Darryl Dash's Blog, page 52

“Love the Clay”

Margaret McFarland, professor of child psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and co-founder and director of the Arsenal Family and Children’s Center in Pittsburgh, served as a consultant for the television show Mister Roger’s Neighborhood.

She believed that when a teacher shows enthusiasm for a topic, the student catches that enthusiasm no matter how young or old that student might be. Show them what you love, and they’ll want to get it.

A biography of Fred Rogers recounts the tim...

Saturday Links

Podcast: I enjoyed talking to Sam Allberry about his book What God Has to Say About Our Bodies on Gospel for Life podcast.

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Why You Should Join an Imperfect Church

We all need the body of Christ to know what it means to follow Christ.

Helpful Things You Can Say to Grieving Parents

I recently consulted with a few other parents who have experienced the loss of a child and want to offer a few things you can say to grieving parents that may prove...

Delightful God

I used to fear that God would send me to Africa.

I knew that I’d signed on unconditionally. God has the right to do whatever he wants with my life. That meant, I understood, that God could send me anywhere he wanted and I had to go.

So when I attended missions conferences, I felt afraid. What if God sent me somewhere where I’d be miserable? What if God overruled the desires of my heart?

Two Sides of Desire

I don’t know why I was so afraid. Looking back, it would have been a privi...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Four Lessons for the Church Right Now

As I have observed how my own congregation deals with the current challenges, I have learned some lessons that I think might benefit us all.

Sound Doctrine: The Foundation for Faithful Ministry

The latest 9 Marks Journal. Don’t miss the editorial by Jonathan Leeman.

Think About Such Things: Whatever Is True

Truth is slow work. Truth is hard work. There aren’t shortcuts.

Into the Metaverse

The me...

Reasons to Pray for — and Possibly Come to — Toronto

I can think of a few reasons not to move to Toronto to pastor or serve.

It’s expensive. It’s the second most expensive city in Canada. It’s still fairly low on the list compared to other cities, but most people who live here would tell you it’s costly, which makes it hard for churches to find pastors.

It’s secular. Jared Wilson recently tweeted:

One thing I’ve learned in traveling to preach the last 12 years is that every city in America is the least churched, most diverse, fastest...

Saturday Links

Podcast: I enjoyed talking to Collin Hansen about his book Rediscover Church on Gospel for Life podcast.

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Give Them God: What the Church Really Has to Offer

Let’s consider three aspects of ministry — preaching, music, and fellowship — and why God must be the centerpiece of all three, and how fake substitutes are inadequate solutions that only shortchange guests and members.

The Joy of Living in a World Gone Wrong

The point of life is not to f...

A Diet of Wisdom

I dipped my toe in the cesspool of negativity last week.

I didn’t mean to. I made the mistake of checking social media responses to something I’d written. A little later, I started listening to a podcast about fitness and health. The format of the podcast is to take a popular book and writer and tear them down. The hosts are witty, caustic, and, it turns out, they also have some beefs with Christianity too.

In both cases, I felt something in me come alive. I get the attraction of engag...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

I Was Discipled by … the Church

God never gave me a spiritual father who would play Paul to my Timothy, but I’m not sure that’s very common anyway.

Instead he gave me his very body. I was discipled by the church.

Like the Railways, Some Churches Will Need Subsidising in Perpetuity

We need gospel-hearted subsidy if we are going to see the church flourish in certain communities.

Mesmerized by The Phone, Missed My Daughter

Last week, I was me...

Play the Long Game

I’ve tried to figure out the logic of Paul’s concluding sentence in 1 Corinthians 15 for years.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

It’s a fine and encouraging ending to the chapter, but I struggled to see exactly how Paul got there. I understood it, but I felt like I was missing something in the development of Paul’s thought.

But I think I get i...

Saturday Links

Podcast: I enjoyed talking to Kevin Halloran about his book When Prayer is a Struggle on Gospel for Life podcast.

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Growing in Godliness One Step at Time

Although God can transform someone drastically and quickly, his normal course is slow and steady.

The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way

I have read sentences I can’t escape — and I don’t want to escape them. They have helped me in deep and lasting ways.

The Pastoral Virtue of Playfulness

A ...