Christian Carnival CLXXX

Welcome to Everyday Liturgy, host of the 180th Christian Carnival. This week’s carnival theme is the All-Star Game, which was played last night and fatefully lost by the National League, who haven’t won since 1996. But let’s put winning and losing aside. The Carnival is divided up into positional players, so if you are a bit rusty on your baseball you can kill two birds with one stone!

As a national anthem of sorts, yesterday Thom, one of the contributors at Everyday Liturgy, wrote a post about his All-Star Saints.

First Base: 1st base does a whole lot of catching and not a lot of running. ”Catch up” on some recent happenings here-

Don Bosch presents The Evangelical Ecologist – A Christian Environmental Blog posted at The Evangelical Ecologist. Don Bosch at The Evangelical Ecologist has the ultimate compilation of Live Earth global concert links and Christian commentary on the Web! Tons of links on individual venues, news, reports, religiously-related items, and Goregasms, and commentary from a Christian ecology perspective. Don’t miss it!

In the wake of recent allegations, Senator David Vitter has come under fire since it’s become known that he had adulterous relations with a prostitute. Some have called him hypocritical, but Jeremy Pierce is questions whether he is a hypocrite or not in Hypocrisy posted at Parableman.

Second base: The utility position of choice, a mixed bag of fielding and hitting abilities (read: miscellaneous)-

Adam features comments on a YouTube! Video in Just a Thought posted at The Faughn Family of Four.

Ann Shorb presents THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM posted at Christian Counseling and Educational Services.

Shortstop: The position with the most flair on the field—many of the best players in baseball are shortstops. Read about one of the best, C.S. Lewis, here-

Martin LaBar’s entry is ”Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis, musings on that book, which some people think is Lewis’s best work, found only at Sun and Shield.

3rd Base: This is the hot corner, where some of the hottest issues are being debated-

Rodney Olsen presents Reaching the heart of Hollywood posted at The Journey. What role should Christians play in the media? Christian radio broadcaster, Rodney Olsen, talks to the only working Hollywood producer with a Ph.D in Theology, Phil Cooke, about how we should be influencing our media driven culture for Christ.

Michael McGinnis presents The Jewish Right posted at Tantalizing if True. The difference between Right and right, and what religion do you have to follow anyway if you want to be part of the Religious Right?

Left Field: There is one very controversial left fielder in baseball right now.* Find controversial topics right (or left?) here-

Mark Olson stirs up a good discussion as he looks critically at the doctrine of sola scriptura in his post Sola Scriptura Considered at Pseudo-Polymath.

Thomas Robey discusses an important and controversial topic where science and religion collide in Objectivity in Studying Abortion posted at Hope for Pandora.

Phil B. presents Abortion: Religion versus Practicality versus Morality posted at Phil for Humanity. In America, the abortion debate is often separated into either pro-life or pro-choice. However, the many reasons for and against abortions are not often publicly discussed.

Center Field: Remember that movie Angels in the Outfield, well the more spiritual things are being contemplated here-

Amanda presents Sin isn’t the point. Nudity is. posted at Imago Dei.

Matt Jones at Random Acts of Verbiage discusses The Three B’s of the Church — Behave, Believe, and Belong. Three important B’s in the Church. But is that the right order?

For want of something more exciting…Henry Neufeld presents Notes on Mark 11:1-11 posted at Participatory Bible Study Blog.

Dane R asks the question: How are many church youth groups run today and how should they be run? as he presents Chris Johnson in a Worldview Christian Network art… posted at Crossroads: Where Faith and Inquiry Meet.

Bill presents God is a God of Order posted at Bubble Planner. I’ve known that God is a God of order for quite some time, but I came across this verse the other day and it really resounded with me. The reason that I’m bringing this up is to help us interpret the current issues of our day. You often hear about something being an ”act of god” like a tornado or hurricane. However, I submit to you that these events are not from God (big ”G”) but the god of this world (little ”g”), who is satan.

Thomas Gilson contemplates how our world is become one of stone. The angels have fallen, not as Lucifer fell but as snowflakes fall and die in a lake. They’re gone. Scientistic naturalism has driven out the spiritual, and we have died a thousand times for it. Read more about it in A World of Stone: Materialism’s Expiration Date posted at Thinking Christian.

Brian Russell from the Real Meal blog wrote ”Holiness and Excellence.” This brief post reflects on Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9-11.

Right Field: The position farthest away from the plays at thrid and the plate. You have to have a strong arm here-

Esther Garvi presents Peace posted at Ishtar News.

Rey from the Bible Archive examines the varied usage of the word ”evolution”.

Mick analyzes how defining tyranny and justification for rebellion is a gray area in most cases, but one thing is for sure, a moral vision is needed in order to lead a free nation, and a moral citizenry is needed to keep a free nation, and none of it is possible without God. Read more in Tyranny and Rebellion posted at Romans 15:4 Project.

Pitcher and Catcher: They work like a team, which these two posts do as our ”How To” section-

Kathryn presents How to Become a Good Wife posted at The Peculiar Club.

Tupelo Kenyon presents How to Keep Your Word posted at Tupelo Kenyon.

Manager: Don’t forget about the manager! Come here for some pitching or hitting advice:

John Howell finds some exciting ”Ministry Tools” – and some wisdom for life in general – this week: read about it at Brain Cramps for God.

Enjoy the carnival and don’t foget the forums and the comments sections where you can nominate your favorite post as an All-Star!