Matthew Henry John Bartlett

— from Veils and veiling in Muslim countries, which I became interested in after reading a post of Aaron’s. Here is a somewhat-related article from Naomi Wolf which I first came across a year ago today.

Ian G on the death of value judgements
Richard John Neuhaus on Kiekergaard

Every time I see an Eminem video for the first time it always grabs me, stirs me and I don’t know why. I don’t even necessarily ‘like’ the particular song. This morning I came across the video for his song “Mosh” [QT] at Russell Brown’s site, and it induced the same effect. Eminem really really wants people to vote Bush out. I’m often suprised at the amount of trust in the political process Americans display, as if a well thought out vote was a magic bullet.

Tim McKenzie’s review of The Passion of the Christ

I always enjoy Russell Brown’s program Mediawatch on National Radio when I manage to catch it. I was pleased to come across his blog yesterday. His post about Destiny Church is worthwhile reading.

UPDATE: A commenter below linked to this interesting video featuring MLK’s daughter at a Destiny Church conference.

In my world, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” doesn’t mean, “Dear Lord, please wind up this whole show as soon as possible, it’s too hard here.” Instead I think it means, “Dear Lord, please renew this place and these people, and make me an active agent of that renewal.”

Music on the gold-plated LP onboard the Voyager
A Protestant conversion to Roman Catholicism

This was in an ‘NPC souvenir’ edition of The Press

N T Wright: My Pilgrimage in Theology
NASA’s planet gallery

There are times when I remember you
At the beach by the pier
In a broken down summer
That stretched on for years
I remember the laughter
I remember the waves
And I wish that I could just
Cut it away

Tsunami has washed me
Past the breakers
That broke me
Now I am alone at sea
With memories for company

— Matthew Baird

I know this will get all you one-eyed Wellingtonians up in arms… I wouldn’t be surprised if Rueben Thorne gets picked for the All Blacks squad to tour Europe. He has had a very solid NPC and played well in the final. His replacement in the All Blacks last year, Jono Gibbes, has not had a great season. I think Thorne would be a good back up for Jerry Collins who has to be the number one blindside flanker in NZ right now.

The whole shebang in one sentence, from Tim McKenzie’s The Idea of Revelation in a Post-Modern Culture [160k PDF]:

This is the story of how God made the world in love, identified with the world in suffering, and restores the world through his presence in those he has called to recognise the world’s destiny as a world remade.

Chaim Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev opens with a quote from Picasso —

Art is a lie which makes us realise the truth.

The idea of a compliation CD made of what RCNZ people were listening to this year emerged yesterday. I’d like to have a go at this, and gather suggestions for inclusion on this page over here. I’m thinking ideally things that came out this year, or at least that were ‘discovered’ this year.

As is traditional, this coming Sunday afternoon some of us want to head out to Castlepoint and stay the night on the beach. Castlepoint is the pinnacle of God’s good earth. You’re welcome to join us.