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Discipleship in the Land of Narnia

Matt Smethurst talks with Joe Rigney about his new book, Live Like a Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis's Chronicles,

Joe Rigney takes us into the heart of Lewis's magical world and shows us how the stories function, with subtlety and potency, to awaken, expose, inspire, and even disciple. Rigney commends the saga as "a fruitful part of Christian discipleship, so that in reading the Narnian stories, breathing Narnian air, and seeking to live like Narnians, we are transformed into the image of Jesus Christ—the Great Lion and High King Above All Kings.

We're big Lewis fans round here. You already knew that. Read more.

Think Small and Carry On

S.D. Smith wrote a great post over at For the Family about what we're supposed to do and who we're supposed to be.

I refer, of course, to that cinematic masterpiece, The Karate Kid. After I saw that movie, I ran around kicking air, punching boards, and, most importantly, trying out the Crane Technique. Whatever I saw in a movie, or heard about in a story, I wanted to do and be. I was Caspian, Tonto, Captain Kirk, Luke Skywalker, and even Luke Duke of The Dukes of Hazzard. Yeeeaaaaa-hoooo!

Go read more. I needed that.

I sold too many copies of Grand Theft Auto V to parents who didn't give a…

I was on the fence about this one, but it's a really important discussion. Kotaku has this editorial from a video game retail employee regarding the recent launch of the tremendously violent, crass, popular video game Grand Theft Auto V. It's a letter to parents. From a geek. And it's good. A little salty though.

I have been working in video game retail for almost 10 years now. I love my job. Some of my best memories begin with loving, bewildered parents walking into our store, naïve to the gaming world but eager to learn. I would find myself talking to them about platform choices, game franchises, and getting started online. I'd then enlighten them with my own gaming experiences with my kids. This approach got them interested in what their children were doing and encouraged them to play the games alongside their kids.

The writer's perspective isn't mine, but the point is solid. If your kids play video games and you aren't involved, you need to be. Read more.

An Addendum to Crazy Busy

David Murray talks a little bit about Kevin DeYoung's new book, Crazy Busy. Murray provides some suggestions for how to fight busy-ness.

I’ve not mastered “busyness” myself and fully expect a lifelong battle to maintain a healthy work/life balance, but here are some practical ideas that have helped me over the past few years. Obviously they are ministry focused, but many of them can be applied more generally as well:
1. Listen to your family. Ask your family, your wife and kids, if they think you’ve got work in the right place and if you’re giving them enough time.

What the Monopoly Properties look like

Nick Carr is a location scout for movies that film in New York. He's taken pictures of the locations that inspired the Monopoly properties. Super cool. Check it out.

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Dr Seuss and Breaking Bad

Alan Howell started our week with a great post about justice and story and justice in stories, in the lens of Dr Seuss.

As children, we cry out in protest if something isn’t fair. As adults, we claim that we want people to get what they deserve… well, maybe we want other people to get what they deserve. This, though, is not the gospel story. While we serve a God who is just and has promised to one day bring an end to evil, we also believe that the King of the Universe is full of grace.

Discussions of Hope: The 500 Year Question

Julie Silander continues our interaction with the work of Makoto Fujimura.

I entered the halls and the golden aura of a diminutive Virgin Mary painting greeted me, with her azurite robe, and the Christ child’s supple body, reflecting her humanity — a simple work full of weighty colors. Then I had to close my eyes, after a few seconds of pondering the saturated surface. I realized this was too much to behold, all at once. As I staggered about looking for a blank wall to stare at, almost feeling ashamed to be in the presence of such greatness, I had a “500 year” question pop up in my mind. (What is the 500 Year Question? Read the rest of the article here to find out.)

Space Buggies and the Mind of the Creator

Guest poster Glenn McCarty writes about nap time creations, and how our creation reflects the creation.

Every day around 12:30, my 5 year old, who will start kindergarten next week, retreats from the busyness of the day to his room for a parent-mandated “rest time.” My 3 year old still naps, but he (the 5 year old) doesn’t, and frankly, Mom and Dad were more reluctant than he was to give up the midday siesta that is one of the perks of having preschool age kids.
On weekends, and during the summer, I usually rest or find some puttering-type job to do for a few minutes. Soon, though, I sneak across the hall, crack open his door, and slip quietly into his room, interrupting him from whatever task he’s occupied himself with for the past 30 minutes or so.