John Beeson

February 27, 2020

Recommendations, Parenting, Vocation, Christian Living, Church

This Week's Recommendations

John Beeson

February 27, 2020

Recommendations, Parenting, Vocation, Christian Living, Church

1. Every Movie Cliche About Teenage Dating is Basically Wrong: Chris Bourn begins, "As told by Hollywood, the humiliation of simultaneously being a teenager and being unable to get a date is one of the deepest, most difficult emotional traumas a person can endure." Bourn argues that the truth is quite the contrary, that teens who don't date are, on average, more socially adept and psychologically healthy.

2. Christianity Continues to Lose Numbers in US: New Pew Research report shows important data. Headlining this detailed study is that, "Christianity has dropped to 65% of the U.S. population, while the religiously unaffiliated or “nones” grew to 26%."

3. I Finally Wrote My Resignation Letter: Chris Thomas pens a poignant reflection on exhaustion and disappointment in ministry. "I think I entered ministry too early. Puffed up by praise, I charged forward on the toxic confidence of a vapour made of 90% gifting and 10% character. I was 18 and ready to change the world. I knew what was wrong with the church, what was wrong with other Christians, and what was wrong with, well, pretty much everything. Now here I am 25 years later. I’m 43 years old, and I’m not sure what I know anymore."

4. Are You Too Concerned with Your Child's Behavior? Tedd Tripp asks important questions about our motivations in parenting. One of several important points is, "Many idols of the heart will pollute our interventions with our children. These idols will not motivate us to act for the well-being of our child, but for our own reputations."

5. Occupation Growth and Decline since 1970: This is a fascinating infographic. Some unsurprising occupations on this graph and some surprising ones, too.

John Beeson

June 27, 2019

Christian Living, Culture, Family, Parenting

This Week's Recommendations

John Beeson

June 27, 2019

Christian Living, Culture, Family, Parenting

1. 5 Christian Cliches That Need to Go: Matt Smethurst considers the issues of when we say, "When God closes a door, he opens a window, " "You're never more safe than when you're in God's will," Let go and let God," and others.

2. Why You Can't Have Friends Without Conflict: Eric Geiger on the cost of God-intended relationships: " We can live with the absence of conflict. Or we can live in relationships. We cannot have both friends and the absence of conflict. If we desire to be in community, we will have conflict."

3. Religiously Unaffiliated Surge in Latest Study: The so-called "Nones" continue to grow according to the General Social Survey. Aaron Earl reports: "What’s the largest religious group in America? For the first time in more than 30 years, it’s not Catholics or evangelicals. Evangelicals and Catholics remain slightly less than a quarter of the American population, and now so are the religiously unaffiliated."

4. In Their Own Words: Parents of Kids Who Think They are Trans Speak Out: These are heartbreaking stories from five anonymous moms. One shares, "Parents like me must remain anonymous to maintain our children’s privacy, and because we face legal repercussions if our names are revealed. Parents who do not support their child’s gender identity risk being reported to Child Protective Services and losing custody of their children. In New Jersey, the Department of Education officially encourages schools to report such parents. Meanwhile, the media glamorize and celebrate trans-identified children while ignoring stories like mine. I have written to well over 100 journalists, begging them to write about what is happening to kids. I wrote to my representative and senators, but have been ignored by their staff."

5. Pro-Life Letter Campaign: I plan on joining this grassroots letter campaign with letters going on July 2. You might want to consider doing so as well.

6. What Happens in an Internet Minute in 2019? Take note especially of the dramatic increase in Instagram and Netflix hours watched and those which have tailed off: Snapchat stands out.

John Beeson

October 25, 2018

Recommendations, Consumerism, Christian Living, Church, Culture, Theology

This Week's Recommendations

John Beeson

October 25, 2018

Recommendations, Consumerism, Christian Living, Church, Culture, Theology

1. "Nones" are Pursuing Spirituality but Not Community: Stephen Asma at the LA Times with a surprisingly critical take, "Many spiritual nones see themselves as authentic and liberated from the empty formalism of age-old ritual. There is some obvious good in this. But this strain of spirituality is largely detached from religious responsibilities and inconveniences, and it signals a generational shift toward isolation and short-term comfort."

2. The False Gospel of Expressive Individualism: David Qaoud captures this pervasive phenomena well, "To say it another way, expressive individualism believes that each and every single person has the right to feel, believe, and think about themselves however they so choose. But even more, after you discover yourself (if you like the phrase), you’re free to express yourself. In fact, you must express yourself. Forget about what everyone else thinks. Forgot about any moral compass of right and wrong. Life is about you and your fulfillment. The goal of expressive individualism is to find yourself and express the desires you find."

3. The Beautifully Tragic Backstories to Three Beloved Hymns: Mike Harland shares three powerful stories behind hymns you have probably sung before. It's amazing how connected creativity and suffering are in our relationship with God.

4. Whatever Happened to the Gifts of Language, Prophecy, and Healing? Andrew Wilson with a reflection on the early centuries of the church and the presence of charismatic gifts.

5. Will These Audio Illusions Fool You? These are pretty fun... and weird!