Interesting stuff from the web over the past week or so…           

               + Scot McNight, writing in Christianity Today, gives his answer to the question: “is our gospel too small?” by outlining eight marks of a robust gospel. He begins with this observation: “Our problems are not small. The most cursory glance at the newspaper will remind us of global crises like AIDS, local catastrophes of senseless violence, family failures, ecological threats, and church skirmishes. These problems resist easy solutions. They are robust-powerful, pervasive, and systemic. Do we have a gospel big enough for these problems? Do we have the confidence to declare that these robust problems, all of which begin with sin against God and then creep into the world like cancer, have been conquered by a robust gospel? When I read the Gospels, I see a Lion of Judah who roared with a kingdom gospel that challenged both Israel’s and Rome’s mighty men, gathered up the sick and dying and made them whole, and united the purity-obsessed “clean” and the shame-laden “unclean” around one table. When I read the apostle Paul, I see a man who carried a gospel that he believed could save as well as unite Gentiles and barbarians with Abraham’s sacred descendants. I do not think their gospel was too small. I sometimes worry we have settled for a little gospel, a miniaturized version that cannot address the robust problems of our world. But as close to us as the pages of a nearby Bible, we can find the Bible’s robust gospel, a gospel that is much bigger than many of us have dared to believe.” Worth reading and pondering. 

          + Unbelievable…sad…scary and it ought to tick us off.  A California appellate court has ruled that no parent can home-school their children unless they have a teaching certificate issued by the state. (Denny Burk has a nice set of links here.)  This frontal attack on parent’s rights essentially outlaws 99% of the homeschoolers in California.  Before you dismiss this, realize that what rolls out of California often shows up in other states.

         +Moses was tripping-literally-when he saw the burning bush.  Or so says a researcher at Hebrew University. What amazing lengths to which we will go to explain away the miraculous that doesn’t fit our categories!

            + Ken Sande and Peacemaker Ministries have one of the most unique ministries among evangelicals.  They help Christians deal with conflict-primarily with each other– in a Biblical way.  Check out their new blog at Route 5:9.

            + Jena High School was the site of a racially charged incident, trial, demonstrations and noose-sightings that seemed to symbolize a new wave of racial tension in our country. Now, the same school in a small Louisiana town is the site of a revival that is sweeping the area-and bringing racial reconciliation.  Read here-and pray.