Category: potpourri

A plethora of potpourri items from around the web for your edification and amusement.

Housewife Aimee Byrd (The Housewife Theologian) discusses the new Carlton Pearson movie Come Sunday personally and theologically in her piece The Gospel of Inclusion.

As my friend Greg said, “This is how to show appreciation and express criticism in the same article. Well said!”
What Would Jesus Say About Bishop Curry’s Royal Wedding Sermon? – Garrett Kell

Today Bishop Michael Curry gave a powerful sermon at the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Princess Meghan. If you have not heard it, listen here or read the transcript.

Have you considered the Cross? The resurrection? Me too. All the time. But have you considered the Ascension? /crickets/ Nope, me either. Here in his essay at Reformation 21 called Ascension Matters, Tom Bertolet discusses it, and it’s good.

Justin McKitterick at The Expositors Blog reminds- Pastors, We Are Shepherds.

Dallas Holm has thoughts about what is perhaps the overlooked Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit in his essay Understanding the Holy Spirit

Kress Biblical Resources: is dedicated to helping those who study the Scriptures find the resources that will help them understand, apply, and proclaim the Word of God. timely, clear, and doctrinally sound books and resources for pastors and Bible students. Our authors are approved workmen, not celebrities. Our books are designed to stand the test of exegesis, not chase after every new wind of doctrine. Kress began in 2002 to provide solid, biblical resources for those who have set their hearts to study God’s Word, to practice it, and to teach it. Seeing a growing trend in unsound and insubstantial materials, even in books meant for pastoral preparation, Eric Kress, a former pastor himself and a Master’s Seminary graduate, set out to reprint previously published books that would be of help to the expositor and Bible student, and to develop new resources that rightly divide the Word of truth.

Carrie at Carrie’s Busy Nothings recommends two books in her ongoing series What’s On My Nightstand. Ahhh, summer reads.

At Delivered By Grace, in this short video Weekend Spotlight, Josh Buice, Steven Lawson, Tim Challies, and Phil Johnson talk about missions and how it’s the responsibility of the local church.

Santa Fe Texas High School shooter’s family puzzled by attack
10 died inside the high school, two teachers and 8 students

A movie review of Tully by World, and also Common Sense Media, that might not be to everyone’s taste but I include it because the depression moms of newborns feel (not postpartum) about the sameness and mundanity of motherhood isn’t often explored. World “reports the news from a Christian worldview: interpreting world events under the reality of the Christian faith”.

You might want to know of Ted Baehr and his page that reviews movies and TV shows from a Christian point of view. Common Sense Media is common sense but not an explicitly Christian site. Baehr is Founder and Publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®:  The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment and Chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission® ministry. His review of Tully is here. All reviews detail what might be objectionable, so I leave it to you.

Country Life UK has a pleasant article about Jackdaws and while you’re there take a gander at the real estate section, estates and castles for sale.

Victoria Elizabeth Barnes is a hoarder of Giant Fancy Things, and sees a mirror that is in Philadelphia. Only problem is, she’s in New Mexico…

Julie Ann Baumer writes (very well I might add) of Lawn Chair Season. This is an important season when you live in Maine.

As for me, I have one week of school left then I’m sprung for my own lawn chair season. I am hoping to snag the following items at my favorite deep-discount vintage store. There’s also a glider, I’ll take a look at it. Both might be snatched up before I can get there, but that is the way of things.

Also this sweet, sweet mid-century teapot. The prices on the items are what were on for the estate sale, the prices are always lower at the store they wind up in by the purchaser of the estate.

And this, this is the reason I’ve been haunting the vintage store for two years. I am in search of a little, round teapot with white background and flowers motif. It doesn’t even have to be excessively vintage. And here it is. I knew it’d show up eventually!

And if the price is right, this little mid-century teacup wouldn’t hurt, either:

A selection of links I’ve come across that you might find edifying, interesting, or amusing!

Rachelle Cox at Each Passing Phase wrote about Getting Real About Women’s Discipleship.

In his book Discipling, author Mark Dever offers a to-the-point definition of discipleship as “helping others follow Jesus”. This doesn’t seem to be the definition many women are applying in their personal lives. If Instagram is any clue, most Christian women think discipleship is limited to hosting thoughtfully curated Bible studies in tasteful homes where shrieking children and dirty dishes don’t exist. This glossy ideal sits like a yoke on many women’s shoulders rather than spurring them onward in Christ’s Great Commission.

From The Master’s Seminary we read How to Revive a Lifeless Prayer Time

I want to share with you ten practical ideas to stimulate our times in prayer. If we are honest, most admit that a consistent life of prayer can be a struggle to sustain. But it need not be that way since prayer is truly a vital aspect of our walk of faith.

From Christian Book Shop Talk On the Smell of Books, and Bookstores

If you’ve been in this business for awhile, you know there’s nothing like walking into a bookstore or book warehouse and breathing in the smell of books. Perhaps you’re one of the people who cracks open a recent arrival to the middle page and inhales deeply.

Founder’s Ministries writes about Fear and the Christian

Fear is a natural emotion common to all human beings, and it is neither inherently sinful or godly. Our fears are often connected to the things we love the most. We may fear losing something or someone we love. Or we might fear that we will fail to obtain something we desire. We may fear offending one we love. Or perhaps we feel a reverential fear of something or someone we admire. The cause of our fears is often the love or admiration of some created thing or of God Himself.

Christa Threlfall at Brown Sugar Toast writes about Sacrificing Holiness for Authenticity

It was Saturday morning. Driving home from an early morning run, I stopped by a yard sale and snagged the classic game of Battleship for the low, low price of $1. I had fond memories of playing this game in elementary school and looked forward to wowing my family with my incredible skills. Only that’s not quite what happened.

Nicholas T. Batzing at Feeding on Christ reminds us that when speaking of Jesus’ Church we speak of His Bride in this piece, When speaking about Jesus’ Bride

The visible church–in whatever shapes or forms it may take–is the bride of Christ. We must resist the urge to speak critically of her without giving her the requisite love and care that Jesus wants us to give those for whom he has shed his precious blood.

GotQuestions isn’t a static repository of articles. The authors there constantly publish new ones. Here’s a new article, answering the question, What does it mean that “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)?

What does it mean that “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)? How can I come to the point that I consider dying to be gain?

History:

Female Librarians on Horseback Delivering Books, ca. 1930s

In the 1930s, many people living in isolated communities had very little access to jobs, let alone a good education for their children. In Kentucky, they had isolated mountain communities which could only get their books and reading material from one source… librarians on horseback.

Photography:

Photos taken by helicopter reveal stunning symmetry of airports

I hope you all have had a really good week. We started school on July 31 and this is the first week I feel like I’ve got a handle on things, lol. My body has gotten used to the pace. I went from nearly 0 during summer to 1000 mph in one day and it doesn’t let up. I love it though. The kids make me laugh every day. I listen to their little conversations, like, is DC comics or Marvel better? Is there anybody who likes Aquaman? Who is going to live longer, Jesus or Santa Claus?

With school starting again church is also getting busier. Groups, Fellowship, discipling, all gearing up and getting busier. A large demographic of our church membership is college students (Univ. GA) and they have returned from their summer breaks, internships, and travels and missions abroad. I love being busy. I also look forward to the day when my glorified body will never be tired and the work I do will never have impure motivations or blots of sin associated with it.

With apologies to Do Not Be Surprised, who always does a popular news roundup on Fridays, here is Prata Potpourri. Sorry, Erin, this is just how the schedule fell this month! 🙂

Garret Kell muses on giving grace with our words, and writes about How and why to be encouraging:

Receiving the note led me to open up my Bible and dig around to see what the Lord says to us about encouragement. As I read passage after passage, I was struck by how vital this expression of love is for God’s people. In one sense, encouragement is like oxygen in the life of a church. It keeps hearts beating, minds clear, and hands inspired to serve.

Should kids be on a Bible reading Plan? David Murray thinks yes. He says that,

Of the books I’ve written, Exploring the Bible is the one I’m most excited about. My hope and dream is that through it many children will learn the holy life-long habit of daily Bible reading.”

Got to start somewhere, sometime, right? Check this out: Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids

Have you counseled someone, informally, trying to encourage them in their grief, depression, sadness? It’s hard to know what to say. Here, Suzanne Holland shares Three Things You’ll Never Hear Me Say in a Counseling Session and then shares things to say that might have more meaning and impact on the person instead.

When I write about a certain teacher’s lifestyle, their moral character, or their personal behavior, and I’m not talking about homosexuality or lesbianism, I often receive negative criticism for it. I’m told that I can’t or shouldn’t comment on their life, or their morals, only on their teaching. I always reply that BOTH life and doctrine are part of the assessment we make on whether a teacher’s life and doctrine is appropriate in which to participate. (11 Timothy 4:16).

Here, Tim Challies writes Why We Must Emphasize A Pastor’s Character Over His Skill.

The New Testament clearly, repeatedly, and unapologetically lays out the qualifications of a pastor. What is so remarkable yet so often overlooked is this: Pastors are called and qualified to their ministry not first through their raw talent, their finely-honed skill, or their great accomplishments, but through their godly character.

In other words, character counts.

The Thirsty Theologian has A Solar Saga. Loading up the family in the car and trundling off across America to see…what they would see!

As a person interested in science and science books. Gavin has some interesting thoughts in reviewing and discussing Carl Sagan’s book Contact. Reflections on Carl Sagan’s Contact.

Maine historian and writer Julie-Ann Baumer has some thoughts about a very good book set in Maine, about Maine people, by Louise Dickinson Rich, called The Peninsula.

The book, filled with wit and Down East humor, also has enough philosophy to lift one’s spirits during these dark days of August.

Dark, because when summer comes we often let our brain atrophy as we slow down and let things go!

Interior designer and general kook and hijinks coordinator Victoria Elizabeth Barnes has a thing lately about kitchens … kitchen sinks … and luxury kitchens. I’m just glad mine works.

Have a wonderful long weekend and an enjoyable week!