Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

Tag Archives: Christianity and Culture


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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

The Sing! Sessions: Doxology – Keith and Kristyn Getty and Friends
****

This is the second album of music released from the 2022 Sing! Conference. (Read my reflections from the conference here, and my review of the first album
Sing! Christ Our Hope In Life And Death: Live At The Getty Music Worship Conference here).
The songs on this album focus on doxology, hymns of praise to God. As with everything the Getty’s do, they are done with excellence (songwriting, musicianship and production). In addition to Keith and Kristyn Getty, artists featured on the album include Kirk Whalum, Blair Linne, Jordan Kauflin, Skye Peterson, Laura Story, the Foto Sisters, Bryan Fowler, Matt Merker and Bill Gaither.

Here are a few comments about each of the ten songs:

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  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Dreams by NEEDTOBREATHE, featuring Judah & the Lion

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS


Best Seat in the House: 18 Golden Lessons from a Father to His Son by Jack Nicklaus II. Thomas Nelson. 166 pages. 2021
***

Jack Nicklaus, now 83 years old, is arguably the greatest golfer who has ever lived. Although Tiger Woods has nine more wins on the PGA tour, Nicklaus has three more major championships, which is generally how the greatest golfers are evaluated.
This book is written by Nicklaus’ oldest son Jack Nicklaus II, who writes that by watching the way his father has lived his life he has spent years in the greatest leadership-parenting-marriage classroom one could imagine. He tells us that he has had the best seat in the house to watch his father live out extraordinary lessons. He goes on to write that his father is simply the greatest man he has ever known, his role model and best friend. He writes that though the world knows him as a great golfer and golf course designer, his father made being a parent one of the most important parts of his life.
In this book, the author, a father of five, shares stories about his father and explains how the stories led to lessons about fatherhood. With each story and the lesson learned from it, he also includes some discussion about how he, as a father, carried that lesson forward to his own children.

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BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
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BOOK CLUB ~ Truths We Confess by  R.C. Sproul
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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • TGC Announces the Carson Center for Theological Renewal. Collin Hansen writes “This new initiative fosters spiritual renewal around the world by providing excellent theological resources for the whole church—for anyone called to teach and anyone who wants to study the Bible.”

  • What Does the Bible Say About Transgenderism? Kevin DeYoung writes “In short, the Bible teaches that God made us male or female, and no matter our own feelings or confusion, we should act in accordance with the biological reality of God’s good design. Transgenderism falls short of the glory of God and is not the way to walk in obedience to Christ.”
  • What is Casual Dechurching, and Is There Hope? On this episode of the As in Heaven podcast, Jim Davis and Michael Graham welcome Patrick Miller to discuss the meaning of casual dechurching. They provide insights into why roughly three-quarters of those who have dechurched fit this category. You’ll learn how we can better engage this group of people and why there’s tremendous hope that many of them will return to church.
  • The Lies I Used to Believe: Transgenderism Is Normal. In this video, Rosaria Butterfield shares how the gospel changed the way she thought about gender.
  • What If I Feel Abandoned by God? In this video, Sinclair Ferguson gives practical, biblical, and pastoral advice and encouragement for those who feel like God has deserted them.

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FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday

Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

  • Mere Christians: Anne Beiler (Founder of Auntie Anne’s). On this episode of the Mere Christians podcast, Jordan Raynor visits with Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne’s about how Christ redeemed Anne after horrific trauma and abuse, how her trauma gave her purpose and ambition for Auntie Anne’s, and how to stop overcomplicating the presence of God.
  • Seven Principles about Spiritual Gifts for Our Work. Art Lindsley writes “The work of the Holy Spirit in the world has several implications for Christians and their work. Whether working in creation or regeneration, the Spirit constantly empowers us to carry out the callings God places on our lives.”
  • How Can I Evangelize My Employees? Miranda Carls responds to the following question “How do I share the gospel with my employees without pressuring them because I’m the boss?
  • When Work Becomes an Idol. When does work become an idol? How do you know when something has crossed the line from a good thing into the territory of a “God thing?” In this episode of The Faith & Work Podcast, enjoy an interview with Lauren Gill, writer, actress, and Director of the Global Faith & Work Initiative at Redeemer City to City, on these questions concerning matters of the heart.

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Moving on Skiffle – Van Morrison
**** 

The prolific 77-year-old Morrison returns with his second double album in three years, with a solo album in between, his 43rd studio album overall. Moving on Skiffle includes skiffle-influenced covers of 23 blues, country, folk, gospel, and jazz songs. Skiffle combined folk, blues, country, bluegrass and jazz played with a mixture of homemade or improvised instruments (washboards, jugs, washtub bass, etc.). Morrison has previously explored the sounds of his youth in the mid-1950’s Belfast on his 2000 album The Skiffle Sessions: Live in Belfast with Lonnie Donegan and Chris Barber, a favorite of mine.

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

Worthy: Living in Light of the Gospel by Sinclair Ferguson. Crossway. 95 pages. 2023
**** 

This short book, by respected theologian Sinclair Ferguson, is part of a series of books devised by Michael Reeves on the basis of Paul’s words in Philippians 1:27–2:3. This book both introduces and summarizes their main theme.
The title of the book comes from verse 1:27, which reads in part:
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ

Ferguson tells us that being worthy is a sure mark of Jesus’s disciples. He tells us that to “live worthy of the gospel of Christ” does not rank high on the priority lists of the twenty-first-century church, but the Apostle Paul placed it high on his priority list.

A life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ expresses itself in the form of a lifestyle that the gospel teaches in the form of a message. Such a life takes on a character that reflects the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Living “worthy of the gospel of Christ” is not a matter of techniques. It involves the development of Christian character. It’s about who and what we become in Christ.

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

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FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday

Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

  • What If I’m Not Working as Much as I Should Be? Miranda Carls responds to the question “I technically work from home, but I’m not putting in nearly as many hours as I should be. I sometimes keep my computer on while I’m not working. How can I be honest about when I am and am not working? And how can I do better going forward?”
  • What Does It Mean to Represent Jesus in My Job? If we are representing Jesus in our work, it means there is value to our work because we are showing the world his character and care. Watch this short video from Bryan Chapell.
  • I Work in Healthcare. Can I Call Patients ‘Pregnant People’? Shane Morris responds to the question “At my job, I deal with maternal and child health, and one of the trends is calling pregnant women “pregnant people.” Thus far, I’ve tried to use the “pregnant women” terminology as much as I’m able and avoided using “pregnant people.” However, there’s increasing pressure to change the terminology. If I do, is this a violation of what I stand for as a Christian? I’ve been trying to search for some biblical passages to help guide my thinking on this matter.”

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Shadow Kingdom – Bob Dylan
****

In May 2021, not able to tour due to the pandemic, Bob Dylan offered a pay for view “concert” titled Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan. It was directed by Alma Har’el and billed as a live, pay-per-view concert. Set in a fictitious Marseilles bar called the Bon Bon Club, the event was actually a performance of a studio recording, with musicians – Alex Burke, Buck Meek, Joshua Crumbly (guitars), Shahzad Ismaily (accordion) and Janie Cowan (upright bass) – playing the roles of the actual personnel who recorded the original music with Dylan.

The new Shadow Kingdom album features thirteen songs from the film and an instrumental piece called ‘Sierra’s Theme,’ which played over the film’s closing credits. The personnel on the album are – Dylan (vocals, harmonica), Jeff Taylor (accordion), Greg Leisz (pedal steel guitar, mandolin), Tim Pierce, T-Bone Burnett, Ira Ingber (guitars) and Don Was (upright bass). There are no drums or piano.

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  • More of this review and a review of Live from Red Rocks by Mac Powell
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  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ God of Every Grace by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS


The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe by Steven Lawson. Ligonier Ministries. 212 pages. 2021 
****

This book is a part of the helpful A Long Line of Godly Men series, the purpose of which is to explore how these leaders used their gifts and ministries to further the work of Christ in their time.
Steven Lawson begins by giving us a brief biography of John Wycliffe. He tells us that the fourteenth century was an especially dark time for the church. The light of the gospel had been dimmed. Wycliffe was the most learned scholar of his day and a professor at Oxford University, the top school in Europe. He would become the premier figure of his generation who would illuminate the path to recovering the gospel and reforming the true church. He was known as the shining “Morning Star of the Reformation.”
In 1361, Wycliffe was ordained to the priesthood in 1361, and began preaching as the rector of the parish church in Fillingham. Wycliffe soon began his career as a professor at Queen’s College, Oxford, where he gained a reputation as its most brilliant and popular teacher in theology and philosophy. Wycliffe spent most of the rest of his life lecturing at this institution, where he became regarded as the top theologian and philosopher in England.

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