Podcasts about narnian

Katie Wray Schon joins us to talk about Pauline Baynes, the subject of her new book, Painting Wonder!  It's been a long-held goal of this podcast to devote at least one episode to Pauline Baynes--who, while not an Inkling, illustrated both the Narnia chronicles and many of Tolkien's short stories--in addition to being one of the best illustrators of the 20th Century. Luckily, Katie Wray Schon has just written and published a children's picture book about Baynes' life, and she joins me to talk about both her work and Baynes'. We talk about Baynes' life--her childhood in India, her discovery of storybooks at dreary British boarding school, her work for the British Navy in WWII, and her career as an illustrator. Sadly, many of the non-Narnian books Baynes illustrated or created are now out of print or hard to obtain. They include, but aren't limited to: I Believe: The Nicene Creed Noah and the Ark Questionable Creatures: A Bestiary Good King Wenceslas A Dictionary of Chivalry, by Grant Uden Miracle Plays: Seven Medieval Plays for Modern Players, by Anne Malcolmson All Things Bright and Beautiful The Arabian Nights, by Amabel Williams-Ellis The Snail and the Caterpillar, by Helen Piers Let There Be Light It would be a worthy project for someone (perhaps a new small press, or even an old, big one) to begin publishing these books again.  In the meantime, of course, pick up Katie Wray Schon's book! Thanks for listening, as always! We'll see you again in two weeks! To drop me a note or an episode suggestion, write inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com To encourage all those (okay, mainly me) who make this podcast possible, leave us (or me) a five-star review on itunes!   We've (okay, I've) got a lot more fantastic episodes coming this season, including: Leaf by Niggle with Ned Bustard and Matt Wheeler The Abolition of Man: A Roundtable Discussion Lilith, by George MacDonald The Oxford History of English Literature (O-HEL Yes!) with Katherine Wyma That Hideous Strength with Joseph Weigel Tolkien's Poetry, with Jonathan Geltner Choose-Your-Own-Adventure 80's Narnia Book (That's right), with Matt Wheeler And quite a bit more, but I am tired of listing things...

Do you want to know the key to the Narnian universe? Today, on Mythmakers, Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker take a quick tour around the seven heavens as they discuss C.S. Lewis's book The Discarded Image, as well as the Medieval model, Michael Ward's groundbreaking study, Planet Narnia, and so much more. What other scientific model inspirations have writers found, and where would it be best to live within a Medieval universe? Join the conversation as we find out! Among the books mentioned is Ted Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and Others, available at: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/ted-chiang/stories-of-your-life-and-others/9781035038596 as well as Cixin Liu’s Three Body Problem: https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-three-body-problem/    (00:05) CS Lewis and the Discarded Image(16:51) CS Lewis and Science(25:22) Planetary Imagery in Narnia(37:07) Lewis(53:30) Fantasy Reimaginings of Medieval Worlds(58:41) Rethinking the Discarded Image   For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

This week, we overcome treachery to win the war in chapters ten to fifteen of C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian and discuss the Narnian timeline, fear as an alienating force, and the worst of Susan.

Our Youth Pastor, Brad, takes a turn at the pulpit to encourage us to follow Jesus and be lights for his name, with the words of John 3:31-36 and the reflections of his favourite character from C.S. Lewis' book, The Silver Chair.

What can we learn about Christian discipleship from The Chronicles of Narnia?   In today's episode, Brandon and Matt interview Joe Rigney, author of the book, Live Like a Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis's Chronicles. Joe shares his perspective on Christian discipleship as whole person formation and how he believes C.S. Lewis's books directly further this formation. The conversation then turns towards specific characters and scenes from the books and how they shape our thinking and desire to align with the true, good, and beautiful. Stick around to hear about how books are like friends and why contrasting the books against the movies can be helpful!   Thanks for tuning in! May this show awaken you to the reality of beauty in our world! Jesus loves you.    Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Check out our website for more resources! Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

In The Chronicles of Narnia, Puddleglum tells the underworld witch, "I'm on Aslan's side even if there is no Aslan. I'm going to live like a Narnian even if there isn't any Narnia." In this story C.S. Lewis is doing more than telling a children's fantasy, he is portraying what it means to "walk by faith."

Blast from the Icy past! Original shownotes: The third and final installment of our conversation on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe enters some interesting territory as Chris, Anika, and Meagan explore Lewis's (inadvertent?) use of Aslan-as-Trickster imagery, proper Narnian politics, and kangaroos. Also witness the precise moment in which the trio realizes that Lewis may have ruined their childhoods. Works referenced include: A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Outro poetry sample: "On the Circuit" by W. H. Auden Email the show! InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com

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Dr Michael Ward is a literary critic, theologian, and renowned C.S. Lewis expert – teaching at both the University of Oxford and Houston Christian University, in Texas. He is the author of books including 'Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis' and 'After Humanity: A guide to C.S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man'.Justin and Belle talk to Michael about the inner workings of the Narnian universe, the nature of Lewis' imagination, and one of his most difficult works – The Abolition of Man.Michael Ward: https://michaelward.net For Re-Enchanting: https://www.seenandunseen.com/podcast There's more to life than the world we can see. Re-Enchanting is a podcast from Seen & Unseen recorded at Lambeth Palace Library, the home of the Centre for Cultural Witness. Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall engage faith and spirituality with leading figures in science, history, politics, art and education. Can our culture be re-enchanted by the vision of Christianity? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a character in Narnia has "read all the wrong books," you know they're in for a difficult time. But spending time in Narnia does a lot to compensate for a bad literary diet. What, though, about our kids, who all live well after the Narnian apocalypse and need good books to thrive in our world? What are "the right books," and how do we get our children to read them? Heck, how do we find them for ourselves, for that matter? Chris' guests this week are Angela Teal and Marena Bleech, who, with their powers combined, form In The Burrow Books.  You can follow them on Instagram for more recommendations: @intheburrowbooks. You can also find Angela Teal's (a.k.a. J. Reese Bradley's) books, the Brumbletide series (which my eight-year-old is currently enjoying), here. Among other things, we discuss: Why Christians should go to the library Ideological conformity among "top five" publishers Motivating kids and competing with screens "On Fairy Stories," by J.R.R. Tolkien "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," by C.S. Lewis Why you should judge books by their illustrations Among other things, we recommend: Harry Potter Inkheart The Wrinkle in Time series Anything by Roald Dahl, who was a mean old cuss The Borrowers Grimm's Fairy Tales The Wind in the Willows (illustrated by Arthur Rackham) Anne of Green Gables The Secret Garden Peter and Wendy Brambly Hedge Beatrix Potter Beverly Cleary's Ramona books The Indian in the Cupboard The Magic Treehouse series Picture books: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton The Naming and I Believe:The Nicene Creed illustrated by Pauline Baynes Beatrix Potter's books (but avoid the new fake stuff not drawn by her as you would avoid Mr. MacGregor's garden--sold under her name, too!). Astrid Sheckels' Hector Fox series Mr. Bliss, by J.R.R. Tolkien Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf Post-show recommendations from Marena: Amy Grimes does some of the most beautiful work. I highly recommend her book(s) and giving her a follow. I adore these Enid Blyton picture books. They're great for early readers. I think one of my favorite picture books (which of course, I didn't mention) is The Cottage At the End of the Lane which is worth having if you can get it.  Like I said, Brambly Hedge is the best! Astrid Sheckels was one I mentioned that's a great current author/illustrator.  Of course, A Book of Narnians is wonderful. This is such a beautiful book of poetry. (And anything by Tasha Tudor is worth having) I'm also a big Winnie-the-Pooh fan, and any book with Ernest Shepherd illustrations. Post-show recommendations from Chris: My friend J.D. Peabody's middle grade book series, The Inkwell Chronicles is a lot of fun (“The Inklings” is a secret society of authors far larger and older than the Oxford group with Lewis and Tolkien). He also wrote an article on middle grade books for Christianity Today that I'm going to release a podcast about soon. I didn't talk about the Prydain Chronicles or the Earthsea books as great fantasy books that aren't necessarily Christian, but they were absolutely vital (though I didn't get into Earthsea until college) I have a Pauline Baynes (out of print) book that is a beautiful illustration of the Nicene Creed.  Spells of Enchantment (collection of stories), edited by Jack Zipes Tales before Tolkien (collection of stories), edited by Douglas Anderson My wife Glencora's children's book and my far less successful one, where we tried to create engaging (if not very professional) illustrations for good poems Our book about Christmas, Twelve Tide, which has lots of literature excerpts and has done a bit better. The Never Ending Story (the book!) by Michael Ende The Half Magic series, by Edward Eager Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit The Book of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany Movies and TV Series: The Secret World of Arrietty (there are actually better Miyazaki films (such as the most recent one), though, and they are all absolutely gorgeous.  He's not afraid to be still. I have to mention two of the hand-drawn Irish films influenced by Miyazaki, The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. Best of all (and most American), the series Over the Garden Wall, which is funny, beautiful, moral, and creepy.  Here's the first episode (though the rest you have to buy—worth it!) But what about new children's books and middle-grade fiction? Next time: Middle-grade author J.D. Peabody weighs in. Check out his article on the subject in Christianity Today.   Music: "Living in the Country," from Summer, by George Winston Email us at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @inklingsvarietyhour  

For most people, Lewis is known first and foremost as a fiction writer. Many families have entered the wardrobe together and experienced Lewis in Narnia. Though these were not his only works of fiction, they give an insight into why he wrote fiction and what he was trying to accomplish by creating and exploring other worlds. 

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Listen to Brian Brown's talk from the 2024 Square Halo "Return to Narnia" conference. Maybe you've absorbed the fake C.S. Lewis quote that you ARE a soul and you HAVE a body. Or maybe you grew up in an environment that only valued time if it was spent getting people into the elevator going up. If so, you probably struggle to live in the world as you ought, because you have no theological or mental category for most things between idolatry and indifference. So you can't find a place for many of the things you love most in the kingdom of God. We have to fix our relationship with material reality. In the Chronicles, Lewis gives us a fictional world that very clearly has meaning and magic woven into every layer of it. The reason that appeals to us is that it is a reflection of our world as we're supposed to see it, even if we've forgotten. In this talk, Brian offers a threefold way of relating to material reality--and our vocations in it--that explains why you love the things you do, and what to do with them.

Hello, again! Welcome to Greatheart's Table, a place for pastors and others to hang out, talk, and reflect on ministry and life. I'm Randy Greenwald. My favorite Narnian character is Puddleglum, the marshwiggle. I'm so fond that it's a surprise that I didn't name this podcast “Puddleglum's Pad” or something like that. You can read […]

On this episode, we had the privalege of interviewing Professor Dr. Joe Rigney about all things Narnia and biblical leadership. Make sure you pre-order his new book Leadership and Emotional Sabotage! We hope you enjoy the interview. PRE-ORDER Dr. Rigney's NEW BOOK: https://amzn.to/3UZf3wZ Canon Press also released a free episode in conjunction with Dr. Rigney's new book. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/Bro0wuZ7dzg?si=edpF2aqjx5WNBX3d Other books by Dr. Rigney: Live Like a Narnian: https://amzn.to/4bT065H The Things of Earth: https://amzn.to/3SWmWki Courage: https://amzn.to/3IjUnbA Lewis on the Christian Life: https://amzn.to/3Ih4kX5 You can now support the channel with Super Thanks, Super Chats, and Super Stickers! All of your support goes a long way in allowing us to continue to make content and make future plans! To become a Patron, visit the link below to sign up. If you post a question in Patreon, we'll do an episode answering your question! Patreon: www.patreon.com/takeholdstudios Visit our Take Hold Studios Merch Store: https://take-hold-studios.creator-spring.com/ Connect with us: Website: www.takeholdstudios.com Email: takeholdstudios@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/takeholdstudios Twitter: @takehold1646 Instagram: the_reformed_reset_podcast Intro & Outro: Scholar & Theologian James B. Jordan: "The Garden of God" www.wordmp3.com Music: In a Dubstep by FASSounds Affiliate links below. We receive proceeds if you purchase anything through the links below Equipment: Microphone: AT2020 | https://amzn.to/41LXQrc Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen | https://amzn.to/3oyRr4g Video Editor: Movavi Video Editor | https://amzn.to/43VQ9Ao Laptop: Microsoft Surface | https://amzn.to/3Akb2rq Camera: Samsung S23 | https://amzn.to/3rJMZ4e #christianworldview #parenting #biblicaltheology #reformedtheology #parenting #modesty #sex #men #women #egalitarian #complementarian #patriarchal #patriarchy #feminism #sexism #johncalvin #church #dougwilson #christ #MGTOW #sbc #naparc #pca #opc #crec #bigeva #evangelical #viral #jordanpeterson #dougwilson #theopolis #jamesjordan #peterleithart #federalvision #church #scotus #presbyterian #crc #reformed #dutchreformed #paedobaptism #paedocommunion #covenanttheology #covenant #works #goodworks #covenantofworks #halloween #horror #fall #fallseason #alliens #cryptids #cryptozoology #ufo #christiannationalism #politics #christianpolitics #youtube #trad #tradvirtue #virtue #truecrime #calvarychapel #acts29

There once was a crew of Narnian's who set sail for the east. Further east than any map of theirs had ever chartered, further east than any of their people had ever gone. Eastward all the way to the division between their world and Aslan's country. They took off, aboard the Dawn Treader, past the lone islands, past dragon island, past burnt island, and deathwater, and dark island. By the time they arrived upon Ramandu's island, many of them were beginning to feel ready to turn round and go back home. Although they hadn't reached Aslan's country, they had gone a fairly good distance, further than any other ship and its crew had ever gone before. And they were feeling content about that, satisfied with that. That is, most of them.There was still one member of the crew who had yet to speak up, which was surprising, since that member of the crew was usually the one always speaking up. That member of the crew was a mouse, named Reepicheep. His friend Lucy, wondering why he had yet to say anything, finally asked him, “Aren't you going to say anything, Reep?“ She's thinking, “All these guys are ready to turn round, ready to say, “Good enough,” and go back home to “Life as usual” — Reepicheep, are you cool with that? Is that what you're going to do? Reepicheep chose to answer her at a level of volume loud enough for all to hear, saying: “My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I shall paddle east in my own boat. When it sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan's country, or shot over the edge of the world, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise.” Reepicheep was not one for, moderation. Not one for “life as usual.” Certainly not one to give up on adventure. Neither was the apostle Paul. Writing to his beloved Philippians, he gladly affirmed that they had already come so far in terms of their faith and conduct. Nevertheless, Paul sought to urge them onward, with a prayer to the tune of, “Philippians, grow deeper as Christians. Grow further as Christians. There is still more to be had before you.” Sail east, then paddle east, then swim east, until you hit the shore. His words this morning, I pray, will have a stirring effect upon us. That God, through his word, would create in us an eager fervency to go on further, and further, and further as followers of Jesus. Let's pray, and ask once more, for the Lord's help toward that end.Verse 9: Abounds more and more…So, Paul's prayer is for the Philippians to grow, all the more, as Christians. We see it right away in the words of verse 9, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.” That phrase has such a delightful cadence to it, doesn't it? Abound, more, and more. It rolls along so smoothly, in fact, that it can slip right past us, tiptoe into the sentence nearly unnoticed. But make no mistake, my brothers and sisters, this is no moderate, inconspicuous, tiptoeing concept.Abound, more, and more is immense. Far-reaching. Excessive. At a size or in a quantity that not only fills the space around it but then flows over, and spills out, and rushes onward, and then keeps right on going. Abound more and more comes with no off switch, no handle with which to close the valves and stop the supply. It progresses onward, wholly unencumbered by the drag of “moderation” and the weight of being far too easily satisfied. For love to abound more and more, is to have a love that increases on and on and on in glorious surplus. Paul's prayer regarding love is on a scale and to a degree we rarely fathom, let alone pray for. If that's the quantity of love he's wanting to see within these Philippians, then what is its kind? What kind of love is Paul praying for? The immediate context would suggest we're at least talking about love for other people — and especially so people within the church. The verses before resound with Paul's great love for these Philippians, describing how he held these brothers and sisters in his heart, and yearned for them all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Some verses later will reveal what can come about as a result of a lack of love for others. Philippians 1:15, “Some preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love.” The former, thinking not to love Paul, but afflict him. So Paul's prayer for the Philippians to abound in love is very much sandwiched between an example of love for others, on one side, and lack of love for others, on the other.That said, I don't believe Paul is praying only for the Philippians love for others. One reason simply being that he doesn't define it as a love for others. He just says love. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.” Love, in the most comprehensive sense. Love with a capital L. The kind of love that, as one writer puts it, “pervades ones entire being…and marks every attitude and action” (Motyer).Paul is praying that the Philippian church would become a people who are entirely marked by love. Love in their everything.As an aside, I believe he'd pray much of the same for us — Cities Church. That we, in an age of skepticism (Is love even real?), shallowness (I love with one foot in and one foot out), and apathy (Love is lame, love is optional, love is whatever). That we, in a world like that, in a world rife with dulled and shrunken hearts, would be a people bright, blazing, and alive with love! A people with love coursing through every fiber of our beings. A people secured in God's love, and thereby set free to love. A people eager to grow and abound in love, more, and more, and more, and more — never letting up, and ever wanting increase. Would we want him to pray such things for us? Are we, in our minds, already loving enough? Brothers and sisters, moderation in some things, sure, but love? “With knowledge and discernment…”Now, Paul isn't praying for love to abound, period. But for love to abound — look with me, verse nine — “with knowledge and all discernment.” Some of us in the room maybe just breathed a huge sigh of relief: “phew, knowledge and discernment.” Some of us felt a sense of reassurance now that knowledge and discernment have walked in the room. I get it. I do. But, why do you think you feel that way?Is it, perhaps, because you're imagining that knowledge and discernment has a subduing effect upon love? That knowledge and discernment comes in and reduces loves down to a more manageable, less lifestyle-interfering size? Offers a sort of shield, safeguard, from ever really needing to feel love, ever really needing to act upon it, and mainly only ever needing to give it a nod here and there? Is that, my brothers and sisters, how we think Paul understood the relationship between knowledge and discernment and love? Is that what we think Paul really desired for his beloved Philippians — that they would abound in a sort of semi-muted and tempered love? A convenient, only when comfortable love?No … It is a lie that love and knowledge clash with one another. It is a lie that love and knowledge hinder one another. It is a lie, hear me, that to grow in knowledge is to lessen in love, and vice-versa. In other words, if you are holding on to the claim that, “Hey, I'm kind of a knowledge guy. Other people do that love stuff — I'm exempt from that.” Or, if you are holding on to the claim that, “I'm just a lover, I leave that knowledge stuff to others, I just love people, I don't need to do the knowledge thing.” Consider that God abounds in both. He, the most knowledgeable and discerning being in all the universe is also, at one and the same time the most loving being in all the universe, and he sees no contradiction in that. In fact, he calls us to become more like him. We, every single one of us, no exceptions, are called to abound in both. You got a certain personality, certain inclinations, yes, of course, nevertheless, God calls you to abound, and even want to abound, in both. And note, if you do abound in both, what you'll then be enabled to do: verse 9 into 10…“Approve what is excellent” “9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent.” Love that abounds with knowledge and discernment, enables a person to approve what is excellent. And how helpful, for not all that's in our world is excellent. There are some things in our world that are — certain behaviors, certain ideas, certain actions, certain words, certain possessions. There are many things in our world that are not.Without knowledge, our love, at best, would get evenly distributed between the two. We'd love some things that are truly worth loving, and we'd love some things that aren't — without knowledge that'd be the best we could do. What we'd be far more likely do however, without knowledge — because we're not morally neutral, but sinful — is devote the majority of our love toward what the world calls lovely, but is, in fact, a distortion of true loveliness. I've been there, perhaps you have as well. It is misguided love. Detrimental love. Love in vain. Enter knowledge, like a beam of light into the dark. When our love begins to abound with knowledge, we find ourselves suddenly able to discern “what is good and acceptable and perfect” versus what isn't. Suddenly able, as one writer notes, “to put our highest affections on the highest virtues and not get distracted by lesser, peripheral matters” (ESV Expository).In other words: not less love, not muted love, not love spread thin, but love perfectly aimed and sent fully into motion — Sign me up, right?And it just keeps getting better. Just think … What happens when you begin eating better? You get healthier, right?What happens when you start moving better, like better posture, better form? You reduce injury, avoid sore muscles, grow in physical ability.What happens when you begin sleeping better? You have more energy, feel more alert and focused… At least that's what I've read.What happens when you start loving better? When you start regularly loving and approving what is excellent?Again, Paul tells us. See it in the second half of verse 10. Look with me there. “Be Pure and Blameless, filled with fruit” “10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” Be conformed to the image of His Son, who is, in himself, pure and blameless. Be transformed into that same image (of the Son) from one degree of glory to another. Be, in your character and conduct, pure and blameless.Now, I want to be absolutely clear, this does not earn us a righteous standing before God — that's not what inward purity and blamelessness is for. That's what Jesus' death and resurrection is for, that's what our faith in him is for. We receive the gift of righteous standing before God, by faith. We don't work for it. We don't earn it. But we do, after we've received it, begin to reflect it. And this to comes not from us, but from God.See in verses 10-11, “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” See, it's all from him. It all comes through Jesus Christ. Our state of righteousness before God, our fruit of righteousness that reflects God — God is the source of both. Consider for a moment that: any love you have, any joy you possess, any peace you maintain, whatever patience you exhibit, whatever kindness you extend, every ounce of goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness within you, every last ounce of self-control, any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy … It all, every bit of it, has been given to you through Jesus Christ. You have only ever received the fruit of righteousness that comes through Christ. And why? Paul's logic is still progressing here. There's still more. What's the aim of it all? What's the purpose? What's the motivation? It is, quite simply, the glory of God. See it at the end of verse 11? “To the glory and praise of God.” That is the ultimate end, the goal. But there's one last phrase for us to look at in this text. And this will be our last point. One final phrase that notes the specific context of our ultimate end of glorifying God. What's the context?Verse 10: “So that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” For the great and holy day when Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead.So, our love abounds with knowledge and discernment. We're enabled to approve what is excellent — And so we do. We approve what is excellent, and it begins to change us. Grows us in the sense of subtraction: Purity and blamelessness drive out our love for sin. Grows us in the sense of addition: Fruits of righteousness take root and grow. And all for the day of Christ! For the day our Master returns. For the day that the bridegroom comes to receive his bride.See we want to be a kind of people who live our entire lives in anticipation of that day … constantly, unrelentingly fastened upon that day … straining, longing to grow in purity and blamelessness, to grow in fruits of righteousness, for that day because when he comes we want to offer him our very selves and say: “For the day of Christ”“Look! See what has happened in my heart, see the changes that've taken place in my mind, remember the trails of sin that were built there? The highways of sin that were paved there? Look now, how they've all eroded.Those stains caused by all my “yesses” to lust, all my nursing of envy, all my obedience to greed, all my contentment with pride, look now at how they've, through time spent with you, all faded away. Not even noticeable anymore.Those fields that used to be covered in weeds, thorns, and briers which so choked out my love for you. See how you've taught me, you've caused me to pull them each up, by the roots, and set them in the sun to whither and die. You had made me yours before any of this improvement in me. You had loved me at a time when I was still yet a sinner. You had called me child and given me with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, when I had yet to do anything to deserve it. And for love, for love, for love, I wanted my heart and mind on this day to be pure for you, blameless for you, filled with fruits of righteousness for you, beautiful for you. That you might be glorified in this, my spiritual worship — the transformation by the renewal of my mind, the testing and discerning what is your will, what is good and acceptable and perfect.How worth it would it be to say such a thing to your Savior? How excellent?To the glory and praise of God: My brothers and sisters, abound in love. Abound in knowledge. Refuse to treat either of the two as optional. And put them to work. To root out every single thing from your mind and heart and habits that is not excellent, that is not growing you in purity, that is not cultivating in you blamelessness, that is not producing in your fruits of righteousness. If it is the way you use your phone, the way you relate to others, the way you talk, the places you let your mind wander, if it's not excellent, not preparing you for the day of Christ — why, why, why keep them in your hand, keep them in your conduct, keep them in your heart, keep them in your mind? A great day is coming, aim to present your very best to Jesus on that day. Sail east, paddle east, swim east, and sink your nose to the sunrise. It will be worth it, it will be excellent.Now, in just a few moments, we're going to have a few individuals coming forward to be baptized as a display before you, their church family, of the faith that they have in Jesus. Their being baptized is also a fruit of their faith in Jesus, a desire to obey him in all things, including the call to be baptized. Their being baptized is also a proclamation that their life from here on out is not their own, for they now belong to God, and aim to live their lives for the glory of God.

One of the most beloved and quotable scenes in The Chronicles of Narnia is from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when the children learn that Aslan is a lion, “the Lion, the great Lion.”    "'Ooh' said Susan. 'I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.' 'Safe?' said Mr. Beaver ... 'Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.'"   Though we love the idea that God is not “safe,” we often live as if our safety or comfort marks the boundaries of our relationship with Him. Catechized by bad theology, captivated by our culture's enablement of self-centeredness, or weary of an angry and fractious age, many Christians cannot conceive that God's will for our lives could involve anything unpleasant or uncomfortable.    When it does and our expectations collapse, we wonder if God cares, having conflated God's faithfulness with a painless, placid life of blessing and provision. We are quick to assume that pain or discomfort means that God's will has been thwarted, or that His love and protection have been withdrawn. It's difficult to accept that, rather than a sign of God's absence, the presence of pain could be a sign of His sovereign care.   Throughout The Horse and His Boy, Aslan continually allows fear, hardship, and even physical pain for the main characters. When Shasta, one of the two main humans in the story, is fleeing from his abusive adoptive father on the Narnian horse Bree, a lion chases them through the darkness. Fleeing from the danger, he encounters another rider fleeing from, it seems, another lion. Aravis is also escaping her home on a talking Narnian horse. Their shared fear and confusion bring them together for a journey neither of them could have made without the other.   Later in the story, they're riding as fast as they can to head off a threat to Narnia. Just as Bree claims he can go no faster, a “new” lion closes in on them. Lewis writes,    "His eyes gleamed red and his ears lay back on his skull. And Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast—not quite as fast—as he could. Shasta felt the change at once. Now they were going all out." The lion then badly wounds Aravis, before retreating unexpectedly.    Later, Shasta learns the full story. There was only one lion, not many. Aslan was “swift of foot.” Without the fears and the pain, Shasta and Aravis, Bree and Hwin, would have never met; their quest would have failed; the enemy would have been victorious; and Shasta would never have learned who he truly was. The pain wasn't an afterthought on Aslan's part, but a key element in his plan.   None of this implies that pain should be sought out. Pain is never the point of God's plans, any more than it is the purpose of physical exercise. Never pushing ourselves to the point that it hurts means never improving our health. On the other hand, seeking pain is more likely to do harm than to aid our wellbeing.    In and of itself, pain is not good, but it is meaningful. Pain indicates that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Without pain, we'd never know. In the same way, breaking bad habits of the past requires pushing beyond our comfort levels, through the pain, and onward on the path to full restoration.   Pain is sometimes required to reorient us. What else can turn one away from a debilitating addiction or insatiable sexual impulse? Without discomfort, would we ever give up on our preferred source of “safety” for the faithful and sometimes painful love of God? Whether through sickness or sacrifice, in ending a dream or enduring hostility, we must remember that God's faithfulness is not determined by how well our lives are going. In fact, it is often known only in the hardest things of life.   To deny that God could or would use discomfort for our good is to deny that He is present in our pain. He is. Just as, in His quest to restore the glory of His creation, He did not shrink back from inflicting pain on His dear Son, His love for His people often includes a level of discomfort and pain. In the end, it is part of His work to restore His image bearers to their intended dignity.    As Lewis wrote elsewhere, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”   This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Timothy Padgett. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.  This Breakpoint originally aired November 4, 2021.

Susan James and I talk about the latest post from The Embassy - All the President's Dogs. On the mortgage crash, the President's Dogs and the spells we are under Here is an excerpt …In C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair, the good Prince Rillian of Narnia is captured and put under a spell by someone known as The Lady of the Green Kirtle while above ground and the Queen of Underland in her underground Queendom. Prince Rillian is made prince of this underground place - but rules in appearance only, held in the sway of the Queen of Underland. Each day, for one hour, the Queen binds the Prince in her darkly magical silver chair. The Queen tells the Prince that he goes mad during this hour and must be bound to protect himself and others. The truth is that he is himself and no longer under her spell during this hour and the Queen needs to renew the spell every day.  During this hour, he sees things as they are and begs and struggles to be released. The Narnian children come to break the spell by interrupting the witch's spell renewal. The spell keeps reality away, and the Prince only sees reality by breaking the spell.It seems our whole culture is under a spell, or under any number of such spells. Each is different in their own way, some appearing opposite from some others. But each performs the same basic function - keeping us from seeing what is right there, keeping reality at bay, causing us to prioritize the trivial and trivialize the priorities. I'll let you fill in the blanks for whatever spells you happen to see. But the spells you see probably afflict others, it is the spells we don't see we should be concerned with.LinksFor Biden's Dog, A Belated Exile: “How many bites does it take?” - Peter Baker, The New York TimesSecret Service: Biden dog would be ‘put down' if not president's pet - Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

A talk from Grace Agenda 2023 Teen's Seminar from Dr. Joe Rigney.

David speaks to Dr. David Marshall about his Narnian apologetics book, "The Case for Aslan".

Matt interviews Dr. Joe Rigney regarding his book, "Live like a Narnian".

Aslan lying on the Stone Table is a quintessential Narnian image, but does it also give us a vision of the Atonement? David interviews Dr. Charles Taliaferro about “A Narnian vision of the Atonement: A defense of the Ransom Theory” to find out...

Evil doesn't own more than a speck of this universe. Take your stand with Jesus by whom all things in heaven and earth were made. Though you have not seen him, you believe in him. When you do, you realize just who and what is on your side. Almost everything! The green earth belongs to Jesus. The world still rotates every 24 hours and revolves around the sun every year. Evil cannot stop this. Evil cannot reach to the stars. There remain inexhaustible mysteries around us, below us, and above us.  #narnia #cslewis #sermon #worship #firstpresbyterianbr #creator

Evil doesn't own more than a speck of this universe. Take your stand with Jesus by whom all things in heaven and earth were made. Though you have not seen him, you believe in him. When you do, you realize just who and what is on your side. Almost everything! The green earth belongs to Jesus. The world still rotates every 24 hours and revolves around the sun every year. Evil cannot stop this. Evil cannot reach to the stars. There remain inexhaustible mysteries around us, below us, and above us.  #narnia #cslewis #sermon #worship #firstpresbyterianbr #creator

Get Jared's new book now: https://canonpress.com/products/the-case-for-the-christian-family/

Get Jared's new book now: https://canonpress.com/products/the-case-for-the-christian-family/ 

Winter days at the cottage, reading my first Regency fantasy novel, a Narnian snow day, & my goals for the New Year. www.ellescottage.com

In Part 2 of my trilogy of podcast episodes examining how 3 fantasy series address capital punishment, I analyze Lord of the Rings. I make the case that, in stark contrast to Narnia, LOTR takes a very strong anti-death penalty stance that comes up multiple times in each book of the trilogy. I examine a J.R.R. Tolkien quote that has sometimes been construed as pro-death penalty and give my take on why this is a misinterpretation. I discuss how Tolkien's view of the "just deserts" theory of punishment, expressed through Gandalf, was the opposite of C.S. Lewis's view. I discuss how heroic characters in LOTR continually pass up opportunities to kill villains except on the field of battle, long after many Narnian heroes would have resorted to hanging. And I make the case for which American politicians various LOTR characters parallel on criminal justice: why Gandalf is like Bernie Sanders, why Galadriel is a bit of an elven Elizabeth Warren, why Aragorn might be called the Gavin Newsom of Gondor, and why Treebeard was the first ever prison abolitionist.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out Canon+! You can get your first month for 99 cents with promo code DOUG99: https://mycanonplus.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, check out Canon+! You can get your first month for 99 cents with promo code DOUG99: https://mycanonplus.com/

For more from Doug, subscribe to Canon+. Use promo code DOUG99 to get your first month for 99 cents https://mycanonplus.com/

For more from Doug, subscribe to Canon+. Use promo code DOUG99 to get your first month for 99 cents https://mycanonplus.com/

The slow fade of autumn, vintage train rides, Narnian photoshoots, & prepping the cottage shop for Christmas.

Listen in as Bryce and Jonathan discuss Joe Rigney's book Live Like A Narnian and ways in which we can be discipled by "breathing Narnian air".

Let's begin with some observations about context, structure, and theme. First, where was this psalm written? In a cave. When? When David fled from King Saul. Which time? David hid in a cave from King Saul multiple times (1 Sam 22, 23, 24, 25). The most likely candidate is immediately after David left Gath; in fact, that may be why this psalm is located here; 1 Samuel 21 describes David's time in Gath (when he likely wrote Psalm 56). And then 1 Samuel 22 begins this way: "David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men." So, the first thing to note is that this psalm was written from a cave, when David is fleeing from the king that he has faithfully served. StructureSecond, what's the structure of the psalm? It's structured like a chiasm. A chiasm is a literary structure that's kind of like steps up a mountain. The first corresponds to the last, the second to the second-to-last, and so on. I've heard Pastor Jonathan describe it like a hamburger, with the bun, then veggies, then cheese, and meat in the middle. So let's briefly identify those connections. A (Bun; 57:1): A plea for mercy as David seeks refuge in God.B (Veggies; 57:2-3): David's cry for help to the sovereign God, with confidence that God will send out his steadfast love and faithfulness from heaven. C (Cheese; 57:4): A description of David's enemies. They are lions and fiery beasts. Their teeth and tongue are their main weapons. In other words, David's enemies do violence with their words. This refers to Saul and the evil counselors that he has surrounded himself with, men who slander David and feed Saul's jealousy, likely out of their own jealousy.D (Meat; 57:5): A call for God to be exalted above the heavens and for his glory to extend to the whole earth.C' (Cheese; 57:6): A description of David's enemies. David's enemies seek to entrap and ensnare him. They plot against him, but become entangled in their own nets, falling into their own pits. B' (Veggies; 57:7-10): David's response to God's deliverance: a steadfast heart, gratitude, and song. Whereas in B, God sent his steadfast love and faithfulness from heaven, in B', David sings of God's steadfast love and faithfulness which reaches to the heavens.A' (Bun/Meat; 57:11): A repetition of 57:5, with a call for God's exaltation above the heavens, and for his glory to fill the whole earth. So the psalm begins with a plea for mercy, and then both the middle and the end celebrate God's exaltation and glory. In between, David expresses confidence in God's steadfast love and faithfulness, in the face of enemies who plot and wound with words. HeavensThird, a repeated theme in the psalm is the heavens. God will send from heaven and save me (v. 3) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens (v. 5) For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds (v. 10) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens (v. 11) In the Bible, heaven or heavens can refer to one of two realities. On the one hand, it can refer to the physical heavens, including the sky and space. The heavens are above us, from horizon to horizon, and the stars are set in the heavens, and the clouds move across the face of the heavens. On the other hand, the heavens can refer to the place where God and the angels dwell. This place is normally invisible to us, but at various times, God pulls back the veil separating his dwelling place from our normal reality, and reveals heavenly realities to the prophets (think about the book of Revelation).We see both in this psalm. God sends “from heaven” (where he dwells) in order to save us. And his steadfast love reaches to the heavens, and his faithfulness to the clouds (physical heavens). The connection between these two, I believe, goes all the way back to Genesis 1.Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void and darkness was over the face of the deep.” I believe this is describing the creation of the heavens (God's creation palace, where he dwells), and then the story zooms in on the earth, which at this point has no structure or inhabitants. The six days of creation are about God forming and filling the earth. But the heaven of heavens is made, all at once and complete, in Genesis 1:1. Then after turning on the lights in Day 1, on Day 2, God places an expanse between the waters above and the waters below. This expanse includes the sky and outer space. It basically stretches from our atmosphere to the end of the cosmos. The sun, moon, and stars are all set in this expanse. But what's significant is that God names the expanse “heavens,” after the heavens that he created in Genesis 1:1. In other words, the physical heavens are named after the heavenly heavens. And these physical heavens represent and point to the heaven of heavens. The physical heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). This includes the sun as it moves across the sky with triumphant joy, the moon as it waxes and wanes and gives light to the night, the stars as they shine brilliantly as jewels set in the heavens. It includes clouds filled with rain and the rumble of thunder and fantastic lightning storms like we had last night.These are the heavens that the James Webb telescope has been sending images of, astounding us with colorful galaxies, star formation, and swirling nebulae. These are the heavens that amaze our soul as we think about standing in one place and moving outward in any direction, and traveling for trillions and trillions of miles, for billions of lightyears, and never coming to the end of it. Though we can do the math and repeat the numbers, our imaginations falter at such distance. We cannot fathom heavens of such depth and distance. And this too is an image of God.Because don't miss what David says in this psalm. Our God is exalted above the heavens. The heavens are so deep, and they land on our imaginations with such weight and gravity. They make us to feel that we are adrift on an infinite sea, running on into the horizon with no conceivable shore. We are surrounded by roads leading in all directions but ultimately leading nowhere. The heavens are so nearly infinite, so majestic and massive in their depth and distance that they give to our minds a likeness of the Abyss of God's very own being, into which if a creature drop down his thoughts for ever, he shall hear no echo return to him. That's what the word unfathomable means. As great as the heavens are, God himself is greater, and therefore, be exalted, O God, above the heavens. The Heavens and the CaveAnd now I want to bring these together. David is writing this psalm in a cave. And caves can be good. When a storm of destruction passes by, it is good to seek refuge from the storm in a cave. But a cave is not a castle. It's not a palace. And so David's presence in a cave is not good. He is not where he expected to be. The youngest son of Jesse, handsome, zealous, and full of courage. He is the slayer of lions and bears. He is David the Giant-killer, anointed by the Lord's prophet to be king over God's people. He is David the musician, invited into the king's house to soothe the mind of the king. He is David, the covenant brother of the crown prince. And now he's an outlaw, on the run, pretending to be out of his mind to protect himself from enemy kings, surrounded by the dregs of Israel – the distressed, the debtors, and the embittered. This is not what he expected. He's in a cave, and the walls are closing in. He's in a cave, and he remembers the heavens.He's in a cave, and he sings to the God who is exalted above the heavens.Let's think more about the juxtaposition of the cave and the heavens. Plato, in the Republic, records Socrates' allegory of the cave. He says that human beings are basically prisoners, deep in a dark cave. We are chained with our backs to a wall, looking at the far wall. Behind us, up toward the mouth of the cave, there is a fire. Between the fire and the wall behind us are people carrying items, which cast their shadows on the wall in front of us. We spend our lives fixated on the shadows, competing for the shadows, arguing and fighting and even dying for the shadows. For Plato, the philosopher – the lover of wisdom – is the one with the courage and fortitude to escape from the bondage and to turn around and climb out of the cave, out past the figures casting the shadow, past the fire at the mouth of the cave, out, out into the open air, looking up…at the heavens, at the sun, moon, and stars in the sky. The philosopher is the one who turns from the shadows of this world and seeks the true glory and majesty of goodness, truth, and beauty. For Plato, the heavens are a fitting image of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, the ultimate Ideas and Forms that lie behind created reality. Or consider another story about caves and the heavens. In Lewis's The Silver Chair, the fourth Chronicle of Narnia, Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb are sent on a quest, with Puddleglum the Marshwiggle, to find the lost Prince Rilian. Their journey takes them to the land of the giants, where they are chased into a cave, and fall down a crack, down, down, down deep underground, where they are captured by gnomes, who constantly say, “Many sink down, but few return to the sunlit lands.”Deep underground, in this massive cave, the three heroes find the lost prince and deliver him from an enchanted chair. But as they prepare to make their escape, the Emerald Witch, who had enchanted the prince, returns. Rilian declares that he is the true prince of Narnia and that he and his friends intend to return there. The Witch lights a fire of incense, begins to play enchanted music on her harp, and attempts to enchant all four of them again.The substance of the enchantment is this: the cave is all there is. There is no Narnia. There is no Overworld. Narnia is just a dream, just make-believe. The Witch, “There never was any world but mine.” And the children repeat, “There never was any world but yours.” Puddleglum wasn't finished fighting. And listen to what he emphasizes. “I don't know rightly what you all mean by a world,” he said, talking like a man who hasn't enough air. “But you can play that fiddle till your fingers drop off, and still you won't make me forget Narnia; and the whole Overworld too. We'll never see it again, I shouldn't wonder. You may have blotted it out and turned it dark like this, for all I know. Nothing more likely. But I know I was there once. I've seen the sky full of stars. I've seen the sun coming up out of the sea of a morning and sinking behind the mountains at night. And I've seen him up in the midday sky when I couldn't look at him for brightness.” - C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia Book 6) (pp. 176-177) Harper Collins, Inc. Kindle Edition. This speech has a rousing effect on the others. But the Witch isn't through. She questions the existence of the sun. When they tell her that the sun is like a large lamp that hangs in the sky, she laughs at them (“hangeth from what, my lord?” she says), and explains away the sun. The sun too is just a dream, copied from the lamp. The lamp is the real thing; the sun is just a tale. The enchantment is nearing its full effect and the four are almost asleep and under the spell.But then Jill fights through and says, “There's Aslan.” And the Witch goes to work. When they say Aslan is the great lion, she asks what a lion is. “Well, a lion is a little bit—only a little bit, mind you—like a huge cat—with a mane. At least, it's not like a horse's mane, you know, it's more like a judge's wig. And it's yellow. And terrifically strong.” The Witch shook her head. “I see,” she said, “that we should do no better with your lion, as you call it, than we did with your sun. You have seen lamps, and so you imagined a bigger and better lamp and called it the sun. You've seen cats, and now you want a bigger and better cat, and it's to be called a lion. Well, ‘tis a pretty make-believe, though, to say truth, it would suit you all better if you were younger. And look how you can put nothing into your make-believe without copying it from the real world, this world of mine, which is the only world. But even you children are too old for such play. As for you, my lord Prince, that art a man full grown, fie upon you! Are you not ashamed of such toys? Come, all of you. Put away these childish tricks. I have work for you all in the real world. There is no Narnia, no Overworld, no sky, no sun, no Aslan. And now, to bed all. And let us begin a wiser life tomorrow. But, first, to bed; to sleep; deep sleep, soft pillows, sleep without foolish dreams.” - C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia Book 6) (pp. 179-180). Harper Collins, Inc. Kindle Edition. You see what Lewis is doing with the Witch? The modern world is a cave, and we are in danger of falling under a dark enchantment. We are tempted to believe that the physical world is the only world, that the only things that are real are material things, measurable things, things that we can analyze with science and mathematics. Spiritual things – like the soul or God or heaven – are simply make-believe, projections of our desires that enable us to cope with the harshness of reality. We have earthly fathers, and we yearn for someone to protect us from the storms of destruction that threaten on every side, to deliver us from our enemies, from the lions that surround us and set a net for our steps. And so we project our earthly fathers into the sky, imagining a bigger and better father, and calling him God. So how does Lewis resolve it? As the enchantment takes hold, Puddleglum, in a brave act of defiance, puts his foot in the fire of incense, filling the room with the foul smell of burnt Marshwiggle. The pain gives him a moment of perfect clarity, and he says: “One word, Ma'am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. “One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things—trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say.” - C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia Book 6) (pp. 181-182). Harper Collins, Inc. Kindle Edition. This is Puddleglum's steadfast, defiant faith. He remembers in the dark what he knew in the light. He has eternity in his heart, a longing for something more than the cave can supply. And he knows that, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” And so he stands by the play-world, the spiritual world, the heavenly world. He's on Aslan's side, come hell or high water. And this connects Puddleglum to Psalm 57. In the cave, David remembers the heavens. He remembers that the sun rises every day, and that the stars come out every night. They are faithful, firm, and steadfast, and they are images of the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. And in meditating on God's steadfast love, which is great to the heavens, and his faithfulness which is mighty to the clouds, David himself becomes steadfast. He sees the purposes of God in the heavens, in the storms that bring the rains that falls to water the thirsty ground. And he knows that God has purposes for him too. Those purposes include storms of destruction passing by. But God is his refuge in the midst of those storms, sheltering him from that destruction, and from the enemies that prowl around. That's why David says, “My heart is steadfast, O God. My heart is steadfast.” Listen to the way Psalm 112 describes the blessing on the righteous man who fears the Lord and finds great delight in his commands, the man who is on Aslan's side and seeks to live like a Narnian: He is not afraid of bad news;his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.(Psalm 112:7–8) The man who trusts in the Lord is steadfast, firm, immovable, established, prepared, faithful, strong, and resilient, because he meditates on the God who is firm, immovable, established, strong, and full of steadfast love and faithfulness.Three EncouragementsLet me close with three encouragements for you. Some of you are in a cave, and you feel like the walls are closing in. This is not the life you expected. There are storms of destruction passing by. Maybe you have adversaries and opponents who are seeking to tear you down. What does Psalm 57 say to you?First, the last few weeks Pastor Jonathan and Pastor Kenny have said, “Preach the gospel to yourself.” I want to add to that. Don't just preach; sing. Sing the gospel to yourself. In the cave, in the darkness, sing of God's faithfulness until the sun comes up. Wake the dawn with your singing. Second, get out of your head. Don't get lost in the maze of your own mind. Don't lean on your own understanding. Look to the heavens. Look to the birds. Consider God's purposes. Consider God's cosmic purposes, as he reveals himself in the infinitude of space, the majesty of the heavens, and the steadfastness of the sun. He is exalted above the heavens. Consider God's global purposes, as his glory covers the whole earth. Give thanks to him among the peoples and praise him among the nations. One of the best ways to break out of the cave is to meditate on the greatness of God's purposes in the world.Consider God's personal purposes, his purposes for you. The greatness of the cosmos and the glory of his mission among the nations is to give you a vision of his absolute greatness. The vastness of the universe blows our minds; it stretches them to the breaking point. And these are just the fringes of his ways. The cosmos does not stretch God. He's not overwhelmed by it. And he has infinite attention for every aspect of it. All of him is everywhere, and he has purposes for everything, including you. He is the God who fulfills his purpose for you.Third, so remember him. Look to him. Cry out to him. He is God Most High, sovereign, governing all things, including storms of destruction. He is protective, hiding you in the shadow of his wings. He is faithful and steadfast, full of covenant love, which fills his cosmos from one corner to the other. The TableWhich brings us to the Table. Psalm 57 begins with a plea: “Be merciful to me, O God” and ends with a song of triumph: “Be exalted, O God.” Our God exalts himself in showing mercy to us. He is the Most High and the Most Merciful. He magnifies himself in his condescension to us. And that's what this Table is. Here the Most High God, out of his abundance of steadfast love and faithfulness, reminds us of his great humiliation, when he made himself nothing and took the form of a servant. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. But his humiliation was his triumph, and God exalted him and gave him the name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in the heavens, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Most High, Most Merciful, in the person of Jesus, here at this Table.Come and welcome to Jesus Christ.

In this sermon from Psalm 57, Pastor Joe Rigney draws comparisons from the works of Plato and C.S. Lewis to help us picture the contrast between our dark world on earth and the greatness of the heavens. We should look to the heavens, preaching and singing to ourselves the greatness of God. We should be reminded of his good purposes and climb out of the cave by living like a Narnian.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the life of C.S. Lewis - one of the most influential Christian thinkers in modern history. From his talks to his writings, “Jack” (as his friends called him) was also undoubtedly one of the greatest Christian apologists of the 20th century. He had an incredible gift for taking complicated topics and translating them in such a way that anyone could understand them. And Dr. White shares the influence that C.S. Lewis had on his life, in particular, as a spiritual mentor. Episode Links Any conversation about C.S. Lewis must include the books that he's written that continue to speak into the lives of each new generation. Anyone not familiar with C.S. Lewis should begin with Mere Christianity, a work that is a compilation of addresses that he gave on BBC radio to explain the Christian faith. For those interested in learning more about the life of C.S. Lewis we would encourage you to read two of his autobiographies - Surprised By Joy and A Grief Observed - as well as two biographies - The Narnian by Alan Jacobs and The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter. The Screwtape Letters and Men Without Chests are worth going back to read if you've been a Christ follower for some time. And finally, The Chronicles of Narnia as well as The Space Trilogy are both fun series to check out. He also referenced an essay written by Lewis called "Modern Man and His Categories of Thought," from Present Concerns (London: Fount Paperbacks, 1986). C.S. Lewis not only influenced Dr. White's spiritual journey, but also his writing. In his recent book, Christianity for People Who Aren't Christians, Dr. White explains in the introduction that C.S. Lewis will accompany the reader on the journey through the book. Special permission was received from the C.S. Lewis Foundation to share several excerpts from his writings. You can also read more about Dr. White's time in Oxford and C.S. Lewis' influence in his ebook A Traveler's Guide to the Kingdom. Dr. White has also written several blogs drawing from C.S. Lewis' life and writings. “C.S. Lewis and Covid” was written at the beginning of the global pandemic. “Rethinking Evangelism with C.S. Lewis” was a 2016 blog about the need to shift evangelism to both a process and event. And finally, you may enjoy reading “Celebrating the Birth of C.S. Lewis.” For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday.

Dr. Joe Rigney, president of Bethlehem College & Seminary, comes on the pod to talk about his book, Live Like a Narnian, and how C.S. Lewis's beloved series gives us great lessons in masculinity and femininity. Twitter Handle: @joe_rigney

Diane and Sean discuss the very long...oh so very long Narnian sequel, Prince Caspian. Episode music is, "The Call", by Regina Spektor from the OST.-  Our theme song is by Brushy One String-  Artwork by Marlaine LePage-  Why Do We Own This DVD?  Merch available at Teepublic-  Follow the show on social media:-  IG: @whydoweownthisdvd-  Twitter: @whydoweownthis1-  Follow Sean's Plants on IG: @lookitmahplantsSupport the show

In episode #107, Brandi sat down with Nike Spaulding as they discussed textual criticism.Nika is a proud graduate of both the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor's in Zoology and Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master's of Theology. God has given her the privilege of planting a church in Oak Cliff called St Jude Oak Cliff, and she loves her role as the Resident Theologian.When she's not cheering on her Sooners, playing with her cat Clive, or enjoying a good meal with her friends, she's probably sneaking off to Oklahoma to snuggle with her favorite humans: her nieces and nephew.Nika and Brandi spent some time nerding out over the Bible as she explained how we ended up with a bible. She answers her the question “Can we trust the Bible?” We discuss how no other piece of literature is this well preserved, and despite man's fallibility of mistranslating a few different words of the Bible, there is no discrepancy in the actual gospel. Our favorite takeaway was learning that The bible is the #1 selling book each year. Nika leaves with us an excerpt from John 5 as Jesus is talking to religious pharisees who are experts of the scriptures:“You search the scriptures because in them you think you find eternal life, but I'm telling you they testify about me.”She shares that this is Jesus telling us , “that the Bible is not another task that is put on Christians to do. It is the Narnian wardrobe into Who God is, and as you search it, you will find that you encounter a God who loves you more than you can fathom, is more Good than you can understand, and has more in store for you than you can imagine.”Resources that Nika recommends in this episode are The Message Bible www.messagebible.comThe Bible Project podcast and YouTube www.bibleproject.comGod on Tap Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-on-tap/id1472958206You can follow Nika Spaulding on IG @nikaadidasIf you haven't written a review yet, please stop what you're doing. Give us a rating and a review. We'll take Five Stars. Be sure to subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Check out www.the-powerproject.com and sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date with what we have going on.

Oh my word I learned so much from Jake Peterson!!! From getting people's phone numbers, to why the triangle of missiology/doxology/theology is important, to the importance of discipleship it was such an honor to have this dude on the podcast. I walked away spurred on and believing you will too. Can't wait for you to listen! Enjoy!__________________________________________________Subscribe to my emails and Monthlyish Newsletter here!Join my bookclub here!LET'S CONNECT: madi@sunnyand65.com__________________________________________________From the episode:#SA65Bookclub Book of the Month for April: The Discipline of Grace by Jerry BridgesI Need You by Gable Price and Friends9Marks BooksMaster Plan of Evangelism by Dr. Robert E. Coleman Becoming Something PodcastDesiring God PodcastsLive Like a Narnian by Joe Rigney

C.S. LewisViewing our work as a calling from God changes our motivations for creating, how we create, and even the products we choose to create. As we submit to the agenda of our Caller, we will be on the lookout for ways in which we can glorify God and love others through the things we create. As the life of C.S. Lewis shows us, when we are abiding in Christ (John 15:4), His Spirit will open our eyes to see where He is moving in the world and what He is calling us to create.By the time C.S. Lewis committed his life to Jesus Christ at the age of 32, he was already on the path to a successful career as an academic and author. But while Lewis's newfound Christian faith didn't cause him to change his chosen work, his conversion clearly caused him to change his relation to his work, reimagining his creating as a means of glorifying God and serving others. This undoubtedly influenced the products Lewis chose to create.Through works such as Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Four Loves, Lewis used words to reveal the character of God. The best example of this is found in The Chronicles of Narnia, the children's fiction series which centers on the character of Aslan, the Christ-like lion who creates Narnia and redeems it through His sacrificial death. Perhaps contrary to popular belief, Lewis, like most culture-creators, did not lock himself in a room until he came up with an idea for a product that would reveal the redemptive character of God. As Lewis once explained, “Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument, then collected information about child psychology;...then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out 'allegories' to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn't write in that way. All my seven Narnian books began with seeing pictures in my head. [The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe] began with a picture of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood...Then one day...I said to myself: ‘Let's try to make a story about it.' At first I had very little idea how the story would go. But then suddenly Aslan came bounding into it...once He was there He pulled the whole story together.”Like Lewis, our product ideas will likely not come from brainstorming sessions where we focus intensely on how we can create a product that reveals God's character. But as we begin to create, and we “let the Word of Christ dwell in [us] richly,” (Colossians 3:16) we will undoubtedly see how we can use our creations to reveal the character of our Creator and Caller. If our work is to feel like a calling, we, like Lewis, must be willing to allow the True Aslan to come “bounding into” every aspect of our lives, including our work.

In January I was visiting my son Alex in Colorado.  Being the adventurous type, he wanted to take me on a hike in the mountains.  Of course, who was I to turn down a fun alpine excursion?  It happened to be snowing a bit, but after a few miles of driving we found a trail to ascend. Everything started off wonderfully, it was like walking in a Narnian winter wonderland...however things quickly began to change as this flatlander started to breathe in the oxygen thin air.  Each step became more and more labor intense.  It got to the point where I had to intentionally tell my legs to keep moving.  I was ready to tap out!  Do you know what kept me going?  Alex and his encouragement and slight deception (I heard, "Just a little bit further" for at least an hour) kept me trudging along, putting one foot in front of the other.  I pressed on until we finally reached the summit, where I was able to behold a picturesque scene of a beautiful valley and meadow, with massive snow flakes falling in the air! Here's the important truth: I never would have accomplished that adventure on my own.  I needed a partner, a companion to help me reach the destination.  Life is best lived, together. On this journey of following Jesus, it's fascinating how we make it about our personal, individualistic, relationship with Jesus.  We give people space and let them figure out and wrestle with their faith because we don't want to interfere or be a bother.  However, to be a disciple of Jesus not only implies, but requires us to walk the journey with someone else.  Why is that?  We follow Jesus better together.  We overcome obstacles better together.  We reach our destination better together.  This shouldn't surprise us!  The Bible is full of examples of how we best experience God together in community.  On Sunday, we will take a look at one of those in examples in Psalm 133, where the psalmist simply says: "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" ~ Psalm 133:1 Such goods words for a time such as this.  A time when more things divide and separate us.  A season where we isolate ourselves in front of screens.  A period of history where more people then ever are struggling with isolation and loneliness.  How can we overcome the divisions, the isolation and experience the blessings of living as a united people pursuing Jesus? To learn more, make sure and listen as we continue with part 14 of Long Obedience in the Same Direction, we know that you will find it to be very helpful!

As he discusses the second part of Prince Caspian the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia, Chris is joined by three special guests: Logan Huggins, our producer (who did yet another amazing job with this episode) Mez Blume, author of Churchill's S.O.C.K.s and several other excellent books Sophie Burkhardt, from the podcast Beneath the Willow Tree (Apologies to our listeners--and Logan--for uploading the unedited version at first this morning!  That is entirely my fault, and I promise you will enjoy this one more--Chris) Join us as we discuss Lewis' occasionally awkward but profound Narnian novel.  Among other things, we talk about: What stars and trees have in common Becoming a beast and George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie Re-enchantment of (and human rule over) nature Aslan's Socratic rebukes Aslan's breath as the "ruach" that moves the trees Growing up without "growing up" Lewis on chivalry Play as the possible redemption of Susan Aslan and the gods Tolkien and Lewis as Lego Masters and Narnia as a grafted world As always, if you have questions and contributions, feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.  We'd love to hear from you. For the view that the Bacchic "romp" is a response to Tolkien, see Joe R. Christopher, "J.R.R. Tolkien: Narnian Exile," in Mythlore 55(Autumn 1988), pp. 41-42.  To hear Sophie Burkhardt's podcast (which has lots of MacDonald and Chesterton), go here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beneath-the-willow-tree/id1574579754 To check out Mez Blume's books, go here: https://mezblume.com/   Stay tuned next week for our final Prince Caspian podcast! 

(I am releasing this episode again, just in case your podcatcher is being stubborn and refuses to yield the raw episode I inadvertently uploaded this morning--Chris) As he discusses the second part of Prince Caspian the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia, Chris is joined by three special guests: Logan Huggins, our producer (who did yet another amazing job with this episode) Mez Blume, author of Churchill's S.O.C.K.s and several other excellent books Sophie Burkhardt, from the podcast Beneath the Willow Tree (Apologies to our listeners--and Logan--for uploading the unedited version at first this morning!  That is entirely my fault, and I promise you will enjoy this one more--Chris) Join us as we discuss Lewis' occasionally awkward but profound Narnian novel.  Among other things, we talk about: What stars and trees have in common Becoming a beast and George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie Re-enchantment of (and human rule over) nature Aslan's Socratic rebukes Aslan's breath as the "ruach" that moves the trees Growing up without "growing up" Lewis on chivalry Play as the possible redemption of Susan Aslan and the gods Tolkien and Lewis as Lego Masters and Narnia as a grafted world As always, if you have questions and contributions, feel free to email us at InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com.  We'd love to hear from you. For the view that the Bacchic "romp" is a response to Tolkien, see Joe R. Christopher, "J.R.R. Tolkien: Narnian Exile," in Mythlore 55(Autumn 1988), pp. 41-42.  To hear Sophie Burkhardt's podcast (which has lots of MacDonald and Chesterton), go here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beneath-the-willow-tree/id1574579754 To check out Mez Blume's books, go here: https://mezblume.com/   Stay tuned next week for our final Prince Caspian podcast! 

Check out the full audiobook now on Canon Plus: https://mycanonplus.com/ 

I revisit the Chronicles of Narnia and do a deep dive into C.S. Lewis's deconstruction of Campbell's hero's journey and other genre conventions of children's fantasy adventure books. I also discuss the role of literary criticism and try hard to avoid getting sidetracked by character arcs, controversies, and Narnian jokes.  Follow on Instagram @playground.books Listen on YouTube at Playground Books Podcast

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