This is the last FTLOL for the year. Stay tuned for the January 5, 2025, edition. New things are coming for FTLOL in the coming year. For now, Merry Christmas!

This nice article from Plough is about an evocative image of the mother of Jesus and the world’s first mother, Eve. — Mary Consoles Eve

Karen Swallow Prior is an excellent writer and an acute observer of contemporary Christianity. She reminds us that we are all susceptible.

I’m still recovering from some bad “tinsel” experiences growing up. Southern Living shows us how to do it right — Tinsel on Trees? This video is a pained attempt to be funny. — Cat in a Tinsel Wig

‘Tis the season for celebrating the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God become human. It is not the era of AI becoming God. This is an intriguing exploration of this subject. (PG-13 notice) — AI Will Show You the Face of God

Who would do such a thing? I know WHO!

Here’s the original link that inspired my hunting down this piece of aeromabilia. — Speed Tape and Tolkien?

It’s one of my favorite Christmas songs, but I really don’t get it. Are the three ships actually ships? Are they the camels? Is it the Trinity? Does it just sound goo? Enjoy this version by Blackmore’s Night.

Jimmy Fallon and Saiorse Ronan sing this Irish classic of someone having a rough Christmas week. — Fairytale of New York

This is my favorite Christmas song that’s not really a Christmas song. I hear it, and I can’t help but think that the honorable Mr. T Bone is talking about Jesus. It sounds like incarnation. “He Came Down” by T Bone Burnett

“Vipers,” “axes.” “burning,” and “fire!” And John continued to preach the Good News, saying many other things to encourage the people. - Luke 3:18

Sometimes the lectionary takes us down roads that we might not want to go. Especially in Advent. During this season, we hear calls for judgment wrapped up with the message of joy. Do judgment and mercy really go together? As much as the seasons of Advent and Christmas do.

Because he is just, we are capable of knowing justice; it is because he is just, that we have the idea of justice so deeply imbedded in us. – George McDonald

“How does God judge the world?” From the inside. As one of us. His judgment is never separate from his mercy. God is always love and always just.

We make a lot of the difference between Christmas and Advent. We all know Christmas carols, but the Advent hymns are less well-known. Here are three, including one by Charles Wesley and another by the great Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. Hymns are theology sung, and these are really good theology. Enjoy reading these lyrics — Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (CW), Godhead Here In Hiding (GMH), and of course, here is the history of the lyrics to the ancient, often sung at Wheatland, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. (JMN)

And here’s a great Wheatland curated Advent playlist (for Spotify users-thanks Joanna and Kelly) - Advent Playlist WMC

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Here’s a great rendition of “Come Thou Long Expected”

And here is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” in Hebrew and English. Performed in Jerusalem.

This “little” Quaker cared more. Benjamin Lay is an excellent example of the challenge that Christianity should be to the world. — The 18th-Century Quaker Dwarf Who Challenged Slavery, Meat-Eating, and Racism

The guys at the Rest Is History Podcast do a great job on him too—Benjamin Lay

I was an adult before I learned where to put the apostrophe. Texas Monthly reminds us that we need the 2nd person plural. By the way, the 2nd person plural is one thing the King James Version has going for it — In Defense of Y’all

John McWhorter takes it further with the ubiquity of “you guys.” It is not, IMHO, a better alternative.

… and I hope you can’t either. His lyrics and life were broken and grace-filled. This old article reflects on his life, which was a little bit cross-shaped. — Johnny of the Cross

Almost an Advent hymn. Almost . . .

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Kelly reminds us that God’s Judgment defeats evil through the “tender compassion of our God.” Her powerful message comes from “The Song of Zechariah” in Luke 1:68-79. (It’s a hymn we frequently pray during Morning Prayer.)

The Song of Zechariah ~ Benedictus Dominus Deus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

This article hit home. Being a part of a congregation is a miracle and a gift. Never more so than in today. I’d love to hear your reactions to this article — Why Millions of Americans Stopped Going To Church

Today is the day we celebrate the birth of St. Nicholas of Myra. He’s the historical figure who inspired various stories that eventually culminated in the Coca-Cola Santa. He’s not just a nice-guy who gives presents. — The Real St. Nicholas/Video

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The actor is getting a lot of advice on how to say his lines from Great Britain’s finest actors. — Unsolicited Advice

We Who Wrestle With God is Jordan Peterson’s latest book. Here’s a fair-handed, and insightful review of Peterson’s writing on the Scriptural stories. With Peterson we read Scripture through a fresh, and in some ways, unorthodox lens — Jordan Peterson’s prophecies

Labor saving devices are a genuine blessing. But can the tedious, mundane work of life be a blessing too? — The Lost Art of Effort: Finding Value in a World of Endless Choices

Check out these beautiful icons. You can even purchase prints by this contemporary Ukrainian artist. — Христина Квик / Krystyna Kyvk Etsy Shop or check out her stuff on Instagram

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“But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping.” - Luke 21:34 The Message

The Christmas season is on us! It’s the perfect time to recall that our Christian calendar tells us it is not Christmas yet but Advent. This is the season of longing. It is when we recall, through the prophets, the experience of God’s people in exile, looking for his deliverance.

In a word, they were longing for God’s judgment—God’s decisive action against evil and in favor of his people. His judgment is not something to avoid or ignore but something to long for. God’s judgment comes to us in a manger.

Some links from the sermon:

Te Deum Laudamus - “we believe you will come and be our judge”

“The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats

The Deacon and Hippie - this story has made the rounds over the years.

Jesus takes the title “Son of Man” for himself. It’s not just a synonym for “human;” Son of Man speaks to the kind of king Jesus intends to be. The character of the king shapes the character of the Kingdom. When Jesus uses the term, he expects a story to come to our mind from Daniel 7.

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Myles Werntz is a theologian and ethicist and expert on the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The quote below got cut from it but you can read his official review in Christianity Today — “Bonhoeffer” Bears Little Resemblance To Reality

Richard Foster is an excellent guide in the life of prayer. This little post from Renovaré is excellent advice for those of us who are learning to pray, again. (and again) — Five Misconceptions that Hinder Prayer

Why do some medications sound like they were names invented by J.R.R. Tolkien? Play this game and test your Tolkien knowledge and/or pharmaceutical identification skills! — Antidepressants or Tolkien?

This is personal and passionate plea for Christians to turn to Jesus in the face of war. Bishop Todd Hunter of C4SO reminds us that it is the image of God that is a stake in a world gone wild with war. — We Can—And We Must—Work It Out

This brief video provides a brief review of Christ the King Sunday, from Grace Communion International — Christ the King

A non-USA problem — Yukon Council Refuses to Swear Oath to King Charles

Jonathan Haidt calls himself the Jewish atheist who recognizes the spiritual crisis of our phones.

John 14:27 set to music - courtesy of the alt-Christian band The Choir — Peace

Not a link but a good reminder: "The Psalms are not provided to teach us about God but to train us in responding to Him." — Eugene Peterson

In place of sermon audio, this week we express thanks to our retreat team.

It was introduced as our 102nd retreat. I can’t remember how many we’ve had, but this was one for the record books. If you couldn’t come, here are a few things you missed: “Your New Best Friend,” Advent Prep, painting, nature walks, Moonlight disc golf, a very loud bingo game, kickball with an electric fence, a filling Eucharistic meal, and Wheatland’s New Signature coffee line. (See image below)

Above all, it was joyful. We sang, prayed, laughed, and celebrated. In that same spirit, let me thank those who made this year’s retreat happen. First off, Wheatland’s Retreat Team outdid themselves this year. The team was led by Kelly Chewning whose gifts of creativity and hospitality were on display. Great work, Kelly! The team included Ellie Kriwiel, Rick and Karen Bartlett, and Josh and Alicia Philips. Thank you all! Each of you brought your special touch to the weekend, and it showed. Thank you for your generous and loving contributions. It would not have come off without them.

I also want to thank Greg Chewning and Matt Johnson for leading worship during our sessions. As always, they were excellent. Many thanks also to Rowdy Wend and Legacy Coffee Works for the excellent coffee on Saturday afternoon. It was a big hit.

There are no end to the positive takeaways from the retreat. Let me leave you with mine: abundance. Alicia’s words on Sunday were an important reminder of the abundance of God’s love pictured in the “leftovers” from the feeding of the 5000.

FTLOL is a compendium of random articles, posts, videos, and podcasts that you may find useful or edifying. Feel free to read one or read them all. Enjoy!

There is a new movie coming out entitled “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin.” It’s not without controversy so here are a few resources to learn about the man and what he means for the 21st Century world.

A Spoke In The Wheel by Renate Wind - there are a lot of biographies on Bonhoeffer. This is a good one. It is readable, short, and captures Bonhoeffer the person, the German, and the Christian. The author, an expert on Bonhoeffer, keeps the timeline of Bonhoeffer’s life clear and informative.

Searching for Bonhoeffer by Tripp Fuller et al. This documentary-style podcast brings in many experts on Bonhoeffer to complete the overall course of his life and ministry. It is both in-depth and a fun listen.

There is concern that Bonhoeffer’s name and story is being mis-used by groups that are at odds with the message Bonhoeffer preached. Members of his family have expressed concern over this, as has the Bonhoeffer Society. You can read each of these letters, along with a letter from the lead actors of the recent movie all rejecting the misuse of Bonhoeffer’s legacy — Letter from Lead Actors

There is a right answer. Contempt for those who think, live, or act differently than us comes naturally. However, rejecting what comes naturally is more important. Our Christian faith has some resources that might help. Psalm 123:3 says, “Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.

This Newsweek article is right on point. — Let’s Reject Contempt

100 years ago, we went to see our priest, pastor, or confessor. As time marched on and needs changed, we no longer visit these people. We go to see our therapist. What are we to think of this? (Please note that therapists are great. I know some good ones. I was one once.) — The Christian In A Therapeutic Age

Dallas Willard once said he wasn’t sure he believed in “total depravity,” but he sure believed in “enough depravity.” Ken Tanner provides some food for thought. What is the effect of sin on people who bear the image of God?

At its best, humor has a prophetic impact. Sometimes, it has a practical impact. This might be both. — The Onion Buys InfoWars?

Ryan Burge/Graphs About Religion has great research on religion and church attendance here in the USA. This chart shows how many pastors there are per 100,000 people. I was surprised which state had the most. It was not who I thought it would be.