An ordered list of World Cup teams I am pulling for this summer, to be updated as teams are eliminated.

USA plus two motherlands, along with nations in which people we love live or for whom players we admire play.

  • 🇺🇸 (16)
  • ~~🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (4) ~~
  • 🇩🇪 (32)
  • 🇸🇳 (32)
  • 🇭🇷 (32)
  • 🇰🇷 (Group Stage)

Reading St. Paul with Dylan, Screwtape, and the Didache (Proper 8 Sermon 2026)

I invite you to begin this sermon by closing your eyes, so that you can use your imagination to bring a scene to life. (If you are used to closing your eyes in the middle of a long sermon, then consider this invitation to do so right from the start a gift from me to you!) Here is the scene: You live on a small homestead right on the border of two competing Landlords.

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I understand what is and what is not at stake in this match. But I find myself squarely on the audere est facare end of the spectrum. So I say send Pulisic in and win the match for the glory of the game and the pride of the nation. 🇺🇸⚽️

My book, Rhythms of Habit: Cultivating Virtue Through Christian Time, is now available for pre-order! It is about virtues as moral muscles, habits as exercises for those muscles, and the church year as an annual prescription of habits to strengthen all the right virtues.

From a “history of ideas” perspective, the number of people who have stood within this frame and spoke words that have changed the way humans view the world is astounding.

The Agora, Areopagus, and Acropolis.

Just got word that the subtitle for Rhythms of Habit is being changed to Cultivating Virtue Through Christian Time. Grateful to have a sharp editor who helped improve the flow of the book and made this excellent suggestion. Pre-order in the weeks to come; more info about the book here.

Waking up at 4am in Greece to watch the USMNT after getting settled in our hotel at 1am has paid off. Watching alone, but with a beautiful sunrise approaching.

  • The own goal was forced by USA’s attacking pressure. Great confidence boost to see that play of early if match.
  • I am excited for what De Zerbi is doing as Tottenham’s manager, but my goodness I miss seeing Poch on the touchline.
  • Good creative freedom in the attack - key players given the green light to float and look for opportunities to exploit.
  • Ream and Richards solid first half holding the back line.
  • The weight on Pulisic’s pass for the second goal was as good as they get.
  • Some really great through balls in the first half.
  • Love the high press. Not leading to many turnovers yet but exactly what you want to see from a team playing in front of a home crowd with a lead.
  • Dest has complete control of the right wing in attack. Putting on a clinic.
  • Ream’s defensive header from his knees deserves a hat tip from all middle-aged men watching.
  • Criticism that “Balogun has great hold up play but can’t finish” was just smashed into the upper 90. Beautiful cut back and finish.

Worshiped in Italian at Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. Being in a Roman Catholic parish speaking a different tongue did not stop us from recognizing the liturgy and (almost) following along.

A family of five, including three children, is smiling and standing together in a cobblestone street, surrounded by buildings.

Proud of our family for completing the Sentiero Azzuro between Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza. Our kids were by far the youngest hikers out this morning, and powered through some pretty steep inclines.

Two people walking along a narrow path surrounded by lush greenery and hills.

An ordered list of World Cup teams I am pulling for this summer, to be updated as teams are eliminated.

The US of A plus two motherlands, along with nations in which people we love live or for whom players we admire play.

🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇩🇪 (32) 🇸🇳 🇭🇷 🇰🇷 (Group Stage)

Evening Prayer to kick off our Rhetoric School visit to Rome in the ruins of the youngest church we will visit throughout the trip.

San Nicola a Capo di Bove, dedicated in AD 1303.