Blog Spotlight?

I thought of an idea for a regular feature at From the Pew.  I might call it "Blog Spotlight."  There's a small play of words in there, seeing that one of the major blog hosts, Blogger, uses "blogspot" in its domain name.  Anywho, this feature would be a highliting of one blog per week that I read regularly.  I would include blogs I agree with, some I disagree with on some larger issues, some that don't have much to do with theology, blogs that stretch my thinking, or that have influenced my beliefs to a good degree, etc.  I have a wide variety of stuff I read from many different viewpoints, and I thought it might be good for the small number of readers I have to check those sites out.  Hopefully this will commence in a few weeks.  As always, stay tuned.

Adding Commandments

With a slight twist of meaning I'm not really adding commandments, but to the contrary I'm adding Commandments of Men, the blog by Lewis Wells, to my blogroll.  In a completely unrelated event, I'm also adding 1974 Topps Set, my baseball card blog about my childhood collecting of the1974 Topps card set.

Adding Links

I'm adding a few links to my sidebar that I read often. First, Arthur Sido's the voice of one crying out in suburbia. Arthur writes from a reformed Baptist position on many things, and always seems to check that idea out against scripture. Next, Bob Spencer at Wilderness Fandango. Bob has a slightly different way of looking at church. Finally, Bobby Grow at The Evangelical Calvinist. Bobby digs deep into Calvinist history to look at Scottish theology's different angle on Calvinism. Just for fun, he's occasionally seen stirring things up in the comment section of Pyromaniacs (insert favorite emoticon here).

Adding Progress

I'm adding Eric Carpenter's A Pilgrim's Progress to my blogroll. Eric is the pastor of a small church and asks many good questions about the church and how we relate to it. Give him a read.

Blogroll Disclaimer

Blogroll Disclaimer:

All the sites that are linked to in my right margin under the various links windows like "Tried and True," "Notable and of Interest" and the others are there because I want them to be there. They don't necessarily reflect my views or opinions, but then of course I give you as my readers the intellectual credit for already knowing that. I don't often receive guilt-by-association accusations from my readers, and unless I get really big like iMonk or Team Pyro, I don't expect that to start soon. Some of those linked I agree with to a good degree, some I used to agree with them but no longer do. Some of them I even have there as somebody I disagree with that I like to write about disagreeing with them. A few I no longer read but am too lazy to delete the link.  And a few more I don't read at all but put them there because you might like to read them.

Blogroll Disclaimer Disclaimer:

The fact that I have a blogroll disclaimer in no way as much as implies that I need a blogroll disclaimer. I have one simply because I sat down in my chair I got from a Home Express closeout sale - one with a cheap yellow cushion - and wrote it. In an effort to keep from writing a blogroll disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer, I simply note that bandwidth and time considerations are helpful in avoiding this. Please read my blog often, and if you want to send money, please email me first. If you give enough, I might add a PayPal widget or something. Thank you.

Adding OrthoCuban

I am adding the OrthoCuban blog to my blogroll. This blog is owned by an Eastern Orthodox priest named Father Ernetso Obregon, who is Cuban born (pre-Castro) and came to the US in 1961. I found him through comments and sometimes invited contributions on the internetMonk blog. As with most Americans, I know little about the beliefs and practices of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. I find Fr. Ernesto's writing on Orthodox theology enlightening, and he relates it often to the American way of doing religion. I have found his blog to be a good read for a Protestant, especially of the Reformed Calvinist variety.

Adding Alan Knox Link

I'm adding a link to my blogroll. Through Abu Daoud's Islam and Christianity, I found Alan Knox's The Assembling of the Church. He assembles with a church that practices every-member participation, and his area of specialization is ecclesiology. He has many good points in why a lot of churches don't operate very well.

Internet Monk Link Added

I'm surprised I didn't already do this, but I'm adding a link to my blogroll for the Internet Monk, or iMonk for short. Michael Spencer is the Internet Monk, a "Southern Baptist" preacher, evangelist, thinker, apologist, etc. He lives in southern Kentucky. I put the term "Southern Baptist" in quotes because although he is a Southern Baptist, he often seriously questions many things that the SBC does and has become. I like him because he stirs the pot and even if I sharply disagree with him, at least he gets people thinking about things and welcomes differing views.

New Link - Anti-Positivist

I'm adding a new link to my sidebar, Jim Fedako's Anti-Positivist. Jim writes on the topic of free market economics and some Christian issues. He also writes extensively on absurdities within his local Olentangy School District in Ohio. He's linked me, and I'm returning the favor.

Welcome, Shelly

I wish to welcome new blogger, friend, friend of our family, fellow churchgoer and Giants fan to the blogoshpere. Welcome, Shelly, and your blog Shells on the Seashore. I've added her to my links.

New Blog Links

I've added a new section to my margin titled "other links." These are frequent reads of mine. Gene Redlin at Northern Gleaner brings a charismaticesque slant to things. I added Gene because I read his blog, he reads mine, and we have conversations. I'll keep him here in my links - until he says something that I disagree with (inside joke). Not much goes on at Andrew Sandlin's CCL site that also doesn't happen on his blog, so I bumped it down a few notches. Dr. Lenny is a scientist and baseball fan, while his alter ego writes poetry. He's over at The Zone. The group of guys over at Reformed Catholicism talk about the unity of the church and the history of the Reformation. Society Vs hosts Losing My Religion from way up in Canada. He grew up amongst many of the Aboriginal peoples of Saskatchewan. Abu Daoub is a Christian living in the Middle East and has much insight into Islam and how it relates to Christianity at Islam and Christianity. We in the West rarely hear about the types of things he has to say.

Blogroll Addition: McIntyre's Tavern

A while back I stumbled on to a blogsite hosted by Andrew McIntyre, called McIntyre's Tavern. I've added it to my blogroll in my margin. He opened for business with this: "There was a time when men were men, beer was beer, and people actually discussed important issues with their neighbors over a pint at the local public house. I have established this site to provide, at least in a virtual sense, a place to debate issues of Theology, Philosophy, Politics, and just about anything else that involves the mind. Most blogs include articles of pontification from the blogger which may or may not spark debate in the form of comments by readers. In other words, the format of most blogs is centered on the blogger. I have reversed that format on this site. The commenter himself is the focus. As the proprietor, I will provide the topic for discussion, with, perhaps, a brief introduction, and open the floor. All are welcome to post their opinions, participate in debate, and otherwise have at it..."

I have found this very interesting and contribute my comments from time to time. I am enriched by the various points of view, and if they don't contribute to my changing my mind, at least I learn what other people believe. Topic so far include creeds, natural revelation, death penalty, the presence of Christ in the sacraments, paedocommunion, ash Wednesday, sola fide, women in the ministry, Ayn Rand, political revolution and birth control. Andrew invites any and all to pull up a bar stool, pour a pint and talk away.

Blogroll Addition: Blessed Economist

It's not too common when I run across a blogsite where I agree with most of the theology, economics and politics written about by the author. Many of the sites on my blogroll contain some things I don't agree with, or things I haven't thought through, or contain many other types of topics.

So I am adding the Blessed Economist to my links section. It's refreshing to hear his views with such an uncomplicated process from presupposition to conclusion, without a 1000 page volume to tread water through. I found him through Gene Redlin at Northern Gleaner.