The Scroll 9/20/13: Top Five Christian Articles of the Week

Welcome to the first edition of The Scroll. We have compiled a list of the top five Christian articles from the past week. We will be rolling these out every Friday. Enjoy. - The Ghetto Monk

1.  Doing God’s Work? You May Be Missing The Point

Thomas Edison once remarked, “opportunity is missed by most people because it dresses in overalls and looks like work.” It is an interesting image, and it speaks to many of us because we have been deeply impacted by a very action-oriented society. So much so, in fact, that we are taught to link our personal value to the value of the activity we are accomplishing. As Christians, we often spiritualize this as well, linking our spiritual vitality with our ability to accomplish tasks for God...continue reading 

2.  10 Myths About the Food Stamp Program (Which Congress is Trying to Gut)

About a year ago, I wrote about my family participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Challenge, which encourages families to try to live on the equivalent of SNAP assistance (food stamps) for one week. It was a growing experience for all of us, and we actually fell short of our intended goal. It turns out that it’s not easy to feed a family of four well — especially without great time and effort — on less than $20 a day...continue reading

3.  Pope Francis: Gays, Abortion Too Much Of Catholic Church's Obsession

Pope Francis faulted the Roman Catholic church for focusing too much on gays, abortion and contraception, saying the church has become "obsessed" with those issues to the detriment of its larger mission to be "home for all," according to an extensive new interview published Thursday...continue reading

4.  My DTR (define the relationship) with World Vision.

I liked World Vision right away, but it wasn't love at first sight. I mean, initially, I thought WV was kinda fat and a little self-absorbed, but I was intrigued by the obvious love for humanity and drive for community development (And c'mon, there's nothing sexier than a dude who loves kids!). So, when WV asked me out, I didn't really hesitate to say yes...continue reading

5.  Of Cakes and Christians

Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of being a friend to sinners and to drunkards and to despised tax collectors. He made gallons of wine at a wedding. He treated women of ill-repute with respect. He made a Samaritan–a member of the neighboring race and sworn enemies of the Jews–the hero of one of his most profound parables. He praised a Gentile Roman Centurion–part of the occupying imperial force–for having great faith. He touched lepers. He spoke forgiveness and grace to those who beat and crucified him...continue reading