Your weekly guide to the Bible and prayer
Sunday, December 26, 2004
The mass production of distraction is now as much a part of the American way of life as the mass production of automobiles," wrote C. Wright Mills a generation ago. That's even truer today—and especially evident during the Christmas/New Year's holidays.
Is the way Christians consume their entertainment noticeably different from that of their neighbors? Should it be? When I relax am I also letting my guard down in ways that could be hazardous to my faith?
That's what we'll be exploring during this week that faces into the new year.
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Harry Genet, Men of Integrity managing editor
Your feedback is welcome at [EMAIL PROTECTED].
![This Week's Devotions]() 'It's Only a Movie'
Dodging diversions that degrade
Sunday: Release or Evasion?
Neal Plantinga, president of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, teaches theology, preaches profound sermons, and writes insightful books. But Neal quickly identifies with others' joys and griefs, and his down-to-earth humor is self-deflating. He boasts that in 1956 he was a runner up in his recreational district's peewee division tennis tournament! Since then, he and his wife, Kathleen, have turned to biking. And Neal's bow makes serious music on his violin.
| Read what Neal has to say |
'Twas Five Days Before Christmas
By Todd Wilson
Hey Dad,
'Twas five days before Christmas, and the house was a disaster.
We tried to keep up, but the kids were just faster.
The tree was dried up, and the lights were burned out.
If it got any worse, I was going to shout.
With my wife in her pj's, and I in my shorts,
We had fallen asleep with grumbles and snorts.
The children were tangled in covers and sheets
While Legos and dress-up lay in great heaps.
When all of sudden, I heard a loud gurgle
I rolled out of bed as quick as a turtle.
I walked down the hallway and into his room
And I knew what was happening in spite of the gloom.
| Read the rest of this article | Information about the 2005 You 'Da Dad Daily Calendar |
When Backward Is Forward
Christmas may be the best argument against genetic enhancement.
By Andy Crouch
Even by reality tv's bizarre standards, UPN's Amish in the City was something of a milestone. The show featured five Amish teenagers in the midst of rumspringa, the period when young people decide whether they will join the community as adults. Amish in the City placed its adventuresome subjects in the oh-so-realistic environs of a Beverly Hills mansion, along with five city kids straight out of MTV central casting.
Long before it aired, Amish in the City was decried for exploiting a religious community mortified at the thought of owning a television, let alone appearing on one. But as the episodes went by, one thing became clear: The Amish kids were awfully sympathetic characters. Sure, they lacked style, street smarts, and experience with parking meters and sushi. But their upbringing in a rural, Christian culture had equipped them with qualities their urban counterparts lacked-such as, say, maturity. Amish in the City didn't do much for the reputation of reality tv, but it did something for the reputation of the Amish.
Non-Beverly-Hills-dwelling Amish are readily identified by their plain clothing and horse-drawn carriages, symbols of their collective decision to step off modernity's technological treadmill. But should this Anabaptist movement survive for another century, they won't just look different from other North Americans. More than ever, they will be different-because our culture will have changed the nature of human being itself.
Based on our growing knowledge of the human genetic code, we are on the threshold of not only curing disease but of redefining "normal." Parents already are pressuring doctors to prescribe human-growth hormones for slightly shorter-than-average—but perfectly healthy—children. Within a few years athletes will have access to undetectable genetic therapies that boost the production of muscle tissue. By the end of the century, parents may well be able to engineer not only their descendants' height and hair color, but longevity and intelligence as well.
| Finish this article … |
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You Have What It Takes: What Every Father Needs to Hear
John Eldredge reassures men that they can be loving,
godly, and effective fathers. Take a look deep inside
yourself to discover God's design and purpose. |
![]()
Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Purity
In this compassionate brother-to-brother guide, Stephen
Arterburn and Fred Stoeker offer a practical battle plan
for men—married or single—to live by God's standard. |
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100 Best Loved Hymns, 3 CD Gift Set
Your spirit will soar as you listen to your favorites,
such as "Wonderful Words of Life," "Softly and Tenderly,"
"Amazing Grace," "Rock of Ages," and many more! $6.99 |
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Today's Christian Woman Makes a Perfect Gift!
This magazine applies a biblical perspective to many of today's controversial issues. Interviews and articles show how women just like you not only survive, but thrive because of the inner strength their Christian faith provides. Give this great gift to a woman in your life! |
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Sports Spectrum
Avery Atkins: Still Growing
By Jim Gibbs
The team that prays together wins together. At least that's what running back-defensive back Avery Atkins noticed last year.
"Every single one of the football players on our team is at the FCA chapel meetings before the game," Atkins says. "We are a team that loves God and wants to honor him, and I think that's why he blessed us so much last season."
Atkins, who is a senior this year at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, started at running back and at cornerback last year and gained 735 yards on 52 carries.
At 6-1, 190 pounds, he's not easy to bring down, especially since he runs a 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds. More …
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Which description best describes how you choose your movie/video watching? You select a film …
- That interests you, regardless of rating
- From those not rated R or NC-17
- Only after reading a positive review about it
- Only after a friend recommends it to you
- After consulting ChristianityTodayMovies.com
Vote here, and see how your answer compares to others'.
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What do you consider the most meaningful way to underscore the significance of Christmas in your family?
- Giving a gift to a needy person: 33%
- Attending a Christmas Eve service: 28%
- Reading the Christmas story aloud: 20%
- Other: 12%
- Lighting an advent wreath: 4%
- Caroling or singing carols at home: 2%
- Posting a Christmas countdown calendar: 1%
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Coping with Christmas
For adult children of divorced parents, the holidays aren't as happy as they are supposed to be. Author Jen Abbas has some advice.
That Other Church
Let's face it: Secularism is a religion. Let's treat it as such.
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