Economics and Vocation

Resource: “Buckets of Hope – Feeding the People of Haiti One Family at a Time

Summary: Christians and others have stepped up to the challenge of relieving the pain and suffering in Haiti’s earthquake disaster. One denomination is stepping up to help with “buckets of hope.”

The suffering in the aftermath of Haiti’s massive earthquake is beyond imagination. Many Christians, churches, charitable organizations, and others have stepped up to help. Among those, Southern Baptists have launched “Buckets of Hope.”

Through “Buckets of Hope,” individuals, families, organizations, and churches are challenged to create a bucket of essential food items designed to feed a typical Haitian family for one week. Following a specified grocery list, five-gallon buckets are filled with the supplies. Working together, the buckets will be transported to Haiti. All the instructions can be found in the link that follows. Because of customs regulations, it is imperative that the simple website instructions be followed exactly. They must be packed exactly as instructed. The estimated cost of purchasing a bucket and filling it is about $30. Another $10 in cash is requested to defray shipping cost. This project is especially appropriate for families because parents can teach charity and giving in very concrete ways to their children. Link here to website information.

Subject: Culture/Institutions

Resource: ChristianHistory.net

Summary: Many Christians are unaware of the history of Christianity. ChristianHistory.net provides a resource to learn more about our history and heritage.

Report: Under the auspices of the Christianity Today International, ChristianHistory.net is a web-based archive of materials about the history and heritage of Christianity. The site states: “ChristianHistory.net seeks to connect contemporary Christians to their spiritual heritage by communicating church history in an engaging, accurate, and visual way. Our readers, contributors, and consultants represent a variety of theological and denominational perspectives.

Consequently, we seek to explore the Christian heritage in a nonsectarian and warm-hearted spirit.” This enjoyable and enlightening site provides search capabilities so one can research by names of persons, historical periods, movements, and more. Often with archival artwork, the historical articles are very readable. Some articles are available in their entirety but most are available for a nominal yearly membership. Link to the website here.

Subject: Culture/Institutions

Resource: “Ones to Watch: Winter Olympic Profiles,” in Sharing the Victory, the official magazine of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Summary: The Winter Olympics have just ended. Knowing about some of the Christian athletes who competed can make conversation starters for engaging others in spiritual topics.

Report: For the last three weeks, people around the world have focused on Vancouver, Canada, and the Winter Olympics. Among the thousands of athletes who competed were several Christian athletes. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ magazine, Sharing the Victory, has a feature briefly profiling eight of those international and American athletes. With winter athletics on everyone’s minds, why not use it for the kingdom’s advancement? Knowing something about these athletes who live their faith can help you launch discussions about faith and spiritual things with people around you. You will also find links to other STV articles and information concerning the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Read article here.

Education / Development

Resource: Mark T. Mitchell, “Education Normal,” Touchstone Magazine [1]

Summary: A Christian father who home schools his sons discusses his family’s educational objectives

As a parent who home-schools his children, Mark T. Mitchell discusses the educational goals he and his wife have set for their three sons. At the heart of their philosophy is this question: “Will your kids be raised primarily on books or on television? … Will your children be educated in a logocentric environment, where the written and spoken word is the primary conveyer of meaning, or will they ingest most of their information through electronically generated images?”

The primary reason why the Mitchells want their children’s education to be book centered has to do with the mental habits and the capacity for moral reasoning that such an education imparts. Mental habits include “patience, perseverance, the ability to think abstractly, and an imagination that does not require the constant stimulation of external images.” In terms of the moral development of children, Mitchell argues that it’s impossible to come up with a list of rules which covers every conceivable situation: thus, it’s far more effective to use stories to train children in moral reasoning. He argues that “stirring a child to aspire to noble thoughts and deeds is a central role of education. The example of Our Lord is instructive: He educated his disciples by telling them stories.”

The most instructive part of the article is his discussion of the importance of children developing a “logocentric view of reality.” Mitchell does not deny the usefulness of visual images; but children raised primarily on visual images, he argues, “do not cultivate the mental disciplines necessary to access truth via language.” And if they cannot do that, then “the Holy Scriptures will remain opaque, the creeds and confessions of faith will be meaningless recitations, and hymn lyrics will be merely pleasant-sounding rhymes to accompany occasionally pleasant-sounding music.”

All in all, Mark Mitchell makes a strong case for Christian parents to unplug the television set and spend more time reading to and with their children – teaching them to love literature and history, and requiring them to memorize both Scripture and poetry. He admits that his sons may be “oddballs” in the eyes of the world because they don’t know who Mickey Mouse is. But he argues that we need a new way of defining a “normal” child: a child who has a well-formed moral imagination, a child who has a soul which loves words and the Word, and a child who “knows and loves the best of his own civilization … [thereby becoming] a steward of the good, the true, and the beautiful.”

[1] The Sept/Oct 2009 article is available at http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=22-07-014-v

By Mark G. Moland|Published Date: February 15, 2010

Economics/Vocation

Summary: A meditation on how a “grace oriented” view of the Law of God can inform and guide an artist’s work.

Report: Makoto Fujimura shares his thoughts on how the Ten Commandments informs and guides his work as a visual artist. By looking at the Law through the lens of Christ, he comments on how artists can fall into the temptation of trying to “define God” in their art rather than exploring how “God defines us.” As he walks us through each of the commandments, he paints a picture of how to live for God as an artist. Fujimura’s meditation also serves as an excellent model for anyone contemplating how their faith should shape the practice of their vocation.

http://www.makotofujimura.com/essays/10_commandments1.html

What’s the new generation like that’s rising to replace us? Do we understand how to reach them with the Gospel? Are we willing to make the effort? Dr. Jeff Myers guides us in an instructive look at the emerging generation in this helpful article.

http://www.passingthebaton.org/news/158-the-emerging-generation-most-liberal-generation-ever.html