Seven up…

1) Open or Shut? – In light of the Government’s decision to allow churches to remain open for public worship, if they so wish, it’s felt like the disagreement between Christians – and in particular church leaders – has been pretty intense and often ugly this week. Some of this was captured in this Christian Today article, along with the pastoral pressures being faced. Brett McCracken’s call to not let the Church be divided from May 2020 is worth another read. These suggestions for approaching the question are useful.

2) Be Kind! – The Comment Section by Sidewalk Prophets – Someone shared this with me. I’ve not heard much from this band before, but this is an encouraging listen on kindness, particularly when we’re all online more.

3) 7 Reasons Question Marks are More Productive than Exclamation Points in Evangelism – This is a super-short read, but there’s heaps of wisdom in it.

4) Faith and spirituality in the time of Covid – Always interesting to see how religious belief is being discussed in the media.

5) ‘Soul’ Is the Anti-Disney Disney Movie – We haven’t caught Soul yet, but I’m hearing lots of positive things. This is an intriguing take: “Life’s magic and meaning isn’t primarily found by looking within for a spark, talent, or passion that needs to be expressed. Instead, maybe it’s found by looking around us at the beauty of the world we’ve been given—and then looking up, with awe and gratitude, at the Giver.”

6) Liturgy for a Time of Widespread Suffering – I’ve sung the praises of Doug McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy before, but this is a free pdf download of a prayer to share and use at this time.

7) Every Podcast Ever – For something a bit different, I’m thinking of starting a podcast and this is my first draft. Jokes, this is actually the incredibly talented musician Jonathan Ogden having a bit of fun. If you listen to podcasts, then this will sound all too familiar. And if that wasn’t enough, this is Josh Berry on ‘People who receive the Oxford vaccine‘… no gags about the Durham vaccine please…

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So Merry Christmas and seven up…

1) What is God Saying Through 2020? – Andrew Wilson reflects on how the book of James might help us consider, in the providence of God, what 2020 was all about.

2) 2020: The Year For Good News – A headline that may surprise (as most good headlines do!), but I valued David Robertson’s perspective here.

3) The Queen gives us a model of how to talk about faith publicly – Some pertinent reflections on the Queen’s speech this year. Many have noted how Her Majesty has been increasingly open about her faith over the last decade or so – and some have suggested the fact she name-checks Jesus repeatedly makes 2020 perhaps her most evangelistic speech.

4) 20 Pieces of Goodness in 2020 Pop Culture – In the spirit of identifying God’s ‘common grace’ in the world around us (and not just in the Church), this is a fun and positive round-up of some 2020 pop culture ‘diamonds in the rough’, from films and TV shows to YouTube Clips and cultural trends.

5) News from RZIM – Sad and frustrating news coming out of RZIM, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, this past week or so. Seemingly new allegations made against renowned apologist Zacharias, who died in early 2020, emerged last year and a commissioned law firm have published an interim report on them, ahead of a fuller report in Jan/Feb 2021. This was accompanied by a statement from the Exec Committee of the RZIM Board of Directors, followed by internal calls for a radical reform of ‘governance, leadership and accountability’ within the organisation. I appreciated this interview with Dan Paterson, former head of RZIM Australia, and his call for truth, light and integrity, despite the fact some might say covering this up or downplaying it somehow ‘serves the gospel’.

6) ‘A Thrill of Hope’: Celebrating Christmas – Sure, the 25th has been and gone, but we’re still in the traditional twelve days – and anyway, ‘God with Us’ is for life, not just for Christmas, right? The opening five minutes or so of HTB’s Alternative Carols is especially delightful. All Souls offered this more classical affair. And this was our ‘Carols with a Twist’ – perfect for putting on in an evening whilst you write thank you cards or… un-decorate the tree!

7) Nazareth: A Hamilton Parody – Well done Simon Camilleri! Perfect for all lovers of the hit musical.

Last year I also produced a reflection tool called the Life Audit. I haven’t had time to update the dates for 2021, and I’m sure there would be some questions that would be useful to add in light of this past year, but you may still find it a helpful guide to ‘looking back’ and ‘looking forward’. It’s a series of worksheets to print off and ponder your way through, coffee and pen in hand. You can download it for free here.

And for a bit of festive cheer, click the image below to watch our Virtual Nativity – if they had Zoom two thousand years ago…

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Seven up…

1) ‘It brings cheer after a rubbish year’: Advent windows light up UK streets – Great to see this initiative get coverage in the national press.

2) Coronavirus vaccines and Christian ethics – I haven’t got to reading this article from Christian medical doctor and Professor Emeritus at UCL, John Wyatt, yet, but I’m told it’s a really stimulating read.

3) The sad irony of celebrity pastors – This is a perceptive and chilling piece in the US Spectator, the last paragraph perhaps especially prophetic: “I am not religious, so it is not my place to dictate to Christians what they should and should not believe. Still, if someone has a faith worth following, I feel that their beliefs should make me feel uncomfortable for not doing so. If they share 90 percent of my lifestyle and values, then there is nothing especially inspiring about them. Instead of making me want to become more like them, it looks very much as if they want to become more like me. That, sadly, appears to have been true of Lentz and his celebrity acquaintances.”

4) Roots of Jazz Christmas Special – If you’ve not come across RoJ, check this out! The group of musicians put on concert-style events where they explore the parallel stories of the history of jazz and the history of Christianity – it’s really quite unique. This is their Christmas special and it’s just brilliantly done. After a really tough year, the hunger for the hope of Christmas is greater than ever. Stick this on one evening, share it with your friends, and encourage your church to do the same and so share the joy of ‘God with us’ in the birth of Jesus Christ.

5) A Quarantine Christmas Kit – Christian childrens’ writer Sally Lloyd-Jones, author of The Jesus Storybook Bible, shares a treasure trove of online goodies to make the most of in this strangest of all Christmases.

6) Can we learn anything from 2020? – Glen and Paul from Speak Life react to Russell Brand’s thoughts on the continuation of Black Friday sales throughout a worldwide pandemic. Is Russell onto something? Can the world and the church learn something from 2020?

7) Most British Interview Ever – For something a bit different, CNN’s spontaneous interview with 91-year old Martin Kenyon, as he became one of the first people to receive a non-trial COVID vaccine, will bring a cheer to your day. For an Advent bonus, here’s the acapella group, Eclipse, performing their Christmas ‘Hamilton’ parody.

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