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Writing
    Not in Vain: 1 Corinthians Devotional
    Explore Lamentations
    eBook: Good News People
    eBook: Filtered Grace
    Gospel Coalition Articles
    Church Society Articles
    Threads Articles
    Explore Ecclesiastes
    Explore Galatians
    Evangelicals Now Articles
Book Reviews
Interviews
Join Us
  • Writing
    • Not in Vain: 1 Corinthians Devotional
    • Explore Lamentations
    • eBook: Good News People
    • eBook: Filtered Grace
    • Gospel Coalition Articles
    • Church Society Articles
    • Threads Articles
    • Explore Ecclesiastes
    • Explore Galatians
    • Evangelicals Now Articles
  • Book Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Join Us
That Happy Certainty - Gospel | Culture | Planting
Refill

The Sunday Refill – 7 Links for Your Weekend (29/1/23)

Seven up…

1) Jonathan Ogden – Worship Music Session – A friend first got me onto Jonathan Ogden’s keyboard and vocal worship sessions during the first lockdown. Through many a midnight hour bouncing a baby to sleep did I appreciate his beautiful music as he blends from one song to the next. I recently spotted he’d recorded a ‘new year’ session and it’s been a joy to listen along and have it as a soundtrack for the various routines and rhythms of daily life. Check him out…

2) Response to Sandi Toksvig’s Secular Sermon to Archbishop Justin Welby – The intro to this video explains the background, but after last summer’s Lambeth Conference, the writer/comedian/broadcaster Toksvig challenged the Archbishop of Canterbury to go for coffee and talk more about their divergent views – particularly around sexuality. That ‘coffee’ has finally happened, and Toksvig shared a short video of her reflections. Glen Scrivener in turn perceptively reflects on her video and considers what it might tell us about some of the different worldviews and where the logic of this ‘public debate’ might be a bit out of step with God’s intention for the Church. Relatedly, the Church of England Evangelical Council recently shared their formal response to the C of E House of Bishops’ proposals and subsequent public communications around marriage and sexuality, which shows some of the profound concerns with the proposals and the seriousness of the situation facing the Church of England.

3) Find Productivity Tools Fast – This is a great collection of tools! Perhaps there’s something you’d find handy here?

4) A Poet for ‘Bruised Evangelicals’ – Have you come across Malcolm Guite? If not, get to know his work. He had me at ‘to write intensely and to live joyfully’. Ah, yes! Little Cumbrian anecdote: my Bishop had asked Mr Guite to speak at a retreat for clergy in our Diocese, but we’d just had our baby, so I couldn’t go. Maybe some other time. I loved this: “I belong to this tribe of story keepers and believers who have this gospel—[who are] in the teeth of the resistance of a secular society that thinks they’re done. So I wrote these sonnets not to be self-expressive but to give beautiful, memorable voice to the story of my tribe.”

5) The Subversive Ordinariness of ‘Andor’ and ‘The Chosen’ – After hearing so many plaudits, we’ve just started Star Wars miniseries Andor – and this has only whetted my appetite for following along. Interesting comparison with the hugely popular TV series based on the gospels, ‘The Chosen’.

6) Put Not Your Trust in ChatGPT, for Now – Everyone’s talking about Artificial Intelligence, and particularly the likes of ChatGPT. If you want to find out more or reflect a bit deeper, then check this out. This reflection from LICC is also worth a read.

7) Popcorn Guy – For something a bit different, you gotta appreciate this guy’s sheer joy and delight in his work.

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January 29, 2023by Robin Ham
Refill

The Sunday Refill – 7 Links for Your Weekend (22/1/23)

Seven up…

1) What are the bishops saying and doing in response to the end of LLF? – Ian Paul examines the House of Bishop’s statement and prayers as part of their conclusions in the Living in Love & Faith project.

2) The Gospel in Wingfeather – We’re loving Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather books before bed in our household. This is a great reflection on the way in which they tell ‘the better story’…

3) To the Bored All Things Are Boring – Fascinating piece.

4) He Has Time – Jamie MacDonald – Trigger warning: sexual abuse. This is a stunning song that addresses sexual abuse through the lens of faith.

5) UK Church Decline and Progressive Ideology – This came across my path this week, even though it was first published in May 2022.

6) A Tale of Two Privileges: or, the Existential Choice for the Church of England – Joshua Penduck offers a witty but telling reposte to the situation facing the Church of England.

7) Chili Klaus & Boys Choir On Fire 🔥 – For something a bit different, this will transform your carol services next year… keep watching!

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January 22, 2023by Robin Ham
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The Sunday Refill – 7 Links for Your Weekend (2/10/22)

Seven up…

1) Celebrating the life of Brother Andrew (1928-2022) – Brother Andrew, best known as ‘God’s Smuggler’, also the name of his incredible biography, has died aged 94. He founded Open Doors and they testify to God’s work in his amazing life here.

2) ‘Who Am I?’ Faith in Kids material – “Our confused culture is asking children to create their own answers to that question. This pressure to decide everything for themselves robs them of the secure identity that God has given them.” The YouTube teaser looks fab, but the material itself is immense. This 7-week suite of resources helps open up positive conversations with families – study notes, all age talks, activities, visuals, questions and parents handouts to help church communities take on their kids’ biggest questions.

3) BeReal: Authenticity in the Social Media Age – Liam Thatcher reflects on the significance of this popular new photo app offering the chance to ‘BeReal’.

4) Living for Jesus at work – This collection of advice, wisdom & guidance looks like a really helpful resource from Evangelical Alliance, seeking to equip people to live out their Christian faith in their workplaces.

5) Managing Complex Change – I don’t know where this has come from this, but this shows the power of a good diagram to communicate. What is needed to manage complex change – and what happens when one element of the process is missing?

6) Top 5 Heresies Among American Evangelicals – The State of Theology report by Ligonier Ministries has some fascinating findings from a US audience. The write-up from Christianity Today above notes some of the most significant data.

7) Superman Cyclist – For something a bit different, Italian cyclist Michael Guerra’s application of physics and aerodynamics is pretty nuts…

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October 2, 2022by Robin Ham
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About Me

 

Hello, my name is Robin. Welcome to That Happy Certainty, where I write and collate on Christianity, culture, and ministry. I’m based in Barrow-in-Furness in South Cumbria, England, where I serve a church family called St Paul’s Barrow, recently merged together from two existing churches, St Paul’s Church and Grace Church Barrow.

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“If we could be fully persuaded that we are in the good grace of God, that our sins are forgiven, that we have the Spirit of Christ, that we are the beloved children of God, we would be ever so happy and grateful to God. But because we often fear and doubt we cannot come to that happy certainty.”
- Martin Luther

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