Homemaking Is Not Drudgery (Just ask G. K. Chesterton)

Last updated on: July 17, 2008 at 8:07 pm By Owen Strachan

I came across these words from G. K. Chesterton while (briefly) visiting the Girltalk blog (impressive sources, ladies!). For those who have not heard of this blog, I highly recommend it. It’s probably the best resource out there today for women who want to learn about homemaking from a Christian perspective. Best of all, it’s infused with the joy and God-saturated nature characteristic of resources from the world of Sovereign Grace. If you’re a woman wondering what Christian homemaking looks... Read more

The Storm and Thunder of Hollywood Adolescence: Or, Why Many Movies Bore Me

Last updated on: July 16, 2008 at 9:16 pm By Owen Strachan

Over the last month I’ve watched several movies that have suffered from a common flaw. It is this: their directors build their stories around adult characters who behave like adolescents. They then stylize their films with all kinds of jump cuts, colorful photos, eye-catching clothing, use of music and sound, and so on. In general, there seems to be a new breed of director in Hollywood, one who expects his audience to be endlessly fascinated by adolescent emotions and experiences... Read more

Books of Note: Ajith Fernando’s “The Call to Joy and Pain”

Last updated on: July 15, 2008 at 7:10 pm By Owen Strachan

Recently published by Crossway, Ajith Fernando’s “The Call to Joy and Pain” (2007) transcends expectations for such a small, devotionally oriented book. There is considerable food for thought in this 180-page text, including many helpful stories, personal reminisces, and exegetical points to ponder. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would enthusiastically recommend it to readers, particularly those who would like to read more about the book’s subject in smaller doses. This is no overwhelming manuscript; Fernando writes with grace and... Read more

Maureen Dowd, a Catholic Priest, and Marriage: It’s Actually Pretty Helpful

Last updated on: July 14, 2008 at 9:22 pm By Owen Strachan

This post is, I mean. It’s entitled “An Ideal Husband” and it’s written by notable (and single) columnist Maureen Dowd and published in today’s New York Times. In the piece, Dowd cites at length the wisdom of a 79-year-old celibate Catholic priest who speaks annually to groups of schoolgirls on the subject of the ideal husband. If this all sounds a bit strange and irony-laden, it is: a Catholic priest who’s never been married giving advice on marriage in a... Read more

The Week-est Link, July 11, 2008

Last updated on: July 11, 2008 at 10:34 pm By Owen Strachan

1. Over at the CBMW blog, Brent Nelson has some helpful thoughts on what Paul’s comment on women being saved through childbearing in 1 Timothy 2:15 means. I’m preaching on this passage this weekend, so I found his comments particularly apropo! 2. Sovereign Grace has another leadership podcast up, this one on “The Pastor and His Joy”. Sounds terrific (and it will in your headphones, I’m sure). 3. Have you bought the New Attitude Band’s new cd “Looked Upon”? No?... Read more

Extremely Helpful Thoughts on Whether or Not You Should Do a PhD as a Christian

Last updated on: July 9, 2008 at 8:29 pm By Owen Strachan

Following a link from Justin Taylor, I found this blog post by Regent’s John Stackhouse extremely helpful in evaluating the often confounding question of whether one should do a PhD. The article targets evangelical students who are (primarily) considering a PhD as preparation for academic ministry, but it is so broad and trenchant that it will be of great help to young Christians considering the PhD as a means of preparation for ecclesial ministry. I will be blogging on this... Read more

The Importance of Bible Memorization, or, the Miracle of the Bible Applied to the Mind

Last updated on: July 8, 2008 at 8:09 pm By Owen Strachan

Dr. Andy Davis of the First Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina recently spoke at the 2008 National Founder’s Conference on “The Importance of Filling Your Life with Scripture.” Dr. Davis is a very faithful pastor who emphasizes the theme of Scripture memorization for spiritual growth. I did not attend the conference but enjoyed reading through Timmy Brister’s live-blog of the message (which is essentially a word-by-word reproduction of the talk itself). Here are some parts of the message that... Read more

Books of Note: Bob Kauflin’s “Worship Matters”

Last updated on: July 7, 2008 at 8:26 pm By Owen Strachan

I have recently come into possession of a number of new Crossway titles, several of which are well worth reading. The first is pastor and musician Bob Kauflin’s book on worship, Worship Matters (Crossway, 2008). Here’s a synopsis of the book from the foreword: “In Worship Matters, Bob leads us skillfully through the Scriptures and through his experiences to better understand the why and how of biblical worship, regardless of the style or form.” (11) The point, then, is not... Read more

The Week-est Link, July 4, 2008

Last updated on: July 4, 2008 at 9:45 pm By Owen Strachan

1. The New York Times is chronicling the changes on American college campuses as professors whose careers began in the ’60s retire. Perhaps we’ll see more of an openness to conservatives in the future. One can hope so. 2. It’s Nadal-Federer in the Wimbledon final. How shocking. 3. Historical theologian (the best kind, natch) Carl Trueman of Westminster Seminary (a witty critical thinker) muses in a slightly edgy but perhaps needed fashion on the young, restless, reformed movement. By the... Read more

Southern Baptists and Hip Hop: No, I’m Not Making This Up

Last updated on: July 3, 2008 at 8:37 pm By Owen Strachan

Just go here and see what I’m talking about. Russ Moore, dean of the 4400-student Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship Southern Baptist seminary, interviews the Christian rapper Flame while guest-hosting the Albert Mohler radio program. For those of you who know little about either of these worlds, let me be your trusty guide and say that they do not often intersect–especially on a nationally syndicated radio program with thousands of daily listeners! The conversation is fun and informative. Flame... Read more