Have you seen Chicago’s bean in Millennium Park?

Or Chicago’s new tiger cub?

Some speaking engagements and then a question:
September 15-16, Calvary Baptist Church, Pekin, IL
September 20, an emerging event with up/rooted north, Life on the Vine Church, Buffalo Grove IL
September 23, Crossroads Church, Cottage Grove, MN
Links, contact person, and times for each can be found on the sidebar under Speaking Schedule.
Question: What do we do with the blue parakeet that has found its way into our yard this week? I suspect it has no migration instincts and won’t survive our winter. By the way, the blue parakeet now thinks it is a sparrow — it hangs with them all day long. Feeds on the ground, sits on the electric lines, and flies away with the alarms the sparrows hear.

Great site for fountain pens.
Must-link series to JR Woodward on the holistic gospel.
Mark Roberts has a lengthy series on missional.
BCP as a podcast — good voice and nice background music.
Thanks to Tony Myles for what is a very thoughtful reflection on A Community called Atonement and also to Erika for deepening the story about Dawn Husnick in the book.
Syler’s conversation with Bono — no kidding.
Nice post by David Dunbar on hospitality at Missional Journal. Speaking of which, Biblical Seminary is hosting an Etrek course with Sally Morgenthaler. Check it out.
Just another reminder to stay in touch with Don Johnson and Jim Martin. They are wise young men.
One of our mature students is blogging — theological reflections on a young life. Check it out.
The Wikiklesia book, Voices of the Virtual World, is now available at lulu.com in paperback.
Sad story of the week: Powerball winner.
1. Books and Culture.
2. Working at reconciliation among the Russian Orthodox — those who broke from Communism in 1917 and those who didn’t.
3. Ah, the brain begins to decline in the late 50s, which means I better get busy.
4. Here’s a good collection of links by David Fitch for emerging theologians.
5. Good conversation on compassion over at LeRon Shults‘ site and you might weigh in to help him out.
6. What a church needs in a pastor … good one by Brad Bergfalk.
7. Michael Spencer, the iMonk, made me tired trying to keep up with his day.
8. Only 4% of Chicago’s Catholic school teachers are “religious” (vowed orders).
9. The healthiest countries when it comes to eating.
10. Maybe the best thing of all: the Amish support the widow of the man who murdered the Amish schoolchildren.
Sports:
Da Cubs! 1.5 game lead. Hard to believe. It’s now down to two teams: Brewers and Cubs. Give the saving role to Marmol.
Enough said…

I confess to thinking this — in Fr. Guido Sarducci fashion — is a funny prank.