I’m very thankful for the recent rise of the Christian documentary. Over the past few years we’ve been treated to quite a number of excellent productions that focus on key Christian characters, on important topics, and even on the whole sweep of Christian history. We are blessed to have access to this bounty of riches.…
Many years ago my grandmother succumbed to cancer and went to be with Jesus. Among the things she left behind, buried among other personal effects, was a long, handwritten letter from Joni Eareckson Tada. My grandmother had experienced excruciating pain in her life, losing both a daughter and her husband to suicide. As a new…
Halloween and Evangelical Identity – Russell Moore takes a light-hearted look at Evangelicals and Halloween. “I tried my hand at explaining the spectrum, with tongue in cheek, using Halloween as a Rorschach test. I posted it over at the First Things group blog. Here goes.” Luther and the Reformation Free – Ligonier Ministries is giving…
Take Care How You Listen – Desiring God has released a free ebook from John Piper “on listening well. It is comprised of five unedited sermon manuscripts from the preaching ministry of Pastor John. We pray this resource will serve your personal reflection as you heed Jesus’ command to ‘take care how you listen’ (Luke…
Why Christians Should Read Camus – This promises to be an interesting new series from Leland Ryken. “Every week he’ll lend us his decades of learning to help us understand why these works have come to be regarded as timeless treasures. Have you ever thought, I’ve heard that book is great, but I’m intimidated to…
Waking Up Fragile – John Piper: “There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It’s often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible. It’s usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have deadlines and…
It has been fascinating to witness the rise of Halloween in recent years. What was at one time a day for kids to spend a couple of hours going door-to-door to collect candy and coins has morphed into a true holiday where kids and adults alike celebrate. Recent trips to costume stores show that the…
Love Wins Companion – Rob Bell is releasing a companion to Love Wins. Here’s some classic publisher hyperbole: “In The Love Wins Companion, Rob Bell offers commentary on the positive and negative attention his groundbreaking book is receiving, delivering a crucial supplement to one of the most important books since the Bible.” The Three Musketeers…
I receive far more books than I could ever read and review. Even when I toss the ones that are very obviously not worth anyone’s time, a lot remain that I would like to read but simply cannot; this is especially true now that I am preaching and teaching a fair bit, meaning that more…
Over the past few weeks I’ve posted a couple of short biographies I wrote this summer. I want to post just one more–this one about the olympic runner and missionary Eric Liddell. What may be most interesting about Eric Liddell is that he is remembered for something he didn’t do far more than than something…
Oops. I mistakenly hit the “publish” button a little prematurely on this one. So you can enjoy A La Carte 2/4 on 2/3. $5 Friday – You asked for it and now you’ve got it. Today only you can buy R.C. Sproul’s commentary on John for just $5 (book or e-book). The retail price on…
Yesterday we went out and put ourselves through the yearly ritual of buying a Christmas tree. Those things aren’t getting any cheaper, are they? The local place had really nice trees but wanted $55 for them. After seeing how nice they were (and comparing gas prices to the distance we’d have to drive to get…
Email and Offline Relationships – TIME has a worthwhile article on the way email can potentially damage offline relationships. “It’s possible that instead of fostering real friendships off-line, e-mail and social networking may take the place of them — and the distance inherent in screen-only interactions may breed feelings of isolation or a tendency to…
There are many who consider Janet Leigh’s murder in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho to be the most terrifying scene in the history of film. The setting, the mood, the music and the camera work combine to create a scene of absolute terror. Her screams were impressed upon the memories of many who watched her macabre death…
Top Ten Signs Your Sermon Isn’t Going WellHere’s an early morning LOL for you. The Age of Privacy Is OverI think we all know that there are growing concerns about the internet and privacy. Here Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg says as much. And just think how much information Facebook has about all of us. Deeper Into…
Friday July 11, 2008 Introducing Ellie Rebekah RoseCongratulations to [little sister] Susanna and her husband Rick who welcomed Ellie into the world last night. Get Your Pastor on eBayHere’s a pastor with a unique way of seeking a call. Let’s hope this doesn’t catch on… Boats or VotesFrom Boundless: “Were the men on the Titanic…
I recently read Rapture Ready, a new book by Daniel Radosh. The book is subtitled “Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture” which probably tells you most of what you need to know about it. The author, a secular liberal, immerses himself in Christian pop culture and uses this book to write about…
Yesterday I posted the first portion of an interview with Devin Brown, author of Inside Prince Caspian and Inside Narnia. Today we continue with the second and final piece, and look at mistakes people make when reading the Narnia books and the film adaptations of Lewis’s works. TC: What are some of the most common…
Last week I posted a review of Inside Prince Caspian, a new book by Devin Brown and a follow-up to his earlier work Inside Narnia. These books provide literary analysis of the Narnia books and have greatly enhanced my understanding of and enjoyment of C.S. Lewis’s imaginary world. I thought it would be interesting to…
I have no memory of reading (or having read to me) C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia (though I’ve been assured that my parents did read them to me at least once). On the other hand, I remember reading Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit many times. I read Tolkien for the…