Dan Edelen on Ragnarok, Recession, and Real ID:

The early Church prepared for problems. In fact, they listened to their prophets and sprang into action. But where are our prophets? And in lieu of prophets, why can’t we seem to heed our own common sense? Yet I can’t think of one major Church leader in this country talking about economic issues and how the Church must face them.

Here's an excellent post from Michael Spencer about his personal perspective on Catholicism. It defies excerpting, so if the issue interests you, read the whole thing.

Here's a pretty good roundup on "Being a Missional Church" from Said@Southern. As usual, I'm the little snotty-nosed kid tagging along behind.

You won't want to miss this recent highlight from Kamp Krusty: The Tyranny of Mattering.

Two things I know about the world:

1) Everything matters.

2) This can be a real problem.

Here's an excellent interview with the one-and-only Derek Webb: Part 1 and Part 2.

Thanks to the guys at Said at Southern for making this happen.

Brant Hansen's side-splitting blog, Letters from Kamp Krusty, combines fearless criticism of the Evangelical establishment with a wonderful (if warped) sense of humor and a very precise level of corny-ness. Not to be missed.

Dan Edelen on the Church's complacency in providing for the needs of even her own people:

If I don’t instill in my son that we go without certain things we want so we can use the money to help others in need, then it doesn’t matter how many Bible verses he’s memorized, he’s been deprived of the heart of God. I fear that too many Christian parents brainwash themselves and their kids into a sense of entitlement that stomps on the Gospel. God help us should the next generation be even more stingy than we’ve become.

Here's a very, very good post on imagination in Christian perspective. (HT: Dan Edelen) This one is worth reading - slowly - all the way through - twice.

If we are going to talk about the ‘primacy’ of anything in man’s grasping of his world, let us speak of the primacy of the imagination. The very act of perceiving our world necessarily involves the imagination. There is no such thing as mere perception.

It so happens that Peter Kreeft also has an excellent lecture on this.

Mediocrity and materialism are systematically strangling the Western Christian (and therefore the Western Church), and like the proverbial frog in the frying pan, he doesn't even know it. Dan Edelen is one of the last feeble voices among the faithful who are gasping for air amidst the suffocating lukewarmedness. He always writes good stuff, but this post simply defies adjectives.

Warning: side effects may include goose bumps.

Here's a thought-provoking article about community from Dan Edelen's archives. Thanks to Jonathan Marshall for the tip.

When we talk about community in the Church, we simply do not understand what is at stake. As long as I have been a believer, I have seen all kinds of communities, but very little community. Our lack of reliance on God (since we usually have cash to pay for anything that faith would ordinarily cover) translates into a lack of reliance on others within the Body of Faith.

Here's an excellent essay on head coverings from one of WORLD Magazine's most thoughtful writers: Andree Seu.

I read in 1 Corinthians 11 that the woman's head is to be covered in worship. The modern Christian consensus tells me that is a relative and obsolete command, dealing with some first-century problem in the city of Corinth. My high-school literary skills tell me otherwise: The command is rooted in creation (verses 7-9) and in nature (verse 14). And if that weren't ironclad enough, I am to cover my head "because of the angels."

The angel detail is so cryptic, so off the wall, so without explanation, that it becomes the strongest argument of all. Where is the "cultural relativity" case now, where angels transcend all historical agitations?

Dan of Cerulean Sanctum posts a scathing but clearheaded critique of modern prophecy and includes a compelling story of a true "word of knowledge."

Some thoughts on evangelism from The Evangelical Outpost.

The Northern Gleaner: good thoughts on prayer, positivism, and [looks sheepish] fellow bloggers.

As is often the case, the world is quicker to point out the travesties of evangelicalism than Christians. Here's AU on TV evangelist Benny Hinn; Wikipedia largely substantiates the criticism.

The Northern Gleaner on leadership.

Years ago when I was leading a fellowship one of the men who was a key part of that Church said, "If you want to know if you are a leader, look and see if anyone is following you, If they're not you are just taking a walk"....

I say, that's not leadership, that's domination and intimidation. Leadership is finding the right people, preparing them and if they will do what they must, giving them a hand to help them become everything they were created to be.

That, my Minister readers is what Ephesians 4 is all about. Not creating followers, creating leaders.

More on evangelism from The Northern Gleaner: part 3, part 4, and part 5; and he's not through yet.

Despite the Agape Love I have for these people at this fellowship we have fights. We argue. We don't LIKE each other sometimes. Agape isn't about liking someone. I can have an agape love toward you and not like you. Look back at the description. That was true in the early church. The Apostles fought like cats and dogs and even didn't really like each other all that much sometimes. But they loved each other in the Love of Christ. Agape.

Hmmmmm.

Gene Redlin of The Northern Gleaner with some thoughts on evangelism. (Part 1 posted yesterday.) Interesting, if inconclusive, perspective.

Evangelizing takes place only after inquiry. If a person isn't asking the question your answer is useless. The questions usually come on the heels of a personal crisis of some kind. Much of what we think of as evangelism is answering questions people aren't asking.

Robert Carrillo just emailed with a bunch of news and needs. If you didn't receive it and can spare 5 minutes for the body, please click here and read it. Let's keep them drenched in prayer.

Polling the house church movement: I'm just not sure satisfaction is the goal of church.