Seven up…

1) Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord) by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa – This new version of the 150th psalm is pretty special and has become a quick favourite in the Ham-mobile.

2) A Pastor Embraces Slowness – Cal Newport, author of Deep Work and Digital Minimalism, recently said that the people who contact him most about his writings are pastors! This is an interesting example that Cal shares of a Lutheran pastor called Amy.

3) Natasha’s Law Testimony – On 1st October ‘Natasha’s law’ came into effect requiring all food business’s to include full ingredients lists, after the tragic death of 15-year old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse after an allergic reaction to a sesame seed in a Pret baguette. This is a remarkable interview with Natasha’s father, Nadim Laperouse, who shares his honest and devastating account of losing his daughter and how this tragic event led him to share his daughter’s Christian faith. If you want to listen via Spotify instead of Apple Podcasts, click here.

4) What are the Chances? – This is brilliant! A three-minute video from Pete Snow and Ben Clube showcasing the fact that Jesus Christ fulfilled over 100 promises from the Jewish Bible. Download link is in the YouTube description.

5) To Be Heavenly Minded Is To Be *MORE* Earthly Good – Stirring stuff from Scott Sauls.

6) Autumn Music Ministry Playlist – Appreciate how Music Ministry UK collate new and popular songs being sung in churches and pop them all in one Spotify playlist.

7) Praise God for the Puffer Fish – For something a bit different, this is just stunning.

Seven up…

1) Twelve Ways Covid is Changing the Church – Peter Lynas from the Evangelical Alliance shares 12 observations as he’s spoken with church leaders and members over the past few months. You can also read these observations in a Twitter thread here. Helpful to share with leaders in your own church as a stimulant for discussion.

2) Moving Beyond Multicultural Church? – Interesting to read this interview with someone who has been appointed by a British church as their ‘Intercultural Worker’.

3) No Time to Die: A Double ‘0’ Triumph – Mark Greene at LICC offers a brief reflection on the new Bond film – although be warned, it contains one minor spoiler!

4) #LockdownDisciples – This is a snap research project undertaken in 2020 by Ian Jones from the Saltney St Peter Trust, focusing on the experiences of UK Christians during the first period of the Covid-19 pandemic. It focuses both on their inner journey with God and their outward expression of their Christian commitment. Framing this is the theory that times of sudden change are key formative points for Christian discipleship.

5) New Podcast: You’re Not Crazy – Gospel Sanity for Young Pastors – To be honest, you don’t need to be young – or even a pastor. This is refreshing stuff. ‘Pastor to pastors’ Ray Ortlund discusses with Sam Allberry what it means for our churches to embody ‘gospel culture’. And if that phrase raises an eyebrow – ‘don’t you mean gospel truth?’ – then perhaps this podcast is for you. I’ve been really enjoying its inspiring and enthusing tone.

6) Faith New Deal Pilot Fund – If you’re in the UK, this an interesting new fund set-up by the Government to strengthen engagement between national government, local government and faith groups.

7) Youth Pastors When Facebook Goes Down – For something a bit different, Facebook, Insta and Whatsapp all went down this week. This is a fun take…

Seven up…

1) After Withdrawal, Afghan Christians Still Need Your Prayers – Afghanistan might not be on our TV screens as much as last month, but let’s keep the country in our prayers, not least its Christian population who will be facing intense pressures. If you’re in the UK, also check out the Afghan Welcome site for serving those who have arrived in Britain.

2) New song from the Gray Havens – I’ve just finished reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader to our kids, so it was fun to see husband-wife duo, The Gray Havens, reference it in their new song, ‘Treading the Dawn’. If you’ve not heard of them, they’re well worth discovering. As big C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien fans (hence their name!), you might also enjoy listening to band member Dave Radford discussing Lewis’ “inconsolable longing” and the human homesickness for a place we’ve never been in Jonathan Rodgers’ Habit podcast here.

3) 15 Reasons Your Soul Needs Gathered Worship, Not Just a Livestream – These are sensitive matters, but Dane Ortlund is characteristically warm but unashamed in drawing out the tangible benefits of meeting together.

4) Do You Have a Well-Designed Organization? – From Harvard Business Review, this is actually the piece cited in the governance review for the CofE published this week.

5) What TV show Married at First Sight teaches us about Christian love – If you subscribe to That Happy Certainty, you may have seen the original of this last week. I’m grateful to Premier Christianity for republishing it on their website this week – with a bit of a clickbait title!

6) Five Sure-fire Ways to Read More Books – New term, new start. Some sage and sharp wisdom here.

7) That’s Amazing! – For something a bit different, a friend put me onto this YouTube channel. It’s a bit like the Dude Perfect trick shot phenomenon but pitched at slightly younger kids. Perfect family viewing to inspire you at breakfast ahead of a day off!

And for a bonus, check out this little fun short film, Mr Thankful, from Nate Morgan-Locke and the Speak Life team, to get people thinking about thankfulness as we come to Harvest.