Aanother Installment of Aardies
Arbitrary, capricious, and totally merited, the AARDIE (Aardvark Aaward for Raillery, Doctrine, or Intellect in Exposition) doesn't even get a presentation program on local access cable. However, it does recognize bloggers who made yours truly laugh, learn, or grab another beer. Some posts actually accomplish this trifecta, although their authors still receive only one Aaward. (Of course, this doesn't prevent one from displaying multiple images upon his or her blog.)

Winners desiring to display the Aardie image on their own blogs are asked to please copy and upload it yourself rather than stealing bandwidth from Pastor Snyder, who hosts the graphics at his Xrysostom domain. Also, a link back to the Alley (the blog, this post, or the original announcement), although not required, would be nice. You may choose among the two sizes shown here.

And now, on to this installment's honorees:

‡ New blogger Pastor Paul Beisel of One Lutheran ... Ablog!™ tells us What to Look for in a Lutheran Congregation — and it ain't the post-service cup of coffee (although I hope whenever I visit a church that it's not bad). He tells how potential members should make sure that the marks of the church are visible and totally congruent with Scripture and Confessions.

‡ In a somewhat similar vein, The Rebellious Pastor's Wife examines The Confessional Consumer (The Consumer Confessional?), taking many shallow-minded "church shoppers" to task.

‡ I always seem to need more good laughs and gentle chuckles than the day provides. Thus, I'm doubly pleased to mention not one but two post from Yada Yada Yada that worked gentle good humor into the narrative. Ooo Ooo That Smell interleaves memories of church with the aroma of skunk while Boy Cashiers Are Okay proves that kids still say the darndest things.

‡ Original Sin? So What? asks the Old School Confessional. He makes good points about the Roman Church's current understanding of this Biblical teaching in light of the manner in which it dispensed so casually with the related (although false) teachings concerning Limbo.

‡ And wouldn't you know it, I found a post that touches upon aspects involving the previous two awardees: Devona at Love & Blunder ponders sickness, sin, and kids in Meditations on Sin and Children.

‡ Bibliolatry, the sin of placing the Bible above the Word Incarnate, finds thoughtful refutation in Lutheran Theology Translators ... Wouldn't That be Nice! at Cross Theology.

‡ Father Kaput of Theopilus' Inferno succinctly summarizes my personal reaction to the very question of video communion services and the decision of the LCMS's CTCR thereupon in This Is Just Disgusting.

‡ Few people understand and evaluate feminism as well as Deaconess Emily (Ste. Em) Carder. She accepts a challenge to examine the movement's inherent elitism in Michael's Tag.

‡ It's not theology, it's something really important — okay, I exaggerate ... a little: The Theology Geek waxes philosophical about reading, specifically in the not so sterile environs of his favorite bookseller, in Cup of Joe a.k.a. Cup of Smoke.

‡ Another blogger also provides a twofer. Caroline of Our Little House on the Prairie vents about the common practice of prominently labeling religious memorial gifts in I Must Confess. All of us pastors who are blessed with excellent wives and our noble spouses themselves should appreciate I Love My Man in Uniform. Even those who aren't in a Frau and Gown relationship can appreciate the love and commitment.

‡ Lest we forget our British brothers, John Halford, the Confessing Evangelical, uses the current penitential season to contrast Lutherans with "non-Augsburg evangelicals" in Lent for Evangelicals.

‡ Finally, the Designated Hitter of Line Drive Down the Right Side reminds us that We Are Children. As such, we act childishly (in the negative sense) when God does what is right for us by allowing trials and imposing crosses. In the process, she also reminded me to dredge up on of my all-time favorite parodies, Buttprints in the Sand.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled surfing. Winners may leave their acceptance speeches in the comments.  ¶ 00:07 |