UPLINK
Uplink is an informal group for post-high school singles and couples. We meet 2nd and 4th Mondays at Panera in Oakland for Christian discussion, usually around a brief internet article. Jim Hommes and Jack Wilson lead the discussions.
APRIL 23
It is a shame but seems likely that by next Monday the murders in Virginia
will be old news. The really old news of evil will be fresh, but so often
denied or qualified nearly out of existence as the mention of it only
merits a groan or condescending half smile. Do Christians actually have
anything meaningful to add to the national conversation? Does the Bible
have anything comforting, or challenging, or even coherent to say about a
situation like this? Al Mohler has some thoughts published on the
Newsweek/Washington Times site. You can find it
here.
Let's start with his thoughts, then add some of our own and see if we can
make any sense out of what everyone is calling "senseless".
JWW
APRIL 9
Does it seem that more and more people are driving like idiots, talking
loudly on cell phones in public places, using really foul language despite
the family with young children at the next table? Could all these (and
many more) be symptoms of the same problem? Years ago Christopher Lasch
wrote a book about our narcissistic culture. A recent 25 year study seems
to confirm many of his ideas. Matt Kaufmann wrote about it in a article
that is a follow-up to the article many of us read for our last meeting.
Could be good material for a follow-up discussion. You can find
it here.
Jim and I can both be there this time, hope to see many of you. We'll
be the guys talking loudly and profanely on our cells.
JWW
Here I am on a rainy Monday afternoon sitting in a Panera and thinking about next Monday. Seems so, well, ordinary. That's what I want to talk with you about next week. Found an interesting website and article (IMHO) at www.boundless.org. Go there and click on the article "Ordinary People". Let's think a bit about myspace, your life, and Christ's call. I think we'll fill the time.
Next Monday, Panera, Oakland, 7ish. JWW
MARCH 12
Sitting in a Panera for the coffee and internet access and thinking about
doing so with you all next Monday. Jim has found an article/discussion
started I find very interesting. Hope you do also. Here is the relevant
part of his email to me:
I found an interesting and short article by Jeffrey Overstreet, an editor for Christianity Today. It is found at www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/havewelostourminds.html Or, you can just go to the Christianity Today website and click on the movie commentaries and find the "Have We Lost Our Minds" article. I thought he had some good points, and I think it wouls be great if every brought an example of a movie, book, etc... that had an impact on them. I think it would make for an interesting discussion of why they are meaningful for us as Christians and perhaps could lead to a discussion of common grace or the way that we interact in a non-Christian world.
Hope many of you can make it. I really believe I can. Anxious for
something to get back to normal!
JWW
FEB 26
So, it will be the day after the Oscars. Let's talk movies. Who won?
Who lost? Who cares? Has anyone seen any good movies lately?
Megan Bashan raises some interesting questions in
this article.
You don't have to watch the show, I'm not planning on it. We'll think
together about why "films" almost nobody sees get lots of awards and
"movies" everybody loves do not. Why does Hollywood make so many of the
former when the big money is in the latter? Should movies entertain or
educate or, maybe, both? Should Christians stay out of Hollywood or
move in? What difference would it make?
Monday at 7:00 somewhere in Panera, Oakland. Hope to see many of you there.
JWW
JAN 22
Mark Twain said a "classic" is a book everybody talks about and nobody
reads. In Christian circles prayer is often just about the same. Too
often "I'll pray for you" means, well, nothing at all. There is a great
old hymn about prayer by William Cowper in which he wrote, "Have you no
words? Ah, think again. Words flow apace when you complain; and fill you
fellow creature's ear with the sad tale of all your care. Were half the
breath thus vainly spent, to heaven in supplication sent, your cheerful
song would often'r be "Come, hear what the Lord has done for me!"" Too
convicting for most hymnals.
Jim has found an article where Lauren Winner ( a fine writer and thinker
IMHO) reviews two books about prayer. You don't need to have read the
books to get some challenging insights about prayer from the article. You
can find it
here
So, Monday, usual time and place. If you can't make it...we'll pray for
you.
JWW
JAN 8
Back to Oakland. Back to Panera. Maybe another crispatini or whatever they
call that pizza-like thingy. Maybe we can find a corner where half of us
are not too warm while the other half are freezing.
Well. I had been looking for a while at an article on our image-driven
culture and the costs of that. Then I was looking at one on the importance
of friendship. Problem was, though I found both subjects most interesting,
neither article was! Then just this morning on the treadmill I read an
article about a movie I have never seen, "Napoleon Dynamite", and found it
fascinating. It actually dealt with some of the same issues, it is
actually (IMHO) interesting, and maybe at least a few of us will be
familiar with the film. The article is
here
Hope to see you Monday at 7:00. I understand there is a dance many have
learned from the movie. Hmmm.
DEC 11
I don't know about you, but this time of year, every day when I unload my
mail box I know I will find Christmas catalogues and end of the year giving
letters. Some of those letters are about education, some about evangelism,
many about helping the poor in one way or another. Well, the Bible talks
about caring about the poor but doesn't the government do that? Should I
help more than paying my taxes? If so, who and how?
I'm sure most of you know Jim is the chairman of our boards of deacons. This means he kind of has to think about this kind of thing. But he would like us all to think and talk about it. Seems like a good idea to me. He suggests looking at a Trib article by Demitri Vasillaros and two articles from ModernReformation.org Mercy Ministries
NOV 27
Can accountability groups be bad for you? Eric Costa thinks maybe so and
talks about it in
this
brief article.
Some of the discussion after the article is helpful also but don't feel
pressed to read it.
Some of you might also be interested in the Christian Rap/Hip Hop discussed
in "A Sample of Substantive Lyrics". I thought about that but just not my
cup of tea. Anybody else?
JWW
NOV 13
The next meeting is next Monday, Nov 13 @ 7:00. We do not have the room
reserved this time so you may have to look for us in the various nooks and
crannies. (Does anybody know what a nook or a cranny is?)
Anyway, Jim would like you to look at "The Pressure of Novelty" by
Stuart McAllister available at
www.rzim.org.
We'll think together about what is good and bad about history and tradition. Is
older better or is it just old? What about new trends? Helpful and hip
(is that word too old?) or dangerous and shallow? How can we know the difference?
Help us be the best "Seeker-Sensitive, Purpose Driven, Jabez-Praying, Emerging, yet
Traditional, Conservative, We-Never-Did-It-That-Way-Before Saying
Church we can be!
Hope to see you all there!
JWW
OCT 23
is the next meeting daawn 'air at Panera. I had several topics in mind but the
constant rain and oppresive gloom today keeps drawing me back to the blues. Bill
Edgar has written an, IMHO, very interesting article about the blues as an art
form, a cultural expression, and a biblical view of life. He makes the challenge
that white music tends to be escapist, while older African American forms deal
more with reality and, therefore, offer hope rather than sentimentality. We may
think together about music, coping and escaping, race in America, suffering,
hope, and, once we get going who knows what?
Hope to see you all there!
The link is here
JWW
OCT 9
Could the intellectual shorthand of labeling people, a popular and
practical time-saving tool, also be causing us to miss some important
ideas and well as mistreat people who ought to be important? How often
does the label "far right" mean "so feel free to ignore and/or ridicule"?
How often does "liberal theologian" mean "run screaming into the night!"?
Is it possible that it might be healthier for us, more honest, and even
a better witness to deal with people and ideas rather and labels we can
quickly dismiss?
Let's chat. Monday. Panera. Oakland. 7ish.
Jim recommends you read "The Problem with Labels" by John Armstrong found
on www.christianculture.com.
Jack hopes to be there and he kinda knows John Armstrong so, helping those
who missed the last meeting when we talked about gossip, can dish the dirt!
SEPT 25
Hey. Did'ja hear what that Uplink group is going to be talking about?
Gossip. Can you believe it? Who are they to talk? Do they even know
what it is or why its harmful or what to do about it? I guess we'll
find out. Panera. Oakland. Monday Sept 25 at 7:00. Be there, or you
know who we'll be talking about.
Oh, yeah, helpful article
here
SEPT 11
Ready or not, Fall is here. A certain crispness in the air, leaves
beginning to turn, flocks of birds heading out of town, worship
services beginning tomorrow night at Heinz Field. Wait, what? What
do mean worship at Heinz Field!? Well, why don't we talk about it a
bit. Say, Monday? 7:00 at Panera?
Jim will be leading. He recommends you take a look at
this