Weekend Top 10: Rhythms of Celebration and Ordinary edition
A curated list of what I've been up to lately: places, people, books, podcasts, music, links & more for your weekend downtime with thanks to the creators and cultivators filling the internet with truth, goodness, and beauty.
First, a photo from this week!
Last weekend, we celebrated a wedding shower for our daughter Kendra, the bride-to-be. It was so good to be together again with our people. The women who bring food, clean up after the party, laugh at games, make inappropriate jokes (Grandma, we're looking at you), love unconditionally, and spend a Saturday giving gifts to our beautiful Kendra.
The rest of the week I spent trying to live well what I’m hoping will be my ordinary rhythms of life for the coming months. Some days went really well, some days not so much. I’m grateful for new mercies every morning, aren’t you?
Here’s what I published this week!
On the Blog:
What I Read October - December [from the book pile 2019] - The list is pretty short for the final three months of 2019! The combination of moving into a new house and focusing on the launch of my new Patreon site, my reading life suffered a bit. Still, the books I did complete carried a lot of weight for my overall reading life last year. I hope you enjoy this list!
On Patreon:
Epiphany Daybook +1: Baptized and Beloved - I led the devotional post with an image that isn't typically what I'd share for the day we remember Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, but it's the image that's captured my imagination for us this week. How often do we consider the pronouncement of belovedness that comes at Christ's baptism? How often do we consider our own?
Cultivating A Rule of Life, part 1 - We enjoyed our first conversation around the practice of cultivating a Rule of Life. Thanks to those of you who were able to join us live and to those of you who are watching it on replay. There’s still time to join us! All you need to do is head to my Patreon page and subscribe as a Daybook patron (that’s the $5 a month level). Join before Tuesday to join in the live conversation or just anytime in January to be able to view the recorded sessions at your convenience.
Now for more online truth, goodness, and beauty I’ve enjoyed this week…
My Top 10
1. Creators & Cultivators
I’m not exactly proud of it, but I got in a pretty heated discussion about this artist with one of my husband’s colleagues this fall. I don’t like to pin any eschatological conclusions on any one artist or cultural trend. Even though I agreed that the video we watched together was difficult to watch, I believe every cultural era has enough trouble of its own. I wish I’d had the insight from this post to help unpack what the music video was triggering in our colleague: Who’s Afraid of Billie Eilish? by Chris Wheeler - By dragging our fears out from under the bed, the spooky singer provides an opportunity to name our only comfort in life and death via Think Christian
2. In Season
Monday is the day we’ve set aside as a nation to remember the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mainstream American culture tends to have a narrow view of King’s work, limited primarily to his leadership in the Civil Rights movement. However, King’s vision was rooted in the desire for a beloved community in which not only were all people equal, but in which all violence, poverty and injustice were abolished — a vision that flowed from King’s deep faith in the life and teachings of Jesus. Here’s an excellent slideshow of 15 memorable quotes that cover the breadth of King’s prophetic faith, via Englewood Review of Books.
3. Justice, Reconciliation, and Social Critique
This coming Sunday is “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday”, or “Pro-Life Sunday”, kicking off a week of events, rallies, and protests (and counter-protests) for Christians and churches around the country and particularly in Washington, DC. I wish every Protestant church would raise a communion chalice to our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Church who’ve historically championed a Consistent Life ethic. Here’s an Anglican priest I admire who’s doing just that: To Be Consistently Pro-Life by Bill Haley (You can read the transcript of the sermon here.)
4. People & Place
Timely: Rick Steves’ Iran
Join Rick as he explores the most surprising and fascinating land he's ever visited: Iran. In a one-hour, ground-breaking travel special on public television, you'll discover the splendid monuments of Iran's rich and glorious past, learn more about the 20th-century story of this perplexing nation, and experience Iranian life today in its historic capital and in a countryside village. Most important, you'll meet the people of this nation whose government so exasperates our own. Released in 2009.
5. Reading & Writing
Byron at Hearts & Minds books shares four important new books to “bring things to light” during Epiphany. We bought two of the titles immediately.
6. Spiritual Direction & Disciplines
Would you like to pray together more as a family this year? Amanda at The Homely Hours has some encouragement for praying with small children and my friend Phaedra illustrated a gorgeous new prayer book published by Christ Church Plano.
Family Prayer in the New Year via The Homely Hours
Pray Daily For Families illustrated by Phaedra Jean Taylor (pre-orders available now)
7. Watching & Listening
Over the last few months, we’ve enjoyed several live stand-up comedy specials. Here are two of my favorites (I both laughed and cried!)
Mike Birbiglia’s The New One on Netflix
Gary Gulman’s The Great Depresh via HBO/Hulu
8. Wholeness & Healing
Oh my goodness, I appreciated this gorgeous insight into the unique design God gives our bodies. Although my body structure is much different than Nikki Lerner’s, I think God intended me to give great hugs as well. (While you’re at it, take a few minutes to check out all Nikki has to offer at her website - nikkilerner.com)
9. Work & Callings
These are the type of stories missing from my annual Work Stories series and we desperately need to hear them: How I Get By: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier - Cierra Brown is trying to do all she can on her own, but it rarely feels like she’s doing enough. via Vice
10. Worship, Liturgy, & Church
Beneath the Tree of Life - A Reading from Surprised by Scripture by N. T. Wright via Plough
“In Revelation 22, the river of life flows from the city to irrigate the surrounding countryside, and on its banks grows the tree of life: not a single tree, as in Genesis, but many trees, now freely available, bearing fruit each month and with leaves for healing. This image of the tree of life and the radical and beautiful healing it promises has generated an extraordinary work of art, commissioned jointly by the British Museum and Christian Aid, and created by artists in Mozambique after the end of that country’s long and bitter civil war.”
Tree of Life at Sunset, sculpture by Kester, Hilario Nhatugueja, Fiel dos Santos, and Adelino Serafim Maté - source