Welcome to the long weekend for my Canadian readers.  To those elsewhere, yours is surely coming before long!  Either way, it’s a pleasure to have you here for a bit of “Wandering & Wondering”.

Each week, the “Saturday Six-Pack” aims to share a half-dozen of the best online pieces I’ve read recently.  The majority of links lead to faith-focused or ministry-geared material, with the rest falling under the “disorderly pile of who-knows-what” tagline at the top of this page!

For today:

1) Spirit-Filled Living vs. Just Trying Harder
If you ever have the sense that the Christian life will require more than you have to give, you may be onto something.  Jim Cymbala is on to the same thought.

2) Does Suburbia Hurt Christianity?
Numerous churches speak of the quest to “live a life together”. But what if our everyday circumstances are sabotaging that goal? Then Relevant magazine writes an article about it!

3) The Lost Sin of Envy
Tim Challies challenges us to look inside ourselves, in search of the slippery sin of envy.

4) Why Bible Study Doesn’t Transform Us
Even this post’s title is provocative to this group sure-loving fellowship in which my faith has been birthed and nurtured. How could power possibly be lacking when people interact with God’s Word? Oh, there are numerous ways.

5)  The Idolatry of Individualism
The term “idolatry” is somewhat foreign to many Christians. It connotes images of gold-covered statues and flaky figurines.  We’re not so dumb as to let such things lead us away from the Eternal One.   But what about when the term is linked to one of our culture’s highest values?  That’s a tad less comfortable.

6) You Are Not a Computer (Try as You May)
Technology is meant to serve us. Instead it increasingly runs us — and runs us down.  Tony Schwarz of HBR brings these words of balance to how to live plugged-in without being sucked dry.

Have a great weekend, friends–renew yourself and reverence God.