On Fridays I share articles/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my way.
Things Glen Found Interesting
- Why Being Late to Church Matters (Joe Carter, The Gospel Coalition): “If we believe the service is primarily about what we can get out of it—uplifting music, an encouraging sermon, fellowship with friends—then arriving late makes sense. After all, we can still catch most of the ‘good stuff.’ But if you understand corporate worship as something we do together as the body of Christ—if you see it as our collective offering of praise to our Creator—then showing up late takes on a different meaning entirely. We’re not just showing up late; we’re missing the opportunity to fully participate in something the Lord has designed to form us as his people.”
- My experience at the Stanford Veritas Forum: Hennessy and Gelsinger on leadership, ethics and AI (Pedro David Espinoza, Stanford Daily): “The forum was moderated by Elli Schulz ’25, president of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and vice president of Vox Clara, a student-run magazine partnered with Veritas. It offered a unique opportunity to connect with leaders who have shaped the tech world while reflecting on identity, purpose, ethics, and faith. Elli, whom I’ve known since 2022 through Chi Alpha — one of Stanford’s most diverse and largest Christian organizations — brought calm confidence, lighthearted humor and sharp questions to guide the hour-long conversation. She was the ideal moderator, given her passion for apologetics and dedication to faith and work.”
- Including entirely because it makes Chi Alpha look good.
- My Religion is “Something Else” (Ryan Burge, Substack): “…young people don’t know what the word Protestant means anymore, and that’s going to cause major problems in measuring religion going forward.… Among the youngest adults in the sample, almost none of them selected Protestant. In fact, fewer than 10% did so until you get into respondents in their late 30s. In contrast, large numbers simply said they were Christian—at least 20% of those in their late teens and early 20s.”
- The Book That Can Inspire Both a Pope and a Politician (Randy Boyagoda, New York Times): “In other words, the two most prominent American Catholics [J. D. Vance and Pope Leo] have each been profoundly influenced by a 1,600-year-old book about why the Roman Empire was falling apart. What makes it so convincing, and why are powerful people still turning to it for guidance and insight?”
- The author is an English professor. Recommended by the mother of an alumnus.
- Stop Asking Kids If They’re Depressed (Abigail Shrier, The Free Press): “Kids are wildly suggestible, especially where psychiatric symptoms are concerned. Ask a kid repeatedly if he might be depressed—how about now? Are you sure?—and he just might decide that he is. Introduce ‘gender dysphoria’ into a peer group, and a swath of seventh grade girls are likely to decide they were born in the wrong body. Introduce ‘testing anxiety’ or ‘social phobia,’ or ‘suicidality’ to them, and many teens are likely to decide: I have that, too. There is a reason clinicians keep anorexia patients from socializing unsupervised in a hospital ward; anorexia is profoundly socially contagious.”
- Canada Is Killing Itself (Elaina Plott Calabro, The Atlantic): “One day, administering a lethal injection to a patient was against the law; the next, it was as legitimate as a tonsillectomy, but often with less of a wait. MAID now accounts for about one in 20 deaths in Canada—more than Alzheimer’s and diabetes combined—surpassing countries where assisted dying has been legal for far longer.”
- A sad read with some genuinely shocking quotes. Unlocked.
- What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones (Lenore Skenazy, Zach Rausch, and Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic): “Children want to meet up in person, no screens or supervision. But because so many parents restrict their ability to socialize in the real world on their own, kids resort to the one thing that allows them to hang out with no adults hovering: their phones.”
- Recommended by a student
Less Serious Things Which Also Interested/Amused Glen
- Forgiveness (Pearls Before Swine)
- Apostles Quickly Start Acting Pious As They Notice Luke Watching And Taking Notes (Babylon Bee)
- Panama Playlists: “I found the real Spotify accounts of celebrities, politicians, and journalists. Many use their real names. With a little investigating, I could say with near-certainty: yep, this is that person. I’ve been scraping their playlists for over a year. Some individuals even have a setting enabled that displays their last played song. I scraped this continuously, so I know what songs they played, how many times, and when. The Panama Papers revealed hidden bank accounts. This reveals hidden tastes.”
Why Do You Send This Email?
In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.
Disclaimer
Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey’s agenda and we are not about the elephant’s agenda — we are about the Lamb’s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass the ideological Turing test and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say “I agree” or “I disagree” until I can say “I understand”) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I’ll usually mention it). And to the extent you can discern my opinions, please understand that they are my own and not necessarily those of Chi Alpha or any other organization I may be perceived to represent. Also, remember that I’m not reporting news — I’m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There’s a lot happening in the world that’s not making an appearance here because I haven’t found stimulating articles written about it. If this was forwarded to you and you want to receive future emails, sign up here. You can also view the archives.