2021)

Happy Friday, friends! I’m back with a few tasty treats for your end-of-the-week enjoyment. And hey, not just videos, how ’bout that! Here we go!

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Back in May, Kevin DeYoung wrote this thoughtful piece about complementarianism. I don’t think I’ve shared it before, but it’s worth a look if you haven’t read it yet.

Last summer, Jack Butler wrote about the 10-year anniversary of the LOST finale. He’s right: it was better than a lot of people give it credit for.

Last year, Tim Challies shared some really funny “bad reviews” of really good books. It’s always a good reminder to me to take online ratings with a grain (or tablespoon) of salt.

Garrett O’Hara over at Things Above Us does yeoman’s work in examining the recent accusations that Voddie Baucham misrepresented quotes and sources in his most recent book, Fault Lines. I appreciate Garrett’s down-the-middle approach, as opposed to the team-based point-scoring that’s been going on from both sides of this issue.

With his usual rhetorical insight, Carl Trueman cuts right to the heart of Joshua Harris’ most recent venture: making people’s religious “deconstruction” journeys all about…Joshua Harris.

Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman channel the Rolling Stones a bit by reminding us that we don’t get the church what we want… but we get the church we need. (Ooooooh, yay-yeah.)

Back at the end of June, Rod Dreher talked to a couple of anonymous professionals about working inside a “woke” corporation. Some interesting observations here. (Gotta admit, some of this feels very familiar.)

From last May, a tribute by Andrew Donaldson at OT about why Chick-Fil-A seems to be so successful, even in hard times: it’s about treating people like people.

This post, reflecting on one of the stories of 9/11 twenty years later, is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but it’s a worthwhile read.

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And now, because I know you love it (I do, too!): The video round-up!

(Minor note: Some of these may have some inappropriate language; I honestly don’t remember. I don’t typically like to share clips with a lot of profanity, so I doubt I would have saved these links if there were a lot here. But I can’t recall for sure, so use your judgment and your headphones, just in case.)

I found out about “blaseball” a few weeks ago, and I’m intrigued and bewildered–in a really good way.

This video blew my mind a bit: how Jon Favreau’s indie gem Chef is really about…Iron Man?

I am become a fan of the channel “Full-Fat Videos.” I think they do great work there, and this video about Doctor Who and the introduction of the Eleventh Doctor is bang-on.

And finally, a clip from France’s version of The Voice.

A bit of explanation: I’ve become a fan of watching clips from all versions of The Voice, including all the international versions. I’m a sucker for it. I really tear up when the friends and family members of the performers start crying when their loved one gets a chair to turn during the audition. Ugh. Kills me. Anyway, this song popped up on a few different playlists, and I was mesmerized. It’s a beautiful track that carries a lot of emotion. In the clip, you see that the bald judge (Pascal Obispo) is moved to tears. As it happens, it’s *his* song, a song that became an unexpected hit in France and one that carries a lot of importance for him. The lyrics of the song talk about the passage of time and ephemeral nature of love, and the name “Lucie” happens to be the name of his beloved grandmother (though, from what I read, the original version of the song had a different name before he was presented with it). Anyway, you don’t need to know all that to get the vibe. This is a beautiful track, and I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy.

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That’s it. Happy weekend, everyone!

Friday MegaFeed (12/4/2020)

Photo by Athena on Pexels.com – Not my actual desktop!

Happy Friday, friends, and Happy December!

I got a little backed up on my posting, so today, let’s just knock out some of my “Friday Feed” backlog, huh? Here are a bunch of links I’ve been compiling over the last few months that I’ve been meaning to serve up for your weekend edu-tainment and encouragement. I think they’re pretty neat. Hope you do, too!

Let’s gooooooooooooo!

Back in October, Jack Butler at the National Review looked at how 1984 and Brave New World both pointed to a similar possible future for our culture.
Speaking of which: Denny Burk addresses the semi-recent “2+2=5” discussion.
Jaybird at Ordinary Times posits what a “dystopian leftist culture” would be like. (It’s not what you’re thinking, and it’s MUCH closer to reality if you’re on social media much these days.)
I’ll go out on this limb with Youtuber “Second Chance”: Josie and the Pussycats was a fantastic and misunderstood film. SC gives you a 30-minute breakdown as to why.
Breaking news from the Department of Obvious Things: I’m pretty hyped about Seth Godin’s new book.
Speaking of Seth: here’s a helpful reminder that we like what we choose to like.
The eloquent Samuel Sey asks, “Are women too weak to overcome adversity?” His answer should be obvious, but it’s his application that really sings.
My dude Michael Coughlin brings conviction about keeping your word and not using God’s sovereignty as a backdoor escape hatch in this excellent TAU piece.
Here’s an excellent critical review of White Fragility by Denny Burk.
Kevin DeYoung considers the question of preaching without notes. As a recently-converted “manuscript guy,” I can see both sides of the issue. Personally, I’m going to stick to manuscripting and just work on my delivery when I have the opportunity.
This video by Youtuber “Savage Books” provides really insightful analysis of how the writer of John Wick used dialogue to establish his terrifying protagonist. (Strong language warning.)
KC Proctor has some really important reminders for maintaining your mental and professional well-being if you get laid off.
Back in March, Caleb Morell at 9 Marks gave some historical context about how churches responded to the Spanish Flu of 1918. Given how much things have morphed from March to December of 2020, this article may not be 100% applicable anymore, but we can use it as a datapoint for fleshing out our thinking, can’t we?
Also back in March, Darryl Dash gave these exhortations to both pastors and parishoners about this challenging season. They still apply. (And I’ll co-sign his recommendation of Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly.)
I found this Tim Challies article from August in my link folder, and my heart just ached for him anew. (For those who don’t know, the Challies’ son Nick, whom Tim mentions dropping off at school in the post, died suddenly a month ago of an undiagnosed heart condition [if memory serves].) If you haven’t read Tim Challies’ blog before, or haven’t read it lately, take some time to read through the posts related to Nick’s death. The reason I suggest this isn’t morbid curiosity or tacky onlooking, but to point you to Tim’s living example of how a rock-solid conviction of Biblical truth is an undeniable comfort and aid in even the darkest valleys of suffering. I can’t imagine what Tim and Aileen are going through–I shudder to even attempt such a mental exercise. But when I see them fighting tooth-and-claw to hold onto hope in the midst of such a tragedy, I can’t help but praise God for His mercy and comfort in our times of greatest need.

That’s all I have at the moment. Have a great weekend, my friends. See you back here next week!

Booktober 9th: “The Good News We Almost Forgot” by Kevin DeYoung

[This is Day 9 of #Booktober! Stay tuned for more recommendations!]

What It Is: An approachable explanation of the Heidelburg Catechism, broken down into 52 weekly readings, with a few pages of commentary and application for each section.

Why You Should Read It: Growing up as a Southern Baptist, we didn’t use creeds or confessions for spiritual education. If anything, such things were distrusted as being too “high-church” and formalized. However, I’ve learned in my adult years the great benefits from a good catechism for both instructing and encouraging believers in the core truths of the faith. When I first read this book years ago, I was unfamiliar with the Heidelburg, but DeYoung’s friendly and inviting tone in this book drew me in and helped me to appreciate the value of this 16th document. This book would be great for personal or family devotions and would be a benefit to any believer, regardless of denominational background.