Welcome to my weekly digest for July 21, 2023, with the best articles from around the web and a roundup of my recent writings and appearances. Be sure to check out Sherwood Entertainment, a new streaming service launching soon that’s focused on wholesome family entertainment.
I find this quote from the Financial Times to be sad and hilarious at the same time, as is so often the case today:
"Randal Cremer is one of several planned primary school closures and mergers in inner London triggered by low birth rates, families moving away because of expensive childcare, Brexit, and parents re-evaluating their lives during the pandemic. "
Brexit! They had to slip the Brexit scapegoating in there, as the leftist British media do on every issue.
Maybe they could explain how Brexit is causing declining birth rates in London.
I'm not going to lie, if Matt Chandler was my priest and literally put his hand on my shoulder and said that too me, I probably fall to my knees balling. It was nice to read.
I loved Michael Foster's post as well too. Evangelicals despite the stuff you've written about have really been impressing me lately. Our neighbor's evangelical church and her care for the women in her community is exceptional too. I had to laugh in the first comment on Twitter to Michael Foster's post though. I get it's probably not new to him, but and this isn't to dismiss Protestants but there's a whole level of issues and extra burdens that come up with marriage if you are part of any of the traditions that have hard doctrine on sex and family and it's a completely different level of burden for those that actually want to be practicing Catholics and sometimes Orthodox.
Aaron - I'm admittedly not accustomed to hearing many negative dad sermons, but I'm not understanding what is unique or even noteworthy about Matt's sermon. It was...fine. Matt's theatric instincts and inflection always make things sound a bit more dramatic, but otherwise the content was pretty basic and garden-variety empathy (or sympathy?) from a dad that also carries the weight of his call.
I know your question was directed to Aaron, but I thought I’d also respond.
To frame it as a question, when have (or will) you hear a mother’s day sermon that called out women on sins that are distinctive to them or expressed that they are lacking? You just don’t hear that, and it would paint a target on any preacher’s back. Conversely, it’s not uncommon for a Father’s Day message to center around how men need to man up or how husbands ought to love their wives. Basically, it comes off as a double standard, as if men don’t need affirmation and are more in need of a swift kick in the pants. Whereas women evidently need nothing but a positive affirmation. So, to hear a prominent pastor positively affirm and build up men from the pulpit is refreshing and hopefully portends a shift towards honoring dads in the same way that moms are worthily honored. Personally, I want to hear a father’s day sermon that sounds like the lyrics to “lean on me” because Matt is right; fathering & husbanding can be at times a lonely experience and the support/encouragement is welcome.
Matt Chandler appears to have simmered down a bit since 2014:
https://youtu.be/ejjweiF0gTk
How exactly can something 88.1% of couples do be strongly correlated with anything?
I find this quote from the Financial Times to be sad and hilarious at the same time, as is so often the case today:
"Randal Cremer is one of several planned primary school closures and mergers in inner London triggered by low birth rates, families moving away because of expensive childcare, Brexit, and parents re-evaluating their lives during the pandemic. "
Brexit! They had to slip the Brexit scapegoating in there, as the leftist British media do on every issue.
Maybe they could explain how Brexit is causing declining birth rates in London.
I'm not going to lie, if Matt Chandler was my priest and literally put his hand on my shoulder and said that too me, I probably fall to my knees balling. It was nice to read.
I loved Michael Foster's post as well too. Evangelicals despite the stuff you've written about have really been impressing me lately. Our neighbor's evangelical church and her care for the women in her community is exceptional too. I had to laugh in the first comment on Twitter to Michael Foster's post though. I get it's probably not new to him, but and this isn't to dismiss Protestants but there's a whole level of issues and extra burdens that come up with marriage if you are part of any of the traditions that have hard doctrine on sex and family and it's a completely different level of burden for those that actually want to be practicing Catholics and sometimes Orthodox.
Aaron - I'm admittedly not accustomed to hearing many negative dad sermons, but I'm not understanding what is unique or even noteworthy about Matt's sermon. It was...fine. Matt's theatric instincts and inflection always make things sound a bit more dramatic, but otherwise the content was pretty basic and garden-variety empathy (or sympathy?) from a dad that also carries the weight of his call.
Hi Rick,
I know your question was directed to Aaron, but I thought I’d also respond.
To frame it as a question, when have (or will) you hear a mother’s day sermon that called out women on sins that are distinctive to them or expressed that they are lacking? You just don’t hear that, and it would paint a target on any preacher’s back. Conversely, it’s not uncommon for a Father’s Day message to center around how men need to man up or how husbands ought to love their wives. Basically, it comes off as a double standard, as if men don’t need affirmation and are more in need of a swift kick in the pants. Whereas women evidently need nothing but a positive affirmation. So, to hear a prominent pastor positively affirm and build up men from the pulpit is refreshing and hopefully portends a shift towards honoring dads in the same way that moms are worthily honored. Personally, I want to hear a father’s day sermon that sounds like the lyrics to “lean on me” because Matt is right; fathering & husbanding can be at times a lonely experience and the support/encouragement is welcome.
For example:
https://youtu.be/8VoD8sD9C3E