Ok, it’s been a while. One of those seasons I guess!

Seven up…

1) Keswick Convention Live – The Keswick Convention is back, and now all on one site. There are two more weeks to go, and so much of it can be streamed online for free, including the morning Bible readings at 11.15am-12.30, Monday to Friday, and the evening Celebrations at 7.30pm, Saturday to Friday.

2) God-given talent: Saka, Rashford and Sterling blaze a trail for black British Christians – Loved this profile piece in The Guardian.

3) Catch-up Ticket for the ‘Church as a Refuge’ online conference – Understanding abuses of power and control, creating safer church cultures, and healing trauma. Speakers: Dr Diane Langberg, Dr Phil Monroe, Dr Wade Mullen, Dr Lisa Oakley, Dr Heather Evans, Darby Strickland, and Mike Sloan.

4) Summer 2021 Worship Playlist – As compiled on Spotify by the team at Music Ministry UK, check out this list of new releases for you & your church.

5) Dear Jesus, My love life is cursed – I appreciated the honesty and beauty of this piece of reflective writing.

6) Pastor, You Probably Need To Quit – It’s been a hugely difficult eighteen months for most of us, and leading a church community is no exception. Maybe you’ve felt like quitting. Well, maybe there’s some healthy instinct in that response – and maybe there are some things we should consider quitting…

7) Perfect Family Roadtrip Listening: Smash Boom Best – For something a bit different, this is a fun podcast for listening to as a family: every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best.

Seven up…

1) A Place for God – I appreciated this free download of the opening chapter of Pete Nicholas’ new book seeking to navigate timeless questions for modern times. Tim Keller provides the foreword, which is a great read too.

2) Parents, We Get to Pray – So much well-worn wisdom in this from Kathleen Nielson.

3) Many Strategies Fail Because They’re Not Actually Strategies – Some helpful stuff here from HBR.

4) Sowing Truth and Trusting God – We plant, we water, we serve… this is an encouraging brief little video reflecting on a season of trial and change and God’s providence.

5) Ofsted Survey on Sexual Harassment in Schools – Concerning data in this report suggesting that sexual harassment has been entirely normalised in our schools. Huge questions about the narrative of sexual freedom here, as well as the impact of pornography. Is sexual fulfilment the key to human flourishing? Is freedom to express our desires a basic human right? Is porn really neutral? As Peter Lynas tweeted, ‘when stories clash in post-truth culture, it revers to a power grab’. Or, as Rachel Gardner put it, ‘Porn is what happens when a society hates women… hates sex, intimacy, children, stable relationships & a safe society.’

6) Humpback whale gulps and spits out Cape Cod lobsterman – What can I say? Jonah 2.0.

7) The greatest ever songs of the summer – ranked! – For something a bit different, we’re just about halfway through June so clearly it’s time to compile those summer playlists. Some strong choices here from The Guardian. What would you include?

Seven up…

1) Why did you first consider Christianity? That was the question posed to former atheist Brent Beshore by one of his atheist friends. And this was his response…

2) Five Ways to Survive & Thrive 2021 – I’ve registered for this CPAS June webinar on how to “use the summer season for restoration ahead of the autumn term”. Free and two different time slots for attending on 16 June. Why not join me?

3) Eating Out with your Kids when Hell is real – Maybe a clickbait-headline, but it references a common charge levelled against people of faith. How can Christians (or anyone else) believe that our eternal destinies are dependent upon personal choices in this life, and yet then not spent all their waking hours (and perhaps sleeping hours too) persuading people to make the right choice? How can we ever dine out, or watch movies, or… sleep?! But actually this is a question that every human faces every day…

4) Inseparably Together at the Friends Reunion – As the Friends ‘Reunion’ was broadcast last week, Jen Logan reflects on the phenomenon of the Friends concept.

5) A Few Thoughts On Writing – I enjoyed these pithy thoughts on writing in the current world.

6) Free Evangelism eBooks – Two brilliant books on sharing your faith currently available for free download: Firstly, Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in Our Own Land by Elliot Clark draws on Clark’s years of ministry in a Muslim-majority nation and guides us through 1 Peter offering striking insights for today. Secondly, Honest Evangelism by Rico Tice aims to excite and equip Christians to share their faith, even when its tough.

7) Cow in love with Accordion – For something a bit different, cow, forest, accordion. What’s not to love?