The Sunday Refill (18/8/24)

It's been a while - so who knows whether this is a one-off or the start of a resurgence! But here's 'seven up'...

1) Letter to the Olympians - Rev Ashley Null, chaplain to elite athletes such as Olympian swimmer Adam Peaty, writes a letter to Christian Olympians, on how they can find joy amid the 'four funerals and a wedding' of 'the games'.

2) Are smartphones really destroying the mental health of a generation? - Glynn Harrison engages with Jonathan Haidt's popular book, The Anxious Generation, on the impact of smartphone usage on young people. Here's the key quote from Glynn: 'Children have a better chance of developing resilience in the use of social media when their mental life is organised around confident participation in a story greater than themselves, rather than headed down the psychological cul-de-sac of self-esteem and self-fulfilment.' Also, Robin Barfield reviews Haidt's book, alongside another by Peter Etchells, and calls for more nuance here.

3) If Christ is Mine - This is one of my favourite songs at the moment, which has a large part to do with enjoying belting it out at the Keswick Convention this summer, led by the Joyful Noise collective. As Joyful Noise put it, the song 'celebrates the sufficiency of Christ for the believer. We are united with him in all his fullness – all of Christ is all of ours. He is enough.' You can find all the lyrics, sheet music, and more here.

4) What Happened to FOMO? - This is fascinating. What if we now fear taking part more than we fear missing out?

5) Keswick Lecture 2024 - Eric Liddell: Safe to Serve (by Graham Daniels) - Whether or not you like sport, this is a super inspiring and encouraging presentation from Graham Daniels, General Director of Christians in Sport.

6) The Seven Types of Rest - Many of us will be/have been hoping for some measure of rest this summer. This is an interesting TED talk reflection on rest.

7) Your Body's Updated Terms of Service - For something a bit different, this is painfully funny - and as the big 4-0 comes into view, I think I'm beginning to identify with this all the more!

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