Why Plant a Church in Cookeville? — My friend Bob Wilson will be launching “Sola Church” in the near future. It will be Cookeville’s first confessionally Reformed Baptist church. Whether you have interest in the church plant or not, Bob’s research and design work has resulted in a pretty great infographic, which you can see at this link. It’s the best collection of church-related statistics and demographics that I’ve ever seen for Cookeville and the surrounding area.
Fast Facts on Coffee Consumption — Speaking of cool infographics…
Does Facebook Wreck Marriages? — I must just be in a statistical research kinda mood this morning. Here’s another study.
“Affairs happen with a lightning speed on Facebook,” says K. Jason Krafsky, who authored the book “Facebook and Your Marriage” with his wife Kelli. In the real world, he says, office romances and out-of-town trysts can take months or even years to develop. “On Facebook,” he says, “they happen in just a few clicks.” The social network is different from most social networks or dating sites in that it both re-connects old flames and allows people to “friend” someone they may only met once in passing. “It puts temptation in the path of people who would never in a million years risk having an affair,” he says. Facebook declined to comment.
This Guy Needs to Resign — A video of a fundamentalist pastor ranting against homosexuals has gone viral. In the last few weeks I’ve posted links to several articles encouraging thoughtful and civil dialogue on the issue of homosexuality (and I plan to publish something of my own on the topic very soon). This is an example of what NOT to say. I’m horrified.
What Has Jerusalem to Do With Athens? — I love Ross Douthat’s columns in The New York Times, but found this one especially interesting. He argues that secular liberalism has no independent basis for morality, and ironically depends on essentially Christian premises in its critiques of religion. Douthat draws from the works of philosophers from Plato to Thomas Aquinas to John Locke to Christopher Hitchens in building his case.
How Should American Christians Observe Memorial Day and Independence Day? — Bobby Gilles’ take on a question that presents itself this time each year to those responsible for planning worship services.
Fire Up the Grill — However your church may decide to observe (or not observe) patriotic holidays, this particular tradition is as non-controversial as they get. Some awesome recipes from the Art of Manliness blog!
Bob Moog: How He Changed Music Forever — Today’s Google “doodle” celebrates a pioneer in the field of electronic music. It’s their best interactive doodle yet, in my opinion! This article will teach you a little about him while you play around on the Google keyboard. In case you need instructions:
Honey and Locusts 