Mar
09
2010
Worth a Look 3.9.10
Here’s a fascinating interactive map that shows how internet usage has spread over the world in the past ten years.
Inside the world of Obama’s secret service:
During his presidential campaign, Obama would regularly mingle among crowds of astonishing size. But since his inauguration he has clearly responded to the guidance of his protecting agents, detaching himself considerably from direct public engagement. To some extent, that is only normal – he is no longer running in an election. But for a president who promised to break down barriers between politicians and people, it is noticeable how sparingly he is seen in public these days, and how the events he does appear at are almost invariably staged indoors.
Rainy days and Mondays can always get the pastor down. But David Murray cheers us up:
What’s the worst day of the week for pastors? Probably Monday. For the previous seven days we’ve poured ourselves into sermon preparation, pastoral visitation, counseling, evangelism, problem solving, prayer, etc. The Sunday climax (anti-climax?) has come and gone. We may have been discouraged by low attendances, limited or negative feedback, etc. Our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual reserves are in the red. Yet we have to climb the mountain all over again. Monday “blues” can very quickly become Monday “blacks.”
However, without ignoring the real difficulties, let us also remember the joys of pastoral ministry. Here are seven I try to keep before me, especially on Monday mornings.
Are there fewer male evangelicals than before? The answer, surprisingly, is “no.”
While there is a distinct trend in these data, I caution against over-interpreting them because the percentage of Evangelical men in the 2000s is not significantly different that the previous decades. As such, it appears that it might be increasing, but there certainly isn’t clear evidence of a decline.