culture wars | Stray Thoughts

Some of the good reads fond this week:

Petty Annoyances and Minor Insults. “I wonder if you are like me in that, as you look back on your life, you realize that most of the circumstances that have troubled you, most of the annoyances and disgruntlements, were produced by circumstances that were hardly worth noticing. In retrospect, most of the situations that stirred you to anger, kept you tossing and turning at night, or caused you to lash out in retaliation, were minor rather than major, little peeves and provocations more than grave injustices.”

Is a Quiet Life Consistent with the Culture Wars? HT to Challies. “The challenge here is that legitimate issues are at stake underneath the logic of the culture war. . . . If the culture wars involve (in part) a constant need to comment on political . . . and social issues and degregrate your neighbor, I wonder if we can honestly say that participation in the culture war is consistent with what Paul calls us to in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: a quiet life.”

5 Habits for Better Prayer in 2026, HT to Challies. “A healthy prayer life involves a steady stream of shorter communications (brief prayers throughout the day), paired with more intimate and extensive conversations (unhurried times of solitude with God). Jesus modeled both forms.”

We Have Dusty Bibles and New iPhones, HT to Challies. “This blog is not meant to condemn but to be a wake-up call to us all, myself included. I accidentally came across Josiah Queen’s song, ‘Dusty Bibles,’ which the algorithm providentially brought to my playlist. In the song, Josiah asks, ‘We’re too busy and can’t find the time. Are we busy or is it all a lie?’ and I could totally relate. I had spent countless hours on my phone, scrolling and watching reels on social media, but did not have time to read even a chapter of the Bible. Those words hit me hard!”

Helping Students Read the Bible for Themselves, HT to Challies. “A few years ago, a former student came up to me with a question that sounded simple, but clued me into a deeper problem. He said, ‘Hey, I’ve been reading the book of Mark like you told me to… but now what? I don’t really know what to do after that.’ He wasn’t lazy. He was trying, but like so many students today, he didn’t have a framework for how to read the Bible – no direction or understanding of what he was even looking for. That moment stuck with me because it reminded me: opening their Bibles is not the same as reading it well. So how do we help them read the Bible for themselves?”

The Key to Finding the Author’s Emphasis When You Read the Bible, HT to Knowable Word. “Often, however, we do not work hard to actually find the structure of the biblical passages that we study. We simply read them and ask general questions—or make general comments—about them, or we focus on the impressions or feelings that biblical passages give us. When we study this way, failing to pay attention to the structure of the passages we are focusing on, we run the risk of making incorrect interpretations and applications.”

The Courage in Encouragement, HT to Challies. “To encourage isn’t just to soothe; it’s to put courage into someone—to strengthen the will, to stiffen the spine, to remind a weary saint why the path is worth walking and how to keep going.”

Christians Bear Fruit, HT to Challies. “If you are sitting beneath live-however-you-wish-after-you-have-raised-your-hand-and-repeated-this-prayer-after-me type of preaching, run. Your soul is in danger.”

Fruitful to the End, HT to Challies. “Slowing down feels like fading away. Thankfully, the gospel tells another story. Output and speed do not equal fruitfulness. Old age is not a winding down—but a deepening. Productivity is reframed, not as busyness, but as rootedness; not as the accumulation of achievements, but as the cultivation of character and blessing.”

The Freedom of a Lower Reading Goal, HT to Challies. Much of this resonates with me. I set my reading goals realistically to allow time to be selective and spend as much time as I want with a book rather than racing through them just to reach a number.

If I did not see that the Lord kept watch over the ship, I should long since have abandoned the helm. But I see Him! – through the storm, strengthening the tackling, handling the yards, spreading the sails – yes more, commanding the very winds! Should I not be a coward if I abandoned my post? Let Him govern, let Him carry us forward, let Him hasten or delay; we will fear nothing! –Martin Luther

Here’s the latest thought-provoking reads seen around the Web lately.

The Bible Is Not an Instruction Manual, HT to Challies. “’Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.’ Ever heard the Bible explained that way? It’s a handy mnemonic device that certainly has some truth to it. But does it get at the heart of what the Bible really is? The way so many of us treat the Scriptures—as God’s ‘how to’ book—doesn’t seem quite right when we carefully look at what its own pages say. And I fear that the way we use the Bible in this way actually accomplishes the opposite of what we intended.”

Shepherds, Please Think “Protect Well.” Please Stop Saying “Suffer Well.” HT to Challies. “STOP IT! STOP SAYING, ‘SUFFER WELL! When we say, ‘Suffer well,’ to an abuse victim, they hear, ‘It’s your fault. If you would only handle this better, then God would stop your suffering.’ When we say, ‘Suffer well,’ to a domestic violence victim, they hear, ‘Your protection is secondary. Your safety is secondary. Protecting the image of the church is primary. Suffer well so that our congregation is not shamed.’”

The Ukulele and the Cross, HT to Challies. “Theologians have wrestled with the various angles that describe what Jesus did for us on the cross. Some will even argue that there is only one way to describe and define what Jesus did for us on the cross. Rather than pick sides on the theological playground, I want to propose a harmony of notes that are played at the cross of Christ.”

Should Pro-Lifers Embrace Embryo Adoption, HT to Challies. John Piper offers some considerations on a thorny issue with many difficult angles.

Confessions of a Past Culture Warrior. “It’s one thing to advocate for and defend our principles in the common square; it’s another thing entirely to enjoy the fight. And too many of us love the battle. We delight in the pillaging and destruction of our ideological enemies. We love the war because of the rush of righteousness that accompanies it.”

Instagram Brings Back the Chronological Feed with Favorites and Following, HT to Lisa. I want all my feeds to just show me what’s recent from people I follow rather than having my feed stuffed with what they think I’ll like.

This was cute—a new baby seems unimpressed with his family, or maybe the world in general.