have to make arguments and use logic and marshal evidence. Why debate theology or politics or economics if you can win your audience by making the other guys look like meanies?" You can read the post here.

Shack Attack
5) Many of us have encountered friends and family who have read (and loved) the book, "The Shack". In a review of the book, an article titled, "I am Not Who You Think I am", the author writes, "The point of The Shack is to prompt Christian readers, among others, to question, with Mack, their understanding of God—indeed, to "change the way we think about God forever." Young himself, in his actual rather than fictional voice, ends his acknowledgments with a benediction "that the abiding presence of Papa, Jesus and Sarayu will fill up your inside emptiness with joy unspeakable and full of glory." This, along with the promotional machine one encounters in the book's "Missy Project," should, I think, make any Christian uncomfortable. It should, in fact, convince us that The Shack is anything but "just a novel." After reading this review of the book, I am reminded again of how prevalent the post modern influence is in the "church" today. You can read the review here.

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