Grace Notes: Cheap Music from Amazon (July 2012 Edition)

Depeche Mode, Arcade Fire, and M83 are just a few of the really solid releases on sale this month at Amazon MP3.

The Holy Huddle: Dr. Shaq’s Best Quote, ‘Don’t Waste Your Life!’

Christians would be wise to follow in Shaquille O’Neal’s very large footsteps.

Music at Mars Hill: Why Frank Ocean’s Rise to Fame Matters

“We shouldn’t forget that ‘coming out’ is also a people issue—a matter of cultural identity.”

The Female Gaze: Summer Reading for Jr. Princesses

“Some of my favorite fictional heroines as a girl were, in fact, princesses—girls with sass, class, and some pretty hardcore fighting skills!”

The Minority Report: Is YOLO Worth Redeeming?

“I don’t intend to start a campaign to redeem the phrase, but I do hope to make the most of my time today because Jesus is Lord–YOLO!”

Obamacare, Citizenship, and Neighbor Care

Who pays for the uninsured in a world without Obamacare? Are the Christians who are opposed adequately considering their neighbor?

The Kiddy Pool: It Takes a Village (of Time-Traveling Dinosaurs)

“It takes a village, they say, and that message rings true all the way from the Cretaceous time period.”

Citizenship Confusion: Meriting Our Daily Bread

“The money I receive as payment for work is a blessing from God, an act of grace, not of my merit.”

Not Fit for Dinner: Think Twice Before Heading West

“But we have to question if it is fair for West to accuse Obama of attempting to enslave America, be it physical or non-physical.”

Sacred Space: Is Arizona Persecuting Home Bible Studies?

“If you want to reach your neighbor for Christ, blocking his driveway twice a week is not a good start.”

The Moviegoer: Spider-Man’s Amazing, but is he Good?

This is a high schooler who is still haunted by the sudden abandonment of his parents, still wrestling with his Uncle’s death and his role in it, still . . . too self-conscious to be unambiguously good.

Under the Sun: Patriotism Inside the American Church

Is this seemingly inextricable connection between patriotism and worship something old or new?

God and Country Music: An Introduction to Country Music & Five-Dollar Albums

For the non-Country fan, it would be helpful to know a few basic things about country music that will help the genre make more sense.

Grace Notes: Music to Help You Survive the Summer

Four albums that will help you make it through this oppressively hot summer.

Music at Mars Hill: Is Cornerstone’s Last Year the End of an Era?

“We have been called into a new mission field as artists, critics, and music-lovers: the scary world of discernment and cultural engagement.”

What Memes Mean: Why Memes Are Important (Part 2)

“Each meme we share, whether intentionally or ironically, is at another vote for what Internet culture will become.”