Read This

Dan Edelen has a fantastic short story--take the time to read it. Just do it. You'll thank me later.

Cameron on the Values Voter Summit

My brother Cameron recently attended the Values Voters Summit in Washinton, D.C. His recap post is a thoughtful reaction to the "unsettling inconsistency" which he found there.

An excerpt:

Before we stumble around the globe like John Edwards at a sorority party, impregnating other lands with little Americas, we ought to be clear on what ideological DNA we're passing down. No one disputes that America is a city on a hill; whether or not we set a good example is unclear. That lack of clarity was displayed throughout the Values Voter Summit.

Read the whole thing.

Good Gifts. . . Bad Gods

David Powlison:

Is there nothing good about the things people crave? Of course, when they are properly understood. Carefully interpreted, the felt needs make good gifts.

But they make bad gods.

Read the whole thing.

(HT : JT)

The Tender Surgeon

"Your afflictions may only prove that you are more immediately under the Father's hand. There is no time that the patient is such an object of tender interest to the surgeon, as when he is bleeding beneath his knife. So you may be sure if you are suffering from the hand of a reconciled God, that his eye is all the more bent on you."
--Robert Murray McCheyne

From Terry Virgo's Bible Insight

A Strong Redeemer

Thus says the LORD of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them. All who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is His name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.--Jeremiah 50:33-34 (ESV)

Our Redeemer is strong. When sin takes you captive, remember that the LORD of hosts is on your side to plead your cause and give unrest to your enemies and rest to you. When you are oppressed by demonic forces, the LORD sees and does not forget. He will conquer your enemies and give you peace.

100

I just thought I'd celebrate that I've made it to 100 posts.

My goal is to make it to 200 before the end of the year, so I'm going to be posting almost every day from here on out.

The Age Cage

Zondervan Publishing House describes its Teen Study Bible as "a Bible that speaks to their [teenagers'] world." Huh? And, the normal Bible doesn't? Do teenagers need "Jericho Joe" to add a "lighthearted, cartoon touch to the text"? Personally, I don't think of a Bible that supposedly speaks to me in language I can understand. And, this is relatively good for a spiritual book aimed at teenagers. I linked from the Teen Study Bible to One-Minute [(!)] Bible 4 Students. It seems that Doug Fields, the book's author, honestly believes that teenagers can only hold their attention on the Word of God for one minute at a time (and they need to be spoon-fed the truth in these texts). But these books are only manifestations of a bigger problem: the Age Cage.

What is the Age Cage? It's my name for the set of low expectations our culture holds for teenagers. These low expectations hinder young adults both by preventing them from taking on responsibility and by encouraging them to waste their time, money, and brainpower "having fun". Alex and Brett Harris have written a great book called Do Hard Things (as well as a fantastic blog) on this subject. I started rereading Do Hard Things today for youth group. I have recently been thinking of applying for an internship with a popular talk radio host. However, I have a recurring suspicion that my age would prevent me from getting the position. Bam! The Age Cage strikes again! Am I less qualified than the interns holding these positions now? Perhaps I have less experience, but I have the capacity to obtain their experience--but I never will unless I am given the opportunity.

What do you think? Am I being irrational? Is there an "Age Cage" in America? Should there be? How have culture's expectations affected you?