Whether or not you are a trekkie, you should give this commercial a quick watch. I remember watching nearly every Star Trek episode when I was a little kid. Then it was In Search Of with Leonard Nemoy, where he’d search for proof of things like the Loch Ness Moster or Bigfoot. This commercial is all the proof I need that Nemoy’s still got it. Here’s a little Friday Funny. Have a great weekend! Read more
Some scholars believe that the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians could be the earliest written text in the New Testament (52AD). In chapter 5 there is a curiously short verse which says, “Pray without ceasing.” We all know the verse, and we all typically ignore it. I think we’re missing out on something when we do. I’m convinced constant prayer is not only possible, it is one of the best things about life with God. Anyone can do... Read more
Just listen to me. Don’t try to fix it, just be here with me and empathize. That’s what we are told. This isn’t bad advice and we should keep trying to do this. But Jason Headley (who tells stories), finally illustrates what the other side feels like. It’s not Friday, but this is seriously funny. Read more
10 Great Words You Should Know & Use part 1 & part 2 & part 3 have been big posts here at Paperback Theology. Here’s another list of ten to feed your inner logophile. sublimate – (v.) To divert the expression of an instinctual desire or impulse from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable. (Maybe you should try to sublimate your Facebook habit by reading a book.) sesquipedalian – (adj.) characterized by long, polysyllabic words; long-winded. (The teacher’s sesquipedalian lecture sailed right... Read more
“Blogging is not writing. It’s just graffiti with punctuation.” – Contagion. I confess to some ambivalence about blogging today. I confess that I am not entirely convinced that what I’m doing at Paperback Theology is making the world a better place. I think this is a very normal thought to consider, and I bet most people ask these questions about their chosen profession. It’s a healthy thing to ask. The first time I ever wrote a song that I really... Read more
If you ask me who my favorite band is, my standard answer is The Beatles. If you ask me what my favorite Beatles album is I usually say Rubber Soul. If you ask my what my favorite Beatles song is I say “Hey Jude,” although “We Can Work It Out,” “Get Back,” and “Let it Be,” are all pretty close. If you ask me what my favorite Beatles cover song is… This is it. It’s also our Friday Funny. Have... Read more
My friend Ginny just told me about this blog. Apparently it has gotten a fair amount of attention in the past – The Atlantic, GQ & others – but it is new to me. It’s called Letters of Note: Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience. This could be a problem… I could read this stuff all day. The site is dedicated to the gathering of any sort of interesting correspondence such as letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos. It looks like... Read more
“Self-harm now takes more lives than war, murder, and natural disasters combined. Why are we killing ourselves, and how can we stop it?” That’s the tag line to a haunting article on the subject of suicide by Tony Dokoupil at The Daily Beast. It’s a stunning look at why suicide rates have reached unprecedented levels worldwide. The article is based upon the ground-breaking research by Thomas Joiner, a psychologist and researcher who has poked and prodded suicide for decades, and just might... Read more
A quick look through the Spark House website will help you see that they are generating quality curricula to serve all age groups within the church. animate.Faith is one of their newest. Billed as a seven week adult study, animate.Faith could clearly work for older students and post college groups as well. Most, if not all, of the contributors and editors have some connection to the emerging church. Brian McLaren, Lillian Daniel, Mark Scandrette, Shane Hipps, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Lauren Winner,... Read more
I read a fascinating article on Slate today about how most people can look straight at a drowning person and not realize what is happening because they do not know the signs. The article starts with this story: “The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In