Tag Archives: pastor

Six-Pack (65)

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to the Six-Pack, the Victoria Day Long Weekend edition for those of you celebrating in Canada.

As you’ve come to expect, the six links below feature the best online offerings I have recently read, related to ministry or faith, with just enough space left for who-knows-what!

If a half-dozen feels daunting, start with the *Picks of the Week*, and move out.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) In Prison With Ann Voskamp
Richard Beck confesses to getting a new perspective in a Texas prison.

2)  Q&R: A Nasty Piece About You (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
Regardless of what you think of Brian McLaren, you’ll be inspired by this response that he gave to one of his critics. Classy and gracious.

3)  Six Unexpected Faith Conversations in Pop Culture
Relevant Magazine has put together this short piece highlighting popular figures who have recently shared thoughts on faith. Hardly profound, but interesting all the same.

4)  How to Stay in One Church for 27 Years
If you’re a pastor seeking advice on longevity, Ronnie Floyd is likely worth listening to.

5)  Toward Recovering Baptism (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
I was blessed by some recent visits with my friend Kirk at the Pepperdine Lectures. Here, he recounts some highlights of the week, while musing also about some not-to-be-missed facets of baptism.

6) The Wrong Reasons to Write
Jeff Goins helps those who string words together to break free of poor reasons to keep pressing forward.

May your week ahead be filled with life, as you seek the One from whom it flows!

leaveacommentYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Which link above was today’s best-of-the-best?
  • Why that one?

Direct others to the best of the bunch with a quick comment.

[You can subscribe to this blog via RSS or email, in the upper right corner of this page.]

Six-Pack (62)

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Six-Pack.

Having missed last week’s post, a small stockpiling of great material has begun. Let me skim a half-dozen off the top for sharing.

If six ever feels overwhelming, start with my two *Picks of the Week*, and move out from there.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) 20 Unusual Things 20 Successful People Do Every Day (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
For Inc.com, Jeff Haden has compiled these intriguing bits. I love getting peeks into others’ processes for creativity or organization or life. To me, this stuff is fascinating. I especially appreciate Leo Widrich’s entry — I could get into that, though those around me likely want no part of it!

2) What Saint Paul Really Said About Slavery
Scot McKnight shares a brief excerpt from Sarah Ruden on this still-provocative topic.

3) Platt Wasn’t Enough for My Church
Andy Schmitz took over leadership of a church formerly led by David Platt… sort of. Here’s his take on the non-negotiable value of flesh-and-blood pastoring.

4) Seeking God, Finding Jesus
Nabeel Qureshi is the author of “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus”, and perhaps you should get to know him.

5) Twenty Years a Survior (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
The world recently marked the 20-year anniversary of Rwanda’s horrors. Many stories have been told. One you should hear is that of Clarisse Mukashumbusho, now living in London, Canada.

6) Are Mac Owners Really Cooler than PC Users?
Psychology Today picks at the famous commercials and their message.


May your week ahead be filled with life, as you seek the One from whom it flows!

leaveacommentYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Which link above was today’s best-of-the-best?
  • Why that one?

Direct others to the best of the bunch with a quick comment.

[You can subscribe to this blog via RSS or email, in the upper right corner of this page.]

Saturday Six-Pack (26)

Posted on by
Reply

Happy New Year, friends!  I hope your 2013 is off to a smashing start.

The end of 2012 saw me doing some digital housekeeping, part of which was sifting through pieces I’d bookmarked over the past months as suitable Six-Pack links.  So here is a smattering of less-recent-than-usual articles that may have been missed in weeks gone by.

As usual, if a half-dozen options paralyzes you, begin with my two *Picks of the Week*, and move from there.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter ( @JasonBandura ) to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) Showing Up
When you feel discouraged over a lack of fruit for your efforts, there is a certain measure of pride and satisfaction to be taken in the simple fact that you continue to show up.  So says senior pastor Mike Glenn, in regards to ministry.

2) When Are We Going to Grow Up? The Juvenilization of American Christianity (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
Christianity Today’s Thomas Bergler considers how the Western world’s changing views on youth and adolescence have impacted, and in some regards stunted, our expressions of Christian faith and community.

3) Pornopoly
The impact of pornography upon society and relationships cannot be over-emphasized.  Dave Dunham, for the Gospel Coalition, makes this compelling case while spelling out some of the impacts that the average mind might not consider.

4) Have the Courage to Be Direct (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
The call to blunt conversation is particularly piercing to anyone in a leadership position; however, it is equally important to anyone who cares about simply building the life that he/she wishes to live.  This HBR piece will help you to consider what keeps you from more direct interactions, and how you might make such an impacting move more frequently in the days ahead.

5) How to Write a Joke
Jerry Seinfeld muses on how his creative process works in this short video from the New York Times. For anyone whose work involves creativity, this just may resonate. Or it may just highlight the silliness of things you worry about!

6) The Secret Structure of Great Talks
In this TED talk, Nancy Duarte reveals what makes all the difference in the world in the presenting of ideas.  The best idea in the world isn’t worth anything if it stays stuck in one’s own mind.  How to present effectively?  Here’s one woman’s take on it.

Blessings on you, my friends.  May your weekend be refreshing in rest, play, and worship.

YOUR TURN: Direct other readers to the best stuff above by making a comment below, or weigh in on what you read.  Your input makes this post better!

[You can subscribe to this blog via RSS or email, in the upper right corner of this page.]

Saturday Six-Pack (24)

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to Wandering & Wondering!

Just in time for Christmas, it’s your latest edition of the “Saturday Six-Pack”.

Typically centered on faith or ministry, you’re sure to find some who-knows-what tossed in!

If having a half-dozen options paralyzes you, begin with my two *Picks of the Week*, and move from there.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter ( @JasonBandura ) to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) A Circle of Honour
One of the most powerful acts you can carry out in your relationships is to initiate experiences in which those around you are appreciated, honoured, and admired… and they know it!  Great piece from Leadership Journal.

2) Seven Questions with Scot McKnight (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
Here, David Kinnaman and Scot McKnight take a look at recent Barna research on Christian women today, particularly women’s levels of satisfaction within the church. Whatever your own take on women’s roles in the Church today, Scot offers compelling perspectives on the research.  Men and women alike, your comments below on this piece could start a fascinating discussion.

3) The Paradox of Advent
This reflective prayer vividly describes the real wonder of the Christmas season.  Thanks for sharing, Scotty Smith.  If you need one more worthwhile tweeter to follow, @ScottyWardSmith will do you well.

4) Six Reasons a Pastor Should Work a Month in Advance
Mark Pierce makes a few compelling (yet brief) arguments for why more pastors might wish to pursue this approach to preaching.  Read it before you wonder, “But how would I ever pull that off?”  Then Google a quote about a will and a way.  Then decide what your next step might be.

5) Best Mac Apps of 2012
For Mac-lovers who enjoy finding new programs and such, this list may provide some enlightenment. If anything, the list made me realize that I use my iPhone for a lot of things that I don’t even address on my computer.  Several of these apps were also focused on more creative folks than myself.

6) How Social Media is Destroying Productivity (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
An article featured in last week’s Six-Pack contained this line: “What information consumes is rather obvious. It consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” And a poverty of attention is one of the impacts of social media. This infographic (by ChurchMag) portrays the stats most interestingly.

Merry Christmas to all of you!  May your week be unusually full of an awareness of just how very close God has come.

Blessings on you, my friends.

YOUR TURN: Direct other readers to the best stuff with a comment below, or weigh in on what you read.  Your input makes this post better!

[You can subscribe to this blog via RSS or email, in the upper right corner of this page.]

Sunday Six-Pack (18)

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to the weekend after a week in which even sitting to type a short blog post was an impossibility.  Here’s hoping that your weekend (a LONG weekend in Canada) allows you a chance to sigh.  Thanks for showing up for some “Wandering & Wondering”.

This week’s Six-Pack features the usual: A half-dozen of the best things I’ve read online in the past seven days.  As is the norm, most of these articles are faith-focused or ministry-geared, with a bit of who-knows-what tossed in!

If you need help prioritizing, note my two “Picks of the Week”, and roll on from there.

Today’s edition:

1) 4 Things I’ve Learned about God Through My Baby Who Was Born Blind
The Resurgence‘s Mike Anderson opens this piece like this: “It’s not often that you get the opportunity to empathize with God; I recently experienced that bitter-sweet insight when I found out that my eleven-week-old baby girl was born almost completely blind.”  His brief but sharp observations are worth a stop today.

2) Serving Communion to Former Cannibals
Tony Merida recounts the powerful story of missionary John G. Paton (1824-1907). *PICK OF THE WEEK*

3) Pastoral Advice from a Professional Wrestler
Pastor Jay Sanders reflects on one sentence of profound pastoral advice from Nikita Koloff. *PICK OF THE WEEK*

4) They Cuss in ET.  WTF?!
Is violence now more permissible than swearing or nudity in our movies?  Steven Schlozman thinks so.  And then he wonders why.

5) 24 Creativity Quotes to Bring Out Your Inner Artist
I love great quotes.  (If you do too, subscribe to my Twitter feed @jasonbandura, and I’ll keep ’em coming for you.)  This batch may serve to fuel the quest toward fresh thinking and imaginative inventing.  Enjoy!

6) Who are the Coptic Christians?
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Coptic Christians in Egypt.  If you have but have been unclear on who these people are exactly, The Guardian’s Jonathan Jones would like to help you out, while giving you an art education at the same time.

Enjoy your weekend, friends, through renewing yourself and reverencing God.