Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview


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My Review of “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York”

MOVIE REVIEW

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, rated R
***

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a well-acted film, about the life of a pickpocket on the streets of New York City. The film was written and directed by Noah Segan.
New York pickpocket Harry Lehman, is played by Emmy winner John Turturro (Monk, Severance). Harry needs big scores if he hopes to support his disabled wife, Rosie, who can’t communicate, played by Karina Arroyave.
We see Harry walking the streets of New York City and riding the subway, separating people from their possessions. He takes what he has stolen to his pawnbroker friend Ben, played by Emmy winner Steve Buscemi (Park Bench with Steve Buscemi).
One day, Harry runs into Dylan, played by a wealthy New Jersey son of a mobster family, Will Price, who drives a 1969 classic muscle car. Harry breaks into the car, taking a gym back that includes a large amount of cash, a premium watch, and a USB drive that functions as a digital safe, the latter of which Harry doesn’t understand. Continue reading →


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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


The Hymns – CeCe Winans
****

Eighteen-time Grammy winning gospel artist CeCe Winans has released a new album The Hymns, featuring sixteen loved hymns of the faith. Produced by Grammy winning producers Thomas Hardin, Jr. and Tyrone Jackson, the album focuses on Winans’ powerful voice, accompanied primarily by piano, as well as acoustic guitar, bass, organ and at times soft backing vocals.
Winans states:
“These hymns serve as an anchor for believers, keeping us grounded in what matters most. In a world that is constantly changing, they connect us to the ‘old landmarks’ of faith, reminding us of God’s unchanging nature and the core truths that must remain central to our worship.”
I really enjoyed listening to this new project, although the inclusion of “The First Noel” was a surprising choice.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More of this review
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ “All Must Be Well” by Indelible Grace

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

BOOK REVIEW:
A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation by Matthew Bingham. Crossway. 369 pages. 2025 
****

This book was introduced to our church leadership team by our lead pastor at our annual leadership retreat last fall, who encouraged all of us to read the book. I’ve been reading discussing with two men in our church. It’s the best book that I’ve read in the past year.
Today, many are leaving evangelicalism for denominations like Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy in search of a greater depth of spiritual practice. The author tells us that the purpose of the book is to explore and commend a distinctively Reformed Protestant vision of Christian growth for twenty-first-century evangelicals. The book aims to demonstrate to evangelical readers that the spiritual depth and seriousness they rightly long for can be found without having to look to Rome or Constantinople.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~What Is Wrong with the World?  The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid by Tim Keller
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading →


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My Review of Wildwood

Wildwood, rated PG-13
** ½

Wildwood is a very creative, but also extremely dark fantasy animated film from LAIKA Studios (Coraline), that has several content concerns for parents, and is definitely not a film for children (though there was one very young child in our row at the theater).
The stop-motion film (which brings physical puppets, clay models, and handmade sets to life one frame at a time) has excellent critic and viewer reviews on RottenTomatoes.com, that led us to check out the film.  It was directed by three-time Oscar nominee Travis Knight (Missing Link, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings). Two-time Oscar nominee Chris Butler (Missing Link, ParaNorman), wrote the screenplay adapted from the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis.
The film opens with a naked young “boy” leaping to his death. We find out more about his story later in the film. Continue reading →


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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • How to Pray When You Feel Like You Pray the Same Thing Every Day. Courtney Reissig writes “If you don’t want to pray the same things all the time, praying Scripture might be helpful. When we pray Scripture, whether it’s a psalm or any other passage, we have fresh ideas to fuel our prayers each day.”
  • 5 Steps to Help You Practice Meditation. Matthew Bingham writes “Given the stress early modern writers laid on meditation as a revealed duty incumbent on all Christians and not an optional add-on, it is worth asking whether contemporary evangelicals have neglected or even forgotten this once-esteemed practice altogether.”
  • Why the Christian View of Aging is Countercultural. Jen Wilkin states “The world’s false story of anti-aging is that aging is a disease that we fight or it is a malady that we conceal. You’re not supposed to show your age.”
  • Christian Women and the Poison of Porn. Rosaria Butterfield writes “If you are a Christian woman, you can stop consuming pornography. How? Fight the enemy inside you. Read God’s word and believe it. Pray.”

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More interesting article links
  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

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FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday

Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

  • Why Do We Practice Sabbath Rest on Sundays? In this video, Megan Hill explains why Christians worship and rest on the first day of the week instead of the last.
  • Daily Vigilance for Lifelong Productivity. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “Pastor John, I admire you. I look at your life, this podcast, the books you have written, the sermons you have preached, and the way you seem to use every minute for God’s glory. I want that. But I cannot have it right now. We have two little ones at home and I feel like I am constantly fighting off distractions just so I can get the bare minimum done. I read productivity books, but I feel like a sluggard compared to you. How do you stay urgent, Pastor John? How do you manage the daily grind without losing your passion?”
  • Called to Lead. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace is available in both a paperback and Kindle edition. Read a free sample (Introduction through Chapter 2).

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More links to interesting articles
  • The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
  • Faith and Work Book Review ~ The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh, with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh
  • Quotes from the book Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels

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My Review of ‘Sense and Sensibility’

Sense and Sensibility, rated PG
***

This new adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility was directed by Georgia Oakley. The screenplay is by Diana Reid, based on the 1811 novel.
vThe film focuses on the Dashwood family, mother Mrs. Dashwood is played by Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Elinor, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People), Marianne, played by Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna), and the youngest, Margaret, played by Bodhi Rae Breathnach.
As the film begins, they receive the devastating news of the death of Mr. Dashwood. As a result, the family estate is left entirely to the brother John Dashwood, played by Tom Brooke (Slow Horses), and his wife Fanny, played by Stacy Martin. Mrs. Dashwood and his daughters are left penniless, and have to leave their home. They will move to a much smaller home in the country. The girls only hope is to marry well. Continue reading →


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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

The Long Surrender – NEEDTOBREATHE
****

The Long Surrender is NEEDTOBREATHE’s tenth studio album, and the follow-up to 2023’s Caves. The album has a mostly stripped-down acoustic sound – with the exception of the more upbeat “Take Me Dancing” and “Growing Slow” – and features excellent vocal harmonies. All of the songs were written or co-written by Bear Rinehart. The album was produced by six-time Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton) and recorded at his Savannah studio.
The album’s lyrical content stands out, featuring references to Christian themes such as the Bible, Galilee, Heaven turning the weight of our sorrows into a crown, feet being planted on the rock of ages, being carried by God, being born again, wanting to be with God, and feeling the power of God. Other themes include home, worry and life out of control.
Here are a few comments about each of the twelve songs on this excellent new album, one of my favorites of 2026:

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  • More of this review
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ “Pilgrim Way (Zayin)” by Stillcreek

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas by Jesse Cole, with Don Yaeger.  Dutton. 269 pages. 2023
***

This book is about the Savanah Bananas and what they call “Banana Ball”. The slogan for the Bananas is “Fans First. Entertain Always”. In the beginning, Jesse Cole had the persistent belief that if he could somehow get people to their ballpark in Savannah, they would have more fun than they had ever dreamed possible.
wWell, it’s working. The Bananas are selling out major league baseball and college football stadiums. A few weeks ago, they drew 102,000 fans at Kyle Field (the Texas A&M football stadium in College Station, Texas). The tickets are by lottery, and hard to get. I know this as we tried in vain to get tickets to the two August games at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Cole is the front man for the Bananas. His belief is that major league baseball had become too slow and boring (Note: this was before the pitch clock and other major league baseball rule changes). Baseball was no longer the game he grew up loving and playing.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review and a review of Everyday Hallelujah: Unlocking Deep Joy Through Everyday Acts of Worship by Phil Wickham with Matt Litton
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~What Is Wrong with the World?  The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid by Tim Keller
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading →


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New and Upcoming Music

I like music in a variety of genres, and perhaps you do as well. Here are nine new and upcoming releases that you might enjoy.

Still Waters: a LoFi Collection – Chris Tomlin and The LoFi Christian

The Lofi Christian is a music project and collective of producers that creates low-fidelity (lofi) instrumental beats, worship covers, and peaceful soundtracks designed for prayer, Bible study, work, and relaxation. They worked with Chris Tomlin to put together this collection of 15 familiar worship songs into a quieter setting. I’ve enjoyed listening to these songs through headphones while praying on my afternoon walks. The intent is to create an atmosphere of worship wherever you are. The songs are from different points in Tomlin’s catalog, from “How Great Is Our God” to “Holy Forever” and “How Good It Is” and “Doesn’t He (Deserve it All)” from his latest album The King is Still the King. This is a different way to listen to some much-loved Tomlin songs and it works well.

Continue reading →