“The Weekend Wanderer” is a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend. Wander through these links however you like and in any order you like. Disclaimer: I do not necessarily agree with all the views expressed within these articles but have found them thought-provoking.
“How the Two Testaments Became One Bible” – Michael Dormandy in Text and Canon Institute: “I love asking long-established couples how they first met. From Ruth and Boaz on, such stories often reveal the kindness and sovereignty of God in sweet and sometimes unpredictable ways, especially if the union appeared on paper unlikely, but has gone on to be happy and fruitful. There is one couple, whose union at first seemed extremely unlikely, but which has gone on to be happy and fruitful for two thousand years: the union of the two testaments in the Christian Bible. But how did our two testaments come together? How did those books, which first-century Christians were writing about Jesus, come to be included with the Jewish Scriptures in what we call the Bible?
“Moral Failures by Christian Leaders Are a Huge Problem. Can New Standards Help?” – Megan Fowler in Christianity Today: “The accreditation agency for over 2,700 evangelical nonprofits wants to raise its standards to address ‘one of the greatest financial risks’ posed to churches and ministries today: moral failures by leadership. For decades, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has established guidelines around financial transparency, stewardship, and governance. This year, the organization announced plans to add a new requirement to address the integrity and character of a ministry’s leaders. It’d be the biggest change to ECFA’s standards in 45 years. First introduced in March 2024, the proposed standard states, ‘Every organization shall proactively care for its leader and support the integrity of its leader in conformity with ECFA’s Policy for Excellence in Supporting Leadership Integrity.’ ECFA members and experts in the Christian nonprofit agree with the idea of the new standard but aren’t sure exactly how to implement it.”
“Lessons from pastors who have left parish ministry” – G. Jeffrey MacDonald in Faith & Leadership: “The Rev. Afi Dobbins-Mays proved resilient amid adversity throughout her first pastorate, serving two rural United Methodist congregations outside Madison, Wisconsin. But in 2022, a decade later, no amount of grit could keep her in ministry. By then, she was demoralized and needed a change. She had overcome racism, aimed at her as a Black woman, including when individuals in her nearly all-white congregation had repeatedly refused to meet with her. Congregants had rallied behind her, raised awareness of the issue and helped bring in a diverse group of new members. ‘There was a beautiful culture in that church,’ she said. But then her conference relocated her to a ‘critical mission site’ (i.e., not financially self-supporting) in inner-city Milwaukee, where the stressors were many and the supports few. Half the congregation of 60 quit the church upon her arrival, unwilling to have a woman in the pulpit. Grant funding was promised but fell through, she said. And when regional United Methodist decision makers called during pandemic hard times, it wasn’t to show support. ‘They said, “What’s the reason why your church is not financially solvent right now?”‘ she recalled. ‘”Why is it that you guys aren’t on your feet?” It felt like a punitive conversation. They started cutting the money back.'”
“The Attention Cottage” – Alan Jacobs at his blog, The Homebound Symphony: “In the last few days I have come across, or had sent to me, anguished cries from people who have recently been dragged on social media and cannot fathom the injustice of it, and I find myself thinking: You haven’t figured this out yet? You complain about your words being taken out of context when you post them in an environment whose entire structure — as we have all known for fifteen years now — demands context collapse? How many more times do you plan to smack your head against that unyielding wall? I wrote recently about some things that everyone knows, and here are two more things that everyone knows:
- Our attentional commons is borked, it’s FUBAR; it’s not stunned or pining for the fjords, it has ceased to be, it is bereft of life, it is an ex-commons.
- The death of the attentional commons has had dramatic and sometimes tragic consequences for every individual’s store of attentiveness.
What I want to argue today is that the attentional commons cannot be rebuilt unless and until we rebuild private and local/communal spaces of attentiveness. Consider this my response to this call for ideas about building from TNA. What might this look like?”
“California evangelical seminary ponders changes that would make it more welcoming to LGBTQ students” – Deepa Bharath in APNews: “Fuller Theological Seminary, an evangelical school in Pasadena, California, is deliberating whether to become more open to LGBTQ+ students who previously faced possible expulsion if found to be in a same-sex union. That’s according to a draft of proposed revisions to the seminary’s sexual standards that was obtained by The Associated Press. If the board votes to approve these revisions, Fuller could become the first evangelical seminary in the country to adopt standards acknowledging the diversity of thought among Christians pertaining to human sexuality, according to retired professor John Hawthorne, an expert on Christian colleges. Such a decision would carry Fuller into uncharted territory, Hawthorne said. ‘It’s a bold step for a school that fought off lawsuits on this very issue a few years ago.’ At the same time, several current and former students and faculty believe this move would preserve Fuller’s existing status as a ‘third space’ where Christians with diverse views on sexuality are welcome — a space that has been shrinking nationally amid increasing political polarization on the issue. Fuller issued a statement Thursday saying the deliberations on this topic are ongoing and drafts of possible revisions have been created solely for discussion and reflection. It says no proposals have been submitted to trustees for a vote and it is unclear when the board might even consider the matter.”
“Lost Caravaggio goes on display after almost being sold at auction for just $1,600” – Jack Guy at CNN: “A lost Caravaggio painting that was almost mistakenly sold at auction for a bargain price has gone on display at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, after being rescued and restored. ‘Ecce Homo,’ which was painted by the Italian master around 1606-09, will feature in a special one-piece exhibition from Tuesday, according to a statement from the museum. The oil on canvas work depicts Jesus wearing a crown of thorns with blood running down his face and onto his chest. In front of him to the left is Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea, while a third figure stands behind Jesus holding a red robe over his shoulders. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, better known simply as Caravaggio, is known for his visceral depictions of violence.”
Music: Jars of Clay, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” from Redemption Songs
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Matthew Erickson 