Again a couple weeks overdue… I keep promising myself I’ll get back onto a regular weekly update schedule for these things soon. Here’s what has caught my attention over the last couple of weeks:
Donald Miller has a suggestion for Creating a Personal Life Plan I haven’t downloaded the e-book he recommends yet, but it looks like it could be interesting.
Seth Godin: The Worst Voice of the Brand Is the Brand – a reminder that our worst experiences usually shape our larger perceptions. Certainly applicable to the church.
Laurie Haller, a District Superintendent in the West Michigan Conference offers a few thoughts on Love Wins.
Dan Dick has a couple powerful and convicting posts about the United Methodist Church: Three Little Words, Dead, or in Exile and a MUST READ Souled Out. He hits hard with these words:
“We perpetually use an anti-gospel of death, decay and decline to manipulate people instead of casting a positive vision to motivate. We proclaim to the world that we are shrinking, diminishing, poorly funded, rife with conflict — all excellent messages to attract new members. We do try to counter such witness with some TV spots and webcast videos and some marketing spin, but that’s just slapping a coat of make-up. Many young people see The United Methodist Church as an old maiden aunt who dresses and paints herself up like a teenager — embarrassing at best, pathetic at worst.”
Yet there is hope that we can clarify our vision, mature in our discipleship and relationships with each other and be the church Christ calls us to be.
In a very similar vein, a friend, Steve McCoy, writes how Win or Lose, Butler is Relevant. Are We?
Last week there was a Call to Action web-conference for the UMC. I somehow missed the advance notice announcement about it, and was on vacation anyway, but some of the feedback that emerged has been interesting to examine. Jeremy Smith looks at the Twitter wordcloud related to the online discussion. Jay Voorhees shares some of his thoughts as well as addressing metrics that matter. Rob Rynders suggests that Cats and Cereal might be the solution (not really). The conference has been archived and can be viewed here; I haven’t seen it yet, but it certainly got people talking.
Roger Olson with some additional thoughts on universalism.
Brian Dodd on 12 Warning Signs of Unhealthy Leadership.
The Love Radically blog personally wrestles with the question of a person’s weight being grounds for being denied (or deferred) ordination.
Music this week from tUnE-yArDs – I’ve heard this track a few times on the radio and found the use of the looping vocals to be really interesting, the video (as well as the song) is a little strange, but in my opinion enjoyable.