Seven up…

1) Advent Playlist – TGC have put together a fresh 100+ song playlist, as have EMU Music, perfect for putting on as the nights draw in. We made one to accompany our Advent devotional, which you can also find on Spotify here.

2) The Most Important Cultural Book of the Year (Maybe Even Decade) – Carl Trueman is an astute cultural commentator, and his new book on identity (and so much more besides) has been highly praised. Crossway have released the first two hours of the audiobook as a free podcast, so you can get a taste for it here.

3) Why Advent is a time to build on family traditions – This year of all years, we’ll be spending more of Advent in our homes. How can we create rhythms and traditions that captivate our hearts with Christ?

4) Faces, spaces, and Zoom fatigue: A theology of online youth work with Andy Root – Some interesting observations here that are worth reflecting on outside of youthwork.

5) Graveside – Philippa’s poetry and reflections are often beautiful and always poignant. This is no exception. Emma Scrivener has also penned this very helpful reminder that ‘Christmas is for Dark Times’.

6) Future of the Church of England – Significant debate occurred this week over the future of the Church of England. The new Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell presented a vision for the CofE in the 2020s at General Synod as being ‘Simpler, Humbler, Bolder’. I appreciated being part of some of the early consultation that into this re-envisioning. It’s worth saying that not all are excited about this, including Giles Fraser who raises some good points of perception.

7) Christmas Song – For something a bit different, this didn’t make many of the playlists, and they’re all the worse for it…

And if your little ones would like a bit of Advent fun, join Dr Luke for songs, challenges & a look at his account of Jesus’ birth…

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Seven up…

1) Wholeheartedness in Ministry: An Interview With Chuck DeGroat – I reviewed Chuck’s perceptive book on narcissism in the church a few months ago here. Part of his recommended ‘solution’ to a culture of narcissism is a culture of ‘wholeheartedness’ – this is a really nourishing 15 minute interview with Chuck where he unpacks that idea.

2) Christmas Music – On the look out for Christmas music to play in services or online events? EMU Music have have made their lyric videos downloadable here, including their new Christmas song, Maker, Made a Child. I love this delightful new song, ‘Comfort and Joy’, from Joyful Noise. These can also be downloaded at Music Ministry’s ‘Songs for Streaming’ section. The Church of England has also released over 70 hours of music, including carols, for services – see here.

3) Downloadable Kids Books Graphics from Good Book Company – This is fab. Free downloadable artwork of TGBC’s brilliant children’s books – perfect for retelling the stories online, etc – including Christmas-themed ones.

4) The Beautiful Story – This powerful thirty-minute video seeks to make a positive case for the ‘traditional’ sexual ethic, setting it within the wider narrative of the Bible. Produced by the Church of England Evangelical Council and full of personal testimony, it’s an engaging resource for churches as they take part in the C of E’s Living in Love & Faith listening project. Ian Paul explains why he likes the video here. Lee Gatiss also offers some initial reflections on the LLF material.

5) Life in the Shadow of Death – a conversation between John Lennox and John Wyatt – Internationally-renowned Professor John Lennox speaks honestly in this compelling conversation with his friend Professor John Wyatt, a medical expert, about the reality of death. They engage with the big questions about science, the pandemic, suffering and the case for hope in Jesus.

6) What the Original Really Means: An Exegetical Parody – Useful word for preachers. The original says…

7) The Thanksgiving Song – For something a bit different, this is a very cool music video and will give you a little glow amidst all the strangeness of lockdown life. And it that doesn’t do it for you, this is a Twitter thread about rhetorical devices in Taylor Swift lyrics…

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Seven up…

1) Spiritual Practices for Public Leadership – There’s so much in the air about toxic leadership at the moment, fuelled by horror stories both inside and outside the Church. I really appreciated this list of spiritual practices from Andy Crouch to ‘try to safeguard my life as a public person’. The goal is to be  an iceberg, with the bulk of my spiritual life below the surface, rather than simply showing an impressive ‘spiritualised’ veneer that lacks depth and reality.

2) Living in Love & Faith – The Church of England released it’s long-awaited and anticipated Living in Love & Faith resources this week, which look at forming a Christian approach to ‘matters of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage’, given our cultural context. Originally commissioned as a ‘teaching document’, the project has perhaps unsurprisingly evolved into a ‘Learning Hub’, containing a five-session video based course, podcasts, films, and an online library of resources. The 450-page accompanying book can be read here. A common line in reports this week has been that ‘it pleases no one’. Undoubtedly it’s an opportunity to listen, engage, and commend orthodox teaching where it occurs. As Bishop Jill Duff has noted, as we do so, we need to display the fruit of the spirit as we follow Jesus’ radical welcome and clear vision for human flourishing. The Church of England Evangelical Council have responded here, as has Andrew Goddard and Ian Paul.

3) The Spiritual Impact of Coronavirus on Older People – This is a helpful piece from Affinity with some clear application points.

4) Ballerina with Dementia Listens to Swan Lake – This video of Marta C Gonzalez has gone viral this week, and it’s not hard to see why. Although the former ballerina died in 2019, a Spanish charity shared the video to show the way in which music can make an impact on those suffering from Alzheimers. There’s some confusion as to who Gonzalez was, and whether she was part of the New York Ballet herself, but either way this is hugely moving. As Ray Ortlund put it, ‘Beauty refuses to die. Beauty demands to live forever. It keeps showing up. It always will. Thanks to the risen Jesus.’

5) New Podcast: Emblems of the Infinite King – Enter the Knowledge of the Living God – This new podcast looks really interesting – an imaginative audio journey to discover afresh God’s radiant beauty through the main categories of systematic theology: God, humanity, sin, Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, the church, and the last things, aimed at young and old alike.

6) The Hidden Discipline of John Stott – Wow, this is a fascinating insight into the rhythms and habits of one of the most influential Christian leaders of a generation.

7) How Ikea Was Invented – For something a bit different, this is probably pretty similar to your ministry team meetings, right?!

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