Numbers

I realize that this has been somewhat all over the blogosphere, but I also realize that some of you have a very limited...um...sphere.

USA Today and LifeWay Research center just completed a very extensive study of young adults and religion/spirituality. The headline ran on the front page of the paper two days ago saying, "Young Adults Less Devoted to Faith," which was backed up by what USA Today does SO well: tons of colorful unnecessary graphs!

Basically, today's young adults (called "Millennials") would describe themselves as "spiritual" and not "religious." This quote, which includes the president of LifeWay Research group, is telling:

"Among the 65% who call themselves Christian, 'many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only,' Rainer says. 'Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith.'"

They found that most Millennials (65%) don't pray with other people, don't read their Bible/Sacred text (67%) and don't go to any type of worship service (65%). BUT 65% of all of them claim to be a Christian. I think what Rainer says near the middle of the article is very well stated (his interpretation of the data):

"We have dumbed down what it means to be part of the church so much that it means almost nothing, even to people who already say they are part of the church," Rainer says.

It may surprise some of you, but I'm really not the type to freak out about this type of thing. I know there are tousands of moms who are saying something like, "OH GOODNESS WE'RE LOSING ALL OUR KIIIIIIDSSSS!!!!"

But here's the truth: the door is narrow (Luke 13:22-30). I think it is a healthy mindset to desire for churches to be big, for the movement of Christianity to be massive. But the truth is, since the beginning of the Christian movement, and even before that through the history of Judaism, we have seen a large group of people who desire the benefits of Christianity and the God of the Bible without the cost that it so clearly entails.

The cost, though, is more than just going to church and reading a sacred text.

EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Proof that humans beings are MESSED UP. SO MESSED UP. This is Bieber Fever in New Zealand. Pay attention to the 1:35 mark.

HT: Blogtown

Are You TIRED?

I've always loved these segments of infomercials. Mainly because most of the things they say that "always happen" either never happen or do so often that you should just deal with it. KIDS SPILL CEREAL SOMETIMES OK??? We don't need a device that prevents that from happening, we just need to be less lazy and expectant of convenience. Get off your rear, get some Bounty paper towels and wipe that milk off your floor! He's just a kid... Oh, oh wait, I'm sorry, that would just be so inconvenient. This is America! Make something do it for me! Now!

Cinderella

For all of the talk about how the publishing world is in a tailspin, there are still victories.

Book publishing could be the most complex and difficult businesses to break into. The process from getting a book off your computer, desk, journal and in Borders is about as difficult as getting in to the NBA. But luckily, the world of books still operates in a very unique way when it comes to the awards it gives out. The film and music industry have both gone to the dogs, politicizing every award in order to lift a young performer's career or give it a nice cap (Jeff Bridges, I love you), or even cap a young performer's career (Cuba, you have a place in my heart).

But, no, not in the world of books. We still award great art and see the written word as virtuous and novel and creative. We still recognize the word as art, dangit!

I say all of this because of how pleased I was that I had not heard of the Pulitzer Prize winner until I checked the Pulitzer Prize winners. Tinkers by Paul Harding has an amazing story of publication, and of course it is told best by NPR. Take four minutes and thirty seconds to listen to or read the story of its publication and road to literature's highest honor. No one has heard of this book, it was published by a tiny publishing house, and simply by word of mouth the manuscript traveled to the highest desk, and received great affirmation.

Now all I have to do is find a copy of it...

This is What People Think When They Hear "Evangelical"

This picture is a one of those that makes me want to devote my life even more to Christian ministry. The challenge of moving to an informed, educated Christian movement seems daunting when I look at this, but alas, if we do not do anything to support reason, logic, and science education as a fit into our Christian worldview, then I believe we will lose. Because it's easy to be ignorant, but c'mon friends, let's be smart. You can be Christian and be educated in reason and science; do not be afraid of these disciplines and make radical suggestions without any foundation. For, as Bruce Waltke would say, to do so would be to ignore truth, and if we ignore truth, we have forgotten God entirely.

HT: WOW and BlogtownPDX