Spiritual and Sacred Links for Monday 17th August 2015

Supplied by a UK colleague:

#1 Bishop Rennis Ponniah on why Christians should get involved with national life; #2 Anthony Billington on whether we should be ambitious; #3 Moore College on rediscovering our reformed roots in grace, faith, scripture, Christ etc; #7 Terry Waite preaches marking VJ day at Lichfield Cathedral; #8 Choral evensong from Cheltenham College Chapel; #11 please pray for the Sudanese pastors partly freed, but not to travel; #13 Aiding persecutors and it is becoming apparent that survivors of Ebola are not at the end of their troubles; #16 but some are taking things into their own hands.

Prayers for you for the coming week.

SERMONS AND TALKS
1. Our national life matters to God - Bishop Rennis Ponniah - St Andrew's Singapore Audio [Isaiah 6:1-8]
http://tinyurl.com/osk6dyl

2. Ambition and the Kingdom of God - Anthony Billington - LICC Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xraTkbOSVIw

3. Recovering the Reformation: Grace, Faith, Scripture, Christ and the Glory of God Alone - Professor Kevin Vanhoozer - 38th Annual Moore College Lecture series Audio
http://tinyurl.com/pdway2u
and video
http://tinyurl.com/pjryssh

Commentary
4. Preaching Ideas and Commentary - Rev Peter Carrell
http://preachingdownunder.blogspot.co.nz/

5. The Sunday Readings - Rev Stephen Trott
https://laworgospel.wordpress.com/

WORSHIP
6. The bells of Westminster Abbey - BBC Radio 4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b065rv5j

7. Sunday Worship from Lichfield Cathedral marking the 70th anniversary of VJ day, the preacher is Terry Waite - BBC Radio 4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b065rv5z

8. Choral Evensong from Cheltenham College Chapel  with the Eton Choral Course choir  - BBC Radio 3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b064y420

9. Sunday Hour - BBC Radio 2
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0640wl4

10. Archived Choral services over the Summer from the chapels of King's College Cambridge
http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/choir/webcasts.html
and St John's College, Cambridge
http://www.sjcchoir.co.uk/webcasts
and Trinity College, Cambridge
http://trinitycollegechoir.com//webcasts/listen-again/
and New College, Oxford
http://www.newcollegechoir.com/webcasts.html

PRAYER
Please pray for Rev Yat Michael and Rev Peter Reith still being prevented from travelling; for the persecuted church in Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Indonesia; and for the Diocese of South Carolina.

11. Topical Prayers - Church of England
http://tinyurl.com/6wnk2pk
Sudan: Appeal against Sudanese pastors travel ban fails - CSW
http://tinyurl.com/o8ly27z
Three Christian women fined for indecent dress - CSW
http://tinyurl.com/q6m7tnw
Egypt: Egypt court reconsiders Christian's blasphemy conviction - WWM
http://tinyurl.com/oyc6g3j
Indonesia: Indonesia: Religious riot in Papua prompts church attacks elsewhere - WWM
http://tinyurl.com/oypf5ay
South Carolina: Upcoming hearing
http://tinyurl.com/pahxot8
Prayers from Lent and Beyond
http://tinyurl.com/kssn33y

CURRENT AFFAIRS
12. Sunday Programme with Edward Stourton - BBC Radio 4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b065rv5v

Food for thought
13. UK's £2.7bn in aid to countries where Christians are persecuted - John Bingham
http://tinyurl.com/pgk5qxl
Sierra Leone Ebola village quarantine lifted - BBC
http://tinyurl.com/onu7ucj
Ebola survivors clinic opens in Monrovia - WHO
http://tinyurl.com/ovhctbl
Lamentations: A Bottle for the Tears of the World - Christianity Today
http://tinyurl.com/q8nn3eg
Joy in suffering? Seriously? Yes, seriously - St Helen's
http://tinyurl.com/nkfbcma
Trustworthiness of Clergy and Other News - BRIN
http://tinyurl.com/pz6cmyt
Summer Sun: A little taste of heaven - St Helen's
http://tinyurl.com/qa6atr5

FINALLY
14. Ave maris stella - James MacMillan - Truro Cathedral Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZiZqlrhHd0

15. Simplicity - Rend Collective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKp8lpOq2ko

16. Erison and the Ebola Soccer Survivors - NYT vimeo
https://vimeo.com/134620182