Bad Sports in Any Religion

It only took a week and some national attention for the Dallas Covenant School to apologize for running up a 100-0 score against Dallas Academy. It's never too late to apologize, we're just wondering what the adult coaches were thinking during the game. The faces of dejected teen girls didn't tip them off that maybe the game was a little unfair. Our advice is the coaches from Covenant ought to take a lesson from the Grapevine Faith football coach.

Pop Culture Pope

Katie Couric has one so does President Obama and now Pope Benedict joins the world of homemade video with his own YouTube channel. Let the wackiness commence.

Listen to This

At some point we'll have to talk about all the prayers and praying that happened around the inauguration this week. For now, here's a little something from Coach Craig's Lifechurch.tv blog, Swerve. Listen to the posted voicemail then spin through the 60+ comments. The range is interesting. Some of the comments are edgy, perhaps even mean. The thing that bothered us the most was how quickly people resorted to name calling-silly, petty, grumpy, judgmental,lonely, and old, A few people said, the caller needs Jesus. Yes because apparently knowing Jesus makes you a whole lot less petty, grumpy, silly, and judgmental. Right?

Providence Trumps Politics

Here's an interesting take on Obama's election from Sandy Banks at the LA Times. While the column's okay (did the Times fire all the copy editors?), the photo editor was on point. For that reason alone, we shamelessly borrowed this stunning Francine Orr image. Now that's a photograph!

Multiplied Impact

While Rick 4.O Warren prays for the new president, our man in Chicago, Captain Bill Hybels is doing some inaugurating of his own. The Willow Creek leader rolled out a new strategic vision for his over 20K congregants this weekend. Not surprising, a more radical agenda of evangelism is at the top of the plan. Hybels has been consistently asserting the need for "Creekers" to reengage their evangelical responsibilities over the past few months. Looks like he's gone as far as quantifying the goal: filling 9000 open seats at the various Creek sites. We'll be watching Captain Bill and team. No matter what they do, it's always really interesting.

What's a "New" Evangelical?

We're not sure what it means to be a "new evangelical." It's one of those terms that seems to have more significance to the media than it does spiritually or theologically. This story by Joe Garofoli in the SF Chronicle doesn't do much to clarify the issue. A note to Rob Boston of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State about describing Rick Warren as "Jerry Falwell in a Hawaiian shirt." Rick gave up wearing Hawaiian shirts a year ago. Time to update your stereotype, buddy.

Thank You Mr President

If for some reason (we can't conceive of one) you missed President Obama's speech go watch it. Now. Hope and virtue, indeed.