Communal Table is that time during the week where I share good reads (or vids) throughout the week that are worth sharing. This week's roundup is as follows:

The Middle of Things: Advice For Young Writers

From The New Yorker. The metaphor in this piece is profound. We have "twenty-six shapes arranged in various patterns." We get twenty-six shapes to make a difference through the medium of language. Words have meaning. Words make difference. Words enact change. Words create. Words destroy. Words, do. 

When Forgiveness Flounders

This is not an article, but it's still worth reading. David Zahl posted an impressive quotation from Miroslav Volf's volume Exclusion and Embrace. I would post it here but want to give full credit to the Mockingbird guys for discovering it. LOVE it. Check it out. Okay, here's a small nugget from it ;) . . .

"And when one knows [as the cross demonstrates] that God’s love is greater than all sin, one is free to see oneself in the light of God’s justice and so rediscover one’s own sinfulness.”

Stone Brewing Plans 99-Room Hotel In Escondido

One of my all time favorite local breweries is going to get even more popular. This year marks the 20th year anniversary for Stone Brewing Co. and they've just announced new plans of expansion via tourism (Unfortunately, my wife and I didn't get tickets this year to the annual event. Bummer.) They're already the Disneyland of Beer, but now they're getting a Resort. Are we in Florida? Whatever the case, this is pretty exciting for them. Good work Team Stone. Cheers to you!

Nikabrik's Candidate

Now I'm not saying Hillary is a saint; she's most certainly not. To be honest, if Trump is Nikabrik, it's possible that Clinton is the White Witch. They're both evil and corrupt; neither can be trusted or relied upon for anything that is promised this election season. I'm sharing this article primarily because Gina Dalfonzo incorporates C. S. Lewis to understand the times, and she does this with such beauty. It's worth reading, even if you disagree or see no point in another criticism thrown at Trump. (As if he needed another). What I love about this brief article is that Dalfonzo touched on something back in January of 2016 that has been recurring throughout Trump's campaign: he is a living, breaking, walking, shouting, and tweeting indictment on American Evangelicalism. A fascinating read.

People who post their fitness routine to Facebook have psychological problems, study claims

You might be a narcissist if . . .

Your daily post looks like: "Ran 15 miles before work! Yeah 💪"

Disturbed "The Sound of Silence" On Conan

I'm late to the party on this one. (By late, I'm speaking millennial. It's really not that late, in fact.) Disturbed knocked Paul Simon's "The Sound of Silence" out of the park with this cover song. Wowzers: I am mastered by it.

Notable Quote:

Oh, and the wife and I went on a glorious date by the beach. I highly recommend that married couples date, and if you happen to live near a beach: actually go to the beach. We don't do it enough. (Wish we did!) Here's a photo from our latest adventure.