There is a far cry in today’s evangelicalism about what is called the ‘feminisation’ of the church.

Some of those concerned are trying their macho gimmicks: Mark Driscoll makes a fool of himself, and the gospel, with his distasteful exhibation of masculine sexuality, while others are betting on sports and body building, all of it, as we well know from the Bible, powerful way of building strong men of God.

And, of course, for many of those fundamentalistically inclined, the real cause for this undeniable reality is feminism. Exactly how did feminism produce this effect is not told, bet everybody knows (supposedly) that feminism is bad, so it must be it.

Maybe not, argues Mark Sayers in this blog post.

If you find this interesting, maybe you should read it.

Thanks to my friend Mary Perry for this.

Dupa unii, orbiti de ideologia lor anti-scientista, incalzirea globala este un mit. Acest clip facut de NASA arata un rezumat al cresterii termepaturilor globale pe Terra in ultimii 30 ani.

Pariem ca nici asta nu ii va convinge pe cei convinsi deja? Vorba englezului, ‘don’t bother me with facts; I have already made up my mind’.

Cei interesati pot citi AICI un articol din Le Monde pe aceasta tema (in limba franceza).

You may sign HERE the following call against the possible implications of ACTA on the freedom of the Internet:

As concerned global citizens, we call on you to stand for a free and open Internet and reject the ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which would destroy it. The Internet is a crucial tool for people around the world to exchange ideas and promote democracy. We urge you to show true global leadership and protect our rights.

You may also sign HERE an apeal against the implications of ACTA on access to decently priced medicine for poor people:

Petition to governments negotiating ACTA:
We urge you to oppose any deal that could cut off millions of people from access to essential medicines. We call on you to ensure that no agreement is reached via the secretive process in Tokyo, and to release current negotiating texts for public scrutiny.

* * *

Pentru cititorii romani

Cititi AICI mai multe despre ACTA.

This week’s radio programme On Being, by Krista Tippett, is dedicated to the Irish poet John O’Donahue and is titled ‘The Inner Landscape of Beauty‘. I have listened with fascination the interview, from which the poem/blessing above was extracted. I believe it is worth giving an hour for this.

In the next video O’Donovan is reciting the blessing during one of his conferences.

Finally, you may watch Irish landscapes, reading yourself the words of the blessing.

Here are also the words of the poem:

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

(Source, HERE)

This week I began teaching a preaching practicum at a local seminary. As a place to start, my students received and turned in the assignment of a short reflection paper on one of my favorite topics, “What is good preaching?” Since I made them reflect on the topic, it’s only fair that I do the work, too. Here are my reflections.

Good preaching is relevant. This does not mean the same thing as “Good preaching keeps up with the latest trends or what everyone seems to find cool.” Contrary to popular belief, a pastor wearing a remote headset does not automatically make people come to church. By “relevant” I mean: speak to the real lives and genuine concerns of your people. Be a real person. Reference the daily parts of life that have kept them occupied this week. Show them how the text informs their lives. There’s nothing worse than going to church on Sunday morning and leaving convinced that there’s nothing you heard, said or did that impacts life as you know it.

Good preaching is conversational. Preaching is not performance. Perhaps one day I will write and deliver a sermon that people would want to hear over and over again, but until then, I need an approach that works every week. An approach that helps me is when I can remember that good preaching is, at its most influential and meaningful core, conversational. That is, if you are up front preaching a sermon, it better have relevance and meaning, dialogue and interplay with the voices of your people. I don’t often ask people for a verbal response during the sermon (I’m not that brave), but I want them to feel that they are part of a conversation, not just witnesses to a performance. Can your people call or e-mail you after Sunday? Do they ask for or suggest books based on the ideas you present? Do you look out over the congregation and see faces eager to engage? That’s conversational preaching.

Read on…

‘ After nearly 40 years of polarization over abortion, two speakers at a Mercer University event said Jan. 24 it is time for people who are pro-choice and pro-life to seek common ground to reduce the current number of 1.2 million abortions a year.’

Abortion is a very hot topic, and rightly so, because it is about life and death. However, the way this issues was politicised by both liberals and conservatives has clearly not led to a reduction of the number of abortions in the US.

The search for common ground between the proponents of the two opposed positions on abortion is a must if this social problem is going to be addressed in an adequate way.

Un text superb. De citit neaparat, mai ales de cei ce sunt bunici.

A whiteboard video by Jeff Maguire and Brian Hurst. This is our take on what is meant by words like “church” and “gospel”. The concept comes out of the evangelism section of the Lausanne Covenant. Thanks to Brian Hurst for the drawings (check his stuff out at www.thequietsociety.com) and his wry sense of humor. The video will be shown at Mariners Church (www.marinerschurch.org) on October 22 and 23, 2011.

Thanks for this to my former LBC colleague David Tolhurst.