the "well-informed generalist"

Just finished another great article in byFaith magazine: an interview with Ken Myers of Mars Hill Audio, which is sort of like Books & Culture meets NPR. The interview included some great reflections on common grace, how evangelicals think about culture, and the right response to the "new and improved." The writer framed the piece around Myers' reputation as a "well-informed generalist" and how Mars Hill Audio provides rigorous content on a variety of ideas. I love it. One major reason I was an international relations major in college was because of its interdisciplinary nature; I wanted to take history, political theory, and languages all at the same time. My book club in Iowa City showed me how teachers, doctors, singers, and secretaries can all gather around African lit.

Myers says, "I'm convinced that one of the reasons the church has been culturally inert is because we don't have a lot of laymen who are interested in the whole big ecosystem of culture and all its inter-related aspects. Culture is the way our humanity in all of its forms and expressions is lived out, so understanding culture is necessarily interdisciplinary. You can't do it in a piecemeal way."

So, keep the book club going. Read a friend's magazines. Learn about the joys and difficulties of someone else's profession. And contemplate ideas for their own sake.

Update: The article is now posted online.

the garden grows!

Here's a rainy-day shot of my little city garden. It's got marigolds, fuschia, potato vine, and a steady coleus. I've harvested the poor mint half to death (mojitos! iced tea!), and the oregano loves all the thunderstorms. My basil is holding out for the good hot days of July & August, saving its best for when fresh tomatoes roll in. The marigolds are shy in this shot; a new round of blooms should come in a couple days!

welcome wagon

We’ve undertaken some proverbial church-hopping during our first 3 weeks here in Arlington, and we have been blown away by the hospitality and welcoming spirit of Christians in the city. It’s confirmed for us the benefits of smaller churches, where newcomers are (hopefully!) instantly recognized and greeted. The downside is that we now feel attached to several wonderful congregations.

We’ll do our best not to over-analyze the process and to trust the Lord that he will bless us with good teaching and strong community wherever we go. And we’ll keep telling new acquaintances about the little church we left behind in Iowa.