A garage sale for your mind

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religion

A collection of 32 posts

Free Hymns

Wanting good recorded hymns for the drive to church, I asked Grok, which pointed me to public domain choir recordings on Archive.org via LibriVox. I picked an album-like-thing and downloaded the first one. It is literally people speaking the words of the hymns. What in the world.

Double Digits: A Parenting Achievement Unlocked

K turned ten, double digits, possibly the last time he ever adds a digit to his age. Also: the Other Curtis Jones used my common gmail to request a Mormon missionary visit, prompting a deliberately vexing two-word reply from me.

Things to Look for in a Church

A thing to look for in a church: one that emails announcements BCC instead of CC, so the older members can't reply-all just to say "okay". The alternative is teaching email etiquette to the whole congregation.

I Want to be Left Behind when Jesus Comes

Chances are you've never heard of John Nelson Darby, but if you're a mainstream American Christian he defined the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine you grew up with, shiny and new in the 1800s. On Biblical interpretation, older is generally better.

I Want to be Left Behind when Jesus Comes

The Sovereignty of God

My father-in-law gifted Arthur W. Pink's 1918 book on the sovereignty of God to all seven of us. If a book survives a hundred years, it's probably good. Pink contrasts Moses, sentenced for one act of disobedience, with Hezekiah's added fifteen years: God acts to please Himself.

The Sovereignty of God

Unexpected Advent Reading

10:58am, two minutes to church. Pastor: "Curtis, are you guys ready for this?" Me: "Ready for what?" Turns out it was our family's turn for the Advent reading, per an email I never saw. It went fine. The kids were thrilled to light a candle.

Unexpected Advent Reading

Children and Communion

If the minister fences the table against unbelievers, why do we also exclude the baptized children of believers? Looking into paedocommunion sent me back to 1 Corinthians 11, where context, as always, is key, and one-off proof-verse hermeneutics is the constant danger.

Children and Communion

Children’s Church (or How to Fail Your Child)

After we moved, we toured Baptist and non-denominational churches varying wildly in music, preaching and communion, all sharing one mission: keeping children out of the worship service. From detached drop-off buildings to Veggie Tales daycare, just own it and call it what it is.

Children’s Church (or How to Fail Your Child)

Religiosity & Rocky Ground

Gallup reports a 17-point drop in adults who call religion important to daily life. When churches reopened after 2020, plenty of people simply enjoyed having Sundays back and never returned. I don't see Christians falling away; I see the rocky ground of the parable.

Religiosity & Rocky Ground

Peace in the Home

My wife has an allergy to empty spaces; I really dislike clutter. Somehow we survive together. I came home from a church work day to find she'd decluttered the entire kitchen, but the real joy wasn't the aesthetics. It was the peaceful, warm household behind them.

Peace in the Home

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