My friend Brian has recently launched a new blog about books, authors, and literature. He's widely read and has superb literary taste, so check it out when you can.

VOM, Sri Lanka:

On February 17, Pastor Neil Edirisinghe, of the House Church Foundation, was gunned down by two assailants outside his home in Ampara, Sri Lanka.

According to a report by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), "Pastor Edirisinghe was engaged in the Lord's ministry in Ampara for many years. The attackers also shot his wife in the stomach. At last report, she was in the hospital in critical condition. Their 2-year-old son who received a minor injury in the attack is also suffering from trauma."

NCEASL added that the motive for the attacks was believed to be in response to Pastor Edirisinghe's ministry. The Voice of the Martyrs is assisting the family during this difficult time. Pray for peace and comfort for Pastor Edirisinghe's family. Pray for a speedy recovery for his wife and child and for them to rely on the great Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

The Tolkien family is suing New Line Cinema over unpaid royalties from Lord of the Rings, which has grossed over 6 billion dollars worldwide. Ben Witherington has more details, along with some witty commentary:

Stay tuned for future episodes when we will no doubt hear about Gandalf the wizard lawyer who unties the gordian knot of the problem and returns the ring to its rightful owner, to thoroughly mix my metaphors.

VOM, Egypt:

An Egyptian court has recognized the faith of 12 converts to Christianity. The decision overturns a lower court ruling which said the state need not recognize conversions from Islam because it constituted "apostasy," an act often treated as a capital crime in the Muslim world. A lawyer for the 12 Coptic Christians described the case as a victory for human rights and freedom of religion that will open the door for hundreds of other Copts who want to return to their original faith from Islam. There is concern, however, over the ruling's mandate that the converts' former religion must be noted in their official documents, as this could leave them vulnerable to discrimination. Thank the Lord for this victory. Pray that these individuals will not be subject to further discrimination. Pray that those who were born into Muslim families and convert to Christianity will also have their conversions recognized by the Egyptian government.

Derek and Sandra just announced the pre-release of their first collaborative project: Ampersand EP. It's short, but it can't help but be good with this kind of talent behind it. These two know what they're doing when it comes to music.

N. T. Wright on heaven:

Our culture is very interested in life after death, but the New Testament is much more interested in what I've called the life after life after death — in the ultimate resurrection into the new heavens and the new Earth. Jesus' resurrection marks the beginning of a restoration that he will complete upon his return. Part of this will be the resurrection of all the dead, who will "awake," be embodied and participate in the renewal. John Polkinghorne, a physicist and a priest, has put it this way: "God will download our software onto his hardware until the time he gives us new hardware to run the software again for ourselves." That gets to two things nicely: that the period after death is a period when we are in God's presence but not active in our own bodies, and also that the more important transformation will be when we are again embodied and administering Christ's kingdom.

Read the whole thing.

(HT: evangelical outpost)

VOM, Philippines:

On January 15, Father Jesus Reynaldo Roda, a Catholic missionary with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, was murdered by a suspected Al-Qaeda related group of Islamic extremists in the chapel at Notre Dame in Mindanao, Philippines. The armed group forced its way into the chapel where Father Roda was praying. When he resisted their attempt to kidnap him, he was shot and killed. Pray Father Roda's colleagues will be strengthened by the courage and peace in Jesus Christ. Pray God raises others to continue Father Roda's work.

What bookshelves are for:

Bookshelves are not for displaying books you've read -- those books go in your office, or near your bed, or on your Facebook profile. Rather, the books on your shelves are there to convey the type of person you would like to be.

HT: evangelical outpost