Before I get too backlogged with noteworthy writing around the internets, here's a growing list of good reads for the day/week:

» Kris Hey, from Orlando, blogs to ask for stories of extraordinary generosity, and promises to tie that in with a few upcoming posts on Joel.

» ReclaimingTheMission asks "Is the consumerism critique legit." On one level, it's one of the many blog takes on Willowcreek's REVEAL survey. But on another, it touches on a criticism of larger churches ... that there's something, somehow wrong with going to a church based on criteria we set out. In other words, we apply the same consumeristic instincts toward church that we might a particular shopping center. The post here pretty much sets both sides of the issue up rather fairly, asking for more input. I tend to be among those who thinks you have to engage in a degree of sales in order to be heard. I'd be real interesting to see how it is that folks on the other side view the issue, though. I mean, is a particular style of church building to be seen as a form of "marketing?" What about any printed matter within the church? ... even a straightforward typewritten bulletin can be seen as a marketing ploy. I don't have to go too far back to my punk music days to count the examples of that. So what is it - exactly - that is viewed as a bridge too far when it comes to marketing, consumerism, etc.... I'm no doubt biased by the Marketing degree hanging on my wall, but I don't hide from the fact that I view marketing as woven into pretty much everything.

» The Wall Street Journal notes a "Backlash Against Tithing." News to me, but it's certainly grounds for a far richer debate in my mind. At a minimum, there's at least far more believable views on both sides of the matter from what I've come across.

» Rob Driscoll slams Rob Bell as a heretic. This follows him labelling two leaders of the "Emergent Church" as such. Plus, he's also devoted sermon time to slamming our own Pastor Joel as such. I've written before of Driscoll's confrontational nature with a modicum of approval. But the last two, I have to confess, force me to 'leave the bus' on Driscoll. At some point the "Attack Pastor" schtick becomes old and redundant.

» Far better reading for my taste, Phil Cooke has a post on "Should America be Viewed as a Christian Nation." It's a far better distillation of Greg Boyd's thesis than I could ever attempt. I'm a bit surprised to see someone as high-profile as Cooke agreeing with Boyd, I have to admit. Happily, mind you.