Seven up…

1) Ashers’ ‘Gay Cake’ Case – A huge ruling for free speech in the UK this week as the Supreme Court ruled that Ashers bakery’s refusal to make a cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage was not discriminatory. Stephen Kneale offers some helpful observations. Strikingly, the Peter Tatchell Foundation even commented approvingly of the importance of the ruling, whilst the Archbishop Cranmer blog wondered why the Church of England hadn’t. And BBC Home Editor, Mark Easton, made this rather alarming comment in conclusion to his report on the judgment: “But the concern here, I think, is what is going on inside the head of the shopkeeper? What is the real motivation? Is their refusal really about the message or could it actually be prejudice against the people who want that service? I think they’ll probably be some more cases on the same subject.”

2) ‘It’s nothing like a broken leg’: why I’m done with the mental health conversation – Eye-opening.

3) Not an Exact Science – Ray Evans offers leadership wisdom from Acts 15-16.

4) ‘The Day My Daughter Died’– To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, Heirs magazine published three ‘long form’ pieces written by editor Jonny Ivey, after Jonny and his wife Joanna recently lost their little girl, Edith, at thirty-five-weeks old. Devastating, yet hugely powerful words.

5) In Praise of Mediocrity – Mmmm. Good observations.

6) Not Without Hope – These reflections from Ali on parenting kids with special education needs are brilliant.

7) When Chris Rea Put an Egg in Bob Mortimer’s Bath – For something a bit different this week, this made my Friday night. (Ok, I know I did a comedy video last week, but this is gold). Oh, and if you haven’t come across Would I Lie to You?, the contestants need to decide whether the person has told the truth or told a lie.)

Seven up…

1) The Debt Saviours – The vision and work of Christians Against Poverty (CAP) seems to be remarkable both for being unashamed of their desire to see clients introduced to Jesus Christ, and for receiving significant national praise for their work from outside the Church. This week they were the subject of an hour long documentary on BBC2, which is striking in itself. We haven’t caught the show yet, but you can watch it on iPlayer above; I’m told it’s really positive. For an introduction to the work of CAP, visit their own site here.

2) Is this the solution to our missional challenge? Ian Paul reflects on data that suggests that most numerically growing churches share one thing in common. Can you guess what it is? And in light of that, Madeleine Davies at the Church Times covers the news about a forthcoming Church of England report exploring whether clergy are becoming burdened by unrealistic job specs.

3) How to show Christ to children? – Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it”. Faith in Kids, a brilliant resource site for children’s ministry, has made available this seminar audio and handout as a way to encourage and enthuse your Sunday School team, while explaining to them how to give children the best start in life.

4) Let Your Dream Small Group Die – The vision of Christian community can sound appealing and convincing in a sermon on Sunday, but when it translates to the up-close reality of your own ‘small group’ at church, it can feel very different. How do we grow meaningful Christian community amidst our own oddities and strangeness?

5) Responding to Kavanaugh – Ugh. To say this week it’s been disturbing to see the President of the USA mocking a woman who claims to have been a victim of sexual assault is an understatement. As Monica Hesse says in her harrowing Washington Post article, there are already a whole heap of reasons that make it hard for daughters to even speak up to their own fathers. Let’s not make it even harder. That’s why listening to Senator Ben Sasse’s 18-minute speech from the US Senate floor is well worth your time and so refreshing. Relatedly, I wrote ‘Why Me Too Has Helped Me To See’.

6) Are Ethics Non-Essential? – Hugely helpful post from Andrew Wilson responding to the trending idea that says if an issue isn’t featured in the historic Christian creeds, then it also shouldn’t be allowed to define orthodoxy or divide the church. The obvious example cited when this argument is made is of course Christian ethics. But is that right? Wilson shows the folly of cutting off ethics from orthodoxy, and in doing so refers to the writing of Alastair Roberts, who has produced an insightful booklet on this issue that can be downloaded for free here.

Seven up…

1) The Three Times of Year to Plan Christmas – I don’t mean to stress you out, but today is 1st October. Here’s Chris Green with some Christmas planning wisdom…

2) Tragedy, Sexuality & Speaking the Truth – Tragic circumstances which have been all over social media newsfeeds for the past fortnight, but Peter Ould calls for caution: “As we enter a crucial time in our denomination’s discussions in this area, we must make sure we do not weaponise our personal narratives and place emotion above truth.”

3) The Tiny Blond Bible Teacher Taking on the Evangelical Political Machine – Thank God for Beth Moore. And pray for America too.

4) ‘We are scared, but we have Jesus’: China and its war on Christianity – Good to see The Guardian covering the ‘tightening’ that’s going on across China at the moment. I’m told that the government are keen to remove large, publically-influential churches and thus make it harder for people to exercise any kind of religious practice outside of their official structures, these ‘legitimate’ forms of course inevitably involving a watering down of the gospel itself.

5) James Cary on the Resurrection, Bob Newhart-style – James Cary takes the wit that got him writing for Miranda & Milton Jones and applies it to John’s resurrection account, and quite frankly, you’ll probably never read the chapter the same way again.

6) Top 3 Life Lessons from 20 Years in Burundi – Love this from Simon Guillebaud. Live together gratefully.

7) Premier Digital Awards Shortlist 2018 – It’d be rude if I didn’t say ‘thank you’ to whoever it was that nominated me for one of these, but then there’s always the chance that it was my Dad. So, thanks Dad… Delighted to be amongst such esteemed company; some cracking resources and ministries shortlisted. And why not go vote for the excellent Go Chatter in the People’s Choice award?