Saturday Good Reads

Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark Cathedral in London, officiated at the funeral pf PC Keith Palmer, the policeman killed in front of the Parliament Building during the terrorist attack. He’s published his sermon online.

Martha Orlando and her husband Danny went on a much-planned and long-desired vacation – and Martha ended up riding shotgun in an ambulance. She’s written three posts about the experience, and more to come. And Diana Trautwein has a moving account of sacrifice or duty.

We have a “new” cathedral in St. Louis – it’s more than 100 years old and it’s called the New Cathedral to distinguish it from the smaller and “Old” Cathedral downtown. It’s a spectacular building, and my oldest son graduated from high school there. Chris Naffziger has some photos of the building.

Alec Baldwin has found fame for parodying Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live. His brother Stephen has found fame playing the “Thief on the Cross” and reaching millions.

Anglotopia has an article on Hadrian’s Wall – the fortification built across the “neck” between England and what is now Scotland to protect against those rude and warlike Picts and other tribes. Last year, I took a free six-part online course on Hadrian’s Wall through FutureLearn, taught by faculty from Newcastle University, and it was fascinating.

On to the good reads.

Faith

The clocks stopped – Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark Cathderal.

The world’s first Christian country? – Amanda Proenca Santos and Rodolfo Contreras at BBC.

Parsing It Out: Sacrifice or Duty – Diana Trautwein at She Loves Magazine.

How Stephen Baldwin’s ‘Thief on the Cross’ Reached Millions – Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra at The Gospel Coalition.

The Latest Strike in the War on Christians in the Middle East – John Allen Jr. at The Spectator.

Why our churches need more gray hair – Denny Burk at Boyce College.

The Voice of the Lord, Off the Bucket List!, and (Not Mr. Toad's) Wild Ride! – Martha Orlando at Meditations of My Heart.

Art and Photography

St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center and The New Cathedral, Revisited – Chris Naffziger at St. Louis Patina.

As the Greening Begins – Jack Baumgartner at The School for the Transfer of Energy.

Underside – Tim Good at National Geographic / Your Shot.

The God Who Has Tears – Dr. Steven Garber at The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, & Culture.

Poetry

Mind Fish – Brendan MacOdrum at Oran’s Well.

Vigilance – Rory Fry at Altarwork.

Where was I – Lise at All the Words.

In the cleft of a cold, white rock – Catherine Lawton at Altarwork.

‘The first thing to hit you’ – Maureen Doallas at Writing Without Paper.

Cleansing the Temple – Malcolm Guite via Rick Wilcox at Literary Life.

British Stuff

“Old Cornish Red” is Britain’s largest rhododendron – George Odling at the Daily Mail.

Anglicans launch a rescue bid as England’s finest cathedrals battle a financial crisis – Catherine Pepinster at The Guardian. 

How to Garden like a Medieval Monk – Dr. Michael Klemperer at English Heritage.

Know a Ruin: Hadrian’s Wall – The Roman Marvel in the North of England – John Rabon at Anglotopia.

Writing

Why Novelists Should NOT Keep Their Politics & Religion to Themselves – Mike Duran at deCompose.

Life and Culture

The phone is too much with us – poem (after Wordsworth) by Benjamin Chase at Second Nature.

Why an Award-Winning Writer Turned Her Attention to Evangelicals – Barry Hankins at The Gospel Coalition.

Iceland 2016 – a film by David

Painting: The religious philosopher Vladimir Soloviev, oil on canvas by Ivan Kramskoi (1885).