Barna stated, “you can be the Church Lady and yet be no farther along the journey than Richard Dawkins. Simply attending church activities and classes does not guarantee or necessarily enhance one’s transformational experience. Wholeness requires more than simply showing up and gorging on the religious-activities menu.” The study found that some people reach the ultimate stages of wholeness and maturity within just a couple of decades while others failed to achieve such maturity after more than five decades of consistent religious activity and positive intent. ~ link> CHECK OUT, as well, Barna's article "Experiencing God’s Best through His Transformation Process: Will You Seek to Experience Maximum Faith in Your Life –- or Settle for Comfortable Mediocrity?" ~ link (.pdf)
> "THE TOP 10 sodas in the US, in order of popularity, are: Coke, Diet Coke, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper, Sprite, Diet Pepsi, Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Dr Pepper and Fanta." Fanta? ~ AZ Central
> ROOSEVELT DAM is 100 years old today. The dam is the linchpin in a system which keeps Phoenix from becoming a dry and dusty desert bowl. ~ EV Trib
> THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS is aiming to develop a $10K BA. ~ link
> I HAVE TO continually remind myself that treating people with more dignity, respect, and kindness than they deserve is always good policy. This is true whether we're talking about obnoxious neighbors, dysfunctional family, pathological criminals, or politicians of any persuasion. It's a Jesus thing.
> THE BOOK OF MORMON now on Broadway. Interesting world in which we live. ~ USA Today
> MY BUDDY Dan Whitmarsh is questioning whether focusing so much attention on Lent is a healthy thing -- given that ultimately the point of the story isn't in groveling but in experiencing new life in Christ. "God wants to throw a party, and we're still fixated on the dirt that's already been washed away." In a sense he's on target. Lent isn't the point.
But Lent is a part of the drama that leads up to the point -- and accentuates the point. I wonder if one of the lessons in the seasonal drama is actually the tension we experience in trying to maintain a lenten character while knowing so well where the story is going. And in fact we've already committed to the ending. Trying to play the lenten role is a struggle that reminds us that we don't naturally live there anymore. There is much to learn in Lent -- including the fact that we are driven by Easter. ~ link
> THE LEGACY OF CARL HENRY -- Hey, I really liked the guy (after all, he gave me an "A" in his theological issues class for some pretty unimpressive writing). It was the first time that I felt comfortable in disagreeing with someone who was obviously a whole lot smarter than me. ~ link
> LaVONNE NEFF is a genius. Her piece "What civil discourse sounds like" should be required reading for anyone engaged in public political parley. ~ link
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