The Best of the Week
In Best of the Week we link to a handful of the best articles, videos, books, etc. that we have come across in the last week. We hope this will point you to some of the right places and give you gospel-rich tools and thoughts for life and mission.
The Best Article of the Week
“Our longing to be known is met in Christ and in community with His body, the church. And one day, the ache of loneliness will be gone for good when we worship Christ together forever before the throne of our God in eternal community with the saints from every tribe, tongue, and nation.”
You are likely aware that our culture is in a very unique time, where we are seeing widespread feelings of loneliness and a lack of human connection. There are many reasons for why this might be occurring so pervasively. A rise in social media use, COVID-19, and AI are often cited as likely causes. Whatever the cause(s) might be, this article walks through our need for community and the hope that we have despite our loneliness. It describes communion with God and friends not as something that is merely available to us, but as something that we should ardently strive for. Take 5 minutes to read through this article and consider the ways that you are/are not striving for God-glorifying human connection.
The Best Poem of the Week
“For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.”
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.”
Shakespeare’s 29th Sonnet was written at the end of the 16th century, but not published until the beginning of the 17th century. This poem opens with a tone of hopelessness and despair, but shifts to joy and contentment by the end. Interestingly, it has been speculated that Shakespeare wrote this sonnet during an outbreak of a plague that closed all of the theaters in London. As we remember the events of COVID-19 and its effects, this sonnet will likely be relatable and particularly impactful.
The Best Song of the Week
“I need thy presence every passing hour
What but thy grace can foil the tempters power
who like thyself my guide and stay can be
Through cloud and sunshine, abide with me”
The Best Podcast of the Week
Has ‘Sabbath Culture’ Gone too Far?:
A Biblical Theology of Work, Jonny Ardavanis
This episode is the first in Jonny Ardavanis’ new series about our disposition towards work, and what that reveals about us. It’s concise, but will still challenge you to view work as a gift from God, rather than a curse from the fall.