It’s my privilege and joy to host this week’s edition of the Christian Carnival. Because there are a moderate number of eligible entries, I have listed all of them in the order I received them (in this case, good things come to those who don’t wait). Settle in for some good reading!
Rejoice always
From the author, Michael McCullough: “If your life is not filled with joy, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and to bless you with joy. Pray often — Paul says to “pray without ceasing” — and God will honor your prayers. As you grow in Christ, the fruits of the spirit will begin to develop within you. Fruit takes time to mature, and because we are not perfect, the fruits of the spirit also often take time to mature within you. Think of all that God has given you and thank him for them. When we realize what God has done for us, it’s easier to develop an attitude of joy, and with that attitude of joy, joy becomes part of our very nature.”
The ID debate – moving forward
From the author, John: “Presenting a new model for understanging the relationship between Creator and Creation that avoids certain pitfalls of conventional pictures.”
This is the third post in a series; the first and second are linked in the first sentence and provide groundwork that is well worth reading, but the the post I’ve linked is the one with the reasoning and the conclusions.
Motivating Volunteers in Ministry
From the author, Tom: “In Christian ministry we rely first and always on prayer, the direction of the Holy Spirit, and the motivation of Christ’s love. Even churches with that foundation often discover, though, that something still seems to be missing. The work is not being done and the people are not fulfilled. What’s going on?”
The Moon Is Not Enough
Charlie Duke, a former NASA Astronaut, was one of only 12 men who have walked on the moon. This is his story of faith.
A Few Words on Total Depravity
From the author, Ben Dueholm: “I’m putting the T back in TULIP with a brief introduction to Total Depravity at Habakkuk’s Watchpost.”
This is a good exploration of a topic that makes a lot of people uncomfortable (as evidenced in the lively comment discussion that follows).
Music, Math, and God
Freeman Hunt is prompted by a passage in “The Screwtape Letters” to consider the relationships between music, math, and God.
Walking in the Bible
From the author, Martin LaBar: “My entry for this week is “Walking in the Bible,” in which I muse about the occurrences of “walk” in various forms in the Bible.”
I like these kinds of explorations. I’ve just recently discovered Blue Letter Bible, which makes it easier for us non-Greek-and-Hebrew scholars to look at the words of the Bible.
Does the first testament support slavery?
From the author, Steve: “I examine ways of interpreting the first (old) testament law and apply it to the issue of slavery.”
This is a very well-researched piece, and does a good job at looking at the various arguments and considerations.
John Bunyan
John Bunyan turns otu to be a very interesting person, as Laurie finds out while answering an email question.
Teach me to pray oh Lord
From the author, Carl Holmes: “A short reminder on how to pray when we feel God is not answering our prayers.”
Bonus points for including a relevant comic!
An Emerging Statement of Faith?
From the author, Byron D. Harvey: “Should the Emerging Church movement have a Statement of Faith? Theologian LeRon Shults says “no”; Byron Harvey says, “maybe or maybe not”, but if Shults’ reasoning is taken seriously, then maybe the answer is closer to “yes”…”
Nerd Family: There is a Reason for Menopause
Bet you didn’t think there was anything positive, huh? NerdMom makes a good case for menopause as an expression of God’s plans for us.
The Vatican and the Da Vinci Code
From the author, Xyba: “Cardinal Francis Arinze wants Christians to take legal action against the film “The Da Vinci Code.”"
The fruits of persecution
From the author, Penitens: “A reflection on godliness, honesty, and the grace of Christ in a challenging world.”
The Temple as a House of Prayer
From the author, Richard: “I write about the purpose of the prayer delivered by Solomon at the dedication of the Temple. “
Peace on Earth
From the author, Chris Alexion: “Bono’s views on war deserve a hearing, but fairness also calls for the rest of the story.”
People come and people go
From the author, Anthony I: “This is a post about life and death. It is about how we should prepare for our own end and how we should face death.”
Eternality
From the author, Rebecca: “It’s a short discussion of eternality: what it means, and what it means for us.”
Into the Marketplace – The Debaters
From the author, : “One highlight of the current evangelical movement is the thrust into the marketplace by Christian colleges and universities. Formerly, they have seen themselves as training for the ministry. But recently, they see their role as preparing well-informed Christians to share their faith in the marketplace of ideas. The current Christian college award-winning debate teams are an excellent example of this.”
Harris Poll: 43% of Democrats Oppose Abortion, DNC Needs Bigger Tent
I wasn’t aware of the way this issue is shifting, and I found AmericanSage’s post very thought-provoking.
‘An ark for all God’s Noahs’ by Thomas Brooks
From the author, Johnnie: “My blog covers readings on protestant books. This one was on Thomas Brooks’ work on ‘An ark for all God’s Noahs’.”
Cain, Abel and Ability -tmp(Gen 4)
Rey examines Cain to see what exactly he inherited from Adam.
My Politics: Faith’s Place Therein (Part VII): Life
From the author, Ron: “Continuation of a series on politics, focusing on life issues (abortion and euthanasia) and seeking God’s wisdom in scripture and prayer when deciding whether abortion and euthanasia are wrong.”
Reflections from the Pool
From the author, Mark Olson: “I’ve just about finished reading a book, Following Gandalf and put to pen some of my thoughts which were shaken loose by that experience.”
Opheilema in Matthew 6:12
Kenny Pearce discusses the meaning and proper translation of the phrase “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” in the Lord’s Prayer.
ID Undermines Itself?
From the author, Jeremy Pierce: “Some people criticize intelligent design arguments, saying that they contradict themselves by making it both very likely and very unlikely that the evidence in question would occur. That criticism is a mistake.”
Thanks for reading, visiting, and linking! Tune in next week for more carnival-y goodness at Pursuing Holiness.
From the author, Ben Dueholm: “I’m putting the T back in TULIP with a brief introduction to Total Depravity at Habakkuk’s Watchpost.”
Ben didn’t write that. I did. I submitted his post, though, ’cause I thought it was good. The perils of participating in carnivals with a group blog, I guess. Thanks for the link!!!
The Carnival looks great! Thanks for including me.