If you live in the Triangle area, consider joining the churchmen mailing list. There's a small but growing group of guys who get together from time to time and have also started To the Word together.

This reading plan has us going through Genesis and John at the same time. This led me to reflect on the following sequential pairs: beast/man, Adam/Eve, John-the-witness/Jesus, Jesus/bride. Two of these cases follow the pattern of 1 Timothy 2, where the one who came first has authority over the one who came later. But the other two cases do not. I'm not entirely sure what to make of this, but it seems possible that we could say: (1) there is a natural order or authority from God-to-man and then from image-of-God to all-creation; but (2) where things are of the same kind, there is a natural order or authority from first-to-last, from alpha-to-omega. In the case of Adam and Eve, the fact that man and woman are of the same kind is well understood. But in the case of the eternal bride, the church, it is a great surprise and wonder that God would raise her up to be co-regent with his son.

Peter Leithart reflects on the life of the early church:

Let's live in such a way that — even when they don't show it — the people cannot help but esteem us highly.

Peter goes on to offer some helpful diagnostic questions for the past year and a half.

Duane Garner exhorts us to take worship seriously:

We worship as if the world depended upon it, because it does! It is the most important event of the week, and the future of the world depends upon it. In worship, each week we strike a heavy blow against the dominion of darkness . . . We beat it back in worship. And then we go out all week collecting the fruit of that victory that God works on our behalf when we humble ourselves and submit to him. So when you come, understand that this is what we're doing: we're interceding for the world, and we're beating back the kingdom of Satan.

My friend Nathaniel posted this recently:

I was homeschooled from second grade through senior year of high school. Like Nathaniel, I'm so glad for my parents' example in pursuing what they believed to be right in spite of its being an uphill effort. It looks increasingly like the future is going to bring some more pioneering work for Christians, and I'm very grateful to have my parents' example and foundation to build upon!

Bitcoin is interesting to watch. I'm increasingly sympathetic with Nassim Taleb's conclusion that its long term value is zero. But so are many of the works of man, and consider how much gold now lies at the bottom of the ocean. Yet in the meantime, there are lots of interesting speculative and political considerations. I found myself wondering this week how quickly El Salvador's digital stockpile would be stolen. Then this article caught my attention, as did the SEC lawsuit against Coinbase. It will certainly remain interesting to watch!

I was trying to think of a good picture of a happy warrior, and the image on this page came to mind. You should laugh like this. And you should listen to this excellent audio magazine issue as well!

It's all in Girard: