Before you head off for your weekend, here are three quick bites to ponder that have challenged me this week. Have a great weekend!

#1

Whatever kind of book it is, your obligation as a reader remains the same. If the book contains arguments, you must know what they are, and be able to put them into a nutshell.

How to Read a Book by Van Doren and Adler

How would you describe the Bible in 2-5 minutes to someone who has not read it yet?

In the second phase of our Discipleship Intensive class we focus on Biblical Narrative. The final project for the class is for each participant to describe the Bible in a very short timeframe. This elevator speech has been helpful in boiling down the essential parts of scripture and the implications.

We will kick-off a new round of Discipleship Intensive in January. Let me know if you would be interested and I’ll send you details!

#2

This Is Water by David Foster Wallace Full Speech

I’ve been re-listening to this 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon College by David Foster Wallace. Word of warning about salty language! Also, he is not a theologian but a novelist and English professor who tragically took his own life in 2008. Few have captured the need for self-awareness as essential to being human as he does in this speech. You may want to check out my sermon from July 17 that mentions the need for self-awareness in faith development. This has become an area of great interest and practice (mainly through meditation and journaling) for me.

#3

I use my brain for thinking, not for storage.

Alexis Barber

I love this so much. As someone who struggles with keeping up with things, it gives me a reason that may seem plausible to those who have to put up with me! But, Ms. Barber goes on to say in the same article that she writes everything down and then is a good list keeper and list doer. She lost me there…