Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 71
September 1, 2017
When we get kind of weird when writing about marriage and intimacy
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I doubt I’ll ever write a marriage book.
Sure, I might joke about it. I might even write a satirical version of one on occasion. But I won’t actually write a real one. Why? Well, for one thing, I don’t have enough to say. I’m 38 and have been married for less than 12 years. Which means, I don’t know what I’m talking about. But aside from that, I’d be nervous about writing about marital intimacy.
Specifically, I’d be nervous about being kind of creepy about it. Why? Because just about every m...
August 31, 2017
Links I like (8/31)
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How to Pray When You Don’t Want to PrayJD Greear:
On Hard Work, Prayer, and GraceIf someone wrote a story of my prayer life, it would probably be titled, A Confused Mix of Wandering and Worrying.
Fortunately, Miller also provides several helpful ways out of our prayer haze. Here are four of the biggest takeaways from A Praying Life.
Jim Essian:
The Christian’s labor is infused with Kingdom purpose. Whether vocational ministry or neighbor-loving “secular” work, the Christian is compelled to...
August 30, 2017
That time Christopher Hitchens shared the gospel
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If I could sit down for an hour with anyone, one person would be the late Christopher Hitchens. Everything I read about him, and much of what I’ve read by him, is fascinating to me. He was a passionate proponent of atheism and openly skeptical of the Christian faith in particular. But as skeptical and as strong a voice for the cause of unbelief as he was, what I’ve found is that he was a greater advocate of rationality—especially among the religious.
In December, 2009, Hitchens was interview...
August 29, 2017
Links I like (8/29)
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You Can’t Leave Theology to the ProfessionalsMichael Kelley:
They stole my laptop out of my church officeThe word “theology” simply means the study of God. And all of us, even if we are atheists, are students of God. We all have opinions. We all have thoughts. We all have, at one time or another, stared into the night sky and wondered, What’s it all about? Whether we recognize it or not, we are all God-thinkers. We are hard-wired to be so.
Joe Best:
On this day six years ago, we were on th...
August 28, 2017
Random bits of randomness (a post-conference meditation)
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This weekend was a busy one, with ERLC, my in-laws being in town, and more. I’m still in hardcore conference recovery mode, which generally means I’m crazy tired, a bit grumpy (but trying to hide it), and, also, really tired. (So, if any of my coworkers are reading this, sorry, eh.)
On writingThis probably means it’s not a great weekend for doing some writing, but it’s what I’ve been doing. I like writing. it’s fun for me. And the good news is I really like what I’ve written, which deals wi...
August 27, 2017
Three highlights from #ERLC2017
It’s rare for me to be able to sit in on conference sessions anymore. This is just one of the weird realities of conferences being a part of your job. Usually you’re at your booth or in a meeting instead of listening to the speakers. So it was a real treat for me to be able to sit down and listen to a couple of sessions during the 2017 ERLC national conference. And as always, there are takeaways! Here are three highlight quotes (in share-square form):
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“The call to follow Jesus and the call t...
August 26, 2017
Weekend reading (8/26)
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Why I Preach about RacismDaniel Hyun:
Pastors are often counseled to avoid preaching on certain subject matter—politics, for example—lest their sermons be the cause of unnecessary division and offense in the church. Some will argue that anything other than a message describing the path to salvation distracts from the real purpose of preaching.
Some would believe that addressing racism during a sermon falls under the above situations. As a pastor who regularly speaks about race and racism fr...
August 25, 2017
When worldviews collide
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When I was a kid in the 1980s and 1990s, there was an intentional confrontation of traditional values in the media. Specifically, same sex relationships. It was a then-shocking kiss scene in Roseanne, then Ellen coming out on her sitcom, and even a couple of episodes of Star Trek. And then, of course, Will & Grace. No surprise, it worked. It shifted our larger cultural view on this issue. But it did more than this: it reshaped our understanding of what it means to be human.
This is something...
August 24, 2017
Links I like (8/24)
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Millennial Motherhood: Three Traps for Young MomsAbigail Dodds:
Much of what’s true of every generation throughout all time is true of millennials. We are just people. Yet, just like every other generation, we have some particular tendencies, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses that result from the time, place, and society into which we were born. Here are three harmful characteristics I’ve observed in millennial motherhood, along with ways I’ve sought to align my mothering with God’s wor...
August 23, 2017
Seeking the One who satisfies
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David wrote in Psalm 63, “You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips. When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches because you are my helper; I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings” (5-7).
What I love about David’s words here is how he expressed his satisfaction in God. It’s a relationship of intense enjoyment. Think about that: He genuinely enjoys God, not in an abstract way, but in practice. He praises with joyful l...
