The Friday Five

A Few Things for My Friends

Photo by Ryan Johns on Unsplash

Hey Friends! There are a lot of new subscribers these last few weeks - I’m so glad you’re joining us! On Tuesday, we’ll discuss the importance of listening in life with Christ and others. Until then, I hope you enjoy the items below, and have a great weekend!
MK

Supercommunicators - Charles Duhigg

When Charles Duhigg released The Power of Habit, I was enthralled by his ideas. I read it in tandem with Daniel Kahneman's Thinking: Fast and Slow, and ten years later, I routinely still consider their work.

Duhigg has a new work entitled Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, and in this podcast interview he pitches the book and talks through a few key learnings from his research. I am fascinated by communication and have recently been culling resources on interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence. A personal goal of mine is to learn the art of asking quality open-ended questions in conversation. This is a step in that direction. I’m well into the book and enjoying it.

Alan Jacobs. You Should Look at His Work.

Over the last five years, I have read and enjoyed three of Jacob’s books. I’ve read countless articles, enjoyed his newsletters, and been puzzled by how one individual can be so prolific in such varied ways. I’ve come to appreciate his way of thinking, and he’s taught me how to disagree in an age that would rather disavow.

Also, he’s got the best FAQ for students I’ve ever read. I love a dry (and convictional) wit.

Take some time to wander the multiverse of Jacobs’ digital world.

The three books I read and enjoyed are:

• The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction

• How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

• Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind

Walking in the Light

Last night at our church, Ray Ortlund spoke to a group of about 700 men from 2 Timothy 2:20-21. Centered on becoming vessels ready for use, Ray talked about the necessity of confession and accountability within the Christian life. There’s a method to it that Sam Allberry lines out (and practices with Ray). This exact practice is what I do almost every Friday morning at a local Starbucks. I meet with two brothers and trust them to know my sins even as we encourage each other forward in the Lord. This is the work of being fit for use as we build a life that takes holiness seriously.

Ray said a line that has been ringing in my head:

You can be impressive, or you can be known, but you can’t be both.

Play-Doh Prayer

I mentioned a sermon series from Bridgetown Church in Portland a few weeks back. This last week, I listened to a sermon on prayer and Tyler Staton’s book on prayer, Praying like Monks, Living like Fools. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and the sermon held an analogy I couldn’t shake.

In the sermon, Tyler talked about how children willingly suspend reality to play make-believe. If a child makes Play-Doh cookies and offers one, they want you to join in the make-believe and pretend to eat freshly baked neon blue cookies.

However, if you took a bite of the cookie, your daughter would probably laugh at your silliness or be shocked you took a bite of something so patently fake.

Too many of us treat prayer like Play-Doh cookies, engaging in well-intentioned make-believe where we’d be floored if God responded.

No more of that. He is real.
The sermon was great. It’s here.

A Quiet Mind

Recently, I got off the pavement and the clock for 24 hours. After a 2-hour walk with the Lord, I could tell it had been too long since I’d set aside an agenda-less time like this. The backpack of daily concerns had gotten too heavy, and that walk helped to take each weight off my back and set it down before the Lord - right where it belonged in the first place.

Part of the rhythm is the drive, and the drive has a playlist. This song is the first track.

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Thanks for reading! It means the world to me and is always fun when someone stops me to say - I’ve listened to X or read Y, and now I’m thinking about _____. What a gift to share that with you! Also, if you reply to this email, I will read all of them and respond. I’m here for the conversation.

If someone forwarded this to you, I write two weekly emails: one on Tuesdays for paid members and the other on Fridays for everyone. If you’d like to join us on Tuesdays and can’t afford it, email me, and I’ll take care of it. No questions asked.

I live in Flower Mound, TX, with my wife Carly, our kids, and chocolate lab, Nia Wingfeather King. I pastor, teach, and lead at The Village Church. In my spare time, I’m plodding through a Ph.D. program in Church History, studying Jonathan Edwards and character formation.

Also, last year, I released A Short Guide to Spiritual Disciplines: How to Become a Healthy Christian. If you read it, I’d love to hear what resonated or was encouraging.

Have a great weekend!

Mason