Christian Carnival 41 --- Salvation History

Thanks to all who submitted posts this week. In between creating oolie-ghoulie secularly traditional food, sewing like mad to turn the children into their favorite saints and heroes for the All saints' Day procession, and trying to figure out how and whether to vote, take a little time with me for the double-speed tour of salvation.

Of course, we must begin with the First Things --- creation, fall, promise of redemption. "And God created the human being in His own image. In the image of God He created them, male and female He created them" ".... and they hid themselves, for they realized they were naked ...."

The human nature as body, soul, and spirit is pondered by Douglas at Belief Seeking Understanding in his post, The Spiritual Man - Who Are You, And What Do You Have?

Diane of the Crossroads also posts on the basic nature of humanity in her CT Letters, a lot of which have to do with the meaning of masculinity and femininity. (and also on Christians in the secular world, and on marble monuments to the Commandments from Sinai...)

"You will be as God is, knowing good and evil," said the tempter. In I Know Good and Evil, Am I Arrogant?, a sermon by a recently consecrated Episcopalian bishop is analyzed by Jerry of Truth Be Told.

Eutychus Fell, who's one of my most favorite inquirers, has just learned in his RCIA Group about she whose seed crushes the serpent's head, the new Eve, and also about the communion of saints, and he blogs about it at Hail Mary, Full of Grace.

Abraham got reminded of God's fatherhood, we are reminded by Brad at the 21st Century Reformation,in Experiencing the Fatherhood of God --- the Foundation of Intimacy. Yet God does not only love and nurture Abraham, but he loves intimately every single one of us.

Eventually, the Lord brought us out of the house of slavery in Egypt, and brought us to His holy mountain, and delivered ten words to us, how we should live. "You shall have no other gods." "You shall not use the Name of the Lord to make incantations."

Incantations. Sometimes we come terribly close to that line. Joe Missionary writes of this in his Theology Thursday essay, injesusnameamen.

"Remember the Sabbath Day." "Honor your father and your mother."

Do we? Cindy rises up in defense of the stay-at-home mom at Notes in the Key of Life

"Do not kill." "Do not steal." "Do not commit adultery." "Do not covet your neighbor's wife."

The vocation of faithful lifelong marriage is tough. Julie Fidler on her Roof celebrates Four Years of Marriage --- and Counting by writing about the trials, and the blessings, and her thankfulness.

"Do not give false testimony." "Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor."

But I want it! Really truly do! Mine! What to do when your Wanter's turned ON is explicated by Joy at karagraphy

And He promised us "if you hear My voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be My special possession, dearer to Me than all others, though all the earth is Mine."

At Another Man's Meat there are lessons learned on a rooftop about the wisdom of God and the vanity of man, actually, one man, in The Man Who Was Smarter than God.

Kathy of Imago Veritatis is looking back on the excitement of when she first met the Lord and is reveling in the joy of first love.

Brutally Honest brings us the recent work of a gifted poet in "This Talk of Sin is Not Productive!

A Contrite Heart You Will Not Scorn is a rewrite of Luke 18: 9-14 for the benefit of self-righteous POD ["pious and over devotional"] Catholics, by the gentleman of Ales Rarus.

Beyond the Rim's William hears the political season as a clarion call to prayer.

In Theology of Conversion, Matt Hall discusses just what it means to "become a Christian".

Many centuries passed, plenty of blessings, even more trials and tribulations. The Messiah came, our kinsman-redeemer, the Word Himself, and He gave us two words that took up all the ten. "Love God with everything you are. Love your neighbor as you love yourself." So we are called to live the works of mercy.

Mr. Standfast writes on forgiveness, and what further description can be given?

Ephesians seems very popular this week in Bloggsville. Humilis Penitens examines the condemnation of "silly talk" in Talk the Talk at his fine site, A Penitent Blogger.

Ray Pritchard also bears witness to the power of a few angry words, in If You Keep Your Cool.

Do we perceive the ill differently than we do the healthy? And does God? And, how about how we perceive ourselves when we're not healthy anymore? Allthings2all asks and tries to answer in In Sickness and in Health

Here's a View from the Pew about the place that faith must take in everyday life, Faith in Public. When I typed this, the permalink was refusing to load completely, so you may need to scroll for it......

LaShawn Barber's back in her Corner following her hiatus, proclaiming that we must engage the culture, but we must engage it in love. Elsewise we are but A Clanging Cymbal.

Giving mercy to others, we "work out our salvation in fear and trembling."

Viewpoint raises Nine objections to Christianity, and invites his readers to take them on.

A small smile is granted us by Intolerant Elle, in Good Works Down the Toilet, where she expresses her thankfulness that Martin Luther did not have a "squatty potty."

Our Crusty Curmudgeonexpounds on the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

Persecution is real. Proverbial Wife knows a bit about it. Blogging on personal depths makes one vulnerable --- and she got clobbered. She lets us know in Just to Let You Know.

The Pseudo-Polymath gives us some thoughts on Leviticus to ponder, especially the "abominations" passages and how they apply to Christians.

Mark of CowPi Journal shows to us all the tracks of joy and sorrow. Joy and sorrow are like two rails of a train track. They are always present in every moment of our lives. We always have foot on both rails, although some times our weight seems to shift to one side or the other.

The newest blogger in the Carnival, the Unapologetic Catholic, gives an account of the life that is in him in his post Why Unapologetic Catholic?.

"Playing God." That's what's said. Jeremy the Parableman studies the reasoning underlying the "playing God" arguments about things moral. Do they hold water? Can a stronger argument be made without God-recourse --- maybe the claim of our ignorance of consequences, for an example?

Jay of Deo Omnis Gloria pursues the question Who has the best point of view about Christ? (instigated by an article by Karl Keating). Would it be the men who were discipled by the Apostles, who lived and worked with them in the first and second centuries? Or would it be one or more of the various reformers of centuries later?

And, being as this is the last Christian Carnival before the United States Presidential election, several bloggers are working out their salvation in the penitential purgatory of politics. The Midwestern Mugwump calls his fellow conservativeChristians to show their positive power (energized by the election) in areas other than politics --- and specifically, towards the poor and oppressed --- in a very tangible way, in New Money, New Time. In Majority Rules? the importance of the Electoral College system is expounded, as Travis of Quadrivium sees a threat to it in Colorado. Jay of Living Catholicism asks Are Catholics Obliged to Vote? And at The Great Separation they claim to have an exclusive memo from the Kerry campaign in Exclusive: Kerry's Nuisance Doctrine MEMO. [for those with impaired humor or b.s. meters, the memo's a satire].

Talk of purgatory leads us directly to the Last Things. Death. Judgment. Heaven. Hell. "He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead."

Fr. Jim Tucker preaches a homily on Christian Death, a consideration of what death means for a Christian, at Dappled Things

Thus we've traveled from the very first things to the very last. I hope you enjoy all the fine offerings, have excellent colloquies in the comment boxes, and come to the Carnival again next week!
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