Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1. City Alight Music
There was a time not so many years or decades ago when finding good worship music for the church was nearly impossible. There were classic hymns, which are wonderful, but there wasn’t much in the way of lyrically faithful, poetically beautiful, musically singable and pleasant contemporary worship music. Then, over the past couple decades there has been an explosion of contemporary worship music with so many offerings from so many sources that the problem actually remained the same, but now we’re forced to sort through piles and piles of mediocrity to find songs of biblical substance and beauty. So to find a music ministry like CityAlight is so refreshing. They are based out of a local church and it shows because the songs they write and produce are for congregational singing. They consistently offer songs of biblical depth and the sort of musicality that is pleasant and memorable. On top of that, they are the kinds of songs that can be adapted to use for churches of different styles or musical capability. If your church is small and has a single musician or two CityAlight songs can work for you. And the same goes if you have a large, highly skilled band. I have found such refreshment and encouragement in their music, and I’m so grateful to have found a reliable, consistent source of good (in every sense of that word) worship music.
2. Inconceivable by Cary Elwes
I saw a ranking recently of the top 10 most quotable movies, and sure enough, The Princess Bride was at the top of the list. If you haven’t seen this classic, I don’t know what to tell you other than that I am disappointed in you, it shows a real lack of discernment, but don’t worry because you can easily remedy this minor failing through any streaming service. Few movies have been enjoyed across generations, gender lines, and by viewers of so many different genres. But I am not here to flog the merits of a movie you all should have seen and loved. I am here to laud a book about the making of said movie by one of its stars, Cary Elwes who played Westley. I normally eschew celebrity memoirs because of their tendency toward self-aggrandizement, name dropping, and generally rubbish writing. This is not that. It is more like a celebration of Elwes’s fellow cast members and movie makers in which they revel in the sheer delight of this film. It feels like sitting at a table with them after the official cast reunion ended while they share a few drinks and swap stories. If you love The Princess Bride, you will enjoy this book. In that vein, the audiobook is even more fun than the print version because it is in the voice we can all hear say such lines as, “There are a shortage of perfect breasts in the world, t’would be a pity to damage yours,” “R.O.U.S.s? I don’t believe they exist,” and of course, “As You Wish.”
3. The Athletic
I have been a massive sports fan since I was a small child. Once upon a time I had the leisure and margin to browse multiple sites and read many articles daily about my favorite teams and the various happenings around various leagues. Now I’m older, busier, and more tired. And my tolerance fro bad writing and reporting is low. So The Athletic is my go-to as a sports fan. It is the best collection of sports journalists and analysts available. They offer great coverage of local teams as well as league-wide coverage for major sports. It’s everything ESPN.com or SI.com should be but have given up on. As those former behemoths cast off good reporters and analysts, The Athletic continues to build a staff of good writers and reporters who make following sports both more enjoyable and easier. (As a bonus they generally offer great deals for first-time subscribers, including free guest passes from subscribers like me.)
