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.

Live From Rest:
Apple/Android
Free

Blaise Pascal famously said: ‘All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone’

Into this frantic and addictive restlessness, the Live from Rest app offers an invitation to the practice of Biblical meditation ‘rooted in the way of Jesus’. As the app slogan puts it: ‘In a world obsessed with doing, we are discovering the ancient art of being’.

In essence the app allows you to customise a range of spoken-word meditations, with a variety of themes, backing tracks and lengths. Father and son duo Steve and Joshua Luke Smith say they created the app because ‘they needed it’. Instinctively we can find ourselves busily rushing through life to get to rest, rather than living from rest. Their burden is to help Christians ‘find and maintain a place of peace’ by discovering the ‘rhythm of rest God always intended you to have’.

I’m sure Live from Rest offers something that many readers won’t be used to. Whilst the creators are unashamed about the ‘up front’ role Scripture plays in the meditations, it is intentionally not a ‘study-based’ approach to the Bible. Passages are read out in the context of a themed reflection, and then gently explored in dulcet tones, perhaps with calming synths or birdsong in the background.

Often the meditations will also reference breathing and body positions, with a recognition that we are embodied creatures. I know evangelical friends who have found this holistic focus both refreshing and rewarding. These are bitesize and accessible and could be done on a commute, a lunch-break, or while a toddler naps.

Steve Smith is a medical doctor specialising in addiction, and one of the strengths of the meditations is the collection on ‘freedom’. There are meditations on battling shame, pornography and lust, anger, and over-eating. These include prayers of confession and repentance; the language is often framed as choosing truth and ‘breaking agreement’ with lies.

A minor quibble was that once you download the app, you have to share your email address before you can access it. As someone keen to trial the app, this rather put me off and didn’t feel too restful a welcome!

A lot of wisdom, expertise and skill has gone into the app, and it is now all available for free. Pastorally, my instinct is that, as a part of someone’s devotional practice, Live from Rest will undoubtedly holistically enrich a Christian’s life.

The Live From Rest website is here.

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A version of this article was first published here in the May 2021 Issue of Evangelicals Now and is shared here with permission. EN is a monthly newspaper published in print and online, offering a biblical perspective on current issues and insight on what’s happening with God’s people worldwide. Online subscription is just £10 p/a with print & online combined for just £18. Order a free sample or subscribe here.

Happy Easter!

Seven up…

1) From the Empty Tomb to Today’s Abuse: Believe Women – This is apt and challenging from Amy Orr-Ewing. She has an especially striking quotation from Dorothy Sayers: “Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man—there never has been such another.”

2) At Home with the Gettys – Happily surprised to see this pop-up on iPlayer – and I looking forward to watching it over the weekend. Easter 2021 sees the 20th anniversary of the release of ‘In Christ Alone’, sung by over 100 million people across the globe every year (how do they work these things out?!). Fascinating to have the BBC Northern Ireland cameras follow Keith & Kristyn into their home.

3) ‘Spiritual but not religious’: the rise of consumerism in church – Interesting reflection in The Spectator, with James Mumford arguing that the plea to declare that Christianity is ‘not about being religious’ is misguided, and may even underplay the call to a ‘transformation’ that goes beyond the change we’d quite like. Stunning Easter weekend magazine cover too. A recent Guardian editorial also reflected on how things may look in the latest UK Census and notes that whilst it may be appropriate to consider the UK post-Christian, perhaps we’re also ‘post-secular’: “Congregations may have since thinned out, but spiritual hunger is part of the human condition. It will find other outlets and means of expression in the years to come.”

4) FREE – A fab little spoken word video for Easter from Dundonald Church.

5) The State of Evangelicalism – Mark Meynell has written a hugely stimulating and perceptive series of blog-posts about evangelicalism ‘from within’ over the last six months – and now you can read them all as part of an eBook for free.

6) Easter Message Without Words – Dunno if this is the original, but loved this powerful image. If you’d prefer something with a few words, I loved this short video of UK Member of Parliament, Tim Farron, share his story of how Easter Changed his life.

7) Dedicated churchgoer, 82, has dressed up in her Sunday best for 52 weeks of VIRTUAL church services – For something a bit different, I’m just glad my mother-in-law is getting the respect she deserves.