my burg

While on our neighborhood walks, my wife and I would see garden gnomes in some of the yards,  and we had a bit of word play, which we'd share with grandkids, and now here... -- What do you call a garden gnome who is by himself? a gnome alone -- What do you call a gnome out west? gnome on the range -- What do you call a garden gnome in the city? a metro gnome -- How does a garden gnome his hair? a gnome comb -- How does a garden gnome hide his baldness? with a gnome over -- What do you call a gnome by another name? a gnome de plume -- How does a gnome name his children? using gnomen-clature -- Where do garden gnomes come from? Gnome, Alaska -- What do you call an unmarried female gnome? Miss Gnomer -- What is unique about gnome DNA? it has a ge-gnome   -- What do you call a gnome with lots of children? a poly-gnomial

Every now and then I rearrange my top ten or fifteen of what I consider to be classic Christian works that every Christian should read or be familiar with . Excluding works of fiction, poetry, and the larger works of theology* here are my current top 15... On The Incarnation , Athanasius. The Confessions of Augustine . The Consolation of Philosophy , Anicius Boethius. [ New to the top 15 ] On Loving God , Bernard of Clairvaux. Pensées , Blaise Pascal. Commentary on Galatians , Martin Luther. The Pilgrim's Progress , John Bunyan.   Religious Affections , Jonathan Edwards. Christianity and Liberalism , Gresham Machen. The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible , B. B. Warfield. Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Everlasting Man , G. K. Chesterton Mere Christianity , C. S. Lewis. Knowing God , J. I. Packer. The Cross of Christ , John R. W. Stott. * Recommended fiction : George MacDonald, and anything by the Inklings (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, etc.) Poetry : George Herber...

Here are the most recent reports of persecution against Christians around the world, as compiled by one of the elders at our church:  Pakistan, Feb 25. Christian family's ancestral home was allegedly taken over by a Muslim lawyer who accused the homeowner of blasphemy. Churches have been attacked, homes burned by mobs, and individuals imprisoned or killed following accusations under Pakistan's blasphemy laws.  Ukraine, Feb 24. Protestant congregations in Ukraine have been particularly targeted with raids, closures, and intimidation, with Moscow aggressively seeking to reshape the religious landscape to serve its political and military objectives.  Iran, Feb 23. A sharp rise in arrests and mistreatment of Christians in Iran, particularly converts, accusing the Islamic Republic of increasingly using national security laws to suppress religious dissent.  Uganda, Feb 23. A 33-year-old man in eastern Uganda was allegedly killed by his Muslim father after converting to...

I've enjoyed reading and pondering these two poems by the Irish poet, William Butler Yeats (1865--1939) ...  THE VALLEY OF THE BLACK PIG The dews drop slowly and dreams gather: unknown spears  Suddenly hurtle before my dream-awakened eyes,  And then the clash of fallen horsemen and the cries  Of unknown perishing armies beat about my ears.  We who still labour by the cromlech on the shore,  The grey cairn on the hill, when day sinks drowned in dew,  Being weary of the world's empires, bow down to you,  Master of the still stars and of the flaming door. Here is a brief analysis .  THE LOVER TELLS OF THE ROSE IN HIS HEART  All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old,  The cry of a child by the roadway, the creak of a lumbering cart,  The heavy steps of the ploughman, splashing the wintry mould,  Are wronging your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart.  The wrong of unshapely things is a wro...

It was the spring of 1970 and the war in Vietnam was in full swing, as were the protests around the country.   In April of that year, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces expanded military operations into Cambodia, and students on campuses across our nation erupted in protest. On May 4, the Ohio National Guard, called out to disperse a crowd on the Kent State University campus, opened fire upon the student gathering, killing four and wounding nine. Campus protests across the country responded with more violence.  It was a serious and intense time. Young people were being killed both in the jungles of Vietnam and on American campuses.  At Virginia Tech, an academic building, Williams Hall, was occupied by protestors. I was there, and I was supportive, though I was not in the building at the time the arrests were made. When the police arrived (in full riot gear) I was at the front door of the building and was told to move, which I did not do. An officer got behind me and w...

"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body." (Hebrews 13:3 ESV) Persecution report, update: November 22, 2025. Prepared by Chris Faith.  Nigeria, Nov 20, yesterday morning, fifty-two Catholic school students were kidnapped by armed terrorists. Just this Wednesday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, killing at least two people and abducting the pastor and 38 worshippers, over 50,000 believers have been martyred, and millions displaces since the violence began.  India, Oct 23, a group of about ten people reportedly violently assaulted a bus carrying missionaries. Eight police officers stood by, doing nothing. They have been suspended.  UK, Nov 18, Britain's highest court has ruled that current Christian religious education in Northern Ireland's state schools is unlawful because it "breaches" children's human rights.  India, Nov 18, several advocacy organizatio...