My Listening

I have done a handful of recaps of my reading on this blog over the years, and I have done a handful of concert reviews as well, but I have never done any report on my podcast listening. Probably because it has only been the last year or so I have actively listened to podcasts. But in any case, here we are...

There are probably ten different podcasts of which I have listened to at least a few episodes over the last year, but here I would like to highlight the three that I listen to regularly and attempt to hear every episode.

The West Wing Weekly

This podcast began in March 2016, just under ten years since the end of the Emmy-winning series The West Wing concluded its original run on NBC. The West Wing is without question my favorite TV show, having discovered it midway through its original run when I was a teenager.

The hosts of this podcast are actor Joshua Malina, who was part of the show's main cast for the last four seasons, and musician/composer Hrishikesh Hirway. Each week's episode focuses on one episode from the show, in sequence, and in addition to discussing the plot, production, and trivia of the episode, the hosts and their guest discuss related public policy and sociocultural issues. More often than not, an issue explored in the original episode of The West Wing is either still an issue today or else still relevant in some other way. Guests have included The West Wing cast and crew members as well as current and former real-life political, military, and NGO figures.

Listen to the 1 minute, 23 second intro episode, "0.00 Cold Open" for the hosts' explanation of their project.

Theology for Life

This podcast began just last December. The co-hosts are Ed Stetzer and Lynn Cohick, both Wheaton College faculty members. Each week's episode examines one of a myriad of theological issues, from the major timeless questions and creedal statements, exegetical commentary, comparative theology, and everyday Christian life. Highly relatable and gives a fresh introductory look at the different issues.

To date all their guests have been other Wheaton College faculty, but they've promised to have guests from other institutions and organizations as well.

Church Politics

This podcast began just this past May. The co-hosts are Michael Wear, who worked in the Obama White House as well as for the 2012 re-election campaign and is now a consultant and author, and Atlanta-based lawyer and political operative Justin Giboney. The first few episodes were groundwork, including two insightful podcasts examining the history and current focus and status of the Democratic and Republican parties, and thereafter they recap the week's political news and examine the issues based on their Christian convictions. Worthwhile listening for Democrats, Republicans, Christians, and those of other or no faith tradition all.

The podcast, presented by online arts and culture curator platform Forth District, does not (yet?) have its own website, but the first episode can be found at the Forth District website.

What podcasts do you listen to regularly?

On the Minimum Wage Debate

Do not fear, readers, my blog is not about to become solely focused on the policy debates of the day. But I do want to offer comment on an editorial from Friday's The New York Times -- a publication whose editorial board is almost always my ideological opposite (perhaps, if someone reminds me, I will write later about why I force myself to read it).

Anyway, please first read this brief editorial commenting on the recent decision by the city of Seattle to enact a $15 an hour minimum wage.

And now, a comment:

In the fourth paragraph, the editorial notes: "...there is no substitute for a robust federal minimum wage, because broad prosperity requires a solid wage floor, not a patchwork." I submit that in a nation as diverse as ours, prosperity means different things -- has different definitions based on quantifiable measures -- in different places. The cost of living is different in Midtown Manhattan than in Laurel, Montana (a city near Yellowstone National Park). So New York and Montana do not need the same minimum wage. And truthfully, the cost of living is different in Midtown Manhattan than in Albany, New York's state capital, so New York City and Albany do not need the same minimum wage. Thus, a state-by-state and even municipality-by-municipality patchwork would be just fine for "broad prosperity."

Minimum wage should be among the most locally-decided issues in public policy -- not least because a high percentage of earnings will go directly back into the local economy. States with lower populations (put another way, without dense urban areas in contrast to rural areas within the same state) may find it efficient to consider the matter at the state level, as the cost of living is more uniform throughout their border. It is decidedly something that the federal government, however, absolutely does not need to spend time addressing.

For Life

This past Sunday, my brother Paul participated in March for Life Chicago. His blog piece offers a literally on-the-ground perspective on the event in the Chicago Loop

Today is the March for Life on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. There will undoubtedly be countless more articles, columns, and commentaries circulating on the Internet throughout the day, but to begin, a few highlights from what I have already read today:

• As part of The Gospel Coalition's "Nine Things" series, "Nine (More) Things You Should Know About Roe v Wade"
• Be sure to read all the way to no. 9 in the last list, and then look at this excellent piece at the American Conservative, "A Culture of Life," which examines how law and culture relate to the issue
• Life was the theme of Morning Bell at The Foundry (The Heritage Foundation's blog) this morning: "19 Beautiful Reminders Why Americans March for Life Today"

And Pope Francis tweeted this morning:

I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable.

Articles of the Week - Marriage in America

The Supreme Court of the United States released its decisions on two significant cases related to marriage law this past week. The general sentiment from all the responses and commentary I read over the last few days is that "the debate is nowhere near over." A few highlights from my reading:

First, as to summarizing the context and the decisions themselves:

Though I disagree with its sentiments, the Chicago Tribune editorial board had a more or less balanced, fact-based assessment of the decisions. The Economist similarly had a brief, fact-based summary of the same, and The Gospel Coalition had a helpful list of "9 Things You Should Know" about the cases.

Second, to responses and commentary:

On Thursday morning, The Heritage Foundations's "Morning Bell" was part summary, part recap of the more extended immediate commentary from late Wednesday morning. Also on Wednesday, Heritage President Jim DeMint offered his perspective on the active future of the marriage debate.

And from Christianity Today:

• From Gleanings, the news blog, reactions from legal experts
• A summary of the news and responses from ministry leaders
• CT's editorial (written by Ted Olsen), addressing the concept of the "right side of history"
• Ed Stetzer's response and thoughts on what followers of Jesus should do
• Russell Moore's perspective on what really changed with the decisions

I especially commend to you those last three pieces from Christianity Today. All are written thoughtfully and biblically, and I hope they will be helpful to people like me who are committed to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in this day.

Have you read any good responses to the Supreme Court's decisions? Please post links to articles, blogs, commentary pieces, and editorials in the comments section below!

Articles of the Week - Francis I

It has been quite some time since my last "Articles of the Week" installment. In truth, by midday Wednesday, I had been thinking I should pick a topic to highlight at the week's end, because I had come across a number of good articles on several different topics of personal interest (for some of those, see my re-Tweets).

But then Wednesday midday rolled around, and the news of the election of a new pope. Here are a few of the thoughts I have read this week about it all:

• On Wednesday morning, Timothy C. Morgan at Christianity Today shared his thoughts on why Protestants should care about the papacy (the piece also appears in the April print issue).
• Thursday morning, the Chicago Tribune editorial board shared its thoughts on the reputation of "Father Jorge," and James Weiss of Boston College offered his predictions about the Francis papacy.
• The Economist had to effect a quick turn-around, but its report on the Francis election, with editorial thoughts on the new pope's opportunities (and likelihood) to effect great change, made it to press.
• Back at Christianity Today, Ruth Moon outlined the (many positive) implications of the Francis papacy for the evangelical Christian world, and Melissa Steffan interviewed evangelist Luis Palau on his friendship with and thoughts on Francis I.
• Josh Moody of College Church offered five sobering truths about the pope in the midst of the excitement.
• Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition listed nine "things you should know about the papcy."

Have you come across any good articles, blogs, or columns on this topic? Share a link in the comments section below!

Who Was Paul Harvey?

A good friend of mine has a ChicagoNow blog, and I was her featured guest blogger last Tuesday. I just realized that I never shared my piece on my own blog! Here it is.

=======

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

Where did you hear that recently? My guess is that many people, like me, heard it Sunday night during the second half of Super Bowl XLVII. The two-minute montage of color still photos depicting farmers, farm life, and farm families, with an unadorned speech track accompanying it, was eventually revealed to be an advertisement for Dodge Ram trucks.

Did you also notice, either when you saw it on TV or when you perhaps watched it again on YouTube this week, the name that flashed across the screen on top of the opening shot? Paul Harvey?

Who?

I must admit that I did not recognize the name. That may or may not be a clue into the influence of twenty-first century media technology on my life.

Wikipedia revealed that Paul Harvey was an American radio broadcaster who passed away just a few years ago. His work included news and news commentary segments that drew national audiences of over 20 million across some 1300 radio stations during the second half of the twentieth century. His career at one point took him to Hawaii (he was in the army during the Second World War), but he primarily worked from the Midwest, particularly, Chicago. Harvey won a number of awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He counted as friends many national figures such as J. Edgar Hoover and Billy Graham.

The speech used in the Super Bowl commercial (only slightly truncated in that use; the full version can be found in this article) was originally given at the 1978 Future Farmers of America convention. Harvey’s support of farmers is fitting with The New York Times’ obituary description of him as a champion “of the fundamental decency of ordinary people.” The Chicago Tribune, in its obituary of Harvey, noted that his litmus test for programming a given news story was “Would Aunt Betty care about this?”

The New York Times also noted Harvey’s unhidden passion for average Americans and his concern about “bureaucrats who lacked common sense.” “I have never pretended to objectivity,” he once said. He also refused a request to relocate to New York City, even as he gained a national reputation, preferring to stay in Chicago. I think all Chicagoans will agree that Harvey was a true Chicagoan himself, embodying the common sense, hardworking, neighbor-helping spirit of this great city.

As I continued to read about Harvey on Monday, I discovered (also on Wikipedia) that he had for many years attended the same church where I grew up and now and work, Calvary Memorial of Oak Park. I checked with more senior members of church staff, and they verified that information. My former senior pastor recalled that Harvey and his wife were “very friendly,” and it had always been a pleasure to see him at church. One older gentleman even remembered his preferred seat in our auditorium!

It made sense to me that Harvey had been an active church member. His Christian – specifically, Baptist – faith clearly influenced his opinions on many of the issues of the day, not least his nod to farmers (the “So God Made a Farmer” speech has in its opening line and refrain allusions to the Genesis account of Creation). He was known as “The Voice of Middle America” and “The Voice of the Silent Majority.” Jesus Himself was a champion of the “middle class” of His day – in fact, His first disciples were everyday, hardworking fishermen!

Thanks to Dodge, CBS, and the National Football League, Paul Harvey has had a surge in popularity. Hopefully, the issues and people he championed will have a surge in popularity as well.

Articles of Note - Tragedy in Newtown, CT

As a Twitter user, my Twitter homepage is regularly filled with "BREAKING NEWS" tweets from the two major news organizations I follow, NBC News and the Chicago Tribune. But it quickly became clear in on Friday midday and early afternoon that Friday's breaking news would quickly be forgotten, let alone ignored.

As a teacher - indeed, as a person, but especially as a teacher - my heart breaks over the sudden and senseless loss of life in that small Connecticut town. Over two dozen families had an empty seat at the dinner table this weekend. There are twenty empty seats and six empty desks at Sandy Hook Elementary School this week. The President of the United States shed tears during his brief press conference.

What to make of it all? Naturally, the blogosphere and editorial pages were focused on this tragedy over the past few days, and this Monday morning, the reactions continued. I wondered whether I should post this collection of highlights from the many pieces I had read. After all, if we focus too much on what happened, does that not mean that the shooter has won? Would not "Monday as usual" prove our resiliency in the face of tragedy?

There is a fine line between resiliency and callousness, or pretending it did not happen. My opinion is that it is still the appropriate time for reflection, even if we do resume our normal routines this Monday. Certainly the families - and community - of Newtown need the prayers of their country. I offer, as an aid to understanding the tragedy, the following words from blogs and articles:

• Saturday morning, Jeremy Weber of Christianity Today highlighted the responses to that point to the tragedy.
• Two editorials of note from the Chicago Tribune:  "Humbled by Our Helplessness"and "The Innocents"
• Also from the Tribune, Patricia Callahan's piece, "Covering the Unimaginable" (Ms. Callahan was on staff of the Denver Post during Columbine)
• Ross Douthat of The New York Times writes a response that draws on themes of literature and the Bible
• Pastor Josh Moody offers "A Christmas Response to Newtown"
• On a related note (and beginning with the same passage of Scripture), Mark Galli of Christianity Today writes that the fallen are "not alone, nor without hope."
• Kathleen Nielson of The Gospel Coalition addresses "Where Shall We Put This Grief?"

Also, these words from a Wheaton student have been circulating on Facebook (originally posted on Friday):

Dr. Ryken gave a powerful and relevant sermon this morning in chapel about the ‘dark side of the Christmas story’ otherwise known as the Massacre of the Innocent, in which King Herod ordered the murder of every boy under the age of two in Bethlehem. He gave this sermon just

 an hour before news broke of the massacre in Newtown Connecticut in which 20 children and 6 adults were murdered. He spoke about the grief of the [mothers] in Bethlehem as well as the grief of Rachel from the book of Jeremiah, whose child had also been senselessly murdered [Rachel, wife of Jacob, died giving birth to Benjamin, as recorded in Genesis; in Jeremiah 31, the prophet metaphorically references Rachel 'weeping' for her descendants]. Dr. Ryken spoke about the ‘tidings of comfort and joy’ and the promises that those enduring unimaginable suffering can hold onto. Considering the terrible news we received this morning just after chapel, I thought I’d share some powerful [quotations] from this morning’s message:

“When God tells you to dry your tears as He told Rachel to dry her tears, He’s not saying ‘there, there, everything will be [all right].’ He’s promising to make things right. The comfort He offers is real comfort, the Joy He gives is real Joy! The weeping may last for the night but when the morning comes it is full of song.”

“This is why we were made, to give praise to God. And it is also the reason why Christmas is such a glorious time of the year. Our lives, perhaps, have been touched with sorrow. We are aware of at least some of the sorrows of our own community. But somehow the joy of Jesus breaks through. As we worship with the people of God, we find comfort in our grief. May that be God’s comfort for you this Christmas season if you are burdened with heavy trials.”

“I praise God that the Bible talks about the dark side of the Christmas story which speaks to all our sadness, but even more, for the promise of His comfort, which came to us at the first Christmas in the person of Jesus Christ who is our joy forever and ever.”

After horrific days like today and especially during the Christmas season, ‘tidings of comfort and joy’ may seem unrealistic or maybe even insulting to some. But we must take hope because these tidings ARE REAL and they are offered by someone who loves each and every one of us more than we could ever imagine! It is days like today that we must lift our hands, despite our suffering and incredible loss, praising God for His redeeming work in the world and always continuing to sing: COME LORD JESUS! COME!

Lord Jesus, be the refuge and strength that only you can be for the families of the fallen in Newtown, Connecticut. Reveal yourself to them and be near to them in the hard days ahead.

Articles of the Week - October 27

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you have something worthwhile planned for today.

I want to begin this week's highlights with faith and theology as (a) those articles account for about half of what I will share and (b) I rarely begin there. I will sort them by publication.

The Gospel Coalition

• Greg Forster examines some of the nuances of the "culture war" as applied to religious liberty
• Matt Smethurst summarizes a recent sermon on Christianity and politics by Mark Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist Church
• John Starke provides a more biblical definition of discipleship
• The Gospel Coalition has also launched a new blog, "New City Catechism." If you subscribe to one new blog, make it this one! Ben Peays explains its purpose.

Society for the Advancement of Ecclesial Theology

• Matthew Mason muses on politics in light of the upcoming election (make sure to read thought #8)
• Matthew Mason further reflects on the pastoral approach to theological study exhibited by John Paul II

Christian Post

• Michael Gryboski summarizes recent remarks by Dr. Owen Strachan on shifting views of God among millennials (they are not so good)
• Lillian Kown reports on changes in the megachurch movement (the most prominent of which is the multisite sub-movement)

And elsewhere,

• Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like discusses the lessons he has learned about surrender
• Jeff Haanen reviews a new book about domestic yet cross-cultural missions for Christianity Today
• Continuing his series of devotionals on Ecclesiastes, Ray Pritchard examines thanksgiving and satisfaction
• James Wood, for The New Yorker, celebrates the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer

Given that more than one of the "faith and theology" highlights had to do with politics, perhaps I should turn next to politics and public policy

• David Bittinger of the Chicago Tribune looks forward to November 7 and beyond
• Lindsey Burke of The Heritage Foundation summarizes Paul Ryan's recent comments on school choice
• Victor Davis Hanson, in the Tribune, offers a concise synopsis of the effects of the presidential debates
• Ken McIntyre of Heritage outlines recent civic engagement by people of faith
• Sarah Morris of Heritage presents the word cloud for the final presidential debate
• Alyene Senger of Heritage argues that the contraception debate is not really about contraception
• The Tribune reports on a push from American business leaders this week for "action on the federal budget deficit"
• The Economist's Lexington looks at the oft-misunderstood significance of suburbia
• The editorial board of The New York Times offers its take on whether government creates jobs (my immediate response is that while yes, government employs many, many people, that is not quite the same as creating new jobs)

And that leaves us with just a few pieces on arts, entertainments, and sports

• BBC News reports on trends in the overseas revenues of British musicians
• Cordelia Hebblethwaite discusses the fate of pianos - and some of the emotions toward and conceptions of pianos over the last few centuries
• Carrie Muskat of MLB.com summarizes Theo Epstein's goals for the future of the Chicago Cubs
• The Economist's Prospero considers how the e-book industry is different from the print book industry

What articles or blogs caught your attention this week? Share them in the comments section below!

Articles of the Week - September 1

This time of year is both "back to school season" and "political convention" season, so I will begin this week's digest with articles and posts from those two topics.

Back to School: Lindsey Burke compiled "Some Surprising Education Numbers" for The Foundry, Romanita Hairston writes for World Vision about the need (and simple ways) to empower child success in education, Sean Kennedy calls in the Chicago Tribune for decertification of the Chicago Teacher's Union (and, even as an educator myself, I agree with him, as CTU has gone beyond ensuring a safe working environment for its members to burdening taxpayers with its demands for luxuries), and my friend Allison J. Althoff interviews Geoffrey Canada, founder of New York City's Harlem Children's Zone, for This is Our City - this man understands how to commit to ensuring children have a chance at a successful future!

Political Convention: In The Foundry, Lee Edwards explains the role and often-overlooked significance of the conventions, and Amy Payne, writing as the Republican National Convention wrapped, highlights the issues raised in this first convention and the significance of this election to America's future course. The Economist muses over the case for a second term for Barack Obama, and John Dickerson reflects in the Chicago Tribune on the effect of Ann Romney's speech to the RNC.

I had a handful (a potpourri, more accurately) of articles having to do with music this week. Ben Sisario wrote for The New York Times an interesting piece on recent developments in electronic dance music (EDM) and its relation to the larger music industry, Donna Perlmutter summarized some of the jokes musicians have about each other in the Los Angeles Times, Chuck King wrote two pieces, one about re-packaging classic hymns and the other about "the joy of just simply making music,"and Niels Swinkels interviews Klaus Heymann, founder of Naxos, for San Francisco Classical Voice.

Now to pieces about faith and theology. Jason Hood writes for the SAET blog about learning how to read the Bible (advice intended mostly for academic settings, but could be useful in personal devotions as well), Leslie Leyland Fields wrote a sobering column on our identity in Christ, and Jon Acuff writes about his experience of unlearning God. For the blogs of The Gospel Coalition this week, Chris Costaldo summarizes current challenges to gospel ministry, and Tim Keller proposes that, when sharing Christ, one should start with the beauty of the gospel before moving to the rationale for it (or put another way, making it personal before making it reasonable).

And finally, two more pieces from The Foundry, Dominique Ludvigson's summary of the news that Wheaton College's lawsuit over the HHS preventive services mandate had been dismissed on technical grounds (the College and its lawyers are deciding on their next move) and Ed Fuelner's attribute to Neil Armstrong, Ray Pritchard discusses packing and moving, and Kevin Purdy suggests not checking email until 9 AM, along with other beginning-of-the-day advice.

Articles of the Week - August 25

I added a new blog to my Google Reader subscriptions this week, The Gospel Coalition Blog, so I will start this week's highlights with articles from there: Matt Smethurst interviewed Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum, authors of the newly-released Kingdom through Covenant (Crossway, 2012)  (sounds like a fascinating read; it might have to go on my List), Collin Hansen set the scene for TGC's upcoming national conference with some highlights of a discussion about whether Jesus actually preached the gospel, Ben Falconer advises a regular dose of oratorio, and Joseph Rhea offers advice for theologians and seminarians who inadvertently neglect the relational aspect of their faith.

In Christianity Today, Melissa Steffan summarized President Obama's and Governor Romeny's comments on their respective faiths and James K. A. Smith writes for This is Our City "How to (Not) Be Worldly" (drawing heavily, and effectively in my opinion, on Augustine).

In the Chicago Tribune, Charles Krauthammer comments on Congressman Paul Ryan's present and future role in national politics, John Kass points out how much money could be earned by tolling bicyclists in the city, Christopher de Vinck offers a welcome commendation of teachers, and Steve Chapman provides the most balanced commentary I have yet read on current welfare reform policy.

In The Foundry this week, Lindsey Burke summarizes recent developments in customized education (I agree with all of the initiatives except for schools that are primarily virtual - the presence of a human teacher is vital for holistic development of children) and reports that "Support for School Choice Reaches All-Time High," and Ken McIntyre summarizes Becket Fund founder Kevin Hasson's comments on religious freedom.

In arts and entertainment news, Ratzo Harris comments for New Music Box on the difficulty of teaching, in classical contexts, how to "think in jazz" and Harry Eyres writes for The Financial Times on the legacy of classical music festivals.

And finally, Jon Acuff in Stuff Christians Like advises newcomers to not attend a church's last Sunday service, Michael Gryboski looks at preparations for next month's National Back to Church Sunday, Joshua Little reports for A Daily Miracle on the integration of faith and politics, Chuck King discusses in Knowing the Score about that mysterious and ubiquitous word, "Selah," Ray Pritchard advises preachers how to not begin a sermon, and Meggie Zahneis reports on the defensive prowness of Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney.

This is Rubio, over and out.

Articles of the Week - August 18

The most-represented topic among my starred articles this week was the presidential election. The Chicago Tribune carried a column from Charles Krauthammer titled "The Case Against Re-election," Steve Chapman's thoughts on Paul Ryan's "Medicare realism," and Charles Madigan's take on the inherent game-changing nature of the running mate selection - and whether it will matter in 2012. Christianity Today had a thought-provoking piece by Owen Strachan, "Our American President," and a response from Judd Birdsall on the relevance of Mitt Romney's Mormonism.

Elsewhere in Christianity Today was Jasmine Young's report on a new Obama Administration focus on combating human trafficking, Melissa Steffan's report on the happiness of women with their church involvement, and a This is Our City piece by Josh Bishop about the gift of food.

Elsewhere in the Tribune was an opinion piece by Marianne Atterbury about the post-Games effect of the Olympics on London, an editorial call to learn CPR, and a reminder as the start of school approaches that school is primarily about the kids.

Also in education news was Lindsey Burke's piece in The Foundry about "More Federation Education Intervention." Elsewhere in The Foundry was Jennifer Marshall's outline of recent unfounded aggressiveness in the marriage debate.

In arts and entertainment news, Amisha Padnani discussed for The New York Times the effects of music in the workplace, and Georg Szalai noted in The Hollywood Reporter that for the first time in U.S. history, digital sales of music will surpass physical sales.

Finally, Ray Pritchard discusses the importance of sermon titles.

Also, please see my post from earlier this week, "Wheaton Family Reunions."

This is Rubio, over and out.

Articles of the Week - August 11

I am writing this morning from Alexandria, Virginia. I am in the area this weekend for a friend's wedding, though my packed schedule of wedding fun and also seeing other friends in the area somehow still left me with some time on Saturday morning for my weekly digest.

Most of the articles I starred this week were from The Foundry, so I will start there. Dominique Ludvigson gives an election day-themed update on the legal battle over marriage, Dylan DelliSanti looks at the merits of a market economy, Ryan Anderson outlines the humanitarian dimension of welfare work requirements, Teresa Shumay reports on flaws in the Education Department's modus operandi and suggests some alternatives and also reports on a new teacher tenure reform law in New Jersey, Helle Dale discusses the role of social media at the Olympics, and Alyene Senger and Grant Hodges summarize general public opinion on the Affordable Care Act.

In the Chicago Tribune this week, Frank Schell wrote a satirical piece about why America needs co-presidents and George Lakoff wrote a detailed analysis of the phenomenon of low-information voters.

Also in education commentary was this editorial in The New York Times about ways to ensure quality teaching forces, and also in legislative updates this week was a World Vision blog post by Jesse Eaves about anti-trafficking legislation.

The remaining articles are a potpourri on theology and faith. David Taylor lists 35 books on theology and the arts (I am ashamed to admit I have not read one of them!), my friend Rebecca continues her discussion on renewed life in Christ, my friend Allison (writing as Sister Christian) reports live from Willow Creek's Global Leadership Summit, and Todd Billings writes for Christianity Today on "The Problem with 'Incarnational Ministry.'"

Look for a post late next week about my trip!

This is Rubio, over and out.