Around the Jollysphere

As I've mentioned before it's been difficult to blog lately and I may not get back into blogging with my regular frequency till after the new year.  However, this week is shaping up to be a little less busy than the last three so maybe I'll get more blogging done this week. In the meantime, let me point out a few things of note regarding blogs and bloggers.

My good friend Charmaine Yoest has a new position at the Family Research Council - she is the new VP of External Relations.  She is also working on a new book (when she's not after me to put my money where my mouth is and buckle down and write a book!) and she's got some other new projects she's working on, which she'll tell us more about later.  You know Charmaine as blogger extraordinairre, TV personality and political maven - I usually see her in wife and mommy mode and am amazed at all she gets done.  Be sure to go by and vote for her in the Best of the 501-1000 category of the Weblog Awards.  You can vote once a day.

Speaking of the Weblog Awards I'm also proud (in that humble, Christian way of being proud) to call Joe Carter of the Evangelical Outpost a good friend and he has been nominated in the Best Religious Blog category.

Carolyn McCulley of Solo Femininity recently did a talk on hospitality at a conference she spoke at and got a chance to practice some hospitality on yours truly this past Friday.  She works for Sovereign Grace Ministries down in Gaithersburg, MD, which is near my home.  I went down there to pick up a few copies of C. J. Mahaney's newest book on Humility (I'm now the proud owner of one of them), and Carolyn gave me the royal tour of Sovereign Grace and Covenant Life Church.  I've visited the church on a few of my off Sundays and I love those folks down there.  The best way I can describe my interaction with the folks at Sovereign Grace and Covenant Life is to say that they are passionate for Christ, theologically deep, and riddled with joy.   While there I met Bob Kauflin, formerly of GLAD and currently Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace.  That was another special treat as Bob is responsible for my favorite worship CD of all time - Upward, The Bob Kauflin Hymns Project.  And he is also blogging now at Worship Matters.  So, I just wanted to take this opportunity to return Carolyn's kindness by encouraging you to go by and visit her blog and also encouraging you to let the single ladies in your circles know about her.  And for those of you who interested in and/or involved in worship in the local church, check out Bob's blog.  Thanks again Carolyn and all of you Sovereign Gracers.

Laura Brumley posts on a matter that is near and dear to my heart.  She quotes Dabney on the Sabbath as follows:

The reason that the ceremonial laws were temporary was that the necessity for them was temporary. They were abrogated because they were no longer needed. But the practical need for a Sabbath is the same in all ages. When it is made to appear that this day is the bulwark of practical religion in the world, that its proper observance everywhere goes hand in hand with piety and the true worship of God; that where there is no Sabbath there is no Christianity, it becomes an impossible supposition that God would make the institution temporary. The necessity for the Sabbath has not ceased, therefore it is not abrogated. In its nature, as well as its necessity, it is a permanent, moral command.

Tim Challies is interviewing Sam Waldron and Wayne Grudem on charismatic issues.  He has two posts with from Sam Waldron up now (here and here) and he will have the interviews with Wayne Grudem up next week.  This is good stuff and a coup for Tim to get interviews with high quality folks like these men.

Bill Wallo has stepped down as the editor of Cinema Veritas which is too bad, although the others are doing a fine job there.  I don't read him nearly enough, but when I do I am always glad I did.  I don't hear Bill talked about in the blogosphere as much as he should be.  He is, quite simply, one of the best writers with one of the sharpest mind out there and he writes on a variety of topics.  I've thought of him recently as I am reading a book Tim Challies sent me to review on church marketing (many apologies for the delay Tim, I promise I'll get around to it) and I stumbled across a couple of posts he did back in August on the whole Rick Warren pyromarketing controversy (here and here).  Suffice it to say, Bill points out that the issue of the relationship of the church to marketing is far more nuanced than we might think and I want to go back and revisit his insights in regard to some of the qualms I have shared about the over-marketing of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  But for now, let me just say that I have repented of my negligence in reading Walloworld by putting it in my bloglines subscriptions and I would encourage you to check him out regularly.

Looks like LaShawn Barber has made good on her threat to turn her blog into a group effort.  I've got mixed feelings on this.  I read her blog to read her and wonder if having other authors won't dilute the blog.  On the other hand, she's seems to have some more than capable bloggers writing for her, including Mean Dean, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out.  I know LaShawn is a busy lady with lots of irons in the fire, so I understand why she would do this.

And last but not least, Steve Bishop points to David Naugle, who has some good resources on Abraham Kuyper.  By the way, Dr. Naugle has other good resources there but I am pointing out his stuff on Kuyper because I think he is one of the more important thinkers that most folks have never heard of.  To be honest, I know only a little bit about Kuyper myself, but the little I know has been very influential in my own thinking about God's sovereignty in our world.  Kuyper is famous for his quote:

No single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest, and there is not a square inch in the whole world domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: “Mine!”

Kuyper and his followers have sought to flesh this out by studying and applying the doctrine of God's sovereignty to every sphere of activity on earth.  Kuyper is someone that every Christian who is interested in poltics and culture in particular needs to know. 

There is a little Kuyperian neo-calvinist cult in the blogosphere whose writings I have enjoyed and whose influence I hope expands.  It's not that I agree with everything coming out of this Kuyperian neo-calvinist tradition, for that matter, it's not that I understand everything coming from them.  But these folks have good stuff we all need to be reading.

I think Gideon Strauss's blog could be considered as the de-facto HQ for neo-calvinism in the blogosphere, but I also recommend Steve Bishop whom I mentioned above and Macht at Prosthesis in particular.  Actually, while I'm thinking of it, Joe Carter himself has been influenced a good deal by these folks.  If you want to see how one organization is applying Kuyperian insights to the American political scene check out the Center for Public Justice, run by Dr. Jim Skillen. 

And, if all of this Kuyperian, neo-calvinist stuff really turns you on, just follow the links on Gideon's blog and that should get you all the info you could ever want.

Comments

[Funky Dung]

"Speaking of the Weblog Awards I'm also proud (in that humble, Christian way of being proud) to call Joe Carter of the Evangelical Outpost a good friend and he has been nominated in the Best Religious Blog category."

So what'd Joe offer as a bribe? ;)

[Funky Dung]

The previous comment was in reference to this:

Funky - I operate on the principle that my vote is for sale to the highest bidder. I'm firmly in the "what have you done for me lately camp!" So, I'll be glad to entertain a bidding war for my vote between you and Joe and Jay.

[Tim Challies]

"This is good stuff and a coup for Tim to get interviews with high quality folks like these men. "

I really wanted to talk to David Wayne but he couldn't (or more likely wouldn't) clear any time for me on his busy schedule.

[David Wayne]

Funky - Joe offered lots of money - he's making so much money from blogging he doesn't know what to do with it. The guy is filthy rich from this blogging thing.

[David Wayne]

Tim - I will gladly make time for you anytime my friend! But you're still doing better with who you've got.

[Ariel]

And while we're on the topic of Weblogs Awards endorsements...

My blog, BitterSweetLife (www.bittersweetblue.bAlogspot.com) also happens to be a finalist in the 2005 Weblogs Awards (different category from your two friends). Other contestants are out canvassing for endorsements, so I thought I'd send you a note...just in case. Unfortunately, I didn't see an email address, so I'm stooping to the level of pleading in a comment (sorry).

Here's a direct link to the voting page: http://weblogawards.org/2005/12/best_of_the_top_6751_8750_blog.php
If you were to slap up a quick blurb containing the above link, that would be incredible. And of course, I'd link back. (If you're up for it, I'd also be interested in swapping blogroll links.)

Keep up the good work! As a JollyBlogger fan, I'm surprised this blog isn't out battling for an Award this year.

[Jeremy Pierce]

Despite Paul's statement that we don't observe special days anymore, I think he'd agree that the Sabbath is permanent. After all, if salvation is temporary then what is this all for?

[Former Corn Chuckin' Champ]

Speaking of Charmaine Yoest, did you see in Citizen Magazine this month, in the article on blogging, the authors made mention that Charmaine finding our church through your blog. That's twice, now; once in World and again in Citizen. It's funny how such a small fact can get a lot of air play.

Blogging is absolutely the best way for conservatives to communicate with each other. It's no surprise that the axes of evil are doing everything they can to regulate speech on the web. China-style censorship could be coming ashore sooner than we realize.