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Miscellaneous: 7 links

February 3, 2012 // No Comments »

So we’re house hunting actively in Stockholm now and I’ll be glad to stop looking at property websites. Here are a few more interesting things to look at, to keep you going over the weekend
1. This is a fascinating insight into missionary work into North Korea
2. Doug Paul argues that in many ways Rob Bell and Mark Driscoll are the same
3. There’s quite a lot of snow and ice in Sweden just now, but I’ve not seen anything quite as remarkable as this
4. I’m all for simplicity and minimising the amount of stuff you have but this guy takes it to a whole new level!
5. Where do the richest 1% of the world live? The answers shouldn’t surprise you, but this little fact at the end was quite striking, “In the grand scheme of things, even the poorest 5% of Americans are better off financially than two-thirds of the entire world”
6. This is an excellent article by Tim Keller, you never marry the right person!
7. Charles Moore has an interesting review of Alain de Botton’s Religion for Atheists
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

January 27, 2012 // No Comments »

How did we get to the end of January already? Really, whoever is speeding the world up, stop it. Anyway, a little more eclectic set of links today.
1. Tim Chester has a great post on hearing God speak
2. How to build an extended family and by that Mike Breen means church, sort of.
3. Do universalists have a point? Andrew Wilson thinks so.
4. Peter Ould on the significance of what Jesus didn’t say about homosexuality
5. Carl Trueman thinks about the importance of Eph 5:12
6. Jeremy explains the best way to offset your carbon emissions, which I found helpful.
7. I may have linked to this before, but where in the world should you go for innovation? Liechenstein anyone?
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

January 20, 2012 // No Comments »

We started language classes yesterday, so hopefully our Swedish will improve. No idea yet of the impact on my English. Anyway a few links to give you some reading material over the weekend.
1. Denis Alexander gives a brief answer to the following question: ’if we last shared a common ancestor with the chimps about 5-6 million years ago, and humans have been gradually emerging through a series of hominid intermediates ever since, then why did Jesus die?’
2. Jake Belder, a north American, shows his appreciation for the British Queen’s Christmas Day speech
3. I thought Tim Challies on exchanging the natural for unnatural was interesting, although again showing differences between American and European culture
4. I’ve always described myself as a bibliophile, but by comparison with this man I’m still learning my alphabet.
5. Christmas is a touch time for parents wanting to teach simplicity and contentment to their kids, so I agree with this author who says, “an infant who cannot recognize its own thumb has no need for presents. Unless you count an empty box or a wooden spoon as a present”
6. The city of Medellin in Colombia has used outdoor escalators to reduce crime. Wonderful!
7. This is very true for how I use this on Facebook
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

January 13, 2012 // No Comments »

It was quite cold this week; -6 at one point. No snow yet. Anyhoo, here are seven links to feed the mind through the weekend.
1. There’s a new year resolution type feel to these links. First up is Tim Challies links on how to keep your resolutions
2. Maybe you’ve set some big goals for this year; Michael Hyatt has some advice on how to achieve your goals
3. Then Tom Basson reminds you to keep it simple
4. Of course this year you will probably spend most of your time working. Wouldn’t it be great if your church thought as much about your work as theirs?
5. You also might like to think about how your home fits into the big picture, how your ordinary life can become more missional. Doug Paul shares his experiences.
6. And to remind you that discipleship is, well, pretty important; Mike Breen shares the thoughts of worship leader David Walker.
7. Finally and should civilisation end and you need to start fresh, how many machines do you need for your very own DIY sustainable but industrial world? Apparently only 50.
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

January 6, 2012 // No Comments »

Welcome to the first set of links for 2012. As usual eclectic in every way and in no particular order
1. The debt crisis looks set to be news for the entire coming year. This infographic illustrates some of the problem
2. My friend Jeremy lists his books of 2011. If you want to know what to read about climate change, steady state economy, sustainability etc….this list is a good primer.
3. Tim Challies has reviewed two books on marriage. One I won’t bother with by Mark Driscoll and one I’m certain to buy by Tim and Kathy Keller, here’s a quote from the Keller’s book
4. The Bible remains a bestseller and demonstrated it once again in secular Norway of all places.
5. We need but can’t afford booming sales in the shops. Quite the paradox as Jeremy points out.
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

December 23, 2011 // No Comments »

The last set of links before Christmas and a particularly random bunch. Sorry about that. Hope the links have been a source of interesting things for you. One more for the year, but trust you’ll have a great Christmas.
1. I use Google every day, me and billions of others. This was our 2011 (HT: Tim Challies)
2. Expositional preachers worth listening to according to Tim Raymond
3. Carl Trueman on the Song of Solomon and sex
4. Talking about books about sex, check this one out by Matt Hosier.
5. And on books, Challies has provocative post on the future of Christian bookshops
6. Marcus Honeysett on the value of having friends who are not like you
7. If you’ve overspent at Christmas, maybe you fell to one of these money lies
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

December 16, 2011 // No Comments »
1. Dave Matthias has a good post on why he blogs
2. Are you more likely to give if someone asks you or not? Freakonomics looks deeper
3. Joe Snelling has a think about books, facebook and community
4. This weeks infographic shows you where not to own a cheese shop
5. This explains why if a massive skyscraper is being built in your city you can expect the economy to tank
6. Michale Hyatt has a good post on how a shift in vocabulary can change your attitude. Although you might need an attitude shift first!
7. For book lovers and authors Rachelle Gardner explains how the Amazon lending library works
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

December 9, 2011 // No Comments »

How did it get to be Friday already? Whoever stole my week please give it back!
1. Somehow Matt Hosier manages to link seeing the latest Twilight movie with the conclusion that the financial crisis might not be all bad. Yep, Twilight and the financial crisis. This may be one of the truly unique blog posts.
2. It’s Christmas, people are talking about the real meaning and someone poses a tricky question but what you really need is a snappy reply. Tweets for the street is the answer.
3. Tim Challies makes the case for audiobooks, backed up by Tom Basson. It’s something which I’ve never really done. Anyone else got a view?
4. Jeremy Williams gives a brief biography of EF Schumacher. Who? I hear you cry. Well, go, read and learn!
5. Gay marriage is all but inevitable in the UK, it is in the eyes of the lawmakers simply a matter of changing the words for what already exists in civil partnerships. Those who oppose it should be ready to be talked about like this.
6. This infographic explains why sitting is killing you
7. This visualisation of the growth of a baby is astonishing
HT Bookshelf

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Miscellaneous: 7 links

December 2, 2011 // No Comments »

We’re in Stockholm this weekend visiting some friends and also going to look at some houses. Buying a house is a scary proposition, doing it another language and culture even more so. So to counter all that scariness we’re also going to look at some big old pirate ships.
1. Carl Trueman has an excellent article on the death of critical appreciation. The subject is John Stott.
2. Prospero discusses the majesty of books
3. With Christmas fast approaching Mint answers the question ‘is free shipping really free?’ I think you know the answer to that one.
4. What do you think to this advent video from the Village Church?
5. Tom Basson asks ‘how many slaves work for you?’ Apparently I have 44 and most of the problems are with the toys my kids have! Easy way to solve that one, then.
6. This infographic seeks to answer the age old question, can money buy you happiness?
7. Lastly, what does life look like when you share a house with 11 other people? This could be an interesting insight into intentional community living
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

November 25, 2011 // No Comments »

Greetings everyone, how was your week?

Here are another seven links for you
1. If you’re anything like me then the debt crisis currently engulfing Europe has left you a little confused. This shows you who owes what and to whom
2. And this shows you how debt has exploded over the last ten years
3. So if you’re going to invest perhaps Amazon is a safer bet than your government. Here are 9 facts you might not know about the internet behemoth. Great word that – behemoth.
4. This one was from a while ago but I think it’s worth reading. How technology can not only be an idol but an enabler of idols. Worth a read, if you’re like me and tempted to spend too much time in front of a screen be it mobile, laptop, ipad or TV!
5. This is craftsmanship of an incredible sort. How to make a mini Stradivarius!
6. I’m not sure if I’ve linked to this already but it’s probably worth a repeat airing. Materialism is bad for a relationship. “There is a pervasive pattern in the data of eroding communication, poor conflict resolution and low responsiveness to each other.”
7. If you’ve come across the complaint that the God of the OT is a moral monster then Liam Thatcher reviews a helpful resource
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Miscellaneous: 7 links

November 18, 2011 // No Comments »

Here you are at another Friday looking at the clock and thinking, ‘what can I do that feels productive but isn’t actually work?’ Well I’m here to help. Here are the best 7 links of the past week or so
1. For sports fans we have what the NFL can teach the Premier League about philanthropy
2. For the aid conscious, here is why Haiti doesn’t need your yoga mat
3. For the cynical here is a list of famous people being booed
4. For the wanna-be-readers, here are 5 ways to make more time to read
5. For those wondering what Christian manliness is, Steve Holmes recommends the code
6. For the conspiracy theorists here are the networks that run the world
7. For those who like their worship with a twist
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Miscellaneous: 7 Links

November 11, 2011 // No Comments »

I used to do these link things everyday and then every now and then. So here’s another attempt at finding something sustainable and manageable, for me and for you. A weekly link fest but limited to one link per day. I’ve built up a bit of a backlog so there’s enough to keep me going for a while. I’ll try to post these on a Friday and give you the weekend to chew them over. Let me know what you think and feel free to share them around of course. Have a good weekend.
1. Are ethical people more satisfied with life? This survey suggests the answer is yes
2. How much do you know about the Reformation? If the answer is not much, then this short interview with Michael Reeves tells you why it was important.
3. Mark Meynell reflects on three blind-spots of the western church as pointed out by a Sri Lankan, Vinoth Ramachandra.
4. Skye Jethani asks an interesting question. What model of church is your youth work modelling and is youth work to blame for the emerging church movement?
5. Tom Basson offers 3 ways to stay on top of the social media of your life
6. I knew most forms of creative output were subjected to piracy but I just assumed that books were somehow immune. I was completely wrong.
7. How much do big corporations pay in tax? These facts are for America but the disparities are quite shocking.
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Miscellaneous: 10 links

October 25, 2011 // No Comments »
1. This story is jaw-dropping. Demoted for an opinion on a proposal that isn’t law!
2. Which is why it’s important that Christians really think through the issue of homosexuality. Justin Taylor recommends this
3. Linked to that is the issue of marriage and JT highlights the forthcoming book by Tim & Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage.
4. And married couples should also read Keller’s Counterfeit Gods because if one or both partners in a marriage relationship are materialistic then your marriage will suffer. Fact.
5. Children will suffer from an absent father but in different ways. Boys without a father figure are more likely to become delinquent.
6. Tom Basson, from South Africa, explains why he doesn’t have a TV
7. The TV never went up against a rival technology in battling for survival. Here are the winners and losers in technology smack downs.
8. Thinking of technology, I’d never considered having a digital bookshelf, but I like it. Try it here
9. Finishing with reading Jennie Pollock wonders if you are what you read
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Miscellaneous: 9 links

October 14, 2011 // No Comments »
1. A church should be creative in its worship, so I applaud the efforts here. Tim Hughes remixed dance style
2. When it comes to Apple which is more important, the medium or the message?
3. Speaking of which what does that say about how we access the Bible? (HT: Charles)
4. I love Breathe but was unable to attend it’s latest gathering: the Enough retreat.
5. Dave Stroud shares some of his holiday reading
6. The events in the Episcopal Church in America really beggar belief. Suing a church for its building and then selling it as a mosque. Sheesh.
7. Mint explains 5 really stupid things consumers do in offline shopping. The first one is the big one.
8. Why did God put the tree in the garden of Eden? A good answer from Tim Keller.
9. Michael Hyatt explains the power of incremental change. It’s basically a long walk to freedom.
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Miscellaneous: 9 links

October 12, 2011 // No Comments »
1. Do you know who the world’s biggest debtor nations are? There were some surprises for me on this list.
2. Closely linked to this is the question: has western capitalism failed? I found the answer from Ghana especially interesting.
3. And in the aftermath of the death of one of the great capitalists, here is a reminder why it’s not going to be Saint Steve Jobs
4. This has really slipped past the attention of the world but Pakistan is again a nation under water
5. I’d loved to have gone to school in one of these school buildings. Inspirational.
6. Sticking with architecture (which I love) have a look and listen to some of the thinking behind the arenas for the London 2012 Olympics
7. Recently the Russian Orthodox church was embroiled in a corruption scandal due to the massive wealth of one its priests. And if you don’t know much about the Russian Orthodox church, then here are some facts
8. Byron Borger reviews a classic book and a newer volume over at Q Ideas. Bonhoeffer’s classic Life Together & Jim Belcher’s Deep Church
9. Andy Johnston wonders whether John Calvin wasn’t actually ‘apostolic’ in his ministry
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Miscellaneous: 8 links

October 7, 2011 // No Comments »
1. CK Barrett one of Britain’s leading NT scholars of the last century has died
2. Two views on the issue of self-promotion on the internet. Michael Hyatt tells you how to build your online brand and Dane Ortlund encourages you to be a little more humble
3. Steve Holmes has puts forward his view on the debate about the historical Adam & Eve
4. Jeremy brings to our attention that work has begun on the world’s largest solar bridge. In London.
5. I love this neat idea for bookshelves by putting drawers onto stairs. Very clever.
6. Bill Hybels reminds us that leadership development (if you’re a leader) is a constant must
7. What’s the best way to measure poverty: income or consumption? Freakonomics discusses.
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Miscellaneous: 9 links & a video

September 30, 2011 // No Comments »

So I’m off to Stockholm again today to meet some people interested in joining our church planting team. Do pray that God would help me not be too off-putting! Or to put it another way that God’s grace would be on us.
1. You’re in a meeting and you get called out to take a phone call. You’re told you have less than 24 hours to save the world’s biggest bank. No pressure. So whatever his other mistakes and faults were kudos to Alistair Darling for not buckling under.
2. However banks continue to need reform, not least because of the way they cause hunger!
3. The 10 rules of clothes shopping. I personally like 1,2,4 & 6.
4. If you’re interested in the dynamics of city life this interview is worth 10 minutes of your time
5. Multi-site churches are of the devil. What else to add when that’s the article title?
6. A helpful reminder to set limits on technology. I’m leaving the laptop at home today.
7. Why faith and politics should mix
8. A second infographic for you – here’s what the iconic investor Buffett has invested in
9. Does Europe have a problem with mental illness? Apparently so.
10. I like golf but to be honest I’m rubbish. So doing this is amazing to me.
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Miscellaneous: 9 Links & a video

September 28, 2011 // No Comments »
1. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to go hunting for a 6 metre long crocodile that weighs 1 tonne and eats buffalo for breakfast. Pretty sure about that in fact. (HT: Jeremy)
2. I used to offset my jaunts around the world and was then began to feel that there were a waste of time. But perhaps carbon offsetting isn’t so bad after all?
3. As a kid I walked to school from the age of 5 until I could get a bike and then I rode to school. You could probably count the number of lifts in the car in 13 years of education on two hands plus a few toes. So where has the walk to school gone?
4. And if you walk you could stop at one of these public bookshelves. Assuming you live in Germany that is.
5. Also on your walk you could consider the beauty or otherwise of the pylon.
6. I like American football but like most sports, it’s as much a business as a sport and these businesses are bigger than many small nations!
7. I like Dave Bish’s post on the magic of reality by Richard Dawkins
8. Justin Taylor’s ‘they can’t‘ is an excellent reason why we’re involved in church planting
9. Adrian Warnock reflects on the reminder that the church in the UK is still in decline overall
10. This video is just mental and I would love to have the skill and the courage to do it!
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Miscellaneous: 9 links and a video

September 26, 2011 // No Comments »

Today we have hitch-hiking, middle east politics, surprising jobs and more on the menu. Also apologies for lack of blogging, I’m working on it. Anyway, one pleasant surprise is that today in south-east Sweden it is 18° and sunny. So we are off to the beach.
1. At Breathe they’ve started a season of posts on ethical clothing. The first, from Pakistan, offers a different perspective.
2. Here’s a different angle on e-book readers. They offer too many books!
3. I used to hitch-hike, in fact I would say it is my favourite form of travel (just not very practical with 2 kids) so I’m in favour of a hitch-hiking renaissance.
4. Do you remember being asked ‘what do you want to do when you grow up?’ Well, do you know anyone who had ‘disease mapper’ or ‘headline optimizer‘ on their list? No? You do surprise me.
5. Time to get political. Is this graph on who supports Palestinian statehood and who doesn’t any surprise? It’s eye-opening. (HT: Jeremy)
6. Here’s the facts on marriage and cohabitation in the UK. The bottom line is “More cohabiting couples separate without marrying, and fewer marry, than two decades ago. Cohabitation remains a relatively short term type of relationship.”
7. Where would Martin Luther feel more at home, the Lutheran church or the Catholic church? Matt Hosier is unsure which way the reformer would jump.
8. A lot of modern entertainment is addictive. Deliberately so. Which is why self-control is so important and why the video games have to go.
9. Foreign Policy argue the case that if you want to help the world’s poor you should ditch the organic lifestyle
10. Lastly the video. I love the creative way this was to put together. This to me speaks of the power and limitation of science. Would this be possible without scientific and technological advance? No. Can the result be in anyway adequately conveyed by science. No. Listen for yourself.
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Miscellaneous: 10 Links

September 7, 2011 // No Comments »
1. Dan contends for charismatic not simply contemporary worship
2. Sometimes I just want something the moment I see it. Mostly these are motorbikes
3. Krish Kandiah processes poverty out loud and online
4. Peter Ould graphically illustrates the emotive force of a debate on abortion
5. The statistical proof that Usain Bolt, is what we already knew to be true, really fast
6. Apparently there is a correlation between suicide and having a sad sounding national anthem. My own ears and facts now confirm that the Swedish national anthem is indeed a bit depressing.
7. When you think of Washington DC you probably picture the White House, but the humble bollard may be a more appropriate symbol
8. Proof, in any were needed, that watching TV is mostly a big fat waste of time. And sometimes that’s OK.
9. We all like IKEA. Affordable, pleasant-looking home furnishings. Not going to camp outside to get them though.
10. And I enjoyed this little clip on the speed of information
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Miscellaneous: 9 Links

September 2, 2011 // 1 Comment »
1. Apple v Google. It’s going to be messy and huge sums of money are involved. The references to Apple as a religion were interesting.
2. How an Eastenders star found God.
3. How to make the ‘About’ page on your blog better. Which is now on my to-do list.
4. Andrew Wilson tackles the issue of God and violence
5. Yesterday I linked to ten big issues of the past decade but what about the next ten? Here’s a guess on some of the megatrends that will shape our future.
6. Although I’m not entirely sure about some of the throwaway comments this ten minute video on design and architecture as part of God’s kingdom is very good
7. Is Amazon a threat to magazine publishers? Could be.
8. Jeremy looks at whether you can really waste a trillion dollars in aid?
9. I quite like some of the food I can get in Sweden and if you live elsewhere this is how you can enjoy it too
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Miscellaneous: 10 Links

September 1, 2011 // No Comments »

Language learning is a slog. End of story.
1. Kate Harris talks about motherhood as vocation. Out of curiosity, has anyone ever seen one called ‘fatherhood as vocation?’
2. It’s been 10 years since 9/11 but how important was that? Apparently not even top 10 important in the last decade.
3. Evidence, if any were needed, that many people in the UK have absolutely no idea what love really is and no idea how to make a marriage last
4. I’ve been guilty of some rose-tinted thinking when it comes to the anabaptists and Andy Johnston set me straight but he finishes his series on some of the good things. Getting baptism right is at the top.
5. Natalie Williams describes how she learnt that ‘the poor have always been on God’s heart‘
6. Trevor Saxby is doing some public thinking on generosity
7. And generous is surely a word that could be applied to Warren Buffett. He’s given away an enormous amount of his wealth and is asking to be taxed more and oddly in America is being castigated for that.
8. What invention caused a rise in abortions of girls in China? The ultrasound. Not what the makers intended I suspect.
9. In Sweden pretty much everything is expensive and taxes are high. This sounds bad. On the other hand you get quite a lot
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Miscellaneous: 10 Links

August 29, 2011 // No Comments »

Starting to get into a rhythm of life here this week as the kids start nursery three days a week. Chance for us to start language study in earnest and some other work. In the meantime here are ten links
1. I’d quite like my own underground town and here are some other impressive undergound goings on (HT: JW)
2. David Capener reflects on the influence of Steve Jobs who made music more fun
3. Dave Matthias illustrates the blessing of giving
4. While freakonomics laments planned obsolence and makes a plea for quality in a world of junk
5. While in Collateral Casualties, Vinoth Ramachandra rails against inequality and the tax avoidance of the rich
6. If you’re interested in a discussion on gender roles in the church check out the her.meneutics blog, this links to an interview with Russell Moore
7. And a little ‘taster’ of life here in Sweden – Knäckebröd
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Miscellaneous: 10 Links

August 24, 2011 // No Comments »

Another set of links for you. Today is a big day for me, my first day at nursery. With my 3 year old I should hasten to add.
1. Jeremy explains and promotes ColaLife an idea that should be supported.
2. Do reformed and charismatic go together. Michael Horton is a skeptic while Harman Bhogal is more positive
3. I enjoyed hearing and watching Amazing Grace sung to the tune of House of the Rising Sun
4. Despite having worked in the book and magazine industry I never saw how a book was made. Here you can
5. Dave Matthias tells how success in exams does not equal success in life
6. Trevor Saxby quotes yours truly in this post called Challenge to Generosity. I mention it because there are some better quotes from the Didache that are worth reading
7. I love it when young people I know have moments when they ‘get’ a gem of truth about worship
8. I have a to-do list but never thought about having a not to do list but actually it’s a really good idea
9. This sort of thing from the America Church is just embarrassing. Really.
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Miscellaneous: 10 Links

August 19, 2011 // No Comments »

We’re back in England for a few days for brother-in-laws wedding. This is the last (for the time being) of the link clearances so enjoy…
1. Here are two different takes on the recent Willow Creek leadership summit. One more positive and the other less so
2. Peter Oborne rightly says that while the behaviour of the rioters was bad, the behaviour of our politicians may be less violent but no more moral
3. Do you know what the most dangerous job in history is? No, have a guess. How about king?
4. I’m slowly getting the hang of using Twitter. If you’re also a Twit then this tells you how to get people to engage with your tweets. And yes the terminology is completely ridiculous.
5. Does marriage improve child development? Jubilee Blog investigates the recent research.
6. I have a book on my shelves about the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. This Guardian article explains, perhaps, why I should finally read it.
7. Here’s an interesting (and excellent) use of the blog format. Sam Storms and C Michael Patton discussing ‘Why I am/not a charismatic’ (HT: Tim Challies)
8. Mark Heath posted, a while ago I admit, on reading the Bible with your children
9. I’ve helped a few authors get published and the thing always worth remembering is that the writing is often easier than the selling. Michael Hyatt has 5 ways to build a platform when you hate selling yourself
And that’s it, if you feel slightly cheated because the numbers only go to 9, then check point 1 where you get two!

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Miscellaneous: 10 Links

August 17, 2011 // No Comments »

I’m clearing out the starred items of notable posts that I’ve collected in the past few weeks, so here are ten posts that caught my eye. In no particular order:
1. Martin Charlesworth continues his series on Simplicity with part 4 Setting our possessions free, ’As Christians we become servants – and our possessions are to be put at the disposal of the King. Many things may need to given away at the prompting of the Spirit or in the service of the local church or as direct gifts to the poor.’
2. Tim Challies encourages his readers to read books together, I like the idea. The next one is John Stott’s The Cross of Christ. Why not join in?
3. Freakonomics reports that co-habitation has doubled in the US since the mid-90s. What, if anything, does this say about the church in the US I wonder?
4. Dave Matthias wonders about advice to spare the rod and whether that is really what the Bible teaches.
5. Andy Lowe asks whether you can worship God to secular music? I love this line, ‘So, yes, while a particular harmony might stir your heart to worship God – a stirred heart has to overflow (like a too-vigorously-stirred mug of coffee), and that overflow is more likely to be a chorus of How Great is Our God than a rendition of Sunday, Bloody Sunday.’
6. Michael Hyatt offers some advice on how to turn a failure to your advantage
7. Phil Moore has a really helpful article asking Did God order genocide?
8. As Borders in the US finally closes its doors Rachelle Gardner accepts that it’s all her fault.
9. But Josh Reinders argues that the book industry is just fine, thank you.
10. Is there a ‘code’ amongst big time bloggers? If there is, Challies doesn’t know about it. I was stunned by his readership stats ’750,000 and 1 million reads per month’!
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Miscellaneous: 10 Links

August 16, 2011 // No Comments »

Here are ten links to a whole mixture of blog posts that I starred in Google because they caught my eye, so in no particular order:
1. More reflections on John Stott from Mark Meynell
2. Man Bites Shark. Worldwide shark attacks last year = 79, decline of blue sharks in the med over the past 30 years = 96%
3. Is Christianity in the US collapsing? “In the US, Christianity has been absorbed into a syncretic mishmash of self-help programmes and therapies, new age products and scraps of eastern religions. There are cults for every taste and circumstance.”
4. Jon gives two reasons why he doesn’t miss working for Christian organisations, can’t say I’ve ever experienced those but I can imagine
5. Jeremy asks why are there still famines in Africa?
6. Vinoth Ramachandra ponders on religion for atheists
7. Michael Hyatt has posts that show why powerpoint presentations often suck and how you can make presentations like Steve Jobs. That’s 2 links by the way!
8. If you’re a Calvinist don’t be miserable. “ A graceless Calvinist is like a guy who knows how a car works but has never driven through the countryside in the warm spring air with the top down and the wind blowing through his hair.”
9. Challies explains why 99.99% percent isn’t pure enough
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Money, materialism and the Gospel – Links

August 9, 2011 // No Comments »

Over the past few weeks while blogging has been low, I’ve kept my eye on a number of blogs (mostly because Google Reader doesn’t have a holiday option). Here is a collection on simplicity, money and the Gospel.
- First up is an excellent three part (so far) series by Martin Charlesworth: Does it matter how rich we are?, The paradox of money, wealth and materialism and simplicity – the first step
- Simplicity by the way is not this (HT: Challies)
- Trevor Saxby also has some good posts responding to Martin Charlesworth, on how we develop a sliding scale of need, reminding us that the poor have faces and that love means distribution
- Zach Nielsen writes on how the gospel makes us generous and content with our money and it’s worth considering our definition of ‘worldly’ so we would do well to follow this man’s example and choose not to gain the whole world
- Tim Challies ponders on the things I chose not to choose and how he battled with worry
- All these things are a symptom of current lifestyles like not knowing how to rest, having an affair with technology because we’re addicted to smartphones and technology is changing the face of community
- So some practical things to do to handle our stuff. Mint tells us how to quit the self storage habit, cut down on your digital clutter or even move to a smaller house or if not you could seek to multiply the benefits of your choices and Jeremy reminds us that some of the most valuable things we own we haven’t paid for.
- This infographic shows me how lucky I am to have been born in the west. Almost guaranteed to be able to read, live until I’m in my seventies, be free from infectious diseases and have clean water etc… Not everyone on our planet is so fortunate. (HT: Freakonomics)
- If you’re in business you could think how your business works and whether it can help capitalize with the poor
- If you’re wondering where to start consider reading one of these two books
Categories:
consumerism, links, money
I link therefore I am (12.07.2011)

July 12, 2011 // No Comments »

Today we’re in Brighton and about to enjoy the last ever TOAM. It should be epic and I’m sure you’ll be able to read more on Adrian Warnock’s blog.
- Steve Holmes writes an excellent piece on living (as we do) and communicating the gospel in a post-Christian society
- Mat Hosier defends his fiesty views on Facebook
- The world has (or soon will) have a new nation; South Sudan. These images from FP show Sudan before the great divide. For a book on Darfur try The Translator
- James MacDonald on why the church in America has a lean soul
Categories:
links
I link therefore I am (11.07.2011)

July 11, 2011 // No Comments »

Today we’re leaving Shrewsbury for TOAM which we’re looking forward to and for the next week or so, internet access and computer access is likely to be intermittent at best (no bad thing) but I’ve scheduled a few archived posts, to mix in with a few new ones to keep things ticking over until normal service is resumed. In the meantime…
- The Telegraph reports that ‘gay’ divorces are rising fast, an indication that whether straight or gay making a relationship work is hard work and doesn’t come naturally.
- The Urban Pastor has an excellent post on ‘not commenting on comments‘ which I think I might generally follow myself
- Dave Bish gets you thinking with this on prophets, whores and the love of God
Categories:
links
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By Phil Whittall, church planter, blogger & book reviewer

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