Weekly Links

• Bailout bill fails to pass - I didn't see that coming, but I'm glad it didn't. I know the government needs to do something, but $700,000,000,000 scares me (doesn't that look a lot scarier than just writing "700 billion?"). There's got to be a Plan B, right?
  
  
• For what it's worth, here's Dave Ramsey's thoughts on how to fix this problem
  
  
• Mark Batterson's 10 Steps for Setting Life Goals - you'll have to give your name and email address, but I think it's well worth it.
  
  
• James Howell on why Christians should be defined by more than just Liberal or Conservative (from Ben Witherington's blog). I especially like the John Yoder quote.
  
  
• Wendi Thomas' article on Ron Sider - I got to hear him speak last Wednesday at 2nd Presbyterian Church, and am currently reading one of his books in preparation for a talk I'll give at church in a couple of weeks.
  
  
• Ben Witherington's Evangelical Voter's Guide
  
  
• New Advent Conspiracy website is up. I'm looking forward to taking part in this again this year.
  

Chasing Cars

I love the world wide web. It provides answers for so many of my questions. For examples, today I heard a song on the radio that I really liked. It seemed very familiar, and I thought I might have heard it while watching Grey's Anatomy (Mandy has gotten into this show recently, and I've watched a few episodes with her). The song was soon over, and it was time to get out of the truck and go to Adam's first soccer practice (I'll post some pictures if my buddy Josh will send them to me).

Five hours later I remembered that I need to find that song, but of course I couldn't remember any lyrics or even what it sounded like. So I went to FM 100's website, and discovered a handy dandy song finder. I scrolled over to 5:30pm and found a song called "Chasing Cars" by the band Snow Patrol. Sure enough that was it. I googled it and saw that I had indeed heard it last week on Grey's Anatomy.

So the thought for the day is that the world wide web brings me great joy and satisfaction.

For more great joy and satisfaction, watch this video.

Cooper-Young Parent's Network

For those of you who don't know, Mandy is taking a one year's leave of absence from teaching so that she can be home with Adam and Micah. Not teaching has also given her more time to create. One of her latest creations has been the Cooper-Young Parent's Network. She and some friends began talking about this a little over a month ago. I helped her set up a Yahoo Groups and off we went.

On Friday, September 12 we kicked the network off by having a party at Josh and Ginger's house. The party also coincided with the 4-Miler Race, which kicks off the Cooper-Young Festival. We had no idea who was coming. By the end of the evening we figured that we had sixty people show up. Of those sixty, I'm pretty sure that half the kids were three years of age and under.

Here are some pictures that Ginger took.

If you're here in Midtown and would like to join, email cooperyoungparents-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Ever heard of this guy?

Bon Iver - "For Emma" from MySpace Transmissions

The Role of an Apostle Pt. 2

More from Paul. Who wants to sign up for this!

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger, by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6:2-10

Mark Driscoll's Definition of the Church

Jason sent me a sermon by Mark Driscoll called "Putting Preachers in their Place." During the hour and fifteen minute sermon (yes, you read me right), he gives a definition of the church that he and Gary Brashears came up with. It's difficult to write definition that are all-encompassing, but I think this one comes pretty close.

The local church is a community of confessing believers in Jesus Christ who obey Scripture by organizing under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, and scatter to evangelize and care for people everywhere. They observe the Biblical sacraments of baptism and communion, and are unified by the Spirit for mission in the world, and are disciplined to live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission to the glory of God.

Jesus will zap you anyway he can

I found this on the Catalyst blog. Very interesting.

The Role of an Apostle Pt. 1

This week I'm reading 2 Corinthians for my LTG. Today I was reading chapter 4. Paul gives the Corinthian readers a description of his life. I can't say that this excites me. Following Jesus is hard. Giving your life so that others will follow Him is even harder.


2 Corinthians 4:7 - 12 (ESV) ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. ¹¹For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹²So death is at work in us, but life in you.

The Ordinary Radicals

Politics

I have a confession to make: I am not sure who I'm going to vote for in November. I know that most of my family and many of my friends probably won't understand my dilemma. Most of my family votes Republican every year, while most of my friends and neighbors vote Democrat. And here I am caught somewhere in the middle.

I watched most of the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week, and I'm planning on getting caught up on the Republicans this weekend. As I listen to what both sides say, I find myself agreeing with much of what is said. I like one party's candidate for these reasons, and I like the other party's candidate for completely different reasons. Yet all of those reasons are important to me. It's hard for me to relate to those who see this as such absolute black and white.

I'm encouraged by people like Jim Wallis, who say that we should vote on the issues rather than the person or party, but that seems impossible at a time like this, when everything is becoming more and more polarized. Here's what I do know. Neither of these men is a savior. Neither of them will lead America to destruction, nor will either save us from all of the problems in our society. Both will lead the way their parties have always led, focusing on some things at the expense of others. That's not meant to be pessimistic, just realistic.

For now, I'll just continue to read, think and pray, and then two months from today I'll make use of the liberties I've been given and I'll cast my vote.