I like to write, but writing requires time to think and discipline to write even when you don’t have time to make your ideas as polished as you want. So today is a “conquering writer’s block by stringing together some half-baked thoughts” day.

Tell all of your bullet-point-loving friends. Here’s what I’m thinking; here’s what I’m reading:

- I’m re-reading a book I just finished that I want to unpack more, Alan Strange’s recently released Empowered Witness: Politics, Culture, and the Spiritual Mission of the Church. The spirituality of the church is a doctrine often associated with Presbyterians in the 1800s, and that time period is covered well by Strange. He also covers and commentates on the doctrine’s flaws and its differing expressions from Charles Hodge and James Henley Thornwell in the Northern and Southern churches. Kevin DeYoung tries to succinctly state the doctrine in the foreword by quoting from one of the PCA’s founding documents in 1973: “The Church in its visible aspect is still essentially a spiritual organism. … The task of the church [is] primarily declarative and ministerial, not legislative and magisterial.” In the final chapter, Strange poses a helpful question, “Does this advance the true spiritual task/calling/mission of the church?” (112) He does answer one possible objection, clarifying that religion is not a private affair, saying “the whole of our Chrisitan lives” are “to be lived in faithful obedience to all that God has commanded, all to his glory.” (115) Bonus points to Strange for saying it all in 130 pages.

- I’m going to read, Lord willing, a new volume by Dr. Miles Smith IV. (I’ve quoted “my friend Miles” from the pulpit before: “Everyone says the world is going to hell in a handbasket. No, the world ALREADY WENT to hell in a handbasket. It’s called Genesis 3!”) I was Miles’ pastor briefly when he was getting his Ph.D. in history, and when I plugged his new book on Twitter, that post received more “likes” than I’ve ever received for a single post before. Maybe that’s because he has nearly 11,000 followers, which is about 10,700 more than me. That said, more political theology from someone who’s way smarter than me on the topic and who grew up Presbyterian? Sounds good to me. Not yet released, but coming soon; also featuring a foreword from Kevin DeYoung.

- I’m thinking that this is about as much political “commentary” as you’re going to get from me. Senator Katie Britt from Alabama gave the opposing party rebuttal (or whatever they call it) to the President’s State of the Union last night. I found that out shortly after a church member sent me a link about her. I don’t think I ever meet her, but it’s possible that I interviewed her husband, a former University of Alabama football player, when I was a student sports reporter there. She’s the same age as me, and we’re both from LA – Lower Alabama. Her hometown is Enterprise, which is 36 minutes from my childhood home (in Dothan, a booming metropolis with more than double the population of Enterprise).

- I’m reading a series of popular children’ s books with my daughter, which I originally read at least 15 years ago. My daughter is 10, and she blew me away. She finished the seven-book series a week ago, and I’m still stuck half-way through book five.

- I’m thinking that’s a sad commentary on how slowly I read (party because of how many books I try to read at once).

- But I’m also thinking that I’m very proud of my daughter.

- I’m thinking my wife, who has read 50 books a year for two straight years and is on pace to read even more this year, puts us both to shame when it comes to prolific reading.

- I’m thinking that I’d like to write a bit more on church membership vows. Vows help us to do the things we know we should do but are hard to do. As previously mentioned, if Costco takes membership seriously, then so should Christians.

- I’m thinking that the Alan Strange book is worth more words, perhaps a top 20 quotes post, perhaps more.

- I’m thinking that 700+ words is gonna have to be enough for this Friday.