From the reading chair: Genesis: Interpretation Commentary by Walter Brueggemann (this really is an exceptional book); The Incarnation: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Incarnation of the Son of God edited by Stephen T. Davis, Daniel Kendall and Gerald O’Collins; God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams by David F. Wells (this was a re-read for me and, for the most part, was almost as profitable as the first time ‘round way back in 1994); Love’s Endeavour, Love’s Expense: The Response of Being to the Love of God by William Hubert Vanstone; Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff; Incarnation Anyway: Arguments for Supralapsarian Christology by Edwin Chr Van Driel (I’ll post a review of this one in due course).

Through the iPod: In Our Bedroom After the War by Stars; Scratch My Back by Peter Gabriel; Another Sky by Altan; Hobo by Charlie Winston; Melodii Tuvi: Throat Songs and Folk Tunes from Tuva by Various Artists; Black Noise by Pantha Du Prince; Knee Deep in the North Sea by Portico Quartet; Albertine by Brooke Fraser; American Central Dust by Son Volt; Grace by The Soweto Gospel Choir; San Patricio by The Chieftains & Ry Cooder; A Young Person’s Guide To Kyle Bobby Dunn by Kyle Bobby Dunn.

On the screen: The Wire: Second Season; Marx Brothers – The Cocoanuts/Animal Crackers/Monkey Business/Horse Feathers/Duck Soup; Hancock’s Half Hour [Volume 1]

By the bottle: Highland Park 15 Year Old

Best books: Voicing Creation’s Praise, by Jeremy S. Begbie; Calvin: A Biography, by Bernard Cottret; Letters to New Pastors, by Michael Jinkins. (On Jinkins’ book: It’s been many moons since I read an entire book in a day, particularly in a day already replete with so many other commitments, but this one was impossible to put down. I think it’ll not be long before parts of it, at least, are revisited).

Best music: Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King [2009]; Krzysztof Penderecki, St Luke Passion (Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra); Guy Clark, Keepers.

Best films: In Search of a Midnight Kiss [2007]; Så som i himmelen [2004]

Best drink: Glenmorangie, 18 Years Old