Friday Link List

Yesterday we celebrated my birthday, though thankfully not one of those of ‘0’ or ‘5’ birthdays that make you feel old, today I simply feel older. Summer is much shorter here in the frozen north, but I was able to take a brief swim in two different lakes, though it would be tough to call those short dips swimming. I also spent about six hours of my birthday in the car, though thankfully I didn’t have to drive a single mile of it.  Helps having three licensed drivers in the family, even if two of them are only semi-licensed.

So nothing original today, you’ll have to settle for a few links:

• In just ten months, the United States managed to transform an 82 year-old Catholic nun and two pacifists from non-violent anti-nuclear peace protestors accused of misdemeanor trespassing into federal felons convicted of violent crimes of terrorism who are now in jail awaiting sentencing for their acts.
• Rob Bell is opening up 100 spots in his mini-conference series in mid-September and mid-October to people who want to get to know his creative process.  One of the topics: Where does the Bible fit in 2013?
• A book being advertised as authored by N. T. Wright is a book that the distinguished theologian said he had no knowledge of.  Furthermore, he has no memory of meeting his alleged co-author.
• Texas lawmakers have just made it politically correct for teachers to say Merry Christmas in the classroom.
• So no, the Drew Marshall who is a radio show host in Canada is not the same Drew Marshall who blogs at 88 Miles Per Hour and wrote today’s guest post at Stuff Christians Like.
• Not one, but two pastors of a Richmond, Virginia megachurch have been forced to step down to deal with pending criminal charges.
• A recent study is showing the benefits your monthly donations are having on the third-world children who are the recipients of child sponsorship.
• Another thoughtful post — first in months — from the mysterious blogger known as Flagrant Regard, who calls himself an abuser of grace.
• Meanwhile, another blogger suggests that the application of grace in the local church is at best somewhat selective.
• If you’re going to a blog called Journal of Faith, this certainly is the blog layout you want.

That will have to satisfy for today, and I hope you don’t mind some repeat cartoons.  Incidentally, you may note that some of the blogspot links here are blogspot.ca not blogspot.com; if your blog is one of them, yes you have a different address in Canada, though we’re not sure why; nobody else does this. But then, can anyone fathom anything Google does?  Let me know if ever any of those links don’t work. Also don’t forget, there’s always more happening on my Twitter page.