Darryl Dash's Blog, page 63
December 26, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
The bills were paid and there was no money for anything else. I am sure we would have been able to acquire a tree. They were so much cheaper then. But there was no money for either of us to get anything for each other. No money allowing us to dive into the usual celebrations.
How do we celebrate the birth of Christ when nothing around us feels celebratory?
December 22, 2020
This Marriage Tells a Story
I don’t know how many years of marriage one has to have behind them to write with any authority on marriage, but I suspect it’s more than thirty. But I can tell you that, thirty years ago, the pair pictured below knew little about the journey ahead of them. Like most, they felt more confident than was reasonable as they took vows and began their married life together.
Marriage is a funny thing. You can’t be more or less married. The moment the marriage ceremony was over, we were as ma...
December 19, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2020
In any given year, the top three theology stories of 2020 would each claim #1.
The Consensus Best Books of 2020
Over the past couple of weeks the blogs and sites I read have been humming with list after list of the top books of 2020. With that in mind, and based on perhaps 20 or 25 such lists, I analyzed them and narrowed it down to just a few books that received a lot of attention.
See also Christianity To...
December 15, 2020
Top Posts of 2020
Here, in order of traffic from highest to lowest, are a couple of lists of the top posts I’ve written over the past year.
Thank you for reading. I’m grateful.
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Top Posts at DashHouse
My Plea to Those Who Hold Strong Views on Masks and Lockdowns
It’s fine to hold strong views. My plea isn’t to abandon your views on the pandemic...
December 12, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Best Books of 2020
From The Gospel Coalition, Challies, Trevin Wax, Jared Wilson, 9Marks, Russell Moore, Gospel Relevance, and Keith Mathison.
The Surprising Ministry of Encouragement
Encouragement is what the gospel feels like as it moves from one believer to another.
Sheep Farmer Wisdom for Pastors Who Might be Feeling Burned Out
I met with several pastor/elders over the last month. Many of these have included some very difficult conversations.
December 8, 2020
Best Books of 2020
John Starke issued a challenge last week:
Listen you all, your Year End lists better be good. We deserve the best lists this year. Dont go half way.
John Starke (@john_starke) December 4, 2020
No pressure! But Starke has a point: in a particularly trying year, it would certainly help to be pointed to good books and posts.
Here, more or less in descending order, are the best new books Ive read this year (with Amazon affiliate links).
1. Gentle and Lowly: Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ...December 5, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
The Gospel Coalition 2020 Book Awards
Congratulations to the winners of our The Gospel Coalition 2020 Book Awards.
Its fun to listen to a book closely rather than skimming for highlights you can tweet or blog about. Reading should be pleasurable, and slow reading is, for me anyway, the way I get the most pleasure from it.
How a Former Radical Sparked the New Calvinist Movement
If we try to take short cuts, to do ministry and to...
December 1, 2020
My Plea to Those Who Hold Strong Views on Masks and Lockdowns
I’ve felt the tension most of the year. Good friends hold very different views on whether the pandemic exists, how the government should respond, and what churches should do. And they aren’t afraid to share them!
I’m grateful for my friends. I’m also grateful for how they are making me think through various issues related to the church. And I like them a lot.
But here’s my concern: that we are in the process of creating two streams of churches divided over our view of the pandemic — mo...
November 28, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
If You Can’t be with the Church You Love, Love the Church You’re With
As your church leaders make difficult decisions, oftentimes landing on solutions you don’t necessarily agree with, how should a mature Christian process the disappointment?
My Threshold for Civil Disobedience in a COVID19 World
I believe that we would be justified in disobeying the government’s protocols with respect to COVID19 in the following circumstances.
November 24, 2020
A Message to Weary Pastors
We just entered the second lockdown this year here in Toronto. We can’t have more than 10 people gather for worship. Churches are weighing how to respond, but this move certainly limits our options. It feels a lot like March 15 again.
You may not be in lockdown as we are, but I know you’re dealing with the pandemic too. And it’s tiring.
Thom Rainer has written, “The vast majority of pastors with whom our team communicates are saying they are considering quitting their churches.” I don’t co...
