I’ve been scouring the far corners of the Internet, as usual… and it’s time to share again. ;^) One of the interesting observations from the past week or so came over a cup of coffee with a friend. As we chatted, he recounted his father’s advice to him from years past when he wanted to know why he wasn’t allowed to go fishing on Sunday, fishing being an enjoyable pastime rather than work. Not a formally-trained theologian, his father nevertheless offered a profound response. The sabbath is, he explained, instituted for all of creation and the fish deserve one day of rest in which not to worry about being caught. I’ve given this insight a bit of thought, and I’ve decided the logic is pretty much flawless.

On to the linkage. Like last week, I have put a few Advent-related posts ahead of the “regular” randomness.

1. William H. Willimon: The Challenge of Advent and Advent Angels
2. Father Jake: Intimacy with God, which includes the observation, “Often, the Church facilitates and becomes the means of avoiding intimacy with God.” We grok.
3. Makeesha Fisher has been doing some really good Advent posts.
4. Emergent and Missional: US and UK? — an excellent comparison between the two approaches… related, but in some ways, fundamentally different in their ethos. It may have to share pride of place with
5. the most bitingly-insightful thing I read all week, from Bill Millar. I want to be clear that in no way do I wish to diminish the tragedy with the shootings in Denver this week, but I have to agree with Bill… something is very wrong when churches have armed guards who directly attribute a violent death to the hand of God. Well, Bill said it better: “Lethal force, as far as I know, is not generally considered one of the gifts of the Spirit.” On the other hand, perhaps it’s the logical extension of a nation that goes to war under the impression it is acting under divine blessing as Hand of God. If it means that in order to avoid having to establish an armed security force for church gatherings we have to cut their size down to no more than 50 people except on special occasions…. well, I’m perfectly fine with that. Ben Witherington opines further
6. Don’t miss an instant classic from Mark Van Steenwyk: First Ever “Emerging” Amish Church
7. Some fantastic optical illusions… some Escher-esque stuff, some mind-bending photos, and some what-do-you-see perspective stuff. Cool.
8. God gets a billboard
9. Church sign in Flippin, Arkansas (Oh, you know what’s coming…)
10. Worst Christmas lights award
11. Sleeping in strange places and positions (photos)
12. Agatha Christie Radio Mysteries: downloadble MP3s.
13. The The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch – A Literary Review
14. Thomas Merton — via Michael Krahn and Alan Creech, who connects it to Advent.
15. Time.com: 50 Top 10 Lists of 2007… I didn’t actually read all of it…
16. Doug Pagitt takes the hit for John MacArthur on The Emergent Church. Does anyone still listen to MacArthur? Never mind, I know the answer and don’t want to be reminded.
17. McKnight & Fitch… Willow’s Reveal Study — Fitch and McKnight – Revealing Interview — The WMBI REVEAL Interview: What I Would Have Said If I Had had the Chance
18. Work redefined: “Work is what we call a task to distinguish it from play. No more. No less.”
19. 27 years since John Lennon was shot… Garr Reynolds on John Lennon’s message for peace.
20. Mark Priddy: Business, the Gospel, and the Consumeristic Church — well worth the read (and doesn’t his new blog redesign look extra—sleek? ;^)
21. Grace on The Gender Issue, responding to Sally Morgenthaler’s piece from last week.
22. Velveteen Rabbi on Christmas lights
23. Brant Hansen gets vulnerable: Is Jesus Enough? and Thank You, My Fellow Messed-Up People
24. Does anyone else have an office as messy as Steven Levitt’s?