Fascinating Finds
fascinating Finds
Discover Something New & Inspiring
This will be a place where we can share articles, videos, and podcasts that we think are fascinating and worth your time to check out. Sharing something here does not mean that we are 100% in agreement with what we share. It is not necessarily an endorsement of the source. If something is shared here, it means that we think it is worthwhile for Christians to read, watch, or listen to.
Ornament Between Work and Rest by Dr. John Ahern (Listen) - This is one of the presentations I heard in Birmingham this week. It was fantastic. It is worth your time as you contemplate what it means to pursue beauty in our lives.
The darkest of dark ages It seems clear that infanticide is the wave of the future in the West by Carl Trueman Trueman is always worth reading.
An Outsider Explains Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans & Evangelicals | Matt Whitman This is an excellent On the Line Episode. It is long, but is worthing listening to even if it is over several days.
Why Did God Give Us Mosaics? by Tim Challies Short and beautiful.
Lost in Error's Maze - This is short and very helpful. Here's a summary from the LCMS website: Through its Created Male and Female Task Force, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod offers a guide titled “Lost in Error’s Maze — A Compassionate Guide for Parents of Children Struggling with Gender Identity.”
Loneliness. Despair. Grief. Children who struggle with a transgender identity have parents who love them deeply, but both parents and children often feel confused, broken and alone. Yet, they are not forgotten, and Christ’s promises never cease to be for them.
Meanwhile, the questions remain. Can a person actually be transgender? Should I support my child’s transition? Can a child come back from transition? What do I do now?
In this brief and compassionate guide, Katie Coblentz answers these questions and proclaims God’s truth to help parents love and care for their children through the most challenging of times.
Coblentz, a member of an LCMS congregation, identified as transgender in her teens and early adulthood. She took testosterone and underwent a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy as part of the transgender process. She later repented of the transgender lifestyle and resumed living as a woman. Coblentz has shared her story at churches around the country, focusing specifically on Baptism and identity.
The Body Keeps the Score. But the Mind and Heart Do Too. by Beth Claes This is helpful as it reminds us (contra a very popular book) that weare more than just our bodies.
Don't Let Envy Poison Your Soul It may be the culturally acceptable sin, both inside and outside the church. But it's a killer. by Daniel Darling
The Design of Feet on Display at the World Cup by Emily Reeves God's good design of our feet.
The Exciting Christian Life of John C. Lennox Interview: ‘My Story: A Spiritual and Intellectual Autobiography’ by John C. Lennox by Andrew Spencer and John Lennox If you are unfamiliar with John Lennox as an apologist, this is a good introduction.
A Case Against Christian Doomerism The world is nowhere near as uniquely bad as you think it is. by Griffin Gooch The title sums it up well.
Augustine and the Power of Habit :The problem for Augustine, and for any of us who are examining the role of habits in the spiritual realm, is that changing the deep habits of unbelief are not so simple. by Marc Sims This is helpful and through provoking. It's a little bit longer, but worthy of your time.
How I Think About AI in My Medical Practice by Joel Cho A Christian doctor discusses how AI has impacted his medical practice and how Christians should think about AI in the medical field.
The Commodification Of Christianity It's another thing to do on my phone by Freya India This is a fascinating look at the dangers of all the Christian apps we have on our phones. It is thought provoking and worth thinking through.
What a 6th-Century Monk Can Teach Exhausted Workers Today by Gage Arnold There is a lot of great stuff in this article that beautifully reflects our understanding of Vocation.
Ben Sasse’s Theology of Suffering for a Death-Phobic Culture: In the shadow of a death sentence measured in months, Sasse’s public witness reveals our need for a theology of suffering that can speak to culture today. by Bethany Miller This is fantastic. Take some time to read it.
The Challenge and the Hope of Magnifica Humanitas The call for Christians is therefore to be like Nehemiah and his fellow countrymen rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. We must not be “passive spectators of social and cultural fractures, nor mere commentators on what is crumbling.” by Amy Mantravadi This is a good overview of the Pope's new encyclical on AI. (I have read the Pope's entire encyclical.)
Panic Smells Like Unbelief: Corrective Lessons from St. Perpetua by Scott Stiegemeyer Another fantastic post by him. As a good friend says, there is never a sky is falling moment for the church.
I want to keep commending the On the Line podcast and YouTube channel. They have interviewed two of the Synod President candidates so far. Both interviews are worth your time. Those can be found here and here.
The Imperishable Charm of Lutheran Hymns by Pastor Packer Some thoughts on the importance of our hymns.
12 Theses on Fasting and Feasting by Stephen Williams This is an excellent overview of fasting, disciplines, and feasting.
The Hazards of Compassion by the Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer You should read this insightful post and then go read others he has. He is always insightful and is tackling tough issues.
I Don't Want the Lord To End Up In This Box: Reflections on Hank Hill and making Jesus "cool." by Andrew Packer One of my latest articles.
Eugenics as Self-Loathing by Colin Redemer "There is a particular kind of modern person who, upon encountering the messiness of human life, its sheer ungovernable profusion, and the suffering it entails, recoils not with pity or solidarity but with disgust. And because disgust is rarely accepted as its own justification, such a person dresses his disgust in the language of optimization, selection, species-level improvement—that is, eugenics. But if you listen carefully, he is not really saying, “Humanity could be better.” He is saying, “I cannot bear what I am.""
Follow the Science . . . to God by Brett McCracken I have not seen the documentary mentioned in this article...yet. But I plan to soon. The reviews have been excellent.
AI Is Coming For Your Systematic Theology by Tim Challies - I have been asked about one of the books for kids by at least two people. Please be aware that there is a lot of junk (theologically) and otherwise out there.
Why Christians Should Read More Poetry by Steven Witmer - Yes, a 1000x, yes. The Bible contains a lot of poetry. Read more of it.
Why Smart Christians Lose Arguments About God by Wes Huff (watch/listen) - This is really fantastic. Wonderful wisdom from Wes Huff.
AI is teaching us to speak like bots, and it’s a problem AI is creeping into our everyday conversations, making us less patient and teaching us to ‘prompt’ others instead of talking to them. by Meredith Grundei
Christians must make dating great again: We need to bring back a structured dating process by Katy Faust
The Iranian Church Persists by David Yeghnazar A very helpful overview of what Christians there are currently facing.
10 Things You Should Know About Critical Theory by Bradley Green This is a great overview of Critical Theory.
Country diary: It is our duty to delight in the dandelion by Josie George A very short and interesting refleciton on dandelions - I think it is especially interesting for us as Christians.
The Book of Concord Explained in 8 Minutes - It's a video that does exactly what the title says!