This week’s Sunday Best series is all over the board — from Snow White to Sacraments, we offer a vast range of articles that caught our attention. Enjoy!
How will the Church use the internet in this technology driven age? Rachel Held Evans, popular blogger and author, confronts that question in an editorial published by the Washington Post, The Internet is a Blessing. She discusses her doubts while attending a conservative evangelical church in the Bible belt, shares how blogging helped her realize she wasn’t alone in her questioning, and explains how she ended up with 300,000 unique visitors to her blog just in the last month.
This next article was one that I started out just skimming, but the assertions were so dead-on and the statistical data was so shocking that I ended up reading every word. Joe Kraus lays out a very convincing argument with this post entitled, We’re Creating a Culture of Distraction. Kraus says, “We threaten the key ingredients behind creativity and insight by filling up all our ‘gap’ time with stimulation. And we inhibit real human connection when we prioritize our phones over our the people right in front of us.” So how do we fix it? (Hint: it’s not giving up our iPhones and blackberries) You’ll have to read the piece to find out Kraus’ proposed solution. I found myself identifying with many of his main points, but I do have one qualm with it: a source isn’t given for the statistical data. Not a deal breaker, just something to consider.
In When the Church Lost its Voice, Scot McKnight discusses why the Church seems to have a decreasing influence on society and culture over the last century. McKnight shares five major historical shifts that undermine the faithful witness of the church from Ross Douthats new book, Bad Religion.
Richard Beck at Experimental Theology, blogs about Christians being a sacrament to the world. Using both an Anglican and Catholic understanding, he suggests Christians be a sign of grace to the world that is efficacious in this post entitled, Be a Sacrament.
The stresses of ministry can lead to a poor diet and unhealthy habits. That’s why The United Methodist Church recently initiated an annual study on the well-being of clergy in the United States. They’re hoping the results will help them make effective recommendations for improving clergy’s health. This article, Survey finds clergy’s worries add on pounds, shares the survey results, compares them to the general population, and tells how one pastor lost 200 pounds!
One of the summer’s most anticipated blockbusters is Snow White and The Huntsman, which made its debut at the box offices this weekend. Christianity Today gave the movie rave reviews in this helpful article, Mirror, mirror on the wall, ‘Snow White and the Huntsmen’ has something for all. It includes discussion questions for those who are going to see it with a group of people and a few things for parents to consider if they are thinking about bringing the kids along.
Forbes published this fascinating article, The Secret That Inspires Cirque du Soleil’s Culture Of Innovation: Creative Friction. The title says it all.
What were your favorite articles and videos from around the web this week?