1. Linsanity has taken over the NBA landscape this week and for good reason. If you have no idea what I’m talking about then go read this short article written after the Knicks last game. But now for some of the deeper issues going on with the story of Jeremy Lin and a blog post that gets at them. “Jeremy Lin and the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations.”
I asked Jeremy whether it felt like a burden to carry the hopes and expectations of so many Asian-American men upon his shoulders, and he answered that he couldn’t play for other people. ”I can’t even play for myself. The right way to play is not for others and not for myself, but for God. I still don’t fully understand what that means. I’m still learning to be selfless and submit myself to God and give the game up to Him. My audience is God.” He does, however, have a responsibility to be a “godly role model,” and when I asked whether it would please him if his success shattered negative stereotypes of Asian males, he broke into a big smile. ”I would be pleased,” he said. ”Absolutely, I would be pleased.”
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2. Church announcements during Sunday morning services are incredibly lame. They’re absolutely necessary but they’re a kill joy because they rarely add to the day. Gary Molander wrote a great post this week about what needs to change with announcements so they add to our church gatherings instead of sucking the life out of them.
The best church announcements happen when people speak to people with an acute awareness that God is sitting there, too.
And it’s the church communicator’s job to spend time framing those verbal moments in preparation for their church services. If you buy into what I’m saying, then church announcements can take on a whole new priority.
They can actually matter deeply to people.
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3. I’m constantly thinking of ways that I can step out beyond my small bubble of a world, so finding this post on ways to love our cities with a Gospel-centered love piqued my interest. I hope it intrigues you as well.
-Stay put.
Most cities have a sort of “revolving door” as people move in and out. This is one reason why in places like Seattle most people put little effort into trying to get to know their neighbors. So dig in, stay put, and make an effort to develop your relationships.
-Give a gift of artistry.
Get your artists together and create a mural that blesses the city. Open your building to your city’s artwalk.
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Happy Friday. Have a great weekend. I’ll be busy finishing my book (it feels extremely bizarre to be saying that).
