The Envelope, Please Wherein we reveal the next round of Aardie winners

Welcome to the next installment of posts I liked. This time, I go beyond the Lutheran blogosphere in extending kudoi (that's the plural of kudos, if you didn't already know).

‡ As might be expected, the week following 31 October generates a Reformation-related response. As might not be expected, I turn to the Internet Monk and his Reformation Day Meditation, which laments Methobapticostal emotionalism eroding attendance and membership among the liturgical, "boring" heirs of the later Reformation. Among his general remarks are many that Lutherans should wisely heed.

‡ Amor et Labor then gives us Reformation Over? — The Quiz, which is a cross between a meme and homework. It asks you to evaluate various dogmatic positions and decide if you'd die for, divide the Church over, or allow as adiaphoron each of the teachings (or religious opinions) he lists.

‡ Hurricane Katrina and the mess in New Orleans seem to have triggered more discussion on race relations and associated topics. The CaribPundit (who happens to be very black) is also very upset with some of what passes as thought in parts of black American culture. Thus, I give you not one, but two of her comments. On being an 'authentic' black goes off on the issue of "Smart black students being accused of 'acting too white.'" She then verbally cudgels those who say that Justice Thomas "doesn't count as a black" in An asterisk.

‡ Dovetailing nicely with the CaribPundit's posts, the obviously non-black Bob Waters of watersblogged! examines interracial relationships and his own thoughts and feelings in light of comments by Bill Cosby and Shelby Steele in Getting down, and getting funky.

‡ Not race, but social class, becomes the hot-button topic for The Grateful Christian. The post From Status to Feelings examines how societal changes and psycho-social definitions might alter understanding of certain Scriptures.

‡ At What You Do, Do Quickly, we're led to examine the possibility that the Church Growth Movement, which often wraps itself in biblicism, isn't actually as guilty of denying Scriptural authority as any of the Lutheran libs who left with Seminex in It Is not True.

‡ The urukite, a confessional Lutheran soldier, offers a glimpse of Life in Iraq in the Autumn Time. My prayers continue that his and his people get home safely and soon.

‡ "If thy student offends thee, pluck out thine eye." Ste. Em Cures T-2's Itch features my favorite deaconess removing her acrylic eye in order to stop one of her students from sinning against her (and himself): It's Law and Gospel with gripping twists and interesting observations. Earlier posts at Quicunque vult will give you more of the flavor of T-2 and his companion, T-1.

‡ Dizziness leads some interesting tours through the Outer Rim Territories. Having done the married seminary student with kids routine myself, I started having flashbacks, cold sweats, and feelings of vertigo upon reading Falling further into the rabbit hole. Looks remarkably similar to the way my Aardvark hole did back in the early 1990s.

As always, those mentioned here today may claim their Golden Aardvarks at any time.  ¶ 00:01 |