“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.
“‘The Pulpit Is The Holy of the Holy:’ Prominent Asian Pastor Calls for Sinning Pastors to Repent” – Rebecca Hopkins in The Roys Report: “World-renowned Indonesian pastor Stephen Tong, often referred to as the ‘Billy Graham of Asia,’ rebuked pastors who commit sexual sin but continue to preach during his sermon at an international conference this week in Korea. ‘Shame on this kind of servant of God,’ Tong said. ‘I have seen so many pastors. They commit sin, but they every week, come up and preach. That is a kind of cheating preacher, a kind of a hypocrite leader of the church.’ Tong, 85, is the founder of Jakarta-based Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia with 90 congregations around the world, including in Japan, China, and Germany. He’s also led evangelistic crusades, speaking to 37 million people on six continents throughout his more than 66 years of ministry, according to his website. Tong, who still pastors, was one of many who spoke to about 8,000 attendees this week at the General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) in Seoul. Speaking in English, Tong told the crowd he normally preaches for at least an hour, with his longest sermon clocked at more than seven hours long. But with just a 15-minute time allotment for the WEA conference, he chose one point: ‘the holiness of the Gospel messenger. Now I ask you, are you holy?’ Tong said. ‘Is your life holy life? Is your brain holy brain? Is your mouth holy mouth? Are you preaching holy words? Is your hand holy hand? . . . Then you can be a servant of God.'”
“Charles Simeon: A Life of Long Obedience” – Justin Clemente at Anglican Compass: “After a long and faithful life of preaching, teaching, and pastoring in Cambridge, England, Charles Simeon died on November 13, 1836. As he lay dying, a friend who visited him asked his thoughts as he lingered between time and eternity. Simeon responded only this: ‘I don’t think now; I am enjoying.’ Though they sound more like the words of a solitary mystic, they came from the lips of a pastor who poured out his life for others from the overflow of his love for Christ. As John 15:1-4 teaches us, abiding deeply in Jesus is the thing itself: fruit, even much fruit, is the inevitable outcome. Simeon knew both.”
“Tolkien, Lewis and the problem of ‘Christian art'” – Carlos Campo at Religion News Service: “When friends mention some new Christian artwork, movie or novel, I confess my first thought is usually, ‘I wonder how bad it is.’ It’s not the artistic treatment of faith that discourages me. J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis were profound storytellers whose narrative, and their power to narrate, was enhanced by their faith. But neither is commonly called a ‘Christian writer,’ nor are their books limited to the Christian shelves of bookstores. To do so would be to diminish their reach. Art worth seeing or reading, in short, needs no qualifier. It stands and falls on excellence alone. Their faith places them squarely within one of the greatest narrative and literary traditions in history — that line of artists for whom the Bible is at the center of their education. But they never limited themselves to Christian texts: They immersed themselves in ancient languages, art, myths, parables and plays. Tolkien went so far as to create his own languages and creation narrative in his The Silmarillion. Lewis created a world called Narnia that is so compelling to us — despite being crafted primarily for children — that we can’t seem to help returning to it. They were profoundly accomplished readers, writers and thinkers with a broad and abiding popularity, but an undeniably biblical imagination underpins their respective works.”
“US bishops officially ban gender-affirming care at Catholic hospitals” – Tiffany Stanley in APNews: “U.S. Catholic bishops voted Wednesday to make official a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals. The step formalizes a yearslong process for the U.S. church to address transgender health care. From a Baltimore hotel ballroom, the bishops overwhelmingly approved revisions to their ethical and religious directives that guide the nation’s thousands of Catholic health care institutions and providers. More than one in seven patients in the U.S. are treated each day at Catholic hospitals, according to the Catholic Health Association. Catholic hospitals are the only medical center in some communities. Major medical groups and health organizations support gender-affirming care for transgender patients. Most Catholic health care institutions have taken a conservative approach and not offered gender-affirming care, which may involve hormonal, psychological and surgical treatments. The new directives will formalize that mandate. Bishops will have autonomy in making the directives into law for their dioceses.”
“The Charlie Kirk Moment – Nijay Gupta & Bethel McGrew” – Justin Brierley interviews Nijay Gupta and Bethel McGrew on The Surprising Rebirth of Faith in God podcast: “Hundreds of thousands attended Charlie Kirk’s memorial service. Are we seeing a Kirk-inspired Christian revival or a rallying cry for Christian nationalism? Theologian Nijay Gupta and Christian writer Bethel McGrew join Justin Brierley to debate their different perspectives on the Charlie Kirk moment and his controversial statements on race and minorities.”
“Celebrating Newman, Doctor of the Church” – Kenneth Hallenius at de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture: “The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture celebrates the July 31, 2025, news that Pope Leo XIV will soon declare St. John Henry Newman the newest Doctor of the Church, recognizing his personal sanctity and influential contribution to Catholic theology and doctrine. Jennifer Newsome Martin, director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture and the John J. Cavanaugh Professor of the Humanities at the University of Notre Dame, was a member of the committee of scholars that prepared the positio in support of Newman’s elevation to the honor. ‘Contributing to St. John Henry Newman’s cause for Doctor of the Church has been the single most edifying task of my vocation as a professional theologian,’ said Martin. ‘I am grateful to have had occasion to petition the Vatican in the positio alongside other theologians and Newman scholars, especially all my friends and colleagues affiliated with the National Institute for Newman Studies.'”
Music: Rich Mullins (featuring Matt Maher, Mac Powell, and Ellie Holcomb), “The Joy of Jesus”
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Matthew Erickson 