We’re over here in Italy this week — with my mom and dad faithfully attending to our senior citizen Bichon Frise, Webster — and when I get back a speaking event: the Spiritual Formation Forum.
Brilliant piece by Will Samson on the passing of Falwell and the passing of an era. An echo of Will’s piece can be found in the NY Times — are evangelicals shifting? You bet they are, and they are showing signs of capturing more of the 19th Century vision of evangelicalism.

Buying books?
Anyone know anything about this new blog by the editors of Today’s Christian Woman?
Ah, there’s just something about Maria.
I hope Steve McCoy has figured out how to use his Phriday is for Photos in his sermons. One night I spent over an hour in his photo album wondering, most of the time, how he gets such good pictures.
Good words about promises from John Frye.
One of North Park’s finest is featured: Jeff Nelson.
My theory: rarely work from 6-10pm, and take off weekends. Why? It’s the way God made us. Check out this article; read slowly and think about it.
What would the Apostle Paul say about this?
1. Trevin Wax: letters with a Roman Catholic.
2. Florida’s decision to require physical education — make it physical, make it educational — is a good decision. I hope more States join in.
3. Professor websites.
4. What emerges, buzzes for just a little while, and then goes away? Cicadas.
5. Love this one by Don Johnson — church cooperation. (I won’t get into the homeschooling-emergent analogy he makes in the post before this one.)
6. Michael Krahn is exploring whether not this is the age of atheism.
7. Weigh in on this one if you can at Kathy Khang’s blog.
8. iMonk interview.
9. No doubt about it: The Left Behind Chronicles.
10. The Young Christian man named Domain.
11. Let us not forget this reminder by Allan Bevere.
12. Shane Claiborne interview that spurs us to think. (HT: Ted Gossard)
Sports:
Will it be the Yanks vs. the Cubs in the Big Bopper on the night of the Big Dance? (HT: Scott Austin)
I knew Chicago was destined to win something this summer, I just didn’t know it would be this.