Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name for ever.
For great is your steadfast love towards me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
{Psalm 84:11-13}

As we wrap up another week filled with violence, unexpected kindness, hard conversations, heated debates, and all our daily highs and lows, let us remember to give thanks, because God is still in control. He still loves us and pursues us. He still wins. That doesn’t mean life is easy or that horrific things don’t happen in a world scarred by the Fall—but let us remember to give thanks in all things, not just in happy things.

Conciliar Post:

Spectre: Movie Review by John Ehrett

Fruitcake by Kenneth O’Shaughnessy

Canon Considerations: Authority and the Heart of the Discussion by Jeff Hart

Myths of the Apocrypha by Matthew Bryan

Citizenship in Heaven by Chad Kim (Our 500th post!)

From Our Authors:

A History of Christian Theology (podcasts) by Chad Kim

MHT: Developmental Perspectives on History by Jacob Prahlow (Pursuing Veritas) Part of a Series

Across the Web:

A Secret Way to Cope When You Are Pretty Much Sick of the World, the Holidays, and a Crazy Life by Ann Voskamp (A Holy Experience)

“We won’t stop confessing He is good and we won’t stop thanking Him for grace and we won’t stop holding out our hands — and taking His hand. We won’t stop believing that “God is good” is not some trite quip for the good days but a radical defiant cry for the terrible days. That “God is good” is not a stale one-liner when all’s  happy but a saving lifeline when all’s hard. And we will keep giving thanks, yada, yada, yada, because giving thanks is only this: making the canyon of pain into a megaphone to proclaim the ultimate goodness of God.”

Refugees: Prudence isn’t Cruel and Tokenism Is Not Virtue by John Mark Reynolds (Patheos)

“There is, or there should be, a distinction between what I am commanded to do as an individual and what it is proper for a state to do. A state must act (somewhat) more prudently than an individual. A state must recognize unintended consequences to even the most charitable acts.”

Chasteness: Why I Take My Preschooler to Art Exhibits by Heather Walker Peterson (Humane Pursuits)

“There is a chasteness to viewing fine art, a word likely shocking to some contemporary artists. Chastity does not have to be reduced to sexual activity, but rather as Ronald Rolheiser writes in The Shattered Lantern, ‘To be chaste means to experience all things respectfully and to drink them in only when we are ready for them. We break chastity when we experience anything irreverently or prematurely.’ ”

Why It’s So Hard to Resist Grieving on Social Media by Morgan Lee (Christianity Today)

“But while social media may be the most convenient, it’s obviously far from the only refuge. Perhaps we can encourage one another to turn to art as a way to respond to suffering and tragedy.”

These articles do not necessarily reflect the views or mission of Conciliar Post. These articles have been selected based on their prevalence across popular blogs and social media and their relevance to current events. We invite you to engage in friendly and positive discussion about these articles. If there are any articles we missed that you think would be worthy of digestion and discussion, please post a link in the comment section below.

Under the Mercy,
~ Johanna Byrkett, Senior Editor