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Even the book was confusing when it first came on the scene, as this video of early tech support shows…

A great post here by my friend Kevin Abell. Among the takeaway quotes:

“The way I understand it, environmentalism is kind of like a religion, where no matter what you sacrifice, you’re never really good enough to qualify.”

***

“Being environmental has more to do with waving a banner, owning a Prius and burning a candle during earth hour than actually being good stewards of God’s creation.”

Read the rest here.

There’s a new post up at my writing blog about the recent online dust-up between John MacArthur and Darrin Patrick. You can read it here.

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The new/other blog that features only my longer pieces of writing, some of which have been published in print and others that are waiting to be published. The blog is called simply “Michael Krahn – Writer”

The post frequency on the new blog is about once a week. So, if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for…

Go and take a look at the new site here.
You can subscribe by email by clicking here.
You can subscribe by RSS by clicking here.
The Facebook group for the new blog is here.

Enjoy!

Well, one of them anyway. Check out this great profile video produced for the city of St. Thomas by Tenzing.

(Watch)

(via The St. Thomas Blog)

“It’s a series of tubes!“…

Please go and “like” the blog Facebook page if you haven’t done so already. Thanks.

Serious Stuff

We all know we shouldn’t text while driving, and we never do (right? RIGHT?!). Seth Godin believes that we shouldn’t text while working either: Texting while working (from Seth’s Blog)

Matty Wayne believes that It’s not good til’ you have “haters” (from Get to the chorus)

Darryl Dash shares some of his regrets: Some of My Regrets (from DashHouse.com)

The folks over at Desiring God join the conversation about “missional” and “post-Christian” contextualization here: A Call to Be Truly Missional (from Desiring God Blog by Tyler Kenney)

Who knew Tim Challies had spoken with Leonard Cohen and that Tim’s aunt was the subject of Cohen’s song “Seems So Long Ago, Nancy“?

On the Lighter Side

Or “On the nerdy side” in this case: Age Distribution of Social Networks [Infographic] (from ChurchCrunch)

Ok, this is nerdy too. Perhaps I should call this section “Nerd Stuff”. Watch this incredible demonstration of the integration of information into everyday objects: SixthSense Technology

I’ve been wondering, “Does this balaclava make my Nazgûl look fat?”

This post changed my life: In defense of minimalism.

In Case You Missed It – Here’s what’s been happening around here recently

I’m going to Seattle for BibleTech 2011, I gave some “Ask a Pastor” Answers,  and I want you to “Be What You Aspire To Become”

We went to Ark Aid Street Mission (London, ON)

Its the worst day of the year…statistically, according to a press release by a mental health charity, the formula is:

Where:
Weather = W,
Debt = d,
Time since Christmas = T,
Time since failing our new year’s resolutions = Q,
Low motivational levels = M,
and the feeling of a need to take action = N
(‘D’ is not defined in the release, nor are units)

So ‘chin up’ everybody… it can only get better from here. The math says so!

(via)

Here is part 3 in a mini-series exploring pastoral life in a local church. Part 1 was “Pastoring and The Honeymoon Period” and looked at the initial phase of a new relationship between pastor and congregation.

Part 2 was “Baggage is Part of Community” and looked at the phase that follows the “get to know you” phase.

Here is part 3: “Seasons of Attack the Lure of Adultery”

If you stay in one place long enough, you will inevitably experience seasons of attack and during these times it will be easy to look elsewhere for love and affirmation. Another church calls, for example, and asks you to be a guest speaker in their worship service or at a special event. There’s nothing wrong with accepting, of course, and as long as your motives are pure it can be a refreshing adventure out of the bubble of daily life.

But it can also very quickly turn into spiritual adultery. You might see an attractiveness in them; they might see the same in you. It’s like flirting, and it’s just as dangerous: you imagine possibilities you shouldn’t; you entertain thoughts better left unexplored.

Those who’ve invited you to speak don’t know much about you. They’ve probably heard some good things and want to check you out for themselves – possibly without an addition motive, possibly not. They might just be looking for a good guest speaker, but maybe you’re in their sights for a vacant pastoral position at their church.

All you really know is that they thought well enough of you to invite you to speak and now here you are speaking, and there they are in front of you, hanging on your words.

The Escape Hatch
Unlike when you look out at your own congregation, you have no idea who’s struggling with bitterness, battling substance dependency, thinking of leaving their spouse or addicted to pornography. Maybe none of the people at your guest speaking gig are struggling with any of those things, but probably some of them are. If you lack the insight, experience, or plain ability to know that this is true, it can make this new group of people an appealing avenue of potential escape from your present difficult situation.

There’s also the lure of publishing and subsequent opportunities for speaking on the church and conference circuit. Some are called to this ministry but some pursue it as an escape from the rigorous nature and limits of local church leadership.

This idea was part of a recent discussion between Collin Hansen, Owen Strachan, and Justin Taylor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K39EJ7ws13o#t=8m21s

“It’s a series of tubes!“… I set up a Facebook group for the blog if you’d prefer to read it that way. You can at least go to the page and “Like” it, OK?

As promised, I’m trying to keep the blog clutter down. No doubt there are numerous interesting memes each week that would bring traffic to my blog, but that’s not what this blog is about.

However, I would at least like to give you a summary of interesting things every week or so. Here’s this week’s installment:

Serious Stuff
By far the most popular post here this week was “Team Pyro Takes a Swing at Derek Webb“. Webb responded with “the modern rules of christian care & accountability”

Michael Coren – “Spank Your Child, Go To Prison”

Mike Cosper reviews the Coen Brothers’ new vision of “True Grit” in “The Subversive Hope of Joel and Ethan Coen“. I was disappointed with the film but Cosper makes some good points.

I often find large nuggets of wisdom in the short posts of Seth Godin. “Insurgents and incumbents” is a good example.

On the Lighter Side

Proof of evolution from the cereal aisle:

Graphic representation of USB (only nerds will get this):

Finally, my Canadian brother Darryl Dash shows you a typical day in the life of every Canadian in “A Taste of Canadian Life“:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x768VAsOQSw

Here are some things that caught my attention this week:

Imagine There’s No Leader from DashHouse.com by Darryl Dash

More Disciples, Fewer Leaders, Please from kinnon.tv by Bill Kinnon

How to organize a retreat from Seth’s Blog by Seth Godin

“Keep coming back.” from Chris From Canada by Chris Vacher

You couldn’t make it up from The Cartoon Blog by Dave

Did Jesus Ever Get a Stomach Virus? from Moore to the Point by Russell D. Moore

Here’s what happened at the blog this week:

Funny Stuff

How to Become a Famous Blogger

The Only Effective Anti-Tweeting Device
Tired of over-Tweeters? This feathered friend shows us how to solve the problem

Why is John Piper yelling at me?

Christmas

Benjamin Coy – “Carol of Redemption”
An excellent, gentle, beautiful Christmas song by Benjamin Coy

A Labor Of Love
“It was not a silent night… there was blood on the ground…”

Church and Pastoring

When Internal Focus Is External Love
Are churches supposed to be more focused on their community of faith or the wider community around them?

Bigger Is Only Better Sometimes – Some Thoughts on Prospects and Pastoral Ambition
About a year ago I was quite enamored with my prospects for success…

What If Pastor Can’t Preach? (Part II)
The second of a pair of posts that examines typical expectations for a Lead Pastor

John Stott: “The persecution of the true church…”

Presentation Guidelines
These guidelines will be helpful for anyone who frequently makes presentations, but especially for pastors.

Other

“WikiRebels” – The Wikileaks Documentary
This is a fairly sympathetic portrait overall, but informative and thought provoking nonetheless.