There is hardly anything more mysterious and wonderful to me than the incarnation of Jesus Christ. God became a man. Jesus Christ is at once fully God and fully man. God took on mortal human flesh and became subject to all the things that every other mortal is subject to. He sneezed. He coughed. He got headaches and an upset stomach. Every morning he got up, shook the dust out of His hair, and served His Father faithfully.
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Dances with Avatar
I liked Avatar the first time I saw it. . . when it was “Dances with Wolves.” Kevin Costner’s name didn’t appear in the closing credits of “Avatar,” but it should have. The plot was nearly identical to the 1990 Costner flick. Pretty much, “Avatar” is “Dances with Wolves” plus some amazing special effects, a little post-Bush-era leftism, and a heavy dose of pantheistic creation-worship. I put-off reading any reviews of the film until after seeing it myself, but now I can recommend some to you that are worth your time: John Podhoretz, Russell Moore, Ross Douthat, Peter Suderman, and Rod Dreher. If you like the spectacle of innovative, grandiose…
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50 things that changed our lives in the aughts
The Associated Press has an alphabetical list of the 50 things that changed our lives since the beginning of the Millennium. Included on the list are blogs, celebrity culture, cell phones, Facebook,Twitter, and YouTube. Do you agree with this list? Did they leave anything out? I think the author identifies some trends in American culture, but she has missed the big picture. The list is hopelessly techno-centric—as if our lives can be reduced to the accumulation of our gadgets. It reveals more about what American value than about how the human story has really unfolded over the last ten years. Read it for yourself here, and see if you agree…
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The Sissification of Men
Have you ever seen a guy carrying a man-purse or wearing “guy-liner” make-up? They exist, and unfortunately their tribe appears to be increasing. On this topic, Tom Purcell pens an Op-Ed for The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in which he mourns the loss of manhood in our culture. Purcell has some trenchant critiques about how sissified men have become. He writes, Why are men turning into a bunch of softies?
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Evangelical Church Endorses Homosexuality
The Associated Press reports that an “evangelical” church in Colorado has decided to endorse homosexual monogamy as a valid Christian lifestyle. The pastor of the church reasons this way: “Our position is not one of lenience, but a matter of justice. It’s not that we don’t acknowledge the reality of sin. It’s not a sin to be gay or act in accordance with your nature.” The article also suggests that this particular church has found a middle-way and has transcended the typical conservative-liberal divide on this issue. But as you read on, it becomes clear that the pastor has embraced traditionally liberal interpretations of key biblical texts.
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Army general in Iraq issues ban on pregnancy
It’s a “lawful order,” and violators face court-marshall and jail. NBC News reports: Anyone who becomes pregnant or impregnates another servicemember, including married couples assigned to the same unit, could face a court-martial and jail time, according to an order issued by Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo. . . Military officials say the order was issued because Army policy requires the force to remove a pregnant soldier from a war zone within 14 days of learning of the pregnancy, creating a hole in a unit that makes it more difficult to complete its mission. “It is a lawful order,” Thompson said Friday during a phone interview with Stars and Stripes. Thompson,…
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Johnny & Chachi Spread Yuletide Cheer
If you don’t already know who Johnny and Chachi are, you can get acquainted here. In the meantime, click on the image above to watch their latest performance: “Johnny and Chachi’s Christmas Medley.”
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USA Today on Multi-site Churches
USA Today reports on the burgeoning multi-site church phenomenon. Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, and Ed Stetzer are interviewed in the article. Here’s how the report describes it: It’s not the traditional American mom-and-pop church, where the same pastor counsels parishioners, visits when they’re ill or marries or buries them. . . This form of high-efficiency evangelism allows thousands of worshipers to hear the same message from a lead pastor or a member of his team, in person or by video at three, five, even a dozen or more locations. Meanwhile, others take over the one-to-one side of ministry — counseling, ceremonies and small-group guidance. . . The multisite model can…
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On Matt Chandler
Matt Chandler received a pathology report today indicating that he has cancer (read the statement here). I will be praying for him and his family, and I’m sure that many of you will be as well. I’m grateful that in the midst of this trial, he’s got the smell of grace all over him. Yesterday, he wrote this on his Twitter site: “The pathology report is secondary at best. A good report doesn’t mean much, and bad report doesn’t mean anything. My days are numbered and not by this report.” So true. We love you and will be praying for you, brother. Psalm 139:16: “All the days ordained for me…
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Christmas and Easter Christians
Here’s an important report on Christians who only attend church at Christmas and Easter. Don’t miss this one. Here’s an excerpt: ‘The Burnett family and thousands of other Christmas-and-Easter — or C&E — Christians are gearing up for “the Season” which runs from roughly Thanksgiving to Easter. C&E Christians relish church holiday services, or feel duty bound to attend, but refuse to show up the rest of the year. But as churches grow more aggressive about courting new members, C&E Christians are devising more complex strategies for navigating their church visits.’ Read the rest here.