"Remain at Your Posts and Do Your Duty"

On Saturday, April 21, Charles Wendell Colson died. On Wednesday of this week, I attended his memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

I hope you know who I am talking about. He rose from the streets of Boston to the heights of political power as Nixon’s chief counsel. He then went to prison in the aftermath of Watergate. But a strange thing happened along the way to prison: Chuck Colson became a follower of Christ. The next forty years of his life would be spent as one of the world’s most pivotal Christian leaders as well as influential champions for prison ministry. His books sold in the millions, and his influence ran far and wide. As he wrote in Loving God, “I had surely known the heights and depths of life: from power, wealth, prestige, and an office next to the president of the United States to the confining walls of a dreary prison. But along the way I had made the most important discovery anyone can make.”

I haven’t written about Chuck’s death before now for personal reasons. First, I was on a speaking tour in England when the news came my way. But more importantly, there was much for me to process.

Chuck was far more than an acquaintance. He was a dear friend and mentor, and we went through much together.

Daily Headline News

World's first Wikipedia town to launch in Wales

On Saturday, visitors will be able to use smartphones to scan barcodes at points of interest in Monmouth in Wales' southeast, instantly bringing up a Wikipedia page about the landmark on their phones, in whatever language they are set to. (Associated Press/USA Today)

Harsh Era Looms in Aceh, Indonesia

The election of a hard-line Islamic governor in Indonesia’s Aceh Province last month appears to have opened the way for a crack-down on the minority Christian community, which saw 17 churches sealed shut in early May. (Compass Direct News)

Money becomes new church battleground

Conservative evangelical churches threaten to withhold cash from pro-gay and liberal 'heretics' (Brown, The Guardian)

In culture war skirmishes, Georgetown becomes political football

It's hardly the only political controversy to erupt on Georgetown's campus this year and to grab national attention. (Merica, CNN)

Wisdom in Marriage

As they say, life comes at you fast. Money. Marriage. Kids. Relationships. Work. We live in a day that is overloaded with information, but not much wisdom. Starting next weekend, Meck kicks off a series on the Bible's leading wisdom on the most pressing issues of life, from effective child-rearing to greater intimacy in marriage, building better relationships to money management. Each week, Senior Pastor Jim White will explore a different "life" topic through the lens of the Bible's book on wisdom, Proverbs.