The Sunday Refill – 7 Links for Your Weekend (22/11/20)

Seven up…

1) Wholeheartedness in Ministry: An Interview With Chuck DeGroat – I reviewed Chuck’s perceptive book on narcissism in the church a few months ago here. Part of his recommended ‘solution’ to a culture of narcissism is a culture of ‘wholeheartedness’ – this is a really nourishing 15 minute interview with Chuck where he unpacks that idea.

2) Christmas Music – On the look out for Christmas music to play in services or online events? EMU Music have have made their lyric videos downloadable here, including their new Christmas song, Maker, Made a Child. I love this delightful new song, ‘Comfort and Joy’, from Joyful Noise. These can also be downloaded at Music Ministry’s ‘Songs for Streaming’ section. The Church of England has also released over 70 hours of music, including carols, for services – see here.

3) Downloadable Kids Books Graphics from Good Book Company – This is fab. Free downloadable artwork of TGBC’s brilliant children’s books – perfect for retelling the stories online, etc – including Christmas-themed ones.

4) The Beautiful Story – This powerful thirty-minute video seeks to make a positive case for the ‘traditional’ sexual ethic, setting it within the wider narrative of the Bible. Produced by the Church of England Evangelical Council and full of personal testimony, it’s an engaging resource for churches as they take part in the C of E’s Living in Love & Faith listening project. Ian Paul explains why he likes the video here. Lee Gatiss also offers some initial reflections on the LLF material.

5) Life in the Shadow of Death – a conversation between John Lennox and John Wyatt – Internationally-renowned Professor John Lennox speaks honestly in this compelling conversation with his friend Professor John Wyatt, a medical expert, about the reality of death. They engage with the big questions about science, the pandemic, suffering and the case for hope in Jesus.

6) What the Original Really Means: An Exegetical Parody – Useful word for preachers. The original says…

7) The Thanksgiving Song – For something a bit different, this is a very cool music video and will give you a little glow amidst all the strangeness of lockdown life. And it that doesn’t do it for you, this is a Twitter thread about rhetorical devices in Taylor Swift lyrics…

Sharing is caring. Know someone who might find these links a blessing? Why not forward it on?