It’s true that fasting is sadly overlooked, and too often forgotten. And yet, perhaps counterintuitively, true feasting is also in decline through familiarity and lack of spiritual purpose. Most of us have never given any serious thought to what it might mean to feast with Christ-honoring intentionality.
We’ve grown dull to the wonder of ample food and drink through constant use, and overuse. When every day is a virtual feast, we lose the blessing of a real one. When every meal is a pathway to indulgence, not only is fasting lost, but true feasting is as well.
Blame Yourself, Not Facebook, For the Social Media Echo Chamber
The authors conclude that the primary driver of the digital echo chamber is the actions of users—who we connect with online and which stories we click on— rather than the choices the newsfeed algorithm makes on our behalf.
Telling Time Differently As Christ Followers
Keeping time with the Christian calendar not only helps us re-tell the stories of Jesus and his people, it also helps us to live differently as disciples of Jesus. As Jamie Smith writes, keeping time in this way helps us recognize that “Christians are a people whose year doesn’t simply map onto the calendar of the dominant culture.” In December, when everything around us is swirling with consumption and indulgence, followers of Jesus quietly focus on lamenting the state of the world and anticipating the coming Messiah in Advent. In the Spring, when the broader culture acknowledges Easter as a day of candy and bunnies, we celebrate Easter for 50 days, going deep into the implications of his resurrection for the world. Keeping time in this way puts us out of step with the broader culture around us, but reminds us in every single season that we are called to tell the world through word and deed about the true King who has come to save.
How to be a good listener: the experts’ guide
On day one, in my first training session, I realised to my horror that I wasn’t a very good listener at all. All the habits that I thought made me good at it, all that advice I was giving my friend, was just getting in the way. Each session brought new revelations and useful lessons. Since putting those lessons into practice with my friends and partner, I’ve seen what a difference it can make. As my trainer Pam tells me, “I have seen people in severe emotional distress, feeling like the only way is down. But they talk and cry, and I just listen. Verbalising their emotions helps them see things more clearly. Being listened to makes us feel valued.” It makes the listener feel valued, too.
So, my advice, enjoy the film with a big tub of well buttered popcorn and an oversized and overpriced soft drink. Enjoy your time with your family. And remember to thank the Giver of all good things, above all things, for giving you eyes to see that there is more than this world will ever have to offer.
How to Actively Serve in Worldwide Missions Where You Are in Your Local Church
You, dear Christian — working full-time, raising a family, established in a church, and serving in that ministry context — can actively serve in missionary work. But it’ll cost you. It’ll cost you time, effort, labor, and earnestness on your knees. The advancing of the gospel thunders when saints bow humbly on their knees.
Letter to My Younger Self by David Robinson
Use the financial power you’ll be blessed with to create a company that can invest in the community, especially the African-American community. And create connections with the many influential people you meet along the way so that you can create a foundation that will empower young people like you to pursue their dreams.
Friends and Family Matter More Than Money When It Comes to Giving Thanks
http://www.christianitytoday.com/images/74113.jpg?h=929&w=600