One Little Word Newsletter - July 18th, 2022
New Spiritual Gifts Bible study, the James Webb space telescope, a response to Khiara Bridges’s testimony, and an interview with Christian musician Anne Wilson
Well I’m writing from the Albuquerque airport where I’m about to fly back to Fort Worth after having spent the weekend at Glorieta speaking to high school students at the M3 student camps hosted by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. I am leaving so incredibly encouraged by the sincerity and passion for Christ among this generation. I spoke on three topics: human dignity, gender and sexuality, and Christianity and politics. The students were very very engaged; every session was packed and had to move to a bigger room, and they had really good questions. Don't buy what the cynics are telling you. The future of the church is bright. Also, this part of New Mexico is beautiful and the weather is really good.
Updates on my work:
I had a great time with my friend Tasha Calvert on her podcast Digging In talking about cultural engagement and disunity in the church.
I joined New Churches’s podcast with Ed Stetzer and Jessica Thompson to discuss the link between prayer and progress in the life of the church planter.
I was quoted in this helpful Lifeway article written by Joshua Martin, a former intern, about how to raise up faithful future pastors: “Every pastor is going to fall short. It’s only human. For the church, the challenge is to give abundant grace while also holding leaders accountable.”
My latest for World argues that polling shows Americans are more pro-life than we've been led to believe. Did you know, for instance, that 72% of Americans favor restrictions after 12 weeks?
I am thankful to contribute this essay titled A Bridge to Nowhere for Neighborly Faith on why conversations about civility and bridge building often go wrong. My 5 reasons:
1. We overstate what we aim for with civility.
2. Too often “truth over tribe” devolves into class condescension.
3. We too often mistake robust debate for incivility.
4. We too often mistake incivility for courage.
5. We underestimate society-wide deficits of trust.
We had my friend Kristen Waggoner, who has argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court on The Way Home podcast last week to discuss how Christians should fight for religious liberty, about the impact of Dobbs, and about the future of conservatism.
Lastly, Lifeway Research released an interview I did, answering some common questions about spiritual gifts in conjunction with my new Bible study Spiritual Gifts: What They Are and How to Use Them.
What I’ve Been Reading:
This article by Nathan Finn at The Land Center about why church leaders should study Carl Henry’s Uneasy Conscience for a New Generation. It’s been 75 since the first publication.
Kevin Deyoung wrote a thoughtful article on “the pitfalls and possibilities of being ‘political.’”
David French continues to offer very thoughtful reflections on the ideology of masculinity and explains his thoughts in five general truths.
This was a good essay in The New York Times on maternal mortality. In short, European countries with more abortion restrictions are vastly better. But this is also something the US, especially red states, should prioritize.
Dana McCain has a tremendous column responding to Khiara Bridges’s testimony on abortion rights.
Did you have a chance to see those amazing images from the Webb telescope? Chris Martin shared a wonderful, worshipful post about how these stunning images point to an all-powerful, creative, artistic God.
Cole Brown has a hilarious thread that you just have to read thru to the end:
My friend Michael Wear makes a good point here:
Lastly, I want to leave you with an interview between Ericka Anderson and singer/songwriter Anne Wilson. We love Wilson’s music in the Darling house. I didn’t know, until this interview, about the way in which she discovered her calling: Anne Wilson: Christian Singer and Songwriter Talks About "My Jesus" and More