In This Edition:
What Is Worth Reading?
What’s New On The West Side? Reading Well
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What Is Worth Reading?
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books. —C. S. Lewis
In his excellent (and must-read) book, How To Think, Alan Jacobs notes that no one really “thinks for themselves.” Mainly because we do not think for. We think with. When we change our minds, all that really means is that we stop thinking with this set of ideas and thinkers and start thinking with that set of ideas and thinkers. We simply change communities.
Suppose you wish to keep up with the news. Where should you go? We all know there is no news site that “gives it to you straight.” Instead, we choose the community—the ideology, the bent—and then listen accordingly. I am not criticizing; in fact, this is how it should be. We would be naive to think there was an outlet which gave us “just the facts.” That any newsroom simply “reported” and then allowed us to decide. That any news company always leaned forward. And it would be irresponsible of them (and of us) to think of news as simply facts-on-the-ground; instead, we choose which stories to tell, and how to tell them, in order to perpetuate our beliefs (or challenge our beliefs) within a certain story world. Learning facts about the world adds to the story we tell, and the story in which we live.
For all these reasons and more, we must be intentional when choosing communities. While Luke’s gospel quotes Jesus as saying “take care how you hear” (Luke 8:18), Mark records him as saying “pay attention to what you hear” (Mark 4:34). As Joel Marcus suggests in his commentary, perhaps in a world of so many competing ideas, and competing gods, not every voice ought to be heard.
Fortunately, you and I are gifted to be living downstream of the Great Christian Tradition. We have centuries (even millennia) of great books and good books that have stood the test of time, full of rich wisdom, much of them rooted in Him who is truth, beauty, and goodness. We also have contemporaries who drink deeply from that well, noting and writing on stories with an eye to the larger story. In other words, there are good resources at our disposal, and just a casual perusing will let you know you are not dealing with run-of-the-mill journalists interested in attention-grabbing headlines and catering to shock value.
But where do I go to find such resources? Look no further! Below I curate a selection of wise, reflective, meaningful centers of knowledge that lay at our fingertips. These are some of the readily-available websites which offer thought-provoking takes on the news of the day from perspectives I believe are worth hearing. They do not all come from the same perspective, or arrive at the same conclusion. But they add refreshing significance to my understanding of the issues at hand. If you would be willing to—for one week—trade in your morning ritual of imbibing your favorite news station with reading two or three articles from the sources below, I believe you will notice a marked change in your understanding, perspective, and attitude about the world. This last pitch reminds me of Blue Diamond Almonds commercials from my youth: “A can a week—that’s all we ask.”
News & Commentary
People/Blogs
I hope a few of these will add a richness and depth to your personal understanding of our world, your conversations with friends, and the lived-out story of your life .
What’s New On The West Side? “Read Well: Hear God In Scripture”
Sunday mornings at the West Side Church of Christ, we are learning how to read the Bible in a healthy, life-giving way. How to read so we can hear the voice of God. How to read so that we will fall in love with Him. How to read so that his will can become our will. How to read so that we will leave wanting more.
Join us for the rest of our journey—the series runs through March. "Read Well: Hear God In Scripture." Our Dive Deeper class will be using a guided workbook called by the same name, prepared especially for this series. This guide is a free gift to use for an individual, small group, or church-wide study. It is continually updated, so check back here as the weeks progress.
Stream our lessons Sundays at 9 AM (CST) on facebook or YouTube or on our website. If you are in the middle Arkansas area, we would love to have you join us in person. I’ll save a seat for you.
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My name is Nathan Guy, and I serve as the preaching minister for the West Side Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas. In my spare time, I teach classes as an adjunct instructor for St. Louis University and Harding University. I also serve as chairman of the board for the Center for Christian Studies. I am happily married to Katie and am the proud father of little Grace (who is 2) and baby Henry (who is new). You can find more resources on my website over at nathanguy.com. You can follow me on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), Threads, and YouTube.