Of Note This Saturday 10-8-05

In my attempts to ever more organized (it is a sickness), I am attempting to arrange my posting in certain categories for certain days of the week. To show the depths of the sickness, I have created file folders in my browser and documents for each of the categories. The pastors I work with are now rolling on the floor laughing (in the squaller of the cluttered offices). So, that means that on Sunday will be something ecclesiological; Monday: devotional; Tuesday: cultural; Wednesday: personal; Thursday: theological; Friday: Frivolous; Saturday: Of Note. Like most good attempts at organization, this will no doubt fail within the first week, but at least I was able to extend my organizational disease to a new level. On Saturday, I want to simply post a few links to articles I found interesting but did not blog about. Here are two: The New York Times prints an interesting article about the Catholic Church's recent synod. It appears that the more liberal and syncretistic brand of Catholicism followed here in the U.S. may be gaining ground vocally, but not politically. It will be interesting to watch at the Catholic system continues to morph and change their theology, as they have for millennia. Yahoo News (the service I read most regularly) posts an article on an Alabama Church feeding gold fish to their youth group. Well, that is a bit of an overstatement. According to the article, the church uses a live goldfish eating session to attract teens and expose them to the gospel. This is nothing new. Goldfish have long been the target of youth directors (pastors is too dignified a term it seems) who enjoy living out their frustrations over aging. I wish we would not taint the gospel with such antics. The one saving grace of the church feeding their students live goldfish is that it upsets the animal rights crowd. If I were simply a moral political conservative, this article would be one of the best of the week. Mark Dever, in his new book, The Deliberate Church, says, "What you win them with is likely what you'll win them to. . . The Gospel of Chrsit has never needed the gimmicks of man to effect conversion in the soul" (44). I have been making my way through this excellent book this week. Dever's comments on evangelism are excellent, especially in light of the goldfish story. In fact, all of Dever's book is excellent. It is a good compilation of attending a Weekender at his church in Washington D.C. Besides, moving, selling a house, having a house put together, studying for my DMin, general church activities, I am also trying to study God's word, preaching through the book of Malachi. What a rewarding time it is.