Category Archives: Notes for a World’s End

“Waiting is Our Friend”

Posted on May 22, 2023 by awtraughber

Probably the thinker who has influenced me most these last five years when it comes to faith and church life is Andrew Root.  His writing on church life in a secular age has been a vital way for me to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Faith, Notes for a World's End | Leave a comment

Between Stories and Ages

Posted on January 6, 2023 by awtraughber

In his discussion of churches and “the therapeutic gospel,” Brad East writes this about a possible generational difference in retelling the Gospel: Boomers, Gen X, and even some older Millennials do not want to reproduce what they understand themselves to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Faith, Life in the Fifth Act, Notes for a World's End, Organizations and Institutions, The Long Story | Leave a comment

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas . . .

Posted on January 5, 2023 by awtraughber

For some time, I’ve been meaning to write something about this blog post by Brad East of Abilene Christian University. + + + + + + + I discovered East’s blog through Twitter some time in 2022.  It was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Notes for a World's End, Scripture, Teaching, The Long Story, Travel | Leave a comment

One Word (of many) for the Year

Posted on December 19, 2022 by awtraughber

Years begin and end with words . . . or, more fittingly, one word each.  Over the last few years, many people have taken to the idea of “claiming” a word for the new year, a word they would like … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes for a World's End | Leave a comment

Out to Pasture

Posted on July 4, 2022 by awtraughber

This short and recent piece by Alan Jacobs is about conservatism, but I can’t help but think it’s also true about so much more (like church or education).  It’s an interesting slant on ancient imagery about sheep, shepherds, and sheepdogs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Notes for a World's End, Recovery Journal, Teaching | Leave a comment

What We’re Looking For

Posted on April 25, 2022 by awtraughber

Today’s been a doozy of a day.  In a good way, mind you, but a doozy nonetheless. I’m going to place this video right here for now.  I’ve not watched it yet because I’m three chapters into the book.  It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Faith, Friendship, Notes for a World's End | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Moment with a Myth

Posted on April 23, 2022 by awtraughber

Here’s a moment with Jamie Smith talking about a cultural reality worth thinking about (and responding to).

Posted in Faith, Notes for a World's End, Teaching | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Tale of Time

Posted on February 14, 2022 by awtraughber

I’m about 30 pages into Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties.  Klosterman is one of my favorite non-fiction writers, especially when it comes to American pop culture.  The book looks to be a 300-page dissection of what it was like to live … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Notes for a World's End, Teaching | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Self-Knowledge and Systems

Posted on January 10, 2022 by awtraughber

Self-knowledge is almost meaningless if a system is indifferent and unresponsive. That’s one of my big take-aways from the last couple of years. Self-knowledge is a good thing.  Not everything, mind you.  But it’s something.  Observation of what makes you … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes for a World's End, The Long Story | Leave a comment

Traction and Distraction

Posted on October 8, 2021 by awtraughber

If you can’t already tell, I’m trying to use this two-week “break” to find my way back to posting here regularly.  This last quarter has been a lot busier than I had anticipated.  And while I’ve mostly been able to … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes for a World's End, Teaching | Leave a comment