Seven up…

1) The Fading of Forgiveness – “Our culture is losing the resources for forgiveness and reconciliation.” A long-form piece from Tim Keller, but so perceptive.

2) A Brief Theology of Periods – I love Rachel Jones’ writing – her book on having a quarter-life crisis, Is This It? was fab – and here she chats with Rebecca McLaughlin about her new book and another topic that (I think it’s fair to say) is rarely addressed, A Brief Theology of Periods (Yes, really). Jones puts forward a biblical perspective on menstruation, and weaves together wide-ranging reflections on the nature of our bodies, the passing of time, and the meaning of life.

3) Together – Music Ministry Conference Catch-Up – You can pay a fiver and get a ‘catch-up’ ticket for Music Ministry’s national conference with rich theology on ‘the joy of gathering as God’s people’ and ‘the presence of God as we gather’, as well as a whole range of practical and specific seminars.

4) 22 Lessons on Preaching – Love these from Dane Ortlund, author of Gentle and Lowly.

5) Remembering Marva Dawn, a Saint of Modern Worship – The name of Marva Dawn, whose recent death became public this week, may not be so well known to British ears, but her writing on worship and the Christian life leave a deep legacy. As well as the Christianity Today piece by Mike Cosper above, John Starke shares his reflections in this Twitter thread.

6) Meeting Kanishka Raffel – The Anglican Diocese of Sydney has just elected a former Buddhist as its new Archbishop, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald. The link above is Kanishka’s encouraging testimony in three and a half minutes.

7) Can’t-Stop-Watching-This – For something a bit different, how many times did you end up watching this?

Seven up…

1) One thing only: Why we love Line of Duty’s bent copper crusade – I enjoyed this Christian reflection on the appeal of Line of Duty as the nation prepares for the final episode of Season 6 this evening.

2) A World Without Email – Cal Newport’s book Deep Work has been very helpful. His latest book offers an arguably even more radical proposal, ‘A World Without Email’. Daniel Patterson reviews it here and highlights that Newport proposes some deeper questions: the nature of what are we here for. Thomas Kidd reviews it here too.

3) Brains, Bodies, and the Task of Discipleship: Re-Aligning Anthropology and Ministry – Hugely helpful and lengthy article from the latest edition of journal Themelios, engaging with the recent emphasis on rhythms and habits. Thanks Matthew Bingham.

4) The screen time conversation we SHOULD be having – Not sure how this dad would identify himself spiritually, but it’s an interesting article for all parents/guardians.

5) The Life and Legacy of John Stott – Simple video released by Langham Partnership that does exactly what it says on the tin on the centenary of the birth of John Stott. Also looking forward to catching up on this interview with John Wyatt, who knew Stott for over 40 years.

6) Praying for India – I found Pete Greig’s 4xP’s really helpful in praying for the situation in India: People suffering; Physicians; Politicians; Pastors/Priests.

7) Frank Skinner on Prayer – For something only a little bit different, fascinating to hear comedian and Roman Catholic, Frank Skinner, speak about prayer on the release of his new A Comedian’s Prayer Book. Relatedly, he also spoke to The Telegraph about how ‘it’s easier to come out as an alcoholic than a Christian’.

Seven up…

1) ‘The Crown’ Episode That Finds Faith in a Secular Age – No Refill last week, but if there was one I’d have posted both this fascinating episode of The Crown that explored Prince Philip’s faith, and this piece from Bishop Graham Tomlin in The Spectator: Prince Philip and the myth of stoicism.

2) Today is our 25th – I seem to always find Stephen McAlpine’s writing both stimulating and enjoyable. Here he reflects powerfully and poignantly on twenty-five years of marriage.

3) Let the Little Children Come to ‘Big Church’ – Lots of churches are returning to meeting physically, and yet exploring what children’s ministry looks like isn’t straight-forward, particularly with restrictions arguably unclear and team members shielding, etc. This is a great piece that urges us not to ‘rush back to Sunday school’, and enjoy and value children worshipping alongside adults.

4) John Stott listened and made the church relevant in the modern world – This Tuesday marks the centenary of the birth of John Stott. Great to see that acknowledged in The Times. A number of other events and resources can be found here.

5) The Long Obedience of Sunderland A.F.C. – ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ has been one of my favourite Netflix programmes of the past few years, and I’ve got precious memories of following the Black Cats seeming demise whilst trying to get a baby to sleep in the middle of the night. So I was delighted to see this USA-based Christ And Pop Culture article exploring its redemption theme, and riffing on Eugene Peterson along the way. I also love the fact that the author shares how he & his wife were not soccer fans before watching the show – and yet now they are!

6) Responding to Abuse – Some helpful articles as the evangelical world continues to come to terms with various cases of spiritual abuse. Chris Green reflects on whether we have a church subculture marked by fear, and Mark Meynell looks at how a temptation when abuse comes to light can be to ‘shoot the messenger’.

7) We’re So Sheepish – For something a bit different, so which sermon are you going to pop this video in as an illustration!? You’re welcome.