Recommended Reading, Listening and Watching 10-23-15 edition

Each week (more or less) I send out an e-mail to my congregation with my thoughts including stuff I've rea watched or listened to that I think is worth passing along.  I've been neglectful of my blog lately, so this list is from a while back, but there's good stuff here if you haven't digested it already.

Recommended Reading and Listening

United Church of Christ Stuff Did you know that President Barack Obama and Marilynne Robinson (one of my favorite authors) are both part of the UCC?  Here they are in conversation. Neuroscience Shows What Healthy Religion Has Always Promoted  New brain scans reveal what really makes us happy, and much of what they show involves things like gratitude, human connection, etc.  Healthy forms of religion were way ahead of neuroscience on this, but you can expect things from this article to show up in my sermons.  It's pretty awesome.  Check it out and maybe pick up some new habits. Social Justice Thanks to CCCUCC member, Karen Hartzler, for passing this on to me.  It's thebest breakdown of the different roles people can play to bring about social justice I have ever seen.  Some of us by temperament or circumstance may be disrupters, others may be witnesses and others may be bridge builders.   CCCUCC member and Emporia State poli-sci professor, Michael Smith, wasquoted in the NY Times this week re: the scurrilous work of KS Secretary of State Kobach.  Take a look at Michael's column in the Wichita paper to learn more about Kobach's voter suppression. Race, Racism, White Privilege   Have you heard that churches are burning around Ferguson, MO?  The national media is slow to pick up on this and I'm not sure why. "Every Voice Matters"--a new blog post on Huffington Post by UCC General Minister and President, Rev. John Dorhauer Rev. John Dorhauer's, UCC General Minister and President, op-ed in the D.C. paper "The Hill" about immigration reform Church in the 21st Century   I always dig listening to marketing guru Seth Godin (here's a great interview with him), because when I hear him talk about how businesses connect to their market in the 21st century, I always think about what it means for a church like ours to connect with the kind of folks who want we have to offer.  Despite the many problems with the internet age, it does offer ways for a church like ours to connect with people who want it rather than giving in to the temptation that the only way to survive is by offering a bland, middle of the road sort of Christianity without any real integrity. Check out this blog post from a Millennial: "I am a Mainline Protestant Under the Age of 35, Yes We Exist" LGBT Equality A  new book is out exploding some of the myths about the role of religion in the rise of LGBTQ rights.  It explains how liberal Christians have both helped and hurt the effort for equality.  It looks like a fascinating read. "Finding Strength as a Lesbian Mom Through the Canaanite Woman" Climate Change Exxon-Mobil knew back in the 1980's that it's product led to climate change, but it led an aggressive campaign to deny what its own research showed.  Why is nobody talking about this? Caring for Hurting People If you know someone experiencing grief or in chronic pain, here are "stupid phrases" that you should avoid. Gun Control "When the NRA Writes Your Theology"--what happens when so-called gun rights trumps the Gospel? "Gambling, Guns and Jesus: An American Paradox"--a blog post asking why Christians have a problem with gambling but not with guns by an ethics prof with whom I went to seminary once upon a time "Three Steps Your Church Can Take to Prevent Gun Violence" by Riverside Church pastor Amy Butler "Here's What Actually Reduces Gun Violence" "Gods, Guns and Feminist Theology" "Thresholds of Violence: How School Shootings Spread" by Malcolm Gladwell Gender, Kids, Parenting "My Son Loves My Little Pony: At 7 He Already Knows That's Not Okay"--powerful thoughts from a father about gender and parenting "The Politics of Contraception"--for decades Evangelicals supported contraception, what happened? "But I want it"--any parent will identify with this one Happy Stories What happened when an Islamophobe showed up to protest a mosque will amaze yo