Horridly Pretentious: a review of Prometheus
Imagine you awake one morning to find yourself trapped in a grade B horror movie. Realizing where you are is easy because all the classic signs are evident, from things that go bump in the night, to scantily clad young women pursued (and worse) by monsters, and lots of really dumb people– clueless in the face of obvious danger – who act as if they haven’t the sense that God gave geese. Try as you will, you can’t escape; it’s not a nightmare that can be banished merely by waking up. How many times must you ask, “Who are we? What is our purpose?” before your cheap flick turns into something more?
Around the Web: Nora, Busyness, Careers, Souls, Vintage Audio
— What Christians Can Learn from Nora Ephron – Laura Ortberg Turner/Christianity Today
— The ‘Busy’ Trap – Tim Kreider/New York Times
— Women, Callings, and Having It All – Jennifer A. Marshall/The Gospel Coalition
— “You Don’t Have A Soul”: C.S. Lewis Never Said It – Matthew Lee Anderson/Mere Orthodoxy
— Flannery O’Connor Reads “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” – OpenCulture.com
The Power of Prayer
Tonight at Hill House (2104 Nueces 78705), Mary Beth Minnis, All Saints member and film producer, will be presenting her first short film, “Grace Walking,” which she produced for Campus Crusade ministry. She’ll also talk about how God used this film to involve her in the current efforts to produce a major film version of “Left to Tell,” Immaculee Ilibagiza’s miraculous story of survival during the Rwandan genocide. Mary Beth is working with producer Steve McEveety (who also produced “Braveheart” and “The Passion of the Christ”) and others to raise funds and awareness about the story and project, including simply by encouraging those she meets to pray.
Please join us and thousands around the world in praying for Mary Beth, Immaculee and the others behind this project and also make plans to attend tonight’s screening, which will include dinner, fellowship, and additional screenings of Steve McAveety’s film reel and an interview that Immaculee gave to CBS’s Harry Smith. Dinner begins at 7pm, followed by the screenings and a Q and A with Mary Beth. Please RSVP to me, if you’d like to attend.
Summer Picnic at Lakeway Swim Center
Sunday evening, June 3rd we gathered to kick-off the summer at the Lakeway Swim Center. Thanks to Lance Lawhon for taking pictures of the event…
Benevolence: Perspective & Gratitude
Think back to the last time you helped someone. Our congregation is marked by care for one another in Christ’s name. At times these are simple acts and at other times more complex. Certain needs are brought by members to the All Saints Diaconate. Sixteen men currently serve the body at All Saints as deacons. Our charge is set out in scripture and formalized for the PCA in the Book of Church Order — an office of sympathy and service, after the example of the Lord Jesus.
These opportunities for service brought before the diaconate cover a broad range – financial needs, emotional support, advice on direction, encouragement and hope. All Saints deacons work in pairs on these opportunities to walk alongside members through certain seasons of life. As deacons, we are indebted to the All Saints staff and congregation who often assist the deacons in care for members and friends facing a trying time. Additionally, care for members has been expertly facilitated through our women’s ministry, who are particularly gifted. One point to note is that when a member works with the deacons there is a high degree of confidentiality maintained.
Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat
In Prague there stands a monument to an odd couple: Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. Tycho, the Catholic Dane—by far the more colorful of the two– dabbled in alchemy, wore a prosthetic nose as a result of a wound he received in a duel, and died as a result of a rather infamous drinking binge. In contrast Kepler–the German, Protestant mathematician–was rather dull.
This unlikely pair was brought together by a clash of paradigms. Tycho championed a variation of the old geocentric Ptolemaic view of the universe, while Kepler not only championed the heliocentric Copernican view, he corrected some of its worst errors. Tycho’s strength was in his observations, which he, thankfully, documented quite carefully. But it was Kepler’s mathematical skill and genius at theorizing that enabled him to make sense not only of Tycho’s notes but of the heavens.
Zack Stanton’s Work Premiers With The Austin Symphony
All Saints has been blessed to have Zack and Molly Stanton and their children, Conner, Shepherd, and Julia, in our body for the past several years. Like a number of All Saints members, Zack has been pursuing a graduate degree at UT and recently received his doctorate in music composition. While at UT and serving in All Saints’ worship ministry, Zack has been working on a number of compositions, one of which, Triple Venti Latte, was chosen by the Austin Symphony to be premiered this coming Friday and Saturday evenings at 8PM at the Long Center for Performing Arts.