(1) Storyteller essentials: Q&A with John R. Erickson, by Marvin Olasky (WORLD)
***Do you love Cowboy stories? Are you from Texas? Do you have grandsons? If any of the above are “yes” then you really need to buy some “Hank the Cowdog” books—or better yet, the audio books (read by the author). Erickson is a Christian and a long-time friend of Olasky. The “Hank” books entertained my sons for years.
(2) Two US missionaries found slain in rural Jamaica (AP)
(3) Is your congregation a clergy killer? How churchgoers matter to mental health of pastors
Be nice to your pastors. Their mental health may depend on it.
Clergy who serve flocks that support them in their times of need and let their pastors know how much they mean to them are much more likely to be satisfied in their ministry and have a higher quality of life, according to a new study.
However, the more clergy feel isolated in their work and forced to meet unreasonable demands, the more likely they are to suffer anxiety, depression and emotional exhaustion, research indicated.
…The findings may serve as a wake-up call to churchgoers who, researchers said, “may be unaware of the effect they can have on their pastor’s health.”
(4) Should Christians Apologize for the Crusades? (Crisis Magazine)
(5) Puritans on the Potomac, by Timothy George (First Things)
But, being a large evangelical Baptist church within easy walking distance of the U. S. Capitol poses special problems. Dever says, “I keep the Gospel central and try to avoid any unduly partisan expressions or language.” Some of his members, he says, are “loud Republicans,” and some are “loud Democrats.” Many of his members work in Congress or in agencies of the federal government. Dever affirms their God-given vocation to serve their country in this way and in fact encourages his entire congregation’s prayerful participation in democratic decision-making. He reminds them that they are citizens of another City, the one with foundations whose builder and maker is God. The church’s Baptist confession of faith declares the ultimate allegiance of all the redeemed. They are followers of “our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the Prince of the kings of the earth.”
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