Episode VII: Halloween 2009It is a night of sibling war. Rebel kids, striking from a hidden fort, have won their first victory against the evil Parental Empire.

During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Parent’s ultimate weapon, the CANDY BOWL, an impenetrable receptacle placed high enough in the kitchen to thwart the greedy hands of any child.

Pursued by the Parent’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races back to her bedroom aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her sugar-addicted brother and ankle-biting sister and restore freedom to the household….

Barack Obama has changed everything. No, I’m not talking about the economy, foreign relations, or the health care system. President Obama has rewritten the assumptions about names and success. Honestly, who would have believed just a few years ago that a man named Barack Hussain Obama could be elected President of the United States?

Politico has an interesting story about the growing popularity of uncommon names among elected officials. The article states:

Having a unique name used to be a political liability. But election records suggest out of the ordinary increasingly appeals to voters. The names of incoming freshmen have grown more unusual over the years, thanks in part to a combination of the nation’s increasing diversity and, in the age of Barack Obama, a rising generation of voters with…

While we’re talking about having children, here’s an illuminating excerpt from Rodney Clapp about the way consumerism impacts our society’s view of children. Right now we are working on the summer issue of Leadership Journal on the theme of “Generations.” At least part of that will explore the possible shortcomings of segmenting the church by age, and the impact of viewing children as a separate, rather than core, part of the church community. I believe consumerism, as Clapp explains, is part of the reason.

This comes from his 1996 article “Why the Devil Takes VISA.” I highly recommend reading the entire (but lengthy) piece.  It was immensely helpful in my research while writing The Divine Commodity.

The excerpt:

Another sign that consumption is our way of life is the profound societal…

In my last post I discussed the belief that singleness is leading to a decline in church attendance. Traditional marriage defendants like Al Mohler believe that if more Christians would marry at a younger age they would not only “grow up” faster, but they’d also realize how important the local church is for their lives.Let’s take that logic one (big) step further. Today NPR featured a piece on the Quiverfull movement. These are conservative Christians who do not practice any form of birth control. They find biblical justification in Psalm 127:

“Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”

The belief that children are a blessing from God is a wonderful doctrine of Christianity. And…

The terrorist attack in Mumbai last month hit home for me. I saw the breaking news on CNN.com and immediately called my father. I have aunts, uncles, and cousins that live in Mumbai within walking distance of the Taj and Oberoi hotels. In fact, I’ve been to both hotels on numerous occasions. Thankfully, everyone I know was okay. But the shock, anger, and grief for the Indian people has not yet faded in the aftermath of their own 9/11. As more is learned about how the attack unfolded, where the terrorists came from, and the apparently inept intelligence and response by the Indian government, we can lose sight of the human stories within this tragedy.

Philip Yancey, one of the church’s most gifted writers, was in India during the…

Phil Vischer is a member of my church and a friend. Back in 1990 he created VeggieTales and Big Idea Productions. The compelling story behind the rise and demise of Phil’s veggie empire it recounted in his book, Me, Myself, and Bob. In his post-Big Idea years, Phil has been quietly working with a small team, including another good friend who is also responsible for creating my blog–Tim Johnson, on a new project for kids.

Phil created Jellyfish Labs to be his creative outlet, and a few weeks ago they launched the beta version of a new online network for children called Jelly Telly. The site features games and TV shows for kids that, like VeggieTales, contain redemptive spiritual lessons. But Phil’s new project differs from VeggieTales in a number of…

When my father first came from India to the United States in 1970, he began his new life by sailing from Europe to New York aboard the SS France. In a strange twist, the legendary liner is now ending her life on a beach in India where shipbreakers are dismantling her hull. I only saw the ship in person once as a kid while on vacation (she was anchored a distance off shore), but I remember vintage photos of my father onboard during his crossing wearing thick black framed glasses, his hair caught in the sea breeze. (Photos of my father with hair are rare, so I tend to remember them.)

Many ship enthusiasts fought hard to preserve the vessel as a hotel or museum. It may seem strange,…

Reporting from the SHIFT 08 student ministries conference at Willow CreekIf there is one thing that everyone in youth ministry seems to be talking about it’s how to keep students following Christ after high school. That’s been a hot topic here at Shift, and this morning Kara Powell addressed the problem head on. As the executive director of the Center for Youth and Family Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, Powell knows the sobering statistics. Her data reveals that 50% of high school students who had been deeply involved in a church’s youth ministry will not be serving God 18 months after graduation. And that’s not counting the many other high school students who are only going to church because their parents are forcing them. She…