Daily Links 12-13-13

For your weekend reading enjoyment: the music of Mary Poppins, how to drive in icy conditions, the Lost Colony of Roanoke County may have been found, pigeons and bats as bomb guidance systems, and more.

*****************

Richard Sherman, one of the composers of Mary Poppins reflects on the difficult time he and his brother Robert had on dealing with author P. L. Travers. It's hard to imagine the movie without their music.

*****************

J. I. Packer's Knowing God is forty years old and still a beloved classic:

Forty years after its publication in 1973, Knowing God continues to bless readers around the world. It continues to inspire authors, too, as it does what very few books have been able to do: present page after page of carefully nuanced Christian doctrine in a style that people actually enjoy reading. 

In so many churches, even those that pride themselves on serious preaching, you will hear pastors pause apologetically to warn their congregations, "Now, I'm afraid we have to stop here for a moment for some theology."

(One wonders, of course, what they thought they were doing before that, and what they think they will be doing after the dread theological interlude….) 

J. I. Packer's Knowing God, however, makes no apology for theology. Or, rather, it does: itdefends the value of theology from its very first pages, both telling and showing that knowledge of God, while it might pose dangers to conceited souls that delight in condemning other people's doctrinal shortcomings, is nonetheless essential to knowing God: to loving and serving and enjoying this Person at the center of our lives and our cosmos.

****************

Six embarassing things that you do and why. Yes, I will confess to having done most of these things (but I won't say which ones).

*****************

Don't tell PETA: how pigeons and bats were used in experimental bomb guidance systems during World War II.

****************

Researchers believe they may have unearthed clues that will help them figure out what happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke County. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

*****************

Lifehacker tip of the day: how you can use the floor mats of your car to drive in icy conditions.

*****************

In the 19th century, arsenic was the murder's poison of choice. Here's a fascinating article explaining its colorful history.

*****************

Nine lies the media likes to spread about evangelicals. The author is right in stating that some of these lies are ones that some (but not all) Christians help perpetuate.

Daily Links 10-14-13

Grab a bite to eat and get free books, are Navy SEALs quieter than ninjas, what saying "I" frequently says about you, and more in today's roundup of links.

*****************

This is a neat idea. Visitors to the Traveler Restaurant in Union, CT get three free books with their meal. Road trip, anyone?

*****************
"Angelina's a human dynamo"

Universal Pictures has released the above photo of Angelina Jolie and Louis Zamperini. Jolie is directing the film adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's bestseller Unbroken which is about World War II veteran Zamperini. According to this Daily Mail article, the two have become close friends during the production process. The book was terrific. I hope the movie does Zamperini justice.

***************

Is a Navy SEAL quieter than a ninja? A six-year old boy, in order to settle an argument with a friend, went right to the source: he wrote to Admiral William McRaven, head of U. S. Special Operations Command.  Admiral McRaven, to his credit, wrote back. His answer?

"I think ninjas are probably quieter than SEALs, but we are better swimmers, and also better with guns and blowing things up."

Indeed.

****************

Author Malcolm Gladwell reveals in an interview that he has returned to Christian faith. It's an interesting article.

****************

Tim Challies has young children and has a burden to protect his family from pornography. He lays out the steps he's taken in this very honest post.

****************

Saying "I" a lot says more about you than you think (and not necessarily in the way you think):

You probably don't think about how often you say the word "I."

You should. Researchers say that your usage of the pronoun says more about you than you may realize.

Surprising new research from the University of Texas suggests that people who often say "I" are less powerful and less sure of themselves than those who limit their use of the word. Frequent "I" users subconsciously believe they are subordinate to the person to whom they are talking.

Pronouns, in general, tell us a lot about what people are paying attention to, says James W. Pennebaker, chair of the psychology department at the University of Texas at Austin and an author on the study. Pronouns signal where someone's internal focus is pointing, says Dr. Pennebaker, who has pioneered this line of research. Often, people using "I" are being self-reflective. But they may also be self-conscious or insecure, in physical or emotional pain, or simply trying to please.

Hat tip: Acculturated

Daily Links 8-30-13

Happy Firiday! Here are some links of interest to lead into the weekend:

*******************************************

Ranking the 21 best Jane Austen films of all time. I haven't seen all of these films but I would say I pretty much agree with the way these were ranked.

*******************************************

10 Things Christians Should Know About Islam. This is a good quick reference on Islam for those who are not familiar with what Islam is all about.

*******************************************

Sign me up: The Bacon Weave Breakfast Taco. (hat tip Neatorama)

*******************************************

Working Harder and Smarter: What Ashton Kutcher and Mike Rowe Have to Teach Us

So as Kutcher and Rowe urge, in the words of the latter, "work smart and hard." But as Kutcher's final point in his acceptance speech makes clear, our work needs to be oriented toward something larger. Kutcher encourages his audience to dream big, to work hard and smart "to build a life" characterized by meaning and significance. Lester DeKoster says there is a deep relationship between the meaning of our lives and our labor, since work is "a glorious opportunity to serve God and our neighbors by participating in God’s creative work through cultivation of the creation order." Work is a channel of preserving, common grace, intended by God to be the primary avenue for meeting our material needs and social life.

If younger generations faced by dour prospects in the marketplace would take the wisdom of Ashton Kutcher and Mike Rowe to heart, the prospects for a flourishing culture and economy would be much brighter. This would mean that there would be a greater recognition of the cultural and economic contributions realized through vocational training, through mentorships, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurs. Rowe, for instance, talks about "hundreds of men and women who loved their jobs and worked their butts off: welders, mechanics, electricians, plumbers. I’ve met them in every state, and seen firsthand a pride of workmanship that simply doesn’t exist in most 'cleaner' industries."

********************************************

Ten Trends Evangelicalism Could Do Without

Joe Carter of Culture11 and formerly of The Evangelical Outpost has compiled a list of the Ten Deadly Trappings of Evangelicalism. These are ten trends that Joe has identified that evangelicalism could just as well do without. All I can say is a hearty "Amen" to Joe's remarks. Take time to read through each post as there is a lot of great food for thought.

#1 The Sinner's Prayer and #2 Making Converts

#3 "Do You Know Jesus As...."

#4 Tribulationism and #5 Testimonies

#6 The Altar Call

#7 Witnessing and #8 Protestant Prayers

#9 The Church Growth Movement and #10 Chick Tracts

Developing a Christian Impact on Society

Author's note: I've been travelling this week and haven't had as much time as I would like to devote to posting new material so I am recycling this post from December 2004.

*************************************************************************

These are my notes from a lecture delivered by Dr. John Stott on November 4, 1986 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill entitled "Developing a Christian Impact on Society". For more on Dr. John Stott, see this post.

What values or standards are going to dominate our national culture? Most countries are increasingly pluralistic. It means that many things are competing for the soul of America. It's partly an evangelistic question but it's also a social and cultural question. Do Christians have a social as well as evangelistic responsibility in the community?

Look at Matthew 5:13-16:

13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Salt was used as an antiseptic and a preservative in Jesus' day. Jesus meant at least four things by these models:

1. Christians are radically different from non-Christians.
Jesus contrasted Christians to the rest of the world. We are to be the light for a dark world and the salt for a decaying world. We are called to be radically different from the rest of the world.

2. Christians are to penetrate non-Christian society.
Though morally distinct we shouldn't segregate ourselves from society. Jesus commands us to let our light shine into the world. The salt can't do any good unless it is rubbed or soaked into the meat. The application of this is what Christians decide to do for a career. Ministry is a generic word and does not merely refer to the pastorate. Through whatever career we choose we can be a minister for Christ. There is a wide variety of ministry.

3. Christians can change non-Christian society.
When you switch on a light a room is no longer dark. When you rub salt into meat bacterial decay stops. If society becomes corrupt society is not to blame because that's what happens when fallen men are left to themselves. We have to ask, "Where is the church?" We also must accept the role Christ has given us to be salt and light. Society cannot be perfected but it can be improved.

How does social change take pkace and how can Christians make an impact? One way is prayer. Prayer is an effective weapon in asking for help for our national leaders. The second weapon is evangelism. We have to be socially active Christians and that's not possible without evangelism. The third weapon is example. Humans are very imitative. A good example can have an enormous effect on society. The fourth is argument. Legislation can reduce evil in our social structure. We have to get into the public debate and argue the goodness of God's law. The fifth weapon is action. We need to be willing to take action.

4. Christians must retain their Christian distinctiveness.
Salt is no good if it loses its saltiness. If light loses its brightness it is no good. We must retain our Christian standards, values, and lifestyles without compromise. The differences are listed in the Sermon on the Mount.

Christ calls to the narrow road of life as opposed to the wide road of death. We must repent of our compromises and ask Christ to be Lord of all of our life. We also must repent from our pessimism. We don't have any reason to be pessimistic. We need to be salt and light so that people can see Christ in us through our good works.

David Eckstein: Getting More From Less Talent

David Eckstein, shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, is not the most talented guy in the major leagues. He does, however, get more from the talent he has been given than any other player in baseball. This is due to both his work ethic and his faith as Marvin Olasky explains:

Eckstein, the MVP of last year's World Series and also the shortest athlete on the field, at a generously measured 5-foot-7, is not without talent: He can hit a curveball, which Michael Jordan, a foot taller, could not. But his work ethic and faith sustain him. When I asked him about his success before a game last month, he responded, "Just keep working, working, working, and don't worry. If you start worrying in this game, everything becomes even harder. Work is your friend. Worry is your enemy."

Question: How does he keep from worrying in a sport where a player can hit the ball perfectly and still make an out? Eckstein explained, "I'm not as big as the other guys, so I've always known that I had to work real hard. But even with all that, I couldn't do anything without God. It's all Him. Let Him take control. If I go 0-for-4, I just keep working hard and praying. I'm not anxious because I know it will turn out all right My faith in Jesus is everything to me. You have to understand that He's working in His way. I've got to do everything possible to be prepared, and then to let Him take over."

Be sure to read the whole article. It's a great profile of a truly classy guy.

Servant, Husband, and Father First

As Zach Johnson was being interviewed following his improbable win in last weekend's Masters golf tournament, someone asked him if he knew that his life would be forever changed by his victory. His response was something along the lines of he didn't think so and was certain his son (who is 14 weeks old) wouldn't notice. While he might of been remarking on his son's youth and inability to see that his dad had achieved something remarkable, I think he was saying something much deeper and more important.

Johnson had already mentioned in an earlier interview that he was a Christian and that Jesus had been with him through the round. Obviously, his identity as a Christian is important to him and he is not afraid to say so.

But by making the remark about his son, I believe Johnson was saying something that all of us fathers need to remember: no matter what we may achieve in our respective professions that won't matter to our wives or our kids as much as how much we love them. No matter what I achieve either personally or professionally, it cannot change the fact that my wife and kids love me. They love me not because of what I can do or have done but because of who I am in Christ.

Men, our tendency is to allow our identities be defined by what we accomplish. My prayer is that we can see that who we are in Christ and as husbands and fathers matters much more than anything we can achieve. That includes winning golf tournaments.