Is This the Dating World My Kids Will Have to Endure?: A Little Friday Funny

Last updated on: October 4, 2013 at 7:58 am By Tim Suttle

In hindsight, I can easily see that I wasn’t mature enough to have what I would consider to be thriving, healthy dating relationships while in high school or college… the kind that actually promoted the flourishing of everyone involved. Who was, right? Still, I can’t imagine how unhealthy I could have been with the aid of modern communication & technology. With enough technology at my fingertips to always know exactly where my significant-other-of-the-day was at any given moment, who they... Read more

Eugene Peterson on What It Means to be a Pastor

Last updated on: October 3, 2013 at 10:34 am By Tim Suttle

I’ve spent a significant portion of the past year working on a manuscript for Zondervan called Shrink: Faithful Ministry in a Church Growth Culture. It’s in editing right now and is supposed to come out in 2014. I’m so hopeful that this book can make a difference for pastors of small churches all over the place. As I’ve been working on this project, I have realized at several points along the way just how important Eugene Peterson has become to... Read more

Government Shutdown Made Easy: How the Debt Crisis is (not)Related to Obamacare

Last updated on: September 30, 2013 at 10:50 am By Tim Suttle

We’re headed into another government shutdown, starting tomorrow. This is my attempt to explain the situation: Let’s say you are out to eat with your spouse… Chili’s… you love the skillet-queso… can’t get enough of it. While at dinner, you tell your spouse that you sent the check to the orthodontist to pay for braces for your oldest child. Your spouse flies into a rage. “I didn’t want you to do that!” your spouse says. “I don’t want to pay... Read more

Monday Morning Confessional

Last updated on: September 30, 2013 at 10:00 am By Tim Suttle

“Come on children… you’re acting like children.” – Jeff Tweedy I confess that I am harboring seriously ill-feelings toward House Republicans. Seriously I am struggling with anger this morning and it is directed at the U.S. House of Representatives. The government shutdown is squarely the fault of House Republicans who are living in lala-land. Here’s why: The House will not raise the debt ceiling, which will cause a shut-down. They say they are doing this because they don’t want to... Read more

Moody Bible Institute Lifts Ban on Alcohol: Evangelical College Lifts Alcohol Ban, in Culture Shift

Last updated on: September 27, 2013 at 10:56 am By Tim Suttle

The New York Times ran an article today about Moody’s decision to lift the ban on booze: Insiders say that this change at Moody, founded by the 19th-century evangelist Dwight L. Moody and a pillar of the conservative wing of evangelicalism, is, above all, a smart business move. The old, restrictive rules made it more difficult to recruit faculty members and staff. Jerry B. Jenkins, the co-author of the best-selling “Left Behind” novels and the chairman of Moody’s board of... Read more

Jimmy Fallon & The Roots Sing “Sesame Street” w/the Sesame Street Muppets: A Little Friday Funny

Last updated on: September 27, 2013 at 7:39 am By Tim Suttle

I love that Jimmy Fallon spends time on these music videos. I wish I knew someone who actually knows Jimmy Fallon, because he comes across as so genuine. I want to know if it’s legit. His work – as seen here – suggests that he’s the real deal – an actual nice guy. For my money, the rap break is easily the best part. My top five favorite muppets are in order: Cookie Monster: it’s the perfect combination, gravelly voice,... Read more

Another Day, Another Made-up Crisis: Ted Cruz’s Fake Filibuster

Last updated on: September 25, 2013 at 8:02 am By Tim Suttle

There’s an interesting article in Slate today on Ted Cruz’s filibuster and why its a scam. The tag line reads, “Sen. Ted Cruz is betting that voters are confused enough about how the Senate works that they can be fooled into thinking he can still stop the law.” It’s debt ceiling time again and one thing is for sure. This is becoming an awfully tired script. This time it’s rolled into the controversy over the attempt to defund the ACA.... Read more

Monday Morning Confessional

Last updated on: September 23, 2013 at 8:29 am By Tim Suttle

I confess that I did not confess last week. I’ve been taking Monday off as a true Sabbath in order to gain at least a little bit of ground toward a more sane pace of life. Kristin and I have spent the better part of the past two Mondays together, going to museums or seeing movies. It’s been pretty amazing. I confess that I should have started this practice years ago. I’m still trying to figure out how to make... Read more

A Pastor’s Response to the Washington Navy Yard Shooting

Last updated on: September 19, 2013 at 8:30 am By Tim Suttle

I’ve been struggling to know what to say, if anything, about the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. I could go on a rant about guns – can we all just agree that an AR-15 shouldn’t be in the hands of the general public? I could go on a rant about mental illness – we are nowhere on dealing with mental illness in this society. I could go on a rant about culture – shootings like this hardly even raise... Read more

This is the Best Rationale for a Single Payer Healthcare System I Have Ever Seen

Last updated on: September 18, 2013 at 10:13 am By Tim Suttle

I have long loved John Green & the mental floss peeps (I’m assuming he has a serious team of researchers). This explanation of the healthcare problem we face in our society is incredibly thorough and succinct. Green does a masterful job of providing perspective on the scope and complexity of the current situation, and how we compare to the rest of the world. The opening salvo about taxes and healthcare gives me the shivers. One thing that Green didn’t mention... Read more